“Well…” Gu Xin also stroked her chin like Lu Zheng, and then said, “I recently read some of Renren’s detective stories. If I had to say he had some motive, it would be more accurate to say that the Duke of Zhenguo’s mansion is easier to manipulate than the Yi family or the Yun family. Or rather, the Duke of Zhenguo’s mansion has some leverage that Prince Qu has over it.”
“Yes, leverage!” Gu Xin’s eyes suddenly lit up. “I’ve heard my great-grandmother talk about Aunt Jia. She said that at first, Aunt Jia and the Duke of Zhenguo had a very good relationship, which was the envy of many people in the capital. This was because the Duke of Zhenguo was one of the most handsome men in the capital, and he was also skilled in both literature and martial arts and came from a good family. He treated Aunt Jia very well, and his reputation even reached the palace. At that time, my great-grandmother had to teach the Emperor how to handle some matters between court officials, so she was quite familiar with the relationships between various families.”
"My great-grandmother said that the Duke of Zhenguo was really in love with Aunt Jia back then. When Aunt Jia was pregnant with Sister Xue, the Duke of Zhenguo went to Xiangguo Temple every day to pray for peace. After Sister Xue was born, the Duke of Zhenguo said that he only wanted this one child, and he wanted to take the infertility soup himself because he didn't want Aunt Jia to suffer the pain of pregnancy and childbirth again."
"In the following years, the court gradually stabilized, and my great-grandmother didn't pay much attention anymore. Then suddenly, news spread that Aunt Jia was on her deathbed and that she married Lin Shi less than a month after her death. My great-grandmother said that the old Duke Zhenguo was so angry that he vomited blood, but he insisted on marrying her. In the end, he had no choice but to take Sister Xue and you to his side and find someone to raise you."
"So, from the time Aunt Jia married into the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, to the time Xue was born, and then to the time Aunt Jia became pregnant with you, the two of them must have had a very good and sweet relationship. If a man wasn't head over heels in love with that girl, how could he possibly be willing to drink a potion to prevent himself from having children just because she was suffering from pregnancy? Your family has a title to inherit!"
"So, the Duke of Zhenguo must have been threatened by the Lin family. This threat must have been very significant. While Aunt Jia was alive, it was definitely about her. After she died, the threat became about you and Sister Xue. Or rather, it wasn't about you, but about the Duke of Zhenguo and the very survival of the Lu family. The Duke of Zhenguo was threatened and compromised. And those two children aren't his, but he still has to raise them. Or perhaps, like Uncle Peng, he doesn't even know the children aren't his and thinks they are!"
Lu Zheng stared at Gu Xin in shock.
Gu Xin blinked and said, "The case that Renren recently wrote about, it's a case about the inner quarters of the household. He said Peng Mu gave him the inspiration, so I think your family might be involved too. Otherwise, how could someone change their mind so quickly? The Duke of Zhenguo is very concerned about his reputation in other matters, but he remarried right after Aunt Jia passed away. It really doesn't make sense."
Lu Zheng pursed his lips, unsure how to react.
In the end, he could only poke Gu Xin's head: "You should read less of Renren's stories. I don't think such a bizarre thing is likely to happen."
Gu Xin rubbed her forehead: "Ouch, that hurts! How could it not happen? Didn't it happen with Uncle Peng? And also, aren't you really not curious at all about what the Duke of Zhenguo was thinking back then? And that secret room you mentioned, a whole secret room full of portraits!"
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