Lu Wanning stood there in a daze. It took her a long time to accept that her eldest brother's handwriting was not as bold as their father's. In fact, they could have just asked her eldest brother to write. Why go so far as to invite His Highness, the Prince of Yu?
He Nanfeng! It's all his fault!
Now Lu Wanning finally realized that He Nanfeng was not the nice guy she thought he was. That day, he clearly did it on purpose to lead her to seek help from the Prince of Yu.
How outrageous!
Staring at the jade screen for a long time, Lu Wanning's anger gradually faded. Well, outrageous or not, she was also looking for a chance to get closer to the Prince of Yu. It didn't matter.
After figuring it out, Lu Wanning was in a great mood. Whistling cheerfully, she happily went to her eldest sister-in-law's place to pick up Lu Cheng, and then they went to find their second brother and second sister-in-law to make snowmen and have snowball fights.
The Princess came over holding a warm stove and watched them playing wildly in the yard.
The nanny beside her also smiled: "The princess has been too lonely on weekdays. The eldest son's wife is reserved, and the young young master is still so young. Now that the second young master is back, the princess doesn't like to go out anymore."
The Princess nodded. She originally thought that after the engagement was broken off, Ning'er would be in a low mood. Especially after coming back from the Plum Blossom Banquet, she didn't even like to move. Now seeing her so lively, she was truly relieved.
"Have you checked on the situation of the Fu family?"
The nanny lowered her head and replied, "Your Highness, please rest assured. We know exactly what the Fu family is up to. They know that the Prince has a tough personality, so they want to target the princess. There have been people wandering outside the gate these days, but I've sent them away. If they think they can inquire about our princess, they're just dreaming."
"You've done well."
The nanny quickly added, "It's because the princess has grown up and become more sensible. This time, I clearly saw that the princess didn't show the slightest bit of soft - heartedness."
The Princess also nodded in satisfaction: "Ning'er is just like her father. She can't tolerate any sand in her eyes. So when she said she wanted to break off the engagement that day, I fully supported her. It's good to break it off. Ning'er will only be sad for a while, and she'll also understand that no matter how good Fu Rongxuan is, he's not the right person for her."
The nanny smiled and said, "In the future, Your Highness won't have to worry. The princess has her own plans. Our royal mansion and the Duke of Loyalty and Bravery's mansion have always been at odds. We shouldn't force them to be together."
As they were talking, Mrs. Wei walked over slowly. Seeing the Princess, she bowed her head in salute.
The Princess's expression softened a bit: "You've been very busy these days. You look thinner. You should pay more attention to your health."
Mrs. Wei nodded, stepped closer, and glanced at Mrs. Shao who was still playing in the yard: "Mother, I think my younger sister - in - law seems to be a bit weak."
Mrs. Shao was from Luocheng. Unlike the delicate girls in the capital, she could whip with great strength. She was no less brave than a man on the battlefield and was extremely strong. At this moment, she was still holding Lu Cheng high up, encouraging him to fight to the end with his aunt.
Weak?
The Princess looked at Mrs. Wei in confusion, then at Mrs. Shao. Her eyes suddenly lit up: "Really?"
Mrs. Wei smiled and said, "Mother, I've already checked. It should be accurate."
The Princess was overjoyed. She got up herself and shouted, "Cheng'er, be a good boy. Come to your grandmother. Don't bother your second aunt."
Taking advantage of Mrs. Shao's distraction, Lu Wanning threw a snowball into her collar.
The Princess was startled. She quickly stepped forward to take Lu Cheng and wanted to check on Mrs. Shao's situation. However, Mrs. Shao just giggled and chased after Lu Wanning with a snowball in her hand.
This really made the Princess extremely nervous. She pulled Lu Hanniian beside her and complained, "Nian'er, don't you know that your wife is pregnant?"
Lu Hanniian watched his wife and younger sister having so much fun and couldn't help laughing heartily. Hearing his mother's question, he turned around and said, "I know. She's already two months pregnant. Hey, be careful. Don't hurt Ning'er."
The Princess slapped Lu Hanniian: "Since you know, why didn't you tell me?"
Lu Hanniian said, "Don't you know? I thought eldest brother had told you."
"She's your wife. Why should your brother tell me?"
Before the Princess could finish her words, Lu Hanniian had already run off to play.
Mrs. Wei asked someone to accompany Lu Cheng, then walked over and helped the Princess back: "Mother, don't worry. The second younger sister - in - law is usually very strong. Unlike the women in the capital who are so delicate, she'll be fine."
The Princess sighed helplessly: "Look at your younger brother. He's only three years younger than your husband, but their personalities are like heaven and earth. Your husband has already returned to the capital and doesn't need to be on duty anymore, but he still trains the Lu family's personal guards every day. But Nian'er is going to be a father, and he only thinks about playing."
That night, after telling Lu Hongxi about it, Lu Hongxi waved his hand and laughed: "Don't worry. The second daughter - in - law has been used to living in the military camp since she was a child. Her mother was also so carefree. Instead, she's very strong. It is said that she gives birth faster than ordinary ladies."
The Princess was surprised and said, "Really? If that's the case, we should let Ning'er learn martial arts with you. Don't let her stay at home all day long."
Lu Hongxi laughed out loud: "The customs in different places are different. Ning'er knows some basic martial arts. As long as she exercises diligently on weekdays, she'll be fine."
Seeing that Lu Hongxi said so, the Princess also felt relieved and only said, "When we enter the palace the day after tomorrow, if we get the chance, we still have to tell the Empress Dowager this good news and make her happy."
Lu Hongxi nodded: "The Lu family has always had few descendants. Among the grandchildren, there's only Cheng'er. It seems a bit thin. Now that the second son also has a child, no matter if it's a boy or a girl, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager will be happy."
In a blink of an eye, it was the day of the palace banquet. Lu Wanning got up at the fourth watch. When she finished dressing up and went out, the sky was just beginning to brighten. For the imperial palace banquets, the female relatives of those with official ranks and titles, as well as the female relatives of officials above the fifth rank in the court, all had to enter the palace to attend the banquet. The lower the family status, the earlier they had to get up. They had to wait at the palace gate early and enter the palace together when the time came.
Although the Lu family was a vassal king, they were comparable to a prince and were very special. They were at the head of the procession entering the palace. All the way to the main hall, their seats were also very close to the main seat.
Lu Hongxi and the Princess sat in the front row. Lu Hanchi, Lu Hanniian and their wives sat in the second row. Lu Wanning and Lu Cheng sat in the last row. Sitting in the back, even though the hall was brightly lit, Lu Wanning still breathed a sigh of relief.
The original owner had a reckless personality and was protected by others. Even if she made any rude actions in the hall, no one would say anything about her. But she was not the original owner, and she didn't want to disgrace the Lu family. So she simply hid in the back. Even if there were any mistakes, no one would see them.
Looking around, she saw the He family two tables away. Shi Aohan had just come to the He family last year and didn't attend the New Year's Eve palace banquet. She also didn't come to the Dragon Boat Festival and Mid - Autumn Festival palace banquets this year. But today she came. She sat beside He Chan obediently. Her clothes were normal. She didn't wear mourning clothes or white flowers on her head like before.
It seemed that she had been beaten by society and finally knew what was right and what was wrong.
There were a few more people in the He family. Shi Aohan and He Chan sat in the last row together. When Lu Wanning looked at her, she also looked up. Seeing Lu Wanning's gaze, she didn't dodge. There seemed to be stars in her eyes, and she even raised her eyebrows.