freenovelworld In the end, Chapter 953 gave 3% of the trade route to Bai Lu.
In the end, Chapter 953 gave 3% of the trade route to Bai Lu.
One stone caused a thousand waves!
The entire city of Kyoto was instantly in an uproar.
What kind of response is this?
This is absolutely outrageous!
Cold blood!
ruthless!
"My God, how could she say such a thing?"
"That's her biological mother and her dying brother!"
"Her reputation is undeserved! We've always admired her as a heroine, yet she's so cold-hearted!"
At that time, the criticism of Bailu reached its peak.
Countless self-proclaimed moral exemplars and writers took up their brushes and penned lengthy proclamations, denouncing Marquis Anguo for his disloyalty, filial impiety, inhumanity, and injustice.
When Zhao Bingyu heard the news in the villa, she was first stunned, then revealed a barely perceptible sneer.
This is the effect she wants.
The harder the weather is during the White Dew season, the more violent the rebound will be.
She could already imagine the wretched sight that would be when Bai Lu's kind mask was torn off.
However, just as public opinion was about to spiral out of control.
A deeper, more distant, and almost forgotten past has been unearthed.
The first to speak were several elderly ministers.
Duke Anguo and Duke Liang were the first to speak.
In the imperial court, facing the emperor and his officials, they recounted a story from the past.
"Do you all know how Bai Yansong, the father of Marquis Anguo, treated his eldest daughter back then?"
Everyone: "..."
Needless to say, he hadn't taken care of her during the more than ten years he had been a wanderer.
"Later, Master Bai broke with Madam Zhao, and Madam Zhao left without a trace. She knew that the Marquis was wandering outside, but she ignored him for more than ten years... What difference is there between her and being dead?"
"Now that your son is dying, you suddenly remember our Marquis? What right do you have!"
Then, it was Bai's old servant who, trembling, cried out to the neighbors.
"Our young lady... has such a hard life..."
"Mr. and Mrs. Bai have never had her in their hearts or minds..."
"The life of a young lady... I can't even imagine..."
"Later, the eldest daughter was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Anguo. The emperor bestowed upon her the Marquis's mansion, and the first thing she did was to sever ties with the Bai family and establish a female household."
She said that she, Bailu, would have no parents from then on, only her brother!
"This is...this is heartbreaking!"
People were shocked to realize that the heroine who was a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield, saved countless lives during the plague, and shone brightly in the eyes of the people had such a painful childhood.
She wasn't born heartless.
Instead, all feelings of filial piety were severed by their own biological parents.
That statement, "Orphaned and all alone," was not just a cold-hearted remark made in anger...
The people of the world, who were once filled with righteous indignation and full of confidence, now seemed to have their throats choked, unable to utter a single word.
What else could they say?
Why blame an abandoned child when you can save the other child of the mother who abandoned her?
How can you expect a daughter who nearly froze to death in the snow to be grateful to her abusive father and indifferent mother?
All the accusations, insults, and condemnations turned into silent protest.
...The plan failed.
Zhao Bingyu stood by the window of the villa, looking at the withering autumn leaves in the courtyard, and for the first time, a deep sense of helplessness appeared on her face.
She schemed and plotted, but she never expected Bai Lu to be so resolute as to expose her shameful past to the public in order to sever all ties with her.
These days, she has tried every possible method.
He asked someone to intercede on his behalf, offered a large sum of money, and even humbled himself to personally deliver a visiting card to the Marquis of Anguo's residence.
The response I received was always cold.
The gates of the Marquis's residence were tightly shut, and Bai Lu refused to see her or communicate with her in any way.
Meanwhile, the news coming from the manor was getting worse and worse.
If Zhen's health continues to deteriorate, it will be difficult to administer the medicine, and he will fall into a coma.
The doctor's letter was filled with anguish, urging her to return as soon as possible to see her son one last time.
Zhao Bingyu knew she had lost.
In this battle with her daughter, she suffered a crushing defeat...
She couldn't wait any longer.
True life is a million times more important than her so-called wealth.
Finally, she sent her trusted female steward to the Marquis of Anguo's residence again.
This time, instead of tearful pleas, they brought priceless treasures.
“My lady said that as long as Marquis Anguo is willing to help treat Young Master Ruzhen, she is willing to offer 30% of the Western Regions trade route.”
In a side hall of the Marquis's residence, the female steward respectfully conveyed Zhao Bingyu's decision to the old steward who had come to make the arrangements.
