Chapter 41: So, They’re All Just Slavish
Xiao Li had only said she wanted to live with Lu Yanzhi to get under his skin; she had no real intention of sharing a bed with him.
She had him move into an adjacent wing, which was then surrounded by her own people.
’He dared to use me as a cover? Then I’ll make sure he never has a moment’s peace.’
While the two of them were busy tormenting each other, the happiest person of all was Qian Hui. Her face lit up when she saw the Prince Consort had moved in.
"This is how a husband and wife should be! The Prince Consort is willing to be closer to you. Princess, you must seize this chance. Be more considerate and take good care of him, and your relationship will improve. Perhaps by next year, you’ll even have a little son, and then this mansion will finally feel lively."
Xiao Li just sneered without a word, but that did nothing to dampen Qian Hui’s enthusiasm. She rushed off to the Imperial Kitchen, ordering them to prepare a restorative medicinal meal for Lu Yanzhi.
She acted so in charge, anyone who didn’t know better would have thought she was the true mistress of the Princess Mansion.
She was so focused on pleasing Lu Yanzhi that she’d completely forgotten how coldly he had treated this body’s previous owner.
Four of Lu Yanzhi’s attendants remained with him. Aside from Lu Shu, the other three were unfamiliar faces, but judging by the way they moved, they were all trained martial artists.
It was then that Xiao Li remembered she had shot Lu Qi. When she inquired, she learned that he had died.
With Lu Yanzhi on the brink of death, the Lu family had poured all their attention and resources into saving him.
Lu Shu had taken Lu Qi to the Lu family estate, and a doctor did treat him, but his skills were certainly no match for those of an Imperial Physician.
Lu Yanzhi himself had nearly died in the hands of an Imperial Physician; Lu Qi was treated by a common doctor. The consequences were easy to imagine.
Lu Qi only held on for one night before dying the following morning. He was sent back to the Lu family for burial, and his first week’s memorial had already passed.
’That’s more like it,’ she thought. ’It was getting rather frustrating that my gun never seemed to kill anyone.’
In the evening, just as Xiao Li was preparing to have her meal, Lu Yanzhi strolled in.
He seated himself without any prompting. He showed no intention of eating himself, but instead picked up his chopsticks to place food on Xiao Li’s plate.
Of course, Xiao Li didn’t touch a single piece of the food he gave her.
Qian Hui grew anxious and tugged at Xiao Li’s sleeve several times. "Princess, the Prince Consort is serving you."
"Princess!"
Xiao Li remained unmoved. Qian Hui, frantic, even shot Xiao Li a look of exasperation. ’The Prince Consort is offering an olive branch, yet the Princess continues to put on airs. Isn’t she afraid of angering him? She’ll live to regret it.’
Lu Yanzhi took it all in but said nothing. He didn’t seem to care whether Xiao Li ate the food he offered, simply carrying on with what he felt he had to do.
Only after Xiao Li had finished her meal did he reveal his purpose. "My wounds need to be redressed by Doctor Cen. Would the Princess be so kind as to summon him?"
He was here to ask for his man.
Xiao Li nodded. "Very well."
"Thank you, Princess."
Xiao Li let out a short laugh. Lu Yanzhi’s current attitude was clearly an act. The body’s previous owner had been so good to him, yet he had remained utterly cold, unwilling to even feign politeness.
But now that she had put him through the wringer, he knew she was not to be trifled with. Reluctantly, he had no choice but to humble himself and sue for peace.
’So they *are* all contemptible!’
When Cen An arrived, Xiao Li didn’t stop Lu Yanzhi from taking the doctor to his room. It didn’t matter to her whether they were secretly plotting or simply checking his pulse and applying medicine.
She instructed Yang Jun to keep an eye on the time. After thirty minutes, he was to go in and escort Cen An out—not with force, but assertively.
At first, Lu Yanzhi couldn’t understand why Xiao Li had kept Cen An. He found out the next day, when Liu Xueyin appeared at the gates of the Princess Mansion, begging for Doctor Cen to treat her brother’s leg.
"Master, Princess Chen has been waiting at the main gate for four hours now."
Lu Shu’s face was filled with pity. "Mr. Liu’s leg had already been set, but he had a nightmare last night and fell from his bed. It broke again. The bone pierced through the skin—you can see it. It’s a horrifying sight. Prince Chen refuses to request an Imperial Physician, so Princess Chen wants to ask Doctor Cen to go have a look."
