Madam Lu was now pouring all her energy into slinging mud at Lu Zhaoling.
She spent a significant amount of money hiring little beggars and bribing people in teahouses and taverns to spread rumors. No matter what, she was determined to pin the scandal of the conduct at the Sutra Copying Gathering squarely on Lu Zhaoling's head!
However, she soon discovered that she wasn't the only one working on this.
Originally, it was a minor matter that people might have forgotten in a few days. After all, constantly gossiping about a young girl's minor embarrassment reflected poorly on one's own character. But with so many people suddenly emerging to pin the incident on Lu Zhaoling, the small issue was blown completely out of proportion.
Madam Lu didn't think much of it at the time; instead, she felt quite smug.
"It seems the He family has also made a move. Tsk, that wretched girl really knows how to offend people. She truly deserves it."
It wasn't just her and Zhaoyun who wanted to crush Lu Zhaoling now; the He family was involved too. Even if they failed, the young lady of the Shen family might step in, not to mention Princess Changning.
From the look of it, the wretched girl had only been back for a few days and had already offended quite a few people. Moreover, she had specifically picked families with power and influence. She truly had a death wish.
Madam Lu felt that this time the plan was foolproof, so she hurried off to comfort Lu Zhaoyun.
After listening to her mother, Lu Zhaoyun finally managed to stop crying. "Mother, what if she goes out and starts talking nonsense again?"
"The He family has already taken action. Besides, the people invited to the Princess's Manor are all familiar with you. They won't take her side; could they possibly testify for that wretched girl? To be safe, however, you can send them some gifts. Once they've taken your things, they'll be even less likely to speak out."
At the thought of this, Madam Lu's heart bled with the cost. Most of the people Princess Changning invited were daughters of the nobility. The gifts couldn't be too shabby, which meant she was going to have to suffer another major financial blow.
"I'll do as you say, Mother," Lu Zhaoyun said, leaning into her embrace.
"That reminds me, Yun'er, we need to hurry things along with the Second Prince. You're already seventeen; we can't delay any longer."
Recalling this matter, Madam Lu felt truly depressed.
"During the period of Great Mourning, how could the Second Prince possibly discuss such things with me?" Lu Zhaoyun was also feeling anxious.
"Didn't Prince Jin already receive a marriage decree? We aren't talking about getting married immediately, but we must at least bring the matter into the open and settle the engagement. Speak nicely to the Second Prince, lower your stance, and even if he takes a bit of advantage of you when you meet..."
"Mother!" Lu Zhaoyun's face turned bright red. How could she be taught such things?
Madam Lu was indifferent. "Most men in this world are proper on the surface but loose on the inside. They are like bees; whenever they see a girl, they want to get close and touch. This is normal. If a woman is too proper, she is simply boring."
She thought back to her own elder cousin...
Tsk, wasn't she just too proper and boring? Otherwise, how could Madam Lu have succeeded so easily by climbing into the man's bed? She had won against her cousin back then, so there was no reason her daughter couldn't win against Lu Zhaoling now.
"The Second Prince isn't that kind of person," Lu Zhaoyun said, her face burning.
"Silly girl. If you don't give him a little sweetness, how can he keep you in his heart? Of course, before marriage, the final step is absolutely forbidden. But holding hands or a small embrace is fine. You've worked at it for so long without success; you need to take it a step further. Listen to your mother."
Lu Zhaoyun finally nodded. "If this current incident becomes a major scandal, it might make Prince Jin waver. It would be wonderful if he could get the Emperor to withdraw the Imperial Marriage Decree."
While the mother and daughter were plotting how to make the Second Prince yield and how to ruin Lu Zhaoling's marriage prospects, they had no idea that Prince Jin had already entered Tingnuan Tower.
The moment he stepped into Tingnuan Tower, he immediately sensed that something was different. His originally heavy and stagnated body instantly felt several degrees lighter.
This caused him to pause, not immediately seeking out Lu Zhaoling, but instead standing in the courtyard to look around.
"Who goes there?!"
Qing Yin and Qing Bao leapt out. When they saw it was him, both were stunned.
"My Lord?"
The courtyard gate was already bolted. Did the Prince climb over the wall to get in?
Qing Yin and Qing Bao exchanged a look.
"Where is your lady?" Prince Jin did not miss the startled looks of the two maids. Had they not expected a dignified Prince like him to climb over a wall?
"Let the Prince in and go brew some tea," Lu Zhaoling's voice drifted out from inside the room.
"Please enter, My Lord." Qing Yin and Qing Bao stepped aside.
Prince Jin entered and saw Lu Zhaoling reclining on a soft daybed by the window. On a small side table next to her were several small plates of food: sliced melon, washed grapes, exquisite pastries, and candied fruit coated in sugar frosting.
She was hugging a soft-looking square pillow with her chin resting on it. her thick hair, like a dark cloud, was draped casually over her body, not tied up or styled at all.
She looked like a lazy, carefree cat, and she was incredibly captivating. What ordinary woman would dare to see a guest like this?
"Do you not comb your hair when receiving guests?" Prince Jin paused for only a moment before walking over to the chair beside her and sitting down.
The moment he sat, he subconsciously let out a soft sigh of relief, his hand kneading his knee. Over the past few days in the Palace, although he had been sitting often, his legs were nearly at their limit. If he hadn't left the Palace today, the Emperor would likely have noticed the problem with his legs.
"You make me sound like a girl from a brothel. What 'receiving guests'..." Lu Zhaoling's eyes brightened the moment she saw his Fortune.
No matter what else could be said about this man, his Fortune was particularly pleasing to the eye.
Why was he sitting so far away?
Lu Zhaoling sat up a little and curled a finger at him, beckoning him closer.
Prince Jin: "..."
Wait, why did it feel like she was calling over a lackey?
He kept his composure. "Today, I delivered the scriptures you copied to the Emperor." He wanted to discuss official business.
"Sit closer. We are a betrothed couple; there's no need to be so formal." Lu Zhaoling gave him a crescent-eyed smile and beckoned with her finger once more.
Prince Jin's gaze darkened slightly. If he moved over, he would be sitting at her feet. Below the daybed, her shoes were placed neatly, meaning she was currently barefoot, even if they were hidden beneath her skirt.
Could a betrothed couple in a cooperative relationship be this intimate?
"So indecisive..."
Just as Lu Zhaoling's grumble left her mouth, Prince Jin had already moved to sit on the other side of her daybed.
Satisfied, she leaned over and patted him on the shoulder. "That's more like it. Be a bit more generous."
As she spoke, she snatched a handful of Fortune.
It was truly a great supplement.
If they could sleep on the same bed, wouldn't the supplement be even greater?
Prince Jin felt that her gaze was becoming a bit too ambiguous. "Let's talk business."
"Oh." Lu Zhaoling shifted a bit closer to him and got down to business. "Did the Emperor look at the scriptures?"
"He did. Aside from the scriptures, what else was on that paper?"
"Hmm?" Hearing him ask this, Lu Zhaoling suddenly reacted. She leaned toward him, looking into his eyes carefully. "You couldn't possibly be saying that you saw the Hidden Talisman I drew, could you?"
She had originally thought that no one would be able to see it.
"So there really was a talisman."
Prince Jin grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer, his voice low. "What kind of talisman is it? What is its use?"
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