Lady Lu was doing everything in her power to get in touch with Consort Shu.
In the end, it was Lu Zhaoyun, who had been crying and ill for days, who finally cleared her head and began looking for a way to see the Second Prince.
Zhaoyun hadn't listened to her mother before. She felt her mother's way of thinking might work on men like her father, but it was entirely unsuitable for the Second Prince.
Lady Lu had climbed her way into her current position by crawling into a bed, so she had always taught Zhaoyun to be more physically affectionate whenever she met the prince.
However, after getting to know noble ladies like Shen Xiangjun, Zhaoyun felt she needed to maintain the air of a prestigious young mistress. Only then would people be convinced when she eventually became the Second Prince's Consort.
"Yun'er, it's not that I'm scolding you, but even a delicate soul like Miss Shen would surely be unable to resist leaning in close when facing the man she loves," Lady Lu nagged. "As a woman, if you don't let a man hold you, kiss you, or catch your scent, how could he possibly pine for you or love you?"
Knowing that Zhaoyun had asked Commandery Princess Changning to help deliver a message and arrange a meeting with the Second Prince, Lady Lu had rushed over to help her pick out clothes and jewelry. She chattered incessantly as she worked.
"Doesn't Miss Shen like Prince Jin? Next time, observe her closely and see if her bones don't turn to mush the moment she sees him. So, if you really do see the Second Prince this time, you absolutely cannot be so aloof. Even letting him touch your hand would be a start."
Lu Zhaoyun sat before her vanity, staring at her reflection in the bronze mirror, dissatisfied with everything she saw. After several days of crying, her eyes were still swollen,
making them look small. Coupled with two days of illness, she hadn't eaten much or drunk enough water, causing her to lose weight and leaving her complexion sallow. She looked like a flower that had lost its moisture withered and faded.
If she went to see the prince like this, would he stop liking her? With her mother's voice droning in her ear, Zhaoyun felt an intense surge of irritation.
"Mother, how could you teach your daughter such things? If others heard, my reputation would be ruined."
"It's not as if I'm saying this outside. We're behind closed doors, just mother and daughter."
Lady Lu spent a long time picking out a peach-pink dress paired with a waist sash embroidered with begonias. The weather was getting warmer, but if she was going out, she would still need a thin shawl.
"You've always refused to listen to me. It's been so many years, yet your relationship with the Second Prince hasn't progressed at all."
"The Second Prince treats me quite well," Zhaoyun retorted defiantly.
"How well? He sends a few gifts every two or three months and invites you for a boat ride. But has he ever mentioned marriage to Consort Shu? He's just dragging his feet. You're already seventeen. If this keeps up, you'll become an old maid, and our family will be the laughingstock of the city."
Lu Zhaoyun felt extremely frustrated. "Didn't you used to think it was a good idea to emulate Miss Shen? She is the capital's most talented and beautiful noble lady, like a goddess above the clouds. You even said that gave me class."
"That was then. We didn't expect that even after all this time, she still wouldn't have captured Prince Jin. This just goes to show that talent and elegance are useless. A woman is like a flower; she must bloom for a man. A woman is like water; she must flow into a man's embrace."
Lady Lu held the dress against her daughter. "Listen to me this time and secure the Second Prince quickly. You don't want that brat from Tingnuan Pavilion stepping all over you, do you? Why do you think she managed to capture Prince Jin the moment she arrived in the Capital?"
Zhaoyun frowned, doubting her mother had any real insight, but she couldn't help listening. "Isn't it just because of that face of hers?"
No matter how much she hated to admit it, Lu Zhaoling truly was more beautiful than Shen Xiangjun. If she were a man, she would be captivated too.
Lady Lu scoffed. "Her face is decent, but think about it. That day, her forehead was swollen, her head was injured, and she looked plain, rustic, and pathetic. What good is a pretty face on its own?"
She had spent the last few days piecing it together. "I'm telling you, didn't she crawl into Prince Jin's carriage that day? In that carriage, she must have done... you know!"
Zhaoyun was confused. "Done what? What are you talking about?"
"Oh, Yun'er, you're too innocent to understand. That brat came from the countryside; she certainly hasn't learned the strict rules of propriety between men and women. She must have been hugging and clinging to Prince Jin in that carriage, letting him take total advantage of her!"
Otherwise, why would the Prince have saved her? In Lady Lu's eyes, Lu Zhaoling must have been shameless, using every trick in the book to seduce Prince Jin.
"Mother, this is all just your speculation."
Zhaoyun didn't quite believe it. Based on her few interactions with Lu Zhaoling, the girl didn't seem like the type to swallow her pride and demean herself.
"This dress isn't right. I'll pick another one." Zhaoyun gave up on the peach-pink dress.
"How is it not right? Your complexion is poor; you need something vibrant..."
"The Retired Emperor's funeral just ended. The Second Prince will certainly still be dressed in plain colors. Would it be appropriate for me to wear such a loud pink?" Zhaoyun impatiently pushed the dress away.
Recent events made her realize that her mother lacked vision and cunning. Fortunately, the woman truly loved her and had her best interests at heart.
"Oh? Right, you're right. I didn't think as carefully as my Yun'er. Then let's choose this water-blue one. It's simple, but the color is bright, fresh, and moving." Lady Lu picked another dress.
While they were planning her meeting, Lu Zhaoling arrived at Butler Hu's other home outside the mansion. The alley was narrow, and the carriage couldn't enter. Zhaoling got off, left Qingbao to guard the carriage, and walked into the alley with Qingyin.
Butler Hu wasn't particularly wealthy, so the rented house was average at best.
"Some of these houses have courtyards with three sets of rooms. To save money, some families share a rental," Qingyin explained. She had already scouted the area and was relaying the details to Zhaoling. "Butler Hu rented a small, single-entry courtyard house. It's considered quite good for this area. The monthly rent is two taels of silver."
"Two taels?" That wasn't cheap. Zhaoling was surprised. "What is the butler's monthly salary at the Lu Mansion?"
"It should be around three taels, but his wife and son also work for the Lu family. Their combined income is enough for a small house like this. Besides, Butler Hu seems like the greedy type. He likely siphons quite a bit from the Lu family's expenses."
That would certainly save them a lot of money.
"They could have lived at the Lu Mansion. Why rent a separate house?"
"Supposedly for his daughter. Hu Dali has a sister who is fourteen this year. Her name is Xiaoxing."
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