My Wife is a Frustrating Genius!!! - Chapter 68

The old emperor rose in a fit of rage, his eyes darting left and right across the desk as if searching for a handy tool to smash the stubborn mule kneeling before him into oblivion.

“You stubborn mule, did Yi’er teach you this line? Is this truly how you feel?” The old emperor stood with his hands clasped behind his back, looking down imperiously at the person below.

Lu Jiahe trembled uncontrollably at the old emperor’s roar. In the past, she wouldn’t have even bothered to acknowledge him, but now things were different. This infuriating old man was her beloved wife’s father, her father-in-law! She no longer dared to defy him as she once had.

“Your Majesty, every word I speak is true,” Lu Jiahe said, pressing her forehead firmly against the marble floor.

She was inwardly cursing her misfortune, furious at herself for not discovering her wife’s identity sooner and for arguing with her father-in-law in front of so many nobles.

“Hmph!”

Even if the old emperor believed Lu Jiahe’s words were sincere, he still couldn’t quell the fury in his heart.

“Your Majesty, the Eldest Princess requests an audience.”

An elderly eunuch hurried into the room to report to the old emperor.

Upon hearing that his daughter had arrived, Cheng’s father lost all interest in continuing his argument with Lu Jiahe and immediately waved his hand, signaling the eunuch to bring her in.

Cheng Yi had waited in her palace for Lu Jiahe for quite some time, and when the other didn’t appear, she guessed that she must have been “receiving a lesson” from her father.

“Get up quickly,” Cheng Yi said as soon as she entered the room and saw Lu Jiahe kneeling before the desk, kowtowing to her father. Her heart ached for her, so she disregarded palace etiquette and pulled Lu Jiahe up from the floor right in front of everyone.

Seeing this, Lu Jiahe raised her upper body but kept her knees stubbornly pressed against the hard marble floor. “Wife, step aside. I’m fine,” she said, gripping the hand that was forcefully holding her arm, her gaze flickering uneasily toward the old emperor.

The clever Cheng Yi, seeing how cautiously the other was watching her father, instantly understood why she was so afraid of him now.

“Dad, please let her get up. What if her knees get injured? If she ends up with lasting problems, won’t I be the one who has to take care of her?” Cheng Yi walked over to her father, looking at him with a pleading expression.

Silly girl! I’m doing all this for your own good!

The Old Emperor was heartbroken! His daughter, whom he had raised with such care, was now pleading on behalf of some outsider she hadn’t known for long.

Seeing her father’s expression soften slightly, Cheng Yi quickly added, “Dad, I’ll be sad if she gets hurt.”

Cheng’s father sighed coldly, his eyes fixed on Lu Jiahe, then sat down in his chair and said sternly, “Why are you still kneeling? Get up now.”

Hearing this, Lu Jiahe pressed her lips together and bowed her head. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Cheng Yi immediately released her father’s arm and hurried over to Lu Jiahe, helping her up. “Are you okay? Do your knees hurt?”

Lu Jiahe glanced timidly at the old emperor, then shook her head at her wife and whispered, “I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt.”

Cheng Yi could tell Lu Jiahe was lying just by looking at her trembling legs. She released her grip and, ignoring the eunuchs and palace maids present, fetched a chair and placed it beside Lu Jiahe, then pulled her down to sit.

The moment Lu Jiahe sat, it felt as if a thousand cacti were pricking her bottom. She hurriedly tried to lift herself and stand up.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine, no need to sit,” Lu Jiahe said, grabbing Cheng Yi’s wrist to steady herself as she attempted to rise.

“It’s alright, don’t worry,” Cheng Yi replied, placing both hands firmly on Lu Jiahe’s shoulders to keep her seated.

Cheng’s father watched his once-arrogant daughter reduced to this state for the sake of that pig and felt a surge of anger. He flicked his sleeve and turned his head away, unwilling to see more.

“Father, I’ve prepared hotpot for lunch. Mother will be joining us soon. Would you like to come to my palace to eat?” Cheng Yi, seeing her father’s frustration, felt a pang of guilt and invited him to her quarters.

“Hmph! I’ll go pick up your mother,” the old emperor retorted, unable to bear the sight of his daughter being intimate with that other pig. He stood up and left the hall.

Cheng Yi couldn’t help but laugh at her father’s tsundere behavior.

Lu Jiahe stared wide-eyed, never imagining that the revered Son of Heaven, the emperor himself, could act this way.

“Alright, does your leg still hurt? If not, come back with me. I’ll apply some medicine and massage it,” Cheng Yi said, releasing her hold on Lu Jiahe’s shoulders and stepping in front of her to examine her closely.

After a night apart, the dark circles under Lu Jiahe’s eyes were especially noticeable. Cheng Yi reached out and gently stroked them, her heart aching with concern.

Having missed her wife all night, Lu Jiahe held Cheng Yi’s hand and brought it to her lips. Just as she leaned in to kiss it, she remembered they were still in her father-in-law’s palace. She glanced around at the eunuchs and maids staring intently at her. Clearly, they were there to keep an eye on her.

Clutching her wife’s hand tightly, Lu Jiahe stood up and left the old emperor’s hall with Cheng Yi.

“What did you two talk about earlier?” Cheng Yi asked, linking arms with Lu Jiahe as they walked slowly toward her palace.

