Tang Ning opened the book, glanced down at it, then suddenly lifted her head and looked at Lu Jiuan with a strange expression on her face.
Lu Jiuan remained calm and said, "I wonder if the County Lord is satisfied?"
Tang Ning paused for a moment, wanting to say she wasn’t satisfied, but then felt a pang of conscience. She had originally thought that the Lu family was just putting on a show for Emperor An, but she hadn’t expected them to actually agree to let her send people to the Lu clan to transcribe the remaining collection of Lu family books.
Although the arrangement wasn’t exactly as she had imagined, and the Lu family did set conditions—only allowing five people to stay in the Lu family’s library for ten days, with permission to copy books that they could take away—this was still a significant concession from the Lu family.
Tang Ning clenched the paper in her hand and said, "Five people is too few."
Lu Jiuan looked at her and asked, "Then how many do you think would be acceptable?"
Tang Ning thought for a moment and said, "Twenty people for three months."
"Impossible," Lu Jiuan rejected outright without hesitation. "The Lu family has already made concessions. The County Lord should understand what those books mean to the Lu family. Since my grandfather agreed to let you send people in, that’s already a huge step. If you ask for more, there is no sincerity in this."
Tang Ning furrowed her brows and said, "Am I the one lacking sincerity, or is the Lu family not sincere?"
"My elder brother almost lost his life last night and is now gravely injured. If it weren’t for his desperate attempt to save others, the Lu family would have already been implicated in attempting to harm the Emperor."
"I know you’re not here to apologize but rather to appease the Emperor’s anger towards the Lu family. Since you want to use my brother to win favor with the Emperor, shouldn’t you offer something in return?"
"Five people for ten days is too little. Even if they copied day and night, not much could be transcribed. If you have no sincerity, then we need not discuss this further. The Lu family doesn’t need to apologize. Please go back, Lu Jiulang."
Tang Ning handed the paper back to Lu Jiuan, signaling that it was time for him to leave.
Lu Jiuan hadn’t expected Tang Ning to refuse so directly, especially without discussing it with Xiao Yan first. He narrowed his eyes slightly. He had always thought that everything Tang Ning did was either with Xiao Yan’s support or was part of his scheme. Even her repeated criticisms of the Lu family had seemed to be motivated by Xiao Yan. But now, he was starting to think that she was not as simple as he had assumed.
Lu Jiuan furrowed his brows and said, "It’s absolutely impossible for twenty people to stay there for three months. Ten people, for half a month."
Tang Ning smiled and said, "Lu Jiulang, I’m not negotiating with you."
Lu Jiuan insisted, "Ten people, one month."
Tang Ning raised her hand and said, "Hang Li, please see Lu Jiulang out."
Hang Li, who had been standing outside the flower hall, walked in and addressed Lu Jiuan, "Lu Jiulang, please."
Lu Jiuan realized that Tang Ning wasn’t trying to scare him. He hesitated for a moment, then said, "County Lord, are you truly going to leave no room for compromise?"
Tang Ning looked at him coldly and said, "Did the Lu family leave any room for compromise when they wanted to take my life?"
"Last night’s incident was caused by you," Lu Jiuan responded, not backing down. "Aren’t you afraid of what people might think if they find out?"
Tang Ning showed no fear. "Lu Jiulang, you can say whatever you want. Regardless of the reason, it was Lu Qin who tried to take my life, and the Lu family owes me for that."
Lu Jiuan said, "County Lord, why push so hard? It’s always better to leave a way out for everyone."
Tang Ning tilted her head and said, "What is there left to leave a way out for between the Lu family and me? Today, I have the upper hand. You’re being conciliatory, but if the Lu family had the upper hand, I’m afraid that even if I were to be conciliatory, you wouldn’t show any mercy."
Lu Jiuan stared at Tang Ning, his lips pressed tightly together as he found this woman hard to deal with.
Seeing Tang Ning gesture for him to leave, Lu Jiuan finally relented. "You should know that what you're asking for is impossible. The Lu family has already given up half of the collection of books. If we allow those people to stay for three months, it would be equivalent to giving away the other half. Even if I and my grandfather agree, the clan will never accept it."
Tang Ning replied indifferently, "That’s your problem."
