The meal Lu Qiuci had prepared was quite lavish. Though everyone ate their fill, they didn’t manage to finish everything on the table; on the contrary, many dishes looked as if they hadn’t been touched, leaving an indescribable sense of frustration.
And the drama Lu Qiuci had been setting up all day finally reached its climax.
“Clear the table,”
Lu Qiuci ordered, then turned to Dongyi and said, “Dongyi, go fetch the gift I prepared.”
Dongyi replied with a “Yes” and darted into the inner room.
At the mention of the word “gift,” the eyes of Lu Huan, Lu Xuan, and Lu Rong—the three of them—lit up with a look of eager anticipation.
Lu Huan cleared her throat to cover her reaction, trying not to make it too obvious.
The two younger ones, however, couldn’t contain themselves at all. Their drooling gazes were impossible to hide, and they kept staring intently in the direction Dongyi had gone.
Watching the expressions on their faces, Lu Qiuci suddenly found the whole scene somewhat comical. The back courtyard of the Lu mansion, Lu Huan as a mother, and the siblings Lu Xuan and Lu Rong—who constantly targeted him and went out of their way to cause him trouble—all these things that had once felt like mountains of oppression in his heart now seemed, upon reaching another peak, to be nothing more than a small mound of dirt.
Lu Qiuci heard a mocking laugh echo within his heart—it was his own laughter.
He suddenly felt more at ease, and his control over the entire situation became even more effortless.
Soon, Dongyi brought out the gifts.
There were so many gifts that Dongyi couldn’t carry them all alone; he brought in two small servants to help, and only then were all the gifts brought out.
The servants of the Crown Princess’s residence worked with remarkable efficiency; by the time the gifts were brought out, the table had already been cleared, leaving just enough space to lay them out.
Looking at the gifts piled high on the table, Lu Xuan and Lu Rong couldn’t take their eyes off them. They were well aware that their relationship with Lu Qiuci had been strained in the past.
But Lu Qiuci was their older brother, after all. Now that he’d married into the Eastern Palace and become the exalted Crown Princess, surely he could make an exception for them?
Surely the Crown Princess wouldn’t hold a grudge against them? If word got out, wouldn’t everyone laugh their heads off? Did Lu Qiuci have no shame left?
Fueled by this line of thinking, Lu Xuan and Lu Rong had already begun to secretly hope for gifts of their own.
Lu Xuan, in particular, was torn between jealousy of Lu Qiuci and an uncontrollable hope that he might receive a fine gift himself.
His gaze swept over Lu Qiuci, taking in the glittering jewels and the dresses shimmering with soft light. No matter which item it was, he wanted it desperately.
Lu Qiuci saw the greed in their eyes all too clearly—even Lu Huan was no exception, though she was better at hiding it than the two younger ones.
She was already thinking about how she would show off Lu Qiuci’s gifts to her colleagues once they left the Eastern Palace.
After all, she had given birth to such a fine son.
And this was exactly the effect Lu Qiuci had intended.
Dongyi was innocent and had no idea what his master was planning, but Di Liu understood perfectly well. Standing behind Lu Qiuci, he could no longer suppress a smile.
Lu Qiuci took a silk-lined box first, opened it, and revealed a very precious century-old ginseng root inside.
“Father, this is a century-old ginseng root with exceptional medicinal properties. Since your health is frail, you should take it regularly to nourish your body. I’ve also prepared some bird’s nest, horse-hide gelatin, and various other herbs. I’ll have the servants send them all back with you shortly. Ask Uncle An to simmer them for you to drink.”
Lu Qiuci turned to his father’s attendant, a man named Qing’an. As a child, he had often helped Wei Hanjun look after him, and in Lu Qiuci’s heart, he was practically like a second father.
Among the gifts Lu Qiuci had prepared, there was one for Qing’an as well. Once they returned, Wei Hanjun would see it and naturally know for whom it was intended, and would pass it on to Qing’an.
Looking at the century-old ginseng in Lu Qiuci’s hands, Lu Rong’s heart swelled with emotion. Such a precious item was hard to come by even in the homes of high-ranking officials of the second rank; it was truly priceless.
