Following Princess Wuyang's marriage, the capital was immersed in a sentimental atmosphere for a period of time. Even the topics of conversation after meals and the stories of the storytellers in the teahouses were changed to everything related to Princess Wuyang. It could be considered the citizens' yearning for a very down-to-earth princess.
The matter of Feng Yu Heng and Xuan Tianming sending 100 soldiers from the Divine Intent Army to add to Xuan Tiange's dowry was also widely spread. After the people heard about it, they repeatedly sighed with emotion at the Ninth Prince's desire to protect his younger sister and the sister-in-law relationship between Princess Ji An and Princess Wuyang. There were even people with wild imaginations, saying that if the people of Gu Shu dared to bully their princess of Dashun in the future, those 100 soldiers from the Divine Intent Army would use the heavenly lightning in their hands to flatten Gu Shu. From then on, Gu Shu would completely belong to Dashun.
Of course, these were all wild imaginations. The people still hoped that Xuan Tiange could live well. At least the Emperor of Gu Shu was quite good-looking and the rumors said that he treated her well. They hoped that she would not be disappointed in this life and that Gu Shu and Dashun could be peaceful for 100 years.
The Eighth Prince fell from power and the Sixth Prince became regent. In the capital, the imperial palace and the court, everything looked so smooth and stable on the surface. But in reality, everyone was secretly guessing who the throne of Dashun would end up in. Why did the Ninth Prince look as though nothing had happened? Sometimes, he did not even attend morning court. He would often bring the Royal Consort Yu out of the city. If they were not going to the military camp, they would go to the nearby suburbs for a walk. They even went to the manor in the suburbs to stay for a few days. Their days were spent leisurely and comfortably. They just did not care about the court. It was as though the court had nothing to do with them. They only cared about their own happiness.
Those people who were leaning towards the Ninth Prince could not sit still anymore. Although the Sixth Prince was also good, they felt that something was lacking compared to the Ninth Prince. He lacked a domineering air and also lost his prestige. The Sixth Prince was too refined, just like a scholar. If Dashun was handed to him, would it become a Confucian country? In that case, how would they develop their military and military forces in the future? Once he encountered a strong enemy, would he be able to defeat them?
These were all things that people were worried about. As a result, many old officials began to think of ways to meet Emperor Tianwu, wanting to hear his views on this matter. However, ever since the old Emperor appeared once when he was sending Princess Wuyang off to her wedding, he refused to see anyone else. It was said that he had recently become addicted to a board game called checkers. He would play checkers with Zhang Yuan all day long. His attitude towards the court was the same as that of the Ninth Prince, completely ignoring everything.
This left the people at a loss. Even though they were always thinking about it, they had no one to confide in. They could only chat in small groups of three or five to relieve the depression in their hearts. Fortunately, the Sixth Prince had neither merits nor demerits in presiding over the court. He was also relatively modest and had good relations with people. His status among the civil officials was especially high. In addition, the Ninth Prince and Royal Consort Yu had long since expressed that they were on good terms with the Sixth Prince. As a result, even if people had some thoughts in their hearts, they still treated the Sixth Prince with respect and did not vent their feelings on him.
However, compared to the Ninth Prince ascending to the throne, the current Left Prime Minister Lu Song was more eager to see the Sixth Prince ascend to the throne. After all, if the Ninth Prince ascended to the throne, if he wanted to curry favor with him, he would have to take a detour and use the Pingnan General's Office route. Moreover, whether he succeeded or not was another matter. However, if the Sixth Prince ascended to the throne, then it would be different. His Lu Family would not have to resort to underhanded methods to find connections. They could directly send Lü Ping into the palace and take the route of an Imperial Consort or even an Empress. That would be much more direct.
The last time Lü Ping ran out of the house, she was brought back by the people of the Lü Residence in less than four hours. Now, she was locked up in the courtyard by Lu Song and could not even step out of the door. There were also people who specially delivered her three meals a day. Lü Ping wanted to ask the person who delivered her meals about the Lü Residence, but that person was like a mute and refused to reveal a single word. She was very sullen and gradually became anxious. She asked her personal maid, Jian Er, "Tell me, if father forcefully sends me into the palace, what should I do?"
Jian Er thought for a moment and said, "It shouldn't be, right? This servant feels that this is just master's wishful thinking, but how could it be so easy to implement it? Didn't we also ask about the Sixth Prince? He is someone who is not inferior to the Seventh Prince. Would such a person listen to the orders of his subjects? Would he choose a consort just because you asked him to? "
Lü Ping was absent-minded for a moment. She went through everything she knew about the Sixth Prince in her mind and finally had to admit that Jian Er was right. Even so, she was still not at ease. She understood Lu Song and the Ge Clan too well. They would definitely do anything to achieve their goals. Once they decided on a path, they would do everything they could to walk it to the end. Previously, the Lu Family had already lost a son and two daughters. She was afraid that when it came to her, the Lu Family would fight for it even if they had no successors.
"No." She muttered to herself, "I have to think of a way. I have to leave the Lu Family. I can't be manipulated by them anymore."
