After finishing their snacks, Yun Qingyuan bade his sister farewell and headed to the side hall to wait for the family’s departure. Yun Qingyi went to find her mother and grandmother so they could return home together.
At that moment, her grandmother and mother were chatting with Consort Xian.
Her grandmother attended nearly every social gathering and was well acquainted with the consort. Madam Fang, however, had not attended such events for many years, making her something of a rare guest. As a result, Consort Xian had much to discuss with her.
When Consort Xian first entered the imperial palace, she had no influential family backing her. She survived by being cautious and humble at every turn, and over the years, this careful nature had earned the emperor’s favor. Only in recent years had she gained the opportunity to interact more freely with the noblewomen of the capital.
She had always thought Madam Fang was a woman blessed by fortune.
Whether in her natal family, the Fang family, or her husband’s household, the Yun family, Madam Fang had lived a smooth and happy life.
Though several years older than Consort Xian, she looked barely thirty. Her graceful figure, beautiful features, and elegant bearing revealed a woman who had been deeply cherished and well cared for.
As they spoke, Yun Qingyi arrived.
Consort Xian had never met her before. Seeing such a bright and lovely young woman, she immediately took a liking to her and gifted her a bracelet as a token of goodwill.
After expressing their thanks, the family began walking toward the side hall.
Along the way, they overheard a conversation between Lu Zhiyaing and the young lady in pink.
“Zhiyaing, let me tell you—you missed quite the spectacle while you were gone. You know that silly girl from the Yun family? The one who’s never allowed out because she’s not right in the head?”
“I heard she recently recovered after a brush with death, but after seeing her today, she’s still a fool.”
Immediately intrigued, Lu Zhiyaing asked, “What embarrassing thing did she do?”
“When the Fifth Prince and Marquis Zhenyuan came around to offer toasts, the marquis happened to say a few words to her.”
“What bad luck for him.”
“He said something like, ‘It’s been many years since we last met,’ probably thinking he’d seen her before. But she told him he’d mistaken her for someone else and made things terribly awkward.”
Understanding immediately, Lu Zhiyaing sneered.
“Marquis Zhenyuan is the most sought-after man in the capital right now. Even if he truly made a mistake, she shouldn’t have embarrassed him in public.”
“She really is a fool.”
The three generations of women heard every word.
Madam Fang trembled with anger and strode forward.
“Who are you calling a fool?”
“Is this how your parents taught you to speak behind others’ backs?”
Seeing Yun Qingyi standing behind Madam Fang, Lu Zhiyaing realized she had insulted the person directly involved.
Though she knew she was in the wrong, she refused to admit defeat.
Instead, she claimed she had merely spoken carelessly and appealed to Madam Fang’s generosity as an elder, implying that a mature woman surely wouldn’t hold a grudge against a younger girl.
It was the classic strategy of acting weak to escape blame.
For a moment, Madam Fang found herself at a loss for words.
Everything had gone so smoothly today, yet this unpleasant incident had soured the occasion at the very end.
Just then, Lu Zhiyao, who had been searching for her sister, arrived after hearing the commotion.
The moment she realized her sister had caused trouble again, she immediately apologized to the Yun family.
“Sister Yun, my deepest apologies. I failed to keep an eye on my younger sister.”
“Please forgive her. I will personally visit your residence another day to apologize properly.”
They were sisters from the same family.
How could they be so different?
Seeing Lu Zhiyao’s sincere attitude, Yun Qingyi decided not to pursue the matter further.
She gently took her mother’s hand.
“Mother, I truly don’t mind. Please don’t upset yourself over this.”
Back in the carriage, Madam Fang anxiously asked whether she had been bullied during the gathering.
Yun Qingyi recounted the events of the day and assured her that everything had gone smoothly.
The young woman in red and Lu Zhiyaing had certainly made her uncomfortable, but they were not people she wished to associate with.
That was why she had pulled her mother away.
There was no point wasting energy on unpleasant people.
Negative people consumed your energy endlessly.
People like Lu Zhiyaing would spend their lives chasing gossip and creating drama.
