Chapter 46
Yuwen Min had held back for a long time before he finally couldn’t resist saying, “I believe Wang Fei’s actions are inappropriate.”
Lu Hanzhi sighed helplessly. “I understand, Your Highness does not wish to provoke the young lady. But… I truly don’t know how to explain this to you. If I were to say that doing this would save a life, would you be willing to do it without asking why?”
As soon as he said this, Lu Hanzhi felt like he was being unreasonable.
How much trust must one person have in another to believe them so unconditionally?
But he had no other choice. If he didn’t do this, the innocent County Princess Zhaoyun might lose her life because of it.
After a moment of silence, Yuwen Min nodded at him and said, “Alright.”
Lu Hanzhi was deeply moved. This must be what the ancients meant by using people without suspicion and not using those you suspect.
But such trust required the other party to take on great risks.
Since you trust me so much, I will not betray that trust.
Lu Hanzhi smiled at Yuwen Min and said, “Your Highness, the little imperial uncle… seems to be quite close to my cousin, doesn’t he?”
Yuwen Min sharply turned to look at him and asked, “What did you see?”
Lu Hanzhi recalled the events from the book and said, “Recently, my cousin has been distributing medicine to the poor in the rubble district. Normally, the medicine used there is just for colds and dysentery. But lately, she seems to have secretly taken a large amount of medicinal supplies from my father’s storage. I don’t know what she’s using them for.”
This was a detail mentioned in the original novel.
To help Yuwen Mingji gather medicinal supplies, Su Wan’ning had acted on impulse and used her authority to requisition a large quantity of herbs.
This had greatly aided Yuwen Mingji, allowing him to stockpile enough provisions. Only then was he able to stir up conflicts among various factions, gradually plunging the Great Zhao into chaos.
One of the terms in the treaty signed between Yuwen Mingji and a third-party force he had colluded with was a large supply of medicinal herbs.
Furthermore, in warfare, medicine was an essential resource.
In the Great Zhao, the medicinal trade was under strict control, and what Yuwen Mingji lacked most was precisely a stable supply of key medicinal ingredients.
He could have taken his time gathering them, but after staying hidden for over a decade, he had finally found an opportunity to incite internal strife in the Great Zhao. Why would he wait any longer?
And just at this crucial moment, Su Wan’ning had delivered a batch of medicinal supplies straight to him.
A timely blessing like this—how could Yuwen Mingji not be pleased?
As soon as Yuwen Min heard about this, he immediately asked Lu Hanzhi, “Do you know where these medicinal supplies were sent?”
Lu Hanzhi couldn’t give him an exact location, so he could only provide a general area. “It should be somewhere east of the northern outskirts in the rubble district. But as for the exact location… my servant didn’t dare follow too closely, fearing she would notice.”
Yuwen Min nodded and asked, “Have you always suspected your cousin?”
Lu Hanzhi’s expression grew heavy. He replied, “If you were born into a wealthy family, pampered by your parents, brothers, and grandmother for over a decade, only for an outsider to suddenly move into your home, steal all your family’s affection, and even try to take your marriage—would you not suspect her?”
Yuwen Min looked at Lu Hanzhi with a trace of sympathy in his gaze. He patted him on the shoulder and, after a brief pause, said, “Get some rest. I’ll wake you if someone comes.”
Lu Hanzhi didn’t refuse. He was already yawning nonstop.
Madam Lu had been thoughtful enough to prepare both a blanket and a thin quilt for him.
Lu Hanzhi spread out the quilt, pulled the blanket over himself, and fell asleep within moments.
He was someone who could sleep comfortably anywhere. When he woke up, he felt completely refreshed. At that moment, he heard movement outside the door. As he opened his eyes, he realized Yuwen Min had already left.
Quickly tidying up his things, Lu Hanzhi obediently knelt on the prayer mat.
The ones who entered were Lu Siwei and the Old Madam. It seemed the Old Madam was no longer as angry as before. She glanced at him and said, “Your cousin even pleaded for you. Wan’er is a good child. As her older brother, you should be more accommodating toward her.”
Lu Hanzhi bowed his head in sincere repentance. As he kowtowed, he said, “Yes, Grandmother. Your grandson will certainly follow your teachings.”
The Old Madam yawned and said, “I’m old, and my energy is fading. Let’s go back.”
Lu Hanzhi looked up at Old Madam Lu, noticing that she seemed even more hunched over than before.
He felt helpless, not knowing how to protect her from Su Wan’ning’s psychological manipulation.
Anything he gave her would probably just be tossed aside—or directly thrown away by Su Wan’ning.
But as he lifted his gaze, he caught sight of the Old Madam’s dragon-headed cane.
That cane was an imperial-bestowed weapon, given to ministers who had achieved great military merit or made exceptional contributions to the country. It symbolized striking foolish rulers above and corrupt officials below.
Old Madam Lu had received this cane as a recognition of the Lu family’s vital role in the Great Zhao’s economy—an unparalleled contribution to the nation’s financial development.
Of course, in her hands now, the cane held no real authority; it was merely symbolic.
Yet, because it was an imperial gift, she always kept it by her side.
A thought suddenly struck Lu Hanzhi—if defensive talismans could be attached to any medium, why not the Old Madam’s cane?
If there was one thing she would never part with, it would be this imperial-bestowed cane.
This was a rare opportunity. Normally, Su Wan’ning kept a tight watch over her.
Without hesitation, Lu Hanzhi exchanged for a defensive talisman at half price. Then, he quietly approached the Old Madam, pretending to stumble down the steps and grabbing onto her cane for support.
