Chapter 385
On the third day of the twelfth lunar month, the anniversary of the death of Jing'an Prince Lu Heng, Lu Tingyu took Mo Wansheng out of Shengjing City early in the morning.
Lu Heng and Zhuang were buried on Canglan Mountain, five miles east of the city. Although the mountain road was long, Lu Tingyu and Mo Wansheng were frequent mountain climbers, so they came here at just before 9 o'clock.
Unexpectedly, someone had already arrived at Lu Heng's tomb before them.
It was Yun Lan.
Seeing Lu Tingyu and the others coming, Yun Lan stepped forward and saluted them, "I greet the prince and the princess."
Lu Tingyu looked surprised, but he had guessed the truth, "Did the queen ask you to come?"
Yun Lan nodded, "Yes, the queen thought of the friendship with the Jing'an Prince's Mansion, so she asked me to leave the palace early in the morning to burn incense for her."
Lu Tingyu knew that the friendship Yun Lan was talking about was the friendship between the former Queen Yuan and Lu Heng, not Jiang Lingyi.
"Go back and tell the Queen that I will take the Crown Prince's Consort to pay tribute to the late Queen Mother in a few days."
Yun Lan nodded and turned to walk down the mountain.
It was not until they returned to the carriage after paying tribute to Lu Heng and Zhuang that Mo Wansheng asked about the relationship between Empress Yuan and Lu Heng. Lu Tingyu did not hide it and told her everything.
After listening, Mo Wansheng felt sad.
It was obviously a dispute between the royal family and the Jing'an Palace, but in the end it caused two innocent women to regret their lives.
As if thinking of something, Mo Wansheng pursed her lips and looked at Lu Tingyu, "Husband, will our children... be like this in the future?"
Mo Wansheng didn't know what kind of person Chu Nanchen was, nor did she know whether he would regard the Jing'an Palace as a thorn in his side like Emperor Yonghe, but what was certain was that no emperor would allow another force to threaten the royal family.
Lu Tingyu didn't say anything, but took her into his arms. After a long silence, he replied seriously: "Don't worry, I won't let that day come."
The tragedy that has happened to Lu Heng and him cannot be spread to the next generation.
Some things should end.
…
The weather is getting colder and colder, and the New Year is getting closer.
People in the streets of the city start to set off firecrackers from time to time, and red lanterns are hung in front of the Jing'an Palace.
The New Year is coming, but Mo Wansheng inexplicably starts to miss home.
This is the first time she has spent the New Year outside in 16 years. Although her husband is with her, she still feels a little empty in her heart.
Lu Tingyu saw her worries and took her out of the house for a walk. When her thoughts shifted, Mo Wansheng smiled.
Fearing that Mo Wansheng would feel uncomfortable alone, Lu Tingyu took the initiative to go to the palace to ask Chu Nanchen to postpone the date of his succession to the title of king. After all, as long as he was still the prince, he would not have to go to court and could spend more time with Mo Wansheng at home.
Such a result was undoubtedly what Chu Nanchen wanted to see, so he agreed very happily.
While Lu Tingyu was accompanying Mo Wansheng in the mansion, the power of the former Jing'an King Lu Heng was successively removed by Chu Nanchen. At the end of the year, only a very small part of it remained.
In this regard, Lu Tingyu showed an indifferent attitude from beginning to end, and devoted himself to accompanying Mo Wansheng to play and appreciate flowers, as if he really didn't want to be involved in power disputes anymore.
After receiving such news, Chu Nanchen felt a little relieved, but he didn't forget to ask people to continue to keep an eye on the movements of Jing'an Palace.
The old year slowly left in the sound of firecrackers and the brilliance of fireworks, and the new year quietly came with the night.
Early in the morning on the first day of the Lunar New Year, Mo Wansheng just opened her eyes and received a thick red envelope from Lu Tingyu, "Shengsheng, in the new year, I wish you and I can be happy and healthy."
Mo Wansheng was stunned for a long time before she took it with a smile on her face, a happy smile on her lips, "I will."