The old butler listened calmly with an expressionless face, then turned and went inside to report.
Half an hour later, the old steward reappeared, bringing Bailu's reply.
"The Marquis agrees."
Those four simple words instantly eased the tension that had been building up in the female manager's heart for days.
She bowed deeply, her voice trembling uncontrollably.
"Thank you, Lord Marquis."
That afternoon, an inconspicuous carriage drove out of the side gate of the Marquis of Anguo's mansion and went straight to the villa in the suburbs of Beijing where Zhao Bingyu lived.
Bai Lu got out of the car.
She wore a simple blue cloth dress, her long hair was casually tied up with a wooden hairpin, and her face was expressionless.
Her gaze bypassed Zhao Bingyu, who had come to greet her, and landed directly in the direction of the bedroom.
"Where are the people?"
Her voice was cold and devoid of warmth, as if she were not addressing her own mother, but rather handling a routine official matter.
Zhao Bingyu felt a slight pain in her heart from this indifference.
She suppressed the complex emotions in her heart and stepped aside to lead the way.
"It's...it's inside. Thank you for your help."
Bai Lu did not respond and went straight into the bedroom.
The room was filled with a strong smell of medicine and was dimly lit.
Lying on the bed was a boy with a face as pale as paper, his eyes closed, and his breathing so weak that it was almost imperceptible.
He was Ruzhen, the son to whom Zhao Bingyu had poured all her heart and soul and shown her unwavering affection...
Bai Lu walked to the bedside and quietly looked at him.
She felt neither sympathy nor disgust, as if she were observing a complete stranger.
She reached out and gently placed two fingers on Ruzhen's pulse.
A moment later, she lifted Ruzhen's eyelids again and carefully observed his pupils.
Zhao Bingyu stood to the side, so nervous that she even held her breath, afraid of disturbing her.
"The dissociative identity disorder is already very serious."
Bai Lu withdrew her hand and gave a diagnosis in a calm tone.
This disease is extremely rare; most doctors have never even heard of it.
The cause of the illness is complex. It is due to congenital weakness and extreme mental stress, which leads to instability of the soul and a part of the consciousness wandering outside the body.
If the wandering consciousness is not recalled in time, the physical body will wither away like a tree without roots, until death.
Is there...is there any hope?
Zhao Bingyu's voice trembled, filled with hope.
"It can be saved."
Bai Lu's answer remained concise.
She took out a small porcelain bottle from her medicine box, poured out a bright red pill, pried open Ruzhen's mouth, and put the pill in.
Then, she took out a set of silver needles as fine as cow hair.
"You all get out."
She turned to Zhao Bingyu and the maid in the room and spoke.
Without the slightest hesitation, Zhao Bingyu immediately led everyone out and closed the door behind her.
She stood outside the door, her back against the cold wall, her heart pounding in her chest.
Inside the room, Bailu began administering acupuncture.
Her movements were quick and precise; the silver needles seemed to come alive at her fingertips.
One silver needle after another fell, sealing several major acupoints on Ruzhen's body and stabilizing the last remaining life force within him.
Then, she took out a piece of warm, black jade from her bosom and placed it between Ruzhen's eyebrows.
Time passes bit by bit.
Zhao Bingyu, standing outside the door, felt like each day was an eternity.
The torment she felt was indescribable.
After an unknown amount of time, the door creaked open from the inside.
Bai Lu came out, her face even paler than when she went in, with fine beads of sweat on her forehead.
Zhao Bingyu immediately went to greet her and asked anxiously.
"How...how is he?"
Bai Lu didn't look at her, but just said it lightly.
He will wake up in half an hour.
After saying that, she walked past Zhao Bingyu and headed straight out of the courtyard.
Zhao Bingyu stood there, stunned, watching her daughter's back as she walked away without looking back, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
She wanted to say something, to say thank you, but found her throat dry and she couldn't utter a single word.
Half an hour, not a second off.
A maid's joyful shout came from inside the bedroom.
"Madam! The young master is awake! The young master is awake!"
Zhao Bingyu was startled and rushed into the room.
Ruzhen on the bed had already opened her eyes.
A sliver of color returned to his pale face, and although his eyes were still somewhat dazed, his breathing was now steady and strong.
Zhao Bingyu could no longer control her emotions, and tears welled up in her eyes.
She rushed to the bedside and hugged her son tightly.