"You…" Even Lu Jiuan, who was usually calm, couldn’t help but be enraged by this woman’s stubbornness. He lowered his voice and said, "Twenty people, one month. This is the Lu family’s greatest concession. If you still feel it’s not enough, then let this be the end of our discussion."
Tang Ning smiled brightly. "Deal."
Lu Jiuan: "…"
Seeing her smile so brightly, her almond-shaped eyes sparkling with ripples, there was not a trace left of the coldness from before.
Lu Jiuan couldn’t help but realize that he had been "played" by this woman. He was angry with himself for having given in too quickly, but once the words were out, there was no taking them back.
The Fourth Prince, who had been watching silently, was stunned. He had known that Tang Ning was smarter than the average woman, but it was the first time he had seen her outmaneuver someone so effectively. In just a few words, she had made Lu Jiuan retreat step by step. She radiated a kind of charm that made her stand out from the women in his harem, who were dull and uninteresting.
The Fourth Prince was increasingly captivated. He started to look forward to bringing her into his household.
Tang Ning, unaware of the Fourth Prince’s thoughts, was in a good mood after getting such a favorable deal. She even found herself looking at Lu Jiuan more favorably. "My brother has just woken up. Since both you and the Fourth Prince have come to visit, please come in."
"Hua Wu, our guests have arrived. How can we neglect them? Please invite them inside and bring some tea."
Lu Jiuan: "…"
This woman truly was quick to change her attitude. It was like flipping a page of a book.
===========================
The two doctors invited by the Lu family were familiar faces: Doctor Sun, an old acquaintance, and Doctor Zuo, a supervisor from the Imperial Medical Bureau.
Tang Ning didn’t avoid the fact that she knew Doctor Sun. After a few pleasantries, she led Lu Jiuan and the others to the Jiuxiao Courtyard.
Xiao Yan was recuperating in a side courtyard adjacent to Jiuxiao Courtyard.
After they entered, they saw Xiao Yan lying on the bed, pale and leaning against a pillow.
He didn’t have the sharp, imposing aura he usually did in court. His hair was loose behind him, and he was wearing only his undergarments, looking extremely weak. Despite his injuries, his dark eyes still had the power to captivate.
When Tang Ning explained the purpose of Lu Jiuan’s visit, Xiao Yan didn’t stop them. Doctor Sun and Doctor Zuo stepped forward to examine his pulse and injuries while Lu Jiuan kept his eyes fixed on them.
After both doctors had finished their examinations and stepped back, Lu Jiuan asked, "How is Xiao Yan’s condition?"
Doctor Sun replied, "The injury is severe. His pulse is weak, his organs are damaged, and he has lost a lot of blood. He needs prolonged rest."
Doctor Zuo nodded in agreement.
Lu Jiuan frowned. Had he and his grandfather been wrong? They had assumed that the injuries on Xiao Yan’s body were faked, part of a scheme to deal with his father and force the Lu family to make further concessions.
But now, Xiao Yan, a castrated man, was truly injured?
"Are you sure about your diagnosis?" Lu Jiuan couldn’t help but ask.
Doctor Sun furrowed his brow. "Lu Jiulang, what do you mean by that? Are you questioning our medical skills?"
Xiao Yan leaned back on the pillow, coldly looking at Lu Jiuan. "Lu Jiulang, you're not doubting their medical skills. You’re doubting whether my injuries are real. The Emperor has forced the Lu family to apologize to me. If you want, I can have someone remove these bandages so you can check for yourself."
Lu Jiuan quickly lowered his head. "Lord Xiao is joking. I would never dare."
"Then leave."
Xiao Yan spoke with a hint of irritation in his voice, his eyes darkening.
Lu Jiuan’s anger was stirred, but remembering the words his grandfather had said to him before leaving, he suppressed his feelings and said, "I’ll take my leave now. Lord Xiao, please take care of your health."
As he turned to leave, Tang Ning spoke up, "Lu Jiulang, I’ll have the twenty people selected within five days and sent to the Lu family. The Lu family will keep their word, right?"
Lu Jiuan stopped in his tracks and turned around coldly. "Naturally."
Tang Ning smiled. "Thank you, Lu Jiulang. Safe travels, no need to see me off."
Lu Jiuan clenched his fist and left without another word.
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You can read ahead to chapterr 400 (100+ extra chapters) here
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