Butler Huang repeated, "Reporting to Master, it is a visiting card from the Crown Prince of Dongting."

Old Man Lu then realized he hadn't misheard and turned to He Jiuniang, asking, "Our family shouldn't have any connection with this Crown Prince of Dongting, right?"

With his son serving as an official in the imperial court and himself having lived in Jingzhou Prefecture for so long, he had heard some things about the Eastern Court.

There wasn't a single good person in the Eastern Court. First, they caused such a mess in Jingzhou, and then they went to the capital to cause trouble. In reality, they were just scheming to take over the lands of Beiyan, and they never treated the people of Beiyan as human beings.

The Lu family disdains associating with such a person, and they believe his son and daughter-in-law wouldn't do anything wrong.

He's asking He Jiuniang this now simply to get confirmation.

Unexpectedly, He Jiuniang said, "Don't tell me, there really is."

Everyone was now in a panic, staring at her with wide eyes, afraid that the couple might do something wrong.

"We have a grudge."

Fortunately, He Jiuniang didn't keep them in suspense any longer and finished speaking very quickly.

However, everyone was even more unsettled. What exactly was going on?

He Jiuniang sighed softly and said, "Actually, these things shouldn't be brought up, since they are all matters of national importance. But the Crown Prince of Dongting came to us as soon as he arrived. It wouldn't be good if we didn't let you know, for fear that you would fall into his trap."

Then He Jiuniang started by talking about the events at Qingyin Garden in Jingzhou, then the palace coup in the capital, the capture of the third prince of the Eastern Court, and the Eastern Court's house arrest of the envoy from the Northern Yan. She briefly recounted all of these events.

"Most of these things were led by Bai Chuan, so it's understandable that he's resented by the Crown Prince of Dongting. I'm telling you this not for any other reason than to warn you to be more careful and not to underestimate the people of Dongting."

When He Jiuniang is serious, she is quite proper, especially when it comes to important matters concerning the country; she dares not be careless in any way.

It's not that she's really afraid they'll get into trouble; she can always step in and resolve it herself. What she's worried about is that it might endanger their safety, and she can't always be there for them, which could lead to a serious mistake.

Everyone listened attentively, truly astonished that the people of Dongting would commit so many heinous acts. No wonder the couple had been so busy since arriving in the capital; they had been dealing with these matters.

"How dare they show their faces when they're so wicked!"

Sun was so angry that she threw down her chopsticks. Having lived most of her life, she thought she had seen all sorts of monsters and demons, but she was still furious when faced with the shameless people of Dongting.

Little Tiger said, "Brother Little Sheep, if you had known beforehand that the Dongting people had done so many bad things, would you still have stepped in to save them?"

All eyes turned to Lu Xiaoyang, wanting to know what he was thinking.

Lu Xiaoyang replied almost without hesitation, "Yes, no matter how bad they are, they are here in Beiyan as envoys. If something happens, it will be entirely Beiyan's responsibility. It's better to avoid trouble. We should wait until they return before making any plans."

Although he hadn't formally studied the Four Books and Five Classics, he was quick-witted and had learned some things from doing business for so long; he couldn't afford to push things too far.

He Jiuniang agreed with his words and said, "That's right. Even if you have hatred in your heart, you can't show it on the surface. You can't give others a handle to use against you. Xiao Yang did a great job today."

"So, should we allow the Crown Prince of the Eastern Court to come and visit?"

This was what Sun cared about most. She didn't understand the affairs of the court, but she didn't welcome the people from the Eastern Court.

They just arrived today and immediately said they wanted to visit her home. Anyone who didn't know better would think that her family had some close relationship with Dongting. Isn't this just putting a bad name on the Lu family?

"Of course not!"

He Jiuniang responded, then turned to Steward Huang and said, "Steward Huang, you should go back and tell them that Bai Chuan is not at home and it is against the rules. If the Crown Prince of Dongting has nothing to do, he can go for a stroll in the streets and experience the local customs of Beiyan. Don't go looking for trouble."

The Lu family is not one he can afford to offend.

She didn't say it aloud, but that's what she was thinking.

"Yes, madam."

Butler Huang accepted the order and left, but the Lu family members at the dinner table had lost their appetite. The thought of how many outrageous things the Dongting people had done, and how they still had to treat them with courtesy, made them feel terrible.

He Jiuniang comforted them, "Don't look so gloomy. They'll be in for a tough time this time, so don't worry."

As she spoke, she smiled mysteriously, looking as if she had victory in her grasp.

The Lu family didn't know what the imperial court was planning, but they felt much more at ease after hearing what she said.

After everyone had gone to sleep that night, He Jiuniang secretly left home. She knew that Hou Er was following her, but she didn't care. She even reminded him to hide himself and not let anyone find out.

Hou Er knew she had her own plans, so he didn't cause any trouble. He just silently followed behind her, ready to lend a hand when necessary and keep his wife out of danger.

He Jiuniang went directly to the post station where the envoys were staying. Many people were asleep, but there was still candlelight in one room. Coincidentally, it was the residence of the Crown Prince of the Eastern Court.

He Jiuniang quietly approached, went to the roof, lifted a tile, and looked to see what the Crown Prince of Dongting was doing in the middle of the night.

The Crown Prince of Dongting was the only one in the room. He still looked sickly, but his complexion was much better than when I had seen him in Dongting before. He was painting at the moment.

If it were a painting of someone else, it wouldn't be a problem, but He Jiuniang noticed with her sharp eyes that the person in the painting was actually herself.

The painting was one thing, but the Crown Prince of Dongting was also talking to himself.

"It's all because the lighting was too dim that night, and I couldn't see the girl's true face clearly. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to capture even half of her charm in my painting."

As he spoke, he sighed with great regret.

He Jiuniang: ...

She was wearing a mask that night, so even if the lights were brighter, she wouldn't have been able to capture any spirit in the painting, right?

What's wrong with the Crown Prince of Dongting? He's secretly drawing her portrait in the middle of the night instead of sleeping. Could it be that he's fallen for her?

Wait a minute, didn't he call me "Fairy Sister" that night?

Does he intend to blaspheme against the gods?

Besides, the Crown Prince of Dongting doesn't seem like a fool. Even if he was a bit impulsive at the time, he could have figured out later that she was the one who caused that farce in the palace, and that she was very likely from Beiyan.

Given this, how could I still fall for her?

How profound are those insights?

No, that's not right. A prince of a nation wouldn't be so obsessed with romance.

So, why did he draw this portrait in the middle of the night? Was he trying to find this person in Bei Yan?

What are you planning to do after finding out? Or what do you intend to threaten Bei Yan with?

He Jiuniang found it very interesting, but she did not forget the purpose of her visit.

She grabbed a handful of powder and sprinkled it through the small hole, then closed the tile before going to find Hou Er, who was waiting for her not far away.

"Let's go, let's go to the military camp!"