She couldn’t help but feel even more eager to see what fine gifts she herself might receive.
After introducing the ginseng, Lu Qiuci unwrapped three bolts of brocade. Unlike the ones Xu Chen had given him earlier, these were more dignified and subdued in color and pattern, suitable for a man of Wei Hanjun’s age.
“Father, these three bolts of fabric were only recently delivered to Tai’an. They are fine fabrics produced in Yuguo—a rarity in our Great Zhou. I’ll have some fine garments made for you to wear the next time you come to visit me.”
Fabrics from Yuguo—these were tribute items. In Tai’an, only the Three Dukes and distinguished noble families were deemed worthy of wearing them.
Lu Huan shifted uncomfortably. It was clear she wanted some, and so did Lu Xuan and Lu Rong, but looking at the patterns on the fabrics, not a single one suited them.
Lu Qiuci hadn’t prepared any for them.
Wei Hanjun ran his fingers over the fabrics; they were so soft and smooth that he worried his rough calluses might tear them.
“Xiao Ci, this is far too precious.”
Lu Qiuci shook his head, cutting Wei Hanjun off before she could refuse. Instead of letting her decline, he produced the next gift.
The box for this gift was a deeper shade and much larger. Lu Huan instantly sat up straight, her eyes fixed on it without blinking.
This time, it was finally her turn, wasn’t it?
To her surprise, when Lu Qiuci opened the box, it turned out to be another gift from Wei Hanjun!
“Father, your knees aren’t in good shape. Here are a pair of knee pads and some boots. Autumn is coming soon, and the weather will turn cold quickly. You must remember to put them on.”
Lu Huan couldn’t help but cough once.
Wei Hanjun turned to look at the woman, whose expression seemed somewhat uneasy, and it dawned on him—he finally understood Lu Qiuci’s intentions.
This child, Lu Qiuci, was giving his mother a gentle nudge.
Wei Hanjun suddenly felt a pang of sorrow and tenderness in his heart. He was not a fit father, forcing his own child to rush to his defense like this.
After all, Lu Qiuci hadn’t even secured a firm footing in the Crown Princess’s residence yet.
At the same time, he felt immense pride. This was his child—no matter how hard life had been, he’d never given up, never bowed his head to anyone.
In the blink of an eye, he’d grown strong enough to protect his own father.
At this moment, Wei Hanjun could think of nothing else but to cooperate.
Unable to provide his child with a good environment to grow up in, unable to protect his child—instead forcing his child to protect him—he was already a failure as a father.
The only thing he could do now was to cooperate fully, so that his child would have no worries.
Wei Hanjun was deeply troubled. Even seeing Lu Qiuci doing well could not dispel his anxiety, for the Crown Princess was no kind-hearted person.
A moment’s favor will inevitably fade one day. When that happens, how will his child survive in the Eastern Palace?
“Father likes them very much. You’ve gone to great trouble, my son.”
Lu Qiuci: “It’s only right, Father. Look, there’s more.”
He continued to display one gift after another. Soon, the table was nearly bare—all the gifts were for Wei Hanjun, every single one of them!
Lu Huan finally realized this, and an indescribable rage surged through her.
It was the humiliating rage of being provoked by someone of lower status—especially since Lu Qiuci was not a daughter, but a son. This only fanned the flames of her shame and fury threefold; in an instant, she felt as though she were about to be consumed by rage.
Just then, as if that weren’t enough, Lu Qiuci produced a box roughly six or seven inches in size and handed it to Lu Huan.
“Mother, this is a gift from your son to honor you.”
“It’s just a small token of my appreciation. Please don’t look down on it, Mother.”
Lu Huan was so furious that her whole body was trembling, and her hands were shaking as well. Naturally, she refused to lose face in front of Lu Qiuci and did not reach out to take it.
Lu Qiuci didn’t care whether she accepted it or not; he opened the box himself and took out the contents to show Lu Huan.
Inside the box was a scroll of calligraphy—not particularly valuable, as many such copies existed—a transcription of the handwriting of a renowned calligrapher from a previous dynasty. However, the style Lu Huan practiced bore no resemblance to that of this Master Liu.
Lu Qiuci had given her something she had absolutely no use for.
