Lu Zifeng put down the teacup, walked to Princess Xuanyang, bowed deeply and saluted.

"Your Highness, I am deeply grateful for your kindness. Zifeng feels unworthy of it. I never expected that some of the things I did back then would ruin your life."

Princess Xuanyang was caught off guard by Lu Zifeng's attitude. For the past thirty years, Lu Zifeng had always avoided her whenever he saw her. It was basically very difficult for her to catch up with him. It was as if he knew she was coming or where she was passing by. Anyway, she rarely caught up with him, unless at a palace banquet. But in such an occasion, she couldn't go up and say anything.

Princess Xuanyang was still angry about Lu Zifeng's attitude now. After so many years of waiting, she still had nothing. Not to mention that she was a princess of a country and had no shame. You have to know that she grew up in the countryside and she still hated the rules among the nobles. In order not to make her father angry, she had restrained herself over the years. But after the late emperor passed away, the current emperor was her brother and basically did not care about her, so she began to block Lu Zifeng unscrupulously, but still failed.

Now hearing Lu Zifeng say this, her eyes turned red. She looked at Lu Zifeng fiercely, then stood up and walked out.

Looking at the figure disappearing at the door, Lu Zifeng sighed helplessly. Who could have thought that Miss Lin Nianjun would be so deeply in love with him? After returning to Beijing, Princess Xuanyang asked him to accompany her to Yandang Mountain to worship her mother. In fact, he had already sensed that something was wrong with Princess Xuanyang at that time, but he was already married at that time, and the family rules did not allow concubines. Besides, it was impossible for him to let a royal princess be his concubine! So Lu Zifeng made a prompt decision and did not agree to the emperor's request. Another reason was that the attitude of the late emperor at that time was also somewhat unpredictable.

Although it was the emperor who said this to him at the time, if he had agreed, he would probably not have ended up well. After all, she was the flesh and blood of the late emperor, and he dared not provoke her, so he refused. In the following years, every time he saw Princess Xuanyang, it was like playing hide-and-seek with her. Even so, rumors still spread. Situ Yao even said at the time that why not go to the emperor and say a good word to let Princess Xuanyang marry him, she would rather abdicate and let Lu Zifeng be so depressed that he almost hit his head against the wall.

Lu Zifeng sat in the hall like this for the whole afternoon until the servant came to light the lamp. Then he came to his senses and sighed in his heart: In this life, I can only let you down. I hope that in the next life, we can have a good successor.

The Spring Festival of the 24th year of Jingrui arrived. On the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month, Lu Zifeng personally took his wife and children to the Cheng'en Marquis Mansion to pick up the old marquis Lu Mingyuan, his mother Tan Yunniang, and Lu Ziyan's wife and children to come to the Dingguo Duke Mansion to celebrate the New Year. Now Lu Ziyan is leading a large army to fight the Tatars in the north and cannot return home. As the eldest brother, Lu Zifeng must take good care of his younger siblings and nephews and nieces.

Lu Mingyuan didn't want to go to the Duke Dingguo's Mansion at first, but after Lu Zifeng persuaded him, he agreed to go there to celebrate the New Year.

In the evening, Lu Zifeng brought his family into the palace to attend the palace banquet. After entering the palace, Lu Zifeng and Lu Mingyuan took Lu Yunhui to Qianyuan Hall, while Situ Yao accompanied Tan Yunniang to the Queen Mother's Qingning Palace. Now the Queen Mother Lu Mingshuang is almost seventy years old, with gray hair. Seeing Tan Yunniang and her mother coming, she smiled and said.

"Second sister-in-law, you haven't been to the palace for a long time."

Tan Yunniang said with a smile.

"It can't be helped. My second son is fighting at the border, and his wife and children are at home. I have to take care of them, right? That's why I don't go out as much."

When Lu Mingshuang heard her say this, he also sighed softly.

"Now our generation is just the two of us. My elder brother and his wife are gone, and Mingxue is gone too. In the future, you have to come and see me often, otherwise we might not see each other anymore one day."

The Mingxue mentioned by the Queen Mother is Princess Jing, who fell seriously ill and died in the 17th year of Jingrui.

Tan Yunniang also sighed, "Yeah, I didn't expect my second sister to pass away so suddenly. She seemed to be in good health. Sigh."

In Qianyuan Hall, Emperor Situ Jin was talking to Lu Mingyuan.

"Second uncle, you have retired, but that doesn't mean you can't enter the palace. Tell me how long it has been since you last visited the palace. Not long ago, the Queen Mother said that you didn't even bother to come in and see her, your sister."

Lu Mingyuan also smiled bitterly.

"Your Majesty, have you heard the rumors from a few years ago? As the saying goes, three people make a tiger. That's why I've decided that now that I'm retired, I'll stay out of government and just enjoy my retirement. After all, the country needs young people like you, so we old folks can just stay home and plant flowers."

Situ Jin looked at Lu Mingyuan speechlessly, then looked at Lu Zifeng.

"I know you're in good health and I think you'll be able to outlive me. I'm telling you right now, you have to take good care of your nephew from now on."

Situ Jin's words startled Lu Zifeng and his son, who then quickly saluted.

"Your Majesty, you..."

Lu Zifeng didn't finish his words before Situ Jin waved his hand to stop him.

"Uncle, cousin, to be honest, I know my own body. Although the poison I was infected with five years ago has been cured, it still damaged my foundation. The imperial physician also said some time ago that it will only be a few months away. I have already drafted the summons to succeed me and have hidden it in the place you mentioned. When the day comes, you, Situ Hao, Situ Yi, and Situ Chen will need to work together to open the box."

Lu Zifeng and Lu Mingyuan never imagined that attending a palace banquet during the New Year would end up like this. Although they were sad, they had no choice but to accept the emperor's instructions.

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