Chapter 132: Return to Original Form

  "Shang is very diligent."

  A noble person turned to Lu Xuan and ordered, "Go change your clothes." Seeing her eyes widen in surprise, he smiled and said, "Do you want to play? Alright, put on a veil then." He had an indulgent expression as if allowing her to disguise herself.

  Lu Xuan ignored one side of the six messengers' gaze, took a step back and bowed deeply. "I report to Your Excellency, Ah Xuan cannot go."

  As soon as she uttered these words, the air around her began to stagnate. Slowly, the nobleman raised his voice and chuckled, "Oh? Why?" Although he was smiling, it gave people a suffocating feeling that a storm was about to arrive.

  Lu Xuan raised her head and looked at him, smiling faintly: "A tree without roots is easily broken by wind and rain."

  She said she is still a tree without roots and will be damaged when encountering wind and rain.

  The nobleman looked at her and said lazily, "It seems to make some sense."

  His tone softened a bit.

  Logically, Lu Xuan should have stopped there, but she seemed to have other ideas. She continued, "Your Excellency, I still have something to say."

  "She said. 'I've always known what kind of person I am, and what kind of life I want to live in the future.' She looked straight at the noble and said quietly: 'Now that Master has taken an interest in me, he is indulging me in every way. Perhaps one day when Master's mood comes, he will take me into the house and give me a title. I also know that Master is extremely noble, and being able to stay by Master's side with a title is indeed a great blessing.'"

  She said this, and the nobleman let out a snort of laughter. The joy in his eyes completely dissipated, and he calmly said: "Oh? You're quite bold today." He spoke in a light tone, slowly saying: "Continue speaking, Ah Yuan!"

  As the last words fell, a rustling sound was heard, and all the guards and attendants knelt down to the ground, motionless.

  Lu Xuan was as usual, ignoring the overwhelming pressure and suffocating fear. She said quietly: "Yes." Lu Xuan thought for a moment, after becoming the master's concubine, in the first half year or one year, the master might still allow Lu Xuan to wear men's clothes and stay by his side, both as an assistant and to chat with him.

  Obviously, he was moved by her words, and the noble's eyes slowly narrowed.

  "But, Ah Yu is after all a woman, and being with the master day and night, it's only a matter of time before she becomes pregnant. Once she has the master's child, Ah Yu's only place to go will be the master's rear courtyard. Then, Ah Yu's life will be spent in the master's rear courtyard, fighting with the master's wife, new concubines, and former concubines... Because of the master's special treatment of Ah Yu, during her pregnancy, she will encounter all sorts of harm, murder, poisoning, and slander. And because Ah Yu has no one to rely on, no family members around, dealing with these things will be very difficult for her, and she may even start to resent the life the master has given her. From then on, living with the master will no longer be as affectionate as before, and even when they look at each other and smile, it will be full of calculation, seeking favor..."

  Upon hearing this, the nobleman burst out laughing and said: "It sounds like it's really true."

  Lu Xuan also smiled and replied lazily, "This is also an unavoidable thing. The master has grand ambitions and is noble and extraordinary. Not to mention being a concubine by your side, even being a maid can bring good fortune to our family. With every move, you can decide the wealth and honor of hundreds or thousands of people. This isn't something to be disputed, but rather like a tree that wants to be still while the wind won't stop."

  She apparently said tiredly, took two steps back, leaned lazily against a tree trunk and smiled: "Master, what's the point of that kind of day?"

  She seemed to think she had said enough, walked slowly to the side of the table, poured herself a cup of wine and took a slow sip. Then she turned around and looked at him, raised her cup and swirled it, saying: "The master's backyard has countless domestic chickens, what's the need to take a wild cat and clip its wild nature, cut off its tail, and force it to become a domestic chicken too? If the master is interested, Ah Yue is willing to serve in bed. When the interest is gone, they can just smile at each other, the master remains noble, and Ah Yue doesn't lose face either. How about that?"

  What a wonderful and carefree life indeed.

  The nobleman quietly looked at Lu Xuan.

  The little girl who had been tanned dark by the sun, with eyes shining brightly like those of a wild animal in the mountains, was born with a kind of wildness, a kind of ignorance of the heights and depths, a kind of alertness that was intelligent to the extreme, and also, independence!

  She doesn't want to rely on anyone.

  She has clear rules for her life.

  She just wants what she wants.

  She doesn't mind him...

  As he watched, he couldn't help but laugh quietly.

  In the midst of magnetic laughter, a noble person picked up a cup of wine and with a casual gesture, he flung the cup to the ground.

  With a loud "crash", the wine cup was smashed into pieces, and the wine inside also splashed all over the floor.

  Everyone shuddered in unison and pressed their faces against the ground, even holding their breath.

  In an extremely quiet atmosphere, the nobleman said in a low voice: "A Xuan."

  "Ah Yuan is here."

  "You still don't understand me... In my eyes, there has never been a let-up or mercy, only the choice of whether to comply or not."

  He walked up to her, slightly inclined, his index finger lifted her chin, and the nobleman stared at her beautiful eyebrows and eyes, saying softly: "Ah Yue, do you think you have everything now? Your brother has a famous teacher, you also have a wine house, whether it's wealth or fame, it seems within reach, right?" He chuckled and exhaled warm breath onto Lu Yue's face, his words were so gentle that they could scoop up water: "Ah Yue is still naive, think about it, if you had never met me, never received my favor, what would you have?"

