kvmb Chapter 46: Trying to get rid of me?
Chapter 46: Trying to get rid of me?
After finishing his sentence, Dianmo turned and left without lingering.
Lu Yangyang turned around and asked Yuanxing, who was following her, "Where is Qingfeng Pavilion?"
"Qingfeng Pavilion is in the West Garden, not far from our courtyard. There's a lake there, and it's where the manor holds banquets and entertains guests." Yuanxing was very worried. "Miss, are we really going?"
"Of course I'm going!" Lu Yangyang waved her hand. "I'll go pack up. You stay here and watch the house. I'll go with Granny."
“Miss, I can help too.” Yuanxing looked at her expectantly.
"No need, I'll be fine."
After changing her clothes, Lu Yangyang went to Qingfeng Pavilion with Granny Shen.
It's summer now, but upon entering Qingfeng Pavilion, I felt a slight chill.
Lu Yangyang had been at the Duke's Mansion for some time now, and this was the first time she had ever heard of such a wonderful place within the mansion. The long corridors were built along the water, connecting one flower hall after another, and at the end of the corridor was a spacious courtyard filled with all sorts of exotic flowers and plants.
Beyond the railings overlooking the water lies a lake, where lotus flowers bloom in abundance, their fragrance carried on the gentle breeze.
Seeing her curiosity, Granny Shen whispered, "In previous years, the manor would hold a banquet at this time to invite the ladies of the capital. This is the rule of each manor, and invitations must be sent out every year."
This year should have been the same, with the women of the household going out and about. However, Madam Lan, the matriarch of the household, is ill, so all banquets have been canceled and all invitations have been put on hold.
Lu Yangyang entered the banquet hall and first saw Old Madam Li sitting at the head of the table.
Since the last time Madam Li tried to teach her a lesson but failed, she probably didn't want to see her and exempted her from paying her respects. So this was the first time Lu Yangyang had seen Madam Li in recent days.
Madam Li clearly didn't want to see Lu Yangyang either. When she saw her come in, her face turned terribly gloomy, as if she were some kind of plague. She only glanced at her with disdain before looking away, as if Lu Yangyang didn't exist, and continued talking to Sheng Yunzhu.
When Sheng Yunzhu saw Lu Yangyang enter, she stood up and smiled at her, saying, "Yangyang, you've finally arrived! Please sit down. Shangshan Fairy is already on her way, and I've had someone waiting at the door. I hope you'll forgive me for what happened yesterday. I was just worried about Mother. If I've upset you, I apologize. I also hope there was some misunderstanding. I couldn't sleep all night worrying about it. I hope that in front of Shangshan Fairy today, we can clear up this misunderstanding. Most importantly, I hope Mother can recover."
As Sheng Yunzhu spoke, she raised her hand to wipe away her tears.
Madam Li snorted coldly: "Go and see where the Duke is. I knew he was a jinx, unfit to enter the family. He really is a menace."
Lu Yangyang wasn't afraid at all. She glanced at her and said, "But you're still sitting here perfectly fine. If I were a menace, wouldn't I have caused trouble for you first?"
"You scoundrel!" Old Madam Li slammed her hand on the table in anger.
Sheng Yunzhu hurriedly came over to comfort Madam Li, gently soothing her: "Grandmother, please calm down. Yangyang must be confused."
At this moment, the Duke of Sheng walked in with his two sons. Sheng Junye glanced at Lu Yangyang first, then pursed his lips and lowered his head. Sheng Junyi also glanced at her and asked Old Madam Li with a smile, "Grandmother, is this my sister? She's a bit too thin."
It was as if we were meeting for the first time.
Lu Yangyang glanced at him and thought to herself, "Hypocrite."
She was indeed too naive. In this Duke's mansion, she wore a mask because of the scars on her face, but everyone else wore a mask.
A mask of hypocrisy.
They're all hypocritical, one more so than the other.
"Yi'er, come here, don't mind this girl. She's a menace. It's best to send her away as soon as possible. It's a real tragedy. Come here and let your grandmother see you. You've been gone for quite a while now, and you've lost weight." Old Madam Li had one face towards Lu Yangyang and another towards Sheng Junyi, as if she couldn't get enough of him. She couldn't bear to look away from him and beckoned him to sit next to her. For a moment, even the usually favored Sheng Yunzhu had to step aside.
Sheng Junyi readily agreed and walked over. With just a few words, she made Old Madam Li laugh heartily, as if her anger towards Lu Yangyang had been a figment of everyone's imagination.
Duke Sheng glanced at Lu Yangyang indifferently and walked straight to the main seat on the other side of Old Madam Li.
At this moment, the servants led the Fairy of Goodness in.
Lu Yangyang looked toward the legendary benevolent fairy maiden.
She was a woman in her early twenties or thirties, dressed in a light-colored Taoist robe, her hair tied up high with a white jade lotus crown, her figure graceful, her eyebrows and eyes gentle, and a whisk hanging from her arm. She looked just like Guanyin as described in folk tales.
"This humble Taoist greets all esteemed guests." Fairy Shangshan performed a Taoist salute, a friendly smile on her face.
Everyone stood up and returned the greeting. Madam Li was especially kind and gentle: "You're too kind, Fairy. You are a distinguished guest of our household. It is our honor to have you here. Please have a seat."
The virtuous fairy maiden, accompanied by a young Taoist boy, sat down at the seat next to the main one.
As soon as she sat down, her gaze fell on Lu Yangyang's face, revealing a hint of surprise: "This young lady's fate is quite special. She must have been born into a wealthy family, but I'm afraid she will have some hardships and be destined to be a lone star."
Upon hearing this, Madam Li immediately asked anxiously, "Fairy, what is meant by 'destined to be a lone star'? Will this bring harm to one's family?"
The Fairy of Goodness showed a hint of sympathy on her face. "To be honest, Madam, people with this fate are destined to be born into wealth and nobility, but they are also destined to bring misfortune to their relatives and neighbors. Anyone close to them will be harmed, regardless of blood ties or romantic relationships. At best, they will be plagued by minor illnesses; at worst, they will be disabled or die."
“Excellent, excellent, young lady. Please heed my advice: do not harbor any obsessions. The deeper your obsessions, the more you will hinder those around you, and it will also harm yourself. You may suffer undeserved calamities. If you wish to resolve this, it is best to enter a quiet place to cultivate in peace and accumulate merit, so that you can repay your karmic debts from your past life and enjoy the rest of your life in peace.”
After saying that, she immediately stood up, her face full of heartache: "Young lady, if you are willing, I am willing to take you as my disciple and let you cultivate in the Qinglian Temple. After three to five years, you may be able to get rid of all your sins and resentment and be reborn."
He then turned to Duke Sheng and Madam Li and said, “Duke, Madam, I have never taken on any disciples since I entered this sect. Today, seeing this girl, I feel truly sorry for her plight and fear that she may harm her family. I am uneasy and hope that you two can grant me this wish.”
Madam Li exclaimed in delight, "Really? The fairy maiden is truly willing to accept her as a disciple and take her to the temple for quiet cultivation?"
“Of course, monks do not lie,” replied the Fairy Maiden Shangshan.
"Excellent, excellent! This is wonderful!" Old Madam Li was so excited she almost stood up. She quickly turned to seek the opinion of Duke Sheng: "What do you think? In my opinion, there is no better way. Going away for three to five years would be just right, don't you think?"
Everyone looked at Duke Sheng.
After a moment's thought, Duke Sheng nodded and said, "That's acceptable."
Lu Yangyang burst out laughing.
"Want to kick me out?"