Chapter 426 – Nobody Owes Each Other Anything (2)
Ye Zhen nodded gently. “I was hiding upon a tree, it got knocked down and was broken by that tiger.”
Imagining the situation at the time, Pei Shi was so scared that she broke into a cold sweat all over. “In the future, you’re not allowed to go to the hunting grounds anymore.”
“I know, Mother.” Ye Zhen smiled and nodded. “By the way, what about my elder brother? I haven’t congratulated him yet now that he will follow father as a fellow official.”
Not long ago, Lu Xiangzhi had participated in the imperial examination and passed with stellar results, snatching the third position and becoming the tanghua. Alas, at that time, Ye Zhen had been busy at the academy. Therefore, she had only heard about the news but had not been able to personally congratulate him
Fortunately for the Lu family, it was Lu Xiangzhi who passed the exam and became the tanghu, curbing the cynical remarks of the people in the capital to an extent.
[TL/N: Tanghua basically means third position or the winner with the best look]
“Your brother went to Master Xu’s today and will probably spend the night at the Xu family’s house.” The corners of Pei Shi’s mouth curved up. Her greatest pride was Lu Xiangzhi. With her son becoming a flower snatcher, he would be able to support his sister. Then she’d see who would dare to bully her daughter at will.
Ye Zhen was really happy for Lu Xiangzhi. Lu Shiming should also be promoted soon. In the future, the pair of father and son would be at the Hanlin Academy together so they could both be regarded as prominent people.
“I heard your father say, Master Xu doesn’t seem to want your brother to stay at Hanlin Academy,” Pei Shi whispered again.
“Why?” Ye Zhen asked skeptically.
Pei Shi shook her head and said, “I don’t know anything about what goes on in officialdom, and I don’t understand either. When your brother comes back, you can ask him yourself.”
Before they knew it, they had already arrived at the outer courtyard, but Lu Lingzhi’s servant said that he had fallen asleep. Apparently, he had been tossing about for most of the day and became tired as evening approached thus fell asleep early.
“Then I will visit Eldest Brother again tomorrow,” Ye Zhen said lightly.
After returning to the Lu Mansion, Ye Zhen let go of her exhausted muscles. Since being rescued by Mo Rongzhan, she had felt very confused. Before that, she had always been determined to take revenge and wanted to pull him off the throne. But now… she actually didn’t know what to do.
He saved my life, promised me the position of the empress, and never gave me poisonous wine…
No! I must not be soft-hearted! His previous grievances with me can be wiped out, but what about his feud against Father and Elder Brother?
What if her father had really been killed? She understood that the Ye family was embroiled in a lot of evil, but her father and brother had been innocent. He even killed them.
For this, I shouldn’t forgive him for the rest of my life!
I saved his life in the past, but now he has saved mine, all our life-saving graces to each other are cleared!
Ye Zhen felt that she had been at a loss for a few days, and the road ahead suddenly became brighter, and she smiled slightly and finally fell asleep at ease. She hadn’t been able to sleep in the palace for two days.
The next day, she woke up full of energy. She didn’t plan to enter the palace so early. Besides, Mo Rongzhan didn’t want to see her anyway. There were Xu Huiru and Huangfu Chen beside him, so nothing could happen.
She didn’t visit Lu Lingzhi either but went to the upper hall to find Old Madam Lu, preparing to accompany her to Huguo Temple to pray for blessings. But when she was about to go out, she saw his carriage parked outside. He was already inside waiting for them, saying that they wanted to go along too.
Ye Zhen felt unhappy right now.
However, Lu Lingzhi looked at her through the window with a gentle smile. “Yaoyao, come and be with Eldest Brother, I have something to ask you.”
“Go.” Knowing that grandson must have something important to say, Old Madam Lu immediately let Ye Zhen pass by.
“Grandmother, it’s not so good.” Ye Zhen cursed in her heart. Now she couldn’t wait to kill Lu Lingzhi, how could she be in the same carriage with him.
Old Madam Lu gave her a look. “What’s wrong, you are brothers and sisters, go ahead.”
Ye Zhen reluctantly got into Lu Lingzhi’s carriage, chose a place farthest from him to sit down, turned her head to look outside and ignored him.
Lu Lingzhi smiled bitterly. “Yaoyao, are you still angry with Eldest Brother?”
“Eldest Brother jokes, why would I be angry with you?” Ye Zhen said lightly.
“I was in the palace that day… Eldest Brother didn’t want you to commit the crime, but….” Lu Lingzhi looked at her indifferent profile and didn’t know what to say.
She wouldn’t have remembered it, had he not mentioned it. That day, in front of Mo Rongzhan,
he had vaguely said that Lu Wushuang wouldn’t poison him. So then, was it her that poisoned him? He took her into the palace, seemingly not trying to blame her, but to shoulder the blame for Lu Wushuang.
“I just didn’t expect the empress dowager and the emperor to trust me so much and not believe what Lu Wushuang said?” Ye Zhen snorted coldly. “Unfortunately, you couldn’t protect your good sister.”
“Shuang’er deserves a lesson,” Lu Lingzhi whispered.
He was speaking as if Lu Wushuang would have a chance to come out in the future. Ye Zhen curled her lips and said impatiently, “Is that what you wanted to tell me?”
Lu Lingzhi gently shook his head and asked in a low voice. “Yaoyao, how are the emperor’s injuries?”