Chapter 266: The Marquis Madam Is Furious

Chapter 266 The Yongning Marquess’s Wife Is Furious

By dawn tomorrow, as the sun rises in the east, tonight's events will spread like the morning breeze through the circles of nobility and officials.

"Marquess, Minghui has already realized her mistake. I truly..."

The Yongning Marquess cut her off impatiently, "Stop your screeching!"

"Neither you nor that wretched daughter of yours could even fool the airheaded Princess Lerong. Did you really think you could deceive those shrewd old foxes at court?"

"Don’t try to be clever only to make things worse and dig your own grave."

The Yongning Marquess’s wife was stunned, jabbing a finger at her own chest.

Her—screeching?

Lu Minghua: Princess Lerong airheaded?

Surely not. At most, she’s just a bit dense but strong as an ox.

The Yongning Marquess stormed out.

Just before stepping over the threshold, he paused and said gravely, "Lu Mingchao must not leave the marquess’s estate."

"Right now, of all times, she cannot leave."

"If she departs, it won’t just be Minghui in the crosshairs—it will be the entire Yongning Marquess’s household."

"Since it was your harsh words that upset her, it falls to you to smooth things over with her and persuade her to stay temporarily."

The Yongning Marquess’s wife fumed, her face twisted in fury, trembling uncontrollably.

Her lips pressed tightly into a thin line as she struggled to suppress her rage, unable to utter a single word.

After years of marriage, she had long known the Yongning Marquess to be heartless, selfish, and spineless—a man who always looked out for number one in times of crisis.

In the past, she had even joked that this trait was a sign of sharp instincts and quick thinking, a gentleman’s refusal to stand beneath a crumbling wall.

But now that this same heartlessness and selfishness was directed at her, she felt icy, gut-wrenching resentment—along with a gnawing dread that threatened to surface.

She feared that one day, she too would be thrown away like trash.

The Yongning Marquess’s wife’s glare could’ve set him on fire as she watched her husband’s retreating figure.

Hissing through clenched teeth, she swiped a delicate jade vase from the antique shelf, sending it crashing to the floor.

The vase exploded into shards, fragments scattering everywhere.

Taking a long, heavy breath, she collapsed into her chair.

"Minghui, you see it too," the Yongning Marquess’s wife said, her voice dripping with bitter sarcasm.

Lu Minghui knew that her mother was her last hope.

In the next instant, she flung herself desperately at the Yongning Marquess’s wife’s feet, bowing so low her forehead thudded against the floor repeatedly.

"Mother, you have to save me!"

Lu Minghui's forehead was gashed, and crimson blood slowly trickled down from her delicate brow bone, like a vermilion brushstroke in an ink painting, lending a startling beauty to her otherwise plain face.

The Madam of the Yongning Marquisate lowered her gaze, scrutinizing the kneeling Lu Minghui.

Her hair, tangled with tears and blood, clung damply to her cheeks, disheveled and askew, like a flower ravaged by a storm.

The deepest black, the purest white, the most bewitching red.

Ignoring the missing central incisor, she still looked delicate enough to pity.

Her own daughter lacked Lu Mingchao's striking beauty but was still clear-skinned and lovely enough to evoke sympathy.

Would she truly abandon Minghui?

Her husband was callous and self-serving, her son couldn't tell kin from stranger, but Minghui—dull-witted and spiteful though she was—at least revered, feared, and depended on her.

Gradually, the Madam of the Yongning Marquisate regained complete composure.

"Enough bowing."

She halted Lu Minghui.

Then, with a cold glance at Lu Minghua, she said, "This ends here."

"If there’s a next time, consider yourself motherless."

Lu Minghua frowned and lowered his eyes, a peculiar sense of foreboding suddenly rising in his heart.

At this moment, his mother was too calm and rational.

Her usual hysterics—the tears, the curses, the shattered objects—seemed normal to him.

But such sudden calm felt unusual.

Had she decided to yield for harmony's sake?

Unlikely.

It was more like the ominous lull before the tempest, the hidden undercurrents beneath a tranquil lake.

"Mother, since I began my studies at five, I’ve applied myself without respite to the teachings of the sages."

"From the age of twelve, I traveled the land with my masters, witnessing life in all its aspects."

"Now, I’ve reached the age of adulthood."

"The sagely teachings are carved upon my heart, and the hardships of the people are etched in my eyes."

"For years, everyone has taught me to know right from wrong, to uphold justice and fairness. Even you, Mother, once patiently guided me to stand straight as a pine, to become an upright gentleman."

"Why do you now believe I should not be such a man?"

The Madam of the Yongning Marquisate slowly turned her eyes, her gaze blank and glacial.

"I wanted you to become an upright gentleman so you could bring glory to me and our house—not so you’d fail to distinguish between family and outsiders."

"Today, you conspired with Lu Mingchao to plot Minghui's ruin."

"Today, you showed Minghui no mercy; tomorrow, how will you treat me, the mother who bore and raised you? Will you join forces with Lu Mingchao, cast aside our bond, and drive me to ruin?"

"Ming Hua, your actions have truly broken your mother's heart."

"Did the teachings of the sages not instruct you in filial piety and reverence?"

"You may leave now."

Lu Minghua's gaze drifted toward the inner chamber, and he bit his lower lip.

He needed to take Qiu Shi with him.

Seeing this, Lady Yongning said with icy detachment, "You may take Qiu Shi."

"But the task of convincing Lu Mingchao to stay falls to you."

"Hah. Such touching sibling devotion."

"How very touching indeed."

In the past, when Minghui called Lu Mingchao a man-teasing hussy, she had dismissed it as silly girl's jealousy.

Now, it seemed Minghui had seen right through her.

"Ming Hua, you and Lu Mingchao are neither blood relatives nor named as siblings."

"In noble families, boys and girls do not sit together after the age of seven."

"Tongues wag viciously, and human hearts are unfathomable. You must be cautious in speech and conduct, never crossing boundaries, lest scandalous gossip spread."

Lu Minghua was stunned, his eyes widening in disbelief.

How could his mother utter such malicious words?

He had watched Chaochao grow up, acting as both elder brother and father figure.

If not for filial duty, he would have liked to echo his father’s words: "Stop your foolish noise."

Lu Minghua took a deep breath, unwilling to engage in a pointless argument.

"Mother’s correction is warranted."

"Your son will never transgress proper bounds in his interactions with Chaochao."

"Thank you, Mother, for entrusting Qiu Shi to me."

"Your son begs leave to depart."

The long-agitated Bihuo Courtyard finally fell silent.

Lady Yongning gripped Lu Minghui’s chin, her gaze as sharp as an eagle’s, staring intently. "Minghui, tell me, what is the most important lesson you've taken from tonight’s events?"

Lu Minghui blinked blankly.

The most important lesson?

All she felt was the burning lash of the whip on her back and the smart of the slap on her face.

But seeing Lady Yongning’s black, unreadable countenance, even she had enough sense not to answer so bluntly.

After a moment’s hesitation, she faltered meekly, "This daughter has erred grievously."

"Silence!" Lady Yongning sharply interrupted. "This isn't about your confessions."

Lady Yongning unconsciously tightened her grip.

Lu Minghui gasped in pain and said cautiously, "Mother, you're hurting me."

Lady Yongning paid her no heed. "Could it hurt more than being cast out of the capital tomorrow?"

"Speak. What is your most important lesson?"

"To be a concubine to the Emperor."