The Fourth Prince suddenly turned around, and the eunuch Feng who sat above him was also surprised. No one had expected that Lu Chongyuan would actually resign.
Emperor An narrowed his eyes slightly and asked: "You want to resign?"
"Yes, I am ashamed to stay in the capital. I hope Your Majesty will allow me to return home for the sake of our long-term friendship."
Emperor An looked at him for a long while, as if he wanted to see clearly what he wanted to do. Just when Eunuch Feng and the Fourth Prince thought he would agree.
Emperor An said in a deep voice: "The case of the grain transport has not been concluded yet. Whether it is related to other members of the Lu family is still to be determined. Although the matter of Prince Cheng has been investigated, Guan is a person of an outsider family. If Lu Qing is asked to resign because of this, I am afraid that people outside will talk about it and say that I am harsh to the old ministers in the court and mean and ungrateful."
Lu Chongyuan raised his head and said, "I, the old minister, take the initiative to resign. Your Majesty does not need to worry about rumors outside."
Emperor An said in a deep voice: "I have said that I will not allow it."
The Fourth Prince couldn't help but look stunned. His father and the aristocratic families had long been at odds with each other. If the aristocratic families hadn't been so powerful that they dared not touch them easily, his father would have gotten rid of them long ago.
Lu Chongyuan took the initiative to resign this time. Shouldn't the emperor accept his resignation immediately? In addition to the Lu family's influence in the court, the other families can be slowly weakened.
But why doesn't father allow it?
Although Lu Chongyuan was kneeling on the ground, his face was calm when he looked up: "Then how does your majesty plan to deal with me? Keep me confined to the palace, or wait for someone to come to the Lu family again and again, or let me be ruined along with the Lu family, then your majesty will be satisfied?"
"Lu Chongyuan, you are so insolent!" Emperor An suddenly looked stern.
Lu Chongyuan raised his head calmly: "I dare not be presumptuous, but I don't understand why Your Majesty treats the Lu family like this. I have never owed Your Majesty anything, and the Lu family has never let down the royal family."
"In the case of the grain tax, Lu Zhao, the rebellious son, has been in prison for a long time. There are accounts and witnesses, and he has been tortured and severely interrogated. Logically, the case should have been concluded long ago, but Your Majesty has been ordering me to stay at home and have people dig deeper into the matter. Does Your Majesty want to prove that I am also involved in the case, or does he think that everyone in the Lu family is not clean?"
"As for the previous incident with the Song family, others don't know why, but Your Majesty doesn't know either? If it weren't for the fact that the Fourth Prince was foolish and greedy and tricked my wife into taking the things of the Princess of Yiyang County, why would the Lu family have to pay half of their collection of books and be ridiculed and abused to save the Fourth Prince and the royal family's reputation?"
"Grandfather..."
Before Emperor An opened his mouth, the Fourth Prince's face had changed. He said anxiously, "Father, those things were given to me by the old lady. I don't know where they came from..."
"Do you not know, or do you know but pretend not to know?"
Lu Chongyuan's face was full of sarcasm, and he looked at the Fourth Prince without any mercy: "The Lu family has a rich background, and has never lacked gold and silver, but many of those things are unique, and some of them are even signed by the Rong family."
"Your grandmother frequently gave you gifts, and each time she chose to give them when no one was around. Yet you never asked about their origins, and you never let anyone in the Lu family know that you took things from the mansion. Were you too guilty to let anyone know, or did you already guess that those things were not obtained in a legitimate way?"
"I..."
The Fourth Prince was speechless and wanted to explain, but Lu Chongyuan had already turned to look at Emperor An.
"Prince Cheng and Guan have an affair, and the legitimate son of the Lu family has been replaced. The legitimate grandson whom I have carefully taught for many years is not of the Lu family bloodline. Because of him, the Lu family has been ridiculed by everyone. This is fine, but even the fourth prince, the grandson whom I have loved for many years, has been instructed by your majesty to push the Lu family into disgrace."
"Since Your Majesty cannot tolerate the Lu family, I, an old minister, will take the initiative to retreat and live in a corner with my clansmen. What else does Your Majesty want? Do you really want to exterminate the Lu family?"
Lu Chongyuan's voice was not harsh, but the threat in his words made Eunuch Feng and the Fourth Prince break out in cold sweats.
The Fourth Prince wanted to interrupt Lu Chongyuan several times, but the man who used to be so careful and cautious seemed to be irritated by the Guan family's affairs today. He completely ignored Emperor An's already livid face and spoke more disrespectfully than before.
"I have been in the court since the last emperor was alive. Twenty years ago, there was a flood in the south, sixteen years ago there was a riot in Yingzhou, and thirteen years ago, the Crown Prince Li was plotting a rebellion. Your Majesty faced these dangers several times, but the Lu family never backed down. Now, all we get is your Majesty's suspicion. If that's the case, what is the point of this old minister staying in the court?"
