Of course, he couldn't mention asking the emperor to bestow a marriage at this moment. Firstly, it was the period of mourning. Secondly, if Lu Hongxi were to make such a request now, the emperor might think him overly ambitious.
However, the next day was a court session. Lu Hongxi was in attendance but remained silent throughout, secretly observing the crown prince. Sure enough, he noticed the crown prince's evasive eyes, as if he had been looking at the Duke of He and the Duke of Fu.
Now that the Duke of He and the Duke of Fu had formed a marital alliance, the two families seemed to be one. All the previous frictions seemed to have disappeared overnight.
Thinking of this, Lu Hongxi still felt a bit angry. He had not been involved in court affairs, but he never expected the court to be in such a chaotic state.
"What's your opinion, Minister Lu?"
The prince behind him secretly nudged Lu Hongxi and whispered, "The emperor is asking for your reply."
Lu Hongxi was taken aback. He quickly stepped out of the ranks and knelt on the ground. "Your servant... Your servant... doesn't know..."
The emperor said coldly, "Minister Lu is physically present in the court, but his mind seems to be elsewhere. If you have something on your mind, why not just say it directly? Everyone can help you solve your problems."
How dare Lu Hongxi speak recklessly? Sweat rolled down his forehead, and he dared not utter a word.
It was Sheng Jinyu who stepped out, bowed, and said, "Father, your son believes that this matter is of great importance. It is likely that the envoy has come for peace talks. The Ministry of Rites has always been under the jurisdiction of the Duke of Zhongyong. Why not ask for his opinion?"
The emperor simply replied with an "Um."
The Duke of Fu stepped out. "Your Majesty, your servant believes that there are many external threats to the Great Zhou. It is very likely that the envoy's visit this time is more of a provocation. Our Great Zhou is a great country. How can we lose our momentum? We should just ignore them."
Lu Hongxi felt slightly relieved and immediately interjected, "Your Majesty, this is not advisable. Although Zhaobi is a small country, it shares borders with many other countries. Its power cannot be underestimated. How can we treat them rudely?"
The Duke of Fu said, "Your words are wrong, King of Zhennan. Regardless of the purpose of the Zhaobi envoy's visit, Zhaobi has always submitted to our Great Zhou and paid a considerable amount of tribute every year. But last year, they failed to show due courtesy on the pretext of internal troubles in Zhaobi. If we fail to give them a warning in time this time, won't it make our Great Zhou look weak?"
Then an official stepped out to explain. "Your Majesty, there were many natural disasters in Zhaobi last year. The people were struggling to make a living, which is why they didn't pay much tribute."
Immediately, the two sides started arguing.
The emperor remained calm. After listening to their argument, he looked at Sheng Jinyu. "What's your opinion, A Yu?"
Sheng Jinyu quickly bowed. "Your son has no objections."
The emperor waved his hand. "And the crown prince?"
The crown prince also said, "Your son also has no objections."
After the court session, Lu Hongxi pondered for a moment. With the intention of testing, he stopped the crown prince and asked, "Your Highness, Zhaobi and the Great Zhou are interdependent. The Great Zhou is already facing many problems. Why provoke Zhaobi?"
The crown prince looked at Lu Hongxi unhappily. "The King of Zhennan has always only concerned himself with matters on the battlefield. These court affairs are not your business."
The emperor had already made it clear that he disliked the King of Zhennan. How could he still have any connection with the Lu family?
The crown prince frowned. He didn't know why the emperor was so kind to the Lu family. However, the Lu family must not be allowed to stay. If he waited until he ascended the throne, the Lu family's power would only grow stronger. He was afraid it would be even more difficult to suppress them. He had to find a way as soon as possible to persuade the emperor to deal with the Lu family.
He quickened his pace towards the Eastern Palace. Looking back and seeing Lu Hongxi still standing there, his eyebrows sank slightly. He used to have a little bit of concern for family ties. But now, since Lu Hongxi had repeatedly praised Sheng Jinyu, how could he show mercy?
