In the sudden warmth of spring, a flash of fair skin appeared. Perhaps the brocade quilt was a bit too thick, so she lifted it and let her jade feet rest on the edge of the bed.
Sheng Jinyu stood there in a daze. He should have backed out, but for some reason, he felt a sudden urge to step forward and tuck the quilt back for her.
An even stronger impulse welled up inside him, one he didn't even dare to think about.
In an instant, Sheng Jinyu closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Lu Wanning on the bed was a light sleeper. The noise outside was quite loud, so she rolled over and sat up. Looking around blankly, she instinctively called out, "Your Highness, the Prince of Yu?"
This call brought Sheng Jinyu back to reality. He quickly stepped back. Seeing the servants and maids outside the room, he closed the inner door and bowed, saying, "It... It was my rudeness."
Lu Wanning rubbed her eyes and looked at the closed door in bewilderment. What was this guy doing? Coming to watch her sleep? There was nothing improper about the way she was sleeping. She was fully dressed in long clothes and trousers and covered with a quilt. Nothing was exposed. Why did he act like that?
She originally wanted to lie down and continue sleeping, but after this commotion, she couldn't fall asleep anymore. So she simply got up to get dressed and wash up.
By the time Jiyue ran in with a long face, Lu Wanning was almost done getting ready.
"Princess, are you okay?"
Lu Wanning spread her hands and said, "I'm fine. What could happen to me? Where is the Prince of Yu?"
Jiyue replied, "The Princess Dowager invited His Highness the Prince of Yu to the front hall."
Lu Wanning asked curiously, "What did he come for?"
Jiyue explained, "It seems that the matter of you spreading the word everywhere that he is your backer angered him, and he came here to confront you."
Lu Wanning was stunned for a moment and said, "The Prince of Yu? He doesn't seem like a person who nitpicks."
Jiyue also didn't understand why.
Lu Wanning pondered for a moment and seemed to understand. Could it be that he didn't want to have any relation with her or the Lu family?
Thinking like this, she felt a bit nervous. Her activeness was, of course, because she liked him. But more importantly, she wanted to rely on his influence to protect the Lu family. After all, the Lu family was associated with the Crown Prince's faction and should break away.
What if he refused? But during the palace banquet, she saw clearly that while others didn't trust Lu Hongxi, he clearly did.
When Lu Wanning arrived at the front hall, Sheng Jinyu had already left. She felt even more disappointed. She sat in front of the chair and stared blankly at the teacup on the table. Presumably, this teacup was just for Sheng Jinyu. It could be seen that he probably didn't even touch it.
The Princess Dowager saw her daughter in a daze when she came back after seeing Sheng Jinyu off. She quickly walked over and said, "Ning'er?"
Lu Wanning looked up and said, "Huh?"
The Princess Dowager reached out and stroked Lu Wanning's hair, asking, "Did the Prince of Yu do anything to you just now?"
Lu Wanning said unhappily, "What could a person like him do to me?"
The Princess Dowager was still worried and said, "Ning'er, don't act recklessly in the future. Don't say things like he is your backer. It will only tarnish your reputation for no reason."
Lu Wanning retorted, "Is reputation really that important? More important than life?"
The Princess Dowager looked at her in surprise. She actually compared this matter with life. Did it mean that in her heart, the Prince of Yu was more important than her own life?
Lu Wanning got up and was about to go back. After thinking for a while, she turned back and said, "By the way, Mother. The Empress Dowager is not feeling well. I want to enter the palace to accompany her."
The Princess Dowager stared blankly at Lu Wanning's back as she walked out. She didn't ask for permission. It was more like a direct announcement. Her daughter used to not care about anything, but she always felt that her daughter had changed.
Han Chi was right. It was her fault. She didn't protect her daughter well, which made her daughter alienated from them.
The Princess Dowager clenched her fists tightly. She was thinking that when the Prince came back, she must talk to him properly. They must never be soft - hearted towards the villains again and make their daughter sad. Even if the villains were from the He family, her maternal family, the rift between the estranged siblings might never be resolved in this lifetime.
She was very melancholy and stared blankly out of the window, not knowing what she was thinking.
After leaving the front hall, Lu Wanning let out a big yawn. Leaning on Jiyue's shoulder, she walked forward and said, "I didn't rest well. I'm so tired. I'll go back and take a nap. Later, you ask someone to send an invitation to Sister Zhen and ask her to come tomorrow."
Jiyue asked carefully, "Princess, the Princess Dowager actually... is doing this for your own good."
Lu Wanning was confused and said, "What?"
Jiyue continued, "The Princess Dowager is your mother. If you have any dissatisfaction, you can talk to her directly."
Lu Wanning scratched her head and said, "I'm not dissatisfied with anything."
Jiyue didn't dwell on this issue anymore. She just asked, "Then should we continue to spread the word about the Prince of Yu?"
"Of course we should. Why not?" Lu Wanning gritted her teeth. "Jiyue, you continue to let people spread the word. I've latched onto this backer, and I'm not going to let go. Humph, I'd like to see what he can do to me!"
The more you don't want me to pester you, the more I will. Anyway, I'm going to enter the palace. Do you dare to break into the Shoukang Palace after breaking into my home?
Zhen Yan came the next day, and she seemed to have changed completely.
Lu Wanning sized Zhen Yan up and down and said, "What's wrong with you today? This hairstyle is nice, but it doesn't really suit you. Have you changed your personality?"
Zhen Yan wasn't as lively and active as usual. She just sat at the table and asked the maids to leave. Then she said, "I'm leaving."
"Where are you going?"
Zhen Yan replied, "Daihe."
Daihe was located to the west of the Great Zhou. General Zhen had been guarding Daihe for the past few years. Compared to Luocheng, Daihe was much more peaceful. So General Zhen didn't have to stay away from home for several years like Lu Hongxi.
Lu Wanning stroked her head and said, "Zhen Yan, are you out of your mind? If you go to Daihe now, will you ever come back?"
Zhen Yan slapped her hand away and said, "Don't wish me bad luck. Why can't I come back? I'm not going to fight on the battlefield."
"No, what I mean is, you're at the age to get married. If you leave now, won't you have to find a husband's family in Daihe? When will we sisters see each other again? Also, Sister Zhen, with the Crown Prince of Qishan, are you really... Are you leaving just to avoid him?"
Zhen Yan nodded and said, "Yes, I'm leaving to avoid him. I don't want to get married, especially not to someone like him."
Lu Wanning choked for a moment and asked in a low voice, "He... won't give up his mistresses?"
Zhen Yan gave Lu Wanning a sideways look and said, "Ning'er, I've thought it through clearly. A person like me is not suitable for marriage, especially for a high - status marriage. His kindness to me now is not because he loves me, but because he is a responsible man. The future is so long, and we don't know what will happen. With his amorous nature, how can he not take concubines in the future? The Zhen family is, of course, much lower in status than the royal family. How can we refuse? But you know my personality. I just want to solve problems with a sword. I'm afraid that after getting married, I'll fight with him every day."
Lu Wanning was stunned for a long time and actually thought that Zhen Yan made a lot of sense.
"But..."
Zhen Yan smiled again and said, "Moreover, I'm different from ordinary women. I don't like the life of serving my husband and raising children. What I pursue is the one - and - only love in the storybooks. So probably, not getting married is the best ending for me. The etiquette in Daihe is not as strict as in the capital. No one will say anything if a woman doesn't get married, so I've decided to go."