"County Princess Changning is her friend. She was the one who insisted on taking me to the Sutra Copying Gathering. I didn't even bring a maid; I took her carriage."
Lu Zhaoling asked Madam Lu back with a half-smile, "How exactly could I have harmed her?"
Madam Lu was momentarily rendered speechless.
Lu Zhaoyun did nothing but wail, shouting that Lu Zhaoling had sabotaged her and that she no longer had the face to see anyone, yet she refused to say exactly how she had been sabotaged.
Madam Lu had asked Lu Zhaohua instead... and even took her anger out on Lu Zhaohua, dealing her a sharp slap across the face.
With reddened eyes, Lu Zhaohua explained that their eldest sister must have eaten something wrong, as she had spent a long time in the latrine and let out several foul-smelling farts.
What could County Princess Changning's manor possibly serve that would make someone ill? Aside from the anomaly that was Lu Zhaoling.
"The tea and refreshments were all prepared by the Princess's Manor staff. How could I have tampered with them?" Lu Zhaoling pressed further.
"Zhaoyun says it was you!" Madam Lu flung Qingbao's hand away, but in the end, she didn't dare strike at Lu Zhaoling again.
These two maids sent by Prince Jin were truly an eyesore and a nuisance!
Madam Lu glared at Qingyin and Qingbao, a flash of murderous intent crossing her eyes.
Lu Zhaoling gave a cold snort. "It seems that in the future, I cannot agree to go anywhere you suggest. Otherwise, I'm bound to be falsely accused."
That fruit tea had been prepared by Lu Zhaoyun's own people. Sabotage? She had simply "returned the item to its original owner." She was doing a good deed.
"Move."
Lu Zhaoling didn't bother wasting more time with her and walked right past.
Madam Lu and her maids were blocked by Qingyin and Qingbao. Aside from their impotent rage, they could do nothing.
Watching Lu Zhaoling's retreating back, Madam Lu's face turned black with fury.
"Those two maids must be dealt with."
With them around, Lu Zhaoling was practically fearless! She had to find a way to sever these two arms of hers!
Meanwhile, Lu Zhaoling was saying to Qingyin and Qingbao, "Madam Lu has developed ill will toward you. Be careful."
Qingyin nodded in acknowledgement, but Qingbao let out a huff. "We are no pushovers! As long as Young Miss allows us to act, we aren't afraid of a few inner courtyard women's schemes."
Lu Zhaoyun still hadn't finished crying. Her eyes were swollen and her voice was hoarse, but every time her mind returned to that string of "phut phut phut" sounds at the Princess's Manor, she couldn't help but burst into another fit of violent sobbing.
Having been slapped by her legal mother, Lu Zhaohua didn't dare leave. She remained there to accompany Zhaoyun.
"Eldest Sister, stop crying. The County Princess likely won't send the sutras you copied to the palace. You don't need to worry..."
No need to worry that the Emperor would find out those sutras had been "marinated" by her gas.
A strange light flickered in Lu Zhaohua's eyes.
Her eldest sister had always stood in her way, moving in circles with legitimate daughters like He Lianyun, while ostracizing and looking down on concubine-born daughters like themselves. This time, Lu Zhaoling had truly vented her frustrations for her!
He Lianxin had fainted from anger, and Lu Zhaoyun had made a massive fool of herself.
Hahaha, how incredibly satisfying!
Despite the slap from her stepmother, Lu Zhaohua felt a profound sense of satisfaction.
Furthermore, Lu Zhaoling had thoroughly offended everyone. Those people wouldn't let her off easily; Lu Zhaoling was going to suffer too.
Let these legitimate daughters fight! The more viciously, the better! None of them were good people anyway!
Lu Zhaohua hid the excitement in her eyes.
"You still dare to step on my sore spot?" Hearing her mention that humiliating affair, Lu Zhaoyun roared with a hoarse voice and raised her hand to strike Lu Zhaohua.
Slap!
The other side of Lu Zhaohua's face was struck as well.
Fortunately, Lu Zhaoyun was exhausted from her "stomach troubles" and didn't have much strength in her hand.
However, having been slapped by both mother and daughter, Lu Zhaohua's heart burned with hatred.
