Lu Xingjian returned to the imperial study and stared at the dragon throne behind the imperial desk.
Chief Steward Li was puzzled. "Your Majesty, is there something wrong with the dragon throne?"
"No."
Lu Xingjian answered casually, then changed the subject, "How's the situation with the Su family?"
"Well, Miss Su donated all the dowry that the palace had prepared for her, saying that it would be donated to the border army, and the dowry list was also sent to the Ministry of War."
Lu Xingjian was a little absent-minded, his mind filled with the scene of Su Wanwan seducing him.
She's rarely been that proactive.
Do you know why?
Steward Li said, "They say that the Duchess of Wei came to our door to pressure us with the idea of filial piety, and that Miss Su should return to the Xu family and use her dowry to make up for the Xu family's deficit."
Lu Xingjian stopped in his tracks, raised an eyebrow and sneered: "You really dare."
After a moment's thought, he remembered something, "Where's that memorial impeaching the Duke of Wei's mansion? Find it."
"Wasn't that memorial already approved in red ink?" Chief Steward Li asked, completely bewildered.
The memorial was indeed approved by the emperor at the time, and according to the memorials submitted by numerous officials, the Duke of Wei's family should be severely punished according to the law.
Su Wanwan cried very sadly that day, and Lu Xingjian still left the memorial with him in the end.
But now he has suddenly changed his mind.
Chief Steward Li watched helplessly as Lu Xingjian revised his instructions: Rejected.
A vein throbbed on his forehead.
Is this an attempt to exonerate the Xu family?
The Xu family bullied Miss Su so badly, yet the Emperor still exonerated the Xu family.
But why?
Putting aside everything else, would those dozen or so officials, both high and low-ranking, who had passed the imperial examinations twice, agree to this?
That doesn't make sense.
The emperor is not a kind-hearted person.
For a moment, Steward Li couldn't understand the intricacies of the situation, so he cautiously said:
"You know what, these days everyone in the capital is praising Miss Su for her kindness and righteousness."
"She went to a temple in Changping Prefecture to practice asceticism in order to escape the noise and peace."
Lu Xingjian looked at the imperial edict with satisfaction, but upon hearing Chief Steward Li's words, his face immediately darkened, and he frowned: "Nonsense."
He turned and walked out.
Chief Steward Li followed behind and quickly advised, "Your Majesty, your injuries have not fully healed yet, and it is not advisable for you to travel. This old servant will go and invite Miss Su back."
Lu Xingjian merely glanced at him indifferently, his steps not faltering at all: "Prepare the car."
That girl is incredibly stubborn.
She dares not even give me face.
Besides, there's your face, Old Li's face.
...
Su Wanwan never expected that the new Lady of Ruian would visit her with generous gifts.
She was incredulous when she saw that young and unremarkable face.
She couldn't help but curse the man's heartlessness and ingratitude.
Marquis Rui'an was already over fifty years old, and it was really hard for people to accept that he married a woman who was old enough to be his daughter as his second wife.
What's even more unacceptable is that it had only been a month since the previous Lady Ruian died of poisoning!
Indeed, the three great joys of life are promotion, wealth, and the death of one's wife.
The poor Lady Ruian died from poisoning while testing medicine for Empress Dowager Wang.
She was devoted to the glory of her husband's family and even sacrificed her own life, only to have her husband eagerly marry a new woman in return.
“Miss Su, I am here on the orders of Marquis Rui’an to seek your advice on how to protect yourself in the palace.”
The newly appointed wife of the Marquis of Ruian, named Sun Qingyu, spoke with neither arrogance nor servility, and her expression was calm, but her tightly clenched fists betrayed her inner tension.
Su Wanwan politely greeted her, "Madam is too kind. I have no knowledge of palace security."
“Miss Su is too modest. Marquis Ruian…” Sun Qingyu paused, frowned, and changed her form of address, seemingly still not used to addressing him properly.
“My lord said that when Miss served Empress Xiaosu her medicine, there was never a mistake.”
"I have studied medicine since childhood, but my knowledge is limited. I hope Miss Su will be kind enough to teach me, so that I can take care of the Empress Dowager."
Su Wanwan was a little surprised and raised her eyebrows, saying, "Wouldn't it be more appropriate for the Marquis of Ruian's mansion to find a few capable female physicians to serve in the palace?"
Sun Qingyu shook his head and sighed: "We've tried, but the results weren't very good. The Marquis said it's more important for our own people to pay more attention."
She paused, and seeing Su Wanwan's ambiguous expression, added somewhat shyly:
"To be honest, Miss Su, I was originally a female physician. The Marquis valued my medical skills, and he married me to help the Empress Dowager."
Being a female doctor and treating patients is not actually a very glamorous profession.
Sun Qingyu revealed his identity in detail, which showed some sincerity.
Su Wanwan looked at her silently, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
For the sake of the family's future and destiny, the Wang family did everything in their power to ensure the safety of the Empress Dowager Wang.
To ensure the safety and dignity of her family, Lady Wang lived a life of near widowhood in the palace for over forty years.
To put it positively, their actions represent mutual dedication and mutual support.
But from another perspective, it's like weaving a cocoon around yourself.
For the sake of family fame and fortune, one can abandon life and freedom.
Everyone has something they cherish, something they are willing to defend with their life and freedom.
Su Wanwan was grateful to Empress Dowager Wang for sending her out of the palace, so she was naturally willing to give Sun Qingyu some pointers.
The two were both accomplished in medicine and pharmacology, and they got along very well.
When Sun Qingyu left, she was still somewhat reluctant to part and extended a warm invitation:
"When will Miss Su return to the capital? I would like to invite you to my residence for a chat."
Having just become the wife of the Marquis of Ruian, she felt a bit lonely at the top and hoped to expand her social circle.
Su Wanwan was both amused and exasperated: "I came here to find some peace and quiet, but I didn't expect to be busier than in the capital."
She personally escorted Sun Qingyu to the gate of the mansion, only to see a tall, handsome figure in dark robes standing under a ginkgo tree not far away.
The man, who was admiring the golden ginkgo leaves on the tree, turned around when he heard the commotion.
It was Lu Xingjian, whom I hadn't seen for more than half a month.
Su Wanwan was surprised to see him here and frowned slightly.
Sun Qingyu also noticed the man and asked, "Do you know him?"
Su Wanwan vehemently denied it: "I don't know him, he might be a lost pilgrim."
If you say you know him, people might misunderstand and think you're staying at the temple to meet a man.
She didn't want to give people something to say about her.
Lu Xingjian, who had excellent hearing: "..."
Sun Qingyu paused for a moment, then offered her well-intentioned advice:
"This place is too secluded. If we encounter any bad people, it would be a greater loss than a gain. Why don't you come back to the capital with me?"
After saying that, he glanced meaningfully in the direction of the ginkgo tree.
That man was handsome and had an outstanding temperament; he was the kind of man many women dreamed of.
She didn't believe that he had no ulterior motives for coming to this huge Zen temple.
If it's a lecherous man who gets lustful at first sight, then it's impossible to guard against.
A woman's chastity and reputation are of utmost importance.
Ms. Su has just divorced her husband's family and has been questioned about her chastity by them. If she encounters something else bad, will she even be able to live?
Sun Qingyu benefited greatly from Su Wanwan's help today and felt grateful, so she instinctively wanted to help her out.
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