CHAPTER 153: CHAPTER 147: MY FAMILY HEAD, MRS. LU, FANGHUA (THIRD UPDATE)

Song Wei thought, the Prince Consort has a mild temper. Since he has come sincerely, there’s no reason for me to shut him out.

He opened the courtyard gate completely and invited him in.

Lu Xingzhou stepped in and glanced around. The courtyard was small but tidily arranged, giving off a warm familial atmosphere.

Suddenly, Lu Xingzhou asked Song Wei, "You and your wife seem to have a good relationship, don’t you?"

Song Wei smiled without speaking, which was considered assent.

Unexplainably, Lu Xingzhou felt a bit envious of him.

Unaffected by status burdens, without grievances binding them, even if life was austere, they could remain loving and supportive until old age.

Sometimes, a simple life might not be a misfortune.

Inside the main room, Wen Wan heard the conversation and lifted the curtain, seeing at once the stranger standing next to Song Wei.

He was slightly taller than Song Wei, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, a high nose, and a distinctly defined face. Between his brows lay a sharp and heroic spirit.

While Wen Wan was observing Lu Xingzhou, Lu Xingzhou also happened to see her.

The young girl had a pair of clear, bright eyes, very beautiful, yet even more beautiful was her delicate, fair face with soft lines, perfectly charming.

At first glance, no one would doubt that Song Wei treated her well.

Without absolute favor, a small wife from an ordinary family could not live such a well-off life.

For some unexplainable reason, Lu Xingzhou felt a natural affection towards her, stemming from familiarity.

Her appearance somewhat resembled Ah Yin in her youth; however, Ah Yin’s temperament was cold, lacking the closeness and comfort that Miss Song exuded.

"Wanwan, this is the Prince Consort from the Princess Mansion, father of the Young Master Lu."

Song Wei introduced from the side.

Wen Wan shyly smiled as a greeting.

Lu Xingzhou’s attention was on Song Wei’s way of addressing her, wanting to ask but finding it impolite, he swallowed his words.

"Third Brother, I bought fish today, um..."

Song Fang’s voice stopped abruptly as she entered the courtyard.

She hadn’t expected visitors, feeling quite embarrassed, "Oh, is there a guest? I will go get some more dishes!"

Lu Xingzhou spoke up, "No need to trouble yourself, young girl. I won’t stay for a meal, I’ll leave soon."

Song Fang was uncertain, her gaze moving back to Song Wei.

Due to her resistance against the Lu Family, Song Wei also did not intent to keep the Prince Consort for a meal, nodding to Song Fang, "First, take the dishes to the kitchen."

Song Fang responded with an "Oh," lowering her head. It was evident that this guest was extraordinarily dignified, and her walking posture became more proper than usual, not wanting anyone to look down on her third brother because of her.

Having spoken, Lu Xingzhou could not stay longer, he proposed leaving, "You seem busy, so I’ll take my leave now."

Song Wei personally saw him out. On returning, he found Wen Wan lost in thought, asking her, "What’s the matter?"

Wen Wan shook her head, she just felt the Prince Consort’s gaze on her was unusually peculiar.

Perhaps the nobles had never seen a mute before, thus found it novel and gave her a few more glances?

Wen Wan finally convinced herself with this reasoning.

Not thinking further, she wrapped a cloth to take the medicine pot off the small stove, drank the medicine herself, and went to the kitchen to help her sister-in-law with the fish.

——

In the carriage back to the mansion, Lu Xingzhou remained in a daze, unable to shake off the image of Miss Song’s face, reminiscent of Ah Yin.

He didn’t understand why he was led to a certain suspicion, perhaps simply because he missed the daughter he had never met too much.

After returning to the mansion, the Eldest Princess noticed his low mood and asked him proactively.

Lu Xingzhou hesitated for a long while before saying, "Ah Yin, I would like to meet that child."

Whom he referred to was self-evident.

The Eldest Princess choked slightly, it was his biological daughter; it wouldn’t be fair not allowing him to see her.

However, she didn’t expect him to bring it up suddenly, looking troubled.

"Did something happen?" The Eldest Princess asked.

"Nothing, really, just missing her a bit, wondering if she’s been well all these years."

The fact that Miss Song could not speak was a personal matter, and even though Ah Yin was his wife, he had no reason to tell her.

In his eyes, the Eldest Princess saw a father’s longing and desire for his daughter, she almost didn’t hesitate to nod, "Alright, I’ll have preparations made and visit Ningzhou in the coming days."

That evening, when Lu Yanqing returned, hearing his parents were going out, he clamored insistently to join them.

Lu Xingzhou said, "Ningzhou is not close to the Capital, and your mother and I aren’t taking many servants with us. Aren’t you afraid of the hardships?"

Upon hearing the words "Ningzhou," all color drained from Lu Yanqing’s face, his eyes flickering, "I... I’m not going."

Lu Xingzhou noticed something was off and asked, "What’s wrong?"

