The Empress Dowager's illness had thrown the harem into a frenzy. However, since it was New Year's Eve today, the Empress Dowager didn't want to have any bad omens. She had given instructions early on not to let this news reach the Emperor or the court officials.
The Princess Royal brought her two daughters - in - law and waited in the Shoukang Palace for news about the Empress Dowager. After Lu Wanning had calmed down, she really didn't want to stay in this sad place any longer. So she simply went to the outer hall by herself.
Many female relatives who didn't need to visit the ladies in the harem were waiting in the outer hall for the right time to leave the palace and return home.
Jiang Shishi didn't enter the palace today. Just now, Lu Wanning met her cousin, who said that Jiang Shishi had fallen ill after the plum - blossom banquet last time and her family didn't let her go out much. But another old friend was here. Counting the days, she hadn't contacted her old friend for a long time. It would be good to meet her today.
However, before she reached the outer hall, when passing by the imperial garden, there was a warm pavilion nearby for people to take a rest. At this moment, it was getting a bit dark, and Lu Wanning was a bit tired from walking, so she wanted to go to the warm pavilion to take a short break.
As soon as she walked over, she heard someone talking inside. Listening carefully, she was surprised to find that it was Lu Hongxi's voice.
Curiously, Lu Wanning craned her neck and peeked inside quietly. Sure enough, she saw Lu Hongxi and the Crown Prince standing face - to - face. From this angle, she could see that Lu Hongxi was extremely angry, and his side face was flushed with anger, while the Crown Prince had his head slightly lowered, looking like a person being lectured.
Being lectured?
Lu Hongxi was very tall and was standing close to the Crown Prince. All one could see was the Crown Prince's obedient appearance. But when Lu Wanning crouched down and looked over, the candlelight shone on the Crown Prince's face, making it flicker. Clearly, there was great impatience on his face.
When Lu Hongxi got angry, he couldn't control his voice: "Your Highness, I have already been honored as a prince. There is no room for further advancement, nor do I need it. The glory of the Lu family can be ensured for several generations. What else is there to worry about? When Your Highness takes such unnecessary actions, have you ever thought about the common people? You are the Crown Prince, the heir to the throne. How can you let the common people of the world fall into difficulties just for some vain reputation?"
The Crown Prince's tone was even more humble: "It's my fault, Uncle. I hope you won't be angry anymore."
Actually, in public on normal days, to show his modesty and respect for the virtuous, the Crown Prince would address Lu Hongxi as "Uncle". But Lu Hongxi was an uncle to all the princes in the palace, and specifically the uncle of the Crown Prince's mother.
Lu Hongxi admonished: "Your Highness must never forget in the future that the Great Zhou belongs to the common people. Without the common people, how can there be the royal family and the nobility? A benevolent monarch always puts the common people first. Do you understand?"
The Crown Prince bowed and said: "I have been taught, Uncle."
Although Lu Wanning didn't understand what they were talking about, she thought it was not good for her to get involved. She turned around and wanted to leave. Just then, she saw a team of imperial guards coming this way. She was startled and leaned against the pillar, not daring to move.
The Crown Prince's imperial guards. Even if she was just passing by, if she was caught, they might think she was deliberately eavesdropping. Of course, she could act cute to get out of it, but the Crown Prince...
In reality, she wasn't familiar with him. In the book, he was very close to Fu Rongxuan and Shi Aohan. His actions in the main hall today were also very suspicious. On the surface, he was protecting Lu Hongxi, but in fact, it seemed like adding fuel to the fire.
Anyway, she'd better avoid the Crown Prince and the Queen Mother as much as possible.
Thinking like this, Lu Wanning slowly squatted down, intending to crawl away. But then she heard footsteps from inside the house. It was Lu Hongxi and the Crown Prince moving. If she had been caught standing just now, she could have made an excuse that she came by accident. But now, looking like a thief, there was no way she could explain herself if she was seen.