"I also ask Your Majesty to forgive me, or allow me to resign and retire, so that I can have a happy ending!"
"Bang!!"
"Lu Chongyuan, you are so outrageous!!"
Emperor An was so angry that he suddenly stood up, grabbed the things on the table and threw them at Lu Chongyuan. The messy things scattered all over the floor. The paperweight fell on Lu Chongyuan's face, cutting a cut and rolling on the ground. Emperor An glared at Lu Chongyuan and gasped in his throat.
His face turned pale and blue, as if he was angry, but if you looked closely at his cloudy eyes, you could see a hint of fear.
Emperor An and the Lu family have been secretly competing with each other for a long time, and not mentioning the past has almost become a tacit understanding between him and the Lu family. He never thought that Lu Chongyuan would be so desperate to break up with him.
Twenty years ago…
Thirteen years ago...
The raging fire appeared in his mind, as if he saw the East Palace with half the sky illuminated in red. Emperor An grabbed the corner of the table tightly, shaking with anger, and suddenly his head began to hurt violently.
As he stumbled backwards, Eunuch Feng was startled: "Your Majesty! Your Majesty, what's wrong with you?!"
"Father!"
The Fourth Prince was also frightened, and hurriedly stepped forward to support him and shouted outside: "Someone, call the imperial physician, quickly call the imperial physician!!"
There was chaos outside, and the sudden onset of Emperor An's illness also made everyone panic. Xiao Yan watched coldly from the sidelines, and when he saw Emperor An gasping for breath, he said in a cold voice: "Lu Chongyuan's wild words in front of the emperor are really outrageous. Come, take Lu Chongyuan down..."
"Don't!"
Emperor An held Eunuch Feng's hand tightly and hoarsely said while enduring the headache.
"Your Majesty?" Xiao Yan frowned.
Emperor An was panting heavily. The severe headache made it unbearable for him, and the roaring emptiness in his body made his hands tremble uncontrollably.
He couldn't touch the golden elixir, so he could only try his best to stay awake. Looking at Lu Chongyuan who was kneeling there with an indifferent expression, he said to Xiao Yan: "Lu Zhongshu is the right-hand man of the court. Today's matter was caused by my lack of consideration. The case of Prince Cheng has been settled, and no other members of the Lu family should be implicated."
"Father?" The fourth prince was shocked. "But Xie Yin's background is still unknown, and Guan's is also..."
"That's enough. I have made up my mind. No more words are needed."
Emperor An interrupted the Fourth Prince impatiently before he could speak.
"Father…"
The Fourth Prince wanted to speak, but Emperor An angrily shook off the Fourth Prince's hand that was supporting him, and looked at Xiao Yan with a headache, "Send Secretary Lu back to the palace, release him from house arrest, and investigate Lu Zhao's corruption case as soon as possible. There is no need to mention Secretary Lu's resignation."
Xiao Yan glanced at Emperor An, and when he lowered his head, a hint of sarcasm flashed across his eyes: "Your humble servant obeys your order."
When the imperial physician hurried over, Emperor An was supported by Eunuch Feng to the inner room at the back. Hearing the footsteps inside, the Fourth Prince stood there with a pale and helpless face.
He didn't understand why things turned out like this.
It is obvious that my father hates the Lu family, and today's incident can also convict the Lu family. Even if Guan is not a member of the Lu family, she married into the Lu family in her early years, and the Lu family cannot deny any connection with what she did. The worst charge is that she confused the royal bloodline and she cannot escape.
He broke with the Lu family because he was sure that the Lu family would not be able to escape today, but his father, his father did not punish them at all, and instead confined Lu Chongyuan...
The fourth prince's face turned pale. He looked at Lu Chongyuan getting up from the ground and stepped forward: "Grandfather..."
"Your Highness forgot that you are a member of the royal family and have nothing to do with the Lu family."
Lu Chongyuan's words made the Fourth Prince stagger and turn pale.
"Grandfather, I..."
He wanted to say that he didn't mean it and that he was forced to do so by his father's order, but when he met Lu Chongyuan's frosty black eyes, he couldn't utter a word.
Lu Chongyuan reached out and patted the dust off his sleeves, then turned to look at Xiao Yan who was standing beside him: "Thank you for your generous gift, Governor Xiao, but I'm afraid it's hard for a eunuch like Governor Xiao to understand your majesty's affection for the Lu family. I'll remember what happened today and I'll definitely repay you."
After he finished speaking, he waved his sleeves and walked out. Xiao Yan was not in a hurry and followed him slowly.
