Chapter 571

Chapter 571 – Staying True to Her Original Intentions

Was Lu Yaoyao’s fortune really good?

The words that the emperor had instructed him to say were ironically suitable for Lu Yaoyao’s birthdate characters. This young lady was truly a noble character who had luck in her life, but why would traces of a tragic end appear in such a set of birthdate characters?

He really did not understand it; he really didn’t!

“That will depend on the other party’s birthdate characters. If it was someone with a noble yet resilient life, then the couple will be a good match, and there will be an endless fortune for them,” the abbot continued. Although he said that, he still held some doubt in his heart. According to this set of birthdate characters, there should be a set of female twins.

Old Madam Lu was utterly befuddled. The abbot’s readings were beyond her imagination let alone expectation.

“Is… Is the-there a-anyone in this world with a noble yet resilient life?” she stammered as she asked.

How could Yaoyao’s birthdate characters be so powerful? No wonder why all my attempts at matchmaking were riddled with difficulties.

“If she is fated, then she will naturally meet a man like this,” the abbot said meaningfully.

Those words pushed Old Madam Lu’s already anxious mood into dejection. After all, this was her precious granddaughter they were talking about. A girl so beautiful and lovely… But fate was indeed the most unpredictable thing in the world. If she wasn’t fated, then would she be unable to find a good husband for the rest of her life?

“Master, if… If my daughter is unable to meet someone like that, what will happen to her?” Pei Shi asked worriedly.

Now, the abbot was in a dilemma. He had already said all that he should have said. If he continued, he really didn’t know what else he should say.

Pei Shi had begun to suspect that she had incorrectly remembered the birthdate characters in the swaddle. Or perhaps… Yaoyao’s parents had written it wrongly? She refused to believe her child would have such a fate.

“Master, can you please look at this set of characters too?” Old Madam Lu handed Lu Lingzhi’s characters over to the abbot.

The abbot took the characters and began his divination, and then thought in astonishment, What kind of descendants does this Lu family have? Why do they all have birthdate characters that are one in a million?

“This… Who in the family does this set of birthdate characters belong to?”

“It belongs to this old woman’s eldest grandson,” Old Madam Lu replied.

“One of identical heavenly stems, the star of a general in his life, and able to command over the three armies in the future—” The abbot was shocked. He could tell from Lu Lingzhi’s birthdate characters that there was a trace of a potential competitor to the throne. He shook his head wondering if he had been affected by the emperor so much that he could not even tell fortunes accurately. “However, his fortune is laced with a strong scent of blood, which might affect his family.”

Old Madam Lu seemed overjoyed when she heard the first part, but when she heard the rest of it, her smile froze. “Abbot—”

“This is life,” was all the abbot could say to her.

There were only a handful of people in this world who could go against their fate. More often than not, people succumbed to it. Although he knew his words were not pleasant, he still had to say it, glossing over them would not do anyone any good. After all, such was life, one had to live it no matter what.

The pair of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law departed from the Huguo temple with a heavy heart that was evident through their somber faces. Both Lu Yaoyao and Lu Lingzhi were their favourites among the younger generation and the ones whom they cherished most. They were both beautiful, wise, and filial, and had brought immense glory to their otherwise unremarkable family. And yet, their lives were fated to be tumultuous. As their elders, how could they be happy?

Tang Zhen had been standing outside waiting for the Lu family elders. Seeing them walking out, he smiled at them and said, “Old Madam, Third Madam, what did the abbot say?”

The matriarch looked at the cheery young man before her and couldn’t help recalling the fact he had been her number one choice for grandson-in-law. Up until yesterday, when he was visiting them, she had hoped they would rekindle the dead betrothal plans. But now, upon learning that her Yaoyao was fated to jinx her husband, no words could come out of her mouth.

The grim moods of the ladies did not affect the young marquis. Although he guessed what had happened just by looking at them, he didn’t comment or inquire. On the contrary, he smiled and said, “Old Madam, let me send you back.”

“We’ll have to trouble you then, Marquis,” Old Madam Lu said with a smile.

“Marquis Jing Ning, haven’t you been busy of late?” Pei Shi didn’t want the young man to ask about their conversation with the abbot, so she changed the topic.

Tang Zhen smiled and replied, “I have some free time. His Majesty wants to choose the candidate for Empress, and now that the person has been chosen, the Ministry of Rites will also begin to choose a husband for the princess. None of these have anything to do with me.”