In panic, a pair of big hands lifted Lu Wanning up. Then with a leap, the person quietly took her to a big tree nearby.
Lu Wanning sat down, still in a state of shock. Only then did she find that it was Sheng Jinyu.
"Prince Yu!"
Sheng Jinyu made a gesture to tell her to be quiet.
Lu Wanning looked down. Just in time, she could see the skylight of the warm pavilion. She could see the movements of Lu Hongxi and the Crown Prince, but couldn't hear what they were saying clearly.
"Are you following them? Are you following my father or the Crown Prince?"
Sheng Jinyu glanced at her and said indifferently: "I came here first."
Lu Wanning looked around in surprise. He came first? What for? Sitting on a big tree daydreaming? Why did he choose to rest on a big tree when there were so many other places?
Forget it. She didn't need to care about these details.
Lu Wanning continued to look down. At this moment, Lu Hongxi had calmed down, but he was still admonishing the Crown Prince. He even reached out and patted the Crown Prince on the shoulder.
"I can't hear anything. What are they talking about?"
Sheng Jinyu turned over and leaned against the tree trunk, closing his eyes to rest. He casually said: "I'm investigating the matter of the Beijing Garrison ordering the common people to welcome the Prince of Zhennan that day. The Crown Prince's actions behind this can't be hidden. He's here to confess to the Prince of Zhennan on his own initiative. In this way, the Prince of Zhennan will surely conceal it for him."
Lu Wanning blinked her eyes and then realized that it was the Crown Prince who had arranged for Lu Hongxi to gain popularity. Now that the matter was about to be exposed, the Crown Prince was worried that if it reached the Emperor's ears, the Emperor would be disappointed in him. So he simply came to Lu Hongxi to confess. Although Lu Hongxi was angry, he wouldn't think that the Crown Prince had deliberately harmed him. Instead, because of the Princess Royal, he would downplay the matter.
She thought for a while and murmured to herself: "I don't understand. Why does the Crown Prince want to deal with my father?"
Sheng Jinyu chuckled: "No one would be happy if there's a sword hanging over their head."
Lu Wanning was even more confused. She tried hard to recall the plot in the book. Anyway, after the Emperor died and the Crown Prince ascended the throne, not long after, Lu Hongxi was beheaded by Fu Rongxuan himself on the charge of rebellion. Of course, Fu Rongxuan alone couldn't kill Lu Hongxi. The book also detailed that it was Shi Aohan's idea.
Lu Hongxi had been on the battlefield all year round. Although he was as brave as a god, he was still just an ordinary person. He had many old and new wounds all over his body. He was also reckless and liked to drink. Shi Aohan put warming herbs in his wine. In the cold winter, Lu Hongxi's body felt warm, but his wounds itched unbearably. Since it was really uncomfortable wearing armor, he took off all his armor.
Taking this opportunity, Fu Rongxuan launched an assassination. Lu Hongxi was unprepared. After fighting for several days, outnumbered, he was finally beheaded by Fu Rongxuan on the spot.
When reading this part, Lu Wanning only thought that the male protagonist in the book was not just scheming but also vicious. Now thinking about it, the character in the book who was supposed to rebel, Lu Hongxi, had become her father, a loyal general. How could she bear such an ending?
No matter what happened in the book, the Lu Hongxi here would never rebel, and she would never let those things happen.
From this angle, Sheng Jinyu saw Lu Wanning looking solemn and stirring, with her hands tightly clenched and a dazed look on her face. He couldn't help but feel a bit curious. What was she planning to do?
Lu Wanning took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. Looking at Sheng Jinyu, she asked: "Do you believe that my father is a loyal person?"
Sheng Jinyu chuckled and raised his eyebrows but didn't answer.
Only a bead of sweat rolled down Lu Wanning's forehead. The Prince Yu's reaction didn't tell her whether he believed it or not, but she instantly understood that the Emperor didn't believe it, and neither did the Crown Prince.