Чистая вода и прекрасные горы

Глава 39

"Xiao Bi—" Qin Lanruo quickly interrupted, "You'd better keep those words to yourself. If the master hears you, he'll punish you. If you continue to be so willful, I'm afraid I won't tolerate you anymore. You are not allowed to mention a single word about the past..."

I lazily got up, not wanting to listen to Qin Lanruo's scolding anymore. I quietly walked out of the south courtyard and saw that the study light was still on. I was puzzled and went over. Seeing that the study door was half open and Lu Li's half body was exposed, I thought to myself, shouldn't he be in the front garden drinking and laughing with his brothers right now?

Just as I was about to push the door open, I heard other people's voices inside, and I stopped in my tracks.

"Seventh Brother, what are you thinking? Is Seventh Sister-in-law really that unappealing to you? Although she doesn't say anything, we brothers all know what's going on. Less than half a year after her wedding, she's already making preparations for the new year. It's clearly—" Lu Xiu paused and stopped talking.

"What is it?" Lu Li smiled slightly.

"I don't like Seventh Sister-in-law."

"Is that so?" Lu Li asked softly. "However, this marriage... was requested by your seventh sister-in-law."

"She did this to preserve the dignity of the Prince's Mansion and to save face for you, Seventh Sister-in-law—if she weren't so devoted to you, why would she have secretly rushed from Xiling to Jiangbei overnight after hearing the news of your collapse? But Seventh Brother, you disregarded the dignity of the mansion and didn't appreciate your kindness. When your Seventh Sister-in-law stood outside the camp... she just stared blankly at you and that girl being so affectionate, without uttering a single complaint. She turned around and quietly went back. Later, she even begged this woman for you. Yet you didn't appreciate her kindness and even said—"

Lu Xiu suddenly froze, his confidence faltering as he peered through the half-open door at me standing quietly outside. It took him a long while to recover, and he stammered, "Seventh Sister-in-law—"

Lu Li stiffened, quickly turned around, and looked directly at me.

I didn't move, but Lu Xiu wisely turned and left.

After a moment, I smiled and stepped inside, pulling Lu Li along. "How come you're hiding here so peacefully? I've been looking everywhere for you. If you're tired of drinking, go back to your room early. Lan Ruo—"

"That day—" he abruptly interrupted me, "did you really go?"

I was taken aback, but continued smiling. "Does it still matter?"

"You really went, didn't you?" He still wouldn't give up.

I turned my head away, took a few steps, and then looked back slightly. "Master, you should go back to the bridal chamber soon. Tonight is a precious night."

I hurried away, a deep, indescribable pain in my heart.

The next morning, I was sitting on the edge of the bed reading when I saw Liu Shang running around laughing.

It wasn't until she waved herself in front of me countless times, making me flustered, that I finally left the study, pulled her down to sit beside me, and said, "Can you be quiet for a bit? And what's making you so happy?"

“My lord, just now I heard from Chunxi, and Chunxi heard from Changxi, and Changxi also learned from Granny Jing, who brought water for washing the face to the south courtyard this morning, that the concubine had not bled. She also heard that the prince got drunk in his study and didn’t return to the bridal chamber until midnight, so of course he didn’t do anything.”

I glanced back at her, then looked at the book again. "That's it? Is it really that exciting?"

Anyway, I feel better now.

I smiled, then suddenly remembered something, "Has Master had his hangover soup yet?"

"No, I went to the palace early this morning."

I nodded. "Alright, stop grinning like an idiot and blinding me. Go to the small kitchen and make some soup to relieve my headache. Bring it to him as soon as he finishes court."

At 9:00 AM, Lu Li returned. I was sitting by the window when I saw him standing at the door of my main room, hesitating for a while before stepping inside.

I turned my gaze back to the gift list in my hand. This time, the gifts from each household and the palace were very generous.

Lu Li lifted the curtain of the inner room, looked at me, and simply said, "I'm busy."

I said "Oh," and quickly looked up. "Wow, you're back so early today."

At this moment, Liu Shang had already brought over the medicine. Lu Li drank it all in one gulp, put down the bowl, waved for Liu Shang to leave, walked to the bedside, and sat down next to me. "You've prepared everything for me. My head was throbbing so badly in the main hall that I didn't stay in the Xuanzheng Academy. Father Emperor allowed me to come back first."

"Shall I lie down for a while, sir?" I put down my book and looked at him. "Here, or in my sister's room?"

"That's fine." Lu Li said, tilting his head back and falling onto the bed. I helped him take off his boots and court robes, covered him with a silk quilt, and then sat down at a mahogany table to quietly look through the account books.

I don't know how much time passed before I finished flipping through everything. I rubbed my head and was about to get up when I turned around and saw Lu Li lifting his back.

"I reckon it's time for lunch. Would you like to eat here, Master, or..." I smiled and quickly changed my words, "Look at my memory! You've been back for quite a while now. You should go check on the south courtyard. My sister must have been waiting for a long time."

After he put on his boots, I pushed him out the door.

For three consecutive days, Lu Li stayed in the south courtyard for both food and lodging.

Life goes on like this, day after day, I tinker with all sorts of things every day, and surprisingly, I find it quite fulfilling.

I occasionally went to the palace a few times. Besides paying my respects to Consort Ding, I also visited the residences of my sisters-in-law. Among the unmarried women in the palace, only the two youngest princesses, Princess Zhong Ning and Princess Zhong Ping, remained. So, I would always drop by to joke around with them.

My aunt still wouldn't let me into the palace to pay my respects, so I could only inquire about her recent condition from the palace servants. I only knew that although she received good medicine without interruption, her spirits were getting worse and worse.

On the way back, I rode in the same car as my fourth sister-in-law. She held my hand and we talked intimately.

“Zhaozhi, if I hadn’t said anything to you, I would have seen through the palace. You can choose not to compete, you can choose not to have a man’s heart, you can choose not to have that happiness… But as the legitimate wife, we can’t give up even this position. You are a descendant of the Rong family, and I think you married into the family mostly because of your family. But you can’t forget that even if it’s for the family, you have to maintain your position in this household. How can you sit still if you’re so quiet, docile, and unassuming?”

These words struck a chord with me. Favor is merely a fleeting illusion; one's position within the household is the most secure backing. Even if I don't compete with Lan Ruo for favor, there's no guarantee that others won't be envious of my position.

I smiled slightly and looked at my fourth sister-in-law, "Please enlighten me, fourth sister-in-law..."

My fourth sister-in-law's crimson lips opened and closed before my eyes, uttering only those two words, yet they tugged at my heartstrings...

He returned to the palace in a panic, only to find that Lu Li had already returned and was receiving guests in the main hall of the front garden.

I went in, bowed, and sat down next to Lu Li. Suddenly I froze, only then remembering that Lu Li had said a month ago that he wanted to meet the people from Nalan Manor. How could I have forgotten?

Lu Li introduced me, "These are the two palace masters of Jin Nie Palace and Mu Yan Palace of Nalan Manor. They are both renowned figures in the martial arts world."

Nalan Manor is founded on the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Its five disciples, also known as the five palace masters, each inherit a unique Nalan Manor technique and recruit their own followers. Together, they safeguard Nalan Manor's dominant position in the martial arts world. Therefore, for decades, every Nalan Manor lord has been able to firmly hold the position of martial arts leader, a position closely related to the unwavering loyalty of the five palace masters. I am now the eighteenth lord of Nalan Manor.

The two people sitting down, Jin Wulei and Mu Zihan, were also startled when they saw me and quickly stood up, "Zhuang..."