Having known Lianhua for so long, and having been engaged for almost a year, Leizi understands Lianhua quite well. He knows she is a strong-willed girl who takes her third aunt as a role model and prefers to solve problems on her own rather than hiding behind a man.
Lei Zi felt that loving her meant protecting and supporting her, so he never stopped her from doing what she wanted to do. He thought that all he should do was to protect her silently, just like his third uncle protected his third aunt, and help deal with the aftermath of things when necessary.
I've always done it this way, so I hope my family won't be too sensitive and add more burden and pressure to Lianhua.
Because on their way back, he could clearly sense that Lotus was happy.
Although I was a little nervous when facing those bandits, I felt a great sense of accomplishment afterwards.
After Lei Zi said that, everyone was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to cry or not. They felt guilty for making Lianhua, a young girl, face such dangerous situations, and the thought of facing even more difficult troubles at home in the future made them hesitate.
But after hearing what Lei Zi said, they felt a little embarrassed.
The younger generation isn't afraid at all; they face and solve problems calmly. It's the adults who are so worried and fearful; they don't seem as mature as the children.
"What do you know, you little kid? Come over here and apologize to your grandma and aunties!"
Yu glared at him unhappily. If he were alone, it would be fine, but there were elders like Sun and Qin present. Lei Zi's words were inappropriate.
Lei Zi realized that his words might hurt the elders, so he sincerely apologized, but then said, "Grandma, our family is getting better and better, so don't worry too much. We've grown up and can help with the family's burdens."
He has saved a considerable amount of money on his own, enough to support himself, Lianhua, and even their future children. Once he passes the imperial examination and becomes an official, he will be able to help his third uncle and aunt share some of the burden.
He has been working hard towards this dream. Recently, he answered all the questions on the quiz his teacher gave him in class. His teacher said that if he continues like this, getting into high school will not be a problem.
Yu was worried that Sun would be angry and wanted to say more, but Sun stopped her and nodded, saying, "You're right. You young people are the future hope of the family. When we get old, the family will need you to support us. It's a good thing that you have this courage. Today, we, as elders, failed to keep things in check."
As she spoke, she patted Lei Zi on the shoulder, a relieved smile on her face.
This was what she had always hoped to see, but she never expected the children to grow up so fast that they, as elders, couldn't accept it.
She then led everyone inside and had Lianhua explain in detail how the situation was handled, so that they would have a better understanding of the situation and wouldn't panic as much if they encountered similar situations again.
In fact, Qin Shi was the most impatient of all.
Upon receiving the latest news, the emperor immediately went to see Jiang Jiuniang in the palace.
The Empress had woken up. Her wounds were still aching, but she was relieved to find that she and her child were both alright. She insisted on breastfeeding her child herself.
This was the time when Jiang Jiuniang could rest for a while and listen to the emperor talk about the Lu family.
"According to those people, they didn't see the other party's appearance clearly, but the accent was from the capital. They vaguely heard the other party mention that it was not impossible for them to be retaliated against by bandits."
"This suggests that the other party wants to take revenge on the Lu family by using Bai Chuan and his group's bandit suppression mission. They can then pin all the blame on the bandits and escape unscathed."
The emperor frowned, not actually surprised by the outcome.
Jiang Jiuniang nodded and asked, "Has the cause of Her Highness's premature birth been found?"
"It was done by a minor eunuch who was cleaning the road, but he committed suicide out of fear of punishment before we could get any information out of him."
The emperor slammed his fist on the table. He had clearly instructed his men to keep an eye on those treacherous palace servants, but they still managed to slip through his fingers.
Jiang Jiuniang looked at the emperor and asked with a smile, "Does Your Majesty have guessed who this person might be?"
"There is currently no evidence to definitively point to anyone, and I cannot guess for the time being. What, do you already have someone in mind?"
The emperor looked at her with interest. Seeing Jiang Jiuniang's calm and composed demeanor, he was no longer in a hurry, otherwise he would appear foolish.
"He is someone the emperor would never have imagined."
As Jiang Jiuniang spoke, she handed the emperor the information that Lu Baichuan had sent people to investigate some time ago.
The emperor took it and his face turned black.
Before he could speak, Jiang Jiuniang took the initiative to say, "Originally, we were targeted by the Marquis of Chang'an because of personal grudges, but we didn't expect him to go to such lengths. So we sent people to investigate his private affairs, and as we expected, this person has been pretending to be weak all these years. On the surface, he is not valued and lives a very frugal life, but in reality, he is more comfortable than anyone else."
The records show that the Earl of Chang'an has been helping some high-ranking officials in the court to do some shady things over the years, and has even been involved in the previous search for the king. However, because he kept it well hidden, it has not been exposed.
Over time, business was pretty good, and recently they've become increasingly brazen.
Because of his wife and daughter's situation, he held a grudge against the Lu family. Feeling that he now had some confidence, he directly provoked the Lu family without considering the capabilities of either side.
"What I admire even more is that he did all this without even telling his wife, with whom he shared a bed, and he didn't bring the money he earned home; instead, he hid it outside."
At this point, Jiang Jiuniang couldn't help but click her tongue. This man was truly wicked. It was one thing to be wicked to others, but to be so wicked to his wife and daughters was unacceptable. He simply didn't deserve to live in this world anymore.
Although the mother and daughter weren't exactly good people either, that's their family issue and shouldn't be lumped together.
The emperor held the documents in his hand, gritting his teeth in anger.
"This thing actually dared to set its sights on the Empress and the young prince; I will not let this go so easily!"
If it were any other matter, the emperor could have followed the proper procedures and let him die with dignity, but this time he almost harmed the empress and her child, so he would not let him off the hook no matter what.
Jiang Jiuniang advised, "Your Majesty, now is not the best time. We should wait until Bai Chuan and the others return from suppressing the bandits, then set a trap and catch them in the act. That way, we will have both witnesses and physical evidence, and no one will gossip."
The emperor nodded: "It should be soon. There is no banditry over there at all; it's just a setup."
Only he and Lu Baichuan knew about this. Even Qin Jian was confused. Because they were worried that Qin Jian couldn't keep things to himself, it was better not to let him know.
Meanwhile, Lu Baichuan and Qin Jian, who had already reached their destination, were preparing to head back when they saw a girl stumbling and running towards them.
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