Lu Hongxi walked with a heavy heart. The words of Ning'er from the previous day kept echoing in his ears.
Ning'er had said that she never asked for high positions and great wealth. All she wanted was the safety and well - being of the family. She also said that even if he had no moral flaws, he might still be framed by scheming people, and they would be defenseless.
Yes, defenseless.
Not long after Lu Hongxi left the palace, a young servant came over and whispered to him, asking him to go to Cuilou in Chaozong for a meal.
When he reached the elegant private room on the third floor of Cuilou and pushed open the door, Lu Hongxi was surprised to see Sheng Jinyu inside. Lu Hongxi felt a bit unhappy. Since he knew his daughter's feelings, he had felt his mood was a bit strange. It was not the same kind of sadness as when he heard that his daughter was going to marry Fu Rongxuan before, but a real sense of strangeness.
He sized Sheng Jinyu up and down and secretly nodded in his heart. This man was handsome, and his every move was in good order. No wonder Ning'er liked him. He was good - looking, had good manners, and was polite. It was really good. However, he was a bit cold. Would Ning'er be wronged in the future?
Sheng Jinyu had come over to greet him. His words were not overly affectionate, but neither were they too cold. "What's your view on today's court affairs, General?"
Lu Hongxi didn't like to take small sips. He gulped down the tea in one mouthful, waved his hand to stop Sheng Jinyu from pouring more, and said, "I'm a military general. I don't understand anything. Moreover, inside the hall, didn't Your Highness, the King of Yu, already say that you had no objections?"
Sheng Jinyu just smiled. "Now in the court, the crown prince has too much power. What objections can I have?"
Of course, this was not the truth. Lu Hongxi's gaze sharpened. He glanced at him. "Your Highness, the King of Yu, is joking. Everyone knows that Your Highness, the King of Yu, is the most trusted person by the emperor."
Sheng Jinyu didn't deny it. He just said, "I heard that General Lu had quite some insights in the hall. So I'm willing to listen attentively."
However, Lu Hongxi was reluctant to say more. He got up to bid farewell. "Your Highness has asked the wrong person. I'm an old man now, and I've been on the battlefield for many years. How can I understand court affairs? I just follow the emperor's orders. Whenever the emperor tells me to go on an expedition and where to go, I'll go there."
Sheng Jinyu also stood up. His eyes flashed. "Is General Lu really doing things like this?"
Lu Hongxi stopped in his tracks and asked, "What does Your Highness mean by this?"
Sheng Jinyu raised his eyebrows and motioned for him to sit down again. Then he said seriously, "General, you don't know much about the situation in the Northern Desert for the time being. But I believe that in a few days, when the second young master arrives in Luocheng, he will send back a message. By then, General will understand that the situation there is far more serious than what you think now."
Lu Hongxi's eyes narrowed. "Your Highness means that this time in the Northern Desert..."
Sheng Jinyu took out two letters from his bosom and handed them to Lu Hongxi. "That's right. This time, they are determined to take Luocheng."
Lu Hongxi immediately stood up. His heart was in turmoil. He said hurriedly, "So the people in Luocheng are in danger? What's the situation now?"
He opened the letter and skimmed through it. He breathed a slight sigh of relief. "For the time being, the Shao family can still resist, but the situation is not good. Your Highness, does the emperor know about this?"
He opened the other letter and his eyes widened. This letter described the situation in the Northern Desert, although it was just some casual talk. But how could Lu Hongxi not see that every detail in this letter showed how the Northern Desert was hiding its strength? Moreover, this matter in the Northern Desert was not the act of a single country, but a joint effort of three countries. The purpose was self - evident.
Luocheng was a strategic pass on the border, easy to defend but difficult to attack. Once it was captured, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Lu Hongxi looked at Sheng Jinyu hopefully and saw him nodding thoughtfully, which meant that the emperor already knew about it.