Chapter 822
Begging for mercy
Then the two brothers looked at their sister Lu Wan'er with great envy and said, "Sister, you must have seen Grandpa Mountain God, right? What does he look like?"
Lu Wan'er said to her two older brothers, "Grandpa Mountain God is a deity. How could we mortals easily see the true face of a deity? I only heard Grandpa Mountain God's voice, but I did not see his true appearance!"
The brothers Lu Yunmin and Lu Yunqi looked at Lu Wan'er and said, "Since you haven't even seen the true face of the Mountain God, how do you know that it is the Mountain God? Have you been deceived by a liar?"
Lu Wan'er said firmly again, "Impossible. Brother Qing Shi is a devout follower of the Mountain God. He has communicated with the Mountain God many times and can definitely recognize the Mountain God's voice. He is the one who summoned the Mountain God to save us. There is absolutely no mistake."
Moreover, the mountain god's gentle, kind, and ethereal voice, along with his miraculous actions, are simply beyond the imitation of ordinary people.
More importantly, my father suffered severe burns, but after using the elixir bestowed by the Mountain God, the large area of burns on his legs visibly subsided and healed. In just the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, my father was able to walk normally again.
I was completely stunned. Isn't it amazing? If he were a fraud, would he have been so kind as to save us? How could he have such superb medical skills?
Upon hearing their sister Lu Wan'er's words, the two brothers nodded repeatedly and said to her with great longing, "Grandpa Mountain God is so powerful! We really want to see him in person!"
Lu Wan'er said, "We are mortals, and he is a high and mighty god. How can we just see him whenever we want? Besides, the mountain god is a good god who protects the people. He is very busy with his cultivation and protecting the people. We can't disturb his cultivation if we have nothing to do!"
After hearing what their younger sister Lu Wan'er said, Lu Yunmin and Lu Yunqi said, "What my sister says is absolutely right, but how can we see Grandpa Mountain God?"
Lu Wan'er said to her two older brothers, "Brother Qing Shi and Sister Weiwei said that you can summon the Mountain God by burning incense at the local mountain god temple. If you are a very devout believer of the Mountain God, you can summon him anytime, anywhere. After all, sincerity is key!"
Lu Yunmin and Lu Yunqi said, "Grandpa Mountain God is our Lu family's savior. From now on, we will definitely go to the Mountain God Temple more often to offer incense and worship Buddha. Firstly, so that Grandpa Mountain God's incense can continue to burn, and secondly, so that Grandpa Mountain God can protect our Lu family!"
Lu Wan'er said, "Yes, if it weren't for Grandpa Mountain God's intervention, we would probably have been separated into Yin and Yang long ago!"
After hearing the children's conversation, Cui Wenying nodded and said to them, "What you said is absolutely right. We will always remember the kindness of the Mountain God. From now on, our family will often go together to offer incense to the Mountain God!"
The three siblings nodded in agreement after hearing their mother's words and said, "Yes!"
After chatting for a while, Cui Wenying noticed that her husband Lu Zhenyuan and son Lu Yunqiao had not yet returned, and she was very worried. She unconsciously stood up and went to the door to check on them!
Seeing their mother's worried expression, Lu Yunmin, Lu Yunqi, and Lu Wan'er all went to her side. Lu Wan'er spoke first, saying to her mother, "Mother, Father is a victim and has made contributions to the court. He will surely get justice from the Emperor this time, so please don't worry!"
Lu Yunmin and Lu Yunqi chimed in, "Yes, our Lu family is in the right. You must be exhausted from this these past few days. Sit down and rest for a while. Father will definitely be back soon to tell you the good news!"
After hearing what the children said, Cui Wenying felt that there was really no suspense in this matter. After all, her husband was the victim and someone who had made contributions to the court. Even if Pei Chengyuan had someone behind him in the court, the emperor would not let Pei Chengyuan off easily for such a big matter.
Thinking of this, Cui Wenying returned to her seat and sat waiting for her husband and son to return.
After the group calmed their mother down, Lu Wan'er started chatting with her brothers again to ease her anxiety.
Lu Wan'er looked at her brothers Lu Yunmin and Lu Yunqi and said to them, "Brothers, do you still want to hear the story about Grandpa Mountain God?"
