Early the next morning.
Lingling slept well last night and woke up early today, which was unusual for her. Qi Yuning smiled gently when she saw Lingling with messy hair who had just woken up.
After the maid helped Lingling dress and comb her hair, she carried Lingling to Duke Lu's mansion.
Before arriving at Lu Baohua's Xiangfei Pavilion, he ran into Mrs. Lu II.
"Second grandmother."
Madam Lu Er listened to Lingling's sweet cry and chuckled, "How sweet, Princess. What brings you here so early in the morning?"
Qi Yuning said: "Lingling studied calligraphy with Baohua for a few days in Beicheng. Lingling really liked learning calligraphy from Baohua. I want Lingling to continue learning from Baohua."
Madam Lu sighed and said, "I'm afraid it won't work today. Baohua fell ill when he came back last night. He didn't eat dinner last night and didn't sleep all night."
Qi Yuning heard this and said worriedly: "She just came back from a long journey, how could she be like this? I will take Lingling to see her."
Qi Yuning went straight in.
Before she even entered the house, she heard a woman's voice inside, "Cousin, we women have to accept our fate. This great aunt is doing this for your own good. Just think about how glorious it would be to marry Prince Xu. It would also be a great success for the Lu family."
"To be the concubine of Prince Xu is now something that women in Shengjing are lining up for. Cousin, this is truly a great blessing for you!"
Qi Yuning entered the room and saw a girl with a fair complexion and a slightly pointed face, wearing plain clothes. Qi Yuning had no memory of this person.
Liu Qingqing raised her eyes and looked at the person who came in. Seeing a woman dressed in luxury and nobility coming in, she felt that she was too ostentatious from the bottom of her heart, "Is this Princess Lu?"
Lu Baohua, who was leaning against the bed with all his strength, saw Qi Yuning and said, "Princess Qi."
"Second Aunt!" Lingling trotted to Lu Baohua's side, "Second Aunt, are you sick?"
Lu Baohua touched the little tuft on Lingling's head and said, "Second Aunt is fine, Lingling, don't worry."
Qi Yuning only looked at the unfamiliar girl next to Lu Baohua, "Get out!"
Liu Qingqing did not move. Lu Baohua said weakly, "Qingqing, go out first."
Only then did Liu Qingqing get up and leave.
Qi Yuning ordered Chunfen and Guyu to stop people outside the door.
Qi Yuning poured a cup of warm tea for Lu Baohua and said, "Baohua, I just want to ask you, do you want to marry Prince Xu?"
Lu Baohua shook his head and said, "I don't want to, I don't want to."
Qi Yuning looked at Lu Baohua and said, "Do you like Zhong Ming?"
Lu Baohua was slightly surprised. Qi Yuning's words were too straightforward.
Qi Yuning looked straight at Lu Baohua and said, "Except for Lu Ze, I won't tell anyone about your thoughts. I just want you to tell me the truth."
Lingling was playing beside Lu Baohua and took out a straw dragonfly from the pillow: "Grass dragonfly! Second aunt, can you also make a straw dragonfly?"
Qi Yuning smiled slightly when she saw Cao Qingting, "Of course your second aunt can't make it up, but your second uncle can."
Lu Baohua used the back of his hand to cool his burning face, "Princess, Lingling is young and it's fine if she talks nonsense, but why are you..."
Qi Yuning smiled and said, "You like Zhong Ming, right?"
Lu Baohua lowered his head and said, "I have only met Zhong Ming a few times. I can't say whether I like him or not, but I am indeed somewhat moved. He is Xianchu Lay Buddhist. I have read his articles a long time ago. I don't know if that can be regarded as love between a man and a woman."
Qi Yuning looked at Lu Baohua and said, "Now that Prince Xu wants to marry you, your parents have already agreed to Prince Xu's proposal. There is only one way to make your parents' plan fail."
"What is it?"
Qi Yuning poured herself another cup of tea and said, "Then Prince Xu still doesn't dare to ask His Majesty for a marriage at this critical moment, but I think that after my brother and sister-in-law return and reward the Qi family army, Prince Xu will definitely ask His Majesty to grant you a concubine."
Lu Baohua clenched the handkerchief in her hand.
Qi Yuning said, "Zhong Ming has made many military achievements on his way to Shengjing City, but now his hand is disabled. I think if you two love each other, it won't be difficult to ask His Majesty to grant Zhong Ming and you a marriage. Lu Ze and I will help you then. As long as His Majesty issues an imperial decree, Prince Xu and your parents will not be able to control your marriage."
