Chapter 346

Chapter 346

Checking the mirror for the umpteenth time, Luo-Luo straightened her hair ornaments and smoothed out her dress, though neither were out of place to begin with. Fanning herself to keep from perspiring, she took a long, calming breath, and then another, wondering why her body felt so hot even though her breath formed misty white clouds which were carried away by a smooth, steady breeze. Absurd is what it was, but she lacked the time and learning to delve into the mysteries of the human body with her entrance into high society mere minutes away. Shed spent six long years dreaming of this moment and yet somehow she was still caught unprepared, mentally scrambling as she went over the preparations to double check if shed overlooked anything of importance or made any obvious gaffes.

Oh, if only she hadnt insisted on having this banquet as quickly as possible, she could have taken her time to ensure everyone knew their part and nothing would go wrong. Too late for regrets now, her Lord Husband was awaiting her presence and to leave him and his guests waiting would make for a horrible first impression, but such matters were out of her hands. As the leading heroine of tonights banquet, she should be last to take the stage, but her sister-wives and their families had yet to arrive. Oh Mother above, why did her Lord Husband seat their guests before everyone was ready? This was a disaster, their guests were people of influence and standing, unaccustomed to being asked to wait. If this delay were to upset them, then all would be lost, her Lord Husband shunned by his peers and she would be blamed. Then in his rage, he would cast her aside and leave her to fend for herself, a poor, defenseless girl with -

Luo-Luo, help please.

Leaving her father and guards behind, Lin-Lin ran down the hallway with the twin bears ambling in her wake. In a flurry of silk and cotton, Lin-Lin skidded to a halt and flashed her charming smile, presenting Luo-Luo with a box of silver hairpins and a jewelled mesh with sapphire-encrusted bells, all of which were supposed to be worn in her hair. Her braided hair, no less, the same frayed braids shed worn all day, not even brushed or oiled. Knowing time was of the essence, Luo-Luo inwardly cringed and answered, Luo-Luo is happy to help. Extensive brushing or elaborate styling was out of the question, but shed done more with less. Lin-Lin would look fetching with her hair in a low, knotted bun, or perhaps she prefers a stick shell?

Recoiling from Luo-Luos hands, Lin-Lin grabbed her braids and shook her head in vehement denial. No thank you, just put the pins and net on please, ya? Hubby loves Lin-Lins braids.

Really? The exclamation slipped out before she could stop it, so surprised by her Lord Husbands tastes. Then again, it made sense, her Lord Husband was still a young man of nineteen, his memories of childhood still fresh in his mind. Perhaps hed be more receptive if Luo-Luo braided her hair too...

Yup. Certain her braids would be left untouched, Lin-Lin turned around to let Luo-Luo do her work, doing her best to cover up the frayed braids while slipping the unneeded hairpins in around the sweet girls bunny ears. Hubby used to come over every afternoon and cook lunch for all three of us, then afterwards hed brush and braid my hair. When he was done, hed give them a light tug, smile, and tell me I was too cute. Hubbys the best, ya?

How enviable to be so cherished and loved...

Oh, how the years fly by... Lin-Lins father was a dramatic sort, not entirely what Luo-Luo expected of a Medical Saint, dabbing his eyes with a handkerchief while shaking his head. It seems like yesterday when I carried you into our home for the first time, so tiny and precious you fit in the crook of my arm, and now my precious Lin-Lin is a woman grown. Too fast, too fast.

Its okay daddy, Lin-Lin will always be here for you.

Smiling at the touching daughter/father exchange, Luo-Luo added a few final touches to Lin-Lins hair and brought her to the mirror for a look. Glancing over the younger girls outfit with a critical eye, Luo-Luos eyes widened in alarm as an errant thought crossed her mind. Made from a vibrant blue silk and lined with silky, white fur, Lin-Lins dress was beautifully embroidered and stunning to look at, but cut in an almost archaic fashion. A loosely draped, high-necked, wide-sleeved blouse over two layered skirts, one short and fringed, the other long and flowing, all held in place with a broad, moon-patterned sash, this type of dress hadnt been seen in the homeland for at least two-hundred years.