Lu Yanzhi was, of course, worried about Liu Xueyin. He wanted to send Cen An to help, but the Princess was keeping such a tight watch on them that he hadn’t even heard of Xue Yin’s arrival until she had already been waiting for four hours.
A wave of regret washed over him. He shouldn’t have been in such a hurry to return yesterday. Even one more day would have made a difference.
But it was too late for regrets now.
He clenched the fabric of his sleeves, hesitated for a moment, and then made his decision. "I will go and plead with the Princess."
Lu Shu’s face filled with anguish at his words. ’When has my ethereal, noble master ever had to humble himself and beg anyone for anything? Princess Xuanyang is taking this too far!’
But while Lu Yanzhi wanted to make his appeal, Xiao Li had no desire to hear it.
"Halt, Prince Consort. The Princess is taking her midday rest. She is not to be disturbed."
Lu Yanzhi looked at the guard barring his way, sword in hand, and his heart leaped. This was an unfamiliar face, and from the way he held his blade, it seemed he was genuinely prepared to kill.
"Please, announce my presence. I have urgent business with the Princess."
Lu Yanzhi maintained his refined upbringing, his tone polite and modest, but the guard had been ordered not to fall for it.
"No matter how urgent, you will wait until the Princess is finished with her rest."
Lu Yanzhi was desperate to see her, but the guard refused to budge an inch. Lu Shu was about to raise a hand to strike him, but then a whole group of guards appeared, and his bravado vanished in an instant.
In the end, Lu Yanzhi had no choice but to return alone. He sent a messenger to tell Liu Xueyin to go home, promising that he would persuade the Princess to release Cen An.
However, Liu Xueyin was suddenly overcome with stubbornness and knelt directly before the gates of the Princess Mansion.
Regardless of her relationship with Prince Chen, she was still Princess Chen, Princess Xuanyang’s Imperial Sister-in-law. She was attempting to use her status to force the Princess’s hand.
But the Princess in question didn’t even know she had arrived. She was still asleep.
Lu Yanzhi’s breath caught in his throat. He was trapped in a dilemma. To make matters worse, the clear sky suddenly gave way to a heavy downpour.
Large raindrops began to fall, quickly becoming a torrential downpour accompanied by flashes of lightning, claps of thunder, and howling winds.
Lu Yanzhi walked to the gateway and, just as he’d feared, saw Liu Xueyin, drenched and wretched in the storm.
He grabbed an umbrella and started forward, but a guard blocked his path.
A sudden rage flared in Lu Yanzhi. "You dare stop me from even stepping outside?"
The guard bowed slightly. "We wouldn’t dare. But the Princess instructed us to remind the Prince Consort that if you set foot outside the Princess Mansion, you need never return."
Lu Yanzhi’s foot froze in mid-air. He stared at Liu Xueyin, who was being swallowed by the curtain of rain, and his heart twisted in agony.
But he couldn’t go out.
He gripped the handle of the umbrella tightly, then finally held it out. "Please, give this umbrella to the Princess Consort."
The guard did not accept it. "We only take orders from the Princess."
Lu Yanzhi was so furious he could have spat blood.
He gave Liu Xueyin one last, deep look before striding back toward Chaoyang Courtyard.
From the archway, he could see the door to the Princess’s chambers. So close, and yet so far.
’The Princess is manipulating me,’ he thought. ’She must have guessed something to be deliberately humiliating us this way. But I have no choice but to let her.’
He thought back over the past two months. Ever since the day he had fainted in a fit of rage, his entire world had been turned upside down.
One wrong step had led to every subsequent step being wrong.
He stood at the entrance, lost in thought for a long time, the healing wounds on his body throbbing with a dull ache. At last, he slowly closed his eyes, lifted the hem of his robes, and, under Lu Shu’s astonished gaze, slowly sank to his knees.
"Master!"
Lu Shu rushed to help him up, but Lu Yanzhi knelt resolutely on the ground. In a heavy voice, he called out, "Princess, your subject, Lu Yanzhi, begs an audience."
Lu Shu knew that his master had finally, completely submitted to the Princess. His heart bled for him, but there was nothing else to be done. He could only kneel beside Lu Yanzhi.