In the front hall of the Tang residence, the Fourth Prince did not expect to encounter members of the Lu family while visiting Xiao Yan. He was not very familiar with Lu Jiu'an, as his interactions with the Lu family had mostly been with their legitimate sons, especially Lu Zhi'nian, with whom he had the closest ties.
Lu Jiu'an, a son of the concubine, had never stood out much. He would occasionally exchange polite greetings when they met, but they had never become close.
The Fourth Prince was not familiar with Lu Jiu'an, but that did not stop him from transferring his resentment toward the Lu family to this lesser-known son.
When he saw that Lu Jiu'an had come to apologize, the Fourth Prince sneered, “The Lu family only recently injured someone, and now you're here to apologize. This is truly a rare sight. The Lu family has always been high and mighty, when did they become so mindful of etiquette?”
Lu Jiu'an furrowed his brows. “Your Highness, be careful with your words. Yesterday’s incident was a mistake made by my father. The Lu family was not aware of it…”
“Ha!”
The Fourth Prince scoffed, “Was it a mistake, or are you pretending not to know? With Lu Langling's thoroughness, could Mr. Lu’s actions really escape his notice?”
“Then again, it makes sense. The Lu family has always been ruthless. It’s not surprising that Lu Qin would act in this way.”
Lu Jiu'an did not want to engage in a confrontation with the Fourth Prince, but the mocking tone of his words made it hard to remain silent. He looked at the Fourth Prince with a cold expression.
“The Lu family has always been ruthless, and Your Highness is no exception. After all, you carry the Lu family blood. Otherwise, how could you have colluded with others to harm your maternal family?”
The Fourth Prince’s face immediately darkened. “I harmed the Lu family? Wasn’t it your family that attacked me first? If you hadn’t turned on me without mercy, would I have had to take action against the Lu family?”
Lu Jiu'an furrowed his brows. “What do you mean, Your Highness?”
The Fourth Prince sneered coldly. “If you want to know what I mean, go ask Lu Chongyuan. Ask him what he’s done?”
“The Lu family raised me high, but then abandoned me as easily as if I were a puppet or a toy. Since they abandoned me, I’ll also abandon the Lu family. It’s just payback. How dare they blame me for turning on them?”
He reached to touch the bandages on his injury, his face filled with resentment.
He had never truly intended to sever ties with the Lu family, even though his father had given the order. He had even considered secretly sending a warning. But what about Lu Chongyuan? He had actually wanted to "discard the father but keep the son."
If not for the Lu family, how would he have ended up like this?
Lu Jiu'an looked at the Fourth Prince’s injuries, noticing the resentment on his face as he sat in the carriage. He couldn't help but furrow his brows.
The injury to the Fourth Prince had indeed been orchestrated by his grandfather, because the Queen's actions nearly destroyed the Lu family, and the death of the first madam had exposed the Queen's affair with Prince Cheng. His grandfather had even suspected the Fourth Prince's true parentage. With the Queen and her son already estranged from the Lu family, his grandfather had ordered the Fourth Prince to be crippled to avoid future trouble.
However, from the Fourth Prince’s words, it seemed that his resentment toward the Lu family was not just from this recent fall, but had been building up for a long time.
Lu Jiu'an opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, footsteps approached. He had to suppress his doubts and turned to look at the flower hall. He saw a young woman in a blue gown, her beauty radiant, surrounded by attendants.
"Greetings, Fourth Prince," Tang Ning said with a curtsy.
The Fourth Prince quickly reined in his hostility, his voice softening. "County Princess, please rise."
Tang Ning stood up and then turned to Lu Jiu'an. "Lu Erlang."
Lu Jiu'an bowed. "Greetings, County Princess of Yiyang."
After exchanging pleasantries, before Tang Ning could speak, the Fourth Prince took the initiative and spoke first. “I just heard about last night’s incident this morning. I never expected that someone would dare to act in such a manner under the Emperor’s nose. Knowing that Xiao Yan was severely injured, I specially went to the vault to retrieve two hundred-year-old ginseng, hoping that Xiao Dushi will recover soon.”
Upon hearing this, Tang Ning’s expression softened. “Thank you, Fourth Prince.”
The Fourth Prince was genuinely fond of Tang Ning, though it wasn't because of any deep affection. It was simply that her beauty was striking. The last time they met, there were still faint traces of redness on her face, but now, her fair skin was like an unblemished porcelain doll, so delicate that it made one want to reach out and touch it.
He softened his voice. "County Princess, you were also startled last night. Fortunately, it wasn't you in the carriage. My mother and I both breathed a sigh of relief. Your complexion doesn't look very good. I brought some calming herbs, hoping they might be of use to you."
Tang Ning’s expression remained unchanged, though she felt suspicious in her heart.
The Fourth Prince’s tone was not usually like this. Even if he were trying to flatter her, there was no need to be so overly familiar. Furthermore, his gaze on her was making her uncomfortable.
She was doubtful in her heart but said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I am fine."
Knowing the Fourth Prince's intentions, Tang Ning had no desire to continue with pleasantries. She turned to Lu Jiu'an, her smile fading as her expression turned cold.
"Lu Erlang, what brings you to my residence so suddenly?"
Lu Jiu'an looked apologetic. "I am here on behalf of my father and the entire Lu family to apologize to both Xiao Yan and the County Princess."
“Yesterday’s incident was a mistake made by my father. After returning home, he drank and then heard that his hidden illness had been exposed. Fearing that it would bring shame to the Lu family, he acted impulsively and made a grave mistake, almost causing harm to the County Princess and leaving Xiao Dushi severely injured.”
“An impulsive action?” Tang Ning scoffed. “To harm a life because of an impulse? That’s truly horrifying.”
Lu Jiu'an spoke quietly, “County Princess, please do not be angry. I do not intend to shift blame from the Lu family. Yesterday’s incident was indeed my father's fault.”
“My grandfather had wanted to come personally to apologize to both of you, but after hearing about my father's reckless behavior, he became very angry. After attending the morning court and offering an apology to His Majesty, he returned home, only to fall ill from the stress. He can only send me in his place.”
Lu Jiu'an spoke with sincere regret, bowing deeply.
“My grandfather said that although the Lu family was unaware of what my father had done, he bears the Lu family name. Therefore, the Lu family cannot escape responsibility. He specifically invited the medical officers from the Imperial Medical Department to visit Xiao Yan, and he also sent me with this apology gift. He hopes the County Princess will forgive us.”
Tang Ning raised an eyebrow, feeling that this son of the Lu family was far more thoughtful than Lu Zhi'nian had been in the past.
Not only did he acknowledge the Lu family's mistake and clarify that they were unaware of Lu Qin’s actions, but he also pointed out that this was not a problem solely caused by the Lu family. His words indirectly suggested that if they hadn’t used Lu Qin’s hidden illness to pressure him, Lu Qin wouldn’t have acted so rashly.
The Lu family was yielding, offering an apology gift in hopes of smoothing things over and hoping they would accept the apology and move on.
Tang Ning tilted her head slightly, ready to make a cold remark. This was an opportunity to gain leverage over the Lu family. But before she could speak, Lu Jiu'an had already brought the apology gift forward.
“These are compensations for Xiao Dushi’s injuries, and these are to comfort the County Princess for the fright you received last night.”
The gifts for Xiao Yan were all high-quality tonics, or medicines to replenish blood.
For Tang Ning, however, there was a book.
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You can read ahead to chapterr 400 (100+ extra chapters) here
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