"Nonsense! The plague in Mu City is very dangerous. How can you go there! I will send someone to escort you back to the palace right away."
"I'm not going back!"
“Princess Ruoling, this plague is no joke. It won't spare you just because you are of noble birth. I have just received news that His Highness the Third Prince has also contracted the plague. It's too dangerous. I absolutely will not take you with me!”
"I don't need you to take me, I'll go by myself!" Ruoling said stubbornly, her face resolute.
"No! I don't have time to take care of you, I have to take you back."
Ruoling's eyes immediately reddened, and tears streamed down her face: "I don't need your care. I can take care of myself. If you can go, why can't I?"
Ruoling squatted down on the ground, buried her head in her arms, and began to sob: "I am a princess, supported by the people, yet I can do nothing. Why am I so useless!"
Lu Yuyan softened his voice, walked around the horse to her, squatted down, and handed her the water pouch: "Don't cry. Do the Emperor and Empress Dowager know?"
Ruoling raised her teary eyes and shook her head: "I don't know, I sneaked out."
"You managed to sneak out of the palace?"
Ruoling shook her head again: "No, didn't Feng Yan and Qi Yu escort me back to the palace yesterday? I didn't actually go in. They took me to the palace gate, and after they left, I turned around and ran away."
Lu Yuyan was startled: "Where did you sleep last night?"
"The inn. This morning I was guarding outside the city gate, and when I saw you come out, I secretly followed you..."
"You, you're too bold. Don't you know you've just been through a great upheaval? What if there are rebels in the city and they capture you?"
Ruoling then became a little scared, shrank her neck, and cautiously grabbed Lu Yuyan's sleeve: "Please don't send me back, okay? Please, I beg you, Yuyan..."
"You!" What Lu Yuyan couldn't stand the little girl's soft, sweet voice, especially with her eyes brimming with tears.
"Alright, alright. But when you get to Mu City, you have to listen to me and stay in the prefect's office. You're not allowed to go anywhere else."
"Okay, I'll listen to you!" Ruoling immediately stopped crying and smiled, grabbing the hem of Lu Yuyan's robe to wipe the snot and tears from her face.
Having no other choice but to send a letter to his elder sister in the capital, telling her about Ruoling's secret trip to Mucheng with him, since he had no other options with a young girl like her.
Lu Xiaoyun was shocked when she received the letter. This little girl was too bold. So she hurriedly sent a letter to the palace, saying that Ruoling would be staying at the Prince An's residence for a while.
We can't just say that Ruoling went to Mucheng, because with the emperor's personality, he would definitely hold Ayan responsible for it.
The Empress Dowager had no worries about Ruoling staying at the Prince An's residence, and even had five large boxes packed and sent over.
Lu Xiaoyun couldn't very well have these things sent to Mucheng, so she had them moved to Yunmei Garden and asked Consort Duan to cover up the lie for her.
Two days later, Zhu Yu's swelling subsided, and as soon as he got out of bed, he was thinking about serving tea to Consort Duan.
Although he is the real son of his mother, now that their bodies have been switched, the proper etiquette still applies.
After numerous misunderstandings and torments before the Lunar New Year, the long-awaited tea ceremony was finally completed on the second day of the fourth lunar month.
Through the combined efforts of Lu Xiaoyun and Zhu Dan, many of Zhu Heng's spies in Shengjing City were uncovered, including many eunuchs and palace maids in the imperial palace.
Consort Ye, whom Zhu Chen sent to the old emperor, was actually Zhu Heng's person, but she was using Zhu Chen as a front.
The old emperor was furious and personally wrote an imperial edict rebuking Zhu Chen, who was far away in Mu City, and scolded him severely, saying that he was foolish for misjudging people and putting his father in danger.
Zhu Chen could only silently endure the old emperor's wrath, secretly vowing that once he returned to Shengjing, he would dig up Zhu Heng's grave, grind his bones to ashes, and only then could he quell the hatred in his heart.
Needless to say, the Taoist priest who gave the old emperor the elixir was also Zhu Heng'an's spy planted beside the old emperor.
However, although the Taoist priest was executed, the old emperor still coveted the elixir that could restore his virility.
The next morning, after the court session, Lu Xiaoyun waited for Lu Yucheng at the palace gate.
When Lu Yucheng saw Lu Xiaoyun, he paused slightly. He didn't know how to face this Prince An.
If he hadn't been unable to get what he wanted from the Fifth Prince, he would never have wanted his sister to have any further involvement with Prince An.
When Lu Xiaoyun saw him come out, she smiled slightly: "I wonder if Prince Lu has time? I... cough, I have something to discuss with Prince Lu."
Lu Yucheng nodded lightly: "Okay."
At the turning point of the palace gate, Zhu Dan stood there quietly, the piercing pain assaulting every pore of his body like a tidal wave.
The two entered a tea room.
Jiang Chuan and Luo Wang stood guard at the door. After the waiter served tea and left, Lu Xiaoyun personally picked up the teapot and poured a cup for Lu Yucheng.
Lu Yucheng looked at Lu Xiaoyun and asked, "I wonder what business Your Highness has with me?"
Lu Xiaoyun went straight to the point: "Miss Lu, I will marry him. The position of Princess An will always belong to him."
Lu Yucheng looked at the "Prince An" in front of him without saying a word, nor did he take the tea that had just been pushed in front of him. After a long while, he chuckled and said, "Thank you, Your Highness, but it's not necessary."
He stood up and was about to leave.
Lu Xiaoyun sat up straight and said urgently, "He is already my woman, why is Young Master Lu still unwilling to give in?"
Lu Yucheng took a deep breath, turned around, and looked at Lu Xiaoyun: "You two have been married for a month. During that month, Xiaoyun could be considered your woman, but from now on, she will only be my sister."
Lu Xiaoyun understood what Lu Yucheng meant. He meant that they had been married for a period of time, but they had only consummated their marriage two days ago.
“This matter came suddenly, and there was no other way. Your humble servant thanks Your Highness Prince An for saving my sister.”
After saying that, he turned and left. If Prince An hadn't been so fast that he had pulled his sister to bed, she would now be Qi Shaocheng's wife.
Lu Xiaoyun stood up from the chair and grabbed Lu Yucheng's arm just as he was about to open the door.
"Young Master Lu is not a pedantic person, why do you disagree?"
Lu Yucheng turned around and looked coldly at Lu Xiaoyun: "Your Highness, no one forced you to write that divorce letter! Although you did not inflict the injuries on my sister, they were still caused by you! Your marriage to my sister was forced upon you in the first place, and a divorce would be better for both of you. Why are you still holding on to this!"
“I was wrong back then. I shouldn’t have written the divorce papers. I deeply regret it. Can’t Prince Lu give me another chance?”
"Your humble servant dares not."
"If your sister likes me, she won't marry anyone but me!" Lu Xiaoyun was also annoyed. When her brother got stubborn, not even ten oxen could pull him back.
Lu Yucheng suddenly froze; it seemed he hadn't properly discussed this matter with his sister.
“If he doesn’t have me in his heart, I think even if it’s the poison of the Four-Colored Grass, he would rather die than let me touch him. I’m sure Prince Lu knows this very well.”
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