He thought that the look she gave him earlier was already filled with concern, but now, compared to this, it seemed she had merely furrowed her brow out of politeness. Hearing that Lu Jingxing was injured, Li Huaiyu’s expression truly became tense. Her almond eyes showed worry, and she seemed genuinely unsettled.
“Is he badly hurt?” she asked.
Bai Ai shook his head. “The messenger didn’t specify, but since they need to rest at the border town to recuperate, it must be serious.”
Exhaling a heavy breath, Li Huaiyu clenched her fists. “Let’s go find him!”
“Yes!” Bai Ai responded eagerly, casting a smug glance at Jiang Xuanjin by the bed.
Using the injured ploy? Even if he did, he couldn’t beat Manager Lu at this game! One brought her down from the clouds, and the other always cleaned up her messes. Even a fool could tell who would concern her more.
Seeing her so ready to leave, Jiang Xuanjin’s expression turned cold. “Not traveling together anymore?”
Huaiyu turned to him. “You heard, Lu Jingxing is injured.”
“And?” Jiang Xuanjin’s eyes were full of mockery. “I asked if you’re not traveling together anymore?”
The implication was clear: if you leave now, don’t expect to travel with me later. Figure out how to cross those city gates on your own!
Yes, this was a threat—the most disgraceful and childish threat ever uttered by Lord Ziyang. His voice carried anger, his jaw was tight, and his gaze was fierce, almost intimidating.
However, the person before him was not frightened at all. Meeting his gaze, she responded almost without thinking, “I guess we can’t travel together anymore. I’ll leave first. Take care, Your Highness.”
With that, she immediately instructed Bai Ai to pack and prepare for departure.
Outside, Qingxian and Chijin seemed to have been waiting for this moment. Hearing her words, they quickly rushed in and supported her by the arms.
“Your Highness, the carriage is ready!”
Seeing their excitement, Li Huaiyu felt slightly puzzled. “What’s with you two?”
Qingxian glanced at the sullen-faced Lord Ziyang and shook his head. “Nothing much, just glad to finally meet up with Wuling and the others.”
Still happy? Huaiyu shook her head, lifting her dress as she walked out. “If Lu Jingxing is lightly injured, you can be as happy as you want. But if he’s seriously hurt, you’ll face punishment.”
“Yes, yes!” Qingxian followed behind, casting a sidelong glance at Jiang Xuanjin. In a loud voice, he said, “We all know His Highness cares most about Manager Lu. Who would dare to slack off?”
His words were so deliberate that Huaiyu glanced at him and whispered, “Is this necessary?”
Qingxian nodded solemnly. “Necessary!”
Just look at Lord Ziyang’s smugness when he first entered the southern courtyard! It was as if he had forgotten all he had done, exploiting Your Highness’s sympathy. It was infuriating!
Fortunately, they still had Shopkeeper Lu on their side.
When Shopkeeper Lu stepped in, he was worth two men!
Huaiyu shook her head, thinking Qingxian truly had too much time on his hands. However, she did not need to worry about these things now. If she was in a hurry to leave, she first needed to bid farewell to Chuniang.
She walked quickly, and in a flash, she was out the door. The once brightly lit room suddenly seemed to darken.
Jiang Xuanjin silently watched her back, only reacting after a long while. Why hadn’t he threatened her again? If he couldn’t threaten her, there was still Qingsi!
The autumn wind blew in through the window, carrying the scent of soil and dead leaves. It flapped his half-worn inner garments wildly. He lowered his eyes and looked at his empty hand.
…
“Are you not going to let go?”
“No!”
…
That face smiled brilliantly, her soft and warm hand holding his firmly, her tone so certain it made him feel at ease.
Yet in the end, he let go without hesitation.
His lips were a bit pale, and Jiang Xuanjin let out a low hum, pressing a hand to his chest.
“Master?” Chengxu, who had gone to fetch medicine, returned. Seeing him like this, he rushed over to support him. “Does it hurt badly?”
Usually, the aloof Lord Ziyang would disdain to answer such questions. How could he show weakness to his subordinates? But now, he nodded seriously:
“Yes.”
It hurt very much.
Chengxu looked around and frowned. “Where is Madam?”
“She left.”
“Left?!” Chengxu was shocked. “She hasn’t even given you your medicine yet. Where did she go?”
Jiang Xuanjin lowered his eyes and fell heavily onto the bed, letting out a long sigh.
As soon as Lu Jingxing had an incident, she rushed off without even giving him his medicine. It made sense; after all, they had been together for four or five years. When he and she were together, they barely exchanged a few words.