When Lu Chongyuan was about to step out of the imperial study, Xiao Yan suddenly laughed softly: "The Lu family's friendship with your majesty, was it twenty years ago, or thirteen years ago?"
Lu Chongyuan's body froze.
Xiao Yan crossed his arms and walked to Lu Chongyuan's side. "Speaking of which, Guan's death was really pitiful. She confused the royal bloodline and deserved death. Secretary Lu could have saved the Lu family with just a few words. If Guan had entered the palace alive, His Majesty might have spared her life for the sake of the Lu family's friendship. Unfortunately... no one wanted her to live."
His voice was not loud, and the Fourth Prince inside could not hear it clearly, but it was like thunder to Lu Chongyuan's ears beside him.
"But it's strange that a daughter-in-law of the Lu family who doesn't care about anything can actually drive the people of the Ministry of War around. I think she might have been wronged..."
Lu Chongyuan turned around suddenly and stared at Xiao Yan: "Master Xiao, please leave some room for improvement!"
Xiao Yan looked distracted: "I don't want to stay, what should I do?"
Seeing Lu Chongyuan pursing his lips tightly with a gloomy expression, Xiao Yan raised his lips and suddenly looked out into the distance: "Isn't that the Empress, Lu Zhongshu, go and show your loving father and filial daughter."
Lu Chongyuan: "…"
This eunuch really knows!
He originally thought that everything was under control today, as it was he who took advantage of Emperor An's weakness and pacified Prince Cheng. However, Xiao Yan actually knew about it. He knew clearly that it was the Queen and the Fourth Prince, but he let Guan "take the blame".
What on earth does he want to do?!
For the first time, Lu Chongyuan felt fear towards Xiao Yan.
…
"Father."
Queen Lu originally came to see the Fourth Prince, but she didn't expect to see Lu Chongyuan and Xiao Yan first.
Seeing Lu Chongyuan coming straight over, Empress Lu's face flashed with a guilty look, but then she calmed down and said, "I heard that something happened in the mansion. Is father okay? Is His Majesty in trouble..."
Snap——
Lu Chongyuan slapped Queen Lu hard in the face.
Queen Lu was completely stunned by the beating, and Jinzhi and the others who were following her were also dumbfounded.
This is the palace, outside the imperial study.
Lu Chongyuan actually dared to hit the Queen? !
The fourth prince saw something was wrong and ran over in a hurry: "Mother!" Looking at Empress Lu's swollen face, he said anxiously: "Grandfather, I did what happened today. It has nothing to do with mother. She has nothing to do with anything..."
Bang!!
Lu Chongyuan slapped the Fourth Prince again, interrupting him.
The fourth prince covered his face in disbelief: "Grandfather..."
"Don't call me, there are no idiots like you in my Lu family who are willing to betray their own family."
Lu Chongyuan looked past the Fourth Prince and looked at Queen Lu: "Lu Qingfeng, I thought you were a smart person, but I didn't expect that you would use your intelligence on your own family."
Queen Lu was angry: "Father, this is the palace..."
"So what if it's in the palace? You can just go to His Majesty to make the decision on behalf of you and your son!" Lu Chongyuan sneered.
Queen Lu then remembered that Lu Chongyuan had actually come out on his own, and apart from the small wound on his face, there was no sign of guilt on his body.
Her eyes narrowed and her tone softened: "Father, I had no choice..."
"You don't need to tell me. Don't worry. From now on, the affairs between you and your son have nothing to do with the Lu family. I wish the Queen and His Highness long live forever!"
After Lu Chongyuan finished speaking, he gave the mother and son a cold look, then turned around and walked out of the palace. From beginning to end, he seemed not afraid of being seen attacking the queen and her son.
Empress Lu's heart was beating fast. After Lu Chongyuan walked away, Xiao Yan came over leisurely. She asked anxiously, "Master Xiao, why did the Lu family..."
Your Majesty should clearly blame the Lu family, so why is Lu Chongyuan okay?
Xiao Yan sighed softly, "Although we have already found out who was having an affair with Prince Cheng, who would have thought that His Majesty would change his attitude after Secretary Lu mentioned some past events."
He looked at the queen and her son with some pity: "Lu Chongyuan acted cruelly, and Guan was forced to death by them. It would be difficult for me to track them down even if I wanted to."
"Empress, the Fourth Prince has made the Lu family extremely angry this time. If I had known that His Majesty still had feelings for the Lu family, I should have advised the Fourth Prince not to interfere. Even if it means offending His Majesty, it is better than offending the Lu family. After all, many people have died at their hands over the years…"
Xiao Yan shook his head and didn't finish his words, but the Queen and the Fourth Prince both looked pale.
"Take care, Queen and His Royal Highness."
Xiao Yan followed Lu Chongyuan and left. Empress Lu's face was pale and blue. She covered the place where she was hit and turned to look at the Fourth Prince: "What did Lu Chongyuan say to His Majesty to let His Majesty spare the Lu family?"
