Lu Wanning was extremely embarrassed. She quickly lowered her head, pretending to be drooling over the delicious food. However, all the dishes on the table were vegetarian. How could they make one salivate uncontrollably?
Lu Hongxi frowned and nodded. He reached out his hand and said, "Your subject will surely do his best."
After leaving the palace, Lu Wanning didn't rush back. Instead, she looked around. When she saw the Jiang family coming out, she immediately ran to Jiang Shishi's side.
Jiang Shishi's eyes were swollen and red. Her whole state was not right. She was supported by Madam Jiang and her younger sister.
Both the He and Fu families had been imprisoned. Although He Nanfeng had already separated from the main family, he still belonged to the direct branch of the He family. Naturally, he couldn't escape this incident and was imprisoned as well.
Jiang Shishi was physically weak. When she heard the news in the main hall, she almost fainted.
Lu Wanning helped Jiang Shishi into the carriage and comforted her carefully, "Sister Jiang, there's no need to worry. Cousin must be unaware of this matter. The emperor was extremely angry and didn't distinguish clearly. After his anger subsides, he won't blame cousin for this."
Jiang Shishi's face was still frighteningly pale. Her lips trembled. It took a long time for her to say, "Ning'er, in a family like ours, how can we only consider ourselves when doing things? The family is a whole where all rise and fall together. The He family has angered the emperor so much that the crown prince has been deposed. How can the third young master get out of this?"
Lu Wanning explained in a low voice, "Cousin has a very good relationship with Prince Yu. With Prince Yu around, how could he let anything happen to cousin?"
Jiang Shishi looked up and gave a sad smile, "I know you're trying to comfort me, Ning'er. The third young master got to know Prince Yu because of the heir of Prince Qishan. Now that the heir of Prince Qishan has committed a crime and it's still unknown how he will be dealt with, how can Prince Yu spare the time to take care of the third young master?"
Lu Wanning was at a loss for words and didn't know how to comfort her anymore.
Instead, Jiang Shishi frowned. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly. She held Lu Wanning's hand and said, "I'll plead with my parents. With my physical condition, I won't be of much use even if I go to someone else's house. If something happens to him... let my father donate a temple for me. I'll just live a quiet life from then on. If he can be safe, no matter how many years it takes, I'm willing to wait. I'll just pretend to be ill and wait in the countryside."
Lu Wanning was filled with emotions. If He Nanfeng was in trouble so easily, wouldn't all her previous efforts to get him to separate from the family be in vain?
"I'll go to the palace to see the emperor in a few days..."
Jiang Shishi shook her head and tightened her grip on Lu Wanning's hand, "Ning'er, don't be impulsive. The queen has had an accident. Your Lu family and the He family are in-laws. If it weren't for the imminent war, your Prince Zhennan's Mansion might not be peaceful either. Don't anger the emperor for my sake... for his sake. Do you understand?"
As she said this, her eyes became even redder.
Lu Wanning felt sad and deeply touched. She was living in this world, but most of her understanding of others came from the characters in that book, who were like paper figures without much flesh and blood, and their emotions were not very deep either.
For example, her feelings towards Jiang Shishi and Zhen Yan, and especially towards Sheng Jinyu.
She was attracted to him because of his power and appearance, and also because of the affection that grew over time. After seeing him more often, she knew that he wasn't the evil and cold Prince Yu in the book, so she developed different feelings for him.
But she had never thought that she couldn't live without him. Before, she thought that if she lost him, she would find another backer. If he always stayed by her side, it seemed that there was no one more suitable in the world - yes, more suitable, rather than better.
Even when she thought about being with him, there was calculation involved. She calculated that if he became the emperor in the future, she would be the queen. She calculated how much he could give her and the Lu family.
It seemed that she had long forgotten her original intention and also forgotten that loving someone should be whole - hearted without any impurities, just like Jiang Shishi's love for He Nanfeng. Before, when they couldn't be together, she only wished him all the best. Later, when they could be together, she only wanted him and no one else.
Could she do the same? And what about him?
Lu Wanning sent Jiang Shishi back to the Jiang family and then returned to the prince's mansion. The mansion was very quiet. Madam Wei was pregnant and had to take care of Lu Cheng, so she was very busy.
"Princess... the first lady has ordered the servant to prepare some soothing soup. She told the princess to drink it and rest early."
Lu Wanning didn't want to drink the medicine. She waved her hand and asked, "How's sister - in - law? Where's my mother?"
The nanny from the kitchen said, "The first lady was a bit shocked. When the servant went to deliver the medicine, she saw that the first lady was in a poor state of mind and had already gone to rest."
Lu Wanning endured the urge to go and visit. She just nodded and said, "I see. You can go down first."
Sister - in - law needed to rest. She would go and visit during dinner.
Thinking of this, Lu Wanning got up and went to the princess's place.
The princess was organizing some letters. When she saw Lu Wanning coming back, she waved and said, "Why didn't you play in the Jiang family for a while longer?"
Lu Wanning shook her head. She nestled beside the princess and asked, "Are these all the letters written by elder brother and second brother?"
The princess smiled, "They're from the past. I took them out to have a look when I was idle. Your elder brother writes a letter every month. Even if it's a bit late, it won't be delayed for many days. If there's a war, he will surely write a short message in advance to inform us. Your second brother is so impatient. He only writes a letter occasionally, but each letter is this thick. He writes about everything, for fear that he hasn't written clearly enough..."
Lu Wanning leaned against her and nodded with a smile, "Yes, elder brother is very meticulous in his actions, while second brother has always been a naughty one."
The princess sighed, "Even with his naughty nature, he has grown up. Now your second brother is married and will soon have his own child. In just over a month, the child will be born. Your elder brother left in a hurry. I didn't have time to pack things. Now I want to pack some things and ask someone to send them over. The Shao family has everything, but as a grandmother, I just want to do my part."
Although it was just to do her part, Lu Wanning found that the list on the table was written by the princess herself. It was very detailed. She even wanted to send a copper basin for the baby's third - day bath. The thick list was much longer than second brother's letter.
Lu Wanning couldn't help laughing out loud, "It seems that second brother's long - winded nature comes from you, mother."
The princess gave her a reproachful look, "You don't understand. Your elder brother, as the eldest son, comes back every year. But your second brother doesn't have much free time. When he was even younger than Chengcheng, your father took him away. He only came back occasionally. How could I not miss him? How could such a young child not miss home and his mother? So I wrote letters to him, one letter a month, writing down all the things in the prince's mansion in the capital. Later, when he grew a bit older, he also replied. Slowly, we developed this habit. He would tell me everything."
She looked at the letter in her hand, with a gentle smile on her lips. It was the smile of a young woman who, separated from her young child by thousands of miles, racked her brains to make her son feel less lonely.
Lu Wanning sat opposite her and said, "Mother, second sister - in - law is about to give birth. I won't be able to see them for the time being. How about I also write a letter to second brother, second sister - in - law, and my unborn nephew or niece?"
She was a doer. Lu Wanning immediately started to grind the ink. Then she said with a crying face, "But my handwriting is not good. Second brother will surely laugh at me later."