Chapter 26

Chapter 26

After a magnificent fireworks display in the imperial garden, the palace banquet gradually drew to a close. The Emperor and Empress departed together, and the assembled officials began to disperse.

As the Lu family prepared to leave, a sharp, festive voice suddenly called out: "Madam Lu, please wait."

The voice, high-pitched and effeminate, belonged to a eunuch. Hearing it, everyone either paused or stepped aside.

Shen Anning turned to see a kindly-faced, smiling eunuch approaching leisurely, holding a horsetail whisk. From a distance, he beamed and said, "Madam Lu, this is a reciprocal gift from Her Majesty the Empress."

As he spoke, Hai Gonggong, the chief eunuch of Changqiu Palace, gestured to a palace maid behind him, who immediately presented a gift on a tray.

Following the collective gaze, Shen Anning saw that the tray held two jade Ruyi scepters, exquisitely adorned with flowers carved from tourmaline, turquoise, and other gemstones—a display of breathtaking luxury.

However, even more astonishing than the opulence of the items was the fact that this was a gift from the Empress. While all officials at the birthday banquet had presented gifts to Her Majesty, only Shen Anning received a reciprocal gift. This distinction was the highest honor of the day, an unparalleled mark of favor.

Others watched with a mix of awe and envy.

Shen Anning, deeply honored, promptly returned the courtesy with a graceful bow, saying, "Thank you for Her Majesty's profound kindness."

Hai Gonggong, unusually courteous, looked at Shen Anning and said, "Her Majesty believes you are a blessed individual and are destined for great fortune in the future."

No sooner had he finished than Madam Xiao, recovering from her daze, quickly took a pouch from her maid. Beaming, she personally handed it to Hai Gonggong, saying, "Thank you for your hard work, Gonggong. We shall rely on you to speak well of us to Her Majesty in the future."

Hai Gonggong accepted it without demur.

After Hai Gonggong departed, Madam Xiao stood still for a moment, her mind momentarily blank.

The Lu family had suffered severe suppression for over a decade. Not only had they been excluded from palace banquets, but their mansion had seen no visitors for more than ten years. They had lived cautiously, treading on thin ice, fearing that the slightest misstep would lead to utter ruin.

Life had been so arduous that even this supreme honor felt utterly surreal.

After a long while, she finally seemed to emerge from the overwhelming surprise.

Yet, she knew that today's honor was largely due to her daughter-in-law.

For a moment, her expression was complex, and a thousand thoughts surged within her. In the end, she simply grasped Shen Anning's hand tightly, patted it, and said with a mix of relief and emotion, "Good child, your true fortune is yet to come."

Meanwhile, the surrounding ladies and young misses flocked around, some offering congratulations, others seeking to make connections, effectively pushing Fang Shi and the others to the periphery.

The same gift had led to two entirely different outcomes—one in this life, and one in a past that might have been.

At times, it was hard to tell whether it was ironic or simply fortunate.

Watching the once-despised "good-for-nothing" now rise to prominence, Fang Shi and the others harbored various thoughts—some jealous, some bitterly resentful, others bewildered and at a loss.

After leaving the palace, the group returned home along the same route.

In the carriage, Marquis Lu Jingrong learned that his daughter-in-law had received a reward from the Empress. He was both flattered and overjoyed, so excited that he almost ordered the carriage to stop on the spot to ask his eldest daughter-in-law for the gift so he could examine it properly.

This was the first honor the Lu family had received in over a decade, apart from the rewards bestowed upon the Emperor's accession.

Today, the Lu family had truly stolen the show at the Empress's birthday banquet. After the gathering at Qinian Hall, not only did many old acquaintances and friends come to congratulate them, but even numerous former students and subordinates of the Shen family vied to toast him.

Scholars were known for their pride, and today had allowed him to shine brightly, even eclipsing his second brother.

This was a unique occurrence in over a decade.

Lu Jingrong wished he could immediately take wine to the ancestral hall and recount this joy in detail to his late father and ancestors.

After a long while, Lu Jingrong sincerely remarked to his wife, Madam Xiao, "Our daughter-in-law has... shown remarkable improvement recently."

"This is a tremendous blessing for our Lu family."