Yun Qingyi had no time for that.
She was too busy pursuing her ambitions.
There was, however, one thing that continued to puzzle her.
The Lu family’s situation was undeniably strange.
If they truly favored a concubine over the legal wife, then why did Lu Zhiyaing only dare to use underhanded tactics against Lu Zhiyao?
Clearly, she still feared something.
Yet judging by Lu Zhiyao’s clothing, she was obviously not treated with the respect due to the legitimate eldest daughter.
“You want to know about the Lu family?” her grandmother said knowingly.
“I’ll tell you.”
As expected of the family’s walking encyclopedia, Grandmother began recounting the Lu family’s history on the ride home.
Lu Zhiyao was the legitimate daughter of Minister of Rites Lu Yuanxing.
The Lu family originally came from the Jiangnan region.
Though Jiangnan was prosperous and fertile, the Lu family had been poor scholars. They had enough to live on, but little more.
Lu Yuanxing was gifted from a young age and was widely known as a talented scholar.
For him, earning an official position in the capital was the best path forward.
Lu Zhiyao’s mother, however, came from the renowned Rong family of Jiangnan.
The Rong family served as imperial suppliers and was the wealthiest merchant clan in the Tianqi Kingdom.
Their businesses stretched across the empire and even beyond its borders.
They were rich enough to rival nations.
Her mother was the beloved seventh daughter of Old Master Rong, the head of the family.
Originally, he had intended to either take a son-in-law into the family or arrange a marriage with another wealthy merchant house.
His daughter would have enjoyed a lifetime of luxury and comfort.
But during the Lantern Festival in her sixteenth year, Seventh Miss Rong attended a lantern fair.
There, she saw Lu Yuanxing solving riddles.
Handsome, refined, and exceptionally talented, he captivated her immediately.
Upon returning home, she begged her father to arrange the marriage.
Old Master Rong was furious.
Though Lu Yuanxing had a reputation as a gifted scholar, he was not, in Old Master Rong’s eyes, a suitable husband.
First, scholars were often proud and aloof.
A talented scholar like Lu Yuanxing was especially likely to look down on merchants, no matter how wealthy they were.
Second, Lu Yuanxing’s ambitions lay in the capital.
Marrying him meant his daughter would have to leave Jiangnan and live far from her family.
If she were ever unhappy, her father and brothers would be too far away to protect her.
Third, Seventh Miss Rong had been cherished and indulged all her life.
The enormous difference in wealth between the two families meant she would never be willing to humble herself in her marriage.
The future of their relationship was easy to predict.
If Lu Yuanxing remained unsuccessful, things might be manageable.
But if he achieved fame and status, her future would likely become difficult.
Old Master Rong spent seven days trying to persuade her to give up on the match.
She refused to listen.
He locked her in her room for seven days.
In response, she went on a hunger strike for seven days.
Seeing his beloved daughter waste away, Old Master Rong finally relented, afraid she would truly harm herself.
The moment he agreed, she burst into tears of joy.
Fearing her father might change his mind, she urged him to arrange the engagement immediately.
Only after the matchmaker returned with Lu Yuanxing’s birth details did she agree to eat again.
Unable to dissuade his daughter, Old Master Rong did everything he could to protect her future.
He prepared an extraordinarily generous dowry and gave her a private fortune of her own.
He instructed her to use the money to support the household if necessary and not to argue over minor financial matters.
Then he met with Lu Yuanxing personally and made him swear before the Lu ancestral shrine that Seventh Miss Rong would always remain his only lawful wife.
Even if he took concubines in the future, he was never to favor them over his wife.
If he broke that vow, he would lose the right to return to the Lu ancestral hall.
Old Master Rong did everything within his power, yet he still watched his daughter marry with a heavy heart.
As for Lu Yuanxing, he initially felt more reluctance than enthusiasm toward the match.
He knew the gap between their families was enormous and feared they were fundamentally unsuited to one another.
But Old Master Rong’s matchmaking gifts were extremely generous.
The matchmaker was determined to make the marriage happen.
After much persuasion, Lu Yuanxing finally agreed.