Lu Huan glared fiercely at Lu Qiuci. If they were still at the Lu residence, she would have had Lu Qiuci subjected to the family’s disciplinary code—or at the very least, made him kneel before her study for half an hour!
But Lu Qiuci was married now, and to the Princess’s household at that.
Seeing the person standing beside Lu Qiuci, Lu Huan had no doubt that if she so much as made a move against Lu Qiuci—even the slightest gesture—she would be immediately pinned to the ground by guards rushing in.
Lu Huan wasn’t a fool, so she held her anger in even more fiercely, nearly fainting from the frustration.
Lu Xuan and Lu Rong finally realized they had no gifts. Lu Xuan managed to control herself, but Lu Rong could not.
She had always been the family’s cherished treasure, getting whatever she wanted. Realizing she had no gift, her emotions reached a breaking point, and she instantly burst into tears.
“I want a present!”
“I want a present too!”
As she spoke, she actually tried to jump off her chair and lunge toward Lu Qiuci.
Lu Huan’s heart skipped a beat in fright. She quickly reached out, grabbed her youngest daughter by the collar, and yanked her back to a stop.
“Shut up! You’re making a fool of yourself in public!”
Lu Rong was still very afraid of her mother. Hearing the shout, she immediately shut her mouth, let out a sob, and pouted, looking utterly wronged.
If she had been just throwing a tantrum earlier, now she was genuinely hurt.
This was the first time Lu Huan had scolded her like this, and she couldn’t help but shrink back in fear.
Although Lu Huan was scolding Lu Rong, her eyes remained fixed on Lu Qiuci, her voice barely emerging from her lips.
“Qiuci, I know what you’re thinking.”
“You’re well-versed in poetry and literature; you must be very familiar with the story of Prince Ziyong. I know you harbor resentment, and I can apologize to you for what happened in the past.”
“But I hope you don’t forget—you will always bear the Lu surname!”
The words were harsh, but both Lu Qiuci and Wei Hanjun understood exactly what Lu Huan was implying: the wisdom left by Prince Ziyong to future generations—that a husband can be replaced, but a mother is irreplaceable.
Lu Qiuci rebuked Lu Huan, and Lu Huan threatened Lu Qiuci in return.
She threatened him by reminding him that a woman’s love was unreliable, and that only his maternal family would always be his true support.
Lu Qiuci was so furious he almost laughed. Xu Chen’s reputation was indeed poor, but compared to the Lu family, he would rather trust Xu Chen.
At the very least, Xu Chen had never harmed him in the past few days, whereas during his more than ten years with the Lu family, he and his father had subjected him to daily torment as harsh as wind and frost.
Di Liu, standing beside Lu Qiuci, looked uneasy. He signaled to his master, asking if he should call someone in to help.
Lu Qiuci gave no indication of consent.
This scene didn’t need anyone else’s help; Lu Qiuci could play it out on his own.
But Lu Qiuci hadn’t expected that before he could even speak, his father had already been unable to hold back and spoke up to defend him.
“Lu Huan!” Wei Hanjun roared.
“Are you or are you not Xiao Ci’s mother?”
Lu Huan felt she had gained the upper hand; her anger subsided somewhat, and she said coldly, “If he regards me as his mother, I will naturally always acknowledge him as my son.”
The conflict between Lu Qiuci and Lu Huan, mother and son, had erupted; now it was up to Lu Qiuci to decide how to resolve it.
Lu Xuan, sitting quietly to the side, glanced from Lu Qiuci to Lu Huan, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction.
He thought to himself: Serves them right!
Lu Qiuci had thought that once he married, he would have grown strong enough to stand on his own, but in this world, how could a son possibly defy his mother?
His eyes kept drifting toward an object in the room. Suddenly, an idea struck him. He quickly left his seat, ran over, and picked up the ancient zither resting on the shelf.
In an instant, everyone’s gaze turned to him!
Author’s Note:
① The allusion here is adapted from the story of Lady Yong from the Warring States period, which is the origin of the idiom “any man can be her husband.”
The Crown Princess will be back any minute! This is Qiu Ci’s first time handling a situation like this, and he’s a bit overwhelmed.