Zhaoming Hall.
The Supre Emperor was reviewing morials when Eunuch Fu rushed into the main hall, panting heavily. His hunched posture and the strange way he was carrying sothing behind his back made both emperors frown simultaneously.
Zong Zhengxi asked, "Fu Luhai, what are you carrying on your back?"
Eunuch Fu sighed and replied, "Your servant is carrying a pot, a pot sent by the Old Matriarch."
With that, he took out a rod tucked at his waist and offered it with both hands, "A weapon—the Old Matriarch beat up Princely Heir Xun."
The Supre Emperor: "..."
Zong Zhengxi: "..."
Pri Minister Xun had just left court when he heard that his son had been beaten into looking like the God of Longevity. He hurried back to the Pri Minister’s Mansion.
Xun Yu lay on the bed, looking completely disfigured, his swollen forehead nearly squeezing his eyes shut.
If he weren’t his own son, Pri Minister Xun would’ve kicked him out on the spot.
The family physician was tending to him, but the injuries were so severe that the physician was montarily stumped.
"Master."
The physician bowed apprehensively toward Pri Minister Xun.
Xun Yu’s swollen head buzzed with pain; he couldn’t even move his mouth without pulling on his puffy forehead, let alone speak.
Pri Minister Xun summoned the servant boy who had accompanied his son.
The servant boy dared not lie before his master and reported from the mont Xun Yu woke up and went to the lavatory, recounting everything thoroughly without hiding anything or embellishing the story.
Even the fact that he had pushed the Lu Family’s second madam to the ground was confessed truthfully.
Pri Minister Xun remained silent in thought.
It didn’t seem like Lu Yuan had planned this. After all, even if Lu Yuan could anticipate the Lu Family visiting today to take the Old Matriarch ho to collect her salary, he couldn’t have foreseen Xun Yu showing up.
Bla it on Xun Yu’s bad luck, creating trouble where none was necessary.
Pri Minister Xun turned his gaze toward the servant boy.
The boy trembled in fear, his voice shaking: "Master, spare ! Master, spare ! It was wrong of to push the Lu Family’s wonfolk, wrong of to cause the young heir’s injuries—wrong of ..."
Pri Minister Xun asked, "What were they discussing in the flower hall?"
Pri Minister Xun asked again.
The servant boy froze montarily, then hurriedly replied, "The young heir asked how the Grand Commander managed to escape the temple that night. The Grand Commander said it was his wife and the Old Matriarch who went up the mountain to find him, and the Supre Emperor, out of respect for the Old Matriarch, released him."
This explanation aligned perfectly with the details uncovered by Pri Minister Xun’s investigation.
But as for the Lu Family’s Old Matriarch—
Pri Minister Xun’s gaze landed on his son’s forehead, swollen to resemble the God of Longevity. Could it be that the Old Matriarch had absolutely no ulterior motives?
As he was mulling things over, a servant reported from the doorway: "Master, soone from the palace has arrived."
It was Eunuch Fu and the Hospital Director from the Imperial Hospital. The Hospital Director oversaw the entire institution and ranked higher than the left and right deputy directors; he rarely attended to patients personally.
Eunuch Fu spoke with concern: "Your servant went to deliver the salary to the Old Matriarch today, only to learn that she had fallen ill again and accidentally injured Princely Heir Xun. Your servant imdiately returned to the palace to report to the Supre Emperor, who, worried about the young heir’s condition, specially sent Dean Yang to provide treatnt."
Pri Minister Xun clasped his hands in gratitude, "This boundless grace from the Supre Emperor humbles deeply!"
Dean Yang brought his dicine chest to treat Xun Yu.
Eunuch Fu sighed, "The Old Matriarch is getting up there in age, and this isn’t the first ti she’s attacked soone. According to the Supre Emperor, even the steward from the Governor Mansion was beaten up by her."
This was verifiable.
The day Lu Lingxiao returned to the capital with Lin Wan’er, the Old Matriarch had gotten into a scuffle with the mansion’s steward while buying Osmanthus Cake for ng Qianqian. To be precise, she was the one doing the beating, leaving the steward bruised and battered without retaliation.
Eunuch Fu’s remarks were clearly ant to reassure Pri Minister Xun: the Supre Emperor wished to convey that the Old Matriarch had no intent of targeting Xun Yu specifically.
Eunuch Fu smiled and said, "You are magnanimous, Pri Minister, and surely wouldn’t hold a grudge against a senile elder."
Pri Minister Xun replied, "Manager Fu, you exaggerate. It was my son who failed to properly manage his attendants, leading to the accidental injury of the Lu Family’s second madam. The Old Matriarch was rely protecting her own. Please relay to the Supre Emperor that this matter is my son’s fault. My poor parenting is to bla; I will personally apologize to the Old Matriarch and the second madam of the Lu Family at a later date."
