Chapter 20: Becoming Her Imperial Aunt

Lu Zhaoling is to become her aunt?!

Upon hearing her words, Lu Zhaoyun nearly fainted.

"Second Sister, don't you think this turns everything upside down? The Imperial family places great importance on rules and lineage. You and I are sisters; how could we marry an uncle and his nephew?"

Lu Zhaoyun had spent the afternoon reflecting on her own behavior. Her reputation in the capital had always been that of a gentle, elegant, and poised young lady, skilled in playing the pipa and adept at needlework. Yet, ever since hearing the news of Lu Zhaoling's return to the capital, she had felt inexplicably panicked and flustered, driven by a singular urge to prevent Lu Zhaoling from returning to the Lu household. Had she not lost her composure and acted so poorly, she would never have been slapped by Lu Zhaoling.

Since Lu Zhaoling had already returned and could not be stopped, she had to calm herself and plan carefully for the future. With this thought, Lu Zhaoyun offered a gentle smile.

"You said yourself that you didn't know the Prince of Jin before, and there is surely no affection between you," she said to Lu Zhaoling. "Now that the imperial decree has just been issued, we can still rectify this mistake before anyone else knows about it."

Seeing Lu Zhaoyun regain her usual calm and stability, Lady Lu felt a sense of relief. The past few days, Lu Zhaoyun had been so anxious and obsessed with how to deal with Lu Zhaoling that even her lips had broken out in sores. "Your eldest sister is right; our family cannot accept this marriage," she chimed in hastily.

Lu Zhaoling remained unmoved. "You both know this is an imperial decree, a royal bestowal of marriage. How could it be rescinded?"

That was true. Lu Ming frowned as well.

Lu Zhaoling looked at him. "Do you feel that my becoming the prospective Princess of Jin will make you lose face?"

Hearing this question, Lu Ming felt a shameful spark of temptation. If Lu Zhaoling became the Princess of Jin, wouldn't he become the father-in-law of the Prince of Jin?

"This..."

"Father!" Seeing his hesitation, Lu Zhaoyun called out urgently, then whispered, "Is the relationship between the Second Prince and the Prince of Jin good? I have heard that the Prince of Jin is much closer to the Crown Prince."

Lu Ming shuddered. That was true. Zhaoyun was betrothed to the Second Prince, meaning their family was aligned with him. If the Prince of Jin was closer to the Crown Prince, would the Second Prince still trust him if Lu Zhaoling were to marry into the Prince of Jin's household?

"Besides, Father, look at Second Sister’s attitude. Even if she becomes the Princess of Jin, will she listen to you? I fear she will only become more arrogant."

Lu Zhaoyun knew exactly how to strike at Lu Ming’s concerns. Lu Ming’s eyes hardened. When it came to obedience, he was far from confident that he could control Lu Zhaoling—what if she discovered the truth about what happened all those years ago? No, that was a risk he could not afford; Lu Zhaoling was not worth the gamble.

With this, Lu Ming’s wavering resolve solidified. He glared coldly at Lu Zhaoling. "I do not need you to bring glory to my name. You have been raised in the countryside your entire life and have never learned the etiquette of a noble lady of the capital. How can you marry into the Imperial family?"

Lady Lu smiled at these words. "Exactly! Marrying into the Imperial family like this will only make us a laughingstock, and who knows how much trouble she will cause in the future! Master, you must not agree to this, lest the entire Lu family be dragged down by her."

Her words made Lu Ming’s heart sink further. She was right.

Lu Zhaoyue scoffed and cried out, "Father, she is already about to offend Sister Shen!"

Minister Shen doted on Shen Xiangjun, and since Lu Zhaoling had snatched away the Prince of Jin, whom Shen Xiangjun had admired for years, she would surely be marked by her hatred.

"Third Sister, stop," a young girl beside her said, tugging gently on Lu Zhaoyue’s sleeve. Her delicate face was full of concern, but her words only made Lu Zhaoyue more furious. She had previously called her 'Second Sister,' but now she had adapted quickly and started calling her 'Third Sister'! Moreover, there was now one more person in the family who would be ranked above her, and this person was from the countryside! This infuriated Lu Zhaoyue, who had always been competitive and prideful.

"Little Yue!" Lady Lu glared at her. Her father had just said not to mention Miss Shen again; why was she still talking?

"I won't say it outside, but there are no outsiders here, except for her!" Lu Zhaoyue pointed a finger directly at Lu Zhaoling.

Lu Zhaoling looked at that finger, then at the faint grey mist swirling around her face, and smiled slightly. "You keep saying I am from the countryside and have not learned etiquette, but what kind of upbringing is it to point a finger at your elder sister?"

This remark made Lu Ming’s face turn black. "Zhaoling, Zhaoyun is older than you; she is the eldest sister."

A flash of confusion crossed Lu Zhaoling’s eyes. In truth, she and Lu Zhaoyun were both sixteen this year. According to the information she retrieved from her memories, her birthday was on the fourteenth of the seventh lunar month, and Lu Zhaoyun was half a month younger than her. Therefore, she was indeed older than Lu Zhaoyun. Yet, they were insistent on seizing the status of the eldest legitimate daughter. There was certainly something strange about this.

She had not yet fully recovered her strength or spirit, so she could not waste energy dwelling on this now. Whether she was the eldest or second miss made little difference to her; she would investigate it later.

"In any case, she is younger than me, is she not? Is this the 'upbringing' of the capital?" Lu Zhaoling asked, casting a sidelong glance at Lady Lu.

The mockery in her eyes was obvious. Lady Lu was livid. "That is only because you caused trouble, and my Yue'er was just being anxious for the sake of the family!"

"Oh? In your eyes, my being betrothed to the Prince of Jin is 'causing trouble'? Do you despise the Emperor’s decree, or do you despise the Prince of Jin?"

Lu Zhaoling’s lighthearted question nearly made Lady Lu jump up again. "Don't talk nonsense!"

How could she? How dare she!

Watching Lu Zhaoling’s arrogance, Lu Ming took a deep breath, deciding he must appeal to her emotions and reason; perhaps Lu Zhaoling was the type to be persuaded by softness rather than force.

"Zhaoling, we are all family. The prosperity of a clan requires everyone to pull in the same direction, not fight among ourselves. We don't want to ruin your marriage, but the Prince of Jin is truly not a good match."

Lu Zhaoling looked at him and sat down in the grand armchair of her own accord. Standing was too tiring. Her action nearly caused Lu Ming to lose his composure entirely. The whole family was standing, yet she was the only one seated—and in his main chair, no less.

"I will tell the Prince of Jin that you spoke ill of him and called him a bad man," Lu Zhaoling said.

"When did I say he was a bad man!" Lu Ming’s voice rose.

Lu Zhaoyun gritted her teeth and said, "Second Sister, you have just arrived in the capital and do not understand the complexities here. You will understand once you have seen and heard more. For now, you only need to know that we are doing this for your own good."

"Yun'er is right," Lu Ming continued. "Is the Imperial family such a simple place? You understand nothing, and if you rush into it, I fear you won't even know how you died. We are family; would we ever harm you?"

"That is hard to say," Lu Zhaoling replied, looking down at the imperial decree in her hands.

Upon closer inspection, she noticed something peculiar. Every stroke and line of the characters on the decree was suffused with a faint, crimson mist.

This was...