After Jin Zhi left, Lu Qin kicked the chair fiercely. "What a bunch of trash!"
He had always said that the Empress was not to be trusted!
“They’ve taken all the advantages, caused trouble, and now they have the audacity to shove the blame onto us?!”
If it weren’t for the Fourth Prince’s greed, if he hadn’t given away those items, how would the Lu family still be unable to repay Song Tangning, and thus be subject to such humiliation?
The other members of the Lu family were also grim-faced, pondering for the first time whether supporting the Empress and the Fourth Prince had been a mistake. If these were the kinds of people who would readily push the Lu family under the bus when things got tough, could they really expect any protection from them once they rose to power?
Could the Lu family truly rely on them in the future?
Lu Zhao had no mind to deal with his enraged brother and instead helped the now somewhat recovered Lu Chongyuan. “Father, please don’t worry. I’ll go to Jiyun Alley to meet Song Tangning.”
Lu Chongyuan held his chest, shaking his head. “It won’t make any difference if you go.”
“But you…”
Lu Zhao’s eyes were full of concern, afraid that something might happen to Lu Chongyuan.
Lu Chongyuan had been overwhelmed with anger, compounded by the continuous troubles of the past few days. That’s why he couldn’t catch his breath earlier. Though he had calmed down now, his face was still pale, but his voice had returned to a hoarse calmness.
“What Song Tangning did must have been under Xiao Yan’s instructions. Otherwise, that petition wouldn’t have reached His Majesty.”
“Xiao Yan suffered a huge loss yesterday, almost losing his life. He’s bound to make the Lu family pay for it. No one but me can resolve this matter at Jiyun Alley.”
Xiao Yan wanted him to go in person; he wanted to humiliate the Lu family by stepping on their face.
Lu Chongyuan took a deep breath, suppressing the sharp pain stabbing at his chest, and leaned on the table to slowly stand up. “Have someone prepare the carriage. I’m going to meet them.”
Lu Zhao’s lips moved slightly. “Then I’ll go with you.”
Xiao Yan was like a mad dog, and with his father’s condition being poor, Lu Zhao was afraid something might happen if Lu Chongyuan went alone.
Hearing this, Lu Chongyuan did not refuse, merely nodding. “Come with me to Jiyun Alley. The rest of you, stay at the residence. No one is allowed to make any unnecessary moves.”
He fixed his gaze on his second son. “Especially you. Stay put in the house.”
Lu Qin was known for his temper and impulsive actions, which sometimes led to trouble. The Lu family was already in a mess. Lu Zhinian’s sudden imprisonment had caught them off guard, and they were being cornered. What they needed most now was stability—any more mishaps could not be afforded.
Lu Qin frowned tightly, feeling some dissatisfaction, but under Lu Chongyuan’s gaze, he grumbled, “Fine, I get it.”
...
That night, the wind suddenly picked up outside. Hua Wu had already returned to the Tang Residence, while Song Tangning was curled up in Xiao Yan’s study, flipping through a book. Cang Lang hurriedly entered from outside. “Governor, miss, someone from Fengxi Palace is here.”
“The Empress?” Song Tangning looked at Xiao Yan in surprise.
Xiao Yan said, “Go and see them. They’re probably here to offer something.”
Song Tangning, somewhat puzzled, got up and left. Xiao Yan had just finished pouring himself a cup of tea when the girl returned, holding a brocade box with a face full of surprise.
When Song Tangning sat back at the table, her eyes were still brimming with disbelief. “Brother, do you know what the Empress sent?”
Xiao Yan glanced at the small box. “It must be something personal or something representing her status.”
“How did you know?”
Song Tangning had planned to keep it a secret, but Xiao Yan guessed it in one go. She didn’t bother to hide it further and opened the box, revealing a Nine-Tailed Phoenix Hairpin that only the Empress could wear.
The hairpin was luxurious and intricate, with the phoenix’s beak holding a pearl.
Xiao Yan took a look and said, “The Empress is quite generous.”
Song Tangning couldn’t help but say, “The Empress must have realized that I already knew those items had passed through her and the Fourth Prince’s hands. Jin Zhi brought this hairpin over and immediately tried to soften her stance, saying that if I was willing to let the Fourth Prince off this time, she would personally arrange for Lu Zhinian to dissolve our engagement, and even make him apologize to me, without damaging my reputation.”
Xiao Yan chuckled. “It seems there’s a rift between the Empress and the Lu family.”
Song Tangning was puzzled. “Why?”
Xiao Yan smirked. “Though she’s from the Lu family, the Empress is not Lu Chongyuan’s biological daughter. Her parents were from a side branch of the Lu family, and she was only brought into the main family because she caught the Emperor’s eye.”
“The Lu family wants power from the Empress and the Fourth Prince, and the Empress and the Fourth Prince want to leverage the Lu family. It was always a relationship of convenience, not genuine closeness. Before any problems arose, they could coexist peacefully. But now that there’s trouble, she’d naturally make the Lu family take the fall—unless the Lu family did something to displease her, or she realized they were unreliable. That’s the only reason she’d risk sending this hairpin over.”
This item symbolized the Empress. Handing it over to Song Tangning was akin to handing over her power. If she didn’t distrust the Lu family, she wouldn’t have taken such a risk.
In other words, there was growing suspicion between the Empress and the Lu family.
That made things interesting.
Aristocratic families valued bloodline. The Lu family’s support of the Fourth Prince was largely due to the fact that he shared their blood. But if there was indeed a rift between the Empress and the Lu family, and she was secretly offering up Lu Zhinian to placate Song Tangning, did the Lu family know about this? If they were aware of the Empress’s actions, would they still wholeheartedly support the Fourth Prince?
Xiao Yan stroked his chin, laughing softly. If the Empress and the Lu family were indeed at odds, then there was much to be done...
He looked up at Song Tangning and said, “Get ready. The Lu family should be arriving soon.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than a voice came from outside.
“Governor, the Lu family has arrived.”
“Who’s here?”
“Lu Chongyuan, and Lu Zhao.”
Hearing this, Song Tangning suddenly looked at Xiao Yan, her eyes wide with awe. When would she be able to predict things just like her brother?
Xiao Yan patted her on the head, then stood up. “What are you daydreaming about? Let’s go.”
Song Tangning quickly snapped out of it, lifted her skirt, and followed him. “Brother, wait for me.”
...
Though the night had fallen silent, the Xiao Residence remained brightly lit.
Lu Chongyuan and his son had originally planned to visit the Tang Residence to see Song Tangning, but they were led directly next door to the Xiao Residence.
Ever since stepping into Xiao Yan's estate, Lu Zhao’s face had been extremely dark. Now, seeing that the person who went to announce their arrival hadn’t returned for a long time, he couldn’t help but grit his teeth. “It’s so late, yet Song Tangning, a woman, is in Xiao Yan’s residence. She has no sense of propriety.”
“What propriety does Xiao Yan, a eunuch, need?”
Lu Chongyuan’s words left Lu Zhao momentarily speechless, as he remembered Xiao Yan’s status as a eunuch.
It was one thing to be alone with Song Tangning late at night. Even if she stayed overnight at the Xiao Residence, others would only see it as a sign of deep sibling affection. Otherwise, what would have been said when Xiao Yan served Emperor An in the palace and moved freely among the imperial concubines?
If anyone dared to question Xiao Yan and Song Tangning’s relationship, they’d also be throwing mud at the palace concubines, and even the Empress herself wouldn’t be spared.
The Lu family wouldn’t dare say such things.
===========
You can read ahead to chapterr 200 here
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