Chapter 21: Taking the Vows as a Nun

Zhuang Huaijin felt his heart aching intensely. He was convinced that Lu Wanhe must have been weeping for a long time due to those rumors. He was relieved he had arrived; otherwise, there was no telling how much longer his beloved would have sobbed.

"Why talk of it? Hasn't he caused you enough suffering already?"

"Mother, it is your daughter who was disobedient... Do not blame Brother Huaijin; please, do not take your anger out on him. If you must blame someone, blame me. I am willing to bear the consequences for him..."

Lu Wanhe wept so hard she could barely catch her breath, to the point that even Li Xianyue had to admire her daughter's superb acting skills.

Hearing this, Zhuang Huaijin frowned, his heart aching even more. His mother had claimed that Lu Wanhe did not like him and was merely deceiving him; it was clear now that his mother had misjudged her.

Today, Lu Wanhe had defied Lady Lu for his sake, which clearly showed that her heart was deeply set on him. It seemed that everything he had done yesterday was worth it.

Watching Lu Wanhe’s fragile and delicate demeanor, Zhuang Huaijin stepped forward and said earnestly, "Wanhe, I am sorry. You have been wronged because of me."

"Brother Huaijin, I do not fear being wronged; I only regret that I have implicated you."

"Wanhe, rest assured. As soon as I return, I will have my mother come to propose a formal marriage. I will certainly marry you with all the ceremony you deserve."

"No, you must not defy your mother for my sake. Think of how heartbroken she would be! If you were to do such a thing, how could I ever have the face to look at your mother again?"

"Furthermore, if these rumors were to reach the Imperial Palace, what would the Emperor think of the moral character of your Dongyang Marquis estate?"

"Even if I, Lu Wanhe, were to become a nun and spend my life in the company of dim lamps and ancient Buddhas, I would not wish for you to ruin your future because of me."

Overcome with emotion, Lu Wanhe pushed Zhuang Huaijin away.

"My reputation is already tarnished. I cannot hold you back any longer. Go back and apologize to your mother, beg for her forgiveness, and in the future, take a virtuous woman as your wife. Forget me—it is I, Lu Wanhe, who am not worthy of you."

Lu Wanhe cried as she spoke: "You need not worry about me; I shall take care of myself. Even if I never marry, my mother can afford to provide for me. As long as you are well, I shall have no regrets."

The more Zhuang Huaijin heard, the more moved he became.

"Wanhe, what foolish things are you saying? In this life, I will marry no one but you. If you become a nun, I shall become a monk, accompanying you in a life of prayer and abstinence."

Lu Wanhe frowned, gritting her teeth in secret. What on earth? This man was a persistent pest. If he were not still of use, she would have loved to stuff his mouth with a rag and chase him out with a broom.

"Brother Huaijin, you really do not have to do this... How about this? Let us put the marriage proposal on hold for now. The Autumn Examinations begin tomorrow. If you can gain recognition before the Emperor, you could then seize the opportunity to request a royal decree for our marriage. Once the Emperor himself grants the union, who in this world would dare to wag their tongues or point fingers at us?"

Zhuang Huaijin’s eyes lit up. In his agitation, he had almost forgotten about something as important as the Autumn Examinations.

What Lu Wanhe said made sense. This way, any possibility between Prince Yuan and Lu Wanhe would be extinguished.

He nodded repeatedly, overjoyed.

"You are right. Once that happens, no one will be able to slander me or spread rumors that I coerced my mother. Wanhe, you are truly clever. Rest assured, tomorrow I shall make a name for myself throughout the realm."

In his previous life, it was during the autumn hunt that he had placed first and, by shielding the Emperor from a sudden assassin, earned the monarch's favor and rose to fame. Thus, tomorrow’s hunt was of vital importance to him.

"Yes, I believe in you, Brother Huaijin. It is getting late; you should return quickly to see your mother and avoid upsetting her further," Lu Wanhe said with tender concern.

"Yes."

Zhuang Huaijin left, feeling completely satisfied.

