Lu Ze said coldly, "Prince, please don't dream in broad daylight. Stealing your nephew's wife will only bring you eternal infamy."
Zhao Chong frowned and stared at Lu Ze and said, "Ze'er, privately you are my nephew. Your uncle has treated you well since you were a child. Publicly, I am the crown prince and the future monarch, so you should be loyal to me.
Besides, it was Qi Yuning that I fell in love with first. If it weren't for Uncle Qin who always opposed me marrying Qi Yuning as the Crown Princess, I wouldn't have decided on her only now.
When Zhao Chonggu fell in love with Qi Yuning, you were nowhere to be found. It wasn't that I stole my nephew's wife, but rather that you stole my beloved."
Lu Ze asked, "Your Majesty's imperial decree granting the marriage has been finalized and cannot be changed."
Zhao Chong wanted to look down at Lu Ze, but before he knew it, Lu Ze was already half a head taller than him.
Zhao Chong had no choice but to raise his voice and say, "Lu Ze, I care about the relationship between uncle and nephew. As long as you are willing to give up Qi Yuning, I can give you whatever you want. I can make you second to none and above everyone else.
Only Yuning belongs to me, and I will never give her to you!"
Zhao Chong glared at Lu Ze, "Ze'er, you wouldn't go against your uncle just for a woman, would you?"
Seeing that Lu Ze didn't respond, Zhao Chong threatened, "As for the imperial decree you mentioned, as long as my father dies, his decree granting the marriage will be invalid!
After a year of national mourning, I will have taken control of the government. By then, the entire world will belong to me, including Qi Yuning. Don't refuse my toast and then drink the wine for punishment!"
After saying that, Zhao Chong turned away and left.
Lu Ze stared at Zhao Chong's back and clenched his hands.
Qi Yuning came out from the inner room of the lobby and saw Lu Ze standing in the lobby and said:
"Lu Ze, we shouldn't endure this any longer. Even though we don't have any solid evidence from Ah Ping, the only thing we can do is expose the Crown Prince in front of all the civil and military officials and prove he's not the Crown Prince.
Only in this way can the other princes feel that it is profitable and control the conspiracy between the Qin family and the prince.
Nor will he allow the Qin family and the prince to bring disaster to the Zhao Dynasty, and he will be able to protect the safety of Your Majesty.
Otherwise, Zhao Chong is unkind, unjust, and unfilial, and he is so stubborn and disgusting that I'm afraid he will really kill Your Majesty for this!"
Lu Ze held Qi Yuning's hand tightly and said, "Well, you will take your troops and leave Prince Qi's Mansion early tomorrow morning."
Qi Yuning said repeatedly: "Lu Ze, let's go together."
Lu Ze looked at Qi Yuning and said, "You're right. Whether I have evidence or not, I will expose the Crown Prince's identity at court tomorrow morning! Don't worry, His Majesty is still alive, and the Empress is here. Even if I reveal the Crown Prince's identity in front of everyone, nothing will happen."
Lu Ze reached out and touched Qi Yuning's slightly flushed face and said, "Yuning, you will lead the troops out of the city tomorrow morning."
Qi Yuning threw herself into Lu Ze's arms and said, "No, I'll wait for you to come out of the court tomorrow and leave together."
Lu Ze said: "Listen to me, and you have to take the treasures and the Lu family away with you."
Qi Yuning frowned and asked, "Are your Lu family members willing to leave? Especially Madam Lu?"
Lu Ze said, "If they are willing to go with you, you can take them with you. If they are unwilling to go, I will arrange for them to stay in the princess's mansion."
Qi Yuning looked up at Lu Ze and said, "No, if you want to leave, let's leave together. It's the same if we leave first and then find someone to expose the prince's identity!"
Lu Ze said, "No matter who exposes it, it won't be as convincing as me, the princess's son."
Qi Yuning hugged Lu Ze's waist tightly, tears in her eyes as she sobbed softly in his arms, "Lu Ze, I'll wait for you outside the city. Go to the Lu family first. Those who want to leave, let them come to the palace through the side door. Those who don't want to leave will have to stay in your princess's palace."
Lu Ze said, "Okay."
Lu Ze rushed to Duke Lu's mansion. He had no intention of letting Madam Lu leave with Qi Yuning. After all, Madam Lu had the imperial decree of the Duke's wife and was on her deathbed. The prince could not enter the princess's mansion without permission to deal with an old lady.
Lu Ze went to discuss the matter with Mr. Lu Er and Mr. Lu San at night.
When Second and Third Master Lu heard Lu Ze's story about the Crown Prince's background, they were filled with astonishment and asked, "How is this possible?"
Madam Lu Er said, "Ze'er, even if the Crown Prince is not the Queen's biological son, it will not do our Lu family any good if you expose it!"
Lu Ze lowered his head and said, "Second uncle, third uncle, my grandfather died of depression because he did not help Your Majesty to support the Zhao family. Now the power of the Zhao family has fallen into the hands of those with ulterior motives. We cannot just stand by and watch."
Madam Lu frowned and said, "Zer, I'm afraid you're not just doing this out of loyalty, but also because the Crown Prince wants to snatch Princess Qi away, right?"
Lu Ze said frankly, "That's the reason, but now Princess Qi is my nephew's future wife, and the Lu family has already let them down once. If, because of our family's cowardice, we can't even protect my future wife, then my nephew and the Lu family will be humiliated."
Second Master Lu frowned and said, "Well, Third Brother and Sister-in-law, you take the children and go first. Help us take good care of Baohua, Hui'er, and Zhao'er. Your second sister-in-law and I will stay in the Princess's Mansion to take care of Mother."
Mr. Lu and Mrs. Lu looked at each other and said, "This is the only way."
Lu Ze said, "There's no time to lose. While His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Qin family don't know we're leaving, go to Prince Qi's mansion first."
After Mr. and Mrs. Lu nodded, they went to ask the younger generation to stand up.
Lu Ze returned to the princess's residence and went to Lu Baozhu's courtyard.
Lu Baozhu dozed off and walked outside the room and asked, "Brother, why did you wake me up?"
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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