Chapter 193: Mother and Son
Chapter 193: Mother and Son
The banquet at the Princess's Mansion came to an end amidst the guests' laughter and chatter.
The ladies, still eager for more, had not had their fill of the spectacle.
And Baby Piggy, hauled away by his father, had not had enough of the show, not by a long shot.
Only Lu Yuan, the Grand Commander, had achieved his goal of injuring someone.
He stared coldly at his little one.
The little one looked innocent, unaware of any wrongdoing, and seemed puzzled as to why everyone was praising him, while his cheap, lousy father was still angry.
Unaware of his good fortune, the baby was so popular.
In the end, it was Meng Qianqian who braved life and death to save the little one from the fire.
"Strange, where did Mother go?"
Meng Qianqian looked around in confusion and asked Lu Yuan, "Did you see her?"
"No," Lu Yuan replied indifferently.
"What a strange mother and son," Meng Qianqian muttered under her breath. Taking Bao Shu's little hand, she said, "Let's go find Grandma."
Bao Shu was very accommodating: "Grandma."
The two went to find Liu Qingyun.
Princess Wanping gracefully approached, her fragrance wafting in the air, and stopped in front of Lu Yuan.
Looking at Lu Yuan sitting on a meditation cushion, sipping tea, she found him more and more captivating.
As the Imperial Princess, countless men desired her, yet only Lu Yuan refused to lower himself to please her.
She caressed her smooth cheek and said with a meaningful gaze, "I knew you'd come to me. I specifically instructed the bodyguards not to stop you."
Lu Yuan thought of the officials waiting outside in a long line and realized why only he had been allowed in.
Frowning, he said to Princess Wanping, "I have matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave first. Please convey my regards to my wife, and tell her I'll be waiting in the carriage."
Without another word, he turned and left.
"Lu Yuan—" Princess Wanping called out, but he didn't stop. She could only watch his departing figure with reluctance until he completely disappeared from sight.
She murmured, "Lu Yuan, you'll soon be mine."
Meng Qianqian never dreamed that Liu Qingyun would slip away on her own.
Is your son some kind of ferocious beast? You come, and he leaves?
Don't go sneaking off in the middle of the night to see him again.
Bao Shu spread her hands and exaggerated, "Grandma, oh? She's gone!"
Meng Qianqian found her adorable and playfully rubbed her little head, "Grandma's going home first. Let's head back too."
All the guests who attended the banquet returned home content, except for Wei Lady, who had been beaten up by Liu Qingyun.
Embarrassed and humiliated in public, she grew angrier the more she thought about it.
As soon as Xun Prime Minister returned to the Chancellor's Mansion, she immediately reported the incident to the Governor's Mansion.
"Who gave you permission to cause trouble at the Princess's Mansion?" Xun Prime Minister asked sternly.
Wei Lady was utterly aggrieved, "Big brother, didn't you see how the people from the Governor's Mansion bullied me? Ask Hong'er and the others, who broke the rules first?"
Hong'er was Wei Lady's personal maid, the one who tried to slap Liu Qingyun but was stopped by Meng Qianqian.
Hong'er knelt and replied, "Prime Minister, it was the people from the Governor's Mansion who took our seats first."
"The Governor's Mansion?" Xun Prime Minister glanced at the two of them.
Wei Lady, with red eyes, sat down beside her brother, "I only found out later that the Miaojiang woman is Lu Yuan's birth mother! Big brother, isn't Lu Yuan an orphan? How did he suddenly have a Miaojiang mother after being a servant in our home for so many years?"
Mister Yu was Xun Prime Minister's advisor.
Hearing about Lu Yuan's background, he wasn't too surprised.
The Chancellor's Mansion had learned of this news early in the morning, but since it didn't concern Wei Lady, no one had bothered to inform her.
"Big Brother, you must avenge me! When Mother passed away, she specifically instructed you to take care of me and not allow anyone to bully me. But what have you done? Your nephew was beaten up by Lu Yuan, and your own sister was humiliated by Lu Yuan's mother... Are you really going to turn a blind eye to this?"
