Lu Wanning said bluntly without any courtesy, "Don't bother worrying about me, Aunt. I'm the prestigious Princess Zhaoyang. Do you think I can't get married? And I'm not being fickle! If a man doesn't have feelings for me, why should I keep him? Should I save him for the New Year or next Tomb - Sweeping Festival?"
Lady He's face flushed and paled in turn. Then she softened her tone and said to Lu Wanning, "Ning'er, you're still young and don't quite understand. Men can be stupid and make mistakes when they're young. A woman should be gentle and accommodating. How can you just show your anger to a man? Once you're married, if you persuade him more often, he'll surely change his mind..."
Lu Wanning sneered, "According to you, Aunt, how should I persuade and accommodate him? Should I be like you, allowing concubines one after another into the Duke's Mansion?"
Lady He's face turned as red as pig liver. For a moment, she dug her nails into her palms tightly.
Seeing this, the Princess stepped forward, took her daughter's hand, and pretended to scold, "Ning'er, how can you talk like that? This is your aunt. Sister - in - law, stop talking for a while. Ning'er is in a bad mood. It's inevitable that her words are a bit harsh. Zhao Zhao, escort your aunt and cousin out."
Lady He was extremely annoyed but still had to force a smile and continued, "Ning'er, you should think it over carefully. The Heir of the Duke Fu is so good - looking. At such a young age, he has been praised by the Emperor for being both civilly and militarily talented. He's a pillar of the country. After he reaches the age of twenty, he'll be able to serve in the Ministry of Justice. His talent and appearance are unmatched. There's no better young man in the world. Are you really willing to give him up like this?"
The Princess didn't want to talk to her anymore. She said with a cold face, "Sister - in - law, stop talking. No matter how good that young man is, he has humiliated my daughter like this. How can my daughter still marry him? It's a joke. Let's just end this matter. Anyway, after the Prince goes to the Fu family today, there'll be no more connection between our two families."
Seeing Lady He looking ashen - faced and He Chan looking indignant, Lu Wanning thought that if she just let them go like this, they might come up with more tricks. So she simply mocked, "Speaking of which, Aunt, you've been speaking so much for the Heir of the Duke Fu. You've been insinuating that I should still marry him. I wonder what your real intention is."
The Princess's eyes narrowed. She had only been focused on talking to her sister - in - law. Although she had some doubts, she didn't want to think ill of her sister from her natal family. Now, after hearing what Ning'er said, she felt that her sister - in - law really came prepared.
Lady He's face changed. Just as she was about to explain that she had no such intention, He Chan couldn't hold back any longer and shouted, "Lu Wanning, aren't you ashamed? Don't you know what kind of person you are? Why does Brother Fu dislike you? It's because you've been shamelessly following him around all day. Where's the virtue of a noble lady? Humph, if you hadn't refused to be the main wife, Cousin Han wouldn't have been unable to enter the Fu family. Why would my mother have to come here and endure your rudeness?"
Lady He shouted angrily, "Chan'er, stop talking nonsense! Get out of here!"
He Chan burst into tears after being scolded by her mother.
Lu Wanning found it quite funny. He Chan was so rash, selfish, and rude. In the book, she was described as innocent and straightforward? It was really laughable.
The Princess's face had already dropped. She pointed to the door and said, "Don't bother to see you off!"
Lady He quickly tried to pull the Princess's sleeve but was immediately shaken off. She had no choice but to cry with a long face, wipe her tears, and say, "Sister - in - law, children are all debts. I really have no other way..."
The Princess said coldly, "You have no way, so you want to sacrifice my daughter? My daughter is the precious Princess Zhaoyang who grew up in the presence of the Empress Dowager. She's also the apple of my and the Prince's eyes. For the sake of your niece, you don't even care about the friendship between the Lu and He families!"
Lady He shook her head repeatedly, "It's not like this, it's not! Sister - in - law, I originally wanted to let it go. If Ning'er doesn't like the young man from the Fu family, it's okay to break off the engagement. But Han'er has lost her reputation. She's an orphan and really miserable. I'm the only relative she has left in the world. If I don't take care of her, won't she have no way out?"
"Sister - in - law, you know that Han'er has such a background. She only has a little reputation because of her hard work. How can she be the main wife of a noble family? The Heir of the Duke Fu and Ning'er grew up together as childhood sweethearts and have a deep affection. How can Han'er compare with Ning'er? She's just a concubine, like a cat or a dog. She won't affect Ning'er in any way."
Just as Lu Wanning was about to speak, the Princess had already opened her mouth, "Won't affect Ning'er in any way? Ning'er hasn't even married yet, and you, as her aunt, have already chosen a concubine for her to take with her? People who don't know might think you're the aunt of Fu Rongxuan! And this concubine is your beloved niece? What cat or dog? She's already getting cozy with the groom - to - be before the wedding. Can you still call her a cat or a dog? If she were really a cat or a dog, as a princess, Ning'er would surely dismiss all of Fu Rongxuan's concubines before the wedding. Can this so - called cat or dog, Shi Aohan, also be dismissed?"
Lady He could no longer maintain her dignity, "Sister - in - law, even if Han'er has done something wrong, you can't talk like this..."
"Am I talking like this? Didn't you say first that she's a cat or a dog and won't affect anything?"
He Chan also refused to give in. She pulled Lady He and shouted, "Mother, why do you have to be so humble? A person like Lu Wanning who can't live without Brother Fu. Don't worry. By next year at most, she'll be so desperate that she'll insist on marrying into the Fu family again."
Originally, Lu Wanning thought that since her step - mother wasn't a soft - hearted and naive person, she didn't need to step in. But He Chan's words were too harsh. The key was that the step - mother was He Chan's aunt. At most, she could only scold her a few times, which was meaningless.
So Lu Wanning immediately raised her eyebrows and said, "Aunt, do you mean that as long as someone marries the Heir of the Duke Fu as the main wife, Shi Aohan can rightfully become a concubine?"
Lady He didn't react for a while and didn't understand why Lu Wanning asked such a question.
The Princess, on the other hand, was worried and pulled Lu Wanning, afraid that she might get impulsive and agree not to break off the engagement.
Lu Wanning patted the Princess's hand to comfort her, raised her eyebrows, and smiled, "Aunt, this matter is actually easy to solve. There are so many noble ladies in the capital. The Heir of the Duke Fu is unmatched. Many young ladies would be willing to marry him. It doesn't have to be me. Of course, I understand your intention. After all, Shi Aohan is your own niece. You're reluctant to let another mistress marry into the Fu family, for fear that Shi Aohan might be mistreated. Actually, Sister Chan'er has also reached the age of adulthood. It's time for her to get married. The He Duke's Mansion has a high status. Chan'er is a legitimate daughter. Isn't she a perfect match for the Heir of the Duke Fu?"
Lady He's eyes widened. She stammered, "This is impossible. How can it be? The two of them... They have no feelings for each other. This..."