novelraw Chapter 1107 - 1081: Honor Amidst Chaos 149
Chapter 1107 - 1081: Honor Amidst Chaos 149
The Liu family’s mother and son were so shocked that they almost couldn’t stand steady.
Liu Cai trembled as he asked, "What’s going on? How did the Crown Prince send someone here... How does the Crown Prince know about me, your family’s master?"
The steward was also at a loss: "Master, I don’t understand either, you’d better go and take a look."
Liu Cai patted the dust off his clothes, "Let’s go."
From the backyard to the front hall, Liu Cai walked shakily, his heart full of uncertainty, unsure of what trouble he might have caused.
He wondered if the matter he had entrusted someone with contacting Prince Xin had been found out by the Crown Prince?
Was there a disagreement between the Crown Prince and Prince Xin?
Anyway, the more Liu Cai thought about it, the more frightened he became.
When he reached the front hall, Liu Cai immediately saw a man in his thirties, with a beard and looking quite refined, sitting there leisurely drinking tea.
Liu Cai smiled apologetically, "May I know who this gentleman is?"
The man stood up and cupped his hands, "I am Zhang He, the East Palace Chief Historian."
Liu Cai was stunned for a moment.
He had thought the Crown Prince would send a eunuch or some insignificant person from the Eastern Palace, but never expected the Crown Prince to send the Chief Historian.
The East Palace Chief Historian, though the position seems small, is the person closest to the Crown Prince, managing all the affairs of the Eastern Palace and also acting as the Crown Prince’s advisor. Such a person, if the Crown Prince ascends the throne, would immediately be elevated to a marquis or ministerial position.
Why would such an important person be sent by the Crown Prince? What on earth does the Crown Prince intend to do?
Liu Cai truly couldn’t understand, and he was terribly scared.
Zhang He smiled at Liu Cai, "First, congratulations to Mr. Liu. Your niece has been favored by the Empress and chosen to be the Crown Princess Consort. The decree has been issued, and once the Six Rituals are complete, she will enter and take her place in the Eastern Palace."
Huh?
Liu Cai was taken aback, "Mr. Zhang, are you serious? My niece? Not the Miss Lu from Lu Family?"
However, Liu Cai could never have imagined that his own niece would have such fortune, to become the Crown Princess Consort.
One must know, Miss Lu is the legitimate eldest daughter, born of Lu Wang’s legitimate wife, and in terms of appearance and temperament, she seems better than Lu Zhen, so how did the Empress choose Lu Zhen?
Liu Cai felt like he was dreaming, and it all seemed unreal to him.
Zhang He coughed, "It is the Second Miss of Lu Family, Mr. Liu’s own niece."
Liu Cai quickly pinched himself, and it actually hurt, so it seemed he wasn’t dreaming.
"This is wonderful news, truly fantastic news."
He jumped up with joy.
Once he calmed down, he asked Zhang He, "What has the Crown Prince sent Mr. Zhang here for? Is the Crown Prince short of money? If he is, I’ll go gather some now, would 500,000 taels be enough? If 500,000 is not enough, I can gather a million. Tell the Crown Prince not to worry, I will gather whatever is needed, even if I have to sell everything."
Zhang He was utterly speechless.
"The Crown Prince is not short of money."
He waved his hand, "Here is the situation."
Zhang He explained the situation with the Lu family to Liu Cai: "When the decree was announced, Miss Lu caused a scene. Minister Lin was worried about the Second Miss’s safety, so he took her to stay at Lin Mansion. The Crown Prince is also concerned about the Second Miss’s safety and therefore asks Mr. Liu to visit the Lu Family to advise Mrs. Lu properly. If it really doesn’t work, please bring the Second Miss to stay in Jizhou."
Liu Cai furiously cursed, "What a muddleheaded person, my sister is truly... was her head kicked by a donkey? How could she be so foolish!"
After venting his anger, Liu Cai promised Zhang He, "Mr. Zhang, tell the Crown Prince not to worry, I will set off for the Capital immediately. I’ll go and question that muddleheaded person, whom exactly is her real daughter. Even if I have to slap her awake, I will do so. If she’s still confused, I’ll bring my niece to stay with me."
Zhang He nodded, "Please, go ahead."
Liu Cai invited Zhang He to sit and wait for a while.
He turned and went to the inner quarters first to share the great news with Mrs. Liu, then asked Mrs. Liu to prepare his travel items, packed with plenty of silver notes. He didn’t rest much and left with money and necessities to head to the Capital with Zhang He.
Mrs. Liu and Madam Liu, upon hearing that Lu Zhen was chosen as the Crown Princess Consort, were beaming with smiles.
Madam Liu prepared Liu He’s things and then led a group of maids and old women to Mrs. Liu’s room.