The so-called love for Xuanjin was likely just a passing fancy for her.
With a cold laugh, Jiang Xuanjin pressed his lips together and thought, if she considered Lu Jingxing more important, then let Lu Jingxing help her navigate past Ziyang.
He absolutely would not help her!
Li Huaiyu went to Xu Chuniang’s courtyard and found her embroidering something, with Jiang Shen sitting beside her, chatting idly.
“Huaiyu!” Seeing her, Xu Chuniang’s eyes lit up, and she stood to greet her. “What brings you here? Is His Highness all right?”
“I’m here to say goodbye,” Huaiyu said. “A friend is in trouble, and I need to go check on them.”
“Oh…” Xu Chuniang blinked. “I was just saying, maybe I could travel with you!”
Jiang Shen, who was sitting behind her, squinted his eyes. “How could someone as clever as Your Highness want to travel with us? My third brother defied the imperial decree, and what awaits us are the imperial guards from the capital. She should leave early.”
Wasn’t this indirectly accusing Huaiyu of being opportunistic? Xu Chuniang frowned at him, her mouth moving slightly, clearly unhappy.
But who was Li Huaiyu? She had grown up being scolded, had heard it all, and certainly wasn’t afraid of a few words from him.
Seeing Jiang Shen’s unfriendly expression, she instead smiled, lifted her skirt, and sat opposite him. “Second Young Master, do you think His Highness defying the decree will bring disaster to the Jiang family?”
“Do you even need to ask?” Jiang Shen sneered. “Defying a decree will not bring disaster? Will it bring honor instead? My Jiang family has been loyal for generations and even received a carved stone inscription personally written by the filial emperor. Now, with this defiance, generations of effort will be wasted. Who knows how the world will judge us!”
Jiang Shen had always been close to Jiang Xuanjin. If he thought this way, naturally, the rest of the Jiang family would feel similarly.
Li Huaiyu sighed, “It seems that in your eyes, honor is more important than life?”
“Of course… Wait, what do you mean by that?” Jiang Shen frowned. “Are you implying that our Jiang family is just seeking fame and reputation? Is valuing honor a mistake?”
“I didn’t mean to be sarcastic, just stating a fact.” Huaiyu waved her hand. “Second Young Master, don’t get agitated.”
Jiang Shen sneered, “What kind of fact is this? If my third brother hadn’t defied the decree, would we have lost our lives?”
“Exactly!” Huaiyu nodded.
Momentarily taken aback, Jiang Shen looked at her expression and realized she wasn’t joking. He finally sat up straight and asked, “What do you know?”
“If I told you that His Highness had planned to leave the capital from the moment he submitted the first memorial accusing us, would you believe me?” Huaiyu smiled.
Ignoring the solid evidence, Lord Ziyang, uncharacteristically, insisted on condemning the Danyang faction. At first, when Huaiyu heard the news, she didn’t understand. But considering the events that followed, Jiang Xuanjin’s intentions became quite clear.
He had noticed the emperor’s transformation and ambition, realizing that he too was a target to be eliminated. So, he turned the tables, tripping up Situ Jing, and then immediately withdrew.
His decisiveness far exceeded the emperor’s, to the point where, when the Jiang family left the capital, the emperor had no suspicion at all.
“It was a perfect combination of timing, location, and human factors. The Jiang family conveniently had the tradition of climbing high on the Double Ninth Festival,” Huaiyu explained. “Otherwise, with so many people leaving the capital, the emperor would have certainly tried to stop you.”
Jiang Shen listened in astonishment, then frowned. “Why would His Majesty want to eliminate my third brother? He’s been a loyal minister and his mentor for many years…”
Halfway through his sentence, he stopped. The person in front of him was pointing at her nose.
“What about me?” Huaiyu smirked. “I’m his sister. I’ve been working hard for him since he ascended the throne. Look at what happened to me.”
Jiang Shen fell silent.
“You should be grateful that Jiang Xuanjin is smart. Otherwise, trapped in the capital, none of you would have escaped,” Huaiyu said. “His family punishment is severe. Second Young Master, if you have time, you should check on him.”
With that, she turned and gently took Xu Chuniang’s hand. “If I have the chance, I’ll come visit you again.”
“Okay.” Xu Chuniang nodded obediently.
As Li Huaiyu stood to leave, Jiang Shen finally came to his senses and frowned, shouting, “If that’s the case, why are you leaving?”