When Lu Yunmin and Lu Yunqi heard their younger sister Lu Wan'er ask this question, they knew that she was trying to ease their mother's anxiety and tension. At the same time, the two brothers were also very eager to hear about the Mountain God Grandfather, so they said to their sister Lu Wan'er, "We want to hear it, we want to hear it, tell us about it quickly!"
Lu Wan'er smiled and said to her two brothers, "Since you want to hear it, I'll continue telling you. This time, we went back to Qing Shi and Wei Wei's hometown, Kao Shan Village, and we learned a lot. You know what? That village is like a paradise. There is no war there, everyone can eat their fill, and there are many kinds of food that we've never seen before. The taste is amazing!"
When Lu Yunmin and Lu Yunqi heard their sister mention that there were many delicious foods they had never seen before, their mouths watered instantly. They swallowed and asked, "How delicious are they? Are they even better than the best osmanthus cake in the palace?"
Lu Wan'er said, "Of course, it tastes a hundred or a thousand times better than that stuff. I also have some food that the Mountain God bestowed upon me. I specially saved some for you. If you don't believe me, try it!"
After saying that, Lu Wan'er took out the beef cubes and braised eggs that she had specially saved for her mother and brothers and handed them to them, saying, "This is the food that the Mountain God has bestowed upon us. Just tear open the outer packaging bag and you can eat it. Try it, I guarantee you won't be able to stop eating it!"
After Lu Yunmin and Lu Yunqi received the food from their younger sister, they shared some with their mother. Then, they tore open the package of beef cubes, and a rich aroma filled the room. They couldn't wait to start tasting the beef cubes.
As soon as they put the beef cubes in their mouths, the aroma of beef instantly filled their mouths, and the two of them ate with complete absorption!
After finishing the beef cubes, they couldn't wait to tear open the packaging of the braised eggs. The perfect combination of egg and sauce flavor made Lu Yunmin and Lu Yunqi eat one without saying a word.
After the two finished eating, they said to their younger sister, Lu Wan'er, "Wan'er, this is so delicious! I've never eaten anything so good before. The taste is amazing, it's simply heavenly! Even the emperor's food doesn't taste as good as this!"
Upon hearing her son's words, Cui Wenying quickly said to Lu Yunmin and Lu Yunqi, "Don't talk nonsense, or someone with ulterior motives might overhear!"
In the bonsai world, the emperor is a supreme being, not someone people can casually criticize behind their backs. If someone with ulterior motives overheard such comments, it would be a capital offense.
After hearing their mother's words, Lu Yunqi and Lu Yunmin smiled at her and then made a "shh" gesture, indicating that they would no longer mention the emperor.
The two brothers then turned to their mother, Cui Wenying, and said, "Mother, the food from the gods is so delicious! You should try some too!"
After being comforted by the children, Cui Wenying was no longer as worried about her husband, Lu Zhenyuan, and son, Lu Yunqiao. Having not eaten or drunk anything all evening, she was feeling a bit hungry. She picked up a food she had never seen or heard of before, tore open its packaging, and put the beef cubes inside into her mouth. In an instant, Cui Wenying was stunned by the delicious food. In all her life, she had never tasted anything so exquisite. Now, as she ate the beef cubes, a look of pure enjoyment crossed her face!
Upon seeing this, Lu Yunmin, Lu Yunqi, and Lu Wan'er turned to their mother, Cui Wenying, and asked, "Mother, how is it? How is it?"
After savoring the beef cubes, Cui Wenying said to the three children with great satisfaction, "Indeed, the food of the gods is extraordinary. I never dreamed I could taste such delicious food in my life!"
Lu Wan'er said with a smile, "We still have some food left over from the Mountain God's gift. I'll share it with everyone later!"
Upon hearing their younger sister Lu Wan'er's words, Lu Yunmin and Lu Yunqi's eyes lit up. They looked at their sister Lu Wan'er and said, "Wan'er, that's wonderful! We're in for a treat!"
Lu Wan'er said to her two older brothers, "You two gluttons!"
Lu Yunmin and Lu Yunqi said, "You can't blame us for being greedy; this divine food is just too delicious!"
Lu Wan'er nodded in agreement and said, "What you two say is right. The food given by the Mountain God is so delicious that it's impossible to refuse! Tomorrow I will take out all the remaining food given to me by the Mountain God and share it with everyone so that everyone can eat to their heart's content!"
