Chapter 41: Beginning to Draw Talismans

The future Second Prince's Consort.

Hearing this, Lu Zhaoyun's expression darkened slightly.

The entire Lu family had accepted this betrothal paper, but in reality, the Second Prince was unwilling to make it public, constantly claiming the timing was not right.

She was already seventeen, an age when she should have long since been married off, yet she still had to wait for the timing the Second Prince spoke of.

Although whenever she encountered trouble and sought him out, he was willing to help, that was not what she wanted. What she wanted was to openly and properly become the Second Prince's Consort.

Hearing Lu Zhaoyun say this now felt like a knife twisting in her heart.

"Eldest Sister, why aren't you saying anything?"

Seeing her remain silent, Lu Zhaoyun couldn't help but nudge her.

Lu Zhaohua hurriedly steadied Lu Zhaoyun. "Third Sister, how can you push Eldest Sister? Eldest Sister is gentle and kind-natured; how could she possibly get into a real row with Second Sister? Second Sister suffered hardships in the countryside for ten years and has only just returned. We should just consider it as humoring her."

"Get lost!"

Lu Zhaoyun glared fiercely at her.

"Who asked you to play the peacemaker here? If you want to humor her, go ahead and do it yourself. Why should Eldest Sister and I humor her?"

After all, Lu Zhaohua was a concubine-born daughter, so not daring to contend or fight for anything was normal, but the two of them were legitimate daughters of the primary wife, and Eldest Sister was even the eldest legitimate daughter.

There had never been any place for Lu Zhaoling in this household to begin with. Who invited her to come back?

Lu Zhaohua bit her lip inwardly, though her expression remained somewhat timid. "When Father and Mother brought her back, could it be that they need her to do something?"

She subtly reminded Lu Zhaoyun.

They simply had to figure out what was going on.

Lu Zhaohua refused to believe that someone who had been left abandoned in the countryside all this time would suddenly be missed and brought back to live with them.

Lu Zhaoyun frowned, taking those words to heart.

"Eldest Sister, do you know why Father brought that wretched girl back?"

Lu Zhaoyun shook her head. "I'm not quite sure either."

Actually, when she first learned that Madam Lu intended to send someone to fetch Lu Zhaoling, she had opposed it.

However, Madam Lu stated that Lu Ming had already made his decision, which could not be altered. Therefore, Lu Zhaoyun had tried to devise her own plan to prevent Lu Zhaoling from returning to the Lu residence.

Now it seemed there must indeed be some reason why their father had brought her back.

"I'm going to ask Father and Mother!" Lu Zhaoyun said, turning and hurrying away.

"Eldest Sister, Second Sister hit you earlier. Does the Second Prince know about this?" Lu Zhaohua asked.

"What business is it of yours?"

Lu Zhaoyun glanced coldly at her, brushed her aside, and left.

Watching their retreating figures, Lu Zhaohua's eyes flickered with an inscrutable light.

After the three sisters departed, Lu Zhaoling looked at Qingyin and Qingbao.

"Don't you both know martial arts?"

As she asked this, Lu Zhaoling's tone carried a hint of exasperation, as if disappointed in their lack of steel.

Clearly two maidservants trained in martial arts, yet they couldn't even handle the three fragile weaklings of the Lu family? Following by her side like this truly felt a bit beneath her dignity.

Qingyin and Qingbao lowered their heads in apology.

"Young Miss, we figured... after all, they are young misses of the Lu family and considered mistresses..."

"Mistresses my foot."

Lu Zhaoling's face was expressionless as she uttered a rather unrefined phrase.

"Your contracts of servitude are in my hands, not Madam Lu's. You came out of the Prince Jin's Mansion; what do you have to do with the rest of the Lu family? In the future, if something like this happens again, just tie them up, stuff rags in their mouths, and throw them out."

Even if the sky were to fall, wasn't she here to hold it up?

"You must remember, my sleep is the most important thing."

Just a moment ago, they had been making such a racket that she couldn't even get a proper rest.

