freenovelworld Chapter 338: Fish or Not
Chapter 338: Fish or Not
At dusk, the banquet at the Third Prince's Mansion ended.
Lu Jiangnian and Yuan Wanru got on the carriage and went straight back home.
Yuan Wanru lifted the car curtain, and the faint afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled on her face, casting fine light and shadows.
"Mother will definitely like to hear about today's interesting events." Yuan Wanru raised the corners of her lips slightly, and tapped the window frame lightly with her fingertips.
Lu Jiangnian closed his eyes and rested. He just smiled faintly when he heard this: "I'm just worried that she will think we are too ostentatious."
In Wangchun Hall, Wang Min was checking the account books.
Seeing her son and daughter-in-law coming together, she quickly asked the maid to serve them iced sour plum soup.
"Is the Third Prince's Mansion bustling today?"
Wang Min asked someone to bring a handkerchief to wipe the sweat off the two of them.
Yuan Wanru took the handkerchief, a sly glint in her eyes: "It's very lively."
"Mother, why don't you take a guess at what the Second Prince looks like today?"
She vividly described the scene where Lu Jiangnian gave away the "aphrodisiac" in public. When she talked about the exciting part, even Wang Min couldn't help covering her mouth with her sleeves.
But after laughing, Wang Min's eyes flashed with worry again: "You humiliated him in public like this, I'm afraid he will be desperate and do something desperate."
"It's best if he takes action."
Lu Jiangnian took a sip of sour plum soup, and the cool taste made him close his eyes comfortably.
"The people the emperor sent to Dalu Mountain should be here soon.
Once the evidence is presented, if the Second Prince gets so angry that he can't help but attack him, then that would be conclusive evidence.
He put down the porcelain bowl with a soft sound. "He's had such a good time for so many years, it's time for it to end."
The reason they were successful in the past was that they relied on hiding in the dark and pretending to be kind to deceive everyone. Once this hypocritical mask was exposed, it would be difficult to fool Lu Jiangnian.
"Mother, I don't need to go to court recently. Tomorrow I want to take you to the West Suburbs Villa."
"I think the lotus flowers there are in bloom now. Let's go there to relax and have some fun. Would you like to come?"
Wang Min's expression changed slightly: "There are many things to do in the mansion. Yun'er's wedding is still three months away, and there are many things to prepare."
She paused, hinting, "There are still some strangers in the mansion. I have to keep an eye on them."
"However, when you go out, bring more people with you."
Otherwise, she would feel uneasy.
"No need."
Lu Jiangnian sneered, "If you bring too much, the fish won't dare to bite."
Wang Min understood what he was going to do.
"Why don't you, Wanru, stay with me too."
If he wanted to be bait, he should let his son do it alone. Such a dangerous thing scared Wanru terrified.
Lu Jiangnian looked at Wang Min helplessly, while Yuan Wanru smiled secretly beside him.
"Mom, is it okay for me to go and admire the lotus flowers by myself?"
"Besides, my wife, I will take good care of her, you don't have to worry about her."
If he doesn't have this confidence, all the years he has been fighting in the border areas have been in vain.
Wang Min was still a little worried. Girls are delicate, how could she not be afraid of that kind of situation?
Yuan Wanru pulled her and acted coquettishly: "Mom, don't worry, my husband will take good care of me, and I'm not afraid."
Wang Min sighed and patted Yuan Wanru's hand: "You kid...that's all."
She turned to her son and her voice suddenly became stern.
"Lu Jiangnian, if you let Wanru get into any trouble, I won't forgive you!"
Lu Jiangnian laughed: "Mom, you have a daughter-in-law and have forgotten your son."
The three of them smiled at each other, and the atmosphere became a little more relaxed.
As he was speaking, footsteps were heard outside.
Nanny Gui hurried in to report, "Madam, today, Concubine Shen stayed in Rongshou Hall all day again. She just had dinner and left."
Wang Min and Lu Jiangnian exchanged glances.
Ever since Yuan Wanru forcibly demanded 20,000 taels of silver, the old lady claimed to be ill and could not go out. Concubine Shen became more and more diligent and went to serve Old Madam Lu every day. Gradually, Old Madam Lu also treated Concubine Shen better.
Now, Aunt Shen is invited to have dinner every day.
"I understand." Wang Min said lightly.