Lu Tingyu lowered his head and pecked her lips lightly, "This mansion is really a bit deserted, so it's better to add another little guy."
Mo Wansheng couldn't help blushing, "Then I... try hard."
Lu Tingyu was amused by her shy appearance, but he took advantage of it and gently pinched the soft flesh on her waist, "You can't work hard alone, I'll accompany you."
Mo Wansheng was so embarrassed that she didn't have the face to see anyone. She buried in the quilt for a long time before the heat on her face dissipated.
After washing, the maid helped Mo Wansheng to do her hair, and Lu Tingyu watched from the side. Mo Wansheng looked at his focused and serious expression in the bronze mirror, and couldn't help but smile.
This is all she wanted.
Just when the maid finished arranging Mo Wansheng's hair and was about to insert the last hairpin, Lu Tingyu signaled her to leave, and then stepped forward and took out a lotus hairpin from his sleeve like a magic trick and inserted it into Mo Wansheng's hair.
The design of the hairpin is not complicated, but the material and craftsmanship are top-notch, and the blooming lotus and the dependent lotus are like alive.
Mo Wansheng couldn't help but be stunned, "When did my husband order someone to make it?"
This kind of craftsmanship can't be bought, it can only be custom-made.
"Two months ago, I thought of giving you a surprise during the Chinese New Year."
Mo Wansheng stood up and grasped his fingertips, smiling brightly, "I like it very much."
The couple walked out the door hand in hand, their affectionate atmosphere could not be concealed.
At breakfast, Lu Tingyu handed over the key to the warehouse and the account books of the mansion to Mo Wansheng, who didn't know what to say. On the first day of the new year, Lu Tingyu's surprises came one after another.
Lu Tingyu put the exquisite silver-white key in Mo Wansheng's palm and explained: "These are not given to you by me, but given to you on behalf of my father and mother. They left early and didn't see you and me get married. Drinking a cup of tea to change their minds, giving these to you can also make them feel more at ease."
Mo Wansheng nodded and accepted it, but saw Lu Tingyu took out another key from his arms and handed it to Mo Wansheng.
"This is the key to my private vault, and it is also given to Shengsheng for safekeeping."
At this point, the power of the Jing'an Palace has been handed over to Mo Wansheng.
Mo Wansheng handed over the two keys and a pile of account books to her maid, and then looked at Lu Tingyu with a proud face, "My husband has handed over all the financial power to me. If you offend me in the future, I will not give you money to spend."
Lu Tingyu took her hand and pretended to be terrified, "I will be obedient, Shengsheng can't cut off my money."
Mo Wansheng was amused by his exaggerated expression, but she did not forget to finish the last bit of the play, "It depends on your performance."
Compared to the warmth and joy in Jing'an Palace, there was a coldness in the Qianqing Palace.
Just last night, when the whole palace was celebrating the end of the year and the protection was relaxed, Qingdai took advantage of the absence of the wet nurse to secretly feed Chu Lingxiu a little sleeping medicine that did not hurt the body, and then quietly took a drop of Chu Lingxiu's toe blood and sent it to the Qianqing Palace.
Chu Nanchen hesitated for a long time, and finally chose to drip his blood into the bowl.
The result was exactly what Chu Nanchen had been worried about for many days. Chu Lingxiu was not his son.
If he was not his, then the biggest suspect fell on Lu Tingyu.
Chu Nanchen did not sleep all night, sitting in front of the desk and staring at the two drops of blood at the bottom of the bowl for a whole night.
It was not until the sky outside gradually brightened and Wang Huai's voice came from outside the door that Chu Nanchen finally came back to his senses.
Chu Nanchen's eyes were bloodshot, his fists were clenched and his face was full of pain, "Jiang Lingyi... What should I do with you?"
Hearing the movement in the house, Wang Huai walked in quickly, and was slightly relieved when he saw that Chu Nanchen did not hurt himself.
He also saw the result of the blood test with his own eyes. Last night, he was still worried that Chu Nanchen would go directly to Fengyi Palace to question Jiang Lingyi. In this case, the matter would be a big deal.