Lu Wanhe brushed off her sleeves with disgust: *[How could he be so clingy? How could I, Lu Wanhe, ever bring myself to stoop so low as to be his wife? It is supreme, absolute power that I crave.]*

*[With so many talented young men at the Autumn Hunt, Zhuang Huaijin is of such mediocre talent—how could he possibly stand out and gain the Emperor's favor? He truly has no self-awareness at all.]*

"Wanhe, you did very well just now."

"It is all thanks to Mother’s teaching."

"Very well. Come with me; I have important matters to discuss with you."

---

Liuli Pavilion.

"Miss, I heard that the Young Marquis Zhuang arrived early this morning."

"Let him come; what does that have to do with me?"

"I heard that the eldest young lady put on a tearful performance of 'love stronger than gold' before him."

"As expected, the one who cries gets the candy."

"Also, Miss, I just saw the second young lady lurking suspiciously at the entrance of Haitang Garden. I wonder if the Madam and the eldest young lady are plotting something unspeakable inside?"

"Heh, Baizhi, you are becoming more observant; you even noticed that."

"Of course. Haitang Garden is the Madam’s courtyard; the second young lady could have walked in openly, yet she chose to sneak about, looking left and right. I suspect the Madam and the eldest young lady are up to no good. Could they be plotting against you?"

"Heh, is there anything they haven't done to plot against me? It doesn't matter. When soldiers come, we block; when water comes, we earth-cover. If they want to harm me, I will certainly return the favor."

"I am no longer the Lu third young lady who lets others slaughter her at will. A-choo! A-choo!"

"Miss, it is cold, and you are dressed too thinly. I have brought you a thicker garment."

Baizhi then walked over, holding several garish, vulgar-looking outfits.

"...This is too ugly, isn't it? So flashy?" Lu Lanxi frowned, looking at the gaudy, colorful clothes.

"Miss, these are all things you used to wear. Do you not remember?"

Lu Lanxi had forgotten. In the past, because Li Xianyue and the others were jealous of her beauty, apart from men's clothing, they only gave her yellow, blue, green, and purple garments—as tacky as possible.

The worst part was that her "good" mother had even forced her to dress like a colorful peacock, with her hair stuffed full of hairpins.

Lu Lanxi shook her head and waved her hand.

"Except for black, white, and red, get rid of all the others—"

Baizhi touched the clothes in her hands, looking embarrassed. "But, Miss, we don't have any dresses in those three colors—"

"If we don't have them, go buy them..."

"Miss, buying things requires silver, and we have no silver..."

Lu Lanxi sat down, shoulders drooping. Suddenly, she slapped the table and strode toward the door.

"Where are you going, Miss?"

"To get silver."

Haitang Garden.

Seeing Lu Lanxi walking from afar, Lu Wanning quickly hid behind the rockery nearby. She had seen her mother and Lu Wanhe enter the room one after another, claiming to have important matters to discuss. She was very curious about what could be so important that even she was not allowed to know.

Inside the room, Li Xianyue and Lu Wanhe were secretly conferring.

"Madam, Madam, the third young lady is here." Old Nanny Lan announced from the doorway.

"What? She didn't return all night; I assumed she wasn't coming back."

Li Xianyue set down her teacup and waved her hand, signaling for Lu Wanhe to be quiet. She then sat majestically in the main seat, waiting for Lu Lanxi to come and admit her faults.

The moment Lu Lanxi entered, she saw Li Xianyue sitting by the table, looking at her with narrowed, judgmental eyes like a Maitreya Buddha. Lu Wanhe looked incredibly arrogant, rolling her eyes toward the heavens.

She gave a cold, mocking smile, then walked straight to a stool and leaned back lazily in the chair.

"I wonder, Madam, what business you have with me?"

Seeing Lu Lanxi’s slovenly attitude, Li Xianyue was furious and snapped, "How dare you speak to me like that? Have you taken the wrong medicine?"

"Yes," she replied, "I took the wrong one—"