Lu Huiyi would not carelessly go before her father to lodge a complaint. She was not that foolish.
As for the various actions of Minor Concubine Yuan and Lu Zhenyi, did you really think their father did not know about them? He simply favored the Yuan woman and his second daughter. What could you possibly do to him?
“Wanqing.” Lu Huiyi wore a smile as she waited along the path that led to the outer courtyard.
Whether Wanqing needed to head to the Fourth Master’s quarters first or to Lu Qizheng’s, she had to pass through this path. No one could simply fly across.
Looking at the food box that Wanqing and the maid Caiping were carrying, Lu Huiyi’s smile deepened. What a coincidence. If it isn’t Miss Caiping.
Lu Huiyi was fairly familiar with Caiping. After her mother passed away in her past life, Minor Concubine Yuan was elevated to the position of primary wife. For several years, she and Lu Huiyi had indeed lived as stepmother and stepdaughter. Later on, when this maid Caiping married and returned to Minor Concubine Yuan’s side, Lu Huiyi came to understand her quite well.
Hearing Lu Huiyi’s soft call, Wanqing was caught completely off guard and startled. She anxiously looked ahead, and guided by Caiping’s reminder, she finally spotted Lu Huiyi standing not far away amid the overlapping autumn crabapple blossoms. Along the way, she took back the food box Caiping had handed back to her.
Lu Huiyi stepped forward with Qingzhu. The more gently she smiled, the more panicked Wanqing became.
How strange. Was this really the taciturn and despised Twelfth Young Miss? How could she possess such an imposing aura that it made her tremble uncontrollably?
Wanqing and Caiping hurriedly bowed in greeting. “Greetings, Young Miss.”
“Isn’t this the maid from the concubine’s side? What are you doing here with her? Could you be slacking off?”
Wanqing awkwardly forced a smile. “You flatter me, Young Miss. This servant simply happened to bump into Sister Caiping and walked a short distance together. We were just about to part ways.”
Lu Huiyi did not expose Wanqing, letting her probing gaze sweep back and forth across their faces.
“I suddenly remembered that I have something to discuss with Father. There is no need to trouble the two of you with these mung bean pastries. I will deliver them myself.”
Wanqing instinctively lifted the mung bean pastries in her right hand. Before she could speak, Qingzhu had already taken the food box from her hands.
Lu Huiyi half-lifted the lid, her wide pipa sleeves blocking the view of Wanqing and Caiping. She closed the box and smiled, saying, “Qingzhu, why did you take the wrong one? These peach blossom pastries are meant for Sixth Brother.”
Qingzhu stepped forward again to swap the food boxes. This time, after checking, Lu Huiyi nodded and closed the box. Caiping still could not see the contents inside. Since the Twelfth Young Miss knew that the peach blossom pastries were meant for Lu Qizheng, things should go smoothly enough.
With so many eyes around, Caiping was afraid Lu Huiyi might notice something amiss. After watching Lu Huiyi walk away with Wanqing, she muttered a few perfunctory words about having matters to attend to at Minor Concubine Yuan’s place, and sent Wanqing off alone toward Lu Qizheng’s quarters.
Both of them harbored their own hidden agendas and did not suspect why Lu Huiyi had suddenly appeared.
Looking at the peach blossom pastries in her hand, Lu Huiyi delivered them personally and respectfully said to the Fourth Master, “Father, these are the pastries from Tianxiang Pavilion that Aunt personally sent over just now, saying that Uncle waited in line for a long time to get this plate. Mother is with child and finds it inconvenient to walk about, so I brought them here for Father to taste.”
“You are thoughtful.” The Fourth Master nodded. He was not particularly fond of such sweets, so he took a couple of light bites before putting them down, then asked how Madame Zhang’s health was doing.
Madame Zhang had informed the Fourth Master of her pregnancy at the earliest possible moment yesterday. No matter how indifferent the Fourth Master usually was toward Madame Zhang, the child in her womb was still his own flesh and blood. In his mid-thirties, he only had one son and two daughters. Among the four branches of the Lu family, his household was the most sparsely populated, so adding another child was always a good thing. Furthermore, it happened right as his only son was about to welcome a new bride, making it a truly double blessing.
