Isn’t that...Marquis Ningyuan?
There were few people drinking in the tavern, so I went into a small room next door. Someone was kneeling at the table, with several people standing behind them with their heads bowed. The hot wine on the table gave off a fragrant aroma, and the sliced beef paste was a brown-red color.
The man's face couldn't be seen clearly under his cloak. It wasn't until one of the servants closed the door that she lifted her cloak and said slowly, "My Lord Commander."
That beautiful face, yet dignified and noble, who else could this person be but the current queen?
"Your Excellency always acts like this every time you come. Are you afraid that I will plot against you?" The Queen smiled.
"The Empress' actions require my continued vigilance." Lu Jiaxue sat down on the chair, his aura of a dragon and a tiger intimidating. He was nothing like his brother, Lu Jiaran, who was actually a gentle person, even when plotting against others.
"Meeting you late at night is truly unavoidable. I simply wish to ask Lord Lu if he truly dislikes my Third Prince," the Queen said. "Without your assistance, his future is uncertain."
Not only was it difficult to decide, the Third Prince wasn't her biological son, and his mother wasn't of high birth. Furthermore, he wasn't favored by the Emperor. If it weren't for some veteran ministers from the previous dynasty insisting on the legitimate son inheriting, the Empress would be powerless. Furthermore, this legitimate son wasn't legitimate. Going against that bitch, Concubine Dong, wouldn't be enough.
Concubine Dong had been so proud since entering the palace. Empress Zhou had tolerated her for so long, how could she let her step on her head? If the eldest prince she gave birth to became the crown prince, how could she have any chance of turning things around?
"This matter is for the cabinet ministers and the emperor to decide. As a mere military officer, it's difficult for me to speak." Lu Jiaxue leaned back. This was, of course, an excuse to shirk responsibility. Seeing that the Empress and the Third Prince were nearing their end of their rope, he simply didn't want to intervene. Furthermore, after Xu Wei's incident, the Third Prince's core support had dwindled. Wang Yuan, that old wily fellow, never expressed his stance on such a sensitive matter, so he didn't bother to speak.
The Queen squeezed her hands. Lu Jiaxue was indeed a fox! They had clearly agreed that none of these people in the court were simple! If she didn't offer something to tempt him, Lu Jiaxue probably wouldn't agree to help. But he had no shortage of power, wealth, and women, so it was hard to imagine anything that could move him.
She looked at Lu Jiaxue and said slowly and softly, "If Master Lu is willing to help me, I will naturally be willing to repay you."
Lu Jiaxue sneered, "Your Majesty, I don't know how to respond to what you said."
The Queen's intention is really ambiguous. How does she want to repay him?
The Queen saw his half-smile and knew he was being mocked. She turned her head to look at the plum blossoms planted in the small room. She said, "I know that Lord Lu has been searching for the real murderer of your wife for the past few years."
Lu Jiaxue's smile slowly disappeared.
"If Lord Lu is willing to help me, I am willing to tell you who the murderer was and the truth behind it." The Queen turned her head and saw that Lu Jiaxue had finally lost his nonchalant attitude. She relaxed a little. Now she had grasped Lu Jiaxue's weak spot.
"Others don't know that Lord Lu once had a wife, and they think you're heartless. Few know, however, that you loved her so much that you dared not even mention her. Years of searching have yielded no results, and now I can tell you. But I have a condition: Lord Lu must leave a token with me, and only then will I tell you. I also need to protect myself. It all depends on your choice, Lord."
Someone behind her seemed to want to remind the queen of something, but the queen stared at Lu Jiaxue.
"How did the Empress know about what happened in the Marquis' Mansion back then?" Lu Jiaxue asked, "How can I trust you?"
"Lord Lu may not believe it. But if I didn't know some of the truth, I wouldn't dare to negotiate with Lord Lu." The queen continued.
Lu Jiaxue was silent for a moment, then suddenly took off a jade pendant from his waist and threw it on the table in front of the queen with a slight sound.
"Go ahead." The two words were light and casual.
The tremendous force within it was thrown in front of the queen along with the priceless jade pendant.
The Queen asked everyone around her to leave. It was already late outside. She knew she had to say something valuable, something worthy of Lu Jiaxue's jade pendant. Holding it in her hand was like receiving Lu Jiaxue's guarantee. If she didn't say it, Lu Jiaxue might actually kill her.
He will never be polite.
The Queen clutched the cold jade pendant in her hand and spoke, "Back then... Lu Jiaran and I actually had some dealings. When I met him, he was already the Crown Princess. Back then, he was the Prince of Ningyuan Marquisate, incredibly handsome and powerful. With such grace and elegance, few women would dislike him."
The secret history of the imperial palace was filled with countless illicit affairs. Lu Jiaxue had long heard of the Empress's past, though few people had spoken of it. One could probably guess that she had been involved with Lu Jiaran, and that this relationship wasn't as simple as just a minor affair between a man and a woman.
"As Lord Lu guessed, I won't go into detail." The Queen slowed down her tone. "There was even one time when your wife ran into me at the Lu residence, but she didn't recognize me at the time."
Lu Jiaxue still looked at her.
"Lu Jiaran is a very peculiar man. He has a strong attraction for women, and it's hard not to be conquered by him. However, this is in stark contrast to his demeanor and status. After all, there is Xie Min. He appears abstinent, but in reality, he does things without any scruples. Don't you think he's very attractive? I liked him very much at the time, but later I discovered... he was actually secretly communicating with another person." The queen suddenly laughed, "Guess who this person is? It's his second brother's wife, your second brother's wife."
"It's funny, isn't it? Yet no one knows about this, and he still acts like the humble Prince Lu Jiaran."
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