Chapter 110 A Way Out
"Lou Shang?" Lou Jin paused, exchanging a glance with Ye Xunyang beside him.
Lou Shang put on a show of repentance at the palace banquet yesterday, and now he's taking the initiative to come to our door. That's a bit too fast.
"Please ask him to wait in the side hall."
"yes."
Ye Xunyang said with some concern, "Your Highness, we don't know if his intentions in coming here are genuine or not. Please be careful."
Lou Jin patted the back of his hand and reassured him, "Don't worry, he can't cause any trouble in our manor. Just listen in the inner room and see what he's up to."
A moment later, Lou Jin met Lou Shang in the side hall.
He was dressed in plain clothes as usual, with only one attendant by his side. When he saw Lou Jin enter, he immediately stood up, bowed deeply, and lowered his posture to the lowest possible level.
"Third Imperial Brother."
"Fourth brother, no need for formalities, please sit." Lou Jin sat down in the main seat, his expression calm. "I wonder what brings you here so early, fourth brother?"
Lou Shang did not sit down immediately, but stood there with a look of struggle and pain on his face. After a while, he suddenly lifted his robe and knelt down straight in front of Lou Jin.
This surprised not only Ye Xunyang, who was hiding behind the screen, but also Lou Jin, who frowned slightly.
"What do you mean by this, Fourth Brother? Please get up quickly." Lou Jin did not get up to help him up, but asked in a deep voice.
Lou Shang raised his head, his voice choked with sobs, filled with deep regret and lingering fear: "Third Imperial Brother! I have come here today not for anything else, but to beg you to forgive me and ask for a way out!"
"Oh?" Lou Jin remained unmoved. "Fourth brother, what makes you say that? Although you are no longer a prince, you are still a duke. Father has already lifted your confinement. What makes you think you have a way out?"
“Your Majesty, there’s no need to ask a question you already know the answer to.” Lou Shang became agitated.
"Your Majesty must have seen my remorse at yesterday's palace banquet. But it wasn't all an act; I truly know I was wrong!"
He crawled forward two steps on his knees, lowered his voice, and said with fear, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty already knows that what killed my mother was not an accident at all, but the work of that bastard Lou Yi, his poisonous mother, and Prince An, Lou Qin!"
Lou Jin's eyes narrowed. He had already learned about this from Wang Quan and Consort Xian, but it was different when Lou Shang said it himself.
He gestured for Lou Shang to continue.
"During my confinement, I deeply regretted my actions and secretly sent people to reinvestigate my mother's affairs. Only then did I discover that my mother did not die of illness, but was murdered by Consort Xian and Lou Yi."
Lou Shang spoke through gritted teeth, tears streaming down his face with hatred: "Although Lou Qin is dead, Consort Xian is imprisoned, and Lou Yi is also under house arrest, whenever I think of how my mother was murdered, I..."
He choked up and couldn't continue speaking, collapsing to the ground with his shoulders heaving violently.
Ye Xunyang, who was behind the screen, felt a complex mix of emotions.
Lou Shang's current behavior suggests genuine grief and hatred.
The pain of losing one's mother and the hatred of being used by an enemy are enough to drastically change a person's personality.
Lou Jin remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "Now that you have investigated this matter, why don't you report it to Father Emperor?"
Lou Shang raised his head, wiped away his tears, and showed a bitter and helpless expression on his face: "Report to Father? How can I gain Father's trust based on just my word? Besides, Lou Yi is already in such a state. If I keep pressing him, I'm afraid I will only appear to Father as someone who doesn't understand the bigger picture."
He looked at Lou Jin, his eyes filled with pleading and a hint of despair: "Third brother, I now realize how wrong I was before. I have no ability to compete for that position. Now I just want to live, raise my ninth brother, and have the face to see Mother in the future."
“I know I have offended my elder brother greatly in the past, and it is understandable that he does not believe me. But I swear here today,” Lou Shang raised his hand, his expression extremely solemn.
"I, Lou Shang, swear to the heavens that from this day forward, I will follow only the lead of my third brother, and have no other intentions! I only ask that my brother, for the sake of our brotherhood, could... could protect me. I have no other request but to live a life of wealth and leisure, and to live a peaceful life."
After he finished speaking, he kowtowed deeply again, his forehead pressed against the cold floor, and he did not lift it for a long time.
The side hall was completely silent, except for Lou Shang's suppressed breathing.
Lou Jin looked at Lou Shang kneeling on the ground, his gaze deep, and quickly weighed his options.
Was Lou Shang's defection genuine or not?
His low-key demeanor at yesterday's palace banquet and his tearful outpouring today were both perfectly timed.
If it's acting, then his acting skills are simply too superb.
But if it's true... there's no kinship in the royal family, and Lou Jin doesn't dare to fully believe it.
However, the current situation regarding the building entropy is indeed hopeless.
His maternal family had long since distanced themselves from him due to his previous misdeeds, and he himself had no outstanding achievements, so his influence in the court had been almost completely wiped out.
His desire for stability and his seeking protection from the current most powerful figure makes logical sense.
More importantly, if Lou Shang could be brought under our control, not only would we have one less potential enemy, but we might also have an ally who understands the internal situation in dealing with the Southwest Shadow Serpent and even the Nanzhao Kingdom.
After all, he had previously been closely associated with all sorts of people from all walks of life.
After a long silence, Lou Jin finally spoke slowly, his voice devoid of emotion: "Fourth brother, get up first."
Lou Shang raised his head, his eyes filled with anticipation and trepidation.
“I heard what you said.” Lou Jin looked at him. “You said you just wanted to be a wealthy, idle man, living a peaceful life. Do you really mean that?”
"Absolutely true!" Lou Shang hurriedly said, "If there is even a single falsehood, may I be struck by lightning and die a horrible death!"
"Since you have acknowledged your mistake and sincerely repented, there is no enmity between brothers that cannot be resolved."
Lou Jin's tone softened, "Let bygones be bygones. As long as you behave yourself and fulfill your duties as a subject, I will protect you out of brotherly affection."
He didn't make any specific promises, but the words "I'll keep you safe" were what Lou Shang wanted to hear most at that moment.
Lou Shang's face instantly lit up with joy, and he kowtowed again: "Thank you, Third Imperial Brother! Thank you, Third Imperial Brother! Your humble servant will certainly remember your teachings and will never dare to make any more mistakes!"
"Alright, get up." Lou Jin waved his hand. "If there's nothing important, you don't need to come often. If you encounter any difficulties, you can have a reliable person send a message to Liu An."
This draws a line: accepting surrender but unwilling to become too close.
Although Lou Shang was not very bright, he understood what was meant and respectfully replied, "Yes, Your Majesty. Then I will not disturb Your Majesty any longer and will take my leave."
"Um."
Lou Shang bowed and left the side hall, his steps seeming lighter.
After he left, Ye Xunyang emerged from behind the screen, a thoughtful look on his face: "Your Highness, do you trust him?"
Lou Jin walked to the window, watching Lou Shang's departing figure, and said calmly, "Whether you believe him or not is not important. What is important is that he is no longer a threat and is still useful. Giving him a way out will not cost me anything."
He turned to look at Ye Xunyang: "Besides, whether he's telling the truth or not, we'll find out soon enough. If he behaves himself, we'll keep him. If he has other plans..."
A cold glint flashed in Lou Jin's eyes; the unspoken words were self-evident.
Ye Xunyang nodded, understanding Lou Jin's considerations.
“Let’s go,” Lou Jin said, taking Ye Xunyang’s hand. “We need to go see the Emperor. We need to come up with a solution to deal with the Nanzhao Princess as soon as possible.”
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