Lu Ming stood there, a strange mixture of fury and secret delight contorting his features until his expression looked almost grotesque.
"She has made such a spectacle of herself! She is to be grounded for half a month to reflect on her actions! I shall have my wife hire someone to teach her proper etiquette, lest she go out again and make us the laughingstock of the city!"
Lu Ming threw down those words and hurried away.
He needed to consider whether he could use this incident to proactively plead his guilt before the Emperor. He would take the initiative to tell the Emperor that his daughter was truly unfit for the position of Princess Consort of Jin...
If Prince Jin and the Emperor were angry, the worst they could do was sentence her to thirty strokes of the rod. She had been raised in the countryside, after all; a few hits wouldn't kill her.
It would also serve as a perfect opportunity to break that wretch's arrogance.
"Master, could you please go and talk to Zhaoyun?" Madam Lu sighed in relief the moment she saw him return, quickly rushing to him for help. "Zhaoyun has been crying for a day and a night. If she keeps this up, she'll ruin her eyes."
Madam Lu hadn't dared to tell Lu Ming about yesterday's events yet.
Lu Ming had always been obsessed with his reputation. If he found out that Lu Zhaoyun had suffered such a massive humiliation at the Princess's Manor, he would undoubtedly fly into a thunderous rage.
Initially, she had hoped to wait until Zhaoyun calmed down so the mother and daughter could figure out a way to keep it a secret.
But Zhaoyun hadn't slept a wink all night; she had done nothing but cry!
Where did all those tears even come from?
Madam Lu didn't dare hide it any longer. Her heart ached for her daughter, so her only option was to seek Lu Ming's help.
"What is she crying for?"
Lu Ming's mind whirred as he came to a conclusion. "Is she also feeling humiliated by her younger sister? After all, she was the one who brought her to the manor. Since that girl embarrassed herself so thoroughly that the news has spread across the capital,
it's only natural Zhaoyun would find it hard to bear! But this isn't Zhaoyun's fault. How could she have known that Lu Zhaoling would grow up to be so coarse and unrefined in the countryside?"
Lu Ming felt certain this was the reason.
"I'll go see her. Although Lu Zhaoling is her sister and her reputation might be dragged down by association, Zhaoyun has long held an elegant reputation in the capital. I believe everyone will be able to distinguish between the two sisters..."
Lu Zhaoling was coarse and unfit for polite society, but Zhaoyun was different. Even the Empress Dowager had once praised her for being "gentle and lovely."
It was that very compliment from the Empress Dowager that had allowed Lu Zhaoyun to break into the circle of noble young ladies. Whenever people in the capital spoke of her, they usually cited that royal praise.
Gentle and lovely.
Lu Zhaoling wasn't even fit to be mentioned in the same breath!
Just as Lu Ming was about to head out, he saw his wife staring at him with wide, terrified, and bewildered eyes.
"What is wrong with you?" he asked. "Have you seen a ghost?"
Madam Lu was horrified. She grabbed his hand, her voice trembling.
"Master, what did you just say?"
Had she misheard him?
Who had lost face at the Princess's Manor? And it had spread through the capital?
How could this have gotten out!
"You don't know yet? Didn't Zhaoyun tell you when she returned?" Lu Ming frowned. "Zhaoyun truly is the elder sister, still trying to hide things for that rebellious girl? It's spread everywhere. Even the Heir of Prince Rong has been asking about it. They've even given her a nickname Miss Pupu! It's utterly wicked!"
Lu Ming grew angry again as he spoke.
Such a thing was far too vulgar for polite conversation. Were those people really so bored? Why would they spend their time gossiping about something like this!
When he went to court tomorrow, he had no idea how much his colleagues would mock him!
"Even the Heir of Prince Rong knows?!"
Madam Lu shrieked, her voice so shrill it made Lu Ming's eardrums ring.
"Can you not be more composed? How will you act as the First Lady of the house once I am promoted?" He scowled.
She really couldn't compare to the gentle submissiveness of a concubine; she always made a fuss over the smallest things.
Madam Lu couldn't care less about his words right now; she was on the verge of a breakdown.
"Master! Zhaoyun won't be able to survive this!" she wailed.
"What do you mean?"
What was there to "not survive"? It wasn't like Lu Zhaoyun was the one who had passed gas!
Madam Lu cried even harder, clutching his hand as she finally choked out the truth.
By the time Lu Ming finished listening, he felt as though his own head might start smoking from fury.
The one they were calling Miss Pupu wasn't Lu Zhaoling it was Lu Zhaoyun!!!
When Lu Zhaoyun learned of this, she indeed couldn't handle the blow and promptly fainted away.
The Lu household was thrown into absolute chaos.
Before long, people actually managed to trace the rumors back to the Lu family and came to the door to inquire.
Lu Ming ordered the gates to be barred, refusing entry to everyone!
During a Period of National Mourning, these people actually had the audacity to entertain themselves with such a scandalous mess. It was simply outrageous!
Lu Zhaoling had actually woken up earlier while Lu Ming was outside making a scene.
After returning yesterday, she had drawn some talismans and spent time thinking about how to handle those three lanterns.
She had been exhausted after a full day out, so she decided to wait until Prince Jin's people finished investigating the Liu family before making a final decision.
Thus, the three lanterns remained in her room.
As she lay in bed, she wondered if Prince Jin had received the sutra she had written and whether he had taken it to the Imperial Study yet.
The Emperor had to see it for the plan to work.
After Lu Ming left, she rose leisurely and called Qingyin in to help comb her hair.
"Miss, it seems Master Lu misunderstood what happened yesterday," Qingyin said.
In the past few days, the wound on Lu Zhaoling's head had healed rapidly. Now that her hair covered it, the injury was no longer visible.
"It's spread everywhere?"
Qingbao entered the room, looking equally confused. "Miss, should I go out and gather some information?"
Lu Zhaoling hummed in affirmation. "Go ahead."
She was also curious. How had the news spread?
The only guests were those invited by Princess Changning. Surely the Princess would have silenced them to prevent the story from getting out.
All of them had been forced to copy sutras, and none of them would want such an embarrassing event publicized. Who would be foolish enough to speak of it?
Lu Zhaoling herself hadn't planned to bring it up again, even though she was the one who had used a talisman to switch the fruit tea.
That tea had indeed been prepared for her by Lu Zhaoyun and the people at the manor.
They had targeted her specifically, assuming that a country girl like her would be prone to such "crude" accidents, which is why they chose a medicine that caused both flatulence and diarrhea.
Lu Zhaoyun's plan had been to ruin her reputation with such a vulgar ailment.
But when such a thing happened to a high-born noble lady, it was far too mortifying to speak of. Why would they spread the word?
Lu Zhaoling had no intention of publicizing another woman's shame. Dealing with Lu Zhaoyun by making her suffer the consequences of her own actions on the spot was enough.
Just who was being this malicious...?
"Lu Zhaoling!"
Madam Lu rushed in followed by her maidservants. She stormed over to Zhaoling and slammed an ingot of silver onto the table.
Lu Zhaoling looked at her, perplexed. "Bringing me silver for no reason?"
"This is ten taels of silver for you! You are to go outside and say a few words!"
Madam Lu was suppressing her rage, trying to maintain a better attitude, but her tone remained incredibly harsh.
"Say what?" Zhaoling asked curiously.
"Go and tell everyone that it was you who lost your composure at the Princess's Manor yesterday, and that you were the one with the stomach ache!" Madam Lu commanded.
Qingyin's face darkened instantly.
"Madam, the one with the stomach ache was the Eldest Miss."
"Shut your mouth!" Madam Lu barked in fury.
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