"Second Miss Lu, my master ordered us to deliver this."
The steward of the He Mansion looked at Lu Zhaoling, who stood before him, feeling a flicker of surprise in his heart.
Lu Zhaoling appeared perfectly composed. There was no sign of shock, nor any of the flustered helplessness he had expected. Had she really been raised in the countryside?
He suddenly felt that the gift they had prepared might not be enough.
Although Lord He knew he had to follow the Emperor's command to apologize and make amends, he had been trying to divine the Imperial will. He suspected the Emperor wasn't truly siding with Prince Jin and was only going through the motions to save face.
Therefore, the gift Lord He had instructed the steward to pick was also a mere formality one that even contained a hidden, petty attempt to mock Lu Zhaoling.
Now, looking at the woman before him, the steward felt a bit uncertain. However, the thought vanished as quickly as it had come; he decided to proceed according to Lord He's original intent.
"Second Miss Lu, our young mistress has been pampered since childhood. She has only ever associated with the noble ladies of the capital, so she likely hasn't encountered someone as straightforward as you.
She simply couldn't adapt in the moment. Furthermore, my mistress assumed that a spat between young girls wouldn't escalate to the elders or to Prince Jin's level. Her lack of consideration was unintended, and we ask for your forgiveness."
Qingyin's expression darkened as she listened to the steward's words.
Qingbao, however, could not remain silent.
"Heh, so what you're saying is that our mistress is the one who is ignorant for bringing this before Prince Jin? Since Miss He only associates with the elite of the capital, I suppose this is her first time seeing someone from the countryside like our mistress? What of it? Did our mistress open her eyes to the world, or was she just an eyesore to her?"
"Qingbao," Qingyin said, lightly tugging at her sleeve.
Back at the Prince's Mansion, Qingbao had been trained by Nanny Qing to restrain her true temperament. But after following Lu Zhaoling for a short while, she had begun to let herself go.
Qingbao cast a quick glance at Lu Zhaoling and stepped back. Once she lost control, she tended to talk too much. She hoped her mistress wouldn't blame her.
"Second Sister, I'm sure the He family didn't mean it that way. Haven't they sent a gift to apologize? Perhaps you should just forgive Miss He."
Lu Zhaohua walked over, dressed in a cyan gown that made her look pure and ethereal. She acted the part of a sensible, obedient sister while her eyes swept over the box in the steward's hands.
The box wasn't small. What was inside? Silver? Gold? Jewelry? It was unlikely to be just a single item. Once her sister accepted it, surely she would be reasonable enough to share a little with her, seeing as she was right here?
If Zhaohua wanted to establish a firm footing in this house, she couldn't afford to offend everyone. She had to win over at least one or two people.
"Second Sister," Lu Zhaohua whispered as she leaned closer, sounding as though she were speaking entirely for Zhaoling's benefit. "I overheard some news earlier.
Lord He is very likely to be promoted soon. Besides, Miss He's fiancé is the Heir to the Marquis Zhenyuan. The Marquis and the Emperor grew up together and share a deep bond..."
She paused for a moment before continuing, "Her status is going to escalate. Even if you only consider it for Prince Jin's sake, it wouldn't be wise to offend such people and create enemies for him. Now that the He family has come specifically to apologize, you should just forgive her."
Lu Zhaohua felt her words were incredibly sincere, believing she was pouring her heart out for her sister's sake. She assumed that if Lu Zhaoling were smart, she would listen. Having finished her speech, she stepped forward proactively to take the box from the steward.
She gave the steward a gentle, refined smile. "My second sister didn't know Miss He before, which led to a misunderstanding. Now that everything is out in the open, it's fine. Please tell Lord He that my sister has accepted the gift and hopes to become friends with Miss He in the future."
The steward of the He Mansion breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the gift being accepted. Just as he was about to speak, Lu Zhaoling cut in.
"That is Lu Zhaohua's intention; she does not represent me."
Lu Zhaohua froze, looking at Lu Zhaoling with embarrassment. "Second Sister..."
How could she humiliate her like this in front of an outsider? After all, who was she doing this for?!
"I heard it was the Emperor's order that Lord He come to apologize. In that case, I can only express my gratitude to His Majesty for his justice and for supporting me."
Lu Zhaoling's voice was steady and clear.
"Therefore, this matter is concluded. However, as for He Lianxin, I do not like her, and I do not forgive her. Tell her to stay out of my sight from now on. As for the gift Lord He sent, I shall grant it to my maids."
With that, she signaled Qingyin to see the guest out.
The steward of the He Mansion left in a state of sheer shock and confusion. As soon as he was gone, Qingbao snatched the box right out of Lu Zhaohua's hands.
"Give that here!"
This Fourth Miss was truly delusional. Whether their mistress chose to forgive He Lianxin or accept the gift was not for her to decide.
Lu Zhaohua clenched her fists so hard her nails dug into her palms. She nearly screamed in frustration.
"Second Sister, I was doing this for your own good!"
Lu Zhaoling spared her a brief glance. "Is that so? Then thank you."
Her gaze fell upon the box, her brow furrowing slightly. "Open it for me."
Wisps of Black Qi were leaking from the box this was no good thing. Initially, she hadn't intended to keep it, but the sight of the Black Qi piqued her curiosity, prompting her to change her mind.
Qingbao opened the box. Inside was a pair of Green Jade Bracelets. The jade was exquisite and finely textured, with a delicate color like the sky after a fresh rain perfectly suited for the slender, pale wrists of a young woman.
Lu Zhaohua's eyes lit up the moment she saw them. A pair of jade bracelets didn't necessarily need to be worn together! As a daughter of a concubine in the Lu family which wasn't particularly wealthy to begin with she received very little. She had to look out for herself, especially now that she was reaching marriageable age.
Adopting an air of innocent playfulness, Lu Zhaohua said, "Oh, Second Sister, this pair of bracelets is perfect for sisters to wear together."
Since Lu Zhaoling had already burned her bridges with the Eldest and Third sisters, she wouldn't give them anything. But she could give one to Zhaohua!
She lifted her hand. "The size looks right for both of us."
She looked at Lu Zhaoling expectantly. Surely, after such a display, Zhaoling would be too embarrassed to refuse her?
Lu Zhaoling didn't even look at her. She was staring at the bracelets, watching the wisps of Black Qi that had already seeped into the core of the jade. It had been there for many years.
That was Death Qi.
These jade bracelets had undoubtedly been stripped off a corpse. Lord He had certainly put a lot of 'heart' into selecting such a pair for his apology.
"Second Sister, why don't I try it on for you first?" Seeing no response, Lu Zhaohua couldn't help herself and reached toward the box.
As long as she put it on, she could claim it was stuck. Would Lu Zhaoling really force her to take it off then?
However, before her hand could reach the box, Lu Zhaoling caught her wrist.
"They aren't suited for you," Lu Zhaoling said.
If these bracelets weren't cleansed, anyone who wore them would fall ill within days. If worn for too long, a weak constitution and a premature death were inevitable.
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