Though outdated, this wasnt an issue which concerned Luo-Luo, for like the girl herself, Lin-Lins dress had a certain elegance and charm, bringing to mind a loose and refined independence which Luo-Luo envied. No, what concerned her was how modest the dress was, covering sweet Lin-Lin from chin to floor without exposing so much as a toe or finger. She even had her lovely white scarf draped over her shoulders, as if the high-necked blouse and modest shirt beneath it were not enough to protect her virtue.

In contrast, Luo-Luos skin-tight, red and gold silk dress bore a low neckline, left her shoulders and arms bare, and ended above her knees. Shed spotted it in the third shop theyd visited and fallen in love with the embroidery, but shed forgotten to account for her one important thing: her Lord Husbands people were prudes. Why didnt Mother say anything? Shed taken one look at Luo-Luos dress and set to haggling over the price. Though brusque of temper and harsh of tongue, Mothers actions spoke of a woman with a kind, caring nature, always reassuring Luo-Luo not to worry about the price and that she was a part of the family.

Luo-Luo was grateful of Mothers easy acceptance, but had it all been a ruse? Did Mother give her just enough rope to hang herself, expecting Luo-Luo to embarrass herself strutting about in a scanty dress like some common harlot? Luo-Luos worries redoubled as her sister-in-law arrived wearing yet another modest, though more contemporary, dark purple dress. The high-necked, button-up ensemble hugged the contours of her athletic figure and left little to the imagination, but also covered her from neck to ankle. With her long brown hair in a half-up twisted crown, unadorned save for the white tufts of fur protruding around her expressive tiger ears, Alsantset was a strikingly beautiful woman who could never be mistaken for helpless, her smoky eyes and serious demeanour only further enhancing her ferocious, untamed look. That same look struck fear into Luo-Luos heart as Alsantset examined her from head to toe, sneering in visible disapproval at Luo-Luos dress.

Resisting the urge to cover herself up, Luo-Luo straightened up and weathered her sister-in-laws scrutiny with feigned courage, silently taking a stand against this fearsome women. So what if she liked wearing provocative dresses? She wasnt like Alsantset, a warrior first and woman second. Luo-Luo relied solely on her husband for status and cared for no opinion but his. Besides, she wasnt ashamed of her body and had worked hard to keep herself beautiful. Oils to keep her hair silky and smooth, lotions and pumice stones to keep her skin soft and callous-free, stretches and exercises to keep in shape, Luo-Luos days and nights were filled with endless busywork to keep herself looking youthful and alluring.

Despite her retort, Mother looked pleased with his response, patting his cheeks with a motherly smile. Tch, seeing you lie without blinking, perhaps Ive been too harsh in judging that Fung boy. Youre a born skirt chaser is what you are.

Its both a curse and a blessing. Thank you for arranging all of this. Its beautiful.

Thank my new Disciple, Rustram, he did all the work. Dont look so shocked, I may be feeble bodied but my mind is still sharp. And dont think for one second you can keep bullying him either, Ill not stand for it. Youre nowhere near strong enough to keep me from taking a cane to your behind. Waving him off, she added, Youve ignored your concubine long enough. I wont tell you to treat her well because youll do so regardless, but dont be so mule-headed and contrary. Shes no childhood friend or rival-turned-lover, but get to know her first, then get to making grandchildren for me to spoil.

Ill do my best Mom. After guiding Mother to her seat, Lord Husband returned to Luo-Luos side with a smile, though her heart broke to see that this one was just tired. Well, shall we? Taking her hand, he turned to the audience and spoke over their childish giggling. Honoured guests, it is my pleasure and privilege to present my concubine, Imperial Servant Zheng Luo. The audience clapped and Luo-Luo curtsied in thanks, but it was all more subdued than shed have liked. She wasnt sure if it was because her Lord Husband had many enemies and detractors, or because his voice was so deadpan it drained the energy from everyone listening.

