Chapter 63: Wealth in the Water

Princess Changning had long since forgotten that she had met Lu Zhaoling when they were children.

Lu Zhaoling had figured as much from Changning's reaction just now. Therefore, she needed to check whether the item the princess had taken back then was still around.

Walking over to the edge of the lake, Lu Zhaoling spotted a small cluster of financial aura emerging from beneath the water lily leaves not far from the shore.

The financial aura was actually in the water; did that mean she would have to fish it out?

Well, there was no harm in taking something free for the taking.

Glancing around, Lu Zhaoling found a branch about the length of her arm.

She picked it up and walked to the water's edge. Instead of rushing to fish out the item, she sat down on a nearby rock.

Even if she was going to retrieve it, she had no intention of letting anyone watch.

Behind her, Lu Zhaoling noticed that Lu Zhaoyun's gaze kept sweeping toward her.

Holding the branch, Lu Zhaoling tapped the water's surface playfully, looking to others as if she were simply passing the time by playing in the water out of sheer boredom.

Princess Changning also glanced over, but quickly looked away.

Turning to Shen Xiangjun, she said, "Xiangjun, I don't think she's anything to worry about. Look at how crude and vulgar she is; how could Prince Jin possibly have taken a genuine fancy to her? There must be some reason behind this imperial decree of marriage."

Shen Xiangjun forced a smile. "I'm fine."

She had let Princess Changning know about her romantic feelings for Prince Jin precisely in the hope of gaining an ally.

Everything had been prepared, yet who could have expected that on the very first day Prince Jin returned to the capital, he would be snatched away by such a petty wretch?

It had caught her completely off guard.

"I know you're just putting up a brave front, and you must feel deeply wronged inside. Don't worry, I will definitely help you find out the reason. You're the only one I acknowledge as my aunt-in-law," Changning said.

"Princess, please don't speak carelessly," Shen Xiangjun blushed in embarrassment, though a sense of relief washed over her.

With Princess Changning's help, things should work out, right?

After all, Princess Changning was the beloved daughter of the Eldest Princess, and both the Emperor and Empress doted on her. Because the princess did not get along with her elder brother and sister-in-law, the Emperor had even bestowed a separate princess manor upon her.

Sensing that everyone's gazes had finally shifted away from her, Lu Zhaoling made her move with lightning speed.

Having already locked her eyes on the object in the water earlier, she flicked it with the branch, pulled it back swiftly, and immediately scooped the hooked item into her hand.

This small bundle was wrapped in a silk handkerchief and tightly bound with a satin ribbon; she had managed to catch it by hooking the ribbon with her branch.

Generally speaking, the wealth Lu Zhaoling chose to pick up consisted of items whose karma had been severed and which were confirmed to be ownerless.

In other words, if she did not take them, these items would remain here indefinitely, and her picking them up would neither ruin anyone else's affairs nor rob anyone of their fortune.

However, the moment this small bundle touched her palm, she sensed a faint trace of karma.

Lu Zhaoling frowned slightly.

She promptly untied the bundle.

Inside was a private seal carved from top-quality jade. Cool and smooth to the touch with a delicate texture, it was carved with a pattern of pines and cranes on the top.

A name was inscribed on the seal.

Weng Songzhi.

Who was Weng Songzhi? She had never heard of him either.

Yet, the faint presence of karma tied to this object was undeniable. Perhaps the owner of the seal had fallen ill after losing it, or missed out on some major opportunity?

If that were the case, she had only two choices: toss it back into the water, or take it and find its owner to sever this thread of karma.

Without dwelling on it for long, Lu Zhaoling tucked the seal into her bodice, picked up a small pebble to wrap inside the silk handkerchief instead, retied the satin ribbon, and tossed the bundle back into the water.

The seal was fine, but she found the silk handkerchief distasteful as it was tainted with misfortune. Evidently, the handkerchief and the seal did not belong to the same person.

Just then, a maidservant approached carrying a tray.

"Milady, please have some fruit tea."

Lu Zhaoling looked up and saw that the tray held seven or eight small porcelain cups.

Several other maidservants were walking down the path behind her, each carrying a tray in her hands.

They must have been passing through this area to deliver food and beverages to the guests. Seeing Lu Zhaoling first and inviting her to have a cup of fruit tea seemed entirely reasonable.

Lu Zhaoling stood up.

The maidservant presented the tray before her. The cups contained fruit tea that smelled sweet and fragrant, and the portions in each were roughly the same.

Feeling somewhat thirsty, Lu Zhaoling picked up a cup and said, "Thank you."

The maidservant gave a slight curtsey, then walked away with the remaining fruit tea. The maidservants who followed closely behind carried various other items, all of which appeared to be small and delicate portions of food.

Princess Changning was providing vegetarian meals today, though Lu Zhaoling had not expected such a novel way of serving them.

Holding her cup of fruit tea, she looked toward the courtyard and noticed that another table had been set up beside the pavilion, laden with these food items.

Copying scriptures could wait; if there was food, she certainly wouldn't mind having a taste.

Lu Zhaoling inspected the fruit tea in her cup and took a sip.

Not far away, Lu Zhaoyun quickly looked away, appearing slightly nervous.

Fortunately, Lu Zhaoling drank it.

Carrying her cup, Lu Zhaoling walked back, only for Princess Changning to call out to her.

"Lu Zhaoling, come over and eat! For the sake of Prince Jin, this princess won't mistreat you. Finish eating and hurry up and copy your scriptures."

The others had already seated themselves around the tables. Glancing over, Lu Zhaoling noticed that their maidservants all seemed to be holding scripture booklets, indicating they had already chosen what to copy.

She walked right up to Princess Changning. "Return the thing you took from me back then."

Princess Changning froze, then flared up with anger.

"Absurd! When has this princess ever taken anything from you? You were away in the countryside, and I hadn't even stepped foot outside the capital back then!"

"A string of small bells. Do you remember now?"

That string of bells was something the pitiable former Lu Zhaoling had accidentally traded for from an old man years ago.

The old man had claimed he hadn't eaten for three days and was starving to death. Just as the young girl happened to pass by holding two oil-paper-wrapped sesame cakes—which she had bought with copper coins saved up over a long time—she took pity on the old man and gave them both to him.

Reaching into his pocket, the old man handed her a string of small bells in exchange.

On her way home, the little girl had walked along shaking the small bells, only to bump straight into Princess Changning, who was out strolling with several maidservants.

For reasons unknown, the princess took one look at the bells in the little girl's hand, rushed over, and snatched them away.

"Those belong to me..."

"Let me play with them for a few days! If anything comes up, just come find me and I'll help you out! I am Princess Changning, after all!"

With that careless declaration, Princess Changning had simply turned and run off.

Later on, when the little girl was about to be sent away to the countryside in fear, she actually remembered Princess Changning's promise and wanted to seek her help, but the princess refused to even see her.

When she was bullied, injured, and fell ill by the hands of the Lu family in the countryside, the young girl would occasionally think of this incident. With a child's simple innocence, she felt that since a princess had promised to help her, she should at least return the small bells if she wasn't going to help.

Recalling that string of bells now, Lu Zhaoling had a hunch that there was something unusual about them, and she needed to get them back to take a look.

Princess Changning had long since thrown such a trivial childhood matter to the back of her mind; after all, she had snatched plenty of things from others in the past.

"Why would this princess want a string of bells? Ridiculous."