While the head of the main branch rejoiced in this carriage, Lu Anran, who shared the same carriage, remained agitated, biting her lip, eyes downcast, and utterly silent.

The mood in the other two carriages remained unknown.

The carriage carrying Shen Anning and the heir, Lu Suian, was eerily silent, a stark contrast to the lively atmosphere on the journey there.

That day, Lu Suian had been quiet and withdrawn since boarding the carriage. After taking his seat, he closed his eyes and remained motionless, deep in thought, as if he had no intention of speaking.

Shen Anning was somewhat surprised. Lu Suian was always emotionally reserved, rarely betraying joy or displeasure on his face. Today, however, his expression was subtly unreadable.

But she paid it no mind.

The day's events had left her quite exhausted. After boarding the carriage, she too leaned against a soft pillow and closed her eyes to rest. However, after a moment, she slowly opened her eyes and glanced at the wide sleeve of Lu Suian's robe.

A faint, ironic smile touched her lips.

The carriage was quiet, with only the creaking and groaning of the rolling wheels.

The night was clear, and the carriage moved unimpeded, quickly arriving at the Lu residence.

After alighting from the carriage, the eldest and second branches parted ways to return to their respective courtyards. Just as the second branch departed, Marquis Lu Jingrong was about to call his eldest daughter-in-law over to offer some words of comfort.

At that moment, after glancing at her husband, who remained silent and unmoving, Shen Anning finally spoke. She preemptively interrupted Lu Jingrong and, without any warning, said to him with a serious expression, "Father, I have something to say."

Her words drew everyone's attention.

Lu Jingrong was taken aback for a moment but then said kindly, "Whatever it is, feel free to speak."

He thought his daughter-in-law wanted to show him the Empress's reward and was delighted at the prospect.

A moment later, sensing her serious demeanor, he assumed it was something important and coughed, saying to the younger generation present, "You all may go back and rest now."

As soon as he finished, Lu Anran, Fang Shi, Fang Siyan, and others immediately prepared to leave, as if they had wings on their feet.

However, at that moment, Shen Anning calmly interjected, "I think it would be better if everyone stayed and listened."

Her words successfully halted several departing figures.

Lu Jingrong and Madam Xiao exchanged glances, unsure what she was planning.

The next moment, Shen Anning no longer beat around the bush. She glanced at Chun Qi, who stepped forward holding an object. Shen Anning looked at the item in her arms and said, "Father, Mother, Madam, I have two matters to report today. The first is that during the banquet at Qinian Hall, while accompanying Mother to visit Madam Lian, I discovered on my return that the birthday gift I prepared for Her Majesty the Empress had been damaged for no reason. Some said it was damaged by the jostling in the carriage, but embroidery can be snagged, cut, or torn—it cannot be damaged merely by carriage vibrations—"

As Shen Anning spoke, Chun Qi, in perfect synchronicity, unfolded the *National Beauty and Heavenly Fragrance* embroidery, displaying it before everyone.

Clearly, the vivid, luxurious peony embroidery had its threads come undone, the entire piece split in two.

While saying this, Shen Anning did not look at anyone's expression. Before Lu Jingrong could respond or anyone could fully process the situation, she continued, "The second matter is—"

Here, Shen Anning paused briefly. Then, her gaze swept past the others and landed directly on the slender and almost ethereal figure standing farthest away. She glanced coolly and said, "After this birthday embroidery was damaged, someone kindly offered me another item, suggesting I present it to the Empress in place of the damaged gift. Fortunately, I was careful and thorough, knowing that anything presented to Her Majesty must be flawless, so I examined it carefully—"

Here, Shen Anning paused again before turning to Lu Jingrong and Madam Xiao and saying slowly and clearly, "Otherwise, our Lu family would have faced catastrophe today."

Shen Anning's casual words instantly shocked Lu Jingrong and Madam Xiao.

The remaining people were also alarmed and utterly bewildered.