Wasn’t she the one who cared most about her third brother? She used to dote on him even when there was nothing wrong. Now that such a big issue had arisen, she was leaving his side.
Without turning back, Huaiyu raised her hand and waved, not bothering to explain, and left gracefully.
Jiang Shen, with a gloomy face, sulked for a while before asking Xu Chuniang beside him, “If you were her, would you forgive the third brother?”
“No,” Xu Chuniang answered without hesitation.
If she were pregnant and went to save her beloved, only to be thrown into prison by him, she might never speak to him again.
The world said Princess Danyang was narrow-minded, but Chuniang felt that Huaiyu was already very magnanimous. She even considered things from His Highness’s perspective, without blindly blaming him or seeking revenge. Instead, she faced this already dead relationship with the utmost calm.
Her heart contained not only romantic feelings but also the grandeur of mountains and rivers.
Xu Chuniang knew she could never be like Huaiyu, but she greatly admired her, hoping that one day she could be as free-spirited.
Jiang Shen had expected her to say “yes,” but her quick and direct “no” left him speechless for a while.
“Why not?” He frowned.
Xu Chuniang smiled. “You should go see His Highness first. The thoughts of a woman are beyond your understanding.”
Nonsense, he had known countless women. Was there a woman’s heart he couldn’t understand? Jiang Shen sneered, but seeing Xu Chuniang’s reaction, he inexplicably didn’t want to ask further. With a dark face, he got up and left.
When Li Huaiyu, Bai Ai, and Qingxian reached the stables at the foot of the mountain, they saw only Lord Ziyang’s carriage left.
“What’s going on?” Bai Ai walked around twice and asked the carriage attendant, “Where’s the carriage that was parked here earlier?”
The attendant lowered his head and whispered, “Several distinguished guests went down the mountain and took it.”
“That was our carriage. Why did they take it?” Bai Ai was furious. “What kind of attendant are you?”
Trembling, the attendant said, “I don’t know, sir. The guests said that everyone up the mountain is family, so any carriage would do.”
“Family, huh?” Bai Ai nodded, then lifted the curtain of Lord Ziyang’s carriage and signaled to the others. “Help Her Highness up.”
Li Huaiyu laughed despite herself, “Are we going to use this one?”
Bai Ai nodded, “Trading an ordinary carriage for His Highness’s luxurious one? It’s a good deal!”
With no other options, Huaiyu nodded, took Qingxian’s hand, and got into the carriage. Feeling guilty, she called out to Chijin outside, “Hurry, hurry!”
Chijin handed up the luggage and quickly jumped into the carriage.
“Drive!” Bai Ai raised the whip and set off. The attendant did not stop them, watching helplessly as they drove out of the stable and headed west.
Yufeng emerged from behind a shed near the stables, watching the diminishing carriage. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
How did His Highness know that this group would steal the carriage?
“Master, what are you doing?” Seeing Yufeng return, Chengxu was very puzzled. “Weren’t you angry that Madam was leaving? Why did you give her a carriage?”
Jiang Xuanjin, still with a dark face, lay motionless on the bed.
Yufeng pulled Chengxu aside and whispered, “Madam’s health is delicate. Physician Qijin said she must not be too jostled or fatigued. It’s normal for the master to let her have the carriage.”
“You didn’t see how angry he was just now.” Chengxu shook his head repeatedly and whispered, “I thought he was going to send you to chase and kill Madam, but instead, he had you do this.”
“The master’s thoughts are always hard to fathom. Why do you insist on understanding them?”
“If I can’t understand them, Madam certainly can’t.” Chengxu sighed, “If he’s so worried about her, why doesn’t he say a few kind words?”
Expect Lord Ziyang to say kind words. Yufeng sighed. With his disposition, even his kindest thoughts came out blunt and harsh. It was hopeless.
“Have you talked enough?” The seemingly asleep man on the bed suddenly spoke.
Chengxu and Yufeng were so startled they took a small jump and then bowed. “Your Highness, calm down!”
Half-opening his eyes, Jiang Xuanjin said coldly, “If you have time to gossip, you’d better prepare the things needed for the journey.”
“Everything is ready,” Yufeng said. “We’ve already sent the elder ahead. You are injured, so you should rest for a couple of days…”
“No need,” Jiang Xuanjin said. “Once everything is packed, we depart immediately.”
“But…” Chengxu glanced at his back. “The eunuch who delivered the decree is still detained, and the news won’t reach the capital for a while. There’s no need to rush.”
Jiang Xuanjin gave him a determined look.
