Perhaps he also believes the child is his?
Su Wanwan's heart tightened inexplicably.
Or perhaps... his relationship with Maggie wasn't as innocent as he claimed.
Lu Xingjian probably realized something as well, and his face visibly darkened.
Ma Yongcheng looked nervously at Lu Xingjian, awaiting his instructions.
Lu Xingjian didn't speak, but reached out and picked up the teacup on the table, his expression unreadable.
Ma Yongcheng understood and quickly led Wang He downstairs.
After returning to the inner room of Xiaoyuan, neither Su Wanwan nor Lu Xingjian spoke.
Lu Xingjian felt very heavy-hearted.
From the initial false pregnancy of Empress Xia to the current pregnancy of Princess Ma, every single event has been incredibly frustrating.
Su Wanwan understood his inner frustration.
He would be strangely happy if the woman he fancied was slept with by someone else.
But this matter cannot be discussed openly.
Otherwise, people would only think that the heavily guarded palace was like a marketplace, where anyone could easily come and go, thus corrupting the palace.
If this gets out, the impact will be extremely negative.
There were tens of thousands of eunuchs and palace servants serving in the imperial palace.
Even after a period of serious rectification, such a major oversight still occurred, which shows that there are as many loopholes as a sieve in the palace.
There will always be times when someone takes advantage of a loophole.
Su Wanwan sighed deeply.
This is why she absolutely refused to have children.
Even if they gave birth, they dared not raise the child in the palace.
Lu Xingjian wasn't in the mood right now, and simply said, "You go to sleep first, I have something to do."
Su Wanwan got up several times during the night, but Lu Xingjian still hadn't returned.
When someone went to inquire, the only response was that Lu Xingjian was in the study in the front yard, and the lights hadn't been turned off all night.
Lu Xingjian returned just before dawn, carrying a chill with him. He asked for hot water to wash up before going to bed.
Su Wanwan was pulled into his arms, and she opened her sleepy eyes to ask, "Didn't you sleep all night?"
"Um."
Lu Xingjian seemed a little distracted. "Let's not rush into having children."
Su Wanwan forced herself to stay awake and carefully examined his complexion.
He insisted on having a child a while ago, which led to a falling out with her and a cold war lasting more than a month.
He also had a passionate affair with Maggie, which led to her getting pregnant.
He's the one who doesn't want children now.
He was probably heartbroken by Maggie and felt somewhat disheartened.
"Okay," Su Wanwan agreed readily.
Lu Xingjian looked up at her, and seeing her open and clear eyes, added:
"Let's wait until things calm down in the palace before we ask for it, okay?"
Is there ever a peaceful time in the palace?
Having lived in the palace for over ten years, Su Wanwan knew very well how treacherous the situation was.
The storms within the palace never ceased.
Otherwise, he, as emperor, wouldn't have gone to the Western Garden to build Xiaoyuan as his residence.
We'll see.
Su Wanwan did not agree to his request, but gave a vague answer.
Lu Xingjian gently stroked her soft hair, his gaze slightly narrowed, his pupils filled with a dark emotion.
...
For the next few days, for safety reasons, Su Wanwan stayed at Xiaoyuan at night and returned to the palace during the day to handle palace affairs.
In these turbulent times, they must unite and overcome the current difficulties.
Although Lu Xingjian lived in seclusion behind the scenes, he never gave up his control over the court affairs and spent a lot of time reading memorials every day.
There was no time to sort out palace affairs.
Previously, he maintained a stable situation in the harem by winning over Empress Dowager Wang and marrying Xia Xueyi to curry favor with the Zhang family.
Now, he has completely broken ties with both the Zhang and Wang families.
The matter of reforming palace affairs must be addressed promptly.
Otherwise, incidents like Lu Qijun's will continue to occur.
For Su Wanwan, gaining sufficient influence within the palace was of utmost importance.
Renshou Palace and Wan'an Palace were so well managed by Wang Shi and Yanruo that Su Wanwan couldn't do anything about them for the time being.
The situation at Cikang Palace is a bit better. Last year, when Ma Ji caused trouble, Lu Xingjian took the opportunity to plant many spies in Cikang Palace.
Although many people were purged by Empress Zhang, one or two deeply hidden spies were still left behind.
However, it is impossible for each palace to completely close its doors and cut off all contact with the outside world.
With the increasingly successful example of Xixin Company, many people from the Food and Beverage Bureau, the Hat and Gauze Bureau, the Knitting Bureau, and the Textile and Dyeing Bureau also pledged their allegiance to Su Wanwan and were promoted.
The news of Maggie's pregnancy was like a ripple on the surface of water, quickly disappearing without a trace.
To outsiders, it appeared that Maggie was carrying the emperor's child.
Renshou Palace and Cikang Palace were unusually quiet, and Su Wanwan was even instructed not to go over to pay her respects.
However, the calmer the surface, the more turbulent the undercurrents beneath.
As expected.
News came quickly.
It is said that Lu Qijun, the sixth son of Lu Zhongbing, the Prince of Ninghua, who was stripped of his title, went to the capital to appeal for leniency for his father's exile to Fengyang and requested that he be granted a crown and title.
The emperor issued an edict rejecting his request, sending him back, and giving the Prince of Jin a decree to strictly restrain him. Those who accompanied him were to be investigated and punished by the imperial censor.
He also issued an edict to all the princes and their advisors, declaring that anyone who would cross the border to the capital without permission would be imprisoned within the high walls of Fengyang, and that the chief officials of each prefecture would be severely punished.
Now, even if some foolish member of the imperial family tries to sneak into the capital, his servants will fight to the death to stop him.
This move sparked heated discussions among the various princes and nobles, especially the Prince of Jin's lineage in Shanxi, who feared being implicated by the mad Prince of Ninghua, Lu Zhongbing.
Soon, the Prince of Jin submitted a memorial to the emperor, requesting that he punish Lu Qijun for his crime of crossing the border to make a disturbance.
Lu Xingjian still ordered Prince Jin to restrain Lu Qijun.
But he himself had vanished without a trace.
Before leaving, he didn't say anything to Su Wanwan, but simply assigned her a guard team to ensure her safety when she came and went.
“These people are people I personally selected and promoted. They are trustworthy, so take them with you wherever you go.”
Su Wanwan's heart tightened, and she simply nodded: "You should also be careful and cautious when you go out."
Has the situation become this tense?
This group included eunuchs who could accompany her in and out of the palace, as well as imperial guards responsible for patrolling and protecting the safety of the imperial city.
Lu Xingjian smiled and gently stroked her cheek with his fingers:
"I have a wife to support, how could I dare to be careless?"
Lu Xingjian did not return that evening.
Su Wanwan then realized why he had suddenly arranged a guard team for her.
However, the more this happened, the calmer she remained.
As usual, he left early and returned late, shuttling between Xiaoyuan and the Imperial Palace.
Anyway, Lu Xingjian has rarely made public appearances recently, and no one knows his whereabouts. They all think he is still staying in Xiaoyuan enjoying himself.
Soon news came that Yanruo's younger brother was busy negotiating a marriage with the granddaughter of Empress Zhang's maternal uncle.
The extent to which the Wang family was adept at social maneuvering was truly admirable.
Since we can't get Ma Ji from Empress Dowager Zhang, we'll start with the Zhang family.
The two families have joined forces through marriage, forming a community of shared interests.
Once Maggie's baby is born, it's anyone's guess what these two families will do.
The atmosphere in the palace was quiet yet tense.
Su Wanwan wasn't idle either.
They hurriedly met with the eunuchs and palace servants who were willing to pledge allegiance to them.
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