"My son! You've finally woken up!"
She wept uncontrollably, burying her face in her son's shoulder, her body trembling violently with emotion.
"You scared your mother to death... My child, how pitiful you are..."
Ru Zhen was held in her mother's arms, her face full of confusion.
He felt as if he had a very long dream, in which everything was blurry and indistinct.
"Mother... what's wrong with me?"
He asked, his voice still somewhat hoarse and weak.
"I feel like I slept for a long time."
If you try hard to recall, you will find that your memory of the recent period is completely blank.
He only remembered that he was very sick, and then... and then that was it.
He couldn't remember anything that had happened in the past few days.
Zhao Bingyu wiped away her tears, comforted her son, and told him to rest well.
Then, she went out of the room and saw Bailu standing under an osmanthus tree in the courtyard, seemingly waiting for her.
She stepped forward, her voice tinged with confusion.
"Ru Zhen... seems to remember nothing. What's going on?"
Bai Lu turned around and looked at her calmly.
"I sealed his memories of this period."
Her tone was completely flat.
"He was seriously ill, hovering between life and death. This memory only brings him pain. It's better for him to forget it."
Zhao Bingyu remained silent.
She understood the meaning of White Dew.
It is indeed a kind act to let Ruzhen forget the torment of her illness, to forget the despair and fear.
Looking at Bai Lu's face, which bore a resemblance to her own but was incredibly cold, she felt a surge of complex emotions once again.
After a long pause, she nodded.
"it is good."
Zhao Bingyu took a deep breath, seemingly making her final decision.
"I will keep my promise and hand over 30% of the trade routes in the Western Regions to you. However, I need some time."
She looked at Bai Lu.
"I must return to the Western Regions first to personally organize the handover documents and accounts. Don't worry, it will take at most a month. After a month, I will come to the capital in person and hand everything over to you."
Bai Lu shook her head.
"You don't need to come to Kyoto."
Her words surprised Zhao Bingyu.
"Just hand the things over to Qingzhou."
Bai Lu continued, as if stating something that had already been decided.
"The main trade route to the Western Regions is in Qingzhou; there is no trade route from Liangzhou. If you want to organize it, you will inevitably have to go to Qingzhou."
She paused, then added.
"Moreover, my daughters will be going to study at Bailudong Academy in Qingzhou in a while. I will stay there for some time."
Zhao Bingyu understood.
Bai Lu was telling her that the future meeting point would be in Qingzhou, and they would no longer need to meet in Kyoto.
She felt a little disappointed, but still nodded.
"it is good."
Just then, Ruzhen, who had just woken up, slowly walked out of the room with the help of her maid.
He saw the white dew in the courtyard, and a hint of curiosity flashed in his eyes.
He didn't know who the woman in green was, but subconsciously he felt a strange sense of closeness to her.
"Mother, who is this...?"
Zhao Bingyu didn't know how to introduce herself.
Ruzhen walked straight to Bailu and smiled gently at her.
"Sister, thank you for saving me."
Although he had forgotten the details, he knew from the few words his mother and maid had spoken that the person in front of him had saved his life.
Bai Lu looked at him, her gaze unchanged.
Ru Zhen continued, her tone carrying a hint of youthful earnestness.
"Sister, I want to stay in Da Wu, is that okay?"
Bai Lu frowned slightly.
Ru Zhen explained, "I've always longed to visit Dawu since I was little because my mother talked about its prosperity. This time... even though I was sick, I've still managed to come. I'd like to stay here a little longer to see the local customs and culture. I wonder... if that's alright?"
This question surprised Bai Lu somewhat.
She paused for a moment, then gave a cold reply.
"No."
Her voice was not loud, but extremely clear.
“I don’t like your family staying here.”
This "your family" naturally includes Ruzhen herself.
Ruzhen's smile froze.
He hadn't expected to receive such a direct and ruthless rejection.
The light in his eyes dimmed instantly, revealing an undisguised disappointment.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but Zhao Bingyu stopped him.
Zhao Bingyu forced a gentle but stiff smile at Bai Lu.
"The child doesn't understand, please don't mind."
Bai Lu didn't look at the mother and child again.
"Transaction complete, I should go now."
After saying that, she turned around, walked out of the gate of the villa without looking back, and disappeared into the twilight.
In the courtyard, only a disappointed Ruzhen remained.
And Zhao Bingyu, whose expression was complicated and who remained silent for a long time.