“Understood,” Chengxu said.
No one could defy His Highness, so he obediently followed the order.
Linjiang Mountain was fifty-li away from the border town of Ziyang. Fortunately, the carriage traveled smoothly on the official road. Huaiyu took a nap in the carriage, and when she woke up, they were almost there.
“Your Highness,” Bai Ai said with a smile, “we were quite lucky. We passed a checkpoint with officers inspecting travelers. I thought we might have to fight, but they let us through without any trouble.”
Rubbing her stiff neck, Huaiyu sat up and laughed. “It’s not luck. This carriage has a bronze qilin on top. Unless the officers have a death wish, they wouldn’t dare stop it.”
“Ah so that’s it,” Bai Ai raised an eyebrow. “We did take the right carriage.”
Lifting the curtain, Huaiyu saw the tall city gates in the distance. Just as she was about to smile, a wave of nausea hit her, and she leaned over the side of the carriage, retching.
“Your Highness!” Chijin, who was driving, was startled and quickly pulled the reins.
“No need to stop, I’m fine,” Huaiyu waved her hand, urging him to continue. “I’ve been feeling nauseous these past few days. Chuniang said it’s normal during pregnancy.”
Not a single man in the carriage had ever been pregnant. Seeing her pale face and severe nausea, they were all very anxious.
“Maybe we should rest at that pavilion up ahead?”
“No, let’s get into the city and find Lu Jingxing first,” Huaiyu frowned. “If you want me to feel better, hurry up.”
Hearing this, Chijin didn’t dare delay any longer and drove the carriage quickly into the city.
The guards at the city gate, seeing the carriage, hesitated and let it pass without stopping. However, they soon realized something was amiss and followed, shouting, “Stop!”
To shake off the guards, Chijin drove the carriage through a series of twists and turns in the border town. Passing an alleyway, Huaiyu made a decisive call, “Get off!”
The group quickly slipped into the alley, while Chijin continued to lead the pursuing guards in circles. Seizing an opportunity, he abandoned the carriage at a street corner and blended into the crowd.
“Where should we go now?” Bai Ai was at a loss, looking around the unfamiliar surroundings. “Lu didn’t tell us where to meet him.”
Huaiyu glanced out of the alley and smiled. “Finding someone else might be difficult, but finding Lu Jingxing is the easiest.”
On the not-so-busy street, the lanterns of Lu Ji shone brightly.
Bai Ai clicked his tongue. “How is there a Lu Ji everywhere?”
“Why do you think he’s the richest merchant in the capital?” Huaiyu chuckled, lifting her skirt as she entered one of the shops.
The shop assistants, having received prior instructions from Lu Jingxing, recognized her immediately and said, “Miss, please head to the Lu Ji Apothecary on the next street. The master is there.”
Still at the apothecary after all this time? Huaiyu frowned. “Please, lead the way.”
Lu Jingxing was known for his carefree demeanor, always exuding the warmth of a spring breeze and the fragrance of fine wine. His elegant jade-bone fan from Nanyang accompanied him through all seasons, unfolding before him like a scene of tranquility.
However, at this moment, he lay quietly on a bed, his phoenix eyes closed, his face pale, and blood still seeping through his clothes. He looked utterly defeated.
“Lu Jingxing?” Huaiyu stared at him for a while before finally calling out.
His long, dark eyelashes fluttered, and Lu Jingxing half-opened his eyes. He hadn’t yet focused on who was beside him, but a faint smile tugged at his lips. “You have quite the luck.”
His voice was hoarse. Huaiyu took a deep breath, her throat tightening. “If I’m so lucky, how did you end up like this?”
“Just bad luck.” He squinted at her. “I didn’t expect your royal brother to be so ruthless.”
He had returned to the capital to find someone, only to be ambushed by the Emperor at the Canghai Yizhu Pavilion. The Emperor intended to capture him alive. Given the scale of the trap, it was clear that once caught, he would be used as a pawn against Danyang. Despite their sibling bond, Danyang had no intention of getting involved in royal affairs again, yet the Emperor’s aggressiveness left no room for peace.
Shaking his head lightly, Lu Jingxing said, “He’s truly not a kind person.”
Li Huaiyu pursed her lips, glanced at the blood seeping through his clothes, and asked the attendant Zhaocai, “Knife wounds?”
Zhaocai nodded. “Three knife wounds. None of them critical, but he lost a lot of blood.”
“And the medicine? Has he taken it?”
“He’s already taken it.”
