Lu Yucheng's face darkened. How could a little girl dare to say such things? She had no shame.
"We actually went through the wedding ceremony at Prince An's residence that day."
Lu Yucheng sighed softly: "I know, but your name was already crossed off the royal register on the day of the divorce, so it doesn't count."
...
After having dinner with Consort Duan at the Prince An's residence, Lu Xiaoyun went to the study.
Zhu Dan did indeed have something to discuss with Lu Xiaoyun, and originally wanted to talk to her in the carriage, but his fourth brother looked at him like he was a thief.
Yuan Xiu led him to the study.
Zhu Dan waved his hand: "Steward Yuan, go ahead and do your work. I'll go find Fourth Brother myself."
Butler Yuan should naturally agree.
Lu Xiaoyun was thinking about Zhu Chen in her study. He had almost killed Ruoling and then ambushed Ayan on the way. She was determined to get revenge on him.
Now that the Duke of Yingguo has gone to the Northwest, the father of the Third Prince's wife is the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, with countless students under his wing and deep roots in the court.
However, this Xie Jijiu has a rather poor reputation.
Zhu Heng's mother, Consort Xian, had a brother who was the Minister of Personnel. After the palace coup, the positions of the Minister of Personnel and a large number of other officials, including the Left and Right Vice Ministers, became vacant.
Xie Jijiu took the opportunity to plant many of his people, so although Zhu Chenren was not in Shengjing, he was not worried that Zhu Dan would take over important positions in the court.
Even if they could pin the death of the Crown Prince, who was now barely clinging to life, on Zhu Chen, it was not impossible for several ministers in the court to turn the tide if they joined forces.
What they are trying to do this time is to ensure that Zhu Chen can never make a comeback.
With the Crown Prince's residence sealed off, few outsiders actually know the true state of the Crown Prince's health.
It was at this moment that Zhu Dan stepped into the study.
Seeing this, Lu Xiaoyun gathered her thoughts, smiled faintly, and invited him to sit down.
"Did you need something from me?"
"What are you thinking about? You seem to have something on your mind." The gentle voice of Qingfeng Mingyue was especially clear in the quiet night.
Zhu Dan's voice was even more pleasant than Zhang Hao's, but this gentle voice did not arouse any strangeness in Lu Xiaoyun.
She recounted how Zhu Chen had harmed Ruoling and Ayan.
Zhu Dan said, "You don't need to worry about this, I'll take care of it."
Lu Xiaoyun asked in surprise, "You, you can stab people in the back too?"
Zhu Dan smiled gently and said, "Don't underestimate me. I've been a prince of the Great Zhou for twenty years. Although I disdain using such methods, it doesn't mean I can't."
Lu Xiaoyun chuckled softly.
That smile was like a feather gently brushing against his heart, causing a wave of tenderness and bitterness to wash over him.
Zhu Dan stared quietly into Lu Xiaoyun's eyes with his peach blossom eyes: "Yun'er, I...I'm sorry, but I really can't do it."
Lu Xiaoyun smiled slightly: "I know, it's okay, Zhu Yu and I are doing fine."
Zhu Dan hesitated, as if he wanted to speak.
"Did you come to see me for something?" Lu Xiaoyun changed the subject.
Zhu Dan originally wanted to say that his father had promised to make him the crown prince after a while, but he just couldn't bring himself to say it.
He is always decisive in his actions, but he always loses his composure when it comes to her.
Like now, he should have just told her directly, but...
"Oh, my father has already agreed to my plan to open girls' schools in various prefectures of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Since we both come from the modern era, there are some details I'd like to discuss with you."
Lu Xiaoyun nodded and poured Zhu Dan a cup of tea. Since she and Zhu Yu consummated their marriage, she had become much more at ease when facing him, unlike Zhu Dan.
Between them lies a vast distance, and the past is like the two thousand years that separate them—let it be the past.
"Yes, this is a good thing that benefits the country and its people. It seems you've put in a lot of effort to persuade the emperor to agree. However, this is ancient times, and the ideas of male superiority and female inferiority, and that a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent, are deeply ingrained. This will be very difficult to accomplish."
Zhu Dan lowered his head and took a sip of tea. The tea, poured by Yun'er herself, had a faint fragrance, was sweet in the throat, and had an endless aftertaste.
For the past twenty years, he had been lonely and isolated. He was a solitary soul from another world. His insights were too advanced for this era and were not understood by the world.
At first, he was too eager for quick success, but who would believe a little child? He suffered countless taunts and disdain for this.
So he changed his strategy and made them realize through learning that the Fifth Prince Xu was a child prodigy. He could read at the age of two, compose poems at the age of five, and was able to represent the Great Zhou in receiving envoys from the Liang Kingdom at the age of ten.
He often made surprising remarks and had many unique insights into various political matters. Moreover, his advice helped avert several major disasters.
In this way, they finally gained everyone's approval.
But he was still lonely, which is why he went on a trip with the Imperial Advisor for several years and did not return.
But things are different now. Yun'er has come, and Ayan has come too. He is no longer that lonely soul from another world. Yun'er and he are connected at heart, and they share many common interests and topics.
No matter what Zhu Yu says, there are many things that only he, Yun'er, and Ayan truly understand.
Just like the blueprints for the last improvement of the soldiers' armor.
As Zhu Dan pondered this, Lu Xiaoyun continued, "We need to consider that girls will get married after they turn fifteen, and we also need to consider that their families think that girls' education is a waste of time and money. We also need to consider whether schools should be set up to teach subjects like needlework and accounting."
"In short, it is not so easy to implement. I suggest that we first open one or two girls' schools in Shengjing City, try it for a period of time, and then slowly expand to the prefectures. Once the people of the prefectures can accept it, we can then expand to the next level of cities. This matter cannot be rushed."
Zhu Dan had a gentle smile on his face, but Lu Xiaoyun lowered her head and didn't look at him. She just told him what she was thinking.
He reached out and gently covered Lu Xiaoyun's hand. Although it was his fourth brother's hand, which was slightly rough from years of martial arts practice, Zhu Dan felt that because it was Yun'er at this moment, it became delicate and smooth to the touch.
"I know that only you truly understand me. Yun'er, please quickly switch your body back with Fourth Brother's and marry me, okay?" He looked at her intently.
Lu Xiaoyun pulled her hand away: "You're wrong. Zhu Yu and Ayan both know all this. What I'm saying are very basic things, things that are immediately obvious. The two of them can see much deeper. You might as well discuss it with them more."
"Moreover, Zhu Yu is right. Although the three of us come from the same era, we are ultimately living in the dynasty he lived in, so we must proceed from the current reality."
Zhu Dan stiffened, staring at her empty hand, her eyes slightly red: "Yun'er, are you in such a hurry to sever our relationship? Six years of our relationship, you just want to throw it all away?"
Lu Xiaoyun smiled faintly: "Zhu Dan, you were the one who gave up first, not me. It's over between us!"
A sharp pain shot through Zhu Dan's heart.
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