  He slowly straightened up, standing with his hands behind his back, quietly lowering his head to gaze at Lu Xuan's figure. In the sunlight, he appeared tall and handsome, mysterious and ruthless. He smiled warmly at Lu Xuan, but there was not a hint of warmth in that smile.

  Looking down at her from a high position, the noble said calmly: "A Xuan, I've been waiting for you to come and ask me... However, I never give those who defy me a second chance. Next time you come, I won't give you any status!"

  Having said that, he swung his long sleeves and turned away.

  As soon as the nobleman left, the crowd of people who had been kowtowing on the ground quickly scrambled to their feet and quietly followed after him.

  Never again will I see you in the morning mist.

  Lu Xuan smiled and turned around, walking towards the door.

  Zhi Liu hesitated for a moment, but still escorted her out the door. When they reached the entrance, he said with a bitter smile: "I told you, when Master is in high spirits, you mustn't let him down. You can't afford to bear the consequences of disappointing him."

  He sighed again: "What a pity, good news finally came from Luoyang, and the master was about to smile openly, but it was all ruined by you, this little girl."

  Lu Ying didn't answer him; she just curtsied and then quietly returned home.

  Less than an hour after entering the house, Lu Yun's shouting voice came from outside the door, "Sister, sister!" His voice was a bit urgent and hoarse.

  With a creak, Lu Xuan opened the door.

  "Big sister, Mr. Lu Yun suddenly burst into tears and choked with sobs: "Sister, the master doesn't want me anymore... everything was fine..."

  Lu Yun was still covering her face and crying, when a hurried footsteps came, it was Yang Shu's aunt who ran over with sweat all over her head, she shouted to Lu Xue in a hoarse voice: "A Xue, A Xue, something bad happened... the wine house has been burned down..."

  As soon as the words fell, a team of officers and soldiers came from the end of the alley. The leader walked in front of Lu Xuan and asked coldly: "Is it Miss Lu?"

  I am.

  "The house was sold to you by Lou, but it was obtained through improper means. The original owner has come looking for it, so let's go back to the yamen together."

  As soon as he finished speaking, Yang Shu on the side shouted: "How can this be? My niece is still a young lady, how can she go to the government office?"

  Lu Xuan stopped Yang Shu's scream and asked with a bitter smile: "If I return to this room, how much compensation can I get?"

  That person obviously didn't expect Lu Yue to be so calm. After looking at her for a moment, he said sympathetically: "You can have one-tenth of this house, thirty gold coins."

  "Alright, give it to Jin then."

  Lu Xuan turned around and smiled at Yang Shu, saying: "Auntie, come with me."

  Yang Shu followed her into the house with a dull expression and asked cautiously: "A Xue, did you offend someone you shouldn't have?"

  Lu Xuan smiled and didn't answer, instead pointing to the books in that room and saying: "I have a house in Hanyang, Aunt knows about it. How about this, I'll give Aunt some money, and Aunt can bring these books back to Hanyang for me. Later, you and Luo Zi can live in my house. As payment for taking care of the books and the house, I'll also give you ten taels of gold, how's that?" The house in Hanyang was bought by her after she solved the Qiu Gong case and received thanks from wealthy families.

  Yang Shu had actually been regretful since leaving Hanyang. Upon hearing Lu Yue's words, she immediately responded: "Alright, alright, I'll do it." Getting to this point, she asked with concern: "A'Yue, where are you all going?"

  Lu Xuan smiled lightly and said, "There's always somewhere to go."

  The official's action was swift, and within three days, the house where Lu Xuan had lived for only a few months became someone else's, while Lu Xuan received thirty taels of gold.

  The thirty taels of gold obtained here, plus the fifty taels of gold left over from buying the wine tower, and a large pile of newly made luxurious clothes, became the final property of Lu Xue's sister and brother.

  After loading the books onto a donkey cart, he took out 15 taels of gold, one for travel expenses and two for maintenance fees, and gave them to Yang Shu. Lu Xuan then left with the remaining 65 taels of gold and some packages, along with Lu Yun, leaving behind the place where they had lived for a long time.

  Sitting in a hired donkey cart, Lu Yun looked at her sister with concern and asked while holding her hand: "Sister, is something big wrong?"

  Lu Xuan turned back. At this moment, the sunset was just right, and in the golden light, her eyes were bright, and her smile was warm and relaxed. "A Yun, I have offended that person."

  "Who's that?" Suddenly remembering, Lu Yun opened his eyes wide, he took a deep breath and immediately grasped Lu Xuan's hand, saying seriously: "Sister, don't be afraid, as long as you and I are fine, there's nothing to fear."

  Her younger brother.

  Lu Xiang's heart warmed up a bit, she reached out and hugged Lu Yun, softly saying: "Ah Yun, I'm not afraid, it's just that you had to interrupt your studies, are you disappointed?"

  "I just want my sister to be well." Lu Yun murmured, "In the past when our parents passed away, we didn't have anything, but weren't we still living happily?"

  Lu Xuan replied: "Yes, didn't we also live happily in the past?" At that time, she only had twenty or thirty wu coins on her body, not like now, when they have so much gold.

  In the midst of the donkey cart's rapid gallop, Lu Yun suddenly said: "Sister, what about that jade pendant?"

  "The jade pendant is mine to win back." Lu Xuan smiled shallowly and said lightly: "I will keep it." Only, it can't be used again. Unless she's prepared to return to his side, otherwise, no matter what difficulties she encounters, she can't use it!