Liu was always obedient, but she was no good at speaking. Under the intimidating aura of the princess, she cowered and didn't even dare to breathe loudly.
The princess was even more dissatisfied when she saw Liu's demeanor. How crucial was the mistress of a great clan? Even in the Lu family, which had no collateral branches, the choice of the wife of the eldest son was made with extreme caution. Yet the He family, a large and prosperous clan, had to choose such an unrefined daughter - in - law as their eldest daughter - in - law.
What if the elder brother and sister - in - law passed away in the future? Could Liu hold up the family?
The princess's mind was in turmoil. She hated Shi the most, for raising her sons and daughters so poorly and choosing a bad daughter - in - law. Truly, a wrong choice of wife could ruin several generations.
She wondered if things would get better after Lu Yingshuang, the daughter - in - law of the second son, got married. At least Lu Yingshuang was a well - bred young lady from a noble family. Sigh...
The two elder sisters - in - law of the He family didn't know what the princess was thinking. When they saw her frowning, they comforted her gently. They said that as a daughter of the He family, the princess was still connected to them by blood, and she shouldn't be so angry because of some small things...
The princess had been calm at first, but hearing this, she sneered, "Do you sisters - in - law think a young lady's innocence is a small matter?"
The eldest sister - in - law was taken aback and quickly explained, "No, I mean... Isn't Ning'er okay?"
The princess glanced at her and said, "Thankfully Ning'er is safe. If something had happened to her, my prince would have flattened the He family by now."
Liu was both shocked and terrified. She blushed for a long time and could only stammer in a low voice, asking the princess for forgiveness.
The princess took a sip of tea and said coldly, "The other day when your father - in - law came, the prince already said that as long as Ning'er didn't pursue the matter, we wouldn't either. You can go back now. Don't worry. As long as he does as we've agreed and keeps He Chan from harming others again, we won't do anything."
Liu slunk back and told the Duke of He honestly. The Duke of He was so angry that he saw red.
"What does she mean? Does she think I'll show favoritism? Everything was agreed upon before, but for no reason, she returned the gifts. Clearly, she's blaming me for not listening to her and not letting Yunniang take charge of the family. Which family would let a concubine take charge? She's already married, but she still tries to interfere so much."
Liu said timidly, "Father - in - law... The power of the prince's mansion is too great. If we don't follow their wishes, I'm afraid our He family will have a harder time in the future."
The Duke of He's eyes turned cold and fierce. "Lu Hongxi... Originally, I was thinking that since you're my sister's husband, I'd spare you in the future. But it seems there's no need for that."
Liu asked blankly, "What are you talking about, Father - in - law?"
The Duke of He waved his hand impatiently. "It's nothing. You can go first. Call Yunniang here."
Yunniang went to the prince's mansion in the afternoon. Since she was an old servant who had served the princess's mother, the princess showed her a bit of respect.
"Does the Duke of He mean to let you take charge of the family?"
Yunniang gave a bitter smile. "Please don't tease me, Princess. I'm just a concubine. In the Duke's mansion, I'm just muddling through my days."
After they sighed for a while, Yunniang said directly, "I know that the princess always acts according to rules and isn't a person who acts recklessly. I'm here today just to ask what the princess's plan is."
Seeing an old acquaintance, the last glimmer of hope in the princess's heart vanished. Even though Yunniang used to be her mother's maid, after she followed the second elder brother, she was just the second elder brother's woman and would be for the rest of her life.
"Nanfeng is not tolerated in the He family. If this matter is to be settled, ask the Duke of He to let Nanfeng separate from the family."
Yunniang frowned. "Has the princess thought this through? Third Master is a member of the He family. Outsiders will always respect him. If he separates from the family, how can a single young man like him establish himself?"
The princess shook her head. "I've never worried about that. Will he stop being a He just because he separates from the family? His aunts are the current queen and this princess. He also has his in - laws."
Yunniang understood what the princess meant. When she got back, she found a way to persuade the Duke of He to agree to let He Nanfeng separate from the family. However, although the Duke of He agreed, he demanded that the separation should take place half a month later on the anniversary of his father's death. And before that, He Nanfeng had to live in the mansion.
Lu Wanning had an argument with her elder brother and then stayed at home, not going anywhere. She declined several invitations from her sisters and didn't attend any of the various gatherings in the capital.
Although she didn't go out, there were many rumors in the capital, all about how she had found Prince Yu as her backer. The news even reached the palace.
The emperor immediately summoned Sheng Jinyu to the palace and asked, "A Yu, I heard that that little girl Zhaoyang has taken a fancy to you?"
Sheng Jinyu's face darkened slightly. "It's nonsense, Father. You don't have to take it seriously."
The emperor laughed heartily. "Zhaoyang is very stubborn. Once she sets her eyes on something, she won't rest until she gets it. A Yu, if you're interested, I'd be happy to fulfill her wish."
If he were really happy, he wouldn't have asked like this.
Sheng Jinyu's face remained unchanged. He just frowned and looked at the emperor. "Father once said that my marriage would be up to me."
The emperor frowned and asked, "You don't like that girl?"
Sheng Jinyu sneered. "A little girl. She's just good - looking."
The emperor was quite satisfied with this answer and nodded. "The Lu family has grand ambitions. If a Lu girl were to become the Princess of Yu, she'd just be another He family."
Sheng Jinyu didn't respond. He just picked up a memorial that the emperor had been reading on the table and asked, "Is it about the matter in the northern desert?"
The emperor grunted. "What do you think, A Yu?"
Sheng Jinyu shook his head. "Just send Lu Hongxi there."
The emperor rubbed his fingers. "Lu Hongxi... Did Lu Hongxi anticipate this long ago, or..."
Or did he do it deliberately?
Sheng Jinyu pondered for a moment. "He thinks that without him, the Great Zhou can't do anything."
The emperor leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples. "A Yu, I have no one useful around me. Lu Hongxi is trying to manipulate me. What should I do?"
Sheng Jinyu walked to a chair beside and sat down. He thought for a while and then said, "Lu Hannian will be returning to Luocheng in the next few days. If Lu Hongxi has an ulterior motive, then the turmoil in the northern desert at this time is rather thought - provoking. He didn't receive any rewards for the victory last year. How does he plan to ask for rewards this time?"
The emperor asked hesitantly, "What do you mean, A Yu?"
"The King of the South is old, but his heir is in his prime. I've met the heir a few times, and I think he's a sensible person."
The emperor hesitated again. "Lu Hanchi... is indeed good, but don't you think that both Lu Hanchi and Lu Hannian are not as good as their father?"
Sheng Jinyu looked at the emperor and a smile curled up on his lips. The emperor was suspicious, yet worried that his suspicion was wrong. He wanted the unparalleled valor of the King of the South, but was also worried that he had ill intentions and was not a loyal subject.
"With his two sons around, even if the King of the South doesn't go to battle himself, he will make plans just in case. If this is his deliberate doing, he must win this battle. If the enemy army really pretended to surrender and then came back, I'm sure the King of the South has already made proper arrangements. Why does he need to be there in person?"
The emperor nodded slowly and looked a bit disappointed. "In this case, it's impossible to know if he's loyal or not."