Lu Zifeng had actually guessed the emperor's intention when he was in Fanzhou Prefecture regarding what Lu Minghan said, but it was hard to say what the empress dowager was thinking.

"Uncle, do you know what His Royal Highness Prince Jing means? Does he have this idea?"

Lu Minghan put down the document in his hand, thought for a moment, and shook his head with a wry smile.

"It's really hard for you to say about this matter. Speaking of the former Prince Jing, I can guarantee that he didn't have such thoughts. A few years ago, he wanted the Emperor to reassure him and wanted him to be named the Prince of Freedom, and he didn't want to get involved in the affairs of the court. But at that time, he might not have known that the Emperor was not the Queen Mother's biological son. He always thought that the Emperor was his brother from the same mother."

Lu Minghan picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea, then put it down and continued.

"But I can't guarantee whether Prince Jing has the intention to usurp the throne because the Queen Mother told him that the Emperor is not his brother from the same mother."

Lu Zifeng also knew about his uncle's concerns, but Lu Zifeng felt that Prince Jing should not be as persistent as the Queen Mother. After all, even if the Emperor was not his brother from the same mother, he was still his brother from the same father. It didn't really make much difference whether they had the same mother or not. However, nothing in the world is absolute, and people's hearts are easily changed. It is really hard to make a guarantee on this matter.

"Forget it, uncle, I have already arranged the people. You go to the palace and tell the emperor that I will not go to the palace."

Lu Minghan glared when he heard that.

"Nonsense, this matter is of no small importance. How can I pass on the message for you? Come with me to the palace tomorrow morning and speak to the Emperor yourself. It's better for you to speak to the Emperor in person about these matters. Passing on messages can easily lead to misunderstandings."

Hearing his uncle say this, Lu Zifeng realized the problem and nodded.

"Okay then, but uncle, I don't need to go so early! You guys are going to the morning court, and I'm going to wait outside so early in the cold winter, am I going to suffer? I'd better go later!"

When Lu Zifeng returned to his yard, Situ Yao had not yet rested, but was reading a book. When she heard Lu Zifeng's footsteps coming in, she stood up and went to greet him.

"It's so late, why don't you go to bed? I told you not to wait for me."

Situ Yao smiled and shook her head.

"How can I sleep? You know I'm a light sleeper and I'll wake up at the slightest noise. I might as well wait for you to come back."

Lu Zifeng smiled and stretched out his arms, allowing her to change his clothes.

"Do you miss your husband? Don't worry, your husband will definitely take good care of you later."

Situ Yao was struggling with Lu Zifeng's belt. When she heard what Lu Zifeng said, her face suddenly turned red and she said angrily.

"Nonsense, go wash up quickly." As he said that, he pushed Lu Zifeng into the bathroom.

The fight ended with Situ Yao's defeat. Lu Zifeng lay on the bed, looking at Situ Yao sleeping in his arms, his heart full. Now that he thought about it, the Lu family's rules did not allow him to take a concubine, so he didn't. It was fine like this.

Lu Zifeng got up early the next morning, had breakfast and went to the palace. When he arrived at the imperial study, the emperor had just finished his morning court session and returned to the imperial study.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."

Situ Yong looked up at Lu Zifeng and asked, "Is it done?"

Lu Zifeng said.

"Your Majesty, the people have been brought here and will be temporarily housed in my villa. I don't know how to accommodate them."

When Situ Yao heard that everything had been done, she felt relieved and said.

"They will be your servants from now on. Just take good care of them and make sure they are not found by those people."

After hearing this, Lu Zifeng was speechless: Damn, they are going to dump all these people on him, but there is nothing he can do, he can only agree.

"Yes, I understand."

After coming out of the palace, Lu Zifeng arranged for Lu Chun to go to the villa to settle these people, and then he stopped interfering with them.

In the blink of an eye, it was New Year's Eve. Today, as usual, we went to the palace to attend the palace banquet. The whole process of the palace banquet went smoothly and there was no rebellion like last year.

Shortly after the New Year, rumors spread throughout the capital, saying that the current emperor was not the Empress Dowager's biological son, but was born to a peasant girl.

When Lu Zifeng heard this rumor, he knew that it was the Queen Mother who was causing trouble. Lu Zifeng really couldn't understand why the Queen Mother insisted on letting His Royal Highness Prince Jing ascend the throne. It was obvious that Prince Jing didn't even want the title of Prince Jing. He only wanted to be a free and easy prince and ignore the affairs of state. But wasn't she doing this just to want the Emperor to abdicate so that Prince Jing could become the emperor?

Of course, these are just Lu Zifeng’s speculations for now, and the Queen Mother’s true intentions are still unknown.

It was February and the weather was getting warmer. Some people had started eating and going out for an outing. However, the rumors that had been circulating some time ago were no longer being spread because they did not have much influence on the people. As an ordinary citizen, it did not matter who was the emperor. As long as the emperor was not incompetent, they did not care. Some people did not even know the emperor's surname or name.

The imperial study in the palace.

Situ Yong looked at Lu Minghan below.

"Lord Lu, this matter has come to an end for now. I think the Queen Mother has given up. My fifth brother has left the capital again and is unwilling to stay. I will not force him. Fortunately, Hao'er is still in the capital to help me."

Lu Minghan frowned. "Your Majesty, will the Queen Mother just let him go?"

Situ Yong smiled bitterly when he heard this.

"Lord Lu, I have no choice. Although she sent people to spread rumors some time ago, it was also because of this that my fifth brother went to her palace and had a big quarrel. Moreover, now that my fifth brother is going out to play again in order to shake off suspicion, I can only continue to support her for his sake. Because no matter what the outside world says, the late emperor said that I was born by the empress dowager, so I can only be the empress dowager's child!"

Lu Minghan understood what the emperor said. Because Prince Jing was around, the emperor could not do anything to the empress dowager and could only take care of her.

"Lord Lu, please find a way to deal with the Zhang and Jin families!"

Lu Minghan looked up when he heard this, but he didn't see any change in the emperor's expression, so he could only say.

"Yes, I understand. I will make arrangements in a while."

It was April and the weather was getting a little hot, but it wasn't the real hot summer season yet. Situ Yao, Cui, Kang, and three generations of women from the Lu family were chatting under the pavilion in the garden.

It was evening, the sun was setting, and sitting under the shade of the trees was quite a pleasure.

Kang looked at Situ Yao with a smile on her face.

"Yao'er, if you want to eat anything, you must tell your aunt or me. The child in your belly is the eldest grandson of our Lu family."