Chapter 284 – Seeking Justice (1)
Old Madam Lu meant every word she said. She would certainly not let the matter rest until the desired outcome was met. As such, bright and early the very next day, she sought an audience with none other than the empress dowager herself. She had chosen her over Lu Wushuang for the sheer reason this woman was the second-highest authority in the country, while the fact whether her granddaughter would be able to help in the matter, remained unclear.
When the ever serene empress dowager received details of the mishap, her countenance visibly paled out of fear. As shocking as it was that such a peril befell a little girl from a wealthy family, it was terrifying that it had happened within the confines of the capital.
“In broad daylight, there exist such audacious evildoers who dare to abduct people in the streets?”
The capital was a relatively secure place, unlike the outskirts. Besides, the streets were bustling making it difficult to carry out such a dastardly act. And yet, things were so.
“Replying to the empress dowager, if it wasn’t for the help of the noble one yesterday, I am afraid today —” Old Madam Lu wiped the tears trickling down her eyes. “I beg Your Imperial Highness to seek justice for the Lu Family and Yaoyao.”
“Old Madam Lu, please rise immediately. If you have something to say, Aijia regards Yaoyao as her own daughter. How can she not make decisions for her?” The empress dowager asked Aunt Cheng to help Old Madam Lu get up.
All this while, the old matriarch had been suppressing her stewing anger. All Lu Yaoyao had done was visit Baihua Garden. Neither was the location remote nor was it deserted. She was aware of her granddaughter’s encounter with Liu Hua. She also knew that as soon as she had left the premises and homeward, she was ambushed by the thugs. It was their good fortune that she was skilled in archery and Huangfu Chen had arrived in time to accompany her home.
She hadn’t been idle though. She had had the perpetrators interrogated who were only too eager to confess and unveil the mastermind behind the act- Princess Royal mansion. According to the two, someone from the princess’s mansion had paid them for the task.
How could Old Madam Lu not be seething in fury? How could she not put two and two together and know how it came about?
“— Your Imperial Highness the Empress Dowager, we, the Lu Family humbly ask to follow the compass and go with the set square*. The children in our family are not troublemakers, and we have never offended Princess Royal. If we were the kind to take offence at every turn, Princess Royal would feel humiliated over the last time she had the entire capital wager over Yaoyao’s performance at the entrance examination to the academy. A play between two girls has gone too far this time. How can one play with human life? If it weren’t for Mister Chen, our Yaoyao … we are afraid to even think about what would have happened yesterday.” As Old Madam Lu talked about the traumatic event of the day before, tears burst forth.
[循规蹈矩 – to follow the compass and go with the set square(idiom); to follow the rules inflexibly; to act according to the convention]
The empress dowager turned sullen. She had a mix of emotions surging within her. On one hand, there was the little girl she genuinely liked, dainty and well-behaved … and on the other the haughty and brat Princess Royal with her equally conceited daughter. She had experienced their malice first hand and yet, what had happened was beyond her. Nevertheless, she wasn’t the slightest bit surprised.
They can really do such a thing!
“Aijia will certainly seek justice for you,” said the empress dowager coldly.
Old Madam Lu gratefully kowtowed. “Many thanks to the empress dowager for her benevolence.”
The empress dowager asked with concern, “How is Yaoyao? She must have been scared.”
While she, who had heard of the account from a third party was scared witless, what’s more, a little girl who had been thrust into it? She couldn’t begin to fathom the state she must be in.
Old Madam Lu echoed the other’s fears. “I had a nightmare last night and was scared. How scared must the little girl have been when encountering such a thing all alone?” The matriarch was full of empathy and pity for her granddaughter.
On a side note, while the two women were as such, the ‘victim’ had a dreamless night. So, where was the time for a nightmare to appear?
OnlyThe empress dowager saw the girl as if she were her own daughter … How she wished she was her daughter. So, it was only natural she was distressed beyond limit. “Poor little Yaoyao.” She sighed. “Aunt Cheng, bring the thousand-year-old ginseng the emperor sent last time and send it to Yaoyao.”
Old Madam Lu said in a hurry, “Empress Dowager, how can Yaoyao use such precious ginseng? She has been much better after drinking Anshen tea.”
The empress dowager said angrily, “Liu Hua is becoming more and more arrogant as if there is no proper breeding at all. Aunt Cheng, relay Aijia’s order to Princess Royal to bring Liu Hua into the palace—”
But before the empress dowager could finish her words, the little maid-in-waiting reported from the outside that Princess Royal together with Liu Hua asked to see her.
“Aijia doesn’t go to them, they come instead. Let them wait outside,” said the empress dowager coldly.