Lu Wanning returned to the mansion and told Princess Consort Wei all about it. Then she said, "I've sent an invitation. When the emperor is available, he will summon me into the palace."
However, she waited and waited but never received the emperor's summons. The sacrifice couldn't last the whole day in the Buddhist hall. Or was it because it was too late that she wasn't allowed into the palace?
But she had written in the invitation that there was something urgent.
Early the next morning, Lu Wanning put on her court dress and waited for a long time, but there was no news of the emperor summoning her into the palace. Instead, the servants in the mansion found out that the emperor was ill. At the small court session today, all the officials who were supposed to enter the palace to pay their respects were sent back.
Princess Consort Wei was extremely anxious. "The emperor is ill and can't attend court? Ning'er, otherwise, you can try to enter the palace to tend to the emperor's illness again."
"I'm afraid it's useless. If the emperor saw my invitation, he would surely summon me into the palace. Unless... the invitation never reached his hands at all."
Lu Wanning pondered for a long time and then said, "Well, I'll send another invitation to Concubine Jing."
Although Princess Consort Wei thought that if the emperor didn't see it, Concubine Jing probably wouldn't see Lu Wanning's invitation either, there was no better way at the moment.
After Lu Wanning sent the invitation, she always felt uneasy. The Lu family was isolated and helpless. Who else could she talk to about this?
He Nanfeng!
Yes, she could go to He Nanfeng.
The He family was demoted to earls, but the mansion remained the same. Only the former ducal mansion was renamed the earl's mansion, and some of the regulations were reduced. And He Nanfeng still lived in the He family's mansion in the city.
Lu Wanning drove to He Nanfeng's mansion. The butler just shook his head and said that the master had gone to the countryside to visit relatives and he didn't know when he would return.
On the way, Lu Wanning noticed that there seemed to be many more imperial guards in the capital.
Finally, she met a familiar person, the second son of the Liu family, the magistrate of the capital. He was on duty in the imperial guard post and was still a small leader. It so happened that they got to know each other because this Young Master Liu had once served in the Court of Judicial Review.
Lu Wanning quickly greeted him. "Hey, Young Master Liu, over here, over here."
It took Young Master Liu a long time to react. He trotted over. "Princess? Why are you here?"
Lu Wanning smiled slightly. "My mother asked me to come and give something to my cousin. It's a pity that my cousin has returned to the countryside. I didn't see him. By the way, I feel that there are especially many patrolling people today. Has something happened?"
"We are just following orders," Young Master Liu thought for a while and lowered his voice. "I heard that there are river pirates in the capital. The higher-ups attach great importance to it and order us to guard day and night without negligence. Alas, I don't know when this will end."
Lu Wanning naturally knew that it mustn't be river pirates. But through Young Master Liu's explanation, she also understood that with the day and night guard, the capital was now under the control of the imperial guard post.
As for the reason, she couldn't figure it out and didn't plan to think about it for the time being.
Then she went to Zhen Yan's house. Lu Wanning came straight to the point and asked Zhen Yan about Sheng Songyan's whereabouts.
Zhen Yan said in surprise, "Don't you know? Ten days ago, Sheng Songyan behaved rudely in front of the palace and molested Concubine Jiang in the palace. He was exiled."
Lu Wanning's eyes widened. "What? He... he molested the beauty?"
Zhen Yan curled her lips. "Yes. If it weren't for his younger brother's plea, his head would have been lost. Being exiled for two years is already a good result. After two years, he can return to Qishan. Humph, I once heard others say in Daihe that men will never change their bad habits. It's really true. He said he was so affectionate, but in fact? He couldn't take his eyes off the beauty when he saw one."
Lu Wanning didn't have time to argue with Zhen Yan whether Sheng Songyan had changed his bad habits. She felt even more panicked. This matter was too strange. Why was there no one in the capital at this critical moment?
She didn't know much about Sheng Jinyu's people, but all the ones she knew had encountered troubles. So, what on earth was Sheng Chenyi planning to do? Stage a coup?
A coup... In the book, Prince Yu fought a great battle with Sheng Chenyi for the throne. That was a year later. Now, was it going to happen so much earlier? Or was it that Sheng Jinyu didn't even have a chance to confront Sheng Chenyi head-on and would be completely defeated?
Lu Wanning didn't know how she returned to the mansion. She sat in front of the table, tightly holding the jade pendant he had given her, which could be pieced together. Sheng Jinyu was still fighting for the country, and there was no result yet, but such a thing had happened in the capital.
Did he know? And was he willing?
However, things soon took a turn. The next day, Concubine Jing approved Lu Wanning's invitation and asked her to enter the palace immediately.
Princess Consort Wei held Lu Wanning's hand uneasily. "Ning'er, why did Concubine Jing approve it? Could it be the queen's intention? Why don't I accompany you into the palace?"
The princess consort also nodded. "Yes. Anyway, I'm her elder sister. Even if something happens, I can take care of you."
Lu Wanning shook her head. "Mother, sister-in-law, you're overthinking. Concubine Jing is in charge of the six palaces. These things are originally her responsibility. Moreover, sister-in-law is so pregnant and will give birth soon. Mother, if you go to the palace with me, there will be no one in charge of the mansion. What will sister-in-law do?"
The princess consort was stunned. She was also worried about leaving her daughter-in-law alone at home.
Lu Wanning held the princess consort's hand. "You don't have to worry about me. The emperor is still here. As long as he is here, no one can do anything to me."
After entering the palace, Lu Wanning first went to Guanjv Palace. The queen and Concubine Jing were sitting together, looking very harmonious.
After paying respects to the two ladies, Lu Wanning said, "Ladies, I heard outside the palace that the emperor is ill. I'm very anxious. I also thought that the emperor likes the food I make, so I want to enter the palace to tend to his illness. Please allow me, ladies."
The queen gave a soft laugh. "You're so impatient. There are several princes to tend to the emperor's illness."
Lu Wanning immediately said, "Lady, I've grown up. I once tended to the empress dowager's illness, and even the empress dowager praised me."
The emperor frowned, looking rather unhappy.
Concubine Jing quickly said, "Lady, how can we let down Princess Zhaoyang's sincere heart? Moreover, the emperor has always doted on Princess Zhaoyang. Maybe when the princess goes, the emperor will be in a good mood and his illness will go away."
The queen glanced at Concubine Jing coldly and sneered. "Since you've said so, if I don't allow it, it will seem that I'm being harsh to her."
Lu Wanning lowered her head. Her heart was in turmoil. The queen used to give her some face. Anyway, she wouldn't leave a handle in front of outsiders. Now this cold look clearly showed that she didn't care about others' opinions.
Could it be that the emperor was really terminally ill and incurable? Was it a whole year earlier than what was written in the book?
If the emperor really passed away without appointing a crown prince, of course, the eldest prince, Sheng Chenyi, would succeed to the throne.
Sweat broke out in her palms. The current situation was very different from that in the book. The emperor was probably not ill but... She had never thought that Sheng Chenyi would actually do such a thing directly.
Regicide. How dare he?