"Forget it if you don’t want to eat."
"I’ll eat!"
Climbing the mountain too fast left her dying of thirst.
ng Qianqian washed her hands and hurriedly grabbed the peach as if hesitating would make him regret giving it.
She took a bite.
Mmm, so sweet!
Lu Yuan picked up a white cloth and wiped his dagger.
ng Qianqian glanced around. "Why did you co to the temple? And why is there no one with you?"
"To see soone."
He answered ng Qianqian’s first question.
ng Qianqian held the peach in her hands. "Did you see them?"
Lu Yuan replied, "I did."
ng Qianqian didn’t ask whom he had seen because if he wanted to say, he would’ve said it already.
ng Qianqian then asked, "Is Pri Minister Xun really your adoptive father?"
Lu Yuan frowned. "So Steward Cen even told you about this?"
ng Qianqian nodded earnestly.
Lu Yuan muttered coldly, "Traitor."
ng Qianqian seed to ask casually, "Over these years, you’ve been working for your adoptive father, haven’t you?"
Lu Yuan responded indifferently, "Naturally, I have ambitions of my own."
ng Qianqian paused. "To claim the throne?"
Lu Yuan said nothing.
ng Qianqian continued, "Is power really more important than being alive?"
Lu Yuan replied coldly, "Rather than living a diocre life, I’d prefer a glorious death. Well done, you’ve finally seen my true nature. Do you regret marrying now?"
ng Qianqian shook her head. "No regrets."
"Aren’t you afraid I’ll lose?"
"I’ll help you win."
"I might lose everything soon. That’s fine by you too?"
"No problem, I’ll support you." ng Qianqian thought for a mont. "Turns out... I’m pretty good at earning money."
Lu Yuan’s gaze rippled slightly, and he turned away. "Hmph."
ng Qianqian finished the peach, wiped her hands with a cloth, and said to Lu Yuan, "Let’s go down the mountain!"
Lu Yuan said, "I’m not leaving. You go back by yourself."
ng Qianqian asked, "Why?"
She quickly found out why.
Suddenly, the temple was flooded with Imperial Guards, encircling the courtyard layer upon layer.
ng Qianqian, trying to figure out what was happening, saw the door of the Zen chamber next door slowly open.
An elderly monk, supported by another monk, erged.
ng Qianqian recognized the second monk — he was none other than Eunuch Fu, who had delivered a royal decree to the Liu Family regarding her and Lu Lingxiao.
The Imperial Guards knelt in unison and saluted, "Greetings to the Supre Emperor. Long live His Majesty! Long live His Majesty! Long live His Majesty!"
ng Qianqian’s eyes flashed with surprise.
Wasn’t the Supre Emperor supposed to be confined to the sumr palace due to illness? Could it be he’d been at the temple all along?
So Lu Yuan had co to see...the Supre Emperor?
Lu Yuan didn’t move.
ng Qianqian walked to the doorway of the Zen chamber and bowed to the Supre Emperor. "Greetings to Your Majesty."
The Supre Emperor looked her over. "You are ng Qianqian?"
"I am."
The Supre Emperor knew her? How strange.
The Supre Emperor remarked, "This matter doesn’t concern you. Leave now."
ng Qianqian said, "Your servant wishes to leave together with her husband."
The Emperor replied, "His cris are grave. I won’t execute him only out of respect for the Pri Minister. From now on, he is to recite scriptures and pray within the temple, to live out the rest—"
Before he finished, a loud cry ca from outside the courtyard, "Grandson-in-law! Grandson-in-law, where are you?"
The Supre Emperor’s expression stiffened.
"Make way! Make way! You all, move aside!"
Madam Lu struggled to push through the ranks of Imperial Guards. "I can’t squeeze through!"
"Move aside!"
Tan’er shoved an Imperial Guard.
The guards imdiately moved to retaliate.
"Stop! Stop right now!"
Eunuch Fu quickly rushed toward the guards.
Unwilling to impede him, the guards instinctively made way.
Madam Lu’s eyes lit up upon seeing Eunuch Fu. "Little Fuzi, it’s you!"
Eunuch Fu forced an awkward smile and supported her. "Madam Lu, how co you’ve climbed the mountain?"
Madam Lu looked distraught and asked him, "My grandson-in-law is missing. Have you seen him?"
Eunuch Fu wore a troubled expression. "This servant—"
"Sister!"
Tan’er spotted ng Qianqian and excitedly ran toward her.
Madam Lu called out, "Qianqian!"
She imdiately freed herself from Eunuch Fu and flew to ng Qianqian’s side with surprising speed. "Qianqian! You’re also looking for my grandson-in-law? Did you find him? Tan’er and I have searched everywhere. Why hasn’t he co ho? I’m starving!"
ng Qianqian’s gaze swept over Eunuch Fu, who looked bitterly at the Supre Emperor.
In a split second, she thought of the decree nullifying her marriage to Lu Lingxiao.
Could it be...her great-grandmother had begged for it?
She rembered hearing Lu Family mbers ntion that Lu Old Master had fought alongside the Supre Emperor during eastern campaigns and was a founding supporter. When Lu Old Master passed away, the Supre Emperor had personally attended his wake as a junior.
Madam Lu continued to enjoy provisions from the Household Affairs Office; she’d asked Mrs. Wang about it, and other elderly matrons didn’t have this privilege.
"Qianqian, why aren’t you saying anything?"
Madam Lu looked slightly aggrieved. "Where exactly is my grandson-in-law? Has soone bullied him, leaving him afraid to co ho?"
The Supre Emperor stood beside ng Qianqian, yet Madam Lu’s eyes completely ignored his presence.
ng Qianqian suddenly had a bold idea. She said to Madam Lu, "Lu Yuan is in the Zen chamber."
"Wonderful! I knew Qianqian was the best; she found grandson-in-law!"
Madam Lu exuberantly entered the Zen chamber. "Grandson-in-law, let’s go ho!"
Lu Yuan looked at the Supre Emperor outside the doorway.
The Supre Emperor gazed sternly at Lu Yuan.
Lowering his eyes, Lu Yuan slowly rose under everyone’s gaze, walking toward the Zen chamber’s door alongside Madam Lu.
"Going ho! Going ho!"
Madam Lu joyfully stepped over the threshold.
Lu Yuan hesitated briefly before lifting his foot.
He heard the bowstrings of archers on the roof being drawn taut.
"Hurry up! Hurry up! I’m starving!" Madam Lu urged.
Lu Yuan’s eyes sharpened, stepping past the threshold.
The arrows did not release.
He raised his other hand and grabbed ng Qianqian’s, who then pulled Tan’er along.
"Off we go! Make way! Make way!"
Madam Lu impatiently pushed past the guards. "You’re blocking my way! Little Fuzi, tell them to move aside!"
The Imperial Guards collectively turned to Eunuch Fu.
Eunuch Fu glanced at the silent Supre Emperor and reluctantly waved them aside.
And thus, Madam Lu led a chain of young souls, resembling a string of candied hawthorns, out of the perilous courtyard.
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