On a starry night, heavy rain suddenly poured down, drenching the night. By morning, the stone platform in front of the palace gate had formed puddles.
Emperor An suddenly fell ill, taking a day off from court. However, discussions about the Lu family were still buzzing both in the palace and in the capital.
The events surrounding the Lu family couldn't be hidden anymore. The Fourth Prince led people to break into the Lu family estate, and the body of Madam Guo was paraded through the streets. The entire city learned that she had an affair with Prince Cheng and that the Lu family had swapped sons with Prince Cheng’s household. People thought the Lu family would face consequences, but no one expected Lu Chongyuan, who had entered the palace to plead for forgiveness, to come out unscathed, and in a surprising turn, his house arrest was lifted.
Qian Qi Yue leaned on the table, gossiping about the latest rumors, while Xue Ru cracked walnuts with a small hammer.
When the walnut kernels in the plate were almost too much to fit, Xue Ru divided them into two portions, giving the larger portion to Tang Ning and the smaller one to Qian Qi Yue.
“小阿茹，你偏心。” Qian Qi Yue pointed at Tang Ning and feigned dissatisfaction. “Why does she get more than me?”
Xue Ru replied, “Elder sister likes it.”
“But I like it too.” Qian Qi Yue teased her on purpose.
Xue Ru wasn't angry and smiled lightly. “Then I'll peel more for Elder Sister Yue.”
Despite saying that, after finishing peeling the walnuts, she still placed the larger portion in front of Tang Ning and gave the smaller portion to Qian Qi Yue.
Qian Qi Yue saw this and pointed her chin at Tang Ning, saying, “Look, look, your little A Ru really only cares about you, so biased…”
“Eat your own food, no one’s stopping you,” Tang Ning said, tossing a walnut kernel at her. Seeing Qian Qi Yue exaggerate a fall, she turned to Xue Ru and said, “Don’t mind her, she’s always causing a fuss.”
Xue Ru smiled, revealing two dimples. She liked Elder Sister Yue, even though she often teased her. But Xue Ru could tell that Qian Qi Yue was always kind to her, unlike others who made supposedly playful jokes that were actually mocking. Qian Qi Yue simply loved to laugh and was a little mischievous.
Qian Qi Yue chuckled and popped a walnut kernel into her mouth, continuing to gossip.
“You don’t know, the gossip outside today is everywhere. Some are discussing the Lu family, some about Madam Guo, and others about the Fourth Prince. How could Madam Lu be involved with Prince Cheng? I’ve met her before, and she doesn’t seem like that kind of person.”
“And then there’s Lu Zhi Nian, who turns out to be Prince Cheng’s son. The Lu family treated him like their legitimate heir. Everyone used to think he would inherit the Lu family business, but if those previous things hadn’t happened and Prince Cheng wasn’t implicated, would he really have taken over the Lu family…”
Qian Qi Yue was shocked when she first heard about these events. It sounded even more dramatic than the stories in books. Just imagining that the Lu family’s century-old legacy might end up in Prince Cheng’s hands was enough to make Lu Chongyuan and his family furious—let alone their ancestors who might rise from their graves.
“Good thing you broke off the engagement with Lu Zhi Nian, or else you’d be dragged down with him. And then there's that Xie Yin, who’s said to be the child that Madam Guo brought from the Lu family. But the Lu family has strict rules about their female members having children, so who knows if Xie Yin even shares their bloodline.”
The royal heir and heir to the royal house suddenly became a mysterious illegitimate child overnight. Xie Yin was truly pitiful.
Tang Ning quietly listened to all the gossip, not confirming or denying any of it. After she handed Qian Qi Yue a fruit drink, she asked, “What are people saying about the Fourth Prince?”
“What else could they say? They call him heartless and cold, ungrateful in his pursuit of the crown prince position. Some even say he’s foolish. In short, there’s nothing good about him.”
Qian Qi Yue sipped her drink. “By the way, I heard the emperor is ill and didn’t attend court today. They say he caught a cold, but I don’t think that’s the case.”
“My father was furious last night when he heard Lu Chongyuan’s house arrest had been lifted. He was yelling all night. This morning, his face was black when he left the house.”
“I don’t know what the emperor is thinking. The Lu family has made mistake after mistake, and now Madam Lu’s affair is causing an uproar. Instead of reprimanding the Lu family, he allows Lu Chongyuan back into the court. I think he’s skipping court today because he’s afraid the censors will cause a scene.”
This was truly the behavior of a foolish ruler!
Tang Ning noticed Qian Qi Yue’s frustrated expression and smiled slightly. Emperor An was indeed ill. Her older brother had told her that Emperor An had been taking a special pill for years and had become addicted to it. He had started increasing his dosage, which had caused his body to weaken. Combined with overindulgence in alcohol, it had triggered intense headaches, though no one else knew the truth. The Imperial Physicians claimed it was a cold, but no one in the court believed it. People like Qian Qi Yue suspected the truth, and the censors had already gone to knock on the emperor’s chamber early in the morning.
Even with Emperor An’s illness, court affairs did not settle down.
Qian Qi Yue continued to talk about the outside world with Tang Ning, while Xue Ru quietly listened. The rain outside continued to fall lightly, tapping on the roof tiles and flowing down the eaves, creating a soft, constant rhythm.
In the afternoon, the imperial messengers came with an imperial edict. Tang Ning, accompanied by Xue Ru, went with Princess Cheng to receive the decree. After sending the messenger away with the red seal, Gu He Lian suddenly appeared from somewhere.
“Xiao Yan says that Emperor An has already decided the fate of Prince Cheng. The royal household’s affairs need to be settled soon, especially the establishment of the new household. Are you planning to stay in Ji Yun Alley, or do you want to find a new residence?”
Although Gu He Lian didn’t think much of Xie Tian Yu’s small matters, it was his responsibility to ensure the royal family paid back what they owed to Rong Yue.
Rong Yue casually tossed the imperial edict aside. “I’ll find a new residence.”
Since she was establishing the Rong family, the family’s ancestral hall would be moved there. She might even find a suitable heir for the Rong family in the future. Moreover, the Tang family residence belonged to Tang Ning, a gift from Xiao Yan. Rong Yue had never intended to make Tang Ning change the plaque to Rong family.
Gu He Lian was about to suggest that he had a house available, but seeing her temperament, he swallowed the words and instead said, “I’ll have someone help you find one.”
Rong Yue shook her head with a gentle smile. “No need, just borrowing for now. It’s unreasonable to borrow without returning. I don’t have much money at the moment. I’ll need to trouble you to help me pay for the house. Once the royal family’s affairs are settled, I’ll repay you immediately.”===================
You can read ahead to chapterr 400 (100+ extra chapters) here
the story is too long
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