For that reason, Aunt Zheng was allowed to enter the palace for the Emperor’s birthday banquet today.
When Lu Liangwei came out of the mansion, she was not too surprised to see Aunt Zheng there.
After greeting Lu Hetian, Lu Liangwei boarded the carriage without delay, ignoring Aunt Zheng completely.
Aunt Zheng was a little displeased.
This lowly girl had some nerve to ignore her!
A moment later, her eyes reddened and she turned to Lu Hetian, moaning pitifully, “Duke…”
Appearing not to have heard her, Lu Hetian strode to the carriage window, briefed the situation to Lu Liangwei, and mounted his horse.
Aunt Zheng was infuriated.
Lu Hetian had clearly seen how rude Lu Liangwei was, yet he turned a blind eye to her behavior.
Sitting in the carriage, Lu Liangwei saw Aunt Zheng fuming silently and smiled. “Aunt Zheng, it’s getting late. If we dally any longer, I’m afraid we won’t be able to reach the palace in time for the banquet.”
That smile of hers was a real eyesore for Aunt Zheng.
However, she could only curse silently in her heart.
After all, Lu Hetian’s doting affection for this daughter was not something she could challenge.
She forced an insincere smile and replied, “Coming!” At the same time, she spewed a thousand curses at Lu Liangwei in her heart.
When the day Shuang’er became empress finally arrived, no matter how pompous this little tramp was, she would have no choice but to meekly resign to being putty in her hands.
With this happy thought in mind, the resentment in Aunt Zheng’s heart dissipated substantially.
Now that there were no onlookers, Lu Liangwei did not even bother faking friendliness toward Aunt Zheng.
Although Aunt Zheng was good at disguising her emotions, Lu Liangwei could still perceive Aunt Zheng’s desire to get rid of her once and for all.
Lu Liangwei sneered, privately dismissing Aunt Zheng as any threat.
After Aunt Zheng had boarded the carriage, Lu Liangwei simply rested her head on the windowsill and stared admiringly at the scenery outside.
She had already been here for a while but had never left the Duke Mansion before.
The carriage rumbled down the long street’s bluestone pavement.
Lu Liangwei was looking at the streetscape outside, not aware that she had become the scenery in others’ eyes.
As the carriage was not traveling fast, the sight of her lying idly by the window was fully captured by pedestrians on the street side.
Some people were stunned by what they saw. “That lady is so gorgeous…”
“I’ve never seen such a beautiful person!”
“Where? Let me see!”
“She’s gone! After her, quickly!”
As the clamor of people pushing and shoving reached her ears, Lu Liangwei came to a delayed realization and saw that a crowd of commoners had formed at some point and was tailing the carriage.
Lu Liangwei was bewildered. What were they doing?
At this moment, a darkness fell before her eyes. Lu Hetian had pulled down the carriage curtains, shielding her from all the prying eyes outside.
“Gu Er, drive the carriage faster!” Lu Hetian’s calm and dignified voice came from outside, along with a hint of anger.
“Yes!” the coachman in front responded and cracked his whip, snapping it on the horse’s back with a loud thwack.
Gu Er was a soldier stationed under Lu Hetian and had followed him into war previously. During one fateful battle, he had his leg injured by the enemy. He retreated from the battlefield following that and stayed in the Duke Mansion as a coachman.
The moment Lu Hetian gave his order, he summoned all his strength and, with superb skill, he quickly shook off the commoners who were chasing the carriage madly.
The carriage came to a stop once it arrived at the palace gates. Lu Liangwei was momentarily stunned but came back to her senses the moment she met Aunt Zheng’s conflicted and envious gaze.
She never knew that the people of the Great Shang imperial capital were this enthusiastic.
She could not help but touch her face. She always knew that this face was objectively attractive, but she had never expected it to cause such a sensation.