The fourth prince was bewildered: "I don't know either. He resigned as soon as he saw my father, and later he even contradicted my father with words..."
The Queen said in a deep voice: "Tell me what you said again, don't miss a word!"
The Fourth Prince looked at the Queen in confusion, and seeing that she looked unhappy, he did not dare to hesitate and quickly told her everything that had just happened in the palace.
Empress Lu's expression changed, and finally stopped at the sentence "thirteen years ago"...
The fourth prince asked, "Mother, why did father spare the Lu family?"
Empress Lu pinched her palms. She did not answer the Fourth Prince's words, but her eyes kept changing. Thirteen years ago, the Crown Prince Li was plotting a rebellion, and there was the He family, and the fire in the East Palace...
"Mother?" The Fourth Prince pushed the Queen.
When Empress Lu came back to her senses, she said calmly, "Nothing, your father probably has other considerations."
The fourth prince frowned, feeling that his mother was hiding something from him, but the queen had already covered her face and said, "Let's go back to Fengxi Palace first."
…
After coaxing the Fourth Prince away, Queen Lu has been feeling uneasy. She always felt that the look in Lu Chongyuan's eyes when he left the palace made her panic.
At nightfall, the eunuch in charge of Fengxi Palace brought over a bowl of chicken soup.
"My lady, you haven't eaten all day today. The kitchen has made some chicken soup. Please have a sip."
Jinzhi also advised: "Madam, no matter how many things are going on outside, you must take care of yourself."
Queen Lu put down the kitten in her arms in annoyance, asked the eunuch to bring chicken soup, and then said absentmindedly: "How is your majesty?"
The eunuch in charge put down the chicken soup and said, "Your Majesty woke up earlier. I heard from Doctor Sun that your Majesty caught a cold and got angry, which triggered the headache. As long as you take good care of yourself, you will be fine..."
He opened the lid of the bowl, put the spoon in it, and was about to pass it to Queen Lu, but he suddenly seemed to step on something, his hand tilted, and the ginseng soup spilled out.
Jinzhi was startled, and quickly put down what she was holding, took out a handkerchief and wiped Empress Lu's knees: "Madam, are you okay?"
The eunuch in charge was also panicked and immediately knelt on the ground: "It's my fault. I am guilty."
Empress Lu frowned in displeasure: "You are such a rough-handed person, go get ten strokes of the cane yourself..."
The eunuch in charge quickly thanked her: "Thank you, Queen."
He quickly got up and left. Queen Lu looked at the remaining half bowl of chicken soup and lost her appetite: "Forget it, I won't eat it anymore, take it away."
Jinzhi didn't dare to say much. She quickly took the chicken soup away and put it aside. She helped Queen Lu walk towards the inner room, wanting to help her wash up, but at this moment, she heard a scream.
The master and servant turned around and saw the cat that Queen Lu had been holding just now lying in the chicken soup on the ground with blood coming out of all its orifices.
Jinzhi screamed in horror: "Ah——"
"Shut up!"
After Queen Lu shouted suddenly, her face turned pale.
Just a little bit and the chicken soup was in her mouth.
Jinzhi was trembling with fear: "My queen, this soup..."
"Call Deshun in!"
Before the eunuch in charge could go and get his punishment, he was called back by the Queen. When he saw the cat lying on the ground, he was terrified.
Deshun knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly: "Your Majesty, I am not your servant. I would never dare to harm you."
Queen Lu took a deep breath and said, "I know it's not you."
If it was really Deshun, the soup would have already entered her mouth. She said coldly, "Go and arrest all the people in the kitchen, and put everyone in Fengxi Palace under house arrest. Don't let the news get out."
Deshun went out in a hurry, and when he came back after a while, his face looked very bad.
"My lady, Gui Niang from the small kitchen is missing."
Jinzhi immediately said, "She must have murdered the queen!"
Deshun also spoke up: "My lady, I will report to His Majesty right now and have someone seal the palace gates and lock up that slave girl Gui Niang. We must bring her back!"
Unexpectedly, Queen Lu looked calm when she heard this and said, "No need."
"Empress?" Deshun and Jinzhi were both confused.
Queen Lu tightly grasped the glass bead in her hand, her face looking extremely ugly. She knew who had done it and who wanted to kill her. It was very likely that Gui Niang had been silenced.
The words Xiao Yan said during the day suddenly emerged in her mind.
"Lu Chongyuan acted cruelly, and Guan was forced to death by them... Your Majesty the Queen and Your Highness, please take care of yourselves."
Queen Lu's fingers turned blue due to the force she exerted. The glass bead string suddenly broke, and the beads hanging on it fell to the ground with a clatter.