“Just what you told me the other day,” Lu Jiahe replied, recounting everything that had happened in the hall. With Cheng Yi as her only support, she behaved obediently, not even daring to initiate a kiss.

After hearing Lu Jiahe’s account, Cheng Yi nodded, understanding why her father had been so angry.

“Don’t worry, my father just wants to test you. Nothing will come between us,” Cheng Yi reassured her, leaning in to place a gentle kiss on the corner of Lu Jiahe’s mouth.

Hyper-alert and sensitive, Lu Jiahe immediately turned her head to scan their surroundings upon feeling the warmth.

Cheng Yi couldn’t help but chuckle at her cautious reaction. “Relax, it’s fine.”

Lu Jiahe pressed her lips together, nodded, and obediently followed Cheng Yi back to the palace.

When they entered the bedchamber, Guo’er and Lu An, who had been left behind, had already prepared the meat and vegetables for the hotpot.

The four of them had just sat down to wait when a young eunuch rushed in to announce the arrival of the Emperor and Empress.

After the two entered, the four stood up, and except for Cheng Yi, the other three all performed the ceremonial kowtow.

Cheng’s mother had shared a bed with her daughter the previous night and, after hearing Lu Jiahe’s background and past hardships, couldn’t help but feel heartache for her.

Before the old emperor could tell them to rise, Cheng’s mother stepped forward first, supporting Lu Jiahe and helping her up.

“Child, you’ve suffered all these years.”

Cheng’s mother looked at Lu Jiahe with a kind and gentle expression. The old emperor, seeing this, cast a disdainful glance at the two before walking into the palace on his own.

“You two, sit down and eat with us as well,” the old emperor said after dismissing the eunuchs and palace maids attending the room, calling for Guo’er and Lu An, who were standing nearby, to join them for the meal.

Upon hearing the old emperor’s words, Guo’er and Lu An were so frightened that they immediately knelt on the ground.

What status did the emperor hold? They were merely servants from common households. How could they dare to dine with the Son of Heaven and the Phoenix Lord?

“Your Majesty, you humble us too much. We are but servants of the Lu family and dare not share a meal with Your Majesty,” Guo’er said, kneeling on the ground, trembling as she spoke with her head bowed.

Hearing this, the old emperor set down his chopsticks and looked at the two. “It’s fine, rise. If I tell you to eat, then you shall eat.”

Guo’er and Lu An exchanged glances but pretended not to hear the emperor’s words, continuing to kneel on the ground.

The old emperor sighed deeply. “It is thanks to your care that Yi’er remained safe during her time away. That night during the ambush, you both remained loyal and protected your master, unlike some who even picked up a kitchen knife intending to strike me. Consider this meal my gratitude to you.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Jiahe clenched her hands on her knees, slowly stood up, and bowed her head in apology, thinking to herself how this old emperor never missed a chance to mock her.

Guo’er and Lu An, hearing this, became even more afraid to rise. After all, the one who had picked up the kitchen knife to strike the old emperor was their own young master!

Seeing this, Cheng Yi sighed helplessly. “Sit down,” she said, pulling Lu Jiahe by the sleeve and seating her in a chair. Then, turning to Guo’er and Lu An, she added, “Just act as you would at home. Come and eat.”

With their young mistress having spoken and the old emperor staring at them silently, Guo’er and Lu An had no choice but to brace themselves and sit in the chairs.

Before the palace gates were locked for the night, the old emperor drove Lu Jiahe out of the palace, fearing she might take his daughter away or stay overnight in her chambers, giving rise to gossip.

The next morning, the entire capital was abuzz with rumors that the old emperor had forcibly seized the Tanhua (the third-ranked scholar in the imperial examinations) and brought him to the palace, pressuring him into an engagement with the eldest princess.

Those colleagues who had entered the palace with Lu Jiahe to meet the emperor had initially kept their distance due to the emperor’s anger. However, upon learning that Lu Jiahe had dined with the old emperor and the eldest princess, they actively sought to build connections with him.

Meanwhile, Lu Zhengliang, who was rushing back to the capital, learned that his daughter-in-law was none other than the current eldest princess. He immediately ordered the Lu family bank in the capital to prepare lavish gifts. Upon his arrival, without a moment’s rest, he took Lu Jiahe and the gifts to the palace to request an audience.

The Lu family had no officials in their ranks and held no political power, they were poor in everything except money. Now that Lu Jiahe had unexpectedly risen to such heights by marrying the eldest princess, Lu Zhengliang was not about to let this opportunity to bring honor to the family slip away.

“Hurry up! Don’t you know what status your father-in-law holds? Look at how sluggishly you’re fussing over your attire. If others see this, won’t they say the Lu family is disrespecting the Emperor?” Lu Zhengliang sat inside the carriage, fuming as he watched his son meticulously adjust his clothing.

“Once you’re done, get out of the carriage immediately. Do you expect your father-in-law to wait for you?”

Upon hearing this, Lu Jiahe frowned and smoothed the wrinkles on his outer robe before stepping out of the carriage.

Lu Zhengliang shot him an annoyed glare, then quickly descended and led the servants pushing the cart laden with lavish gifts toward the palace gates.

“Your Excellency, I am the father of this year’s Tanhualang. I have come today to request an audience with His Majesty.” Lu Zhengliang produced two gold ingots and handed one each to the guards stationed at the entrance.