Chapter 289 Different Thoughts
Lin was so angry that she laughed. She stared at Zhang coldly, "So you knew it a long time ago. No wonder you defended Xie Zhaolan so much. I found it strange at the beginning. Xie Zhaolan respected you and was close to you. You are more like her mother-in-law than I am. It turns out that snakes and rats have been in the same nest for a long time. Feng Ge'er said in the ancestral hall that they were having an affair. I thought he was crazy and would talk nonsense at the time. Now I think there is no smoke without fire. He had noticed your clues a long time ago. No wonder Xie Zhaolan divorced so quickly. I was wondering why she was willing to give up the prosperous Lu family. It turns out that she was trying to get close to Ziyu. You... do you have any shame?"
Zhang was so angry that her heart ached. She looked at her in disbelief, "What nonsense are you talking about? Ziyu and Zhaolan are innocent, why is she so unbearable in your eyes? Ziyu said that she was the Princess of Huainan, she just looked like Zhaolan, why do you insist that she is Zhaolan?"
"Zhao Lan and I have been married for several years. I know her appearance and temperament better than anyone else. I will never make a mistake." Lu Feng argued angrily, "Elders, please make the decision on this matter. Zi Yu must not marry the former eldest sister-in-law."
Zhang sneered and said, "My Lord, do you really recognize Zhaolan? Do you know what kind of temperament Zhaolan has? Zhaolan has been married to you for several years. She is gentle, virtuous, quiet and gentle. Since you married Li Xueying, what kind of temperament has the returned Zhaolan had? Is she similar to the original Zhaolan? Didn't you and Li Xueying keep saying that she was not Zhaolan? It seems that after sleeping in the same bed for several years, you still can't recognize your first wife. Now that Ziyu's wedding date is imminent, everyone in the court and the public knows it. Just because the princess looks like Zhaolan, you are going to do everything possible to insult them and slander their reputation. You are so cruel. What exactly do you want to do?"
Zhang and Xie Zhaolan had always had a good relationship. In fact, the shock of Su Qingwan marrying Lu Jing was far less than the shock of Xie Zhaolan's death. Xie Zhaolan was dignified and quiet, and she did things properly. Zhang was a widow at home, and her son was not at home all year round. Xie Zhaolan's yard was very close to her, and she would often chat with her, play cards, and kill time.
Whenever Xie Zhaolan was free, she would make an appointment with Zhang. Occasionally, she would organize a party to entertain Zhang. Zhang's temperament was very similar to hers, so they had a good relationship. Lin was serious and upright, and she coveted Xie Zhaolan's dowry. Xie Zhaolan was not stupid, but only followed the superficial rules towards Lin.
So it's no wonder that Lin said that Xie Zhaolan and Zhang had a good relationship and were close to each other, more like mother-in-law and daughter-in-law than she was, and their feelings were mutual. So when Zhang heard that the real Xie Zhaolan was dead, she was actually very sad and claimed to be sick and stayed at home during this period. In addition to the troubles of Lu Jing and Su Qingwan's marriage, she was actually sad for Xie Zhaolan.
Lu Feng was so angry that he couldn't utter a word.
The elders believed in Lu Feng and Lin. Lu Jing and Xie Zhaolan had indeed had an ugly scandal, which was suppressed but became a topic of conversation for many people at the time. If the princess married Lu Jing, she would either stay at home forever in the backyard and not socialize with others, or someone would find out that her earrings looked like Xie Zhaolan, and if the rumor got out, it would be really bad.
"But this marriage is known to everyone in the government and the public, and there are only ten days left before the wedding. If Ziyu cancels the marriage now, his reputation will not be good."
"Breaking off the engagement will only give you a bad reputation for a while. If the uncle and sister-in-law really have an affair, he will be criticized for the rest of his life. You should weigh the pros and cons clearly."
The elders were in a solemn mood, but Lu Shaoqing remained silent.
Lu Feng was anxious, "Father, don't you believe me? I have seen with my own eyes what the princess looks like."
"That's just your one-sided statement. It doesn't count!" Zhang sneered. In fact, she had never seen the princess. She just listened to Lu Jing's one-sided statement, but she believed Lu Jing.
Lu Shaoqing pondered and said nothing. No one knew what he was thinking, and his expression was very heavy.
