lcionline Chapter 946 The Old Servant is Zhao Bingyu
Chapter 946 The Old Servant is Zhao Bingyu
"Ah."
Bai Lu casually agreed, without voicing her deep-seated doubts.
She looked at Murong Jinshu and changed the subject.
"Has there been any movement in the court recently?"
Murong Jinshu sighed, her expression turning serious.
"What else could happen?"
"The Empress has passed away, and His Highness the Crown Prince is so grief-stricken that he has been unable to attend court for several days."
"Although His Majesty is forcing himself to handle state affairs and attend court, he looks much more haggard..."
Bai Lu nodded; this was roughly what she had expected.
After seeing Murong Jinshu off, Bai Lu returned to her study alone.
Instead of immediately preparing the medicine, she took out an old scroll from a hidden compartment.
The dossier records the names of all registered merchants in the Great Wu Dynasty in recent years with assets exceeding 500,000 taels, as well as their places of origin, businesses, and personal connections.
She spread out the file and, by the candlelight, carefully flipped through it page by page.
"Jiangnan, silk, the Shen family..."
"Hedong, salt and iron, the Chang family..."
"Lingnan, porcelain, the Wen family..."
One after another, prominent merchant families flashed by before her eyes.
However, no information about any of the families matched up with Murong Jinshu's mysterious distant cousin.
The Murong family originated in the north, but later moved to the capital. Most of their relatives are from the north.
The wealthy northern merchant recorded in the dossier, who could easily spend tens of thousands of taels of silver, had no kinship ties with the Murong family.
The doubts are growing stronger.
"peony."
Bai Lu called out without looking up.
Peony appeared silently at the door like a ghost: "What are your orders, Lord Marquis?"
"Send people to investigate. Find out where those two people who came to the manor today came from and where they stayed. Especially that old servant, find out his background."
Bai Lu's voice was cool and clear, "Remember, you can only observe from afar, and you must not disturb them."
"clear."
Peony bowed and accepted the order, then quietly withdrew.
Kyoto, southern part of the city, an inconspicuous residential courtyard.
Unlike the brightly lit Anguo Marquis's mansion, this place was pitch black, with only one inconspicuous side room, from which a faint yellow light shone through the thick window paper.
The room was simply furnished, even rudimentary.
The patient, who had remained silent since leaving the Marquis of Anguo's residence, was now lying quietly on the bed.
His cloak and veil had been removed, revealing a young but bloodless face.
It was an extremely handsome face, with delicate features still faintly visible in the outline of the eyebrows and eyes, but the eyes were tightly closed, the lips were bluish-purple, and the whole person was like a jade sculpture that had lost its soul, without the slightest bit of life.
The short, old servant also shed his disguise.
He removed his old felt hat, which was pulled down very low, and unbuttoned his bulky, ill-fitting servant's uniform.
In the candlelight, what was revealed was not a murky old man, but a thin, stern-faced middle-aged woman.
If Bailu were here, she would be utterly astonished.
She is none other than Zhao Bingyu, the mother of Bailu!
Zhao Bingyu walked to the bedside, reached out and touched her son's forehead. The icy touch made her heart clench.
She took out a small porcelain bottle from her bosom, poured out a bright red pill, carefully pried open her son's mouth, put the pill in, and then fed him a few sips of water.
After doing all this, she sat on a low stool by the bed and gently wiped her son's pale cheeks with a warm cloth.
"If it's true... my son..."
Her voice was hoarse, choked with suppressed sobs.
"Wait a little longer... Mother will... will definitely save you..."
She looked at her unresponsive son on the bed, her eyes filled with regret.
Her son, Ruzhen, was brought to the Central Plains by her.
A last glimmer of hope ignited in Zhao Bingyu's heart.
But this hope is mixed with endless pain and contradictions.
She hates Bailu.
She also loves the White Dew.
There were too many things separating the two of them—hatred, human lives—making it impossible for her to ask her daughter for help like an ordinary mother.
That's why she resorted to this desperate measure.
Using the name of a distant relative who had long since fallen on hard times, he got involved with Murong Jinshu's mother.
...Through the introduction of Murong Jinshu, who had long-standing ties with the Bai family, he disguised himself as a wealthy merchant seeking medical treatment and came to see... just how capable this daughter, who was rumored to be incredibly powerful, really was.