Next, Lu Wan'er told her mother and two brothers about what she had seen and heard in Kaoshan Village. This made Lu Yunmin and Lu Yunqi extremely interested in Kaoshan Village. The two of them really wanted to go to Kaoshan Village for a visit and see the strange and wonderful things that Kaoshan Village had to offer.
Just as the group was chatting, Lu Zhenyuan and Lu Yunqiao walked in. When Cui Wenying and the others saw the two, they quickly got up from their chairs and walked over to Lu Zhenyuan.
Cui Wenying then asked her husband, Lu Zhenyuan, "How did the Emperor handle this matter?"
Lu Zhenyuan said, "After the Emperor found out the whole story, he threw the Pei father and son into the Imperial Prison and said they would be executed in two days!"
Cui Wenying said, "So, does that mean His Majesty has already drafted the imperial edict?"
Lu Zhenyuan said, "Because it is late and His Majesty is about to retire for the night, he has only issued an oral decree and will draft an imperial edict tomorrow!"
Cui Wenying asked, "What about the rest of the Pei family?"
Lu Zhenyuan said, "All close relatives shall be sentenced to death!"
After Lu Zhenyuan finished speaking, he let out a long sigh. Cui Wenying knew the reason for Lu Zhenyuan's sigh and said to him, "Husband, don't be too sad. After all, it was the Pei family father and son who plotted against you first. They deserve their fate now!"
Lu Zhenyuan said, "Alas, Pei Chengyuan and I have been friends for nearly twenty years, and I never expected it to end like this! It's truly pathetic! Alright, it's getting late, everyone should get some rest!"
After hearing Lu Zhenyuan's words, everyone dispersed and went back to their rooms to rest!
Nothing more was said that night. The next morning, Lu Zhenyuan, his wife Cui Wenying, and their children were having breakfast together when the Lu family's butler came in and said to Lu Zhenyuan, "Lord Lu, Madam Pei and Miss Pei are waiting outside the door and wish to come in to see you!"
After all, the Pei family and the Lu family had a relationship of nearly twenty years. Moreover, Lu Zhenyuan wanted to see Madam Pei's attitude, so he said to the butler, "Let them in!"
After receiving Lu Zhenyuan's permission, the butler went out to deliver a message to Madam Pei.
A short while later, Madam Pei and her daughter Pei Yuqing appeared before the Lu family.
As soon as Madam Pei entered the door, she knelt down on the ground, and Pei Yuqing followed her mother and knelt down as well!
After kneeling down, Madam Pei said to Lu Zhenyuan, "Lord Lu, Pei Chengyuan and Pei Yifeng attempted to murder you. They deserved to be imprisoned. I don't blame you, nor can I. I'm not here to plead for them, but to ask you to forgive my daughter, Qing'er. She has absolutely no connection to this matter; she's innocent. Qing'er is about the same age as Wan'er, in the prime of her life. I don't want to see her life disappear before it even begins to bloom."
"I hope Lord Lu and Madam Lu can understand a mother's feelings. Our Pei family has been well cared for by you all these years, and Qing'er gets along very well with you. Besides, I've long seen that Qing'er and Qiao'er are deeply in love. I hope you won't let Lord Pei's affairs affect my daughter. If my Qing'er can become your Lu family's daughter-in-law, I'll be at ease! I hope you, Lord Lu and Madam Lu, can agree to this and finalize the marriage today, then I won't have to worry about Qing'er anymore!"
At first, Lu Zhenyuan thought that Madam Pei had come to plead for the Pei family father and son, but he did not expect that Madam Pei had come to plead for her daughter.
Indeed, Pei Yuqing is a good girl. She gets along very well with the Lu family, her character is impeccable, and she is like a sister to Lu Wan'er!
Therefore, it seems that the plot by Pei Chengyuan and his son Pei Yifeng to murder me has nothing to do with Madam Pei and Miss Pei.
Lu Zhenyuan was a man of deep feelings. Realizing that this matter truly had nothing to do with Madam Pei and Pei Yuqing, and not wanting to implicate the innocent, he said to Madam Pei, "Madam Pei, I know this matter has nothing to do with you and Yuqing. I will report this to the Emperor and ask him not to punish you and your daughter!" (End of Chapter)