Lin came up with a plan, "Master, if that's the case, send someone to invite the princess to come to visit. We have all met Xie Zhaolan, and it's clear who is quibbling and who is telling the truth."
Lu Shaoqing said unhappily, "She is a princess of a certain status, how can she come to visit you just because you say so?"
"If she doesn't come, it means she is guilty!" Lu Feng said, "It will only confirm her and Zi Yu's guilt."
Zhang frowned, thinking that Lu Feng was stupid and bad. He confirmed that Zi Yu and Zhao Lan were having an affair. How could he look good? He insisted that the princess was the princess, not Xie Zhaolan. This was not a win-win situation. He also had dignity. Others did not dare to say anything. She really couldn't figure out what Lu Feng was going to do. If he admitted it, it would be the Lu family who was embarrassed. If he didn't admit it, at most he would be criticized. The identity of the Huainan princess was confirmed by everyone. It was definitely impossible for her to be Xie Zhaolan.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She felt that Lu Feng was hopelessly stupid, but there was nothing she could do. She had no husband and had no say at home. Lu Shaoqing was the boss of the family, and the elders also took care of important clan affairs. She couldn't even stand in the second row during the sacrifice, so what say did she have?
Lu Yunshu said softly, "Second Aunt, you are the mother of the Regent. If this matter is exposed, it will be embarrassing for everyone. The news must be suppressed. It will be good for Third Brother, Sister Zhaolan and the Princess. Third Brother's marriage to Princess Huainan is a political marriage, and it cannot be easily broken off."
The affair between Lu Jing and Xie Zhaolan, uncle and sister-in-law, was a big deal. Except for the elders, all the important female members of the Lu family came. Several unmarried girls did not dare to speak and could only listen. Even the fourth girl, who had always been arrogant and domineering, did not dare to say anything.
Lu Yunshu was close to Zhang. She was steady, generous, and reliable. Zhang liked her very much and often went to Xiyuan to play with the third girl. They had a very good relationship.
Lu Yunshu had met the princess and was certain in her heart that the princess was her eldest sister-in-law, but she didn't dare to say it, nor did she know how to say it. Instead, she was happy to know that the princess was going to marry Lu Jing.
Therefore, she couldn't help but remind Zhang.
She truly regarded Xie Zhaolan as her eldest sister-in-law and hoped that she would have a good home. She never thought about why the eldest sister-in-law, after divorcing her eldest brother, could not marry her third brother.
In her heart, Lu Jing is a good destination. Being treated well by Lu Feng, her eldest sister-in-law can also be happy. And they are a family. She is so happy that she can't wait.
Zhang pondered for a moment, and then her attitude hardened. She said in a deep voice, "The princess is here. So what if she looks like Zhaolan? What makes you so sure that she is Zhaolan? Do you want to stop this marriage? What good will it do us? Third uncle, you know Ziyu's temper. He will not be persuaded by soft or hard tactics. Once he has made up his mind, he will never turn back. He brought the princess back from Huainan. He already knew what the princess looked like. Since he wants to marry the princess, he is ready to be criticized. This marriage is not something he can decide alone. Don't forget, it was Xi'an who broke off the engagement that made him marry the princess of Huainan."
Zhang's words also reminded the Lu family that Lu Jing and Princess Southwest were married by imperial decree. After the death of the previous emperor, the King of Southwest felt that the princess was in poor health and was reluctant to let her travel by boat, so the marriage was changed to Princess Huainan.
Zhang said, "The person Ziyu was going to marry was originally the Princess of Southwest China. This was a marriage between the border and the court. Now the Princess of Huainan is the same. It is a political marriage between the court and the Huainan fiefdom. If there is no such marriage, what will Ziyu's situation be? Have you ever thought about it? What do you mean by insisting that the princess is Xie Zhaolan? Discrediting his reputation and ruining his future? His surname is Lu, and he is the most promising child in our family. Now he is the regent. What good will it do you to ruin him? How many years of burning incense in our ancestral tombs has it smoked? Now we have a regent, but you want to pull him down. You are really his good family members."
Everyone was silent and couldn't say a word, especially Lu Shaoqing. In fact, what Lu Shaoqing was thinking about at the beginning was why he had to be sure that the princess was Xie Zhaolan.
Even if it was, he would deny it!
Lu Jing's future is much more important than reputation.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
