HLnovel Chapter 036 Human Calculations and Heaven's Decree
Chapter 036 Human Calculations and Heaven's Decree
The palace maids found Lu Jinyao by the lake. At that time, she was lying in the arms of the Prince of Yue, soaking wet. The Prince of Yue was pale and trembling with panic, clutching a belt that was clearly not his.
Seeing the group approaching, Lu Jinyao hurriedly pushed away the Prince of Yue, knelt on the ground and said, "It's all my fault. I've implicated Your Highness. Please forgive me, Your Majesty the Empress."
The King of Yue came to his senses, glanced at the swaying Lu Jinyao, and felt both heartache and guilt. He said, "It is my fault. I beg Your Majesty not to blame others. Miss Lu became like this because she was trying to save me! I am willing to take responsibility."
The Empress frowned and asked the Prince of Yue what had happened and why he was in such a sorry state.
The King of Yue glanced at Lu Jinyao before explaining.
"Your Majesty, I was taking a walk by the lake when I accidentally stepped on some dry leaves and slipped into the water. It was Miss Lu who disregarded her reputation and took off her belt to save me. Unfortunately, I was too weak and dragged Miss Lu in with me. In that life-or-death moment, it was Miss Lu who brought me ashore. If I hadn't met Miss Lu, I'm afraid I would have drowned in this lake."
The Empress walked up to Lu Jinyao and bowed, saying, "Your name is Lu Jinyao?"
"This servant, Lu Jinyao, greets Your Majesty the Empress! Long live Your Majesty!"
"You shameless Lu Jinyao, how dare you plot against the Prince of Yue!" the Empress shouted sternly. "Drag her out and beat her to death!"
Lu Jinyao panicked and begged for help from Prince Yue, who stood up and blocked her way.
“Mother, Miss Lu is my savior. It’s one thing if you don’t reward her, but how can you have her beaten to death?” The King of Yue pondered, “If this matter gets out, how will the people view me and Mother?”
"Do you know who she is?" The Empress pointed at Lu Jinyao: "She is a maid from the Pingnan Marquis's residence. She came to the palace with her master. Her master was admiring the flowers in the garden, and instead of serving her master, she ran to Taiye Lake and happened to save you."
"This servant carried Miss out from the garden because I urgently needed to relieve myself." Lu Jinyao tugged at Prince Yue's sleeve and knelt on the ground. "This is my first time entering the palace and experiencing the majesty of the royal family for the first time. I was in a great hurry and dared not disturb Miss and the other noble ladies' enjoyment, so I had to find a place myself. I am not familiar with the palace roads and do not know how I ended up here. Your Majesty, even if I had the greatest courage in the world, I would not dare to frame His Highness Prince Yue."
“Mother, she has never been to the palace before, so it’s perfectly normal for her to get lost there.” The Prince of Yue glanced at Lu Zhiyuan, his eyes filled with a hint of hostility.
Lu Zhiyuan raised an eyebrow and turned her gaze to Lu Jinyao. It seemed that during her time in the water, Lu Jinyao had used her "life-saving grace" to play the victim in front of Prince Yue. The few words she had just spoken, seemingly a statement, seemingly a plea, were actually full of hidden meaning.
"Mother, please do not believe what others say!" The Prince of Yue bowed, "Your Majesty, I have never met Miss Lu. I have never left the palace, and Miss Lu has never entered the palace. To say that she framed me is utter nonsense. Even if she left the flower-viewing banquet for some reason, it is a fact that she risked her own safety to save me."
The Empress's face darkened, and she pointed at the Prince of Yue, saying, "You really are just like your good-for-nothing mother."
The King of Yue's mother was the Queen's cousin, and she was selected by her family to enter the palace to assist the Queen. She appeared shrewd but was actually foolish, and was a notoriously incompetent beauty in the harem.
The King of Yue looked like the Emperor, but his temperament was exactly like his good-for-nothing, beautiful mother.
In the original storyline, the Empress's decision to bestow Lu Jinyao upon the Prince of Yue was made after careful consideration.
