Chapter Eighty: Encounter on the Road

  Although this girl is dressed in luxury, her demeanor and movements clearly show that she is a spoiled and confused person who can't tell the difference between situations.

  In a place like this, saying such things, she even raised her voice very loudly, and several heads popped out from the stairwell, while the originally noisy downstairs became quieter.

  Isn't she afraid that after this fuss, her reputation will be ruined and people will mock her? However, to get back on track, before Wang Mang's reign, women had a high social status and were quite strong-willed. Especially in places like Shu and Han Yang, which are far from the Central Plains, it was even more so. After going through twenty years of war, there was even less education. Before Wang Mang's reign, the famous Sima Xiangru and Zhuo Wenjun were both from Chengdu. Zhuo Wenjun, as the daughter of a wealthy merchant, eloped with Sima Xiangru and still dared to show her face in public, selling wine at a stall.

  At that moment when Lu Yu was deep in thought, the girl seemed even more hateful. She glanced at Lu Yu's calm face and couldn't help but feel a surge of anger.

  Her face flushed, the girl rushed towards Lu Xue.

  Seeing her rush towards Luoyue, Wang Shang's face changed and he suddenly stood up, hastily shouting: "Ati, what do you want to do?"

  Just as he was about to shout, the girl who had rushed to Luoyue's side swung her right hand and slapped a palm towards Luoyue's face. As she struck out, the girl shrieked: "You shameless...!"

  She hadn't even finished speaking when the slap she swung out was firmly caught by Lu Yue. Although Lu Yue was also a weak and delicate woman, she had been doing household chores for many years, so whether it was physical strength or agility, she far surpassed this spoiled girl.

  Lu Xuan grasped the girl's wrist and stood up.

  The girl was held down and struggled to get up, her face flushed red as she shouted: "You scoundrel, let me go!"

  Lu Ying still held her wrist tightly. As she walked to the girl's side, the girl let out a sharp cry and stretched out her right foot to kick her!

  Lu Xuan lightly dodged to one side, then she twisted and pulled the girl's arm, causing her entire body to involuntarily lean forward. Lu Xuan grasped both of her wrists and stood behind her.

  Although dressed in women's clothing, Lu Yue stood behind her with a cold and calm demeanor, almost like a boy disguised as a girl. With his head down, Lu Yue stared at Ati coldly and said: "Ati, have you ever thought that after causing such a commotion, your private affairs will be known to everyone? From now on, no matter where you go, people will laugh at you, saying that you can't win the favor of your future husband, saying that you're reckless and don't know etiquette, no wonder nobody wants you?"

  Lü Yuè's voice was cold and clear as a spring, with great penetration power. The girl was struggling and screaming, but when she said that, her movements suddenly stiffened.

  The girl seemed to understand, Lu Xuan let out a cold laugh, she released the girl's hand and walked to one side to pick up her veil hat and put it on.

  Then she took out that "Records of the Grand Historian" from her bosom and said to Wang Shang in a low voice, "Wang Jialang, this book is too precious, my brother cannot accept it."

  She pushed the book to Wang Shangji, Lu Xuan walked to the girl's side, tilted her head, and Lu Xuan's pair of black and clear eyes looked at her, saying seriously: "A Ti, don't be so impatient in the future. In fact, your husband Wang Lang is meeting me, this young lady, for the first time." The young lady dressed up by her was indeed meeting Wang Shang for the first time, so Lu Xuan's words were not false at all.

  Lu Xuan's words were sincere, and his eyes shone with clarity from start to finish. This calm advice made the impulsive girl involuntarily lose her momentum.

  "She muttered: 'I, I heard it from someone.'"

  Luoyin softly said: "Ati, can you tell me who that person is? I suspect he's not up to any good."

  Lu Yue, with her gentle and steady demeanor, exuding an air of elder sisterhood, easily won over Atie's affection despite the latter's impulsive nature. She lowered her head, speaking in a somewhat embarrassed tone: "She didn't intentionally look for me; I happened to be passing by when I heard her telling someone that Lu Yue was a flighty and promiscuous woman who would switch partners at will, saying she had already hooked up with Wang Shanglang!"

  It seems I was being watched without realizing it.

  Luo Ying asked gently: "Who is the one who speaks idly?"

  Ati shook her head, "I don't know, it's a woman in her twenty-fives or sixties, she has been speaking ill of you."

  Lu Yun furrowed her brow and asked a few more questions, finally confirming that Ati was not intentionally brought here by someone, but rather it was just her own bad luck.

  Having figured everything out, Lu Ye leaned in close to the girl and said softly: "Ati, you're actually very good. In the future, don't be so impatient, and it would be even better if you didn't cling to your husband Wang Lang so tightly."

  Having said that, she turned around and bowed to Wang Shangfu, saying: "Wang family's young master, Ah Yue bids farewell."

  He watched as Lu Xuan left with a calm and composed demeanor, her cold responses to both him and Ati. Wang Shang pursed his lips, his deep eyes flashing, but he remained silent.

  Lu Xuan came out of the wine house and didn't see Lu Yun, so he thought that a big man like him wouldn't get lost, and turned around to head back.

  Lu Yu had just walked past an alley when a horse carriage suddenly came charging towards her. After Lu Yu's sudden brake, the carriage stopped abruptly, the curtain opened, and a low, magnetic voice came out, "Get in!"

