Court Lady

Lu Hanxing was seized by Housekeeper Wu and the house guards as they pushed him into Lu Qi’s room. He rolled his shoulders, not caring about his clothes getting dirty.

Lu Yunji snorted. Lu Hanxing looked up to see that Lu Qi was already sitting up and couldn't help but be surprised. How was Lu Qi awake? Even after eating the Zhenzhu Life-saving Pill, he did not seem to improve. Lu Hanxing had thought that the heavens were on his side and was waiting for Lu Qi to pass on. He never thought that Lu Qi would survive this crisis.

“Lu Qi, you...you are awake?” He suddenly felt as if the sky was covered in black clouds. 

Lu Qi looked at him coldly, “Are you very surprised to see me awake?’

“Of course I am surprised! I'm delightfully surprised!” Lu Hanxing looked at Lu Yunji. “Congratulations, Uncle. Lu Qi has finally awoken. The heavens are shining down on him! As long as Lu Qi is fine, I would be willing to pay the price of marriage…”

Lu Yunji slapped Lu Hanxing, causing his face to swell. Lu Hanxing fell to the ground and immediately crawled up. He knew what was happening yet he pretended to be innocent and called out, “Uncle.”

“You are right, the heavens have eyes and did not let you cause my son to die! Lu Hanxing, to think I treated you as if you were my biological son. I have raised an ingrate!” Lu Yunji fumed.

“Lu Hanxing, when did you start colluding with Hong Yide?” Lu Qi questioned.

“Hong Yide?” Lu Hanxing continued to pretend. “I did not! Someone must have set me up! I don’t know anyone named Hong Yide!”

“Things have already turned out like this and you are still trying to deny? Lu Qi heard Hong Yide say that he was helping you to silence Lu Qi so you can take our Lu family’s fortune. You leaked out the return route and arranged with Hong Yide to not let Lu Qi come back alive. You are vicious! Guards, bring me my weapon, I want to tear out this ingrate’s heart. I want to see if it has already rotten!”

“Uncle! Uncle, please have mercy! I...I was deceived by the enemy and was foolish for a moment. Lu Qi, dear cousin. You know me. I am born stupid and rash. Please help me to plead for mercy.” Lu Hanxing kneeled in front of Lu Qi’s bed.

“If I weren’t so lucky, you would have succeeded.” Moreover, he left such a mess for him to clean up. If not for Grand Prince Liang, he would have woken up in prison. 

“I was in the wrong! I was in the wrong!” Slaps resounded as Lu Hanxing slapped his own mouth.

Housekeeper Wu came to report that Lu Hanxing’s mother had arrived. It was his wedding day and Lu Yunji had arranged for people to invite her to attend the ceremony.

Lu Hanxing saw hope. “Uncle, please let me go on account of my mother. You promised my mother to take care of me. Please forgive me this time, I will serve you wholeheartedly! I will marry the Zhao family’s daughter and help you with anything in the future!” As he shouted, he inched his way to the door. “Mother! Mother! Hurry and come and save me!”

“Second Sister-in-law is deeply respected, yet she gave birth to a useless child like you.” Lu Yunji threw Housekeeper Wu a look. “Shut him up and send him to the rear courtyard. No one is allowed to let this matter spread. Second Old Madam must not find out about this.”

 

Fu Yin rested for a while. However, she was worried about Lu Qi and personally made and delivered medicine to him. Unexpectedly, she heard him shout.

“What nonsense letter?!”

Fu Yin jumped and quickly entered. She saw a man, dressed in military uniform, greeting Lu Qi respectfully.

“What is the point of telling me now that Hong Yide disappeared from Guangzhou? He has long arrived in Chang’an and almost took my life on Cangshan Mountain!” Lu Qi’s eyes were raging.

“I searched Guangzhou for a long time but did not find anything. I then followed the information we got from the men we captured and searched the mountains near the city for a long while. However, we still did not find anything. Since Old General Lu trusted me and entrusted such a huge responsibility, I was determined to find Hong Yide. That’s why I increased the area which we were searching…”

That man’s voice caused Fu Yin’s hand to tremble. The bowl hit the plate. This voice was clearly--

That man turned around. As soon as he saw Fu Yin, he looked like he had seen a ghost.

Lu Qi called out, “Xi Tao, where are you looking?”

Xi Tao was Fu Tao.

Fu Tao stammered, “I...I…” Why was his sister here?

“Ah, are you in a daze? Isn’t she pretty? You can’t look even if she is pretty. Let me tell you, she is my concubine and you are not allowed to interfere.” Lu Qi glanced at Fu Yin and became unhappy. “Fu Yin, why are you also just standing there?”

“Ah?” Fu Yin chuckled dryly as she quickly walked forward and placed down the medicine bowl. “What concubine are you talking about?”

“You are carrying my child, I have to give you a title. In a few days, when I recover, I will promote you according to the rules.” Lu Qi stared at Fu Yin’s back before looking at Fu Tao once more. 

Fu Tao could sense Lu Qi’s gaze and did not dare to look at Fu Yin anymore. 

Fu Yin accidentally knocked the medicine bowl over and exclaimed. She anxiously left the room. “I will make another bowl.”

“Silly girl, you must be too happy to say anything. I like how silly you are.” Lu Qi was in a great mood. “Xi Tao ah, you should be punished for failing in your task. However, there are two simultaneous happy events that happened today and I shall forgive you this time. Hurry and leave, don’t spoil my good mood.”

Fu Tao bowed quickly and left. The two of them walked one after the other into a small courtyard and Fu Yin closed the door carefully.

“Third Brother…” She had so many things to say but did not know where to begin.

“Why are you…” Fu Tao grabbed onto Fu Yin’s elbow. He felt as if smoke was going to appear from the top of his head. “Do you know what kind of person Lu Qi is? Do you know what kind of place the Lu Residence is? How did you end up as his concubine? And...and you even got pregnant?”

On the contrary, Fu Yin became calm. “In Guangzhou, the Lu family set our house on fire and caused our mother’s death. They caused our entire Fu Residence to be reduced to ashes. I came to take revenge.”

“I already said to leave it to me to take revenge.” Fu Tao let go of Fu Yin and paced around. “Aren’t you making trouble? I have already become one of Lu Yunji’s trusted men and will soon be able to make my move. Why did you bring yourself into this? Did Lu Qi force you? That bastard, I will kill him!”

Fu Yin shook her head vigorously, “No, he did not force me. Amongst everyone here, he treats me the best.”

“What did you say?” Fu Tao was burning with anger as he pointed over the high wall. “Do you still remember a man called Du Ning outside of here? He is going crazy looking for you. Yet you are in here helping our enemy to give birth…”

Fu Yin covered her mouth to muffle her sobs. 

The two of them did not realise an evil shadow was hiding in the corner of the courtyard.

Lu Hanxing had escaped and never thought that he would witness this scene. He sneered. Great, he could save himself now thanks to these two dumb siblings.