Qi Yuning woke up early in the morning and dealt with official business in the palace.
Lichun came to report: "Princess, the princess is here."
Qi Yuning went to the lobby to see Princess Pingrou, only to find that the princess' eyes were red and swollen from crying, and her face was haggard, as if she had aged several years in an instant.
"Yu Ning."
Qi Yuning stepped forward and bowed to Princess Pingrou, saying, "Your Highness."
Princess Pingrou held Qi Yuning's hand and said, "Last night, Ze'er should have told you that the Qin family wanted him to marry Qin Yuli, right?"
Qi Yuning nodded slightly and said, "Yes."
Princess Pingrou cried, "I know that Baozhu has been against you all these years, and I didn't discipline her well before, but you also know that Baozhu is not a bad person. Ningning, I beg you, can you break off the engagement with Ze'er and save Baozhu?"
Princess Pingrou said with tears in her eyes, "Ningning, you are the only daughter-in-law in my heart, but the most urgent task now is to rescue Baozhu first, so you have to cancel the engagement with Ze'er first and let Ze'er and Qin Yuli get engaged.
Qin Yuli is still in mourning for her mother, so even if she and Ze'er are engaged, it will take a year before they can get married. After my father finishes his retreat and comes out, I will go and expose the Qin family's conspiracy and will not let Qin Yuli really marry Ze'er.
Then you and Ze'er can still get married, Yuning, please."
Qi Yuning listened to Princess Pingrou's worried cry and said, "Princess, if I agree to cancel the engagement with Lu Ze, the Crown Prince will not forgive me. He may not even wait for His Majesty to come out of confinement, and he will take me into the East Palace as a concubine.
I'm sorry, I can't put myself in a fire pit just for Lu Baozhu."
Princess Pingrou shed tears and said, "Yuning, do you really want to watch Baozhu suffer in prison?"
Qi Yuning said: "Your Highness, I don't want to see Lu Baozhu suffer, but I can't let myself jump into the fire pit."
Princess Pingrou said anxiously: "Ningning, as long as I am here, if you don't want to marry His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, I will not let you enter the East Palace..."
Qi Yuning said, "Now that the Crown Prince dares to use opium poison on Your Majesty, is there anything that Your Highness the Crown Prince cannot do? Princess, please forgive me for not being able to agree to your request."
Princess Pingrou sighed and said, "Yuning, I beg you, I will give you whatever you want in the future. You can go to Beicheng after you break off the engagement with Ze'er..."
Qi Yuning said: "Now that the imperial edict from His Highness' concubine has reached North City, can I disobey it? Princess, please don't make things difficult for me!"
Princess Pingrou said, "We are a family after all."
Qi Yuning said in a cold voice: "If you really regard me as a family member, then the whole family should work together to find a way to rescue Lu Baozhu, instead of asking me to sacrifice myself."
Qi Yuning couldn't help but feel a little chilled, yet at the same time, she envied Lu Baozhu very much.
After hearing Qi Yuning's words, Princess Pingrou could not utter any words to plead for mercy, so she had to return to the princess's mansion.
As soon as she entered the gate of the princess's mansion, Princess Pingrou saw the second wife of the Lu family walking at the door with the old lady Lu. It was obvious that they had just arrived not long ago.
Madam Lu looked very bad and said, "Lu Baozhu is just spoiled. She actually did such a foolish thing. It's fine if she doesn't want a good reputation, but if she stays in jail for one day, I'm afraid that Baohua, Baoshuang and Baoxue's marriage will be implicated."
"Mother, please stop talking." Duke Lu walked up to Old Madam Lu and said, "The princess is already sad enough because of Baozhu's accident."
Madam Lu said, "What kind of thing is this? Baohua, Baoshuang and Baoxue are planning to get married, and they can't let Baozhu get involved and delay it. Can't you save Baozhu from prison?"
Duke Lu said: "It's not that there is no way. The Qin family said that as long as Ze'er is willing to marry Qin Yuli, they can spare Baozhu..."