  That's the voice of the nobleman!

  Lu Yuanteng suddenly lifted his head up.

  She glanced around and saw that many people were secretly looking over here, and she couldn't help but think: This is going to be good, who knows what they'll say about me tomorrow.

  Although annoyed, she did not dare to argue with the noble in this grand and crowded place. She quickly got on the carriage.

  The carriage looked ordinary on the outside, but inside it was decorated with great comfort. Black velvet carpeted the floor, and as soon as Luoyin's foot stepped on it, a large muddy footprint appeared.

  The two beautiful maids behind the noble person simultaneously lowered their heads to look at the muddy footprint on the black velvet, Lu Xuan also lowered his head to look at his own foot.

  After taking a glance, she stretched out her foot and slowly pressed it down, then made another clear footprint.

  The two maidservants simultaneously revealed a contemptuous expression. They looked at Lu Yue, waiting for this humble-born, dirty and wet country girl to reveal the self-abasement that matched her status in this noble place that was so mismatched with her identity, trembling with fear.

  Lu Xuan didn't show any nervousness, she furrowed her brow and then rubbed the other foot on the black velvet until both shoes were clean, only then did she walk to the noble's side and kneel down gracefully.

  Kneeling like this, the mud on her shoes would easily dirty her clothes. If she were to go to someone else's house, they would generally have her change her shoes. There weren't any shoes here for her to change into, so Lu Xing naturally prioritized cleanliness.

  Two maids stared wide-eyed, watching her every move. In fact, if it were a noble from another household, this behavior would be expected, but with Lu Xuan being the young lady of such status, they found it dazzling.

  At this moment, there was a hint of disgust in their eyes as they looked at Lu Xuan.

  At this moment, the nobleman who had been closing his eyes and resting suddenly said coldly: "Get out!"

  In an instant, two maidservants' eyes lit up simultaneously, and they looked at Lu Xue with a pleased expression.

  Lu Xuan's expression didn't change, she poured herself a drink and filled her own cup.

  The nobleman slightly opened his eyes, and as he did, his slanted, upward-tilting eyes sparkled with a hint of amusement. Closing them again, the nobleman said calmly, "You two, go down and punish yourselves."

  As soon as these words came out, the two maids' faces turned white like snow. They knelt down on the ground at the same time and kowtowed to the nobleman, begging: "Master..."

  "Get out!"

  As soon as the voice was heard, the two maidservants could no longer make a sound. They hastily scrambled down from the carriage and when they stood on the ground, their faces were pale with fear and confusion, making the two beautiful girls who looked like noble ladies tremble with fear.

  Lu Xuan withdrew her gaze.

  Judging from their demeanor and attire, they were originally also in a position of some status beside the noble. But this noble was just one word "roll", which made them like a dog losing its home, and it is unknown whether they were afraid of losing their current hard-won status and glory, or afraid of other punishments?

  Lu Xuan took a slow sip of wine and thought: Ping Shi tried every means to make herself one of them...

  While Lu Xuan was lost in thought, Guiren's low voice came over, "Get ready, arrive in Chengdu before the seventh of next month."

  What?

  Lu Yuanteng suddenly raised his head.

  The nobleman closed his eyes and cultivated his spirit. Under the sunlight, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, and his reserved expression revealed no joy or anger.

  Lu Xuan thought for a moment, then nodded: "Good." Today was the third day of the new year, and there was still a month to go before the seventh day. Han Yang and Chengdu were close, so the journey would not take more than seven days.

  She stood up, bowed to the noble and said in a low voice: "A Xuan bids farewell."

  As soon as her voice dropped, she called out to the coachman outside: "Stop for a moment."

  The horse carriage stopped at once.

  Lu Xuan got down from the horse carriage and looked back at the dirty footprints she had left behind, then glanced at the nobleman. Suddenly, she thought: Did he drive those two maids away because they showed disrespect towards me?

  It was really because of Lian Yu's husband that she stopped when he told her to stop, without any hesitation or questioning, which made her feel this way.

  Lu Xuan didn't like this feeling, she was a person who was used to self-discipline, and weighing the pros and cons had become second nature to her. For her, the more important people valued her, the more troublesome things would be.

  Staring at the carriage that was slowly disappearing into the distance, Lu Yue's eyes sparkled with a hint of determination as she thought to herself: Once I arrive in Chengdu, I must find a way to draw a clear boundary between us.

  Lu Xuan returned home half an hour later, and Lu Yun also came back.

  Seeing Lu Yue reading with her head down, Lu Yun sneaked in front of her and said softly: "Sister." After calling out to her, he placed a book in front of Lu Yue.

  This book is "Records of the Grand Historian".

  Lu Yun furrowed her brow, and Lu Cloud scratched his head, also somewhat embarrassedly saying: "Sister, I'm also helpless. Wang Langjun had a displeased expression on his face, shoved the book at me without saying a word, and I...I got a bit angry."

  Lu Xuan looked up at him and asked: "Did you see Wang Jialang again later?"

  "En." Lu Yun nodded, "He's been drinking a lot of wine, I'm his guard and was called over. After he called me over, he forced this book into my hands, his face didn't look good. Sister, you don't know, if I had said no at that time, he would have definitely had someone beat me up."