Old Madam Lu was astonished at those words and could not hide the disappointment on her face. “Has the empress been decided?”

“Yes, it has been decided. It’s the di daughter of the Bai family from Dinghai. The decree has already been sent to the Bai residence, and all that is left is for the young lady to come to the capital to complete the ceremony,” Tang Zhen said. Fortunately, he was telling Old Madam Lu this. He certainly wouldn’t be able to tell all of this to Lu Yaoyao.

Pei Shi forced a smile. “That’s good. That’s good.”

Tang Zhen didn’t dare to look at the two women anymore, so he turned and looked away from them.

♚

By the time Ye Zhen and the rest reached Chengde Mountain Villa, it was already afternoon. They found out that the empress dowager was taking her afternoon nap, so they didn’t dare to disturb her. The group decided to rest here for a while and wait for Her Highness to wake up before they went to pay their respects.

Back in her room, Ye Zhen had only just finished cleaning up when Aunt Cheng sent someone to look for her. Apparently, the empress dowager had already woken up, and when she knew that Ye Zhen had arrived, she was eager to see her.

Ye Zhen reckoned the empress dowager was probably going to chide her over her recent escapade. However, she didn’t mind, she was genuinely fond of the woman and knew better than anyone that she treated her in earnest.

Ye Zhen followed the palace maid to the empress dowager’s quarters. Just as she stepped in, she heard the empress dowager say, “You heartless lass, you’ve only remembered Aijia now, haven’t you?”

“Imperial Mother, I think of you every day!” Ye Zhen curtsied, then went close to the empress dowager and began to act coquettishly. “I missed you so much when I was away, and when I came back, I only wished that I could go over and pay my respects to you immediately.”

The empress dowager smiled and tapped the tip of her nose. “Don’t you try to butter Aijia up now! If you really missed Aijia, you wouldn’t have left for more than half a year. If His Majesty didn’t go and get you, you’d probably still be having fun out there.”

Ye Zhen immediately shook her head vigorously. “No, no. Imperial Mother, even if His Majesty didn’t pick me up, I would still come back. I missed you so much.”

“You’re really bold. How dare you keep Aijia in the dark and go to Huaijiang? What would we have done if something were to happen to you?” At the thought of the plague in Huaijiang, the empress dowager could feel a tinge of fear in her heart. “That damned Xu Ji. How dare he order the village to be burned? If it weren’t for Prime Minister Xu, Aijia would have given him the death sentence first.”

Doesn’t Xu Ji just have a good father? Ha, even his sister’s been removed from her position as Xianfei*. “Imperial Mother, the plague in Huaijiang wasn’t that scary. In reality, it was not frightening at all.” Ye Zhen quickly placated.

[*we think she means to say that although his father is the prime minister, he couldn’t escape punishment nor his sister demotion.]

The empress dowager simply stared at her. The news they received had described the situation in detail, and it was anything but ‘not frightening at all’. “Then why did you still go to Zhao Jia Island? Did your master bring you there too?” she asked.

Ye Zhen chuckled. “Imperial Mother, I… I just wanted to take a look there.”

“Was it really not because you were jealous?” the empress dowager teased, “Aijia thought that you had misunderstood the emperor, and had gone to Zhao Jia Island in a fit of anger.”

“——” Ye Zhen’s face instantly flushed. She didn’t expect the empress dowager to say something like this. When did the empress dowager find out about what happened between Mo Rongzhan and her?

“Imperial Mother, it’s not like that.”

The empress dowager sighed, then held Ye Zhen’s hand and said, “Aijia doesn’t know when the emperor had such thoughts about you too. If Aijia knew it earlier, Aijia wouldn’t have made you a princess. Yaoyao, back then, the words that you told Aijia, do you… still think the same way now?”

Ye Zhen was confused. What did I tell the empress dowager previously? “Imperial Mother, I don’t understand what you are trying to say.”

“Are you willing to enter the palace?” the empress dowager asked softly. Of course, she hoped that Yaoyao and her son would be in love. However, for someone who would leave once she heard that Ye Yaoyao had entered the palace, her temperament was really unsuitable for life in the palace.

Ye Zhen looked down. Asking her to enter the palace and live a life filled with political intrigue, to fight with all the other women over the love of a man, it really was a life that she didn’t like. Her wishes and goals since she was reborn were different, and she didn’t see herself coming to a compromise over them. The naïve girl who fought all odds for the man she loved had long died in the fire.

“Imperial Mother, I… I haven’t changed my mind.”

♚♚♚