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However, the result was far different from what he expected. Chu Nanchen had no intention of questioning Jiang Lingyi. Instead, he locked himself in the study room for a whole night. Looking at the current situation, Chu Nanchen was afraid that he was not going to tell Jiang Lingyi about this matter.
When Wang Huai was thinking about it, Chu Nanchen's hoarse voice came into his ears, "Wang Huai, what have I done to her over the years that made her do such a thing to tear my heart out?"
Wang Huai sighed softly. There is no good or bad in love, only love or not.
From the moment the late emperor insisted on marrying Jiang Lingyi to Chu Nanchen, such a thing was destined to happen.
"Your Majesty, no matter how big the matter is, it is not as important as your dragon body. You have been up all night, take a rest first."
Chu Nanchen did not hear a word. He raised his hand and picked up a cup of cold tea on the table and drank it all. The originally slightly sweet tea soup turned out to be particularly bitter after it cooled down, so bitter that Chu Nanchen's whole heart was uncomfortable.
"Go and call Xiao Henian."
Xiao Henian, Chu Nanchen's confidant for many years, only followed Chu Nanchen's lead, and now he is the commander of the imperial guards in the palace.
Wang Huai turned around and went out to call Xiao Henian. Chu Nanchen was left alone in the room, feeling very lonely.
Soon, Xiao Henian, who was wearing brown armor, followed Wang Huai into the Qianqing Palace, and knelt down to avoid the broken porcelain bowls on the ground, "Your Majesty."
"Go and find out who the queen met that night when she stayed in Chenglu Temple."
Chu Nanchen thought about it all night. During that period, except for Chenglu Temple, Jiang Lingyi had been in the Prince's Mansion, and had no chance to meet with men outside.
As for the guards in the mansion, Chu Nanchen didn't think they had such courage, and Jiang Lingyi didn't look down on them.
Xiao Henian was stunned for a moment before he responded and retreated.
After Xiao Henian closed the door of the palace, Wang Huai walked to Chu Nanchen's side and replaced a pot of new tea for him. Looking at his dark eyelids and stubble on his chin, Wang Huai's eyes were full of heartache.
The previous emperor passed away, Chu Nanchen succeeded to the throne, Jiang Lingyi became the empress, and their eldest son became the crown prince. Everything was obviously going in a good direction, so how could such a mess happen?
If Chu Nanchen wanted to depose the legitimate son of the emperor and empress, the crown prince he appointed when he ascended the throne, it would take some trouble.
And this also meant that he had to have a showdown with Jiang Lingyi.
Wang Huai has seen all Chu Nanchen's thoughts about Jiang Lingyi over the years. How could Chu Nanchen be willing to let go!
But how humiliating must it be for Chu Nanchen that the son of an outsider occupies the position of crown prince?
It's like we've reached a dead end, and it's hard to figure out how to deal with it.
…
On the twelfth day of the first lunar month, Lu Tingyu inherited the title of King Jing'an, and Mo Wansheng became Princess Jing'an.
Chu Nanchen attached great importance to this and went to the Prince Jing'an Mansion to observe the ceremony in person.
Looking at Lu Tingyu, who was wearing a dark purple python robe, Chu Nanchen's eyes darkened.
After three drinks, Chu Nanchen stood up and left, and Lu Tingyu went out in person to see him off.
There was no one in the mansion, so Chu Nanchen asked inadvertently: "Ayu is now the King of Jingan, and your contribution will be indispensable in the future."
Lu Tingyu answered accurately, "Your Majesty's words are serious. I know that my abilities are limited, so I can only do my best."
"The prince is already one and a half years old. He just learned to call him "Father" yesterday. You probably haven't seen him since Ayu came back, right? He is a very naughty little guy. If Ayu and Princess pay more attention, your children may be able to talk to each other in the future. The prince grew up together.
We were as close as brothers when we were little, and I hope they can be too. "
The sudden sentence may sound harmless at first, but when you think about it carefully, you have to think about its deeper meaning.
Lu Tingyu was a little surprised, but he really didn't guess Chu Nanchen's intention, so he could only respond "I hope".
