Chapter 253: The Twelve Guards' Items
Chapter 253: The Twelve Guards' Items
A servant returned to the Lu family with a dejected expression, reporting back to Lu Xingzhou.
Manager Zhao was also present.
This person was his nephew, and he was quite clever, so he deliberately assigned such an important task to him.
"So fast?" Manager Zhao was surprised.
You Ping was distressed and said, "I didn't even get into the Princess's mansion. The servant at the mansion was very arrogant. When I said I was from the Lu family, he immediately chased me away, saying that our Lu family wasn't qualified to send gifts to the Princess."
Manager Zhao looked at Lu Xingzhou awkwardly.
The Lu family patriarch had once served the emperor, and during his funeral, the Retired Emperor personally came to pay his respects and offered incense as a junior.
Princess Wanping's actions were indeed a great loss of face for the Lu family.
Lu Xingzhou's expression didn't change much, still making it hard to read his thoughts, "Did you mention the Elder Lady?"
You Ping complained, "I did, but that kid said that the Elder Lady is no longer part of the Lu family and told me to scram!"
Manager Zhao was taken aback and said to Lu Xingzhou, "Master, did you hear what they said?"
Lu Xingzhou didn't care about whether Princess Wanping looked down on the Lu family or not. He just wanted to know if Lin Wan'er and her servant had encountered Princess Wanping after escaping last night.
Princess Wanping was highly regarded among the common people. She fought for the weak, distributed porridge to the people, and often didn't stand idly by when faced with injustice.
Of course, those good deeds might have been done to impress the commoners, as those in power were adept at such displays.
Manager Zhao gave You Ping a signal, and You Ping tactfully withdrew.
Manager Zhao said, "Master, in my opinion, Lin Wan'er and the servant girl, Lu Luo, most likely escaped on their own. Otherwise, there wouldn't be any news by now."
The fact that Lin Wan'er could escape from the Lu family indicated that she had discovered Lu Xingzhou's intention to kill her.
But even if she spoke about it, would anyone really believe her? Her reputation in the capital was already tarnished as an outsider who relied on her pregnancy to gain status.
Princess Wanping, being the legitimate daughter of the Empress, detested such disreputable women. How could she possibly be kind enough to take in Lin Wan'er?
Seeing that Lu Xingzhou remained silent, Manager Zhao said awkwardly, "Master, if you're truly worried, why not visit the Princess's mansion yourself?"
"No need."
Perhaps the Lu family's past actions had already disgusted Princess Wanping, and even if he went, he wouldn't be able to meet her.
Since Princess Wanping treated the Lu family with such disdain, she would most likely not interfere in the Lu family's domestic affairs.
Lin Wan'er might have indeed escaped on her own.
"You continue to send people to secretly search for the whereabouts of the two of them. A pregnant woman about to give birth shouldn't be too hard to find."
Unless... she had left the capital.
He wasn't worried about her dying outside, but feared her spreading rumors.
"Yes, Master!"
Manager Zhao hurried off to make arrangements.
Lu Xingzhou went to Madam Lu's courtyard.
Madam Lu was sitting in the room, trimming flower branches.
In her free time, she loved flower arrangement, and this had been her routine for many years without change.
Madam Lu seemed not to have heard Lu Xingzhou's footsteps and continued with her task.
Lu Xingzhou spoke up, "Go to the Governor's Mansion and bring Grandmother back."
Madam Lu trimmed a leaf and said calmly, "I've tried before, but Grandmother doesn't want to return to the Lu family. If you're sincere, you should go and bring her back yourself."
Lu Xingzhou looked deeply at Madam Lu, "Did you help Lin Wan'er escape last night?"
How coincidental that there were ladders inside both walls.
Madam Lu continued trimming the flowers, "I don't understand what you're talking about, Master."
---
Meng Qianqian woke up from her nap in the afternoon. The curtains were drawn in the room, creating a dim light with occasional bright rays sneaking through the gaps.
