Lu Qin was always ruthless in his actions. Being in a high position for so long, he felt that Song Tangning's slander against the Lu family and her efforts to make things difficult for them were unforgivable.
If it had been someone else, he would have taken their life long ago. Destroying her reputation was already lenient, and at most, he would have Lu Zhinian take her into the Lu family in the future. They had shown her enough mercy.
Seeing that Lu Chongyuan remained silent, Lu Qin said in a low voice, "Father, don't forget how she humiliated you and Sanlang, making a descendant of the Lu family kneel to her. She has no right!"
Lu Chongyuan recalled what Song Tangning had said to him earlier that day and thought of Xiao Yan's arrogance. His eyes turned cold. "You handle this matter, and make sure it's done cleanly."
Lu Qin's expression relaxed. "Rest assured, this small issue, I..."
Knock, knock.
The sudden knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Before Lu Chongyuan could respond, his trusted aide rushed in with a face full of anxiety.
"My Lord, something terrible has happened. Saburo has been captured."
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Lu Chongyuan frowned, looking at the man by the door.
Lu Zhao also said sternly, "Saburo was just fine, staying in the mansion. What do you mean by 'he's been captured'?"
"My Lord, it's true. Saburo secretly went to the Song Duke's residence last night and was caught red-handed by the Black Armored Guards. He has been taken to the imperial prison."
The three of them stood up in unison.
"Has he gone mad? What was he doing at the Song Duke's residence in the middle of the night?" Lu Qin was stunned.
The person at the door was pale. "We still don't know what Saburo was doing, but the Black Armored Guards said he and Song Mo were caught sneaking around inside the Duke's residence, appearing suspicious as if they were up to no good."
"My Lord, the rumors about the Song Duke's residence being linked to the former followers of the defiant crown prince have already been confirmed. With Song Hong's downfall inevitable, there are speculations that our Lu family is connected to them. Now that Saburo has been captured, Xiao Yan will likely use this as an excuse to stir up trouble..."
Lu Chongyuan's face turned ashen. He staggered, nearly fainting from the rage surging up his throat.
"Father!" Lu Zhao quickly supported him.
Lu Qin was beside himself with fury. "Has he lost his mind? Going to the Song Duke's residence just like that—is he trying to bring more chaos to the Lu family?"
That mad dog Xiao Yan had been watching them, ready to pounce at the slightest excuse. Even without a reason, he could create trouble, and now that Lu Zhinian had been caught red-handed, there was no way that mad dog would let this opportunity slip.
And what about Song Tangning? If Lu Zhinian’s connection with the Song family was confirmed, even ruining Song Tangning's reputation would be useless. Lu Zhinian had simply gone insane!
Lu Chongyuan was so furious that he saw black spots, his whole body trembling as he gasped, "That fool, that utter fool!"
He was trying to destroy the Lu family!
...
The Lu family was in chaos all night, and Tangning, leaning against Princess Cheng, didn't sleep well either. When she got up the next day, it was almost noon. Still drowsy, she was jolted awake by the news Canglang brought.
"Who did you say was thrown into the imperial prison?"
"The third son of the Lu family."
Song Tangning's eyes widened in surprise. How did Lu Zhinian end up in the imperial prison?
Canglang stood there with a smile. "Last night, the third son of the Lu family suddenly went to the Song Duke's residence, and he was caught red-handed by the Black Armored Guards, who were searching for something there."
"The Song estate was ordered to be sealed by the Emperor earlier, and no one was allowed to enter until the case was resolved. Lu Zhinian violated this order and got involved with the Song family. The chief ordered that he be sent to the imperial prison to join the Song family members."
Song Tangning was shocked. She had been at odds with the Lu family for a while now, and their relationship had long soured. Seeing Lu Zhinian in trouble was naturally something she was happy about. She had assumed the Lu family was busy trying to gather resources or figure out how to pressure her into backing down, but who would have thought Lu Zhinian would sneak into the Song Duke's residence under the cover of night and get caught?
Princess Cheng, who was beside her, asked, "The Duke's estate has been searched. What was he doing there?"
"No one knows," Canglang replied, puzzled. "When the Black Armored Guards caught him, he was with a servant in a secluded part of the estate, looking like he had seen a ghost. After being taken away, he didn't say a word. That servant was particularly tight-lipped, too."
Lu Zhinian's sudden appearance was odd, and after being caught, he acted as if he'd lost his mind. His servant, Song Mo, only said that his lord had a high fever and was delusional, thinking Miss Song was still in the estate, so he took him there.
Canglang found this excuse ridiculous, but he had searched the places Lu Zhinian visited inside and out.
The courtyard was so desolate that not even a ghost could hide there. There was nothing inside, and even Canglang couldn't figure out what Lu Zhinian was trying to do.
"But regardless of his intentions, trespassing on a sealed estate is a crime. Lu Zhinian seemed to have gone without informing his family, and Lu Chongyuan knew nothing. He was so furious last night that he nearly had a fit. This morning, during court, Lord Cao and others impeached the Lu family, accusing them of conspiring with the Song Duke’s household and breaking the Emperor’s decree to sneak into the estate. Lu Chongyuan was unable to defend himself and almost fainted from anger."
Lu Chongyuan had been on edge, fearing the chief’s schemes or Xiao Yan’s retaliatory tactics after the assassination attempt. He barely made it through the court session this morning, only to be blindsided by his own grandson.
The connection between the Lu family and the Song Duke’s household was already unclear, and there had been plenty of rumors suggesting they were hiding remnants of the defiant crown prince. Now, Lu Zhinian had been caught sneaking into the Song estate, and Lu Chongyuan nearly exploded from rage.
The scene was downright delightful.
"Serves them right!" Princess Cheng cursed.
Song Tangning wholeheartedly agreed. The Lu family's misfortune was a cause for her joy. Ideally, Lu Zhinian and Song Shulan would stay in the imperial prison together and spare others their trouble. However, there was a more pressing issue at hand...
Song Tangning's expression grew serious. "Did my brother go to the palace?"
Canglang's smile froze. "No!"
"Then how do you know about the court session?"
"Uh..." Canglang was at a loss for words.
Song Tangning’s eyes lit up as if she had found a clue. "My brother promised me he'd stay home and recover. Didn't he take leave?"
Seeing the suspicion in her gaze, Canglang recalled how the chief had snuck out early in the morning to attend court, coughed awkwardly, and pretended not to hear her question, trying to change the subject.
"The chief asked me to inform Miss Song about Lu Zhinian's situation so that it wouldn’t disrupt your plans regarding the Lu family. Now that I've delivered the message, I'll take my leave..."
"Wait!" Song Tangning quickly called after the man trying to slip away. "Where is my brother?"
"Resting in the mansion," Canglang said, already halfway out of the courtyard. "The chief also has other matters for me to handle, so I'll be off now, Miss Song!"
Before the words finished, Canglang was gone, leaving Song Tangning stomping her foot in frustration.
Her brother was such a liar!
Beside her, Princess Cheng couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
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You can read ahead to chapterr 200 here
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