"Madam Gui, pick a time tomorrow morning and tell the old lady that the Crown Prince and his wife are going to the villa in the western suburbs tomorrow. Please take care of yourself."
Nanny Gui immediately understood that this was a time to choose to meet Aunt Shen.
"The servant knows."
Yuan Wanru chuckled: "Mrs. Shen has been going to Rongshou Hall quite frequently these days."
"Just a clown."
Lu Jiangnian didn't take it seriously. "After we've dealt with the Second Prince, we'll clean up these messes in the mansion as well."
The next morning, in front of the Rongshou Hall of the Lu Mansion.
Aunt Shen, who had come to pay her respects early in the morning, happened to run into Aunt Gui who was about to leave. Aunt Shen politely greeted her: "Madam, why are you here so early? What's the matter?"
Nanny Gui bowed and said, "I, under the order of the Madam, have come to Rongshou Hall to inform you that the Crown Prince and his wife are going to the West Suburbs Villa to admire the lotus today."
Aunt Shen's eyes gleamed: "The weather is getting hotter, it's the perfect time to go to the villa."
Aunt Gui said nothing and left in a hurry.
After Nanny Gui walked away, Aunt Shen immediately turned around and went back to her own yard.
Half a minute later, a servant quietly slipped out from the back door of Lu's mansion and went straight to a teahouse in the east of the city.
What he didn't know was that there were two pairs of eyes in the dark watching his every move.
"Go tell the prince that the bait has been cast."
One of them whispered.
-
On a summer morning, a breeze blew by. Wang Min stood on the stone steps in front of the Mansion of the Loyal and Brave Marquis and looked around.
She looked at the convoy ready to go, her eyes wandering back and forth between the dozen or so guards, and finally she couldn't help but take a step forward.
"Jiang Nian," she lowered her voice and gently tugged at her son's sleeve with her fingertips, "Aren't these people too few?"
Lu Jiangnian took his mother's slightly cold hand in his backhand and gently patted the back of her hand twice with his knuckles in a soothing manner: "Don't worry, mother. I know what's going on."
He glanced at Yuan Wanru, who was explaining something to her maid, and lowered his voice: "I won't take risks with my wife's safety."
Wang Min looked at her son's calm eyes, and was so worried that she forgot that her son had already grown into an independent man in the wind and sand of the border.
“Go early and come back early.”
In the end, she just raised her hand to straighten her son's collar.
When Yuan Wanru came over, holding up the hem of her apricot skirt, she saw Wang Min's slightly solemn expression. She smiled and leaned close to Wang Min and whispered, "Don't worry, mother. We will be fine. The second prince is impotent, so we are not afraid of him."
Wang Min was amused by her daughter-in-law's sly wink and watched the young couple get on the carriage.
Before the car curtain fell, Wang Min saw her son's slender fingers carefully adjusting the position of Yuan Wanru's cushion, with such a focused expression, as if he was treating a rare treasure.
Yuan Wanru waved goodbye to her and the carriage moved slowly. She looked back through the gauze curtain and saw Wang Min still standing in front of the door, her figure gradually getting smaller.
"My lady, stop looking. We'll be back in a few days."
Lu Jiangnian sat next to her, put his arms around her slender waist, his voice low and gentle, and his warm breath brushed past her ears.
Yuan Wanru shrank her neck because of the heat from his breath, and when she turned around, her nose almost hit Lu Jiangnian's chin.
The morning light filtered through the gaps in the bamboo curtains, casting tiny spots of light on his well-defined face.
He was wearing a dark blue brocade robe today, which made his skin look like jade. Only the soft sword at his waist hinted at his identity as a military commander.
Yuan Wanru moved back slightly: "Do you think the Second Prince will take action?"
Lu Jiangnian lifted the hair that fell beside her ears and said casually, "I don't know."
"If he were smart, he shouldn't have come."
At this time, Concubine Liang was under house arrest, the Liang family suffered a setback, and the Second Prince's wife was probably uneasy because of the Second Prince's impotence. The Lu family must have also heard the news.
In short, there are too many unstable factors around the Second Prince, and it is not wise to take action at this moment.
But how much rationality can a man still have after being insulted like this?
"Whether he comes or not, we'll just play our game."
Yuan Wanru listened and thought it made sense. "Well, the last time I went to the West Suburb Villa was three years ago. This time, I really should relax."