Thirty-Six Stratagems for Divorcing a Wife (GL) - Chapter 28

Bijing City was magnificent and imposing. Though only a few days had passed, in Lu Jianzhou’s eyes it no longer held the solemnity it once had.

She held Fenxi’s hand as they walked into the hall and smiled: “Do you miss home?”

Fenxi, full of mixed emotions, replied with a cryptic statement: “This isn’t my home, but I want it to become my world.”

Lu Jianzhou noted the proud expression and sharp words, which carried a trace of the aura Nian Yanshi often exuded. Perhaps being born into royalty naturally endowed one with an authority that she could never learn.

On the main hall, the Emperor seemed unprepared for Fenxi’s survival. Overcome with emotion, he had already stepped down from the dragon throne and reached out, crying: “My little princess has returned! Returned safely… I’m so happy…”

Lu Jianzhou smiled, about to release Fenxi’s hand. But the momentary serious expression on Fenxi’s face turned into action—she pulled her hand back and ran into the Emperor’s arms, crying: “Father, I thought I’d never see you again. The temporary palace was so cold, and I was hungry. Every day I thought of you, every day I was so lonely!”

“My little princess, you’ve suffered so. Didn’t I send people to bring you food? How could you have gone hungry?” The Emperor’s heart ached, and Lu Jianzhou also felt a heaviness.

Fenxi’s crying intensified: “No one sent me anything! Those people wished I’d never see you again! I even heard them say that if I got infected, they wouldn’t send medicine! If it weren’t for Cousin Nian Yanshi, I probably wouldn’t have made it back!”

“What?” The Emperor’s anger flared. “Which officials were responsible for this? How could I not supervise, yet they treated my orders as wind?”

One of the ministers knelt, kowtowing: “Your Majesty, forgive me. I cared about this matter, but my subordinates were disobedient. I… I will punish them!”

“Punish? Then punish yourself along with them. Bring him here—behead him. There are already too many useless officials in the court; they vex me.” At the Emperor’s command, several guards dragged the pleading minister away, leaving only a scream before silence fell.

Lu Jianzhou felt a chill run through her and stared blankly at the palace gates.

Suddenly, in the deathly quiet hall, the ringing, innocent laughter of a little girl echoed.

“Long live Father! Long live Father! Long, long live Father!” Fenxi jumped into the Emperor’s arms, her small face full of charm: “Father really loves Fenxi the most.”

Nian Qian pinched Fenxi’s cheeks affectionately: “I have only one daughter, Fenxi. If I don’t cherish you, who else should I?”

“Father must keep his word! If anyone dares bully Fenxi again, Father must punish their nine generations!”

Such a cold, ruthless declaration came effortlessly from a seemingly innocent little girl.

Lu Jianzhou looked up abruptly, opening her mouth, but found no words.

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After the court session, Lu Jianzhou followed Lu Wang outside.

Outside the hall, Lu Wang studied Lu Jianzhou carefully. She looked no different than before, only thinner. He finally relaxed: “It’s fine, it’s fine. You’re really fearless. With so many imperial physicians in the palace, how could they be without you? Your mother and I are already old. Your sister can’t stay by our side anymore. If we’d lost you too…”

“Father always taught me to act when seeing injustice. I just couldn’t stand by and watch someone die,” Lu Jianzhou replied. Seeing the wrinkles at his eyes, she noted how much older he had grown in just a few days. “Even if you had been there, you wouldn’t have stood by, right?”

“I was there!” Lu Wang sighed. “I went to the military affairs office with the Emperor. Once I heard the news, I went immediately. You were too impetuous to know royal rules. This was beyond what you could handle. If it weren’t for the Princess, you wouldn’t have made it back! Be sure to thank her properly.”

Mentioning Nian Yanshi, Lu Jianzhou recalled something and asked: “Father, when Jianzhou fell from the tree at ten, was it due to some accident? Was she… sent to that temporary palace by someone?”

Lu Wang looked equally clueless: “Your sister has always been unpredictable. Even I, as her father, couldn’t control her. She was frail like you as a child, so I disguised her as a boy and took her to train at the military grounds. After each session, she disappeared. At first, I thought it was playful mischief, so I didn’t intervene. Later, I heard she often wandered near the Yao Palace. At ten, she disappeared. I searched for her long, but to no avail. Eventually, your mother’s friends found her, wounded and barely alive. When she was returned, I was heartbroken and blamed myself, so I never let her go back. I didn’t expect she couldn’t sit still, and still disguised herself as you to train… Compared to her, you’ve been far more sensible.”

