"Grandmother, how could you use Tang Ning's things to curry favor with the Fourth Prince?"
Lu Zhinen's face was pale, his voice trembling. "Tang Ning is determined to settle accounts with us. If we can't return these items, how will she view the Lu family?"
Madam Lu's heart was uneasy, but she forced herself to argue. "Those were all things Song Tang Ning voluntarily gave to the Lu family. We never forced her. Besides, it's been so long—who knows where they went? Even if it becomes public, people will only say she's stingy. Who takes back gifts they’ve already given?"
"And what if she files a complaint with the Jingzhao Prefecture?"
Madam Lu froze. "She wouldn't dare..."
"She dared to sue the Duke of Song's Mansion, sending her own uncle and grandmother to prison. What makes you think she wouldn't dare to sue you?"
Lu Chongyuan looked at Madam Lu, whose face had gone ashen at his words, filled with anger at her lack of foresight.
"And as for her, have you forgotten that she has Xiao Yan by her side? That eunuch has always been looking for dirt on the noble families, trying everything to bring me down. The matter between the Song family and the Crown Prince’s mansion hasn't even settled, and now you’ve stirred up this mess! You're simply..."
Even the usually calm Lu Chongyuan couldn't stop his hands from shaking in anger. He swept the teacups off the table with a flick of his sleeve.
"Foolish woman!"
Madam Lu had never been scolded like this, especially not in front of Lu Zhinen, a junior. Her face turned purple with embarrassment, a mix of shame and anger. But she didn't dare to argue against Lu Chongyuan in his fury.
Outside the room, brothers Lu Zhao and Lu Qin exchanged glances at the commotion they were hearing.
"What happened? Father’s never been this angry."
"Big brother..." Lu Qin frowned, about to enter.
Lu Zhao shook his head, stopping him. "Father didn't call for us. We should wait outside."
"But Mother..."
"Father knows what he's doing, and Third Brother is in there as well."
Lu Zhao had always been obedient to his father, Lu Chongyuan. He also vaguely guessed that Madam Lu must have done something she shouldn’t have. Since Father sent them out, it was already saving face. If they went in now, it would only further embarrass her.
Hearing this, Lu Qin could only suppress his concern.
Inside the room, Lu Chongyuan stood fuming, having swept everything off the table. Madam Lu and Lu Zhinen remained silent.
After pacing back and forth in anger, Lu Chongyuan finally spoke coldly. "You will go to the palace yourself and explain this matter clearly to the Empress."
"No!" Madam Lu quickly objected. "I can’t face the Empress. She’s always wanted Third Brother to marry Song Tang Ning. If she finds out about this, she’ll grow resentful of the Lu family, and the Fourth Prince will despise us."
"Better she knows now than finding out from someone else later!"
Lu Chongyuan interrupted sharply, forcing himself to calm down. His face remained stern. "The Lu family is aligned with the Empress and the Fourth Prince. Even if they are displeased, they won’t easily abandon our support. We can always find a way to mend relations later."
"But if you don't tell the Empress in advance and she learns about this from others, the Fourth Prince will be blindsided, and that will cause even bigger problems."
The Fourth Prince's ambition for the throne required caution at every step. Tang Ning’s fallout with the Lu family couldn’t be hidden. With Xiao Yan protecting her, they had no confidence in forcing her to back down.
The items couldn't be reclaimed, and if Tang Ning pursued the matter, it would inevitably involve the Fourth Prince. It was better to inform the Empress now and discuss how to handle it than to let her hear it from someone else and hold the Lu family accountable.
Lu Chongyuan didn’t allow Madam Lu to argue. "Go to the palace now, bring these two volumes of records with you, and explain the situation clearly to the Empress. No lies."
He paused and then added, "Zhinen, you go too."
Lu Zhinen, his lips pale, was about to say something when Lu Chongyuan gave him a stern look.
"Your marriage to Tang Ning can no longer continue. If the opportunity arises, use the marriage to negotiate her letting go of the Lu family."
"Grandfather..." Lu Zhinen raised his eyes sharply.
Lu Chongyuan met his gaze. "Tang Ning is no longer the obedient young girl she once was. If the Duke of Song's family were still around, we could control her through them. But the Song family has fallen, and no one can restrain her now. The only leverage we have left is your engagement."
"I don't know why you refuse to break off the engagement, but whether it’s because you’re unwilling to give up the Song girl or you're angry about being humiliated, don’t forget the lessons I’ve taught you. Don’t let your personal feelings damage the family’s interests. Understand?"
Lu Zhinen slowly fell silent, gripping the embroidered tassel at his waist so tightly that his fingers turned white.
He had never imagined that his engagement to Song Tang Ning would come to this—using it to force her to back down.
In his mind, he could already picture the mocking expression on the young girl’s face when she found out. He lowered his eyes, his face pale as he said hoarsely, "I understand, Grandfather."
Lu Chongyuan patted his shoulder. "Go now. You have a good relationship with the Fourth Prince. Talk to him about this. If he truly holds a grudge, don’t worry—he won’t abandon the Lu family."
Lu Zhinen nodded numbly. "Yes."
...
When Empress Lu learned that the Lu family had come to the palace, she had just left the palace of the Grand Empress Dowager.
She wiped the water droplets from her hands with a cloth, a look of disdain on her face, and asked the servant by the door, "How is the Grand Empress Dowager's condition so severe?"
The servant quickly lowered their head and replied, "The Grand Empress Dowager hasn’t been well for some time now. She only has one or two hours of clarity a day; the rest of the time, she’s confused. Her hysteria is getting worse—not only does she mumble about the late Emperor, but sometimes she even calls out the name of the Crown Prince’s eldest son..."
"Silence! There is no Crown Prince’s eldest son in this palace!" A lady-in-waiting by the Empress’s side scolded sharply.
The servant, startled, immediately knelt and kowtowed. "This servant misspoke, please forgive me, Your Majesty."
The Empress spoke coldly. "I may overlook your mistake, but if the Emperor hears such nonsense, you’d better be prepared to lose your head."
The servant's face instantly turned pale, and they continued to kowtow in fear.
The Empress watched in silence for a long moment before speaking again. "Very well, take good care of the Grand Empress Dowager."
As the Empress's procession left, the kneeling servant stood up, rubbing their bruised forehead. Glancing in the direction the Empress had gone, they sneered.
"Offering favors for no reason."
Then, turning to the person beside them, they ordered, "Send someone in to check if there's anything unusual around the Grand Empress Dowager. I’ll report this to the Overseer."
=================
You can read ahead to chapterr 182 here
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