Chapter 84: Trade-offs
"Grandmother, how could you use Tang Ning's things to please the Fourth Prince?"
Lu Zhinian's face was pale, and his voice was trembling: "Tang Ning is determined to settle accounts with us. Now that we can't pay it back, what will she think of our Lu family?"
Madam Lu was panicking, but she defended herself by saying, "Those were sent to the Lu family by Song Tangning herself. We didn't force them to come. Besides, it's been so long, who knows where the things have gone? Even if she did make a fuss about it, people would just say she's stingy. Who would ask for something back after giving it away..."
"What if she really sues Jingzhao Prefecture?"
Madam Lu paused: "How dare she..."
"She even sued the Duke of Song's mansion and sent her own uncle and grandmother to prison. Why do you think she wouldn't dare sue you?"
Lu Chongyuan looked at Madam Lu, whose face turned pale the moment she heard his words, and was filled with anger at her for not fighting back:
"She's fine, but have you forgotten that she has Xiao Yan by her side? That eunuch has always wanted to find something to hold against the aristocratic families and has tried every possible way to deal with me. The matter between the Song family and Prince Cheng's Mansion hasn't been resolved yet, and you've caused all this trouble. You are simply..."
Even the usually calm Lu Chongyuan couldn't help but get so angry that his hands started shaking, and he finally flicked his sleeves and swept the cups off the table.
"Stupid thing!!"
Old Madam Lu had never been yelled at like this before, not to mention that there was a junior like Lu Zhinian in the room. She was so ashamed that her face turned purple. She was both angry and embarrassed, but she didn't dare to say a word in rebuttal to the furious Lu Chongyuan.
The brothers Lu Zhao and Lu Qin, who were standing outside, looked at each other in surprise when they heard the noise in the room.
What happened? Why is my father so angry?
"Brother..." Lu Qin frowned and wanted to go in.
Lu Zhao shook his head and stopped the man: "Father didn't call us, so wait outside first."
"But mother..."
"Father knows his limits, and Saburo is also in there."
Lu Zhao always obeyed his father Lu Chongyuan's words, and he also vaguely guessed that Mrs. Lu might have done something she shouldn't have done. His father had saved her face by sending them out, and if they went in at this time, it would make Mrs. Lu even more embarrassed.
Upon hearing this, Lu Qin could only suppress the worry in his heart.
In the room over there, Lu Chongyuan was angry and swept things all over the floor. Old Madam Lu and Lu Zhinian were extremely quiet.
Lu Chongyuan was so angry that he kept pacing. After a moment, he said coldly, "Go to the palace and see the Queen and explain this matter to her."
"No!" Madam Lu said anxiously, "I can't go see the Empress. The Empress has always wanted Sanlang to marry Song Tangning. If she knew this, she would definitely have a grudge against the Lu family, and the Fourth Prince would also hate us..."
"It's better to be disgusted than to hear about it from others later!"
Lu Chongyuan interrupted Madam Lu harshly, forced himself to calm down, and said with a sullen face:
"The Lu family, the Queen, and the Fourth Prince are one and the same. Even if there's a rift between them, they're reluctant to give up the Lu family's support. We can always find a way to reconcile with them in the future."
"But if you don't inform the Queen of this first so she can prepare for it, and she later learns about this from others, the Fourth Prince will be caught off guard and placed in a high position. That would be a huge problem."
The Fourth Prince wanted to seize the throne, so he had to be cautious with every step he took. The fact that Song Tangning had fallen out with the Lu family could not be concealed from anyone. With the eunuch Xiao Yan protecting them, they had no confidence in forcing the girl to give in.
Those things that were sent out could not be taken back, and if Song Tangning investigated, the Fourth Prince would certainly be implicated. Instead of waiting for the Queen to find out from others and then blame them, it would be better for them to take the initiative to tell the Queen so that they could discuss how to deal with it.
Lu Chongyuan didn't allow Madam Lu to argue at all: "You must go to the palace now, take these two scrolls with you, and explain everything to the Queen. No lies are allowed."
He paused and said, "Sanlang, you go too."
Lu Zhinian's lips turned pale. Just as he was about to say something, he saw Lu Chongyuan looking at him calmly:
"Your marriage with Song Tangning cannot continue. If there is a chance, use this marriage in exchange for Song Tangning letting go of the Lu family."
"Grandfather..." Lu Zhinian suddenly raised his eyes.
Lu Chongyuan met his eyes and said, "Song Tangning is no longer the obedient little girl she used to be. If the Duke of Song's Mansion was still there, she could still control the Song family. But now that the Song family is gone, no one can control her. The only thing we can negotiate with her now is your marriage."
"I don't know why you don't want to break off the engagement, but whether you're truly unwilling to accept the Song daughter's fate or you're resentful of being humiliated, don't forget what I taught you before, and don't harm the family's interests for the sake of a momentary anger. Do you understand?"
Lu Zhinian's face gradually became silent. He reached out to grab the brocade tassel hanging around his waist, using so much force that his fingers turned white.
He had never imagined that his marriage with Song Tangning would turn out like this. He was actually using the marriage to force Song Tangning to give in...
Lu Zhinian seemed to have seen the little girl's mocking look after she knew all this. He lowered his eyes, his face pale, and said in a hoarse voice, "I know, Grandfather."
Lu Chongyuan patted his shoulder and said, "Go ahead. You are good friends with the Fourth Prince. Talk to him about this matter. If he really minds, he doesn't need to worry about it. He can't leave the Lu family."
Lu Zhinian nodded numbly: "Yes."
…
When Empress Lu learned that the Lu family had entered the palace, she had just come out of the Empress Dowager's palace.
She wiped the water stains on her hands with a handkerchief full of disgust and asked the palace servant in front of the door: "Why is the Empress Dowager's condition so serious?"
The palace servant lowered her head and replied hurriedly, "The Empress Dowager wasn't feeling well earlier. She's only lucid for one or two hours a day, and the rest of the time she's in a daze. Her hysteria is getting worse. Not only does she keep mumbling about the late emperor and his family, she occasionally calls out the name of the emperor's eldest grandson..."
"Shut up! Where did this emperor's eldest grandson come from in this palace?" the female official beside Queen Lu shouted.
The palace servant was startled and quickly knelt down and kowtowed: "My words were spoken carelessly. I beg Your Majesty to forgive me."
Empress Lu said in a deep voice, "It's alright for me to tolerate fools like you, but if His Majesty hears this, you'd better watch out for your head."
The palace servant turned pale instantly and knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly.
Empress Lu stared coldly for a long time before she spoke: "Alright, serve the Grand Empress Dowager well."
After the queen's procession left, the palace servant who was kneeling in front of the door stood up. He touched the bruise on his forehead and sneered in the direction where Queen Lu left.
"It's no use being nice."
After saying this, he instructed the person beside him: "Take someone in to check if there is anything extra with the old ancestor that shouldn't be there. I will go and tell the governor."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