Seeing Lu Tingyu's slightly confused face, Chu Nanchen vaguely guessed something, and without saying more, set off back to the palace.
Until Chu Nanchen's car disappeared from sight for a long time, Lu Tingyu didn't understand the meaning of Chu Nanchen's words.
As close as brothers? Could it be that he didn't want him to have a son?
Thinking of this, Lu Tingyu's expression darkened slightly.
Lu Tingyu was puzzled, but Chu Nanchen was slightly relieved.
Judging from Lu Tingyu's performance, he should be unaware, so Chu Lingxiu is not his son? Or maybe Jiang Lingyi also hid it from him?
The more he thought about it, the more headache he got. Finally, Chu Nanchen forcibly blocked his thoughts, leaned against the wall of the carriage and closed his eyes.
Ever since he learned that Chu Lingxiu was not his son at the end of the year, Chu Nanchen has hardly had a good night's sleep. Whenever he closes his eyes, his dreams are filled with scenes of Jiang Lingyi having fun with others. Such scenes... Chu Nanchen almost collapsed.
So these days, Chu Nanchen didn't even think about entering the harem. Even when it was time to go to the Queen's Palace on the first and fifteenth day of the month, which were only twice a month, Chu Nanchen couldn't bring up the interest.
Jiang Lingyi doesn't have him in her heart, so what difference does it make if she goes or not?
Maybe after going there, she will feel even more uncomfortable?
Since you don't love her, why bother forcing her again and again.
Not long after returning to Qianqing Hall with confusion, Xiao Henian found clues.
There were many pilgrims trapped in Chenglu Temple during the heavy snowfall that year, but because of the severe cold late at night, few people went out at night, so no one saw Jiang Lingyi interact with anyone.
However, what is certain is that Lu Tingyu was also in Chenglu Temple that night when Jiang Lingyi was trapped. He had gone there in a low-key manner earlier and did not attract anyone's attention.
On the second day after Jiang Lingyi set out to return to Beijing, Lu Tingyu, who had lived in Chenglu Temple for many days, also hurriedly left Chenglu Temple, but did not return to Shengjing, but went to Ningcheng.
Ningcheng is the place where Lu Tingyu and Jiang Lingyi fell in love.
Although no one witnessed this incident with their own eyes, various signs indicated that Lu Tingyu and Jiang Lingyi were suspected of having a secret meeting.
As for Chu Lingxiu, it is very likely that he was the result of a private meeting between the two of them...
After pursing his lips and staring for a long time, Chu Nanchen said in a hoarse voice: "Continue to investigate, and we will inevitably find out all the truth."
Xiao Henian agreed, and Chu Nanchen said again: "If you really can't find it, use the secret chess piece left by your father to find a way to get Lu Tingyu's blood."
Emperor Yonghe had long been wary of Prince Jing'an's Palace. In the past, he even cost hundreds of people's lives to plant two secret chess pieces in Prince Jing'an's Palace. After Emperor Yonghe's death, these two secret chess pieces were all owned by Chu Nanchen. .
Chu Nanchen was unwilling to use the two secret chess pieces unless he had to.
One is that it is difficult to arrange, and the other is the same as Jiang Lingyi's. Chu Nanchen doesn't want Lu Tingyu to know that he has placed people around him.
Xiao Henian knelt down to accept the order, and Chu Nanchen waved his hand to signal him to retreat.
When only Wang Huai and himself were left in the room, Chu Nanchen showed a little of his weak side.
"Wang Huai, I have a headache. Come over and massage it for me."
Wang Huai stepped forward in response, and while massaging the acupuncture points on Chu Nanchen's head, he was thinking in his heart. After a long time, he still couldn't hold it back, "Your Majesty, how are you going to deal with His Royal Highness?"
Wang Huai was one of Chu Nanchen's earliest confidants. Chu Nanchen had always treated him kindly and tolerantly. Many times, he would talk to him about political intrigues.
Chu Nanchen chuckled softly: "What else can be done? Since she wants to mess up Da Chu's country like this, then it will be her wish."
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