In late February, Jin Wang Yan Fuguang led 30,000 soldiers from the capital to the north, accompanied by Qi Wang Yan Changfeng and Heng Wang Yan Qinghuai.
For a time, the people in the capital were all uneasy, and rumors that Dayan was about to go to war with the barbarians in the north were flying in the sky.
In the courtyard of Jinxiyuan, Lu Qing had Brother Lan on his lap. Mother and son were sitting on chairs looking at the flowers and plants in the courtyard.
Lan Ge'er's energy is getting stronger and stronger. Apart from sleeping, he can't let the people around him have leisure at all. Even in the arms of his favorite mother, he can't help but want to move around, and his little arms and legs are shaking. Akira expressed his desire to take a look outside.
"Ahhhh——"
The saliva fell down as he opened his mouth, and Mandong wiped it away with a handkerchief for Lange'er skillfully.
Lu Qing restrained his hands and feet, trying to reason with a child who was not even half a year old yet, "Let's go out later, it's not time yet."
Before dinner, Lu Qing would ask the wet nurse to feed him and then take him out for a walk, because it was too late and Lu Qing didn't want him to go out.
But how could Brother Lan, who only stared at Lu Qing with his big eyes open, understand the truth? He couldn't even understand the words now.
"Okay..." Lu Qing sighed helplessly, "Mom is also dizzy. She forgot that you are still too young and don't understand anything."
"Yeah~" The eyes are round and they are close to Lu Qing's little head and they are rubbing very lovingly.
"I can't go, no matter how hard I try, I can't go. Mother is tired. Brother Lan should go take a nap with mother." Without saying anything, Lu Qing picked up the meat dumplings and went to the inner room.
Lan Ge'er pursed his lips, burying his grievances in Lu Qing's arms without making a sound.
Lu Qing rubbed the back of his head and whispered, "Don't lose your temper."
She patted Brother Lan's back and quickly coaxed the sulky little guy to sleep.
The cold gradually subsided, and the sun finally visited this land again after many days.
Yan Fuguang was not in the capital, so the backyard was relatively peaceful.
Every time he went to Yihongyuan to pay his respects, Ning Huayue would let them go with just a few words, which made Lu Qing feel relaxed.
However, God seemed to be against her. As soon as she relaxed, the palace sent someone to summon her, saying that Empress Xu asked Ning Huayue to bring Brother Lan into the palace, without mentioning Lu Qing at all.
She went to Ning Huayue first.
"Princess, the Queen, Brother Lan's things are almost packed, but I am still afraid that he will come into the palace and cry and disturb the Queen and the others."
Lingyun arranged Ning Huayue's clothes. To be honest, Ning Huayue didn't understand why Queen Xu asked her to bring Brother Lan into the palace, but Lu Qing's words reminded her.
When you go out, you can't lose the face of the palace. Although it is reasonable for the child to cry, if it can be avoided, Ning Huayue is willing to take Lu Qing with her.
"Okay, come with me to the palace and take good care of Brother Lan."
Lu Qing said gratefully: "Thank you for your consideration, Princess. I will definitely take good care of Brother Lan."
With these people who were accustomed to serving Lan Geer, Lu Qing temporarily put her heart back in her stomach.
Ning Huayue's carriage was in front, and she and Lan Geer sat in the one behind.
Brother Lan fell asleep in Lu Qing's arms in a daze, and when he woke up, he was in Fengyi Palace.
Empress Xu was pulling Ning Huayue beside her, scolding her fiercely: "Why did you bring Wei? I didn't even send anyone to call her, so why did you remember to bring her?"
Ning Huayue was confused and didn't understand Queen Xu's good intentions at all: "Aunt, did Yue'er do something wrong?"
If she were summoned to enter the palace alone, she would definitely not be so kind as to take Lu Qing with her, but with the addition of Lan Geer, a child that the prince attaches great importance to, shouldn't she be more careful? No matter what happens, it's all her fault!
Empress Xu sighed and said angrily: "You are really not in a hurry! It's me who worries about you every day!"
"What are you worried about about Yue'er?"
Queen Xu lowered her head and cast her eyes on Ning Huayue's belly: "Worry about your heirs."
Heir?
Ning Huayue's face turned red and white. There was no news about her sleeping with Yan Fuguang so far. It seems that she has become a topic of conversation among others. But she couldn't make the decision on her own, and Yan Fuguang didn't agree. How could she, a daughter of a family, be able to force it?
No matter how much her self-esteem was despised by Yan Fuguang, it would not be reduced to this, right?
Ning Huayue spoke with difficulty: "It is difficult to change the prince's opinion of me for a while, but don't worry, aunt, Yue'er will work hard to win the prince's favor."
"A man's favor is both important and not that important." Queen Xu glanced at Lu Qing sitting below and said, "Actually, the Wei family is smarter than any of you, and with her background, she is willing to sacrifice for anything. No one else in the backyard of Prince Jin’s Mansion can compare to her.”
Ning Huayue was not very happy when she heard Queen Xu say this.
"A maid is a concubine. Those of you who are better born than her and have a higher family background than her are just not as good as her." Queen Xu continued, "I am not wrong, right?"
Ning Huayue was unconvinced: "No matter what, this is the most she can do. Although Yue'er doesn't like her, she doesn't regard her as her lifelong enemy. She doesn't have that qualification yet."
Empress Xu said softly: "As long as the Wei family dies, no one can shake her position in the palace. Have you forgotten whose belly the only heir to be born so far came from?"
Ning Huayue was shocked.
"And her status comes from her children."
Every word Empress Xu said struck a chord in Ning Hua Yue's heart.
"So, do you know what you should do while Fuguang is away from the capital and unable to protect their mother and son?"
Ning Huayue swallowed her saliva and said in disbelief: "If the prince finds out, he will definitely not let me go, and he might even implicate the Ning family!"
"Yue'er, are you stupid?" Empress Xu laughed foolishly, "Fu Guang only cares about children. A concubine who was born as a maid is of no use to him. If she finds a reasonable reason to deal with it, who will investigate?"
Ning Huayue clasped her hands together and turned to look at the meek and silent Lu Qing.
Then, her eyes shifted to Lan Geer who was being held by Lu Qing. As if she had made up her mind, she asked in a low voice, "Auntie, is what you said true?"
Queen Xu's voice was soft and full of temptation: "Of course, Brother Lan is still young. If he is raised by your side since childhood, he will be close to you when he grows up."
Ning Huayue said nervously: "I have also tried this, but it didn't work. Wei will not let go, and the prince doesn't seem to have that intention."
"So, we have to make plans before Fuguang returns to Beijing. What else can be done when the deal is already done?"
Lu Qing's arms were sore. Lan Ge'er was very honest when entering the palace, but her nerves were tense and she didn't dare to relax for a moment.
She couldn't hear what Empress Xu and Ning Huayue were talking about, but she felt a strong uneasiness in her heart for no apparent reason.