Oddly enough, despite his son taking the beating, Pri Minister Xun now had to apologize to the one who dealt it—this ti the Old Matriarch had truly earned the Pri Minister’s Mansion an enormous, silent grievance.
The Old Matriarch was completely unaware of these power dynamics between the Supre Emperor and the Pri Minister’s Mansion. Having unloaded her burden, she cheerfully went off to play with Tan’er and Bao Shu.
The mansion’s servants treated the Old Matriarch with patience and respect, unlike in the Lu Family, where it was all surface-level courtesy and hidden attitudes.
Madam Lu withdrew her gaze and spoke warmly to ng Qianqian, "Seeing you and your great-grandmother doing well at the Governor Mansion puts at ease."
Her visit today had been motivated by a desire to check on the two of them. On the day of their wedding, she had sensed Lu Yuan’s attentiveness toward Qianqian, giving her confidence that Qianqian’s life wouldn’t be worse than it was back at the Lu Family.
Still, the Old Matriarch was a mber of the Lu Family, and she had been worried that this might make things difficult for Qianqian at the Governor Mansion.
However, it seed her concerns had been unfounded.
She grasped ng Qianqian’s hand, "The Grand Commander is a good man; I think the outside world may have misunderstood him a lot. Today’s incident won’t cause you any trouble, will it?"
ng Qianqian smiled, "Not at all; you needn’t worry."
As soon as she spoke, the Pri Minister Mansion’s steward arrived bearing gifts as an apology to the Old Matriarch.
The Old Matriarch exclaid fiercely, "Tell him to keep his son in line! If he bullies the family of my second son again, I’ll beat him too!"
ng Qianqian slipped a pouch of coins to the steward, "No need to relay that part."
Today, the Governor Mansion seed especially lively. Just as Madam Lu was sent off, Zong Zhengxi arrived unannounced.
He had snuck out of the palace, accompanied only by Xiao Dazi, disguised as an attendant student.
Steward Cen, upon seeing the young emperor, was startled, "Your Ma—young master!"
"Where’s Lu Yuan?"
Zong Zhengxi strode boldly into the mansion. "Tell him to co out and et !"
"Y-yes..."
Steward Cen escorted Zong Zhengxi to the flower hall, seating him in the place of honor and serving refreshnts and honey-infused floral tea.
In the past, Zong Zhengxi wouldn’t have dared provoke Lu Yuan. But now that the Pri Minister had returned to court and his father was back in the capital, Lu Yuan was nothing but paper tiger—Zong Zhengxi had nothing to fear anymore.
He sat aggressively, flaunting his imperial presence.
He picked up a teacup and sneered, "If he doesn’t show up, I’ll chop off his head!"
"Whose head does Your Majesty wish to chop off?"
As a nonchalant voice rang out, Lu Yuan entered the flower hall with a genial smile.
Zong Zhengxi’s body stiffened, and in his flustered movent, he nearly dropped the tea cup. He instinctively stood up and blurted out, "Royal Uncle!"
Xiao Dazi couldn’t bear to look anymore.
Lu Yuan’s lips curled into a smirk, "I wasn’t aware of Your Majesty’s visit. My failure to greet you properly is an oversight. Just monts ago, I overheard Your Majesty talking about chopping off soone’s head—might I offer assistance?"
The oppressive bloodline presence made Zong Zhengxi tremble involuntarily again, "N-no need."
After replying, Zong Zhengxi realized that Lu Yuan wasn’t the sa Lu Yuan of the past, and he had absolutely no reason to fear him.
"How embarrassing, so annoying," he muttered irritably.
Lu Yuan seated himself beside Zong Zhengxi.
Only after Lu Yuan was comfortably seated did Zong Zhengxi cautiously take his own seat again, this ti sitting upright and proper: "I heard you beat up the Pri Minister’s son. Although it was the Old Matriarch who did it, it had to have been your doing, right? After all, only you would be capable of such a thing."
Lu Yuan chuckled, "Is Your Majesty complinting on my cleverness?"
Zong Zhengxi’s body shook in indignation, "Of course not! I-I-I ant to say you’re... cunning! It’s fortunate the Pri Minister is magnanimous and doesn’t hold grudges against you."
Lu Yuan rely smiled noncommittally and said, "Your Majesty arrived at a perfect ti. I have sothing to return to you."
Zong Zhengxi grumbled, "What is it?"
Lu Yuan presented a treasure book and a Great Seal, "From this day forth, the Emperor’s Jinyi Guard is returned to its rightful master."
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