Lady Wei's voice trembled as she spoke, and she began to sob softly.
Mister Yu quickly responded with reverence, "Madam, in the Prime Minister's heart, his nephew is closer than his own son. The Prime Minister will make the decision regarding this matter. Please rest assured and return to your chamber, leaving everything to the Prime Minister."
"Really?" Lady Wei looked at her brother with a mix of belief and doubt.
Prime Minister Xun nodded lightly.
Lady Wei wiped her tears and left with a satisfied heart.
Mister Yu closed the door and let out a long breath. Turning to Prime Minister Xun, he said, "Prime Minister, Lu Yuan has just gained the favor of the Retired Emperor and lost the Jin Yi Wei, but he has gained the Jinwu Guard. If he further allies with Miaojiang, his future official career may be beyond measure, and we must be cautious."
Prime Minister Xun remained silent.
On the other side, another advisor, Mister Gongsun, who had been silent all along, stroked his beard and said, "I think Miaojiang is not that easy to win over. Official Shangguan Ling has been undercover by his side for so long. Why don't we ask him about the situation?"
Official Shangguan Ling entered the study, bowed, and greeted Prime Minister Xun, "Prime Minister, you called for me?"
Mister Gongsun spoke up, "It was I who asked the Prime Minister to summon you. Lu Yuan's mother is from Miaojiang, do you know about this?"
Official Shangguan Ling replied, "I only found out recently. I have sent a letter to the Prime Minister."
Mister Gongsun continued, "Do you know about her parents?"
Official Shangguan Ling shook his head, "I've only heard Manager Cen mention that he was separated from his mother at a young age. It was only a few years ago that she found out he was an official in the capital. But he has always held a grudge against his mother, so he refused to acknowledge her. The good marriage she arranged for him in Miaojiang was also rejected by him. As for his father, Manager Cen has never mentioned him."
"What about his family background?" Mister Gongsun asked.
Official Shangguan Ling shook his head again, "Manager Cen has always been very secretive about Lu Yuan's family background. I'm not too clear about it either."
The people in the room fell silent.
If the Black Armor Army of General Chu was an unbreakable hard bone, then Miaojiang was a piece of fat that couldn't be touched at all.
In the Great Zhou, there was nowhere they couldn't reach, even the Shier Wei had been turned one by one.
But Miaojiang remained as solid as gold, and not a single spy they sent had returned alive.
This was also why they couldn't find out about Lu Yuan's background at first.
Mister Yu contemplated, "She still needs to rely on her son to ally with Miaojiang through marriage, so she shouldn't be too influential."
Mister Gongsun spoke with deep meaning, "Even if she has a background, it's not a problem as long as she isn't the daughter of the King of Miaojiang, there's no need to worry."
Mister Yu asked, "Brother Gongsun, do you already have a plan?"
Mister Gongsun stroked his beard and said confidently, "Lu Yuan doesn't know how to appreciate a good opportunity, rejecting the marriage alliance with Miaojiang. The Prime Minister's Mansion can help Miaojiang save face, and I'm willing to go to Miaojiang myself to propose a marriage for Young Master Xun Yu!"
Mister Yu spoke earnestly, "Brother Gongsun, Miaojiang is dangerous, please don't act impulsively."
Mister Gongsun smiled, "If I go myself, it would indeed be dangerous. But Miaojiang has already submitted to the court. If an envoy from the court is sent, they won't make things difficult."
Official Shangguan Ling bowed and said, "This subordinate is willing to escort Mister Gongsun to Miaojiang!"
Mister Gongsun was excited, "With Official Shangguan's Jin Yi Wei, this trip will surely be foolproof."
Prime Minister Xun spoke calmly, "There's no need. The King of Miaojiang has already left Miaojiang and is on his way to the capital."
Liu Qingyun: Son, actually, Mom wants to tell you something.
(End of Chapter)
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