Chapter 127

Chapter 127 – Not Going To Happen!

Ye Zhen returned to the Lu Mansion, changed her clothes, and went to see Old Madam Lu, to tell her about today’s exam. When the madam heard that she had four A’s, she happily embraced her in her arms.

“That’s how smart our Yaoyao is. She’s been able to get four A’s after only a few days of training!” She cheerfully exclaimed.

Beaming also with equal joy and pride for his younger sister, Lu Xiangzhi had a wide smile as he watched them, but his sister’s victory reminded him of the displeasing treatments she received today.

“Grandmother, you don’t know, Yaoyao almost got one less A today…”

After hearing Lu Xiangzhi talk about the difficulties the princess and the two teachers gave her, Old Madam Lu frustratedly struck the table with her outrageously huge fan.

“How dare they think that we, the Lu Family, are so easy to bully?!”

Quick in lightening up the mood, Ye Zhen laughed and sweetly soothed her. “Grandmother, they didn’t succeed in bullying me! In fact, I won 42,000 taels of silver from the princess! When I get the silver, I’ll invite you to eat spicy foods at the market shops.”

“Whose inviting whom?” Lu Shiming and his wife came in from the outside.

“Father, Mother.” Ye Zhen stepped forward and gave a deep bow. “This daughter won a large sum of silver today. She wants to invite her grandmother to eat outside.”

“Ah, Mother, look at her! After all these years of raising her, she didn’t even think about inviting us. She only cares about you,” Lu Shiming said with a face of jealousy, addressing the old madam in a jest.

The old madam laughed with her heart. “Yaoyao managed to secure four A’s today! This is a happy event; therefore we must reserve a big table at the shop to celebrate my dear granddaughter’s success!”

Ye Zhen immediately put her arms around her. “Grandmother, I want to eat their spicy noodles.”

“Well, we shall have noodles then.” Old Madam Lu turned to instruct her servant. “Chen Wei, please arrange a reservation for us at one of the shops in the market.”

The servant bowed and left.

Pei Shi gave Ye Zhen a faint, disapproving look and turned to Old Madam Lu with a smile. “Mother, you cannot spoil this girl like this.”

“But our girls are meant to be pampered.” With little concern, she answered. Mentioning this, she suddenly noticed the absence of the other misses.

“Why have my other granddaughters not come back yet?”

“My cousins seemed to have other things to do so they went with Miss Xu. I wanted to come back early so I didn’t wait for them,” Ye Zhen said, mustering a look of concern on her face.

“It’s getting late, and they should be back. I will wait here for them”

“And I shall accompany my grandmother.” Ye Zhen grinned which made the old madam laugh again.

After accompanying Old Madam Lu for a long while, Ye Zhen scurried towards Pei Shi’s chambers.

“Did the princess really spite you? Is everything okay?” Pei Shi called her daughter to her room, and only then did she ask about what she had heard. Because she was with the old madam, she had restrained herself from spoiling the moment of joy.

Ye Zhen answered dismissively. “Princess Liu Hua bought off two teachers of the academy, thinking that I do not understand the music art. I danced on a drum which they disagreed with. Fortunately, Teacher Shan taught me a lot of things and I was able to defend myself.”

Not liking how her daughter had participated in a debt, Pei Shi scolded her. “You should have known when to stop and just ignored the princess!”

“Well, she bullied me. If I didn’t defend myself, she’ll continue to bully me in the future,” Ye Zhen said.

She had suffered too much grievance when she became the wang fei before, but now she didn’t want to follow the same path she once took. What’s the point of being given another life if she’d do the same mistakes?

Instantly, Pei Shi’s face softened. “Tomorrow will be the distribution of the Letter of Admission. You have to be ready by now.” She was definitely elated by her daughter’s success.

Coughing softly, Ye Zhen batted her eyelashes, having something to ask from Pei Shi. “Mother, I want to live in the School of Medicine’s dormitory.”

“Why? It’s not far from home!”

“It’s not far but it takes me more than an hour to go back and forth every day. I don’t like to take a carriage. I will just stay in the school for a few days and have a rest for the weekend which I plan to spend by visiting you here.” Ye Zhen begged.

If she could live in the school, it would be much easier for her to move in secret.

She also had to see Hong Ling and her former confidants. If she remained contained inside this mansion, it would be difficult for her to go out without raising suspicions.

Fortunately for her, Pei Shi also loathed the moment her daughter suffered painful bumps in the carriage every day. “This matter has to be discussed with the old madam. If she will not agree, Mother will not be able to give you her permission either.”

Ye Zhen smiled proudly. “Mother, don’t worry. Grandmother has already agreed. She is only worried that you and Father will not.”

“You sly little…” Pei’s poked Ye Zhen’s forehead. “The School of Medicine’s dormitory has two people living in one room. Are you used to living with strangers?”

“Even if I am not accustomed to it, I must. A person like me can certainly get along well with others.”

Ye Zhen thought it would be easy to get along with someone as long as he or she was not Princess Liu Hua.

Amused, Pei Shi shook her head. “You have had some eccentric habits since you were a child. I’m afraid you cannot stand other people’s small habits.”

“Mother, I haven’t even tried yet.”

“Well, I’ll tell your father about it. He probably will not object,” Pei Shi said helplessly.

Ye Zhen hugged Pei Shi’s arm lovingly, “Mother, you are the best.”

*

Pei Shi let Ye Zhen return to her room first, and then she went to talk to Lu Shiming about the matter. Lu Shiming naturally disagreed at first. He could not stand to not see his daughter for a few days, but then, later, gave in when he thought of the daily journey back and forth which was too much for his delicate daughter.

When Ye Zhen knew that Lu Shiming had agreed, her mood soared even higher. She immediately asked Dai Mei to start packing her things.

In the evening, Lu Fang and Lu Jing finally came back and saw Ye Zhen fluttering around Old Madam Lu like a butterfly. The expressions on their faces were subtle.

Lu Fang smiled and went up to her first. “Yaoyao, congratulations. I didn’t expect you to get four A’s! We were deceived into believing that you only learned The Thousand Character Classic!”

Ye Zhen listened to her sour words, just smiled, and calmly spoke. “Second Sister, I am telling the truth. I secretly learned to dance on the drum. Later, Teacher Shan pointed out to me that drum dancing could be performed at the examination.”

Her younger sister, Lu Jing, had her lips curled up. “Although you are admitted to the academy, you offended Princess Liu Hua by humiliating her in front of everyone, even participating in her bet, making her lose a lot of money and dignity. You should have been more considerate.”

“What does it have to do with me if she cannot accept defeat? I am not the one who started all of it.” Ye Zhen looked wronged but her heart relished in those moments. Asking her to let Liu Hua off her hook? Not going to happen!

Lu Zan smiled and nodded. “Yaoyao is right. It’s not like our family asked the princess to humiliate herself. Tomorrow I’ll go with my fourth younger brother to the princess’ palace to ask for your silver.”

“Thank you, Third Brother!” Ye Zhen smiled and thanked him.

Lu Tingzhi laughed out loud. “Let’s wait until Eldest Brother comes back. He may not agree with us doing this!”

With that, Ye Zhen’s little smile sank. and she whispered to herself… What an annoying, loathsome person!

Her whisper, however, was too loud for Lu Xiangzhi, who was near her, to hear.

He glared at her—a glare that promised a series of scolding.

Here we go again!