"Ten thousand taels..."
Zhao Bingyu murmured bitterly.
She hadn't expected Bai Lu to ask for such an astonishingly high price.
Was she testing her, or was she truly that greedy?
Zhao Bingyu's feelings were extremely complicated.
On the one hand, she was overjoyed that Bailu could easily diagnose the illness and say that it could be cured.
On the other hand, she was also disheartened by the huge medical bill and her daughter's indifferent and businesslike attitude.
She couldn't even imagine what Bai Lu's expression would be if she knew that the person lying on the bed was her own younger brother, and that the person standing in front of her was her biological mother.
Shock? Guilt? Or... indifference?
Zhao Bingyu dared not gamble.
She cannot reveal her identity until Ruzhen's illness is cured.
She gently held her son's cold hand and pressed it against her cheek.
"Ruzhen, don't worry. No matter the cost, your mother will make sure you wake up."
Her gaze gradually shifted from sorrow to determination.
She could afford to give ten thousand taels.
Over the years, the forces behind her have accumulated enormous wealth for her.
Money has never been a problem.
The question is, Bailu... her daughter, can she really work a miracle?
the other side.
Bai Lu closed the utterly incomprehensible file about a wealthy businessman and rubbed her slightly swollen temples.
Although Mudan has a wide intelligence network, it will still take time to find out who the two people are deliberately hiding their identities.
She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.
Suddenly, a young man dressed in a moon-white brocade robe appeared silently on the opposite side of the desk.
"Host, I'm back."
"Hmm. Two people came today... Could you take a look at them for me?"
Bai Lu opened her eyes and looked at him calmly.
With a flicker, Young Master Xi vanished from his spot like a ghost.
Bai Lu was not surprised. She picked up the teacup beside her, took a small sip, and waited quietly.
For a humanoid system, one can tell who a person is just by taking a look.
In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Young Master Xi reappeared.
He was still standing where he was.
"how?"
Bai Lu put down her teacup and asked.
Young Master Xi gazed at Bai Lu and slowly uttered a name.
"That old servant is Zhao Bingyu."
"Snapped!"
The white porcelain teacup slipped from Bai Lu's hand and shattered, splashing tea onto the hem of her skirt.
But she didn't realize it.
Her body froze on the spot.
Zhao Bingyu.
Her mother.
“I entered their residence,”
"She has shed her disguise," said the young master. "I compared the biometric data collected from her face... It's her, Zhao Bingyu."
It turned out to be the case.
"The patient next to her..."
Bai Lu asked, "Who is it?"
After pausing for two seconds, Young Master Xi continued, "It's Bai Ruzhen. Your younger brother."
"It must have been a huge shock that caused his soul to leave his body, leaving him almost lifeless."
really......
"Should I expel them from Kyoto?"
Young Master Xi's voice broke the silence, cold and direct.
Bai Lu slowly raised her head, looked at Young Master Xi, and shook her head.
"Need not."
"Driving them away won't solve anything."
Bai Lu stood up from the chair, walked to the window, and pushed it open.
The cold night wind blew in, ruffling her hair and making her chaotic thoughts clearer than ever before.
She knew very well that Zhao Bingyu and Bai Ruzhen must have had a deeper meaning behind their appearance at this time.
"If they're here to cause trouble, to interrogate me, their unfilial daughter,"
Bai Lu's tone carried a hint of self-deprecation, "They could have simply revealed their identities and used blood ties and moral ethics to blackmail me. That would have put me in a much more passive position than this secretive approach."
Young Master Xi did not speak, but listened quietly.
“They didn’t do that,”
Bai Lu continued her analysis, "This shows that their primary goal right now is not revenge, nor is it to recognize each other, but rather... to get medical treatment."
She recalled Bai Ruzhen's pulse, which was almost undetectable.
The fact that Zhao Bingyu was willing to lower himself and disguise himself as a servant to beg her shows just how critical Bai Ruzhen's situation had become.
"They really have nowhere else to turn."
Bai Lu drew a conclusion.
And this is precisely her best bargaining chip.
Since you've chosen to start with a deal, fine, let's see this deal through to the end.
You yourselves swore to leave Kyoto.
But you came back on your own.
Then you can't blame me for what I'm going to do, since you broke your promise first.