Lu Yanqing pressed his lips and said, "Without servants, no one will serve me. I’m not going!"

Lu Xingzhou chuckled, patting him on the shoulder, "Then you stay here and study well. When we return, I’ll bring you some local specialties from there."

"I don’t want them!" He didn’t want anything to do with Ningzhou, not even the food.

After returning to the Capital from the Da Huan Mountain Coal Mine incident, he had nightmares for several consecutive nights, haunted by so many wrongful spirits, each bloody soul reaching out to claim his life.

He was afraid, truly afraid.

"Why are you suddenly so emotional, child?" Lu Xingzhou was puzzled.

Lu Yanqing, fearing his father might see through, used the excuse of feeling unwell and ran to his room. Once inside, he threw himself on the bed, pulling the quilt tightly over himself.

That night, he had nightmares again, waking up in the middle of the night with screams.

The night servants heard the commotion; one went to check on the Young Marquis, and another went to inform the Eldest Princess and Prince Consort.

The couple quickly dressed and rushed over, seeing their son curled up in a corner, drenched in sweat, his thick nightclothes soaked through. The Eldest Princess was startled, "Yanqing, what’s wrong? Having a nightmare?"

As soon as Lu Yanqing saw the Eldest Princess, he rushed into his mother’s arms without hesitation.

The Eldest Princess held him with one arm, gently patting his back with the other, soothing, "Don’t be afraid, I’m here, it’s alright."

Her comforting words seemed to unlock a well of grievances in Lu Yanqing, and he burst into tears.

Lu Xingzhou instructed the servants, "Light the calming incense for the young master in the latter half of the night."

"Yes." The servants complied.

The Eldest Princess comforted her son for most of the night. Only when he fell asleep again did she return to the main room with the Prince Consort.

Neither of them was sleepy anymore and sat by the table.

The Eldest Princess recalled something, "I remember that a couple of years ago, he frequently had nightmares. Could there be something wrong with his health? Let’s have the Medical Officer take a look at him another day."

Lu Xingzhou nodded, "I’ll have the Medical Officer come first thing in the morning."

Lu Yanqing was haunted by secrets, big matters that couldn’t be spoken of, so it was normal for him to have nightmares occasionally. The Medical Officer examined him and found nothing, but this couldn’t be said directly. He only informed the Eldest Princess and Prince Consort that the young master had been overly stressed recently and needed proper adjustment, prescribing a couple of calming, sleep-aiding decoctions.

The Eldest Princess and Prince Consort were going on a long journey, leaving Lu Yanqing in the care of the steward, instructing him to personally escort Yanqing to and from school, to ensure he went to bed on time, and to not let him go out to play with dubious friends.

The steward, a trusted aide of the Prince Consort for many years, ensured everything was in order and put the Eldest Princess at ease.

——

En route to Ningzhou, the Eldest Princess repeatedly told Lu Xingzhou that they weren’t going to reunite with their daughter, only to see her. She asked him to control his emotions, as Wanwan had been living in Ningzhou for eighteen years, and it was rare that she was free from any ties to the Royal Family. As biological parents, they shouldn’t disturb her peace.

Heaven knew how much Lu Xingzhou wanted to bring his daughter back to make up for lost time, but he also understood that his wife was right. The Capital was a quagmire, and once entangled, anyone would find it difficult to extricate themselves, especially with the strained relations between Ah Yin and the Empress Dowager, who bore a deep grudge against the Lu Family.

In such a precarious position, one had to maintain a balance. A sudden anomaly could be the last straw that broke the camel’s back, leading to potential catastrophes for the Lu Family, and rather than compensating the child, it might bring disaster upon her.

Lu Xingzhou convinced himself, and by the time they crossed into Ningzhou, his mood was much calmer than when they’d left the Capital.

The couple found an inn in Pingxiang County, and their ordinary attire did not attract any attention.

As the "deceased" Wen Family’s second wife, Mrs. Lu could not appear in Lower River Village, as it would certainly cause a stir. She sent the household guards, also in disguise, to visit the Wen Family there.

At that time, Father Wen had just returned from the fields. Hearing from the village chief that someone was looking for him, he went out to see a tall, thin young man he didn’t recognize.

Father Wen instinctively grew wary, squinting his eyes, "May I ask why you’re looking for me?"

The household guard approached him, lowering his voice, "My master seeks you."

"Who is your master?"

"Mrs. Lu, Fanghua."

After so many years, hearing this name again left Father Wen unsure of how to react.

After a moment, he instinctively glanced at his own courtyard gate, where Mrs. Zhou was peering over.

"Where is she?"

The simple four-worded question was difficult for Father Wen to ask, his voice tinged with a guilt he dared not face.

"My master is in the county," the household guard said. "If it’s convenient for you, please come with me now."

Father Wen’s calloused fingers curled slightly, hesitating.

The household guard added, "If it’s inconvenient, I can return another day."

Fear of missing this chance and never seeing Lu Fanghua in his lifetime, Father Wen took a deep breath, "Alright, I’ll go with you."