No one expected Song Tangning to reject the Empress.
After Jin Zhi returned to the palace, the Empress's fury was needless to say. Even the cunning Lu Chongyuan was taken aback when he heard the news.
“According to rumors from Jiyun Alley, Miss Song is physically weak and unable to enter the palace. Moreover, her unresolved matters with the Lu family make it seem like if she were summoned now, others might speculate that the Empress is shielding the Lu family, intending to force her into submission. If the Empress wishes to summon her forcefully, that can be arranged. However, given her current injuries, if anything were to happen to her in the palace, it wouldn’t matter how others discussed the Empress.”
Hearing this, the Empress nearly erupted with anger, and Lu Chongyuan’s face turned ashen.
“Is this what Xiao Yan said? It must be that eunuch trying to humiliate the Lu family through Tangning...” Lu Zhi Nian fumed.
The palace attendant who brought the news replied softly, “It’s not Supervisor Xiao; it’s Miss Song herself.”
Lu Zhi Nian's anger faltered, and his face suddenly went pale.
Seeing this, the attendant's expression turned sympathetic. “It was Miss Song who personally said that once everything with her husband is settled, the Lu family will return all the property they wrongfully took from her maternal grandfather. She will then come to the palace to apologize to the Empress.”
“Right now, the Lu family's affairs are known throughout the city. She has her injuries to contend with, and the Empress wouldn’t dare forcibly bring her into the palace, fearing that if anything were to happen to her, the censors would tear the Empress apart. However, the Fourth Prince absolutely must not be implicated in this matter. When I left the palace, the Empress was so furious that her old ailments flared up, nearly causing her to faint. She instructed that Lu Gong and her husband must come up with a way to resolve this matter and not let the Lu family's future be ruined by a young lady.”
Hearing this, Lu Chongyuan immediately furrowed his brows, looking intently at the attendant with a piercing, cold gaze.
The attendant, feeling the pressure, dared not meet his eyes.
After a moment, Lu Chongyuan coldly said, “I understand the Empress’s intentions. Go back and tell her that the Lu family will certainly not involve her or the Fourth Prince.”
“Lu Gong...”
The attendant's expression changed, wanting to say something, but upon meeting Lu Chongyuan's furious gaze, he found himself unable to speak.
Once the attendant from Fengxi Palace left with a pale face, Lu Qin, who had been enduring in silence, suddenly stood up.
“What does the Empress mean by this? Those things were taken by the Fourth Prince, and the benefits also go to him. Now that trouble has arisen, she tries to push everything onto our Lu family, and she even claims it’s for the Lu family's future! I see it’s really for her and the Fourth Prince. If it weren’t for our Lu family, could she have become the Empress and secured her position?”
“Second Brother!”
Lu Zhao shouted sharply from the side.
Lu Qin reined in his disrespectful words but was still furious at the implication of the previous palace attendant's words.
The Empress had come from their Lu family, originally a branch family daughter. She caught the eye of Emperor An, who was then still a prince, and was later adopted into Lu Chongyuan's family, marrying him as his legitimate wife.
If it weren’t for the Lu family’s support, how could Emperor An have ascended the throne, and how could the Empress have emerged to rule the inner palace? Yet now, she has completely forgotten who helped her to get to where she is today.
Emperor An is a wolf who crosses the river and tears down bridges, and the Empress is no better!
Lu Qin was far from as steady as Lu Zhao. Even after being reprimanded, he could not help but say, “She’s really not one of us; she’s hidden her true self these years, helping her biological parents. Our father has turned a blind eye to it, and now she wants to pave the way for the Fourth Prince by using Sanlang’s marriage to approach the Song family. Our Lu family agreed to this, but she hasn’t remembered any of our kindness. Once something goes wrong, she pushes us out completely and dares to speak such cold words.”
“Father, do you really intend to support her son into power?”
