"I've received confidential information about the Datong matter. The two departments have always been at odds, so this collaboration is bound to be complex. You're the general of Xuanfu, and you should contribute to guarding the border. It would be best to request permission before returning to Xuanfu," Lu Jiaxue said. "Let's talk about it after your wedding."
Wei Ling still hasn’t figured out what happened between Lu Jiaxue and Luo Shenyuan last time.
Luo Shenyuan wouldn't explain it to him, and he couldn't possibly ask Lu Jiaxue. These two were both smart people, except for his daughter, who was a little dumber, but he hadn't gotten the chance to ask her yet.
Why did Lu Jiaxue kidnap her? Did she offend him? That didn't make sense. Did Lu Jiaxue want to control Luo Shenyuan? That was more likely, but I didn't know why.
Wei Ling nodded, then pointed at Luo Shenyuan with a smile: "My son-in-law is here today too. You've seen him, right?"
Lu Jiaxue narrowed his eyes upon hearing this, leaning back in his chair and saying, "I just sent Zeng Yingkun to the Ministry of Justice. I heard that Lord Luo has been frequently accused of treason by the censors recently."
Luo Shenyuan smiled faintly: "This is all thanks to the Governor's outstanding ability. Luo naturally admires him."
"Admiration is fine." Lu Jiaxue held the bracelet in his other hand, still stroking it, and said slowly, "Lord Luo, please think carefully when you return. Otherwise, if Zeng Yingkun reveals any evidence, it will be very disadvantageous to Lord Luo."
When these two people started talking, others naturally didn't dare to interrupt.
Wei Ling rubbed his chin, thinking. His son-in-law, the Minister of the Imperial Court, stood tall and proud, while Lu Jiaxue, leaning back in his chair, possessed the aura of a dragon and a tiger. Their auras were quite rivals. If Luo Shenyuan were given another ten years, his power would surpass Lu Jiaxue's, and it was unclear who would hold the balance.
He called in a servant and ordered tea to be served. After a moment's thought, he said to Lu Jiaxue, "I heard... you and my daughter had a little conflict. If she has offended you in any way, please don't bother with her because she is your adopted daughter. Why don't I ask her to come in later and bring you a glass of wine as an apology?"
Lu Jiaxue also smiled: "She is so young, if she bumps into me, I will just think she is childish, so I won't bother with her."
Luo Shenyuan put his hands behind his back.
No one around knew what this man was talking about.
He disregarded human ethics, kidnapped someone's wife, and still acted so righteously.
But he wouldn't say those words, like a child crying out for unfairness. What was unfair about it? The rules were like that, the strong preyed on the weak. All he had to do was scheme and strike back. If he became stronger, he could snatch it from Lu Jiaxue, and he would think that was fair enough.
When he was young, he had a hand disease, and the Luo family ignored him, treating him as if he didn't exist. The lonely teenager's heart was filled with despair and indifference, his emotions bordering on the darkest of darkness. This child, who had first held his right hand, expressed her dependence on him. Perhaps the child didn't know it, but he relied on her dependence because it made him feel truly present, much more than she relied on herself.
So for him, it doesn't matter what means are used.
*
After Old Lady Wei took a nap, Yining helped her pick the cores of ginkgo nuts. When ginkgo nuts ripen, the center core is poisonous and must be removed before consumption. The imperial physician had instructed that ginkgo nuts be used in medicinal diets, so the maids and servants brought in ginkgo nuts from the mansion, which were fortunately ripe. With nothing else to do, they took their time picking.
The clear, jade-like ginkgo nuts were placed in a small jar. Yi Ning was a little surprised: "--You want to enter the palace?"
Zhao Mingzhu nodded nonchalantly and scraped her nails with a knife: "I entered the palace at the age of 30. My grandmother thought it was a good day for marriage. Who would have thought it would be so smooth? Uncle Wei Ling submitted my name. There were many daughters of noble families and important officials who went to the selection. The emperor only heard that I was the cousin of the Duke of Yingguo, so he immediately circled me and gave me the title of selected concubine. I still have the imperial edict, do you want to see it?" Then he asked the maid to get it.
"Entering the palace with me were the second daughter of the Minister of Revenue, and a beautiful distant niece chosen by the Empress." Zhao Mingzhu continued, "By the way, I heard that the Empress's niece, Xie Yun, married Cheng Lang?"
Zhao Mingzhu had now thrown herself into her new career with full enthusiasm. For her, serving one man alongside so many other women wasn't a tragedy; rather, she was quite happy. After all, she didn't love the emperor; she had entered the palace for status. The palace was full of challenges, and perhaps one day she could become an empress. Then, she would naturally repay those who had done her a favor, and she wouldn't be polite to those who had treated her poorly.
Seeing her amused expression, Yi Ning thought she was quite amusing and couldn't help but say, "You don't look like you're going to get married, but rather like you're going to rob money. Second Miss Xie used to come to our house, and she's married to Cheng Lang. I've even watched a play and had tea with her, and she and Cheng Lang get along pretty well."
Zhao Mingzhu sighed a little: "My marriage with cousin Cheng Lang failed, and neither did you. I didn't expect that he would marry Xie Yun. Xie Yun is really lucky to marry a man like cousin Cheng Lang."
The maid came over with the imperial edict.
It's not like Yi Ning had never seen an imperial edict before; Wei Ling's edicts were all kept in a box in his study. When she first entered the Duke of Ying's mansion, she had been playing around in his study and had read them all, so she had no interest in imperial edicts.
At this time, the maid came in and said that Lu Jiaxue was drinking tea in the flower hall. Wei Ling asked the two girls to go and pay their respects together.
Yining felt terrified when she heard the name.
"Come with me, it's good to pay your respects." Zhao Mingzhu pulled her up.
Yi Ning didn't want to see Lu Jiaxue, so she just said, "Go and tell him that I need to take care of my grandmother, and I'll pay my respects to my adoptive father next time."
The maid who came to report said with a smile, "Miss, the Duke said you must go."
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