Chapter 48: Biting Off a Piece of Flesh

Qingyin and Qingbao exchanged glances, both seeing the amusement in each other's eyes.

Given the experience from the other day when the Prince was called out of the palace, only stayed in his carriage for a little while, and was then pushed right back out, if their Young Miss spoke up, the Prince might genuinely come over specifically to help her collect a debt.

Seeing Lu Zhaoyun's expression of utter disbelief and suppressed grievance, Lu Zhaoling added leisurely, "Or, I could also have Prince Jin mention it in front of the Emperor and all the officials. During the period of imperial mourning, Lord Lu might just become famous over a few trivial family matters."

"You are trying to ruin Father!"

At a time like this, no one dared to bring any trouble before the Emperor and offend the Grand Empress Dowager's funeral rites!

However, it was rumored that the Grand Empress Dowager doted on Prince Jin like the apple of his eye, so Prince Jin might actually dare to do it!

By then, the one who would lose face and face a severe reprimand would be Lu Ming.

"Give me three hundred liang and it will be fine." Lu Zhaoling arched an eyebrow at her. "Go on, hurry up."

Lu Zhaoyun hadn't even had the opportunity to state her purpose before she stormed out of Tingnuan Pavilion, seething with suppressed anger.

Upon hearing what happened, Madam Lu almost smashed her teacup again.

"Three hundred liang! How can she even say such a thing!"

In truth, over the past decade, the amount Lu Zhaoyun had spent all by herself definitely exceeded three hundred liang. But giving such a large sum to Lu Zhaoling all at once felt to them as though a massive chunk of flesh was being carved from their bodies—how could they bear to part with it?

Moreover, Lu Zhaoling had also stated that from now on, her expenses would match Lu Zhaoyun's standard every month. Wouldn't that mean they would also have to pay the monthly wages for those two maids of hers?

That would be a massive loss!

"Mother, if we don't give her this money, will she really go make a scene?"

"Let her make a scene! I simply don't believe that someone of Prince Jin's status would actually help her collect three hundred liang in front of the Emperor! Doesn't Prince Jin have any shame?"

"Then are we not letting her attend the small banquet?"

Madam Lu paused. "Why don't you coax her into going first? Just tell her I'll give her the silver when she returns."

"She definitely won't agree."

"Then she won't go!" Madam Lu's face darkened. "I refuse to believe that we won't find a chance at home to make her take off her shoes and socks!"

"Mother," Lu Zhaoyun gently shook her arm, "I think it's better to let her go. Perhaps Miss Shen can properly teach her how to survive in the capital, which is better than us family members lacking the heart to be harsh. Second Sister spent so many years in the countryside; without proper guidance, who knows how much trouble she might cause in the future?"

As she pleaded with Madam Lu, Madam Lu gritted her teeth. "How about I give her one hundred liang first, and she can collect the rest when she gets back?"

Lu Zhaoyun took the one hundred liang and headed back to Tingnuan Pavilion.

"Qingyin, put the silver away." Lu Zhaoling accepted the money without a second thought.

Lu Zhaoyun breathed a sigh of relief and then mentioned the invitation sent by Princess Changning.

"Second Sister has just returned to the capital, and this is just the right opportunity for her to meet more friends. That's why I begged Princess Changning for a long time before she agreed to let me bring you along. By the way, do you know Princess Changning?"

Lu Zhaoling originally had zero interest in such matters.

However, just as she was about to refuse, she paused. A memory seemed to surface regarding this very matter.

Princess Changning, it seemed, owed her something.

That item had to be retrieved.

Lu Zhaoling was someone who believed in cause and effect.

Besides, that was also something the pitiful little former Lu Zhaoling had always kept deeply in her heart, vowing that if she ever had the chance to return to the capital, she would definitely make Princess Changning return it.

"When are we going?"

"The day after tomorrow, around noon. Princess Changning is also hosting a vegetarian banquet, which is considered praying for the blessings of the Grand Empress Dowager."