"Young Master Xi,"
She turned around and looked at the system. "Over the years, Zhao Bingyu has controlled a secret trade route from the Western Regions to the Great Wu Dynasty, mainly dealing in spices, gems and rare medicinal herbs."
"Their financial resources are...unfathomable."
"Since it's a transaction, it has to look like a transaction."
She looked at Young Master Xi, her eyes flashing with calculation: "Before, I thought the other party was just an ordinary wealthy merchant. Asking for 10,000 taels was because of Murong Jinshu's sake, and it was also to set a rule for those people in the capital who were watching me."
"but now......"
She paused, her tone suddenly turning cold.
“Since it is my mother and brother who are seeking medical treatment, this price is far from enough.”
"Host, what do you want to do?"
"Young Master Xi asked."
"I want 500,000 taels."
Bai Lu calmly uttered a startling figure, "And not in silver notes, I want her to exchange 30% of the Western Regions trade route for Bai Ruzhen's life."
This is not just about money, but also about regaining the initiative.
Bai Lu wanted to make her understand that Bai Lu of today was no longer the little girl who needed her protection.
She was the Marquis of Anguo.
"I want her to know that if she wants to get something from me, she has to pay an equal price."
"Family ties... from the moment they actively abandon them, they can no longer be used as a free bargaining chip."
After speaking, Bai Lu straightened her slightly disheveled robes, her expression returning to its usual calm and composed state.
"Young Master Xi, prepare the carriage."
"Where to go?"
"The residential house in the south of the city."
Bai Lu's eyes were sharp as knives. "Since they won't come to me, then... I'll go and talk to them."
Some things must be settled tonight.
She wanted to see for herself the mother and the younger brother whose life hung by a thread.
Furthermore, I need to personally tell them the new rules of this transaction.
Inside the room, Zhao Bingyu had just finished wiping the young man's body on the bed and was carrying a basin of water to leave when the door creaked open from the outside.
A solitary figure walked in against the moonlight.
Zhao Bingyu froze, then suddenly looked up, her pupils contracting sharply.
The visitor was none other than Bailu!
Behind her, the young master quietly closed the door again.
"Zhao Niangzi".
"???"
"!!!"
Discovered!!!
"What brings the Marquis of Anguo here so late at night?"
Zhao Bingyu quickly regained her composure.
Bai Lu's gaze passed over her and landed directly on the pale-faced young man on the bed.
"I've come to see my patient."
Bai Lu's voice was clear and cold, echoing in the quiet room, "By the way, let's renegotiate the consultation fee."
Zhao Bingyu's heart sank. She gripped the edge of the copper basin tightly and said in a deep voice, "Hasn't the Marquis already set a price? Ten thousand taels of silver, which will be presented tomorrow."
"That's the price for ordinary people."
Bai Lu slowly turned her head, her dark eyes staring straight into Zhao Bingyu's eyes. "But for Zhao Bingyu... this price isn't enough."
Zhao Bingyu's face turned deathly pale, and her body swayed uncontrollably.
Bai Lu's tone was completely calm. "Mother, after more than ten years apart, is this how you reunite with your daughter?"
She walked to the table and sat down as if this were her study in the Marquis's mansion.
"My younger brother, Bai Ruzhen, has an illness that only I can cure in the whole world."
Zhao Bingyu's breath hitched.
She knew that Bai Lu was telling the truth.
"Therefore, the consultation fee needs to be recalculated."
Bai Lu stretched out a hand, spreading her five fingers, "Five hundred thousand taels."
"You are crazy!"
Zhao Bingyu exclaimed in disbelief, "Five hundred thousand taels? Why don't you just rob someone!"
"I'm just grabbing."
Bai Lu readily admitted it, looking at her coldly, "Robbing you, Madam Zhao, who controls the secret trade routes in the Western Regions. This amount of money shouldn't be much to you, right?"
Zhao Bingyu's expression completely changed!
She stared intently at her daughter, a daughter who was both familiar and unfamiliar to her.
"I don't have that much cash."
Zhao Bingyu's voice was dry.
"I don't want cash."
Bai Lu seemed to have anticipated her response, "I want your Western Regions trade route, 30% of the profits."
"impossible!"
Zhao Bingyu refused without hesitation, which was practically a death sentence for her.