A servant took a shortcut and hurried to Yongning Courtyard. Lu Jinan asked someone to bring him powder and painted his face as pale as paper. Then, a few breaths before Ling Shumo came in, he lay down on the bed as quickly as possible.
Seeing the group coming in, Lu Jinan pretended to get out of bed and said, "Your humble servant greets the princess and the wise monarch."
Ling Shumo found a chair in the room and sat down.
Lu Jinshu walked in small steps to the front of Lu Jinan.
Lu Jinan now lowered his head, and from this angle he could only see the lower hem of Lu Jinshu's skirt and shoes.
The upper of Lu Jinshu's shoes was embroidered with a pattern of hundreds of flowers using gold and colorful threads, and the stamens in the center of the flowers were inlaid with pure white pearls. The round surface of the pearls reflected the golden light of the sun, making his eyes feel particularly uncomfortable.
Lu Jinshu's voice was calm, but Lu Jinan could hear a condescending tone in it. "Brother, please stand up. There's no need to be so awkward and polite between us brothers."
Lu Jinan's bent knees finally relaxed, and he thanked Lu Jinshu with a forced smile.
Just now, Lu Jinan was concentrating on pretending to be weak. Now when he raised his head, he saw Lu Jinshu's luxurious and expensive clothes.
On the other hand, he was only wearing a plain robe. At this moment, standing next to Lu Jinshu, he looked particularly shabby and petty.
But Lu Jinan soon lost the heart to think about those trivial things.
Because Ling Shumo spoke up, "If it weren't for the virtuous prince telling me, I really wouldn't have been able to tell. The virtuous prince wasn't raised by a tutor or a concubine since childhood. The virtuous prince is polite and knows when to act. He's no different from Young Master Lu, who was taught by aristocratic families since childhood."
After Ling Shumo finished speaking, the room became so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
Taifu Lu suddenly raised his head and glared at Lu Jinshu, "You treacherous bastard, who allowed you to speak nonsense in front of Her Highness?"
Lu Jinshu seemed to be frightened, and he hid timidly behind Ling Shumo.
Ling Shumo's voice turned cold. "Grandmaster Lu, although Lu Jinshu is your biological son, he is now the crown princess and virtuous ruler of the Eastern Palace. Grandmaster, yelling at my virtuous ruler like this, aren't you completely ignorant of etiquette and rules?"
Mrs. Lu was really furious just now, but after hearing Ling Shumo's cold words, her mind finally calmed down a little.
Imperial Tutor Lu knew that now was not the time to argue with Lu Jinshu. She looked at Ling Shumo, her tone inevitably mixed with caution and flattery, "Your Highness, you are really joking. The one who married you to become a wise ruler was my eldest son, and the one who is sick now is the second son of our Lu family."
Ling Shumo patted the side of her head gently, "Look at my memory. I almost confused my own servant with the second young master of the Lu family."
Master Lu put on a smiling face.
Although Ling Shumo said that she "mixed up" the information, it meant that she would help the Lu family keep this secret.
But keeping secrets has a price.
Imperial Tutor Lu stopped beating around the bush with Ling Shumo and asked directly, "Your Highness, what do you want me to do? Please tell me directly."
Ling Shumo wasn't one to play tai chi either. She asked Lu Jinan, "My eldest sister, the emperor, likes you. Do you know that?"
Lu Jin'an was stunned, a look of confusion in his eyes. "I grew up in the capital when I was young. When I was ten, I followed my father back to my hometown in Yangzhou. Then, my grandparents passed away one after another. I then spent six years in Yangzhou mourning for them. I only returned to the Lu family in the capital last year. I hardly left the house. I don't even know what the eldest prince looks like."
Ling Shumo pressed on, "How many banquets have you attended since you returned to Beijing?"
Lu Jinan thought for a moment before saying, "One was the Third Princess' birthday, and I accompanied my mother to the palace banquet. Another time was when the Prime Minister's mother celebrated her seventieth birthday, and I went to the Prime Minister's residence as a guest. Apart from these two times, there have been no other occasions."
Ling Shumo looked at Shi Qi who was following behind her.
Shi Qi said without hesitation, "Your Highness has never attended the Prime Minister's mother's birthday banquet, but when the Third Princess celebrated her birthday, Your Highness personally went to the palace banquet and presented a gift."
Ling Shumo chuckled, "No wonder the Imperial Sister mistook the virtuous Lord for Lu Jinan at the racecourse outside the capital. It turns out she didn't even have any conversation with him. She fell in love with Young Master Lu at first sight."
Taifu Lu and Taifu's wife looked at each other.
Lu Jinshu had already known Ling Shumo's thoughts.
Ling Shumo said to Grand Tutor Lu, "Hurry up and announce that Lu Jinan is the Second Young Master of the Lu Family. I believe that when the Imperial Sister sees the Second Young Master who is so similar to the virtuous Lord, she will certainly not hesitate to give him a position as a Consort Lord."
Lu Jinan was still a little confused. He didn't know why they were chatting so happily and suddenly they were talking about getting married.
However, Master Lu sighed deeply in his heart.
Ling Shumo wanted to place Lu Jinan as a spy in the Grand Princess's Mansion.
Grand Tutor Lu has always been pessimistic about Princess Ling Shumo. She is unwilling to follow Ling Shumo's orders, but now she has been caught by the other party.
It is easy to get on a pirate ship, but if you want to get off, it is as difficult as climbing to the sky.
Imperial Tutor Lu bowed slightly and said, "Thank you, Princess Crown Princess, for your advice. It is a blessing for Jin An to marry His Majesty."
Having said this, we have finished talking about the main business.
Ling Shumo didn't want to stay any longer.
Lu Jinshu stopped where he was, staring at Lu Jinan with a pair of eyes as still as water. "Since you have voluntarily given up your position as the eldest brother to me, then you can expect to be trampled under my feet for the rest of your life."
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