Chapter 27: A Splitting Headache

That porcelain figure was the very thing Lu Zhaoling had buried in the backyard of the countryside estate.

"What porcelain figure?" Lu Zhaoling kept her expression neutral, speaking airily, "I lost track of where that went ages ago."

If they wanted it, she certainly wasn't going to give it to them. Not that she even knew what was inside it herself.

"What? You lost it?" Madam Lu’s voice turned sharp and shrill. "You used to treasure that thing so much you wouldn't even let it go when you slept. You expect me to believe you lost it?"

The memories of the poor little Lu girl from her childhood were blurry. She couldn't recall how she had come by the figure, but she knew for certain it could never have been part of Madam Lu’s dowry.

It was a statue of a young girl, gentle and beautiful. It was crafted from white porcelain, incredibly fine and without a single impurity. It was quite heavy, and if one shook it vigorously, you could hear something rattling inside.

For years, the old Lu family in the countryside had tried every means to steal or snatch that figure away. Feeling she couldn't protect it, the girl had secretly buried it in the hills behind the house, telling the elders she had hidden it.

Old Mother Lu had even beaten her several times to force her to reveal the hiding spot, but despite being beaten half to death, the girl never uttered a word.

Later, as she grew older, perhaps fearing that pressing her further might lead her to discover whatever secret the figure held, they stopped mentioning it altogether. Of course, this was just a deduction on Lu Zhaoling’s part.

Now that Madam Lu was asking for the figure again, what exactly was hidden inside?

"Life has always been hard on me, hasn't it? I was always falling ill as a child, often delirious from sickness. Old Mother Lu wouldn't even let me eat my fill, so I was constantly muddled from hunger. Losing a thing or two is hardly strange, is it?"

Lu Zhaoling delivered these words with such an air of authenticity that Madam Lu actually seemed to believe her for a moment.

"Think carefully—where did you lose it? I shall write to your third uncle and have him search for it properly!"

Lu Zhaoling pondered for a moment. "Hmm, perhaps in the woodshed? I remember being locked in the woodshed quite often as a child, without any food."

Madam Lu: "..."

"Or maybe near the chicken coop in the backyard? Old Mother Lu said I was only fit to sleep with the chickens, and I stayed there for quite a long time," Lu Zhaoling added.

Madam Lu’s mouth twitched.

"Oh, and the bamboo grove on the west side, the vegetable patch by the river, and that broken Earth God shrine at the end of the village. Whenever they wouldn't let me into the house, I stayed in those places for days at a time."

Madam Lu was left speechless.

Qingyin, however, stared at Lu Zhaoling in shock. Had her young mistress really suffered so terribly in the countryside? The people at the old Lu residence were nothing but abusers! Her heart ached just hearing about it. No wonder her mistress was so thin—she looked as if a gust of wind could knock her over.

"You can have them go search those places," Lu Zhaoling said, a smirk playing on her lips. "Though, I spent ten years in the countryside; I surely stayed in more places than that. It’s just that my head injury has made my memory hazy. Why, even this morning, they tried to dismiss me with leftover scraps. It's hard to remember things when one is ill-fed and poorly clothed."

This was a threat. Madam Lu caught it immediately.

Her temper flared instantly. She had come to settle scores because Lu Zhaoling had caused a scene in the kitchen and snatched their bird's nest snacks, yet here she was, being rebuked first. However, the Master had given orders: until the porcelain figure was handed over, she was not to offend the girl too deeply.

Madam Lu swallowed her rage, nearly choking on it.

"You just returned, and the kitchen isn't accustomed to having you here, so they didn't prepare your breakfast. It wasn't intentional! You should have come to speak with me properly instead of striking people," Madam Lu said, holding back her anger.

"Not accustomed? That just means my presence is too low. It's fine; after that beating, they’ll have a deeper impression of me. Surely they won't dare to forget again." Lu Zhaoling smiled.

"Aren't you afraid of gaining a reputation for being arrogant and domineering?"

"Not at all. I’ve already been betrothed to the Prince of Jin by the Emperor; I don't fear being unable to find a match," Lu Zhaoling replied without a second thought.

Madam Lu was nearly blown apart by her roguish attitude. She gritted her teeth. "What if the Prince of Jin hears of this—"

Lu Zhaoling interrupted her, "Oh, there's no need for you to worry about that. The Prince of Jin likes me best exactly when I'm being arrogant."

*Pfft.*

Qingyin almost couldn't hold back a laugh. Was that true? But hearing her mistress say such things in such a cocky tone, she found it quite fascinating. Her mistress was truly unlike any other noble lady in the capital.

"How can you be so shameless?" Madam Lu was incredulous. "How can you speak so casually about whether a man likes you or not?" Did she have no sense of reserve at all?

"The Prince of Jin likes me talking about his affection, too." Lu Zhaoling raised an eyebrow at her. "He likes me, I like him. Are you envious?"

Behind the rockery, a tall, slender figure stood still. The handsome man listened to these words, a faint smile touching the depths of his eyes. Beside him, Qingfeng’s eyes were wide open. The Prince had said he wanted to come and check on Miss Lu in secret to see if she was feeling better, yet he had encountered such bold words.

He glanced quietly at the Prince and saw the corners of his mouth turned upward.

*Hiss.*

Could it be that the Prince actually liked it? They had only just met two days ago, hadn't they?

Over there, Madam Lu was driven away by Lu Zhaoling’s infuriating demeanor.

Lu Zhaoling and Qingyin strolled leisurely toward the front courtyard.

"Your Highness, are we not going over to meet Miss Lu?" Qingfeng couldn't help but ask.

The Prince of Jin turned around. "No need. It seems her injuries are recovering quite well."

Physician Fu had claimed her injuries were extremely severe, but she looked nothing like someone in that state.

Meanwhile, the very Physician Fu whose medical skills were being silently questioned was currently in a state of panic, trying to have his grandson held down. The young Master Fu was rolling on his bed in agony.

"Grandfather! It hurts! My head..."

Physician Fu’s son, Fu Shun, pinned the boy's wrists down and signaled for the servants to hold his son’s feet, fearing the boy might kick his grandfather in his blinding pain.

The young master kept trying to slam his own head, as if he could beat the excruciating pain away. Fu Shun’s eyes reddened with anguish as he pressed down on his son’s hands. "Cheng'er, stay calm..."

Nearby, the elder Madam Fu and her daughter-in-law were crying, their eyes swollen. "Cheng'er, oh Cheng'er, my heart, if only I could bear the pain for you..."

How could he have suddenly fallen into such agony? Yesterday, Fu Cheng had complained of a headache; Physician Fu had already taken his pulse, prescribed medicine, and administered acupuncture. He had slept passably well last night, and they all thought the crisis had passed. But today, Fu Cheng had vomited his entire breakfast, and then the headache began. This time, it was so severe he nearly lost his mind.

Physician Fu’s acupuncture had proven useless, and even the pain-relief powder he’d forced down the boy’s throat had no effect! Seeing Fu Cheng drenched in sweat, his face deathly pale, and hearing his continuous, agonizing roars while held down, the hearts of the Fu family were breaking.

"Father, please, you must find a way!" Madam Fu wept, her eyes swollen shut. Seeing her son suffer like this was like a knife to her heart. Her father-in-law was a divine doctor—how could he be at such a loss?

"Father, just kill me, it hurts too much!" Fu Cheng screamed.

Hearing his son plead for death, Physician Fu nearly wept himself. Just then, a person suddenly came to mind.