After these questions, Huaiyu fell silent. She stared at the patterns on the quilt, her eyes moving slightly, her face expressionless.
Zhaocai found it strange. Typically, visitors to patients would offer some words of concern, even if they were just pleasantries. But this master, who had such a good relationship with his young master, was remarkably taciturn.
Lu Jingxing noticed Huaiyu’s demeanor and chuckled softly, coughing twice. “Zhaocai, take them to see Juwu.”
“Yes, sir!”
The door opened and closed, leaving only the two of them in the room.
Lu Jingxing’s amusement turned into concern. “What are you feeling guilty about?”
“Is it that obvious?” Huaiyu tried to force a smile.
With a sigh, Lu Jingxing said, “I know you well enough, don’t I?”
Huaiyu managed a sheepish grin. “True. You’ve cleaned up my messes countless times. Every time I get you into trouble, whether it’s causing you to lose money or face danger, you always try to talk sense into me, but I keep thinking my way is the right way.”
Her voice grew quieter, and she felt her nose and throat tighten. “But I’ve been so wrong. From Huailin to Jiang Xuanjin, I haven’t trusted a single person correctly, and now I’ve dragged you into this mess.”
She had been avoiding thinking too deeply about what had happened recently, drifting through her days as if in a dream. But the sight of the blood on Lu Jingxing’s clothes jolted her awake.
The brother she once adored had tried to kill her once and was now plotting a second attempt. The man she had loved deeply had mistrusted her, sending all those who tried to save him to prison. These were people she had risked her life for.
What had she been doing all this time? What kind of life had she been leading?
“Danyang,” Lu Jingxing frowned. “Calm down.”
“I’m very calm. You know me, I’m always calm.” Huaiyu nodded obediently, though tears fell in large drops onto the edge of his bed. “I’m just a bit upset…”
Upset to the point of suffocation.
In prison, she could distract herself with thoughts of escape and rescue. But now, sitting here, all she could see was the blood on Lu Jingxing’s clothes.
All the suppressed pain surged up, impossible to ignore.
Danyang was a scourge. Li Huaiyu was a fraud. She was a joke.
She had thought she could help the state and protect the young emperor, carrying the burden of infamy with a smile, telling herself that being bad was easier than being good. She had schemed for years, even sacrificing her happiness, all to ensure Li Huailin would become a wise ruler.
But Huailin had accused her of killing his father.
Covering her eyes with her hands, Li Huaiyu laughed bitterly. “Do you think the heavens despise me? If so, a lightning strike would suffice. Why go to all this trouble?”
Everyone she loved hated her, and all her efforts had crumbled. She had bet on a happily-ever-after and got half a year of misery in return.
What grave sin had she committed to deserve such punishment?
Lu Jingxing sighed, reaching out to touch her cheek. “Don’t cry.”
“When I’m crying, don’t say those words.” Her tears fell even harder as she wiped them with the back of her hand, gritting her teeth. “The more you say it, the worse I feel!”
“Then what should I say?” Lu Jingxing smiled. “Should I scold you?”
Huaiyu nodded.
It was the first time he’d encountered such a peculiar request. After some thought, Lu Jingxing obliged with gusto. “You are a blind fool! Your taste in men is awful, and you never listen when I tell you otherwise. Did you feed your brains to pigs?”
Li Huaiyu: “…”
Lu Jingxing continued, “You’re just stupid. You can’t even see through your own brother’s true nature? Just because he acts cute, do you think he’s a child? Ever heard of ‘clear accounts between siblings’? Especially in the imperial family!”
“Honestly, you look especially ugly when you cry, like a crooked gourd. I’m injured here; could you show some kindness?”
Taking a deep breath, Li Huaiyu swallowed her sadness and clenched her fists. “Do you want to see what a truly crooked gourd looks like?”
Inching back on the bed, Lu Jingxing winced. “Do you have any humanity? You asked me to scold you, and now you want to bully an injured man who can’t fight back?”
“You don’t look like you’re suffering much. Your tongue is quite sharp!” Huaiyu gritted her teeth. “You went all out with the scolding!”
“Of course. Between you and me, there’s no need for pleasantries,” Lu Jingxing said, feigning a joking tone but looking at her with sincere concern.
Between them, there was never a need for formality.
Li Huaiyu understood his meaning, her eyes reddening further.
Was it because she had someone like Lu Jingxing by her side that Heaven felt she had been too fortunate, thus sending trials her way for balance?
Thinking this over eased her heart considerably. Huaiyu dabbed at her nose with the blanket, then wiped her face firmly.
