Chapter 8: Abandon That Thought at Once!

Feng Zhinian walked into the bedchamber, his posture slumped and his shoulders hunched. He crossed his arms before his chest, looking at Lu Heng, who stood before him, with an expression of feigned innocence. Gone was the high-spirited arrogance he had displayed earlier when clashing with Jiang Mubai; instead, he looked like a wronged puppy as he softly called out, "Uncle... Royal Uncle."

Lu Heng stood with his hands behind his back, eyeing him coldly. "So you still remember that I am your uncle."

With a dull thud, Feng Zhinian dropped to his knees. Keeping his head bowed, he said, "Your nephew is incompetent, and I have made a fool of myself before you. It is just... I simply cannot let go of Shu... Shu... Gu Nanshu."

Lu Heng narrowed his eyes, suppressing the rising fury in his heart. "You dare speak of your feelings for her to my own woman? Feng Zhinian, your audacity has grown indeed! Do you believe I have the power to order your execution right now?"

"I do!" Feng Zhinian gritted his teeth and held his head high. "But Uncle, even if you were to sever my head, you could not stop me from loving her. I love her! Yet, your nephew understands that the wood is already carved into a boat; the die is cast. The wood cannot return to the forest, and emotions cannot flow backward. In this world, only you, Uncle, are worthy of her."

"You certainly have a bold tongue!" Lu Heng’s hands, clenched behind his back, tightened. He longed to kick the boy, but fearing he might cause real harm and break his sister’s heart, he swung his sleeve violently and barked, "Since you know the die is cast, then your entanglement with Gu Nanshu is over. This matter is not as simple as you think! I give you half an incense stick of time to cut off every lingering thought in your mind. Once the time is up, you will get out of my sight immediately!"

"Yes! Thank you, Uncle, for your mercy," he said, bowing low in gratitude.

Lu Heng cast one last cold, impatient glare at him. Some knots, once tied, would become a scourge if not unraveled properly. He understood Feng Zhinian’s state of mind, but he would not tolerate him acting recklessly. With another heavy sweep of his robes, he left the chamber and stepped outside.

He raised a hand, and the guards at the door immediately pulled it shut.

A crowd stood outside. Seeing the imposing Lu Heng emerge, they all fell to their knees. It was their lack of decorum today that had led to such a deadlock, ultimately causing the Princess Consort to vomit blood and faint. They were all guilty.

Kneeling at the front were Jiang Mubai and Feng Yuxi. Feng Yuxi, in particular, kept her head bowed so low it nearly touched the floor, her entire body trembling for fear that her uncle might be displeased enough to behead her. Back at the training grounds, she had spoken disrespectfully to the Princess Consort and had the audacity to suggest that her uncle should discipline his own wife—a grave act of insolence! If only she hadn't coveted that painting, *The Sea of Books*. Now that the Princess Consort lay unconscious, what was to be done?

As for Jiang Mubai, his clothes were disheveled, his hair in chaos, and his left cheek was swollen and bruised—he had been hit quite hard. Yet, his spine remained straight, his gaze lowered but firm, and his thin lips pressed together, looking as if he believed he had done nothing wrong.

***

After walking slowly toward them, Lu Heng stopped in front of Jiang Mubai. He looked down at him, eyes narrowed as if seeing through something, and said in a deep voice, "Vice Minister Jiang, have you and the Princess Consort met before?"

Jiang Mubai frowned, puzzled by the question. He looked up at Lu Heng, bowed, and replied, "No. This is my first time meeting the Princess Consort, but it is indeed my fault that her health has been disturbed. I beg for your punishment, Uncle."

They don't know each other?

Lu Heng raised his hands to adjust the jade ring on his thumb and curled his lips into a cold, mocking smile. "What crime could Vice Minister Jiang have committed? Everyone, rise."

The crowd froze. Was the Uncle not planning to punish them? How benevolent of him!

They bowed in unison: "Yes, thank you for your grace in sparing us, Uncle."

After everyone stood up, Lu Heng instructed Jiang Mubai: "Vice Minister Jiang, regarding the matter between you and Yuxi, I hope that once you return, you will provide a respectable explanation to Prime Minister Feng so as not to become a laughingstock. Move the wedding date forward."

"Yes, I obey," he said, bowing deeply.

Lu Heng nodded, then turned his gaze to Feng Yuxi, calling out with a smile, "Yuxi."

"I am here!" Terrified, Feng Yuxi immediately knelt again, her throat bobbing.

Lu Heng warned, "I do not wish to see you disrespect the Princess Consort a second time. I am not as easygoing as your mother. Do you understand?"

Feng Yuxi shivered. "Yes! Yuxi understands. I was wrong today, and I will never dare to speak rudely to the Princess Consort again."

Lu Heng nodded with satisfaction and waved his hand. "That is enough. Everyone may leave."

Once the crowd had dispersed, Lu Heng spoke to Yun Feng: "Send men to investigate whether Jiang Mubai and the Princess Consort knew each other previously."

Both Yun Feng and Lie Yan had noticed today that the Princess Consort was truly acting strangely. Whenever she faced Jiang Mubai, her emotions were intense, as if she held a deep-seated grudge. It was completely baffling.

***

Yun Feng and Lie Yan both frowned. Lie Yan stood with his arms crossed over his sword, while Yun Feng asked, "My Lord, the Secretariat has no dealings with the Ministry of Justice’s Vice Minister. What if there is truly a feud between the two families?"

"Follow the law and handle it according to the statutes," Lu Heng said with stern decisiveness. As if remembering something else, he ordered Lie Yan: "Go and bring the maid who serves the Princess Consort. I have questions for her."

"Yes, My Lord."

Before long, Huantao was brought in. She knelt before Lu Heng, trembling, her hands tightly clenched, fearing the Lord would punish her.

Lu Heng toyed with his jade ring, his gaze fixed on Huantao. "Do not be nervous. I called you here simply to ask: has your mistress shown any unusual behavior lately?"

At this, Huantao’s back straightened abruptly. It seemed the Lord had also noticed the changes in her mistress. She was equally confused, but how was she to explain?

"Reporting to the Lord, ever since my mistress married into the Prince’s residence, her temperament has indeed changed. She was raised as a refined lady of a noble house; her words and deeds would never be so unrefined as they are now. It feels... as if she is not the same person."

Having said this, Huantao clutched her small hands in distress. She did not want to speak ill of her mistress before the Lord, but the situation was too strange, and she, too, wanted the answer.

Not the same person?

Lu Heng frowned. "Is that all? Are there any other differences?"

Huantao shook her head. She dared not mention the rest, especially the events of their wedding night.

Lu Heng asked again, "Did your mistress know Vice Minister Jiang before, or perhaps, was there some grievance between them?"

Huantao shook her head again. "No. Apart from her history with the eldest Young Master Feng, she has had no contact with any other men."

Lu Heng fell silent for a moment, his expression turning grave. He commanded, "You mentioned earlier that the Princess Consort spent an entire night writing. I order you, by whatever means necessary, to find those things she wrote and bring them to me. You know what you must do, don't you?"

Huantao looked deeply troubled, but finally, she clenched her palms tight. "Yes, I obey!"