Outside, the sound of Bao Shu's laughter filled the courtyard as Liu Qingyun was chasing her, and she was having a delightful time.
Lu Yuan is not around.
Huh, isn't he catching up on sleep? Meng Qianqian lazily stretched, "Ban Xia."
Li Mumu pushed the door open and entered, "Miss, you're awake? Ban Xia is outside watering the peonies that the Madam just planted."
Meng Qianqian rubbed her eyes, "Mumu, what time is it?"
"It's almost the Hour of the Monkey."
"I slept for so long, how did I get back to the courtyard?"
She remembered discussing the Twelve Guards with Lu Yuan in the carriage, but had no recollection of when she fell asleep.
Li Mumu cleared her throat, "Miss, you slept so soundly that the Father-in-law carried you back to the courtyard. It was really tough on him."
Meng Qianqian: Li Mumu, you've completely switched sides, has my mother-in-law been too generous?
Li Mumu handed over the prepared clothes to Meng Qianqian, "Miss, what happened at the Princess's manor last night? Why did you stay out all night? And why did you wake the Madam, what medicine are you going to get?"
Liu Qingyun hated being disturbed during sleep, but last night, after being woken up, she didn't get angry. Instead, she sent Yu Zichuan to deliver the medicine personally.
The more calm the Madam was, the more serious the matter.
Meng Qianqian told Li Mumu about Lin Wan'er, naturally leaving out the part about the Twelve Guards.
Li Mumu was shocked beyond words.
She hadn't expected Lin Wan'er to be an imposter, and even less so that Lu Xingzhou would want her life.
Tigers don't eat their own cubs, and Lin Wan'er is carrying his son's flesh and blood.
Li Mumu felt her hair stand on end.
As for the fake Lin Wan'er, although Li Mumu had been waiting for her to get her comeuppance, she didn't wish for her death.
"Poor child."
Li Mumu sighed.
After that, she didn't say anything more.
Everyone has their own fate, and there are too many injustices in the world. She just hoped that the child wouldn't bear the sins of the previous generation.
Meng Qianqian looked around and asked, "Where's my husband?"
Li Mumu prepared hot water, "His Majesty came by today. The Father-in-law just saw him off, and he's in the study now."
Meng Qianqian washed her face and asked, "Why did His Majesty come to our manor?"
Li Mumu replied, "It seems he's playing Leaf Cards with the Elder Lady and the King of Miaojiang. The Madam went too."
Meng Qianqian's mouth twitched. Those three old swindlers, are they trying to leave Zong Zhengxi in his underwear?
"Let's have some snacks first, I'll ask the kitchen to stir-fry a couple of dishes."
"Mhm."
Meng Qianqian carried a half-plate of osmanthus cake and a half-plate of fried delights to the study.
Lu Yuan was fiddling with a strange little box.
Meng Qianqian placed the plate on the table, "Grand Marshal, what's this?"
Lu Yuan replied, "Something Yu Zichuan retrieved from the Lu family."
"Is this the item Hai Zhu wanted Lin Wan'er to wait for?" Meng Qianqian blinked, "Did you open it?"
Lu Yuan calmly said, "Since it's an item of the Twelve Guards, it's better to wait for you to open it."
"Then I won't be polite."
Meng Qianqian put down the osmanthus cake she was eating and reached out to open the box.
"Let me." Lu Yuan suddenly blocked her hand, "Stand further away and watch from there."
Meng Qianqian obediently retreated to the side.
The box was locked, not with an ordinary bronze lock, but a poetic lock that required rotating the characters on the bronze rings to unlock.
There were four bronze rings, and on each ring were six... patterns? Meng Qianqian widened her eyes, "What are these? Why don't I recognize them?"
"Sanskrit."
As Lu Yuan spoke, he had already unlocked the lock.
"You know Sanskrit too?" Meng Qianqian's admiration for Lu Yuan grew even more.
She walked over and took a closer look, "Hey, the box is empty!"
Happy National Day
(End of Chapter)
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