Jian Er was shocked and couldn't help but ask, "Miss, what are you talking about? How can you leave? " As she spoke, she walked to the door and looked outside through the crack of the door. She sighed and said, "Master got two big yellow dogs in the courtyard. Although they don't bite people, those two dogs are extremely sensitive to smells. As long as Miss leaves the room, they will bark loudly. After a few barks, the nurses in the residence will arrive. Under such circumstances, how can Miss escape? "
Jian Er was also anxious for Lü Ping. She had followed Lü Ping since she was young and naturally understood that what Lü Ping was most unwilling to be manipulated by the Lu Family. All these years, she had a hidden illness, and the Lu Family also had two other daughters, so they couldn't do anything to her. But now, there weren't many people left in the Lu Family. Even if her Miss still had a strange smell, she still had to rely on inferior spices to cover it up. Prime Minister Lu's thoughts had already moved to this side. Now that Lü Ping said that she wanted to escape, she also hoped to escape, but she felt that it was almost an impossible task. For a moment, she became depressed and sighed repeatedly.
Lü Ping was not as pessimistic as her. She asked Jian Er, "If those two dogs can't smell, will they bark?"
Jian Er shook her head, "They won't. Usually, when the servants walk around the courtyard, they don't hear them bark. They are very obedient and just lie on the ground. But didn't Miss see that when Master just brought them over, as long as you appeared, those two dogs would bark non-stop? "
"Yes! Because the smell on my body stimulated them. But if the smell is gone, I hope that even if they see me, they will still be obedient. "
She made up her mind and didn't say anything more. She just quietly packed up her things in the house. She took out a bundle with two sets of clothes inside. Then, she took out the money she had saved up and a few small pieces of jewelry that could be easily pawned. She also grabbed two handfuls of osmanthus candy and stuffed them into the bundle. Only then did she tie the bundle into a knot. It was bulging and looked very sturdy.
Jian Er didn't understand, "Miss, what are you doing?"
She asked Jian Er, "If you were to make a choice between the Lu Residence and me, which side would you choose?"
"Of course it would be Miss." Jian Er quickly expressed, "I was bought into the residence by Miss. I have been following Miss since I was young. No matter what, I will always side with Miss."
"That's good." As she spoke, she took out a piece of paper from a small box, and casually stuffed a piece of silver into her hand. "This is your slave contract. I'm returning it to you now. From now on, you're free. I only have one request for you. Take this piece of silver and leave the residence. Secretly hire a carriage for me and wait for me outside the West City Gate. Before the city gates close, I will definitely think of a way to get out. After I get out, I will go my way and you will go yours. I will give you another sum of money. From today onwards, don't be a slave anymore. Go back to your hometown and live a good life. "
Jian Er was dumbfounded. She opened her mouth wide in shock. She couldn't understand why her Miss would have such a thought. Leave? Could she leave? How could she escape from the Lu Residence?
But Lu Ping did not think that it was difficult, she only told Jian Er: "They are only restricting my freedom, they are not restricting yours, you servants can still move around in the manor, you can even go out of the manor to buy things. Just say that I want to see what kind of good spices there are in the capital. I usually ask you to go out and buy all kinds of spices, so it won't arouse any suspicion. But after you leave the residence, you have to be careful. Don't be targeted by others. Quickly get things done, hire a carriage and wait for me outside the city. Do you understand? "
Jian Er nodded mechanically. She was still a little slow. Lü Ping couldn't wait for too long and urged her to get things done quickly. Jian Er left the residence under her urging. Very quickly, Lu Song personally came to find her. The first thing he said was, "I heard that you asked your servant to buy spices?"
Lü Ping wasn't surprised that her father came to find her. She nodded her head naturally and asked, "Why did father ask about this? Isn't it normal for a daughter's servant to buy spices? "
Lu Song didn't think too much about the servant leaving the residence. He only asked Lü Ping, "Have you thought it through? You should prepare more spices and choose the most suitable one for you. It can cover up the smell and make it less pungent. Otherwise, no matter how much effort father puts in, you won't be able to gain the Sixth Prince's favor. "
Lü Ping frowned. She didn't speak along with Lu Song just because she wanted to escape. She thought that it would be easier for her to be exposed that way. Instead, she should stay the same as before. That was more natural. Thus, she said to Lu Song, "Daughter doesn't have to think it through because this matter has never been thought about. I have already rejected father. I don't want to enter the palace, and I definitely won't marry the Sixth Prince. As for what father and di mother think, that's your problem. It has nothing to do with me. "
"You … …" Lu Song felt that this daughter of his was really stubborn. Sometimes, he was so angry that he wanted to slap her. But when he looked at that peerless face, he was afraid that he would break it and ruin the family's important matters. Thus, he could only fiercely tell her, "You are a daughter of the Lu Family. Since ancient times, marriage has always been decided by the parents. Even if you weren't born in the Lu Family, it would still be the same if you were a daughter of another family. You should think about it carefully! " After Lu Song finished speaking, he pushed open the door and left. He even led the two large yellow dogs in the courtyard to Lü Ping's door to guard it.
Lü Ping didn't pay attention to his actions. She only made sure that he was far away before calling for the servants to prepare water for her bath. Although it was still daytime, because of her body's hidden illness, she often bathed several times a day regardless of whether it was day or night. The people of the Lü Manor were already used to it. Even if Lu Song, who hadn't gone far, heard this, he didn't suspect him … …
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