“Head Servant Li, I wonder if the Princess Consort has been well-fed and well-clothed these past few days in the Eastern Palace. Does Her Highness the Crown Princess treat her kindly?”
“My wife and I have come here today—will we be disturbing Her Highness the Crown Princess?”
“Lord Wei, please rest assured. Since arriving at the Crown Princess’s residence, he has been well-fed and well-dressed, and is greatly favored by Her Highness.”
“As for causing any disturbance, this visit is a reward the Princess personally granted to the Princess Consort. The mansion has prepared for it with the highest standards, and everyone is working with great enthusiasm.”
The smile on Lin Yi’s lips grew more sincere. He could tell that Wei Hanjun genuinely cared for Lu Qiuci, so he was more willing to share additional details with him to put his mind at ease.
“My Lord and Censor Lu, please follow me this way. We’ll be at the Crown Princess’s residence shortly.”
The Crown Princess’s residense was more than ten times larger than the Lu residence. The gardens were filled with artificial hills, oddly shaped rocks, flowing streams, lakes, and interconnected corridors and pavilions. Without a guide, one would likely get lost after just a few steps and be unable to find their way out.
The flowers, plants, and trees at the Princess’s residence were also exceptionally beautiful, growing in a natural, undulating pattern that resembled a fairy-tale garden. Unlike the Lu residence, where the variety of plants was limited and the species ordinary, the contrast with the Princess’s residence was like night and day.
Lu Xuan and Lu Rong, following behind, were instantly captivated. Their eyes darted around uncontrollably, as if they could never get enough of the sight, their faces filled with awe and envy.
Lu Huan caught a glimpse of her two children’s wide-eyed, wide-world-unseen expressions out of the corner of her eye, and a surge of anger welled up within her. But then she realized that it wasn’t just the children—even she herself had unconsciously grown stiff and reserved upon entering the Princess’s Mansion. That anger quickly turned to frustration.
“Xuan’er, Rong’er, stop fooling around and keep up!” she snapped.
Her stern words startled the two children, and they stopped looking around, instead keeping a tighter pace behind her.
As for what happened next, Lin Yi was well aware, but he chose to ignore it. Giving Lu Huan a taste of her own medicine was, after all, part of today’s plan.
Although Lu Qiuci hadn’t told him anything, Lin Yi liked Lu Qiuci. He figured that since he’d noticed it anyway, why not go with the flow and do his Princess Consort a small favor?
The guards responsible for patrols and security in the Princess Consort’s residence, along with the young attendants from each courtyard, came and went in groups, and no one showed any curiosity toward the sudden appearance of a few unfamiliar faces.
At least, not on the surface.
In reality, word had already spread throughout the inner quarters of the Eastern Palace; every young master knew that the Princess’s consort mother and father had come to visit.
How enviable that was.
For them—those who were favored, at least—it was bearable; they could leave the palace every so often to see their relatives.
Those who were not favored, however, might go years without seeing their families.
Not to mention such a formal reception—the entire Imperial Kitchen had been bustling all morning, preparing the banquet for Lu Qiuci’s meeting with his parents.
The group soon arrived at the Yuhua Courtyard.
The courtyard, inside and out, had been swept spotless, not a speck of dust in sight.
The Princess’s residence was already exceptionally clean; to Lu Qiuci, there wasn’t much difference between before and after the cleaning.
He was more concerned about his father.
When he spotted his father’s figure in the distance, Lu Qiuci couldn’t help but run straight out.
“Father!”
Di Liu and Dong Yi hurried to follow Lu Qiuci, and the other servants moved along with them, making Lu Qiuci’s behavior seem less out of place.
Wei Hanjun quickly caught his son, his eyes welling up with tears. He looked his son over from head to toe; seeing Lu Qiuci’s rosy complexion and well-groomed appearance, he finally felt at ease.
“You haven’t lost weight. Your Highness likes you, and Father is very happy.”
In the eyes of parents, they always see their child as they are. In reality, Lu Qiuci’s appearance was not merely proper—he was simply radiant, as majestic as a deity.
Back at the Lu residence, though he was the legitimate son, Wei Hanjun did not control the household finances. Every time he asked for his monthly allowance, it was deducted under various pretexts.
Consequently, Lu Qiuci’s attire was nowhere near as fine as that of the younger Lu Xuan and Lu Rong.
Now, however, the tables had turned. As the esteemed Princess Consort, Lu Qiuci had outshone even Lu Xuan and Lu Rong—who were dressed in their finest—by such a vast margin that, in his presence, they seemed like fireflies next to the full moon, utterly dwarfed by his splendor.
If before, upon seeing the surroundings of the Crown Princess’s residence and realizing that Lu Qiuci would be living in such a beautiful place, they had merely felt a bitter pang of envy, now their feelings had completely turned to jealousy.
What gives him the right? What gives Lu Qiuci the right to live so well?
Why didn’t the Crown Princess lock him up, beat and scold him, or humiliate him? Instead, why did she give him such fine things?
Just a few days ago, Lu Qiuci was nowhere near his level. Yet after merely a few days apart, someone who was once inferior to him had become someone he could never hope to match.
Those who haven’t experienced this kind of disparity would never understand.
Moreover, he and his half-brother Lu Qiuci—sharing the same mother but different fathers—weren’t just on bad terms; they were completely at odds.
If there was anyone in this world who resented Lu Qiuci’s success more than anyone else, Lu Xuan was undoubtedly one of them.
Lu Qiuci’s gaze swept over Lu Xuan and Lu Rong, who stood beside Lu Huan. He saw right through him, fully aware of the source of the twisted expression on Lu Xuan’s face.
