Princess Wanping is remarkably astute as long as Lu Yuan isn’t involved. ng Qianqian trusts that with her protection, Mother Lu will surely turn danger into safety.
Naturally, to provide Princess Wanping with so context, ng Qianqian recounted the flowerpot incident.
Princess Wanping, who clearly deserved her reputation as soone who rose through the ruthless intrigues of the Imperial Palace, grasped the situation imdiately.
"Just leave it to . When you return from Miaojiang, I’ll make sure you have a safe and sound Madam Lu waiting for you."
"And the old matriarch as well,"
ng Qianqian added.
Princess Wanping shot ng Qianqian a speechless sidelong glance. "In the Capital City, who would dare target the old matriarch? Are they tired of living? My father holds her in higher regard than even my imperial grandmother."
Since the topic arose, ng Qianqian took the opportunity to inquire, "Princess, why does the Supre Emperor respect the old matriarch so much?"
When you hear enough palace gossip, it has to be said, the imagination does tend to run wild.
ng Qianqian had heard from Mother Lu that the old matriarch once had a son who passed away young.
Could it possibly... hmm... she ant, could it possibly be that the son was the Supre Emperor?
Princess Wanping, seeing the gleam in ng Qianqian’s eyes, instantly knew she’d gone off track. "What are you thinking? Reading too many street novels, are you? Do you honestly believe the Royal Family’s lineage could be so easily confused? My father may not have been born by my imperial grandmother, but he is undeniably the biological son of the late Emperor."
ng Qianqian’s body trembled slightly. "Could it be that the old matriarch and the late Emperor—?"
Princess Wanping’s face darkened. "ng Xiaojiu, you need to stop reading those marketplace novels in front of !"
ng Qianqian pouted. "Fine, I’ll stop reading them, but can’t I even talk about it?"
Princess Wanping glared at her. "If these words happen to reach the ears of others, do you know that they could bring about a capital punishnt?"
ng Qianqian said without hesitation, "The Princess is one of us, isn’t she?"
Princess Wanping’s breath caught.
She finally understood why Lu Yuan was so utterly ensnared by this girl.
One sentence could infuriate soone to death, and another could feel like honey smoothed onto their heart.
Princess Wanping placed the soup spoon back into the bowl and lightly dabbed her mouth with a handkerchief before asking, "You’ve been part of the Lu Family as a daughter-in-law for five years; don’t you know why my father holds the old matriarch in such high regard?"
ng Qianqian shook her head. "Does the Princess know?"
Princess Wanping said in an odd tone, "Have you never heard of the old General Lu aiding my father in ascending to the throne?"
ng Qianqian replied, "I did hear about that. Old General Lu accomplished the ’Dragon Support,’ so the Supre Emperor respected him as he would an elder. After his passing, the Supre Emperor even personally visited the Lu Family to offer condolences."
Princess Wanping said, "That’s exactly it."
ng Qianqian mused, "That’s unlikely, isn’t it? A re act of Dragon Support could lead the Supre Emperor to such fanfare? The Supre Emperor protected the Lu Family for years. Back when Lu Xingzhou’s father was lending money at high interest in the Capital City in violation of the law, he was supposed to be executed according to the legal statutes. The Supre Emperor spared his life and settled the matter with a fine."
The fine was hefty, enough to drain the Lu Family’s entire fortune, leaving them buried under a mountain of debt.
What followed required no explanation; even if ng Qianqian didn’t spell it out, Princess Wanping could easily infer that the Lu Family’s financial woes were notorious throughout the Capital City, and no one wanted to risk their assets to plug the Lu Family’s holes.
Lu Xingzhou’s father had no choice but to set his sights on the ng Family in You State.
Thinking of this, Princess Wanping suddenly felt a hint of sympathy for ng Qianqian.
During those five years in the Lu Family, this girl must have endured a truly rough plight.
The world was unjust to won; rarely did one dare defy societal norms, burning through their own strength to leap clear of the flas.
ng Qianqian had managed to achieve that.
Born into nobility, Princess Wanping wasn’t bound by the restrictive customs imposed on ordinary won, making her unable to truly empathize with ng Qianqian’s suffering.
Nevertheless, she harbored no "Let them eat cake" kind of sentint.
Having witnessed the compliance of countless won, ng Qianqian’s rebellion struck her as both courageous and unconventional, making her admire the girl greatly.
"My father’s position back then was far more perilous than you might imagine. Old General Lu risked his life for him. Treating the General’s widow and descendants with kindness is only proper. My father is a deeply shrewd man, but he is by no ans ungrateful or the type to discard allies once they’ve served their purpose. Don’t let that matter I ntioned to you last ti cloud your perspective on him."
ng Qianqian bore no ill feelings toward the Supre Emperor.
Since ancient tis, rulers have been known for their crafty minds. Zong Zhengxi, who’s as naïve as a little rabbit, is a rare exception.
Even Zong Zhengxi, given ti, will eventually grow into a true imperial sovereign.
Lu Yuan’s choice of him wasn’t simply due to his kindness or the fact that he’s her cousin; there must be an inherent imperiousness to command the world hidden in his bones.
He’s just an oversized crybaby for now.
Suddenly recalling sothing, Princess Wanping comnted, "Speaking of the ’Dragon Support,’ I once heard my mother ntion that my father, back in those days, encountered a certain noble."
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