Lu Liangwei’s fingers twitched as if she had been electrocuted.
She looked up only to see Long Yang’s nonchalant face. He turned his head and finally looked at the Virtuous Consort.
“I’ll leave Second Miss Lu to you for the time being. Make sure she enjoys herself.”
The Virtuous Consort’s heart thumped, and she hurriedly responded respectfully, “Don’t worry, Your Majesty. I’ll definitely entertain Second Miss Lu properly.”
Long Yang did not stay any longer. After giving Lu Liangwei another glance, he left Zhao Qian behind and departed alone.
The Virtuous Consort looked at Zhao Qian following Lu Liangwei’s every step, and desolation filled her heart.
The Emperor really valued Lu Liangwei very, very much.
First, he banished the Noble Consort to the Cold Palace, and then he publicly scolded Lu Yunshuang for Lu Liangwei’s sake.
In less than half a day, everyone got to witness the Emperor’s immense fondness for Second Miss Lu.
She had not married into the palace yet, but she already enjoyed this much favor. When that day came…
It was not only the Virtuous Consort who was feeling uneasy; the Pure Consort and the Prudence Consort also had complicated feelings.
In their eyes, Lu Liangwei was nothing more than a naive little girl, but the Emperor’s fondness for her was extremely shocking.
“Second Miss, you must be hungry. Please sit down and take a rest; I’ll order the servants to serve your meal right away.” Zhao Qian’s solicitous voice pulled the three consorts back from their wandering thoughts.
Coming back to her senses, the Virtuous Consort chimed in, “Yes, it’s already noon. Please sit down, Second Miss Lu. The imperial kitchen has already prepared the meal. I’ll order the servants to serve them now.” Her attitude was eagerly attentive, and she stepped forward and took Lu Liangwei’s arm, helping her sit down.
Lu Liangwei remained calm. “Thank you, Virtuous Consort.”
The Virtuous Consort smiled kindly at her and wanted to stroke her head like the Emperor did. However, when she lifted her hand, she heard Zhao Qian cough softly, “Since Your Highness is ready, please order the servants to serve the meal as soon as possible.”
The Virtuous Consort put her hand down in embarrassment. How could she possibly not understand the implied warning in this damn eunuch’s cough?
She smiled at Lu Liangwei, then turned and told the palace servants to bring the meal.
The Pure Consort’s eyes glinted with scorn at the Virtuous Consort’s two-facedness.
Now that she knew how favored Lu Liangwei was, did she change her mind and wanted to win her over now?
Not to be outdone, she shoved the Virtuous Consort aside and sat down on Lu Liangwei’s immediate right. Picking up a clean pair of chopsticks, she plucked a piece of pastry and put it on the plate in front of Lu Liangwei. “Second Miss Lu, this osmanthus cake is delicious. Why don’t you have a taste?”
Zhao Qian glanced at her. Contemplating that she would not dare to poison the cake, he remained silent.
Lu Liangwei did not show any unusual behavior in the face of the Pure Consort’s enthusiasm. She only thanked her politely, then picked up the osmanthus cake and took a bite. “Yes, it’s indeed delicious. Have some too, Pure Consort.”
The Pure Consort nodded in satisfaction. “Of course, of course.”
Sitting beside each other, the two started eating while making small talk.
The Prudence Consort’s eyes narrowed.
What a fence-sitter the Pure Consort was!
She was contemptuous of the Pure Consort and the Virtuous Consort’s behavior. Glancing at Lu Liangwei, she did not go forward and sat down in a seat by herself.
After the Virtuous Consort had finished ordering the servants and turned around, she immediately became upset to see the Pure Consort already engaged in conversation with Lu Liangwei.
The Pure Consort was an opportunist and a snob.
Who was the one who scorned Lu Liangwei and wanted to give her a slap in the face last night in her palace?
The Pure Consort must be incredibly forgetful—no wonder her attitude changed so fast.
The Virtuous Consort snorted quietly to herself, then sat down on Lu Liangwei’s other side and joined the conversation.
Only the Prudence Consort sat by herself, appearing out of place.
The meal was soon served, and the palace servants placed the exquisite dishes one by one on the table.