“Mother seems to be doing well. The physician said it is best for her to rest quietly for a while, but when I was with her today, I felt her appetite wasn’t very good.”
Lu Huiyi was exceedingly distant from this father, and she had no wish to sit here wasting his time. Therefore, she exchanged a few casual remarks and hastily stood up to leave. As for what he had eaten, well, he had eaten it. At worst, she could simply trouble Physician Wang to treat one more person later.
Minor Concubine Yuan was the one who loved these pastries. These peach blossom pastries were prepared by her good daughter as an act of filial piety toward her stepmother.
The moment she stepped outside, Lu Huiyi sent Qingzhu to go pester Caiping.
“Keep a close eye on her and do not let her appear before Minor Concubine Yuan.”
“Young Miss, were those peach blossom pastries problematic?”
Lu Huiyi nodded. “Let Minor Concubine Yuan taste them herself to see what kind of medicine she put in them.”
Lu Huiyi waited in a secluded corner for a short while. Before long, she saw her father heading toward Minor Concubine Yuan’s courtyard just as expected, with a servant following closely behind carrying a food box.
Smiling with satisfaction and relief, Lu Huiyi turned and left.
By nightfall, an uproar broke out over at Minor Concubine Yuan’s quarters.
“Young Miss, Steward Ye from the master’s side is outside the door right now, saying the master has an urgent matter and wants you to go over to Minor Concubine Yuan’s place at once.”
Minor Concubine Yuan lived in Zuichun Cottage, which was right next to the Plum Garden. It was only a short walk from the Begonia Courtyard.
“Did he mention what the matter was?”
Chuntao shook her head. “Steward Ye was just urging us anxiously and wouldn’t say.”
Lu Huiyi reached behind her to tie up her long hair, leaving her head entirely unadorned with hairpins or accessories. She wore a pale pink long outer tunic over a light yellow mamian skirt.
Before stepping out, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. At this age, she had not yet fully blossomed, and the sharpness of her eyes neutralized her alluring charm, giving her the appearance of a pure lotus emerging from the water. However, in the past, her reserved nature always made her shrink back timidly, and her gloomy demeanor completely overshadowed her looks. Otherwise, she would not have caught the lustful eye of the Prince of Xing only when she turned eighteen.
Fully prepared, she smiled to reassure Qingzhu and Chuntao, “Then it shouldn’t be anything major.”
When Lu Huiyi hurried over, from a distance she could hear the wails of the Fourth Master and Minor Concubine Yuan rising and falling alternately, accompanied by waves of foul stench in the air.
She could not help but raise her handkerchief to cover her nose and mouth, instructing Chuntao to go find out what had happened.
“Young Miss,” Chuntao said with a distorted expression and a stammer, “The master and Aunt Yuan seem to have eaten something bad and are having terrible bouts of diarrhea.”
Lu Huiyi turned to question Steward Ye, “Steward Ye, what use could it possibly be to call me over when Father and Aunt are ill? Why haven’t you gone to fetch a physician yet?”
Steward Ye replied indifferently, “Young Miss, Physician Wang is already brewing the medicine. As to why the master specifically called for you, this old servant does not know.”
Lu Qizheng arrived in a rush, asking Lu Huiyi what was wrong with their father. Shortly after, Madame Zhang arrived with a slow and steady gait.
Lu Qizheng lived in the front courtyard, which was much farther away than the Plum Garden where Madame Zhang came from.
Lu Huiyi spoke in a low voice, “I am not sure either. Steward Ye said Father and Aunt have upset stomachs, and a physician has already been called to examine them.”
“Why are you all standing around foolishly outside? Go inside,” Madame Zhang commanded.
Lu Huiyi simply detested the strong smell inside, which was why she had been standing guard outside the door. Otherwise, was she here to stand in a corner as punishment?
She could not help grumbling inwardly. Since Madame Zhang and Sixth Brother had both gone inside, it was difficult for her to keep hiding. Holding her handkerchief to her nose, she resignedly followed Madame Zhang into the front hall.
Before long, after two doses of medicine administered by Physician Wang combined with moxibustion, the Fourth Master and Minor Concubine Yuan felt much more comfortable and were barely able to come out to see people.