Lu Zhaoyun always put on an act in public, appearing gentle and refined, but in truth, she was a venomous person.
Lu Zhaohua now hoped Lu Zhaoling would become even more formidable and ruthlessly trample Lu Zhaoyun underfoot! Of course, it would be best if Lu Zhaoling ended up being trampled into the mud by others in the end as well.
As for that brainless Lu Zhaoyue, she was no threat at all.
"Eldest Sister, I didn't mean it. I was just saying it's fortunate..."
"Fortunate your mother!" Lu Zhaoyun swung at her again.
This time, Lu Zhaohua scrambled to dodge.
Madam Lu entered, and Lu Zhaohua took the opportunity to slip away.
"Mother, I really don't want to live anymore. How can I ever show my face in public again? Everyone outside must be laughing at me!"
Seeing her mother, Lu Zhaoyun broke down into tears once more.
"It won't happen, Zhaoyun. Mother has already sent people to handle it. I've had silver distributed to the maids of all the noble ladies present today, instructing them to coax their mistresses into not mentioning the matter."
Madam Lu's heart ached looking at her daughter in such a state.
"Besides, those young ladies of high standing are all well-bred and mindful of etiquette. Who among those girls would constantly talk about something like flatulence? I'm afraid they won't even be able to bring themselves to say the words."
Hearing this, Lu Zhaoyun's tears flowed even faster.
Was her mother trying to console her or stab her in the heart?
If those well-bred ladies were too ashamed to speak of it, what did that make her, the one who had actually done it? Wouldn't that make her incredibly vulgar and coarse?
"Don't cry! Oh, my darling, you are destined to be the Second Prince's Consort. You must be strong; you can't let a small thing like this knock you down. If anyone dares to gossip about your mishap, we'll ask the Second Prince to handle it and have them all executed!"
Lu Zhaoyun didn't know whether to be angry or laugh.
"Mother, you make it sound so simple! What if the Second Prince hears of this and starts to despise me?"
Madam Lu dismissed the idea. "During this period of imperial mourning, who would spread such a trivial matter? It's even more impossible for it to reach the palace. The Second Prince is busy keeping vigil these days; he won't have time for this."
Lu Zhaoyun supposed that made sense.
However, to their utter shock, the news spread throughout the Capital the very next day!
Six months ago, a place called Wuming Bookstore had suddenly appeared in the Capital.
This Wuming Bookstore didn't sell books and had no physical shop. Instead, it produced a single broadsheet.
Published once every half-month, it was called Capital News.
Supposedly, the name meant "Interesting Tidbits of the Capital."
This Capital News always contained eye-catching stories about people and events.
For instance, in the first issue, there was a report about a wealthy merchant in the Capital who became a groom every single night, and the identity of the bride was actually...
In the two previous issues, it wrote of the eldest son of a certain high official who unexpectedly preferred elderly women over beauties, questioning if he had lacked maternal affection in his youth...
The issue before that described a fourth rank official who was secretly obsessed with cross-dressing in women's attire!
The most terrifying part was that after some investigation and discussion, people found that the stories were all true!
Capital News was compiled and copied by the staff of Wuming Bookstore and then sent to various teahouses and taverns for distribution. When it first appeared six months ago, no one paid it any mind, unsure of what it was.
But it didn't take long for it to explode in popularity.
Although a copy of Capital News was just a single large sheet of paper, it was priced at 500 wen quite expensive, making it unaffordable for ordinary commoners.
Today, the latest issue of Capital News was delivered fresh and hot to several teahouses and taverns.
Some people had been waiting early to buy it. Upon reading, many spat out their tea in shock.
This was a truly "pungent" issue of Capital News!
On the front, the largest characters read:
"A Novel Approach at a Certain Noble Lady's Sutra Copying Gathering: Using a Certain Gas to Marinate the Sutras!"
Looking at the main text:
"As the Sutra Copying Gathering reached its conclusion, a certain legitimate daughter suddenly emitted a string of 'phuts.' With both hands, she expertly grabbed the sutras and swept them behind her in a practiced motion..."
What terrible deeds had these readers committed to have to read such a flavorful article while having their morning tea?
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