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Chapter 432: Lu Yuan's Scheming
Chapter 432: Lu Yuan's Scheming
Lu Qi waited in the courtyard for a long time, intending to see the Liang Emperor off after his meeting.
Unfortunately, Lu Qi waited and waited, only to see a bowl of medicinal soup delivered into the room, while the Emperor showed no signs of coming out.
What game was that person playing now?
Did he think he could keep the Emperor, his grandfather, with such despicable tactics?
The Emperor was a man of his word and a formidable figure on the battlefield. Could he possibly fall for such a crude tortured flesh strategy?
Lu Qi spotted Ji Feng, his father's son, heading towards the boy's room, as if he was about to enter.
However, Ji Feng only took a quick glance at the door and then swiftly took up a position outside, standing guard.
Lu Qi waited a little longer.
Finally, Eunuch Yu appeared.
Lu Qi was about to call out to him, but Eunuch Yu walked away.
Eunuch Yu returned with a bowl of honeyed preserved fruit.
Lu Qi was utterly perplexed.
His grandfather...could he be coaxing that guy to take his medicine?
Impossible, absolutely impossible!
After an unknown amount of time, Eunuch Yu finally exited the room once more, this time walking towards Lu Qi.
Lu Qi's eyes narrowed. "Is His Majesty about to depart for the palace? I'll see him off."
Eunuch Yu glanced awkwardly with a sidelong glance at Lu Yuan, who was acting arrogantly before the Liang Emperor. With a smile, he said, "His Majesty asked me to check who was blocking the light outside."
Lu Qi: "..."
Although Dou Qingyi was Lu Qi's birth mother, she had not been granted the title of Princess Consort and could not be summoned to meet the Liang Emperor.
She had no choice but to wait in Lu Qi's courtyard.
After waiting for a long time without seeing Lu Qi, she thought that the Emperor was perhaps testing her son's studies.
When she looked up, Lu Qi had returned to his room.
His expression was not pleasant.
Dou Qingyi quickly approached and asked, "Qi'er, what's wrong? Did His Majesty test your studies, and you couldn't answer? Don't take it to heart. You are your father's only son, and His Majesty's only grandson. It's natural that the expectations for you would be strict."
"I didn't see His Majesty," Lu Qi said.
Dou Qingyi was taken aback. "Then, you were waiting outside for so long..."
Lu Qi explained, "I was waiting outside."
Dou Qingyi asked, "The entire time?"
Lu Qi nodded gravely.
Dou Qingyi murmured in disbelief, "How could this be? You clearly didn't anger His Majesty today."
The Liang Emperor was a stern man, but he wasn't the type to fly into a rage at any moment.
Lu Qi felt that his mother's understanding of the Emperor was still one-sided.
"Mother, that person is not simple. His Majesty was in his room just now, and he waited for a long time. Mother, could he really be...my father's true son?"
Dou Qingyi's eyebrows furrowed. "If he is your father's true son, why didn't your father acknowledge him and instead claimed him as the son of an old friend? Today's incident clearly shows that the boy is scheming, taking advantage of your father's absence to deceive His Majesty."
Lu Qi was puzzled. "But my father has always protected him. If he's not his true son, why protect him?"
Dou Qingyi replied calmly, "Your father had a relationship with that boy's mother. Perhaps she was his intended love, but protecting him was an act of helplessness. After all, if he didn't acknowledge him, the boy would have committed the crime of deceiving the Emperor and faced execution. How could your father bear to watch the son of his beloved die a tragic death before his eyes?"
Lu Qi's eyebrows knitted together. "Intended love? Isn't my father's love you, mother?"
Dou Qingyi spoke slowly, "Men are never satisfied. Their hearts won't rest on just one woman."
Lu Qi said, "This is too absurd."
Dou Qingyi sat down in the chair. "You can't say such things in front of your father.I.T. You are his flesh and blood, the heir to the Great Liang Empire. You must not do anything that would tarnish your reputation."
Lu Qi's expression became complex. "Am I just going to watch him keep deceiving His Majesty? I've never seen His Majesty show such favor to anyone."