“Hey…” Lu Jingxing weakly interjected, “That’s a blanket, not a handkerchief.”
“Aren’t they both for wiping faces?” Huaiyu looked puzzled. “What’s the difference?”
Nearly exasperated, Lu Jingxing gritted his teeth. “Indeed, not much difference. Just like His Highness’ face and the city walls here, both thick enough to withstand any assault.”
“Such flattery.” After cleaning her face, Huaiyu gently lifted the edge of his draped clothing.
The white cloth across his chest was soaked through with blood, causing her to furrow her brow. “Why haven’t you changed the bandages?”
“And what more can I do?” Lu Jingxing pursed his lips. “It hurts.”
He had already changed the dressing several times, but the wound was slow to clot, keeping the cloth soaked. The torment of unwrapping and rewrapping it was unbearable.
The smell of blood rushing to her nose triggered Huaiyu’s stomach to rebel, and she hurried to the window to retch, expelling the acidic water from her stomach.
“Hey, isn’t this a bit much?” Lu Jingxing rolled his eyes, “I didn’t let you see the wound, why are you vomiting?”
Feeling relieved after vomiting, Huaiyu rinsed her mouth with tea before sitting back down by the bed. “You’ll experience vomiting too when you’re pregnant.”
“You’re the one pregnant here, not me…” Lu Jingxing began to retort.
Yet as the words left his mouth, he seemed to finally grasp their meaning, raising his head in astonishment.
Huaiyu smiled, pointing at her belly. “Qijin wasn’t sure before, but judging by how things are now, it seems to be true.”
“…Does Jiang Xuanjin know?” Lu Jingxing frowned.
“He shouldn’t,” Huaiyu smirked. “Otherwise, he wouldn’t have let me go.”
Initially, the pain was only from the cuts on her body, but now her head ached as well. Lu Jingxing gritted his teeth. “Ancestors, you knew this was a trap, yet you willingly jumped into it?”
Knowing trouble was inevitable sooner or later, how could she have become pregnant?
No, it wasn’t just pregnancy—she never should have gotten involved with Jiang Xuanjin in the first place. Not content with heartache alone, she now had to endanger her health as well. This was a clear-cut loss!
“At the time… things were different,” Huaiyu chuckled dryly. “For a while, I thought I could live peacefully.”
“And you also thought Li Huailin would always stand by your side.” Lu Jingxing was about to lose his mind with frustration. “When have your thoughts ever been right?!”
With her hands on her knees, Huaiyu bowed her head, knowing she was in the wrong, braving his scolding obediently.
“Pregnant… why didn’t you say so earlier?!” Lu Jingxing was almost sitting up, turning his head to shout outside, “Zhao Cai!”
Huaiyu was startled and quickly pressed him back down. “You can scold all you want, but don’t move around. Your wound is still bleeding!”
Lu Jingxing glared at her. “You dare to speak?”
Silenced by his imposing presence, Huaiyu found herself cowed in front of Master Lu for the first time. She pursed her lips and remained silent.
Zhao Cai entered, trembling. “Master, what’s wrong?”
“Fetch all the physicians from the hall and change the bedding in the neighboring room,” Lu Jingxing ordered with a pale face, pointing at the troublemaker beside him. “Lastly, throw her in there!”
Zhao Cai was terrified. Glancing at his master, he nervously pleaded, “I dare not… Could we use a gentler approach?”
Someone followed him in and chuckled. “Master Lu is just speaking harshly. If he dares to throw her, he’ll surely break his hand.”
“Jiu Wu!” Huaiyu saw him and approached like she had found a savior. “Master Lu is so fierce today! Please come and save me!”
Wu stood in front of her, bowed first, and then shook his head. “If I were in his place, I’d be harsh too. Your health is fragile, yet you dare to provoke?”
Huaiyu felt wronged. “Did I provoke? Wasn’t I pushed to this?”
“Enough.” Wu gestured outside. “Master Lu is also seriously injured. Spare him your anger. Go to the next room and wait for the physician.”
“Oh…” Huaiyu nodded forlornly. She glanced at Lu Jingxing, who had closed his eyes, indicating he didn’t want to engage. She shrugged and followed Wu out, turning left.
“I’ve checked with Qingxian and Bai’ai,” Wu turned back to Lu Jingxing. “The news of His Highness’ pregnancy is known to some in the Jiang family, but they haven’t informed Lord Ziyang.”
Lu Jingxing opened his eyes. “It’s better if he doesn’t find out.”