The Emperor, wary of the Xie family, would never betroth a woman related to them to the Crown Prince, lest the Empress's influence as a maternal relative become too powerful. However, the Xie family's military power and wealth were the envy of many, and countless women, both inside and outside the palace, desired to form a marriage alliance with them.
Although the Prince of Yue's mother was the Empress's cousin, she was ultimately not from the Empress's lineage. His maternal family was weak, and she lacked intelligence. Furthermore, the Prince of Yue had no interest in politics, making him a dispensable prince in the Emperor's eyes. Arranging a marriage between him and the Lu family would not only establish a connection with the Xie family through the Lu family, but also prevent the Emperor from being overly concerned, and place the Prince of Yue's residence, the Marquis of Pingnan's residence, the General's residence, and the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace on the same side.
The Empress went to great lengths for her son.
If Lu Jinyao were to enter the palace as the legitimate daughter of the Lu family, the Empress would be more than happy to see her entangled in an ambiguous relationship with the Prince of Yue. However, she is merely a maidservant of the Lu family, with an unknown background and her birth mother suspected of murdering her husband. With such a terrible background, how could the Empress tolerate her?
The King of Yue couldn't tell the difference between good and bad words. He mistakenly thought that the Empress had listened to the slander of the Xie family mother and daughter and was targeting his savior, the poor little girl. He made up his mind and kowtowed, saying, "Your subject wants to take Miss Lu as a concubine. I beg Your Majesty to grant my request!"
Lu Jinyao was worried that the Empress would make the mistake and betroth Lu Zhiyuan to the Prince of Yue as a concubine, so she tugged at the Prince of Yue's sleeve and whispered, "This servant Jinyao is unworthy of the title 'Miss'."
The King of Yue looked up at Lu Zhiyuan, speaking clearly and distinctly, word by word.
"Your Majesty, I wish to take Lu Jinyao as my concubine, and I earnestly hope that Your Majesty will grant my request!"
"The dignified Prince Yue actually wants to take a maid as a concubine. Where do you put my face? Where do you put your father's face?" The Empress said angrily. "Drag them away! Drag them all away! Punish Prince Yue by confining him to his quarters for half a year, and have Lu Jinyao beaten to death."
"Your Majesty, please have mercy!" Xie Chaoyun pleaded, "Although Jin Yao offended His Highness Prince Yue, her crime does not warrant death. Moreover, she is the child of her mother-in-law's niece and has a clean background. I beg Your Majesty to spare her life for the sake of the General's Mansion and the Marquis of Pingnan's Mansion. I am willing to adopt Jin Yao as my goddaughter, and after she comes of age, let her enter the palace as a concubine's daughter of the Lu family to serve His Highness."
By retreating in order to advance, the King of Yue was able to defuse the awkward situation of his insistence on marriage, while also preserving the dignity of the Queen and the royal family.
The Empress waved her hand, signaling the palace servants to leave.
"Since Chaoyun has spoken, I will give you face no matter what. Convey my imperial decree: Lu Jinyao has rendered meritorious service in rescuing Prince Yue, and shall be betrothed to Prince Yue as a concubine. As for when she will enter the palace, that shall be discussed between Prince Yue and the Marquis of Pingnan. Do not let today's events leave the palace! If anyone speaks ill of her in private, I will rip out her tongue."
Everyone bowed in greeting, and Lu Zhiyuan and Xie Chaoyun exchanged a glance.
Stepdaughter becomes adopted daughter, legitimate daughter becomes illegitimate daughter, princess becomes concubine. The Empress's words are law, and even if the Lu family still has plans, Lu Jinyao's situation is set in stone and cannot be changed.
Why Lu Jinyao appeared by the lake, and whether it was by chance that she saved the Prince of Yue, were no longer important in this situation. The Empress ordered the palace servants to take them to change their clothes. As they passed by Lu Zhiyuan, the Prince of Yue said in a voice she could barely hear, "I will not marry you, and I will not allow you to bully Yao'er in the mansion."
Lu Zhiyuan: "Your Highness, you are overthinking things. I am still young and have never thought about marriage. It is my older sister who has always coveted the title of Princess Consort of Yue. Unfortunately, man proposes, God disposes."