Dou Qingyi picked up her teacup. "As long as I become the Princess Consort, you will be the legitimate son. He's just a fake son, how can he surpass you?"
The Prince's Mansion had the support of the Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion, but what did he have? He was just a commoner, as lowly as an ant. There was no need for you to lower yourself to his level."
Lu Qi remained silent.
Dou Qingyi stirred the tea leaves in her cup with the lid, "You know, what kind of woman would a man constantly think about?"
Lu Qi replied, "Your son does not know."
"It's the woman he can't have," Dou Qingyi said, "Perhaps that woman has already passed away, and before her death, she found a good place for her son."
Lu Qi paused, "But what if she's still alive? What if she comes to the Crown Prince's Mansion and gives birth to another child for Father..."
Dou Qingyi placed her teacup on the table, "There can only be me by your father's side."
She would not allow any other woman to enter the Crown Prince's Mansion.
As the night deepened, Lu Yuan, who had been causing trouble all afternoon, finally tired himself out. He lay on the bed, covered with thick quilts, and fell into a deep sleep.
The Liang Emperor did not want to wake him, so he reached out and touched the top of his head.
Eunuch Yu whispered, "Don't... don't touch it, or it will go bald."
The Liang Emperor clicked his tongue, reluctantly withdrew his hand, and asked, "Do I treat Qi'er this well?"
Eunuch Yu replied, "Your Majesty treats both your grandsons very well."
The Liang Emperor nodded, "I also believe that I am not a biased person."
Eunuch Yu: Yes, you're not biased. You're only missing the chance to hold this grandson and bring him back to the palace.
"Your Majesty..."
"Your Majesty."
The Liang Emperor swallowed the rest of his words, stood up, and said, "I will come to see him again in three days."
The Liang Emperor left the room.
Lu Zhaoyan and Prince Ming stood in the courtyard.
Lu Zhaoyan bowed, "We send off the Emperor."
The Liang Emperor acknowledged with a sound.
Prince Ming's face was swollen from being slapped, "We send off..."
The Liang Emperor left.
Prince Ming felt like crying but had no tears. He had offended that boy and fallen out of favor with the Emperor—
Dou Qingyi and Lu Qi waited in the small garden, which was on the Emperor's route out of the mansion.
When they saw the Emperor, they quickly stepped forward to pay their respects.
"We have seen the Emperor," they said.
"We have seen Your Majesty," Dou Qingyi said, "Qingyi has prepared some ginseng soup and is about to send it to Your Majesty and the Crown Prince."
The Liang Emperor nodded, "It's getting late. You should send it to the Crown Prince."
"Yes."
Dou Qingyi obediently agreed, but felt quite disappointed inside.
The reason she waited for the Emperor in the garden was to remind him to continue granting her the title of Crown Princess Consort. However, His Majesty seemed to have completely forgotten about it.
It was all because of that boy, who had bewitched the Emperor, causing him to forget even such an important matter.
Lu Qi said, "Grandfather, your grandson will send you off."
The Liang Emperor did not refuse.
As he watched his son see the Emperor off, Dou Qingyi tidied her hair and carried the food box to the Crown Prince's courtyard.
"The Lady has arrived," a servant reported outside the study.
Lu Zhaoyan was reviewing the imperial edicts and merely nodded slightly upon hearing this.
Dou Qingyi entered with the food box, walked to the desk, and said softly, "Your Highness, Qingyi has prepared ginseng soup, and His Majesty asked Qingyi to bring it to you."
Lu Zhaoyan said, "In the future, there's no need to cook yourself. Just leave it to the chefs. You've already taken good care of Qi'er, so don't overwork yourself."
"Being able to serve Your Highness is Qingyi's fortune. Qingyi doesn't feel burdened."
Dou Qingyi finished speaking gently, and with her delicate jade-like hands, she opened the food box and took out a bowl of steaming ginseng soup, "Your Highness, please rest for a while. Drink the soup before reviewing the edicts."
Lu Zhaoyan took the soup and inadvertently glanced at her newly dyed crimson jasmine henna.
Her fragrant aura filled the room.
(End of Chapter)
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