The talisman hidden in his sleeve made contact with the cane in an instant and disappeared into it.
Lu Siwei frowned in displeasure but stepped forward to help him up personally. “What’s wrong with you? Did you hurt yourself?”
The Old Madam also gave him a glance, her tone tinged with concern. “You’re not a child anymore. Why are you still so careless when walking?”
Lu Hanzhi gave a somewhat embarrassed smile and said, “Ah… I’ve been kneeling all night, and my legs are numb. I’ve disturbed Grandmother. Please, take care.”
It seemed that his little movement earlier hadn’t been noticed, and he hoped his defensive talisman would work on the Old Madam.
However, things didn’t go as planned. It was likely that he had used too many talismans, all of which had been successful so far, leading him to overlook a key fact.
At this moment, a system prompt reminded him of the reality: “The talisman usage failed and has been destroyed. Please exchange for a higher-level talisman, or it will not work on this target.”
Lu Hanzhi: ???
Oh, right! The talisman he had exchanged for was a low-level magical tool.
For someone who hadn’t been subjected to Su Wan’ning’s mental attacks, this low-level talisman would have been sufficient.
But for someone who had endured her mental attacks for a long time, such a talisman was likely ineffective.
Moreover, he suspected that Su Wan’ning had done something to the Old Madam. Otherwise, how could his talisman have been destroyed upon application?
It seemed that saving the Old Madam would be a long and difficult task!
What a waste of that half-price voucher and ten exchange points!
Now, looking at his empty exchange points, he felt a headache. He regretted his impulsive decision.
But there was no turning back now—sometimes, you had to pay for lessons like this.
Madam Lu had sent him some food and drinks, and even arranged for someone to help him wash up. After changing into clean and comfortable clothes, Lu Hanzhi went back to sleep.
When he woke up, it was noon. Ah Chan was brought in by Ah Man, who said helplessly, “Young Master has been crying; I think he misses his father.”
Lu Hanzhi took Ah Chan into his arms, and the weight in his hands told him that the little fatty had gotten heavier!
This chubby little one, since the day he was born, was destined to be raised fat, just like those pigs in the pen.
After not seeing Ah Chan for a full day and night, he was so delighted to see him again. Ah Chan was clinging to him, his little backside sticking out, and no matter how much Lu Hanzhi tried, he couldn’t get him off.
Lu Hanzhi missed him too. He had originally planned to exchange for some baby sausages from the exchange shop, but alas, all his exchange points had been squandered.
He checked the high-level magical tools, and the exchange points started at 100. How long would it take to save up for that?
Ah, no wonder the original female lead was so amazing.
Lu Hanzhi placed Ah Chan on the bed and began rummaging through his little stash to see if there were any snacks left.
Eventually, he found a pack of teething biscuits. He opened it, took one out, and was about to feed it to Ah Chan, when he noticed that the little one had slumped down, sitting there.
Lu Hanzhi’s eyes widened in surprise, and he couldn’t help but exclaim, which startled Ah Chan.
Ah Chan looked up at his silly father with a confused expression, and Lu Hanzhi, jumping up in excitement, spun around and shouted, “My Ah Chan can sit up now! Wow, you’re amazing! You’re only five months old, and you can sit up already?”
Ah Chan: … Although I don’t understand, I’ll just smile; that seems safe.
The room was filled with Ah Chan’s giggles and Lu Hanzhi’s silly laughter.
Anyone passing by the room couldn’t help but glance inside, thinking that ever since Lu Hanzhi had gotten his little one, he seemed much happier.
Ah Man and the other maids were also pleased, as ever since they started following the Third Young Master out of the house, their wages had tripled.
Now, their food and clothing were even better than the house’s senior maidens.
Moreover, Qin Se and Luan Feng used a kind of fragrant balm, which was personally mixed by the Third Young Master. It was such high-quality stuff that even the senior maid’s monthly wage wouldn’t be enough to buy it.
So when they returned this time, many people looked at them with envy, and some even quietly asked Qin Se if the Third Young Master still needed people.
The people around Lu Hanzhi were loyal, so of course, he didn’t casually hire others.
In the end, everyone could only watch with envy.
That night, Lu Hanzhi stayed at the Lu household. In the evening, Prince An sent him a message, saying that the handkerchief had been delivered to County Princess Zhaoyun.
Lu Hanzhi gave the messenger a tip, feeling a little less guilty.
County Princess Zhaoyun was at an innocent age, caught up in the struggle for succession.
Although, during the snowstorm, no snowflake is innocent, Lu Hanzhi still tried his best to minimize the harm.
At this moment, at Prince Chu’s residence, Lu Xuzhi was taking care of Prince Chu, whose symptoms of pregnancy sickness had begun to show.
Perhaps because of the pregnancy, Prince Chu had become quite lazy. He didn’t want to do anything other than play chess, read books, or feed fish in the back garden.
Lu Xuzhi, however, remembered the instructions from Doctor Lin to ensure that Prince Chu did enough exercise.
Prince Chu, though, looked a little anxious and asked, “Ah Min said everything is ready; there won’t be any problems, right?”
Lu Xuzhi patted his hand reassuringly and said, “Don’t worry, the court astrologer and I are very close. Everything will go smoothly.”
The next day, after the morning court session.
The palace maid Er Ya hurried back to Chixi Pavilion, rushing into the palace to kneel before Imperial Concubine Rong, anxiously reporting, “Your Highness… there’s trouble! The court astrologer has observed the stars! He claims that the Eldest Prince’s destiny is too strong, and it might affect the country’s prosperity!”
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Obrigada pela tradução 💓