As soon as she entered, she smiled, "Congratulations, Old Madam! Congratulations! I never imagined our Miss would have such fortune. My goodness, a Crown Princess Consort, the future Empress, the mother of the nation, all to befall upon our Miss. I can hardly believe such tremendous joy."
As she spoke in such a series, Mrs. Liu listened with a smile.
She was both pleased and proud, yet also somewhat frustrated.
Pleased because of Lu Zhen’s good fortune, proud because Lu Zhen is considered her junior and their old Liu family could produce a Crown Princess Consort—which is like having smoke rising from their ancestral graves. Frustrated because Mrs. Liu was muddleheaded, unable to stand tall even when her biological daughter becomes the Crown Princess Consort, failing to treat her own daughter well, she instead grovels to the eldest daughter, which is truly disgraceful.
"Congratulations to us all, indeed."
Mrs. Liu invited Madam Liu to sit down as she laughed, "She is also your niece, and if she’s well, she will honor you in the future."
Madam Liu sat down and said, "She is our family’s Miss, and with such fortune, it’s a blessing for our Liu family. I’m just thinking about preparing a generous dowry for our Miss, so she won’t lose face."
"That is certainly true."
Mrs. Liu contemplated and said, "We should prepare the dowry early. Later, you can open the storeroom to choose carefully. Our family may lack for other things, but the storeroom has accumulated plenty of jewels and jade over the years. Choose some to make good headgear for Zhen’er. Later, let Dabao head to Jiangnan to find some good materials and fine wood, and if he finds rare items, purchase some."
Madam Liu nodded repeatedly, "I remember there’s a pair of red coral trees in our storeroom, I’ll take those as part of Miss’s dowry later."
At the same time as the Liu family women were busy preparing Lu Zhen’s dowry, Zhang He and Liu Cai were hastening on their journey to the Capital.
In the Capital, Liu Cai did not rest and went directly to the Lu Family.
Mrs. Liu hadn’t been feeling well these past few days.
Lu Zhen had become the future Crown Princess Consort, receiving the decree and entering the palace, then going to Lin Xiang’s house to learn the palace etiquette. However, there was no news of her after she left, which left Mrs. Liu very upset.
Coupled with Lu Shan’s constant tantrums these few days, Mrs. Liu felt even more uncomfortable.
That day she couldn’t even eat, thinking about how to reprimand Lu Zhen when she returned when a maid came in to say that her uncle had arrived.
Mrs. Liu quickly sent someone to invite him.
Liu Cai entered the Lu family’s door, first paying respects to Mrs. Lu, and then went to Liu’s room.
Upon entering, he dismissed the maids and then commenced with a tirade, "You muddleheaded person, both I and our father are quite clever, how did we end up raising you, this stubborn blockhead? Look at the things you’ve done over the years, what would you call them? Whose mother acts like this? It’s true you are a stepmother; if for reputation you treat the previous children well, that’s fine. But you should balance it out, treating the earlier children well and not forgetting your own. But no, the way you act as a stepmother, you really are a stepmother to Zhen’er."
Liu was so embarrassed by Liu Cai’s scolding that she couldn’t lift her face, "Brother, what are you saying? This is the Lu family, why have you come here to scold me?"
Liu Cai nearly lost his temper to give Liu a beating, "You dare to act so tough with me but not with your mother-in-law or your eldest daughter! Why don’t you protect your own daughter? Ha, if you really think of being good to your eldest daughter, thinking about virtue, then don’t have children, and you be motherly and daughterly with your eldest daughter. Why did you give birth to Zhen’er to suffer?"
Liu’s face turned even uglier, "Brother, if you continue scolding, please leave."
Liu Cai, out of breath, sat down, "What exactly are you thinking? Zhen’er is favored by the Empress and chosen to be the Crown Princess Consort. Do you know what the Crown Princess Consort is? That is the future Empress, the highest rank among women in the world. Your daughter has become the Crown Princess Consort, what are you afraid of? No matter how bold your eldest daughter’s maternal family might be, they won’t dare do anything to you. Raise your spine, be a kind mother for once, and protect your daughter well, what harm is in that? My muddled sister, you’ll need Zhen’er for your old age, if Zhen’er does well, all will be well for you. Do you really think your eldest daughter will support you in your old age? That’s a daydream. I advise you to abandon that thought."
Liu was stunned.
Liu Cai continued, "Do you know how I came here? The Crown Prince learned of your foolish actions and specially sent the East Palace Chief Historian to the ancient city to summon me. Your foolish reputation has reached the ears of the Empress and the Crown Prince, and if it weren’t for being the biological mother of the Crown Princess Consort, the Crown Prince would have already ordered your dismissal."