Lu Chongyuan was equally furious about the Empress's actions. He understood that Song Tangning's unusual response had left the Empress in a difficult position. It was reasonable for her to approach the Lu family for a solution, and discussing how to resolve the issue was acceptable. However, she absolutely should not have distanced herself from the situation with the Fourth Prince.
But no matter how angry he was, Lu Chongyuan knew that the Lu family had no better options now.
Emperor An's determination to eliminate the aristocracy had not faded, and the eunuch Xiao Yan was eyeing them with malicious intent and strong tactics. The aristocracy had suffered significant losses and was under pressure. While they still appeared prominent, Lu Chongyuan understood all too well that their current situation was no longer what it used to be. They must quickly assist a pro-aristocratic emperor to ascend the throne to give the aristocracy a chance to breathe.
The Empress, no matter her faults, was still a Lu by surname. Though the Fourth Prince is not his biological grandson, he carries the blood of the aristocracy, and they must rely on the Lu family to achieve what they want.
“Enough.” Lu Chongyuan said calmly, “Do not speak of this again; otherwise, the Fourth Prince may distance himself from the Lu family.”
“But...”
Lu Qin still wanted to say something, but Lu Chongyuan simply glanced at him. Frustrated, he fell silent and kicked the stool angrily.
Lu Zhao looked at Lu Zhi Nian, who was pale, and asked, “Father, it’s clear that the Song girl doesn’t intend to relent, but the Fourth Prince cannot retrieve those things. If not...”
His eyes darkened with determination, but Lu Zhi Nian blurted out, “No, Tangning must not be touched!”
Lu Chongyuan frowned at Lu Zhi Nian, his expression complex, yet his attitude was the same as Lu Zhi Nian's.
“Do not entertain that thought; the Song girl cannot come to harm.”
“But those things...”
“Whether those things exist or not, we cannot touch Song Tangning.”
Lu Chongyuan had entertained this idea before. The Lu family had stood in the capital for many years, becoming the foremost aristocracy. Lu Chongyuan was never one to show mercy, but Song Tangning was like a hedgehog that they could not touch.
“The matter regarding her and the Lu family has just come to light. The Empress has sent someone to see her. If something were to happen to her now, do you think the mouths of those censors would spare the Lu family? And how would outsiders view the Lu family? Moreover, do not forget who is protecting Song Tangning now. If you want to act against her, do you think you can hide it from that eunuch Xiao Yan or from his men, the Black Armored Guards?”
The Lu family now wanted to maintain their reputation and protect the Empress and her son. They must not only refrain from acting against Song Tangning but also hope for her safety. Otherwise, if she makes even the slightest misstep, it would be an unshakeable burden for the Lu family.
The faces of the Lu brothers turned pale at these words.
Lu Chongyuan, too, felt a sense of frustration. He had faced many storms throughout the years, yet he had never felt so suffocated.
Lu Qin, his face filled with agitation, exclaimed, “This won’t do, that won’t do. What about the Song girl? She has no intention of reconciling with our Lu family, and she doesn’t even care about the Empress’s face. Are we supposed to wait for her to change her mind?!”
That Song Tangning was utterly unyielding.
Hard, she would not yield.
Soft, she wouldn’t accept it.
A mere girl who had just reached adulthood had forced the Lu family into a corner. Once the three-day deadline arrived, if she truly went to the Jingzhao Prefecture with that list, would the Lu family still have any face left?!
After a long time, Lu Chongyuan pursed his lips as if he had made a decision, looking at Lu Zhi Nian. “Sanlang, you will accompany me to Jiyun Alley tomorrow.”
“Grandfather...” Lu Zhi Nian turned even paler.
Lu Chongyuan felt a moment of compassion but still steeled his heart, saying in a deep voice, “The Empress and her son’s reputation cannot have any blemish.”
Lu Zhi Nian swayed slightly, looking as though he might collapse.
The Empress and her son’s reputation cannot have any blemish; the Lu family's honor cannot be damaged.
So, does that mean grandfather...
He is willing to abandon him?
============
You can read ahead to chapterr 182 here
Comments
Post a Comment