Chapter 228 – Exploit One’s Marriage (1)

As soon as she left the hall, Ye Zhen went straight to find Pei s.h.i.+. She had to make use of this little time she had before she returned to the academy to not only allay the mother’s worries but also find out about the recent goings-on.

The mother and daughter talked for some time. Deftly, she tried to probe as to what exactly had happened that Lu Jing was gloating over one’s misfortune. No matter how much she hemmed and hawed, it all came to naught.

She surmised, Pei s.h.i.+ probably didn’t want her to know too much, disclosing only partial information, saying that everything was up to her and the old madam to decide and that she need not have to worry.

What could she be worried about? Ye Zhen did not even know what they were talking about until she heard everything from Lu Xiangzhi. She was so angry that she regretted not spitting blood directly onto Liu s.h.i.+.

What a Liu s.h.i.+! Marrying me to a loser like Liang Chun, not only a widower but also a cut sleeve * and pedophile. Is she so desperate to scale up the status ladder? Ha! If I guessed right, Lu Wushuang must be the brain behind this whole scheme. Ha, ha, that woman is truly vicious! Just because one happened to meet Mo Rongzhan, she’s going as far as ruining one’s life.

[E/D: A “cut sleeve” is a h.o.m.os.e.xual. This term dates back to Emperor Ai of the Han Dynasty. Here’s the story straight from history]

“Elder Brother, I cannot let anyone interfere in my affair,” Ye Zhen grabbed Lu Xiangzhi’s hand and said, thinking about how she could make Liu s.h.i.+ dare not meddle with her affairs again.

“Even if she wants to, she cannot manage to do so. Besides, we have Mother and Grandmother on our side,” Lu Xiangzhi said with a smile.

Looking at the way things had come to be, Ye Zhen understood that the old madam was not in favour of the way Liu s.h.i.+ was handling the matter. The only reason for this disagreement was the benefits that the other party brought to the table. The Liang Family, although a marquis, was not sufficient to pique her interest. Since she knew the worth of the Lu Family’s social standing, she wasn’t averse to waiting for a better prospect.

The matriarch was an astute businesswoman after all. She weighed things on the scale of pros and cons. She never let herself be at the slightest disadvantage. Why then would she let go of opportunities to benefit herself? And wasn’t marriage one such benefit? Whenever that benefit appeared, Ye Zhen was certain, the old madam would be the first one to grab it. It wouldn’t matter what her preferences were, she would be the sacrificial lamb.

Be that as it may, she would never sacrifice herself for the benefit of the Lu Family.

“Elder Brother, I heard that Eldest Aunt wanted to take charge of the family affairs?” Ye Zhen asked softly.

While she was here, Ye Zhen wanted to gather as much information as possible. This would enable her to prepare a counter, if necessary. Right now, Liu s.h.i.+ was the weapon Lu Wushuang was wielding, she couldn’t rest easy.

Lu Xiangzhi frowned. “This too requires Grandmother’s approval. Isn’t Eldest Aunt still ill?”

Ye Zhen revealed a mocking smile. Then stay sick a little longer so as not to cause more trouble!

Not long after, Ye Zhen was preparing to leave for the academy. She went to her room and sent Dai Mei out. All alone in her room, she was fiddling with something for a while before she came out. Then, she decided to visit Lu Fang.

“Second Elder Sister, I haven’t seen you for quite a while, and I missed you a little.” Ye Zhen entered Lu Fang’s room wearing a smile, two bottles in hand.

“Yaoyao, you just came back from the academy?” Lu Fang was somewhat surprised to see Ye Zhen.

Still smiling, Ye Zhen said, “There’s something I had to do the last two days. Today, I longed to see my family. I heard that you’ve been ill these days. Are you all right?”

Lu Fang smiled, albeit reluctantly. She looked a little gloomy. Off late, the eldest madam had been often seen visiting the third household. And she was unsettled over the reason for these visits.

“I’ll be fine. I’m in a bad mood, and I don’t want to go out.” She did not want to speak to anyone, least of all Ye Zhen.

“Second Elder Sister needs to go out to meet more people. That will be good for you,” Ye Zhen said.

She could guess why Lu Fang is in a foul mood. What else could upset this girl but marriage matters!

Lu Fang was already sixteen. If she were a young miss from another family, her marriage would have been long settled. Previously, the Lu Family was pretty occupied helping Mo Rongzhan usurp the throne, ignoring Lu Fang’s marriage. Since the achievement of the Dragon Throne, the Lu Family was prospering, however, the betrothal of the ladies in the family had not been easy.

The reason for this was simple. Although they were the imperial merchants they still lacked a lineage. The prestigious aristocrats despised ladies who hailed from merchant families. And those that admired the Lu Misses belonged to middle-cla.s.s families. Needless to say, the Old Madam Lu was also reluctant.

Thus, the marital affairs were at a standstill and Lu Fang’s marriage had been delayed over and over.

“When have I not been thinking about going out? But even if I want to, Mother needs to give me permission,” Lu Fang faintly said.

Since Lu Fang was a concubine born, the main wife, in this case, Liu s.h.i.+ had to permit her.

Ye Zhen glanced at her and exclaimed softly. “Second Elder Sister, pardon me for asking directly, do you often visit and greet Eldest Aunt?”

“Mother had to rest herself before. I didn’t want to bother her.” Lu Fang replied.

According to the rules, concubines and their children were supposed to pay respects to the main wife every day. But since Liu s.h.i.+ had been ill for a long time, things were slightly different in the first household. But as such, they had to be mindful of their position in the household.

“But Aunt doesn’t need to rest quietly to recuperate,” Ye Zhen said, smiling. “She is still your mother…”

Those words … made Lu Fang perplexed. Liu s.h.i.+ was still her mother. Even if the old madam was the one making arrangements for her life-long affairs, she still needed Liu s.h.i.+’s consent in the end.