Her Lord Husband might be many things, but charismatic, he was not.

Nor were he possessed of good memory, it would seem. Having apparently forgotten everything else he was supposed to say, he looked up at Luo-Luo and shrugged before bringing her to their seats, placing Luo-Luo next to Mother while Lord Husband and Alsantset on the other side. Straining to hold her smile in place, she leaned against his arm and said, Lord Husband is wise to allow his guests to speak their mind before announcing his new status as an Imperial Consort. Clever to hide the token too, lest those more observant notice and hold their tongue.

Ah right. Sorry. I knew I was forgetting something but couldnt remember what. Patting her hand, he gently separated from her and sighed, choosing to sit and repeatedly clear his throat instead of continue their conversation while the servants brought food to their table. Yet another flaw was his poor acting skills, his smile slipping, shoulders slumping, and back slouching the moment he thought he was out of the public eye, but as the host, he never would be. A far cry from his proud, noble persona, but he looked so tired Luo-Luo didnt have the heart to condemn him. The battles this morning must have taxed him greatly, but as the newly crowned number one talent in the Empire, he needed to pay heed to his public image. No one would accept a tired, lethargic hero and presenting himself as such would only earn him scorn.

Throughout the meal, Luo-Luo tried her best to keep him looking sharp, but her efforts were wasted. Each time hed straighten up and restore his proud, noble demeanour, but minutes later hed slump back into his seat with half-lidded eyes. Perhaps noticing his ordeal, Lord Husbands friends arrived to toast to his good fortune and give him good reason to look tired, but it only made things worse as the first cup of wine had him coughing up a storm. This gave Lord Husbands detractors more fuel with which to mock him, the fresh-faced young talent who couldnt hold his drink, so in an attempt to regain face, Rain downed a second drink and almost immediately coughed it back up. Exiting the stage to go clean himself off, Lord Husband left his friends and other guests standing at the table, and only young magistrate Fung's disarming smile and artful handling kept the situation from spiralling out of control.

Mother assured her everything would be all right, that Rain probably inhaled his wine a little too quickly and never could hold his drink, but by the time Lord Husband returned, the first course had been cleared away and Luo-Luo could barely remember tasting her food. Hoping to draw attention away from him and give him more time to recover, she asked the servants to bring her zither on stage. Standing in front of the guests, Luo-Luo curtsied once more as the crowd fell silent, politely waiting to hear her performance. Though she ached to say something on behalf of her Lord Husband, it would be unbecoming of a concubine to address so many noble personages, so she sat down to play her tune and prayed it would be enough.

Closing her eyes, she steadied her breathing and cleared her mind. After long seconds of silence, she sat up and smiled, ready to begin. Plucking a string, she played a single opening note and left it to hang in the air, a powerful, pure sound to cleanse ones soul and ease ones heart.

Or it would have were it not interrupted by a series of hacking coughs emanating from her Lord Husbands throat.

Why must he ruin everything?

The crowd gasped and Luo-Luo turned to watch in horror as her Lord Husbands face went from deep red to dark purple, his body doubled over with the force of his coughs. Pounding the table with his fist, he fell to his knees and gasped, a long, wheezing, tortured sound which squeezed her heart until it ached. The wheezing ended as he toppled over, only for Alsantset to catch him and gently lower him to the floor. Father took control and forced everyone back, making room for the Medical Saint to approach.

Utter silence washed over the courtyard as the Medical Saint looked over his student, while Lin-Lin and Mila held one another tight, worry etched across both their faces for Lord Husband had yet to make another sound. It wasnt long before the Medical Saint looked up and shared a silent exchange with Father, whose stony demeanour cracked with fury. Drawing his sword, Father brandished it and bellowed, Seal the exits, gather the servants, and bring me the Magistrate! No one leaves until we find the bastard who poisoned.My. Son!

Chapter Meme