Zhao Chong said, "I see."

…

After Qi Yuning sent his brother and A Ping away, he felt quite reluctant to leave, as he ultimately could not see the birth of his little nephew with his own eyes.

Lingling, in Qi Yuning's arms, shouted, "Grandma!"

Qi Yuning looked from afar and saw Princess Pingrou sitting in a sedan chair coming towards their palace.

Qi Yuning stepped forward and saluted, "Your Highness the Princess."

Princess Pingrou got off the sedan chair and handed the imperial edict to Qi Yuning, "Ningning, you have to change your address."

When Qi Yuning saw the imperial edict, he put Lingling down and knelt respectfully to receive it with both hands.

Qi Yuning opened the imperial edict and glanced at it, skipping over the words praising herself and Lu Ze. She only saw the last sentence, which granted the marriage of Princess Chang'an of Prince Qi's Mansion and Princess Pingrou, Lu Ze, the son of Duke Lu, to be held on the second day of April.

It’s the second day of April, only about a month and a half away.

Princess Pingrou smiled and picked up Lingling, who was standing beside her. She said, "Don't call me Your Highness in the future. Call me Mother."

Qi Yuning lowered her head and whispered, "Mother."

"Oh." Princess Pingrou responded happily.

Qi Yuning said to Li Chun who was standing beside him, "Hurry up and send someone to find my brother and tell him that my wedding is in April... Forget it, there's no need to go."

Although it is only a month and a half away from April, if Ping stays, she will probably have no time to rest. She is pregnant and there is no need to wait for a month until her belly is bigger before traveling. It is more convenient to travel now while the month is still young.

It will be very difficult to travel when your belly gets bigger.

Qi Yuning was busy with official business all day. Perhaps because she had already decided that she would marry Lu Ze, she was not nervous at all about getting married to him.

After nightfall, Qi Yuning didn't see Lu Ze coming for a long time and wanted to rest, but Lingling, perhaps because she had been troubled by nightmares recently, kept crying for her father.

Qi Yuning ordered Jingzhe to go to the princess's mansion next door to inquire about Lu Ze's whereabouts.

…

In the Mansion of Duke Lu.

Madam Lu, her breath pounding, said to Lu Ze, "Ze'er, Ze'er, your mother's choice of Qi Yuning for you as a match is truly inappropriate. It's incredibly inappropriate and will ruin our Lu family!"

Princess Pingrou, standing aside, also gave Madam Lu a cold shoulder and said, "Madam, look at what you're saying. I'm Ze'er's mother. If I choose a princess of noble birth as his daughter-in-law, will that kill him? Instead, the young official's daughter you chose earlier is better."

Madam Lu panted and said to the Second Madam of the Lu family, "Tell all the servants to go out and close the door."

Madam Lu waved her hand and asked the servants to leave.

Madam Lu glanced at the Lu family's descendants and said, "Except for Yun'er, everyone in our Lu family is here today. Your Highness, I have the audacity to speak to you. Qi Yuning is truly unworthy of being my Lu family's daughter-in-law."

Lu Ze frowned and said, "Grandma!"

Madam Lu asked, "How many generations can the Qi family's wealth and prosperity continue? How many nobles in this dynasty have refused to hand over their military power? What about the Qi family? The people in the North City all recognize the Qi family as their king, and they all say that Prince Qi is the emperor of the north.

His Majesty, remembering the Qi family's contributions to his country, may not care about it, but when the crown prince ascends the throne, the Qi family will become a thorn in the new emperor's side!"

Madam Lu coughed a few times and said, "The Qi family, once the Qi family is liquidated by the new emperor in the future, they will not even be able to compare with the Guan family I chose for Ze'er!"

Princess Pingrou frowned and said, "The Crown Prince is my biological brother, how could he attack the family of his nephew's wife?"

"Can a nephew be more important than the stability of the throne?"

Madam Lu then turned to Lu Ze and said, "Your grandfather was scolded his entire life for not supporting Your Majesty to ascend the throne. Wasn't it for the prosperity of our Lu family?

Ze'er, Ze'er, if you marry Qi Yuning, you will harm the entire Lu family. You can't kill your brothers and sisters just to marry Qi Yuning!"

Lu Baozhu said, "I don't think marrying Qi Yuning will harm our Lu family! Baohua, Baoxue, Baoshuang, what about you?"

The three sisters of the Lu family looked at Old Madam Lu, then at Lu Baozhu, and all spoke up for Qi Yuning.

"Grandma, you worry too much."

"Even if the Qi family is liquidated by the new emperor, Princess Qi will still be a daughter-in-law who marries out."

"After all, Lingling is still there."

Lu Ze said, "Grandma, please forgive my unfilial behavior. I will only marry Yuning."

Madam Lu said, "You, Ze'er, do you really want to kill our entire Lu family?"

Lu Baozhu said, "Grandmother, why do you have to accuse my brother of such a serious crime? Besides, my grandfather has already issued the imperial decree granting the marriage. If he doesn't marry Qi Yuning now, he will be the one who truly harms our Lu family. Disobeying the decree is a serious crime punishable by the death of all nine generations of the family."

Madam Lu said, "Ze'er could follow Yun'er's example and become a monk. After becoming a monk, the crime of disobeying the imperial order would be forgiven, and the marriage with Princess Qi would naturally be cancelled."