Shen Anning, however, had no intention of clearing things up immediately. Instead, her face suddenly tightened, and she said, with an unusually stern and sharp demeanor, "As your daughter-in-law, I still have no idea what exactly happened or why such a thing occurred. There is only one point I wish to make, Father. I want to tell everyone and I urge every Lu family member: when the nation is unsettled, the world follows; when the family is unstable, the household knows no peace. Our Lu family has only recently returned to prosperity, and it is the result of everyone bearing humiliation and burdens and working as one over the years. If anyone harbors any selfish motives, they can stir up trouble behind closed doors within their own homes. But if we're not united, if there is constant infighting, even to the point of taking our conflicts before the Imperial family, then I can only say helplessly: no matter how great a family is, it will eventually fall to ruin."

As she spoke these words, Shen Anning straightened her back and lifted her head.

Self-righteous and domineering.

After finishing, Shen Anning did not look at anyone else. She led Chun Qi away, turning and striding off with large steps.

As if one more word would be pointless.

Before leaving, she casually tossed out one last remark: "Oh, by the way, that item is with the heir apparent."

With that, she left everyone standing there baffled.

Lu Jingrong was even more confused and had no clue what she meant. However, after witnessing his daughter-in-law's performance at the palace today, he knew well that Lady Shen wasn't one to make baseless accusations. Thus, he did not dare to ignore her words in the slightest, especially given the gravity and implications of what she said.

Immediately, Lu Jingrong turned to his eldest son with a dark expression and asked, "Suier, what exactly is going on?"

At that moment, Lu Suian stood with his hands clasped behind his back, still silent. To be precise, he had not spoken a single word since leaving the palace.

Only when Shen left did his deep eyes grow even sharper and more profound.

He watched her until she was far away.

Finally, just as Lu Jingrong raised his voice and was about to question him again, Lu Suian flicked his long sleeve and finally revealed what he held in his hand.

It was that vermilion-gold perfume ball.

Upon seeing the perfume ball, Lu Anran’s legs gave way, and she nearly collapsed to the ground.

She had held onto a glimmer of hope—that Shen had noticed nothing, that her brother had noticed nothing, or that even if he had noticed something, her brother might still show her favor. But—

As it turned out, during the banquet, just before being summoned by Their Majesties, Shen Anning had already slipped that perfume ball into Lu Suian’s hand.

She wanted to test him—to see how he would react.

It seemed like a very interesting matter.

On one side was the future and safety of the Lu family.

On the other was the one who occupied his thoughts.

What choice would he make?

She had expected to see signs of inner conflict,

but there was none. He had chosen the latter without any hesitation.

So, in Lu Suian’s heart, that person was far more important than she had ever imagined.

It wasn’t so much about disappointment.

It was more that a confusion from her past life had finally been answered by her own hands, here and now.

Before setting out today, she had repeatedly instructed Chun Qi to take good care of that painting, partly in the hope of giving Lu Anran one last chance.

Having lived a second life, she only wanted to live a peaceful life and did not wish to hold grudges against anyone.

Yet, even in this new life, Lu Anran still wouldn't let her be.

Then she could hardly be blamed.

Lu Jingrong took the perfume ball in his hand. It was clearly an item for women, and he was puzzled at first. Just as he was wondering, Lady Xiao came over and unlocked the small latch for him. But before he could get a clear look, suddenly—there was a loud bang, the sound of something heavy hitting the ground.

Everyone turned to look and saw that the eldest young lady, Lu Anran, had suddenly collapsed without warning, falling unconscious on the spot.

Shocked, everyone rushed over to check on her.

Lu Jingrong glanced over and strode toward her, but the next moment, as if remembering something, he narrowed his eyes and suddenly stopped. His gaze returned to the perfume ball in his hand.

Inside the perfume ball was a vermilion incense pill. He did not know the origin of this Cold Fragrance Pill, but seeing characters on the pill, he slowly turned it to read the inscription. Once he clearly saw the words on the pill, his expression changed drastically. Soon after, he covered his chest and stumbled back three steps.

Suddenly recalling Shen’s earlier words and looking again at the characters, a surge of heat rushed up to Lu Jingrong’s chest. The next moment, he clutched his chest, his face flushed red with rage, and he too fell straight backward and collapsed.

Just before Lu Jingrong fell, Lu Suian’s expression shifted, and he immediately stepped forward to steady him firmly.

Everyone was horrified at the sight.

They cried out in panic: "Marquis—"

"Father—"

The residence fell into chaos.

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Author's Note:

Thank you all so much for your support. I will continue to work hard!