Chapter 54
Upon hearing this voice, Lu Hanzhi’s heart sank.
But this high-grade talisman had a set time to work, and he could even see the progress bar on the talisman as it activated on the cane.
Lu Hanzhi was stunned. In a swift move, he rolled under the bed. Just as the door was pushed open by the female lead, the progress bar on the cane finished.
He let out a sigh of relief, and the system’s notification sounded: “Congratulations, host, for successfully using a high-grade artifact for the first time. The system rewards you with one point of exchange. This artifact can defend against all mental attacks and also has a cleansing spell function. The user’s surroundings, within a 100-meter radius, will be immune to mental attacks, and those who have already been harmed can gradually recover from the damage.”
Lu Hanzhi was quite pleased. Old Madam Lu was a kind-hearted old lady, yet she had been controlled by Su Wan’ning for so long, becoming like this.
He hoped she would live a long life and never fall under the control of evil people again.
Su Wan’ning’s footsteps grew closer to Old Madam Lu’s bed, and Lu Hanzhi held his breath, feeling as though a protective energy wall was shielding him.
The system prompted again: “Dangerous target detected. Protective evasion automatically activated.”
Lu Hanzhi thought, finally, the system showed some conscience!
But then, the system added: “This defense consumes one exchange point.”
Lu Hanzhi… @#￥%! Never mind, I didn’t say anything!
Su Wan’ning’s red embroidered shoes stopped right in front of Lu Hanzhi. She first smiled softly and then said, “Grandmother, it’s time to wake up and drink your medicine. Have the calming soup first, then you can sleep again.”
Right, the problem must lie in that calming soup.
Su Wan’ning had been giving Old Madam Lu this calming soup for a long time, claiming it had a sleep-inducing effect.
The sleep aid did indeed help, but now the sleep was almost terrifying in its excess.
From the bed came an unmistakable groan from the Old Madam, who was supported by Su Wan’ning and given a calming herbal concoction.
Su Wan’ning smiled faintly and said, “Grandmother, be good. After drinking this soup and resting, you’ll enjoy your family’s company again.”
After speaking, Su Wan’ning left the Old Madam’s room.
Lu Hanzhi crawled out from under the bed, just placing the cane back at the Old Madam’s bedside when he saw her convulsing. She clung to the edge of the bed and vomited up all the medicine she had just taken.
Lu Hanzhi quickly supported her and used a handkerchief to wipe her face.
Once the Old Madam had calmed down, she finally opened her eyes, now slightly clearer.
From her expression, it seemed she recognized Lu Hanzhi.
The Old Madam furrowed her brows and called out, “Han’er?”
Lu Hanzhi let her lean against his chest and replied, “Grandmother, it’s your grandson. How are you feeling?”
A slight confusion flashed in the Old Madam’s eyes as she asked, “Where…. am I?”
Lu Hanzhi answered, “You are in your own room. You’ve been ill for a long time. How do you feel now?”
The Old Madam thought for a moment before saying, “I… I felt like someone was guiding me to do things. Things I didn’t want to do, but still did. I even… even hit Han’er a few times and punished him. Was I dreaming?”
Lu Hanzhi’s heart ached, and he said, “Yes, you’ve slept for so long. How could you not dream?”
The Old Madam mumbled sleepily and rambled on to Lu Hanzhi.
“Speaking of which, I named you, Hanzhi. When you were born, your little mouth looked like it was holding a rosy pearl. So cute, it made people adore you. Your mother pampered you, afraid you would melt if held in her mouth, and feared you’d fall if held in her palm…”
Lu Hanzhi couldn’t make out most of what the Old Madam was saying, but luckily, she didn’t talk for too long and soon fell asleep.
Once she was asleep, Lu Hanzhi cleaned up the calming soup she had vomited.
Su Wan’ning’s words left him uneasy.
Had she prepared the soothing soup with the intention of sending the Old Madam away?
If so, would the Old Madam sense something if he had saved her?
But since it had already come to this, he had sparred with her many times, and it was inevitable that he’d have to confront her sooner or later.
Lu Hanzhi wasn’t afraid of being exposed. He could face her head-on; after all, he had his system to back him up—who was afraid of whom?
The only issue was that his golden finger might also be revealed at that point.
Once the Old Madam was soundly asleep, Lu Hanzhi climbed out of her room through the window.
The whole night passed without any incidents, and Su Wan’ning made no moves.
By morning, when Su Wan’ning entered the Old Madam’s room, she found her sitting by the bed, looking refreshed as she drank the ginseng soup brought by the maid.
Su Wan’ning frowned and closely observed the Old Madam’s complexion.
She wondered, How could this be?
The Old Madam should have passed away last night. Recently, after several missions failed, she had resorted to absorbing some yang energy from the puppets she controlled, specifically from the Old Madam, since it was easiest for her to absorb. The Lu family’s situation had been thrown into disarray, and it seemed like the perfect time to change her strategy.
But why did the Old Madam suddenly appear so much better?
This situation had taken her completely by surprise.
She had already planned for the Old Madam to pass away so she could use it as an excuse to leave the Lu family and have the Crown Prince come to propose marriage.
But now, with the Old Madam’s sudden recovery… was she going to be forced into a risky move?
The Crown Prince was set to marry tomorrow, and there was no time for her to act now.
If Zhaoyun had a child, the Crown Prince’s focus would undoubtedly shift towards her.
Then at that time all the effort and resources she had invested in winning the Crown Prince’s favor would likely go to waste.
While Su Wan’ning was troubled, she saw the Old Madam look up at her and wave her hand.
In this situation, Su Wan’ning was only momentarily stunned before quickly putting on a gentle smile and walking over to the Old Madam.
Su Wan’ning softly asked, “Grandmother, did you sleep well last night?”
