Lu Xiaoyun lifted the curtain of the carriage window and said to Zhu Yu, "Go inside. If you need anything, have Qiyu come to the Prince An's residence to find me."
Zhu Yu waved to her, indicating that he could handle this small matter.
With their wedding date fast approaching and this incident occurring, the Duke of Zhenguo and Lu Yucheng simply did not have the energy to wallow in grief.
After returning to his residence, Zhu Yu went to the front hall again.
The two of them were still in the front hall, without a single servant by their side, and the entire Zhenguo Duke's mansion was shrouded in a desolate silence.
The Duke of Zhenguo never imagined that a woman who appeared so gentle could be so ruthless. His wife died so tragically that he didn't even get to see her one last time.
He killed Han'er. He should have married Fang Shi off earlier, then none of this would have happened. His two children wouldn't have lost their mother, and Xiao Yun wouldn't have been harmed by that wicked woman for so many years.
Lu Yucheng's eyes were bloodshot, and his hands were clenched into fists. If it weren't for the presence of the two princes, he would have torn Fang Shi apart with his bare hands just now.
Zhu Yu came in: "Father, brother, the servants in Fang's courtyard, as well as all the servants in the entire Zhenguo Duke's mansion, need to be interrogated one by one. Those who should be handed over to the authorities should be handed over to the authorities, and those who should be sold off should be sold off."
The Duke of Zhenguo and his son spent most of their time in the Northwest. Of the more than one hundred servants in the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, only the old steward, Uncle Qing, and a few people around him were trustworthy.
The Duke of Zhenguo nodded. His daughter was completely transformed compared to before. He felt that he had failed his children over the past ten years.
"Alright, I'll leave this matter to you. Find all the villains who harmed your mother and show them no mercy, so as to comfort your mother's spirit in heaven. I believe you can handle it well."
"Yes," Zhu Yu replied obediently.
The Duke of Zhenguo stepped forward and gently patted his "eldest daughter's" head: "Xiaoyun, I'm sorry, I'm sorry to you and your brother, and I'm even more sorry to your mother."
The seven-foot-tall man choked with sobs and shed tears, thinking of how such a good woman had been killed by that wicked woman, Fang, and how he hadn't been by her side at the time.
How desperate she must have felt back then.
Zhu Yu hugged the Duke of Zhenguo's arm: "Father, Mother won't blame you. You were also tricked by Fang Shi."
The group went to the ancestral hall.
Zhu Yu thought to himself that the Zhenguo Duke's mansion was already short-handed, and there would probably be quite a few servants involved in Fang's affair, which would make the manpower shortage even more severe.
There are only two weeks left until my brother's wedding.
We need to find Lu Xiaoyun and ask her to select some people from the Prince An's residence to send over.
He glanced at his brother furtively, fearing that Lu Yucheng was too stubborn to use anyone from the Prince An's mansion.
Zhu Yu and Lu Yucheng respectfully offered incense to Madam Lin.
Zhu Yu silently said in his heart, "Madam Lu, no, Mother, although Lu Xiaoyun and I are not your daughters, I will live well for her. Even if Lu Xiaoyun and I switch bodies one day, she will still live well for your daughter. Don't worry."
After they came out of the ancestral hall, they saw the youngest son, Lu Yuyi, kneeling at the door.
The nine-year-old child, with his small frame, knelt upright on the bluestone slab like a pine tree.
Seeing them come out, Lu Yuyi placed his hands flat in front of his chest: "Father, elder brother, elder sister, I apologize to you on behalf of Mother."
After saying that, he kowtowed three times heavily.
Lu Yucheng hated Fang Shi to death, but he knew it wouldn't involve a mere nine-year-old child.
He stepped forward to help Lu Yuyi up: "This matter has nothing to do with you, get up."
Tears streamed down Lu Yuyi's face as he refused to get up. Although his elder brother said those words, the intimacy he once shared with him was gone, replaced by a coldness and harshness in his voice.
"No, it was my mother who killed my mother. She wronged you first. I am her son, and it is my duty to apologize."
Children's skin is very delicate, and after he kowtowed three times, his forehead was already covered in bright red blood.
Zhu Yu remained silent. He knew that although the child was not a bad person, he was not exactly a good one either. He would see how the child would behave in the future.
Nine years old is neither too old nor too young.
Lu Jinmi was shouting and cursing in her room, smashing things and scratching several servants.
Lu Jinpei sat quietly in the room, weeping, without even lighting a lamp, and sent all the servants out.
Only Lu Yuyi, at the age of nine, knew how to manipulate people's hearts and was kneeling outside the ancestral hall early on.
The Duke of Zhenguo stepped forward and helped him up: "Your elder brother is right. This is your mother's fault, and it has nothing to do with you."
Lu Yuyi's tears flowed even more fiercely. He threw himself into the arms of the Duke of Zhenguo: "Father, will Mother die?"
The Duke of Zhenguo stroked his youngest son's head and sighed deeply: "Your mother committed a serious crime this time; she killed many people."
Lu Yuyi raised her tear-streaked face: "So even Father couldn't save Mother, is that right?"
Zhu Yu's lips twitched slightly. The little one already knew how to speak to please the adults.
He was saying that even the father couldn't save the mother, not whether the father could save the mother or whether he was unwilling to save her.
Lu Jinmi is foolish and stupid, Lu Jinpei is naive and ignorant, but Lu Yuyi is born with a clever mind.
The Duke of Zhenguo squatted down, looked into his eyes, and said, "You are still my second son, the Duke of Zhenguo, Lu Zhongyi."
Lu Yuyi wiped away her tears: "Then can I go see Mother?"
"Let's wait a while. After a while, the three of you siblings can go see her together."
Lu Yuyi took a step back, knelt down again, and kowtowed heavily to the three of them once more.
"Lord Duke, Young Master, Miss, dinner is ready." Uncle Qing invited the three of them to have dinner.
The Duke of Zhenguo and Lu Yucheng really had no appetite, but with their wedding approaching, they needed to take care of their health.
So they nodded and went to the front hall.
On the way, Lu Yucheng said, "Father, let Uncle Qing go and buy some servants tomorrow."
The Duke of Zhenguo nodded. The people he bought needed to be trained before they could be used, but he was in urgent need of manpower, so he could only make do for now.
Uncle Qing agreed: "Yes, this old servant will go and pick a few quick-witted and clever-looking men first thing tomorrow morning. Your Highness, rest assured, this old servant will handle your wedding perfectly."
"Okay, thank you for your hard work, Uncle Qing."
After the three finished their meal and rinsed their mouths and hands, the gatekeeper came to report that Jiang Chuan, who served Prince An, had arrived.
The fact that Prince An sent his attendants over at this time must mean he had something important to discuss.
The Duke of Zhenguo hurriedly sent someone to invite Jiang Chuan over.
Jiang Chuan changed into a neat short-sleeved servant's uniform: "Your Excellency, the young master Lu is about to get married. His Highness is worried that the Zhenguo Duke's Mansion will not have enough manpower, so he specially ordered me to send thirty people over. If there is anything you need, please feel free to give them your orders. I will also be at the Zhenguo Duke's Mansion during this period, and will be at the behest of Your Excellency and the young master."
The Duke of Zhenguo was overjoyed. He had just been worried that the servants he asked Uncle Qing to buy tomorrow wouldn't be able to get started in the short term. He never expected that His Highness Prince An would be so thoughtful and have already sent the servants over.
Zhu Yu smiled, thinking to himself that Lu Xiaoyun was very perceptive and always seemed to have a knack for thinking things through.
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