Qingyin and Qingbao hurriedly acknowledged the order. "Yes, Young Miss. Now we know how to handle it in the future."

Lu Zhaoling glanced toward the courtyard gate. "Go fix up the courtyard gate and install a sturdier latch. From now on, lock the courtyard gate tightly whenever I'm sleeping."

She wouldn't even allow outsiders to step a single half-step into her courtyard.

"Yes."

Since Lu Zhaoling was already awake and found it difficult to fall back asleep immediately, she went to inspect the items in the side chamber.

"I heard earlier that these were all sent by Nanny Qing?"

She had overheard some of the conversation inside the room.

"Yes, Nanny Qing is the Prince's wet nurse. When the Prince left the palace, she followed him out and has been managing the Prince's Mansion ever since."

That being the case, Nanny Qing's status within Prince Jin's Mansion must be exceptionally high.

"She gave these things to me. If Prince Jin finds out, won't he come asking for them back?"

Lu Zhaoling's hand gently caressed the bolts of fabric, wondering what kind of silk they were; the texture was exquisite, and the colors were brilliantly vibrant.

It seemed this Nanny Qing was actually quite a decent person.

Even though the two maidservants she had carefully trained were sent away, Nanny Qing didn't hold a grudge and had even taken it upon herself to send over such fine gifts.

"The Prince shouldn't do that, right?"

Neither Qingyin nor Qingbao knew Zhou Shiyue well.

However, they felt the Prince shouldn't be so petty.

"Since Nanny Qing sent them over, it means she knows the Prince won't mind."

"Hmm, then I must prepare a return gift for Nanny Qing."

Lu Zhaoling never accepted things from others for free. After inquiring about Nanny Qing's situation, she instructed Qingbao to go out and purchase some yellow paper, cinnabar, brushes, and ink.

"If possible, buy a few plain peace plaques as well. Ordinary jade quality will do."

If she wanted anything higher in quality, she would have to select it herself.

Qingbao was utterly bewildered, having no idea what Lu Zhaoling intended to do with these items, but she obediently went out to make the purchases.

By the time the items were bought back, Lu Zhaoling had already finished a box of pastries accompanied by tea.

Once Qingbao arranged the items on the table, Lu Zhaoling picked up the brush and began drawing talismans.

Watching her use cinnabar to draw talismans on yellow paper, Qingyin and Qingbao stared in gape-mouthed astonishment.

Wasn't this... wasn't this the work of a Daoist priest?

Why had their young miss started drawing talismans?

Feeling physically drained, Lu Zhaoling only drew three talismans before setting down her brush.

She carefully folded the three talismans with her own hands and placed them into the small sachets Qingbao had purchased.

"These two are for each of you; they are peace talismans. Take this one to Nanny Qing; it's a sleep-aid talisman, and keeping it close to her will help her sleep well."

Earlier, Qingyin had mentioned that Nanny Qing always seemed to have trouble sleeping lately, felt drained during the day, and frequently suffered from nightmares.

Therefore, Lu Zhaoling had drawn a sleep-aid talisman specifically for her.

This was her own improved version, and the effect was exceptional.

Though Qingyin and Qingbao still harbored doubts about how she could draw talismans and whether these paper slips would actually work, since they were gifts from Lu Zhaoling, they solemnly pinned the peace talismans to themselves. Qingyin also took the sleep-aid talisman back to the Prince's Mansion and handed it directly to Nanny Qing.

Upon receiving the sleep-aid talisman, Nanny Qing sat stunned for a long while.

"Could it be that the Second Miss of the Lu family went to the countryside and took some Daoist master as her teacher?"

Surely she wasn't a little Daoist nun, was she?

Qingyin shook her head. "Young Miss said she didn't take a master, nor is she a Daoist nun."

"Then how does she know how to draw talismans?"

"I don't know either. Nanny, why don't you give it a try? Our Young Miss is truly remarkable." Qingyin recalled the incident regarding Fucheng.

Nanny Qing looked at the talisman and smiled faintly.

"Very well, then I shall accept it."