Is Shang Mozheng taking action?
This was Shang Luoshu's first reaction upon hearing Lu Yinxi's words.
Compared with Zhang Xiang, Lu Wenhan had always been extremely resolute in his attitude. He had been defending the emperor's orthodoxy and had repeatedly mentioned that the Regent King should relinquish power at an early date and let the emperor take over the court affairs.
Although the effect was not very remarkable, there was no doubt that Shang Mozheng had always wanted to get rid of him. So it was no surprise that the man would have such a speculation.
But would the Regent King really do such an obvious thing?
Everyone knew the political enemy relationship between Prime Minister Lu and the Regent King. If something happened to Prime Minister Lu, everyone would think of Shang Mozheng. Would he really take such a great risk to take action?
Having figured this out, the man's thoughts gradually became clear. He actively handed the tea to the young girl's hand. For the time being, he had to soothe her emotions first.
"Fourth Miss, don't be in a hurry. Calm down and tell me slowly."
Lu Yinxi didn't refuse. She raised her head and took a big gulp of the bitter tea. Her impatient emotions were finally suppressed a bit.
"Today I was waiting for my father to return from court in the mansion, but in the end, it was a servant from the mansion who came back. He told me that he saw with his own eyes the people of the Regent King take my father away!"
His pupils dilated slightly. Shang Luoshu didn't expect that it was really Shang Mozheng who had taken action.
Lu Yinxi said, "I know that the Regent King is extremely powerful and no one dares to offend him. It's really difficult for me to ask you to help me save my father. But now, now I have no other choice..."
Her eyes were slightly red. The young girl tried her best to suppress the emotions in her heart.
She was clearly not a person who liked to cry and didn't have much affection for Prime Minister Lu. But the moment she thought that something might happen to him, Lu Yinxi couldn't hold back her emotions.
As a man, most of them would have a heart to cherish the fairer sex. Moreover, the person in front of Shang Luoshu was Lu Yinxi. He couldn't help but waver a bit.
The current situation was unclear. No one knew what the Regent King had invited Prime Minister Lu to his mansion for.
It might be a threat or coercion, but it might also just be a friendly gathering with wine and a pleasant conversation between the host and the guest. Without knowing the specific situation, it was very dangerous to make a promise casually.
Seeing that he didn't say a word, the young girl gritted her teeth and silently made a decision in her heart.
"Your Highness, the King of Jing, you should know that I have a special ability. If you are willing to help me save my father, my speech spirit can fulfill one of your wishes."
When she said this, the red circles around the young girl's eyes hadn't faded yet, but her eyes were full of determination. She didn't believe that Shang Luoshu would still refuse with this as a bargaining chip.
However, the fact was that Shang Luoshu really didn't agree.
He was just surprised for a moment, and then he asked, "If Fourth Miss's speech spirit is really that amazing, why don't you use it to save Prime Minister Lu?"
Her lips with tooth marks opened and closed, but no sound came out.
Lu Yinxi stood there stiffly, not knowing how to answer for a moment.
Shang Luoshu was testing her. More precisely, he needed her sincerity.
On one side was her father and the truth from more than a decade ago. On the other side was her own secret. For some reason, she made a choice without even a bit of struggle.
Maybe it was influenced by the admiration left by the original owner?
She comforted herself in her heart like this.
"Because there are restrictions on my speech spirit. Every time I use it, the other person must be within my sight range, otherwise it won't work."
Before coming here, she had indeed considered directly climbing into the Regent King's mansion to save her father. But the side effects of her speech spirit made her dare not act rashly, so she could only come to Shang Luoshu for help.
"And then?"
The man leaned forward, narrowing the distance between them. In his silent eyes, there was only the figure of the young girl at the moment.
Lu Yinxi felt a bit uncomfortable being stared at by him. She turned her head to avoid his sight and said guiltily, "That's all. There's nothing else."
Liar!
Thinking of the way she had curled up painfully in the corner of the bed yesterday afternoon, a strange feeling flashed through Shang Luoshu's heart.
But he also knew that if Lu Yinxi didn't intend to tell him something, forcing her too hard would only have the opposite effect.
Almost instantly making a decision, the man retreated to his original position and resumed his previous appearance.
"Fine. This king agrees to help you save your father."
Just then, someone tapped on the window a few times.
The fragrance of the tea was curling up. The sunlight in April carried a bit of warmth. It playfully slipped into the room and then secretly slipped away.
Since that incident, Lu Wenhan had never thought that he would be able to sit calmly with his enemy again.
"The Regent King forcibly invited me to the mansion. May I ask what this is all about?"
"Prime Minister Lu clearly knows it in his heart. Why pretend to be stupid?"
Tapping on the edge of the table slowly with his fingers, Shang Mozheng looked extremely leisurely, but Prime Minister Lu felt a great deal of pressure.
"This king quite likes your Fourth Miss in the mansion. How about taking her as my adopted daughter?"
Lu Wenhan only felt his eyelids twitch. He thought to himself, "Here it comes." But on the surface, he still remained as calm as water.
"Your Highness is being too kind. My daughter is not blessed enough. I'm afraid she can't bear such an honor."
"Is it that she can't bear it or that you're not willing? Prime Minister Lu, you'd better think this through!"
The speed of his finger tapping slowed down a bit, but every time his finger landed, it seemed to hit Lu Wenhan's heartbeat.
The pressure exerted by the Regent King was gradually increasing.
Pinching the palm of his hand, Prime Minister Lu could clearly feel the sweat on it, but he couldn't back down.
"My daughter is not blessed enough. She can't bear it!"
"Rejecting so completely, aren't you afraid that this king will develop the intention to kill again? You shouldn't have forgotten what happened sixteen years ago, right, Prime Minister Lu?"
Of course he hadn't forgotten!
The old man's palm suddenly tightened. For a moment, Lu Wenhan thought he saw the scenes from sixteen years ago again.
Back then, when the former emperor passed away, the court was in turmoil. Mrs. Lu happened to have a premature birth at this moment, and it was even a difficult delivery. If it hadn't been for Master Kongshi's timely help, it would have been a tragedy of one dead mother and child.
However, although both the mother and the child were safe in the end, Mrs. Lu's health had deteriorated and she could no longer conceive. The newly born little daughter even became mute.
Breaking free from the memories, Shang Mozheng's voice rang out just right beside his ear.
"Prime Minister Lu, hand over the Fourth Miss to this king. You should know that this king won't do anything to her. It's just a fortune - telling. This king never believes in such things."
"This king's fate will only be in my own hands."
With a sarcastic smile on his face, for a moment, Shang Mozheng thought he heard the words of that bald donkey again.
"If Your Highness insists on this, you may die at the hands of Miss Lu the Fourth in the future."
At that time, Lu Yinxi hadn't been born yet.
"Since that's the case, Your Highness, why are you so persistent about my daughter?"
"Of course it's to let your daughter watch in place of Master Kongshi, watch how this king will step by step ascend to that position."
By this time, the smile on the Regent King's face had completely disappeared, leaving only a strong sense of threat: "Prime Minister Lu, a wise man submits to circumstances. This king hopes you'll think this over carefully."
The tea had already gone cold, but Prime Minister Lu felt that his heart was even colder. He didn't know how he left the Regent King's mansion or how he got back to his own mansion.
He only had one thought now, to send Xier away from the capital!