The Old Madam was as kind and indulgent as usual, holding her hand and saying, “Yes, yes, yes. Thanks to your calming soup, I slept very soundly. When I woke up, I felt so much better. My head no longer hurts. Truly, my good granddaughter.”
For a moment, Su Wan’ning didn’t know what to say, her mind full of questions, How is this possible?
This shouldn’t be happening—what went wrong?
The Old Madam, however, was oblivious to her thoughts and pulled her hand, saying, “Sigh, Wan’er, your parents passed away early, and I’ve kept you by my side for all these years. I’ve truly made you suffer.”
Su Wan’ning gently responded, “Grandmother, what are you saying? I’m not at all suffering. Being with you is a blessing for me.”
The Old Madam sighed and caressed her forehead, saying, “My Wan’er is so sensible, just like your mother. But, you’re of marriageable age now. Your two brothers are already married. If I keep you here, it would be unfair to your late parents.”
Su Wan’ning furrowed her brows, wondering why the Old Madam suddenly brought this up.
Then, she heard the Old Madam sigh again, saying, “It’s a pity about your background. Even though you’re my granddaughter, your mother was so stubborn. She insisted on marrying a doctor, and with that status, she could only become a concubine in a high household. In my opinion, one of the scholars who came to the capital this year would be a suitable match for you, a good match.”
Su Wan’ning’s heart skipped a beat—A scholar?
What exactly was the Old Madam planning?
She tried to focus her mental energy, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t sense any control over the Old Madam.
Su Wan’ning wanted to playfully act a bit spoiled and tell the Old Madam she would stay with her, but no words would come out.
At this point, perhaps even throwing a tantrum wouldn’t work with the Old Madam anymore.
She was about to go mad—what on earth had been going on lately?
How had everything gone wrong, step by step?
This was something that had never happened before.
All she could do was obediently nod and speak, “But Grandmother, tomorrow is the wedding of Princess Zhaoyun and His Highness the Crown Prince. I promised her that I would attend and see her off. Could we discuss this matter after His Highness’s wedding?”
The Old Madam took a sip of ginseng soup and said, “It’s not urgent, but… Wan’er, it’s not that your maternal grandmother is scolding you. Your status is such that constantly interacting with princes and princesses is not very appropriate. From now on, try to avoid doing this so people won’t say that the Lu family lacks decorum and doesn’t know the difference between nobility and commoners.”
Su Wan’ning’s heart sank with a jolt, and she nearly couldn’t contain her frustration.
When she looked up, she noticed two unfamiliar fierce women standing beside the Old Madam.
At this, Su Wan’ning’s heart completely chilled. It seemed like the Lu family was truly no longer a place where she could stay.
In a state of panic, Su Wan’ning left the Old Madam’s room, but she also felt an immense sense of relief.
Fortunately, after making the Old Madam finish some tasks, she had forcefully erased her memories. Otherwise, things would have been even harder to handle now.
As of now, the Old Madam’s memory only held that Su Wan’ning had used her to deal with some members of the Lu family—a bit of petty trouble, which, even if she resented, wouldn’t make much of a difference.
What a pity for the Lu family’s wealth; she could only… let it go.
Though she was still confused, she couldn’t figure out what was going on.
Ever since the plague, she had grown suspicious. She had to get to the bottom of it.
Meanwhile, in the warm study of the imperial palace, the Emperor was reviewing memorials while listening with a headache to the two men who had kneeled before him early in the morning to cry and beg for forgiveness.
The two kneeling before the emperor were none other than the Eldest Prince Yuwen Jue and the second son of the Lu family, the current Hanlin Academy Bianxiu, Lu Xuzhi.
The emperor had already heard about what happened yesterday.
What he didn’t expect, however, was that his eldest son had come early, dragging the victim with him to beg for his forgiveness.
The Eldest Prince was crying so hard his eyes looked like rabbit’s eyes. He kneeled on the ground and deeply reflected on his mistakes.
“Father, it was my fault. I disregarded proper etiquette, lost my sense of shame, and couldn’t control the effects of the powerful medicine. Father, I have always kept myself pure. If it wasn’t for the sudden reaction of the divine medicine, I would never have done such absurd things! Now, I have embarrassed the court and caused Lord Lu to lose face before the people. I am willing to be sent to the Great Zhao Prison to reflect on my actions!”
Lu Xuzhi, kneeling beside him, also lowered his head to the ground: “Your Majesty, it is my fault. I couldn’t control myself. As a subject, I did something more beastly than a beast toward Prince Chu. I deserve to die a thousand times over. I beg the emperor to punish me by sending me to the Great Zhao Prison.”
The emperor put down his pen and pressed his hand to his temple, unsure of what to say.
The two men kneeling on the floor exchanged glances, silently admiring each other’s acting skills.
This intricate drama had finally reached its third act, and now it was up to the emperor to decide.
The emperor stood up, about to scold them, when he suddenly heard a voice from outside the imperial study.
The voice carried a sobbing tone, and before the emperor could see who it was, the person fell to their knees before him and hugged his leg.
“Your Majesty, you cannot punish the Eldest Prince! You can’t! Don’t forget, he became like this for a reason. If it weren’t for the fate of the Great Zhao, if it weren’t for you, would he have ended up like this? Would he?!” The person finished speaking and began to sob.
The two kneeling men exchanged another look, genuinely impressed: Now that was real acting!
The author’s note:
Imperial Concubine Rong: Two unfilial sons! What are they saying? Get the family law out!
Your favorite BL chaos wouldn’t be possible without coffee… lots of coffee….
Support Ciacia’s translation temple on Kofi—and if the cliffhanger demons are haunting you, join the Han’er Tier to purge them with advanced chapter access (up to 5!) before the masses even blink.