Madam Lu said anxiously: "Then why are you still standing there? Hurry up and agree to the Qin family and let Ze'er marry Qin Yuli.
The girl from the Qin family is much better than Princess Qi. Ze'er is Qin Yuli's cousin, and this cousin relationship is a close one.
Moreover, the Qin family is now respected in the court. If we can marry into the Qin uncle's mansion, it will be much more advantageous than the Qi Wang Mansion, which was liquidated by the imperial power at some point. Good, it is really a good marriage."
Madam Lu whispered, "But didn't His Majesty issue an imperial decree granting the marriage?"
Madam Lu said, "Your Majesty is a benevolent and wise monarch. If this can help my grandson find a good marriage, I believe His Majesty will also revoke his order and grant a new marriage between Miss Qin and Ze'er."
Seeing Prince Consort Lu's embarrassment, Madam Lu said, "What's wrong? The Qin family has already taken a step back, what are you still standing there for? Hurry up and agree to marry the Qin girl and get Baozhu out. Every moment Baozhu is in jail is a loss to her reputation."
Prince Consort Lu whispered, "Although the Qin family is willing to take a step back, Ze'er is unwilling to marry Qin Yuli."
Madam Lu said anxiously, "Zer has always been smart and sensible. Since this is about his sister, why would he not want to marry Qin Yuli? I will wait for him to come back here and try to persuade him."
…
After Princess Pingrou left, Qi Yuning couldn't even bear to look at the account books, so he ordered Shuangjiang to bring a guqin.
Qi Yuning has been learning music, chess, calligraphy and painting since she was young. Her calligraphy and painting are not as good as Lu Ze's, but she is the best in music, chess and painting in Shengjing.
Plucking the strings, the sound of the piano becomes melodious.
Xiaoman came in and said, "I'm so mad, Princess..."
Qi Yuning stroked the strings of the zither and said, "You say."
Xiaoman said: "I just sent the princess back to the palace, and I overheard the words of the old lady of the Lu family outside the princess's mansion. She actually said that Qin Yuli is better than you, and she also said that she would persuade Master Lu to marry Qin Yuli for the sake of the Lu family's sisters..."
Qi Yuning listened to Xiaoman retelling the words of the old lady of the Lu family. She hooked her finger, the string broke, and a huge pain came from her fingertips.
Gu Yulian stepped forward and looked at Qi Yuning's injuries, "Princess, be careful."
Shuang Jiang came over and looked at the strings and said, "It must be that the princess hasn't played the zither for a long time, so the strings need to be replaced."
Qi Yuning said: "Take the piano down and fix it. In the afternoon, you will go to the prison with me."
Qi Yuning entered the prison after lunch time.
Seeing Lu Baozhu eating roasted pigeon legs in the cell, he said, "You seem to be able to eat and drink freely."
Lu Baozhu said: "My brother came to see me just now. He said he found a way to save me. I will be out soon. Why should I be so depressed and not eat?"
Qi Yuning looked at Lu Baozhu and said, "Did your brother tell you how to save you?"
Lu Baozhu said, "He said he sacrificed his most precious thing to save me, and he will let me go tomorrow morning."
Qi Yuning dug her nails into her palms and narrowed her eyes slightly. After all, Lu Baozhu was Lu Ze's biological sister.
Lu Ze was forced by his family to choose to protect the Lu family and Lu Baozhu, break off the engagement with himself, and marry Qin Yuli. What was so shocking about that?
The connection between them was only because of Lingling.
It was only right for Lu Ze to choose his biological sister over her and Lu Baozhu.
Although he thought so, Qi Yuning felt a sour taste in his throat.
Seeing Qi Yuning's tears in her eyes, Lu Baozhu said unhappily, "Hey! Although we have quarreled, the relationship between you and me shouldn't be so bad, right? You heard that I can go out early tomorrow morning, so you are unhappy, but why are you crying?" (End of this chapter)
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