Lu Baohua lowered his head and thought.
Qi Yuning said: "In addition to this method, there is another way, that is to become a nun. You are not the first one in your Lu family to become a nun...
It’s just that it’s hard to keep long hair. If I shave your black hair, you’ll need at least five years to return to secular life. Your elder brother doesn’t dare to take off his wig no matter how hot the weather is.”
Lu Baohua looked up at Qi Yuning and said, "Princess, even if I am attracted to Zhong Ming, he may not want to marry me."
Qi Yuning smiled and said, "If Zhong Ming didn't want to marry you, why did he come to pick up Zhong You every day in Beicheng? Just to see you?"
Lu Baohua blushed, "Princess."
Qi Yuning saw that Lu Baohua was much more shameless than Lu Baozhu after all, so he stopped making things difficult for her. "I'm going to take Lingling to visit Zhong Ming today. Do you want to come with me?"
Lu Baohua said: "I'm afraid it's not appropriate for me to go..."
Qi Yuning gave Lingling a look, and Lingling smiled and pulled Lu Baohua's clothes, "Second Aunt, go together. Lingling wants Second Aunt to go together."
Qi Yuning said: "Let's go together. I'll let Shuangjiang do your makeup. Shuangjiang has very deft hands and will make sure she makes you look beautiful."
Lingling nodded and said, "Lingling's hair was combed by Aunt Shuangjiang. Isn't it beautiful?"
Lu Baohua chuckled and said, "Lingling is very beautiful!"
Lingling hugged Qi Yuning shyly, "But Lingling thinks mother kisses her more beautifully."
Qi Yuning smiled and let Lichun go find Shuangjiang. Lichun came back after a quarter of an hour and said, "Princess, Sister Shuangjiang is not in the house. She said she went out."
Lu Baohua said: "Princess, it's the same if I ask my maid to do my makeup for me."
Qi Yuning nodded slightly and waited for Lu Baohua to get dressed.
Lingling was choosing jewellery for Lu Baohua. Although Lingling was young, she loved beauty by nature. It can be said that the jewellery she picked out suits Lu Baohua very well.
It took Lu Baohua half an hour to dress up. She looked at herself in the bronze mirror, afraid that she could not cover up the dark circles under her eyes.
The General's Mansion of the Zhong family is in the west of the city. This General's Mansion was the mansion given by His Majesty when Zhong Xin conquered Beimo fifteen years ago. However, Zhong Xin's family is all in the North City, and this General's Mansion has been abandoned in the past.
This time when Zhong Ming came to live there, he tidied up the place and hired some servants.
Qi Yuning arrived outside Zhong Ming's mansion. Not long after, Zhong Ming came out in a hurry. He greeted Qi Yuning and said, "Greetings, Princess."
Qi Yuning said: "No need to be polite."
Lu Baohua bowed and said, "Second Young Master Zhong."
Zhong Ming looked at Lu Baohua next to Qi Yuning. He had never thought that she would come. He said in a light tone: "Second Miss Lu, I wonder what important matter has the princess and Second Miss Lu come to visit today?"
Lu Baohua asked: "I heard you were injured, is it serious?"
Zhong Ming said, "It's all right now. Please come in, both of you."
Little Lingling said beside Qi Yuning: "Second uncle, there are three of you, and Lingling is here too!"
When Zhong Ming heard Xiao Lingling's cry, he did not indulge her like he did in Beicheng. "Little Princess Lingling, I am not your second uncle. Don't call me second uncle anymore, or it will damage my reputation and that of Second Miss Lu."
As Lu Baohua listened to Zhong Ming's words, he wrapped the handkerchief around his fingers more tightly and bit his lower lip with his teeth.
Lingling said unhappily: "You are Lingling's second uncle!"
Zhong Ming bowed to Qi Yuning and said, "Princess, please take care of the little princess. It's fine if you damage my reputation, but if you damage the reputation of the second Miss Lu and delay her bright future, that would be a big problem."
When Lu Baohua heard Zhong Ming's words, tears welled up in her eyes. "Princess, I'll take my leave first."
Without waiting for Qi Yuning to stop him, Lu Baohua turned around and left without even getting in the carriage.
Qi Yuning looked at Zhong Ming and said, "If she really wanted to pursue a bright future, why would she come to see you today? What you said is really hurtful!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
