The reason why Madam Liu was able to hold onto her father's heart for more than 10 years was because she knew how to endure, when to endure, and was good at enduring. The side that she showed to her father was always her father's favorite.
As such, Madam Liu now treats Qiu Huan very well and didn't need her to do any work in the Lotus Hall.
Lu Xiang would hear some things about Qiu Huan every day.
It was said that Concubine Liu ordered one of the servants to tidy up a spacious room for Qiu Huan to stay in so that she could serve the Master.
It was said that Concubine Liu saw that Qiu Huan had worked hard by serving the Master at night, so she pulled one of her own maidservants to serve Qiu Huan instead.
Qiu Huan didn't hold back and accepted it all. She even suggested to Madam Liu that she should stay in a separate courtyard. Madam Liu readily went to tell her husband about it.
Everyone in the manor was dumbfounded by Concubine Liu's actions. They did not understand why Concubine Liu would take such good care of a lowly servant who had betrayed her mistress.
Qiu Huan belonged to Concubine Liu. Wasn't Concubine Liu jealous at all?
However, it was undeniable that Madam Liu's magnanimity won Lu Youping's love and affection.
The boring Lu Manor suddenly had such entertaining news, and Lu Xiang listened to it with relish.
Whether she was magnanimous or gentle, these were all methods that Madam Liu knew best. However, behind her magnanimity and gentleness, there was definitely a storm brewing.
There was a wisteria in the middle of Fuyuan Hall's courtyard. It was the blooming season and when the wind blew, the fragrance of the flowers spread. From afar, one could smell the refreshing fragrance.
The west-facing wall of the courtyard was covered with creepers that covered the entire wall. They overlapped and hung down like a wall of leaves. The branches and leaves swayed in the wind, and the entire courtyard was filled with vitality.
Luochun suddenly came to see her. The Old Madam was annoyed by the people around Madam Liu. She originally didn't want to see them, but she heard Luochun kneel down at the door and say,
"Greetings to the Old Madam. Concubine Liu has been sick for a few days, but she's unwilling to call a doctor. I have no choice but to beg Old Madam to make a decision."
"Where's the Master?" Old Madam asked.
Madam Liu had been ill for so many days, so how could Youping not know? She didn't invite a doctor for herself or tell Youping, but instead came to ask her to make a decision?
What was wrong with her?
Could it be that she wanted to frame an old woman like her for making her sick?
Luochun continued, "Concubine Liu does not want to worry the Master so she had lied to the Master that her period is here and therefore, she was unable to serve him. However, she's in so much pain today that she can't stop rolling around on the bed. The Master isn't in the manor, so I can only come and beg Old Madam for help."
"Nanny Wen, go get the doctor," Old Madam said.
Madam Liu was a concubine. Even if the Master doted on her, she wouldn't be able to command the servants in the front yard. However, their Lu Manor never had rules stating that concubines were not allowed to call for a doctor. What was Madam Liu trying to do?
Did she deliberately let her know that she was sick so that she could gain her sympathy?
Luochun kowtowed to the old lady gratefully and left.
What was strange was that no matter how many doctors were called, none of them could not find out what's wrong.
The old lady had no choice but to go to the Lotus Hall herself.
The maids reported that Madam Liu had a headache every day and her entire body hurt. Moreover, in the past two days, red spots had appeared on her body for no reason. When Lu Xiang followed the Old Madam to visit, she did see the red dots on Madam Liu's exposed arm.
"Lord Lu, Old Madam, there's nothing wrong with this concubine's pulse. I'm ashamed to not be able to diagnose what is wrong with her."
Another doctor said after taking her pulse.
Old Madam sat at one side of the room. When she heard this, she could not help but frown.
Lu Youping's heart ached even more. "Find another doctor. Is there no doctor in this huge Yangning City who can diagnose what her condition is?"
Lu Mingzhu sat by Madam Liu's bed and looked at Madam Liu, who was lying on the bed and moaning in pain. She sniffled and said, "How could this be? If Concubine Liu isn't sick, why would there be such a painful expression on her face? And these red dots on her body, could it be that she was possessed?"
She seemed to be talking to herself. When Lu Xiang heard this, her eyebrows jumped and a sharp glint flashed across her eyes. In an instant, she seemed to have caught something, but it flashed past—
On the carved wooden bed, Madam Liu lay with a pained expression on her face. Her hands gripped the blanket tightly. When she heard Lu Mingzhu's words, she forced her eyelids open and scolded softly, "Mingzhu, don't spout nonsense. What do you mean by being possessed or not? You're scaring everyone."
Lu Mingzhu said with tears in her eyes, "If you weren't possessed, why couldn't the doctor find the cause of the illness?"
She blurted out in a moment of desperation, but then seemed to realize that it was inappropriate of her to say it, so she lowered her head.
However, Lu Youping took Lu Mingzhu's words to heart.
Madam Liu's situation was really illogical and suspicious.
Lu Xiang looked at Madam Liu with a glint in her eyes.
In that instant, she immediately understood what Madam Liu wanted to do.
Possessed?!
To think that this mother-daughter pair could think of such a thing. Madam Liu was clearly seriously ill and the cause of her illness could not be found. One couldn't help but think that she was possessed.
She wondered who Madam Liu was trying to eliminate by using such a ruse.
Her?
Lu Xiang looked at Madam Liu, who was lying on the bed and humming softly. Her cold eyes flickered with a cold light, like a 1000 years old glacier, freezing one's limbs and bones.
Lu Youping turned to look at the old lady and said, "Mother, why don't we invite a Taoist priest to perform a ritual?"
Better to be safe than sorry!
The old lady believed in Buddhism and believed in the existence of ghosts and gods. She nodded lightly. "Yes."
"Then I'll get someone to look for a master," Lu Youping said.
Wu Yue looked at Lu Xiang worriedly, her eyes filled with uneasiness and nervousness.
Miss, did Concubine Liu set another trap for you?
Lu Xiang frowned deeply. Her mind raced as she thought about the strange things that had happened recently.
Currently, the only people she could trust were Yun Zhe and Wu Yue, and the only people she trusted to serve as her personal maids were the two of them.
Looking at the silent Lu Xiang, Wu Yue was so anxious that she was sweating. However, Lu Xiang patted her hand, an indication for her not to be anxious.
Her ink-black pupils carried a terrifying aura within. Her breathtakingly beautiful face was filled with indifference, and her red lips pursed into a cold arc.
So what if the trap was laid for her?
In this manor, the Old Madam doted on her like she's part of her body. With such a strong backer, she was not afraid of Madam Liu's methods.
Wu Yue's panicked heart gradually calmed down.
She has a blind belief in her Miss and all that she said.
In less than two hours, Lu Youping returned. "Mother, we've invited him back."
The old lady was stunned. "So soon?" As she spoke, she stood up from her chair and walked out first.