Lu Wanning was in a daze, trotting to keep up with Sheng Jinyu's pace.
It was not until they reached Lu Hongxi that Sheng Jinyu turned back indifferently. "Princess Zhaoyang, please return. I have important matters to discuss with the general."
Lu Wanning complained inwardly. Was he going back on his words? But she also understood that he was just trying to avoid suspicion and protect her reputation. If anything happened to him, she wouldn't be implicated.
However, if he didn't come back, the Lu family would sooner or later be destroyed by Sheng Chenyi.
Thinking of this, seeing that they were about to leave, Lu Wanning immediately shouted, "Well then, I'll go back first. Your Highness, Prince Yu, remember your promise."
Her coquettish tone surprised several junior officers, who tried hard to control their expressions so as not to lose their composure in front of the prince.
Sheng Jinyu glanced nervously at Lu Hongxi with a solemn face. Then he turned back to Lu Wanning and tried to make his tone cold. "I remember."
Lu Wanning gave a sweet smile and said, "Then I'll always be waiting for Your Highness to come back."
Sheng Jinyu couldn't suppress the curve of his lips. He used to wonder how other men could lose their self - control just because a woman was charming and gentle. Now he understood that a woman's soft words could really make one feel happy.
Especially since she was extraordinarily gentle today.
Only after getting into the carriage with Lu Wanning did Jiyue dare to take a big breath and ask, "Princess, what do you mean today? What did His Highness, Prince Yu, say to you?"
Lu Wanning originally wanted to tell Jiyue, but then she thought of Sheng Jinyu's serious and sparing - with - words manner. She felt a bit happy instead. Today, he had said a lot to her, which was very different from his usual self.
"As you can see."
Jiyue was full of doubts. After thinking for a while, she asked again, "Princess, was that amulet you gave to His Highness, Prince Yu?"
A shy look appeared on Lu Wanning's face as she nodded slightly.
Jiyue stared with wide eyes and said, "Princess, people say you're in love with His Highness, Prince Yu. I didn't quite believe it before. Is it true?"
Lu Wanning raised her eyebrows. "Don't you know my personality?"
Jiyue shook her head repeatedly. "No, it's just that when I asked you before, you said you only regarded him as a powerful backer. I've always believed that. I thought it must be a misunderstanding from others. But..."
As she spoke, she looked a bit aggrieved. It seemed that now everyone knew the truth except her.
In the evening, after seeing Sheng Jinyu off, Lu Hongxi finally had time to return. His first thing to do was not to have dinner, but to summon Lu Wanning to his study for questioning.
The princess and Lady Wei looked at each other. "What's your father up to? Did your sister do something wrong?"
Lady Wei quickly offered a suggestion. "Mother, although Father has always doted on Ning'er, he may still get angry. Father has been in a bad mood recently. If he loses his temper and hits her, Ning'er may not be able to bear it."
The princess agreed. "You're right. Your father is prone to impulsiveness, and Ning'er is reckless. Maybe she made a big mistake when she went out recently, which made your father so unhappy..."
Lady Wei added, "Mother, Father listens to you the most. Why don't you go and wait outside the study? You don't need to interrupt Father. Just listen. If Father gets impulsive, you can protect Ning'er."
The princess immediately got up and rushed to the study. Then she heard her husband's loud and angry voice.
"You're a woman. You should be shy and gentle. How can you be so outgoing and act so wantonly?"
"Lu Hongxi, don't you always say that your daughter doesn't need to be constrained by trivial matters? Now why are you being so strict with her?"
The princess was so angry that she pushed the door open. But she was stunned. Although her husband's voice was loud, he was sitting on a chair, spoon - feeding milk to his daughter.
His daughter was also smiling. There was no sign of embarrassment from being scolded.
"You?"
Lu Hongxi coughed awkwardly, quickly greeted his wife to sit down, and ordered someone to bring another bowl of milk soup. Then he explained, "Ning'er was too bold today. She... she actually said in public that she would wait for His Highness, Prince Yu. Isn't it... isn't it..."
If the princess had known this earlier, she might have also thought it inappropriate. But she always protected her children. She thought her husband shouldn't be so unkind to their daughter. So she immediately said, "Isn't it what? Is there something you can't say? Ning'er, you did the right thing. If you take a fancy to a young man, you should pursue him boldly. Don't care about others. Do you understand?"
Lu Hongxi quickly said, "My lady, although I think Ning'er doesn't need to be too restricted, it's still a bit... too unconcerned..."
The princess glared at him and stroked Lu Wanning's hair. "Ning'er, mother tells you that you have to fight for your own feelings. Men are like blocks of wood. They're one - track - minded. If a woman isn't proactive, a man may be stupid and not know."
Lu Wanning found it funny and asked, "Mother, let me ask you. When you and Father got together, were you proactive or was Father?"
The princess blushed. "What are you talking nonsense about? Don't make up stories about your parents."
Lu Hongxi was anxious. "It was definitely your father who took the initiative. Ning'er, men are different from women. If a man really loves a woman, he will definitely take the initiative. He will propose marriage with proper rituals and marry you. Even if there are some difficulties for the time being, he will find a way to overcome them..."
The princess pulled Lu Wanning. "Don't listen to your father's nonsense. Your father was so dull - witted at that time. He didn't know anything. When your grandmother was looking for a match for me, among all the young men in the capital, I took a fancy to your father at first sight. I knew he was reliable, so I took the initiative... Ning'er, a woman's initiative should be skillful. You don't need to be too straightforward. Just..."
Seeing Lu Hongxi staring at her intently, she showed a shy look like a young girl. She pulled Lu Wanning closer and whispered, "Give hints. For example, look at him a few more times when you're out on an excursion, or pause beside him when you pass by. After a few times like this, he will..."
Lu Hongxi continued, "But feelings should be mutual. At that time, I had feelings for your mother, but I just didn't dare to say it. When I found out that she seemed to have feelings for me too, I mustered up the courage... Ning'er, you mustn't be silly. If a man has no feelings for you, he may not always reject you openly. For example, the one you liked before..."
The princess slapped his hand. "Why mention the past? That man is already a commoner. How could he still have anything to do with Ning'er?"
Lu Hongxi gave a silly smile and didn't say any more.
Lu Wanning naturally knew that what they said sounded simple. But at that time, Lu Hongxi was a military general and spent little time in the capital. Moreover, most young ladies from ordinary families disliked military generals for being vulgar and inconsiderate. They were also reluctant to marry military generals because they would be separated from their husbands for a long time after marriage. It seemed that the princess really married Lu Hongxi out of love. Otherwise, with the glory of the He family at that time, if she didn't want to, no one could have forced her to marry.
"All right, Father, Mother, I know. I'm not stupid."