Having changed into a fresh set of clothes, the Fourth Master looked deathly pale as he was supported into the room by the equally frail Minor Concubine Yuan.
Seeing their miserable state, Lu Huiyi had to suppress the urge to roll on the floor laughing. She kept her expression completely neutral, stepping forward with profound concern.
“Father, Aunt, what has happened?”
Feeling deeply humiliated, the Fourth Master pushed Lu Huiyi away and cursed angrily, “Unfilial wretch!”
He had not expected that this push would actually send Lu Huiyi tumbling to the ground.
Collapsing onto the floor, Lu Huiyi let large tears roll down her cheeks. She raised her head, her bright eyes filled with sorrow and shock.
Taken completely by surprise by the Fourth Master’s sudden outburst, the rest of the people present failed to react in time. Lu Qizheng was the first to act, striding forward to help Lu Huiyi up.
“Huiniang, are you alright?”
Seeming to snap out of her shock, Lu Huiyi shook her head, repeatedly wiping her tears with her handkerchief while the tears only flowed more fiercely.
Madame Zhang could not help asking her, “You child. What are you all standing around for? Quickly call a physician!”
Pinching her own fingers secretly and recalling every painful memory from her past life, Lu Huiyi managed to keep her tears flowing continuously.
Speak quickly, someone come and say something! She was about to run out of tears.
Fortunately, seeing that Madame Zhang was tending to Lu Huiyi, Lu Qizheng released his hold on her and walked up to the Fourth Master to question him, “When Huiniang was pushed into the water by Zhenniang on the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, she remained unconscious and had only been awake for two days. The physician instructed that she must rest and recuperate properly. What could Father possibly have to say that couldn’t wait? Why must you treat Huiniang like this and prevent her from attending my wedding ceremony?”
The Fourth Master had been quite startled when he saw Lu Huiyi lying on the ground. He had simply been annoyed at the sight of her blocking his path, so he gave her a light shove without using much force. Why on earth had she ended up flat on the floor?
Of course he knew she had just fallen into the water and her health was poor, but he could not admit it.
“Are you questioning me? Is there even a place for me as your father in your eyes?” Sitting in the primary seat, the Fourth Master slammed his hand down on the table in a sudden fury.
Would he ever admit to such a thing? He was the Fourth Master, the father of Lu Qizheng and Lu Huiyi, and the sole pillar of the Lu family’s fourth branch. Supported by his immense pride and dignity, he could never lower his head and admit a mistake!
Lu Qizheng felt a lump in his throat. After all, the Fourth Master was his biological father.
Hearing the commotion inside from outside, Physician Wang wished she were deaf and blind. She was summoned back inside once more to take Lu Huiyi’s pulse.
“Master, Madame, Young Master, do not worry. The young miss is quite unharmed.”
With that, Physician Wang packed up her medicine box and hurried out, closely followed by the Fourth Master’s interrogation.
“Twelfth Miss, I thought today that you had finally turned over a new leaf and remembered you still had a father, coming to bring us pastries. It turns out you deliberately put croton beans inside to poison me and the Yuan woman!”
“Pastries? Father, we all tasted those pastries. Where would there be any croton beans?”
“Indeed, Father, could there be some misunderstanding? I also received the mung bean pastries sent by Mother today, and they did not contain any croton beans.”
Mung bean pastries?
Hearing Lu Qizheng mention that the pastries he received were mung bean pastries, Madame Zhang realized that today’s incident was likely an intentional act. She slowly paced forward, sitting down to the lower right of the Fourth Master, directly opposite Minor Concubine Yuan.
At that moment, Minor Concubine Yuan was glaring daggers, casting a merciless gaze at Madame Zhang and Lu Huiyi.
Standing unnoticed behind Yuan’s family, Caiping suddenly swayed on her feet. She remembered being pestered by Qingzhu to weave some decorative knots that afternoon, which was why she hadn’t seen what was inside the food box when the Fourth Master brought the pastries to Minor Concubine Yuan.
Caiping abruptly raised her head. She understood now. It was the Twelfth Young Miss. It was all the Twelfth Young Miss’s doing!