"What did you just say?"
Empress Lu’s once indifferent expression froze instantly. In disbelief, she looked at both Lu Zhizhi and Lu Zhinian, her hand trembling, almost tearing the item in her grasp.
Beside her, Jin Zhi was equally stunned. Had the old madam gone mad?
Old Madam Lu couldn’t withstand the Empress’s glare, shrinking back pale-faced as she stammered, "The Rong family’s wealth is vast. Rong Qian’an left behind so many things. I only asked Song Tangning to fetch a few rare books, calligraphy, and valuable antiques, thinking that since she would eventually marry into the Lu family, we were all one family. If these items could help His Highness, it would be her honor. How could I have known she would turn her back so suddenly...?"
"How foolish of you!!"
The Empress stood abruptly, her face trembling with rage as she clutched the item in her hand. "Do you think you're helping Zhen'er? You're trying to get him killed!!"
She was so furious she wanted to scream and throw the list in her mother’s face. But the person in front of her was her mother, her own blood. She could only turn her anger on Lu Zhinian.
"Your grandmother is confused, and you are too? How could you let her do such a thing?"
"The things Rong Qian’an left behind are precious. Who wouldn’t want them? But have you seen anyone dare to touch anything that belongs to the Rong family’s bloodline? Song Tangning hasn’t even married into the Lu family, and yet you dared to seize so many of her things, and even handed them over to the Fourth Prince! What were you thinking?!"
Lu Zhinian remained silent under her scolding, not offering a single word of defense. It was Old Madam Lu who stood up in a panic, distressed to see her beloved grandson taking the blame.
"Your Majesty, Sanzilang didn’t know about this. I had no intention of giving those things to the Fourth Prince. It just so happened that he saw them when he visited…"
That day, her nephew had come to visit, and there was a conflict between him and Song Tangning over a minor issue. Angered, she scolded Song Tangning for lacking the demeanor of a future matriarch. The next day, Song Tangning sent over a jade inkstone bed with a gold toad and a matching set of paperweights and ink drippers as an apology for her nephew. Coincidentally, the Fourth Prince had seen it.
At that time, the Emperor had ordered the Fourth Prince to compile a historical text, and the prince, eager to gain fame, had been trying to seek the help of the scholar He Yun but had been repeatedly turned away. Despite sending numerous gifts of gold and silver, He Yun had returned them all. In a moment of frustration, the prince saw the literary treasures and was overjoyed.
He Yun’s grandson had just started his studies, and the Fourth Prince gifted him the set, finally gaining access to the He family. Although He Yun did not personally assist him, he referred several of his disciples to the prince, who became his retainers, helping him with the compilation. As a result, the Fourth Prince not only earned the Emperor’s favor but also gained widespread acclaim.
Afterward, the Fourth Prince, having tasted success, grew closer to Old Madam Lu, who had handed over more of Song Tangning’s belongings without hesitation.
But Old Madam Lu's explanation only made the Empress angrier. "Did you tell him where these items came from?!"
"I…"
Old Madam Lu faltered, her face paling even more. Of course, she hadn’t told him. She had lied, claiming they were treasures from the Lu family’s collection. In a low voice, she muttered, "Once the Song family girl marries into the Lu family, her things will naturally become Lu family property..."
"And has she married yet?" The Empress’s voice was sharp.
Old Madam Lu’s face turned ashen.
Seeing her always astute mother act so foolishly enraged the Empress, her body shaking, her chest heaving uncontrollably.
Jin Zhi hurriedly stepped forward to steady her, helping her calm down. Only after a while did the Empress, clutching the list in her hand, speak with a cold tone to the Lu family members, "How much of this was given to Zhen'er?"
"About half," Lu Zhinian replied, his head lowered. "Aside from what remains in the manor, most of it was taken by His Highness."
The Empress felt a weight in her chest. "When Song Tangning sent this list to the Lu family, was it widely known?"
Lu Zhinian lowered his head further. "Drums were beaten, and the entire city knows."
The Empress’s vision darkened. Before she could recover, she heard Lu Zhinian’s low voice, "Most of these items were part of the dowry left by Grand Tutor Rong for Second Madam Song, and the authorities have records. If Tangning presses the issue and demands them back, the Lu family won’t be able to avoid it."
"She gave us three days. With Xiao Yan stirring things up and the Song family issue looming, Grandfather fears that Tangning might go as far as to take this to court," Lu Zhinian continued, kneeling on the ground with his eyes downcast, his voice calm.
"The items the Fourth Prince has given away can’t be retrieved. If this blows up, it will harm both His Highness and the Lu family. The Lu family can only recover a small portion of the items listed here. Grandfather believes that we can’t hide this from Your Majesty and hopes that you can negotiate with Tangning, using the marriage agreement to persuade her to drop the matter. The Lu family will also compensate her with gold and silver at a rate thirty percent higher than the original value of the items."
As he spoke, he clenched his fists tightly within his sleeves, thinking of how the young girl who had followed him around since childhood would ridicule him now. Despite his effort to maintain a steady tone, the color drained from his face.
"Tangning wants nothing more than to sever ties with the Lu family, but our marriage was decreed by Your Majesty, and it can’t be easily dissolved. If you use this as leverage, she might relent."
The Empress had been furious with the Lu family, especially Old Madam Lu for dragging her son into this mess. Her anger had even extended to her once beloved nephew. But hearing Lu Zhinian’s words, seeing this once proud and brilliant young man humbly suggesting using his marriage to resolve the situation, her rage subsided.
"Sanlang, is there really no hope between you and Song Tangning?" the Empress asked.
Lu Zhinian wanted to say that it wasn’t impossible. He could still see Song Tangning and try to remind her of their shared past. How could years of affection vanish in such a short time? But then he recalled what his grandfather had said to him before entering the palace.
His lips pale, Lu Zhinian lowered his gaze and said, "Everything must come second to His Highness and the Lu family. We can’t afford to gamble."
Hearing this, the Empress let go of the last bit of resentment in her heart. Had the Lu family kept this from her and risked her son’s future, she would have been furious. But since they had come clean before things escalated, and since even someone as proud as Lu Zhinian was willing to sacrifice his marriage for the Fourth Prince’s future, her expression softened.
"You are a good child. I haven’t doted on you in vain all these years," the Empress said gently. "Stand up, the floor is cold."
Though the Empress’s attitude had shifted, Lu Zhinian seemed accustomed to such changes. He simply replied calmly, "It’s my fault for causing trouble for His Highness."
=======================
You can read ahead to chapterr 182 here
Comments
Post a Comment