Lu Xuan was two years younger than him; he was twenty this year, while he was just eighteen.
Their similar ages meant Lu Xuan was naturally inclined to compare himself to him. When he won, he gloated and flaunted his victory; when he lost, he seethed with jealousy and did everything in his power to get even.
Since Lu Huan—the pillar of the Lu family—sided with Lu Xuan and his father, Lu Qiuci had suffered many injustices over the years.
This was just as well; he had been worrying about finding an excuse to make a scene.
So Lu Qiuci suddenly turned his sights on Lu Xuan and Lu Rong.
He grabbed his father’s hand, but his eyes were fixed on Lu Huan, the woman who had given birth to him.
“Mother, how did Lu Xuan and Lu Rong end up here?”
“I recall the order I sent to the Lu residence via the servant. It specified that only you and Father were to come; there was not a single word mentioning Lu Xuan or Lu Rong.”
Lu Huan’s expression darkened instantly.
She reflexively wanted to scold Lu Qiuci, but quickly realized that Lu Qiuci was no longer her son—he was now the consort of the Crown Princess of the Great Zhou.
The sovereign and the subject; the mother and the son.
Now Lu Qiuci was the sovereign, and she was the subject. The dynamic of dominance between mother and son had been erased by the chasm between their respective statuses.
Only then did Lu Huan belatedly realize that today’s visit to the Crown Princess’s residence seemed to be a trap Lu Qiuci had specifically set for her.
Standing beside Lu Qiuci was Lin Yi, the steward of the Princess’s residence, along with the guards stationed around them. Though their gazes were not fixed on her, she knew full well that if she made the slightest move, those guards would immediately rush over.
Realizing this, Lu Huan quickly suppressed her emotions and explained to Lu Qiuci in a soothing tone, “Qiuci, Xuan’er and Rong’er are your younger brother and sister. They wanted to come see how you’re doing at the Princess’s Residence, so Mother brought them along.”
Wei Hanjun quietly tugged at his son’s sleeve.
Wei Hanjun wasn’t feeling sympathy for Lu Huan and the two children of concubines; rather, because they were at the Princess’s Mansion, outside the courtyard, he didn’t want Lu Huan and her two children to bring shame upon his son.
Today’s focus wasn’t on rebuking Lu Xuan and Lu Rong either. Besides, Lu Qiuci wasn’t actually surprised that Lu Huan had brought the two along. Sensing Wei Hanjun’s restraint, he didn’t press the matter further and supported Wei Hanjun into the Courtyard.
Once everyone had taken their seats, Lin Yi immediately said with a smile, “My Lord, the kitchen has everything ready. Shall I have them serve the meal now?”
Lu Qiuci nodded, and Lin Yi immediately instructed someone to send for the meal.
During this time, Lu Qiuci held his father’s hand as they spoke softly. Lu Huan repeatedly tried to interrupt, but Lu Qiuci completely ignored her, leaving her to sit on the sidelines, which frustrated Lu Huan to no end.
However, Lu Qiuci and Wei Hanjun didn’t converse for very long. The servants at the Princess’s residence were extremely efficient; soon, young attendants arrived carrying one food box after another.
As the boxes were opened—some containing several dishes, others just one—the table was quickly filled with a variety of delicious delicacies.
Lin Yi even picked up a jade flask and said to Lu Huan and Wei Qiuci, “Censor Lu, Lord Wei, this wine is called ‘Autumn Moon View.’ It’s mellow and won’t get you drunk. The Princess specially arranged for it to be prepared. You two must try some.”
Lu Qiuci looked at Wei Hanjun and said, “ “Father, dishes from the Crown Princess’s residence are hard to come by. Eat as much as you like of whatever you enjoy. I won’t be able to accompany you every day from now on—it is my fault as a son.”
Wei Hanjun clasped Lu Qiuci’s hand and said with relief, “I know, and that’s all that matters. Seeing that you’re doing well at the Princess’s residence puts my mind at ease.”
Lu Qiuci kept serving dishes to Wei Hanjun. As a not so favored consort and son, their household’s kitchen was managed by Sun Wendan, so in their small courtyard, they rarely had the chance to enjoy fine food.
It wasn’t until Lu Qiuci arrived at the Princess’s Mansion that he discovered the flavors of dishes he’d only ever heard of but never seen. Now, he wanted Wei Hanjun to taste them as well.
As for Lu Xuan and Lu Rong—especially Lu Rong—being so young, they hadn’t yet learned to hide their true feelings. When faced with delicious food, they found it nearly impossible to resist, piling their bowls high and tucking in with gusto.
Lu Huan’s emotions, however, were more complicated. Coming to the Princess’s residence today wasn’t solely to see Lu Qiuci; she also wanted to see Xu Chen.
The dishes on the table were indeed exquisite, and even Lu Huan couldn’t resist taking a few extra bites. Yet as she picked up her chopsticks, she found herself unable to stop staring at Lu Qiuci. After a moment’s hesitation, she finally spoke up: “Qiuci, where is Her Highness the Crown Princess?”
Lu Qiuci looked at this woman who was his mother and, for a moment, even found it somewhat amusing. Never before had he felt so clearly that Lu Huan was so shallow.
“Her Highness is busy with state affairs. She went to the Ministry of War this morning, so naturally you wouldn’t see her, Mother.”
“Father and I were only able to meet today because I specifically sought Her Highness’s permission. I am already immensely grateful that she agreed to let us come—how could I possibly dare ask her to stay and keep me company?”
Lu Qiuci said.
Having been rebuffed, Lu Huan dared not voice her anger. She gave a couple of awkward laughs and could only drop the subject of seeing Xu Chen.