What she left unsaid was that the vegetarian banquet had its own subtle implications.

Anyway, it would be best to let Lu Zhaoling make a complete fool of herself by then.

"Very well, I'll go." Lu Zhaoling agreed.

"Really? That's wonderful! Then Second Sister can ride in my carriage and we'll go together."

"However, I won't go until you bring me the remaining two hundred liang." Lu Zhaoling abruptly changed her tune, looping right back to the point.

"..."

In the end, Madam Lu gritted her teeth with a heart bleeding from pain and sent the remaining two hundred liang to Lu Zhaoling.

She was fit to vomit from frustration.

As soon as Lu Ming returned that evening, she immediately lodged a complaint.

"That wretched girl is truly narrow-minded and shallow. The moment she returned, she couldn't wait to grab silver. Such a pauper's look, the fate of a beggar!"

Today, Lu Ming had been severely scolded by the Marquis of Qingfu once again, and the Marquis had even left him with a warning: once the Grand Empress Dowager's funeral was over, he would definitely come to the Lu residence to demand justice.

He had already returned home with a belly full of frustration, and upon hearing this matter now, his face turned livid with anger.

"If you gave it to her, you gave it to her! Giving it to her now means we can make her spit every single cent back out later! Knowing her type, do you really think she wouldn't dare ask Prince Jin to bring this up in front of the Emperor? You have no idea—Prince Jin was actually sitting down while keeping vigil!"

"What?" Madam Lu was stunned.

"Sitting down! Even the Emperor, the Crown Prince, and the imperial princes were kneeling. But him? He just stretched his legs out, sat on a cushion, and even leaned against a pillar in the back! It seems he is someone who doesn't care much for rules at all."

"Prince Jin is actually like this? Then doesn't the Emperor reprimand him?" Madam Lu asked.

"The Emperor says nothing."

Although the Emperor might be enduring it, regardless of the reason, Prince Jin simply carried an air of supreme arrogance.

Therefore, if Lu Zhaoling were to really ask him to blow up her family affairs in front of the Emperor, Prince Jin might actually dare to do it.

However, Lu Ming did not dare to take that risk.

"It's infuriating! If she becomes Prince Jin's fiancée and has Prince Jin backing her up from now on, what can we even do?"

"Yun's engagement to the Second Prince must be made public immediately and finalized. Ideally, we should also have the Emperor issue a marriage decree," Lu Ming said through gritted teeth.

"But the betrothal document from back then was hidden away. Although we are certain it is kept somewhere in the estate, we haven't been able to find it no matter how hard we look over all these years."

On the Second Prince's side, perhaps considering that Lu Ming's official rank was not high, they felt that letting Lu Zhaoyun become the Second Prince's Primary Consort was still not quite a match.

Therefore, the Second Prince's birth mother had constantly used the betrothal document as an excuse, claiming that they could only make the engagement public once they laid eyes on that paper.

They had been searching for several years. They were certain the betrothal document was in the house, but they truly had no idea where it had been hidden back then, and it remained completely unfound!

That betrothal document bore the private seal of the Second Prince's maternal grandfather, as well as a small personal stamp drawn by the Second Prince's mother at the time. Now, they insisted on seeing that exact piece of paper, claiming it had to be taken out and shown to the Emperor before His Majesty would acknowledge it.

Back when the engagement was made, the Second Prince was still young, and his mother was completely out of favor, nearly being demoted to the Cold Palace.

Things were completely different then compared to the immense imperial favor she enjoyed now.

Now, she simply didn't want to honor this marriage.

Yet how could Lu Ming possibly allow her to back out?

The betrothal document had to be found, no matter what!

"This matter must be accomplished by Lu Zhaoling. That woman back then certainly told her where the item was hidden," Lu Ming said.

Therefore, they still had to coax Lu Zhaoling for now.

"Yun'er is already seventeen; we can't wait any longer," Madam Lu also said. "If all else fails, we will have to beg Princess Changning for help."