Hearing this reason, Lu Zhixing felt both amused and aggrieved, "Is this why you did this?"
Song Yushu pursed his lips and nervously clicked his fingers. This was the biggest reason. In this era, it was impossible to not have three wives and four concubines, especially since Lu Zhixing was a prince and would ascend the throne in the future.
"The idea of a lifelong couple isn't just for women," Lu Zhixing explained softly, sitting next to Song Yushu. "I don't know what others think, but I long to spend the rest of my life with only the one I love."
"But spending the rest of your life together is one thing, and having your own backyard is another, right?" Song Yushu looked directly into Lu Zhixing's eyes and said word by word.
Lu Zhixing was stunned for a moment, not knowing how to respond. No man is without three palaces and six courtyards, but those are not wives. "Those women will never be as good as you. There is only one queen in the palace. That's impossible."
"I know it's impossible, so it's impossible for us to do it either." Lu Zhixing was in a very calm state, so Song Yushu felt that he should make it clear.
Sometimes comradeship is more stable than love.
"I promise you, I will never touch them." Lu Zhixing still wanted to fight for it. After all, Song Yushu took the initiative to kiss him, which meant that he was attracted to him, right?
"You scumbag." Song Yushu snorted. "You married them, but left them as widows. This is too cruel to them. I couldn't help myself in front of such delicate flowers. How could you?"
Lu Zhixing: “…”
"Your Highness, can we just be friends?" Song Yushu looked at Lu Zhixing with a pleading look.
"No." Lu Zhixing's face darkened. It was already a fact that he was in love with Song Yushu. He would have to look at Song Yushu for the rest of his life? And then watch her marry someone else and have children? Thinking of this, Lu Zhixing's face became even uglier.
Song Yushu watched his face grow darker and darker, not knowing what he was thinking. Song Yushu spoke cautiously, "Your Highness..."
Lu Zhixing stood up immediately and disappeared before Song Yushu could finish his words.
Song Yushu was left stunned. It was the first time for her to see how Qinggong was performed at such a close distance.
Ever since the two of them talked about this matter, Lu Zhixing started to avoid Song Yushu, avoiding talking to him if possible and avoiding contact with him if possible.
As a result, Nanny Chen came to ask Song Yushu if he had offended the prince. Rumors had already spread in the palace that Song Yushu had fallen out of favor.
"Mammy, do you believe this?" Song Yushu explained to Mammy Chen in a gentle voice, "The prince's old illness has just recurred recently. He's not targeting me. Believe me, he's targeting everyone."
Nanny Chen didn't believe what Song Yushu said until Lu Zhixing started lighting candles all over the yard at night and threw out the two maids who wanted to get promoted.
Now the people in the mansion believed that Lu Zhixing was ill again. He had been ill all the time before, and although everyone was worried, they had gotten used to it. Now after a few days of good days, they had to worry again, which was even more terrifying.
Because you never know when or what you will do to offend the prince, and you will be punished again.
However, the ones who felt uncomfortable were not the people in Prince Jing's Mansion, but Xia Xingde from the Crown Prince's Mansion. As soon as he left Lu Yanzhou's study, his face looked extremely ugly.
"Sir, why don't we just mobilize the forces in the mansion?" Xia Xingde's personal attendant glanced at his face and came up with an idea.
Xia Xingde frowned and did not answer, his heart wavering.
He repeatedly asked people to get Song Yushu but was turned away. That was not all. Song Yushu had used some unknown magic to incite several of his forces outside to rebel.
However, Lu Yanzhou was very cautious and always disagreed with letting him directly use the Prince's Mansion or the court forces directly related to the Prince's Mansion.
"Sir, if you don't mobilize an entire team directly, but instead disperse your troops, His Royal Highness will definitely not know much about the situation." The attendant glanced around and said, "Also, Sir, Song Yushu was able to escape accurately several times before. There must be a spy in the palace!"
Xia Xinde nodded. After so many failures, it was impossible to say there wasn't a traitor. He whispered to his followers, "Go to the patrol camp and recruit some people without family backgrounds. I'll make the arrangements. No one can talk about this."
"Yes, sir."
Xia Xingde watched his followers leave with a cold look on his face. He didn't believe that he couldn't kill Song Yushu this time. Could he still be so lucky?
Several days passed without any movement from Xia Xingde, while Lu Zhixing's interrogation of Wuyang Marquis's illegitimate son was nearing the end, and several officials appointed by him had already prepared the official documents that needed to be submitted to the emperor.
Ning Chengan, who had previously confronted Lu Zhixing in public, frowned and was worried.
The clerk beside him patted his shoulder and asked, "Why are you like this?"
"This case is shocking and even involves the Eastern Palace. Even if the prince reports it truthfully, I'm sure His Majesty will not punish him severely." Ning Cheng'an sighed. The world is like this, which really makes people discouraged.
The clerk's smile fell. "Well, who says it isn't true? His Majesty favors the Crown Prince the most. The Marquis of Wuyang handled this case very cleanly, and the Crown Prince wasn't openly implicated. At most, the Crown Prince will only be charged with lax governance."
"Then what's all we've done?" Ning Cheng'an was full of depression. He became an official to clean up this turbid world, but he didn't expect that his power was so weak. After many years in the court, he was still just a small official in the Ministry of Justice and didn't even have the ability to say a word.
"A tree that can be embraced by two people grows from a tiny seed, and a nine-story tower starts from a pile of earth." Lu Zhixing appeared behind the two of them.
"Your humble servant greets His Royal Highness Prince Jing." The two of them saluted quickly.
Lu Zhixing stood at the doorway, the setting sun behind him, casting a golden rim around him. He exuded a reassuring aura. "If you want those who have made mistakes to be punished, then you must be prepared for a long struggle. Neither of you is impetuous, so why are you so listless right now?"
His words were like a heavy hammer hitting the hearts of the two men, especially Ning Cheng'an. He had not expected that the arrogant and wanton King Jing in Kyoto before would have such a realm, which made him look so ugly.
"I thank the prince." Ning Cheng'an bowed again with gratitude.
As an official of the Ministry of Justice, he should have insisted on investigating the case to the end. Even if the results were not satisfactory, it was still done, right? It was better than doing nothing and standing by and watching.
"There is no need to do so. I know that times are tough and it's not easy to persevere, but as the backbone of the imperial court, you two must remain firm in your thoughts." Lu Zhixing did not feel embarrassed by Ning Cheng'an's previous words to him. Instead, he admired this "stubborn" official.
Just as the three were talking, Song Chun appeared not far away. He quickly came to Lu Zhixing holding his injured arm and said, "Your Highness, something happened to the master."
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