Lu Jianzhou felt relieved—this matter did not concern her directly. She had been lucky; at worst, she had encountered misfortune, but she had not been sent by someone closest to her.

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Returning to the General’s residence, the enormous worry weighing on Madam Lu and Jin Qingqin finally lifted.

Madam Lu held Lu Jianzhou’s head and wept bitterly: “My poor child, my unfortunate child…”

“Mother, I can’t breathe!” Lu Jianzhou struggled free. Seeing Jin Qingqin’s tear-streaked face, she smiled, patting her head: “You always wished I’d die young. How come you’re crying so hard now?”

Seeing Lu Jianzhou so thin and frail, Jin Qingqin felt heartache. She fell into her arms, scolding: “No matter how much I disliked you, I never wished you dead. Don’t say such unlucky things! I’ve already lost Jianzhou once; I really don’t want to lose you again!”

Lu Jianzhou could only pat her back, looking at the pair crying together. Somehow, Jin Qingqin seemed more like Madam Lu’s real daughter.

“By the way, where is Nian Yanshi?” Lu Jianzhou looked around but saw no sign of her. She had wanted to thank her.

Miss Li replied: “She returned to the Yao Palace early this morning. She hasn’t come back to her room since you left. We don’t know where she went.”

She assumed this would make Lu Jianzhou think there was no marital connection.

Unexpectedly, Lu Jianzhou relaxed and smiled: “If she hadn’t been on the mountain taking care of me these past few days, I probably wouldn’t have made it back.”

Madam Lu was puzzled: “She took care of you? That temporary palace was so secretive; even my friends couldn’t find her. How did she manage?”

“I don’t know…” Lu Jianzhou scratched the back of her head. “I haven’t slept well these past few days. That palace is unbearable. Chang Huan, if Yanshi comes back, call me.”

Hearing Chang Huan agree, Lu Jianzhou finally slept in peace.

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At some unknown hour, Lu Jianzhou felt dizzy, her head heavy. She had another nightmare, waking in a daze. Staggering to the table to pour some tea, a shadow passed on the doorway. Startled, she lost her grip, and the cup fell, shattering into pieces.

“Who’s there?”

“Has the Marquis awakened?” Only a few overlapping shadows were visible. An elderly woman whom she had met before at Yao Palace was now before her. “After so many days, the Marquis seems weaker, looking yin-yang unbalanced.”

“Grandmother?” Lu Jianzhou’s mouth was dry. In her daze, she sensed the figure approaching. Then a shiny object flashed—she realized it was a knife. Her feet slipped, and she fell, unable to stop it…

The knife aimed for her waist, but a jade hairpin crossed in the way, reflecting the blade. It clattered several times on the floor before resting safely.

A clear, ethereal figure hurried in, helping Lu Jianzhou up, her voice full of anger at the old woman: “Grandmother, what are you doing?!”

“She would have killed you!” the old hoarse voice said suddenly.

Nian Yanshi held the faint Lu Jianzhou, her tone tinged with sorrow: “She has already died once for me. Why won’t you leave her alone?”

“You really are Lu Jianzhou? No wonder you ignored opposition and insisted on marrying Lu Jianyi… You knew from the start she was Lu Jianzhou?” The voice questioned in disbelief. “That’s why I opposed it from the beginning. Gratitude is one thing; you don’t need to give yourself completely, right?”

“Gratitude?” Lu Jianzhou struggled free from Nian Yanshi’s arms. “This… what is going on?”

The influx of information left her collapsing again.

Nian Yanshi, distressed, helped her up and ordered the old woman: “Get out. This is my own business. None of you interfere.”

Gasping, Lu Jianzhou collapsed on the bed, letting Nian Yanshi wipe her.

Although still groggy, she clearly felt Nian Yanshi carefully remove layers of her clothing, her cool, smooth fingers tracing intimately over her tender skin…

It seemed familiar…

She recalled: the last time she was drunk, the person who bathed her was not Madam Lu—it had been these same hands…

Even the unique touch had not changed.

“Nian Yanshi… how much have you been hiding from me…” Lu Jianzhou gritted her teeth, saying this before finally succumbing to unconsciousness.