My Wife is a Frustrating Genius!!! - Chapter 69

The guards stationed at the palace gate had received word early in the morning that the Tanhua (Third-Ranked Scholar) and his father were to enter the palace, so they did not give the two any trouble. After accepting the gold ingots, they let them pass.

“Wow! The Tanhua’s family is so wealthy, they even gave such a large gold ingot just for passing through the palace gate,” remarked the guard on the left side of the gate, weighing the gold ingot in his hand, unable to help but marvel at the lavishness of the Bianjing merchant.

The guard on the right side of the gate nodded in agreement. “With our Eldest Princess marrying into such a family, she surely won’t suffer in the future.”

Lu Zhengliang and his son walked inward from the palace gate. The imperial palace was so vast that they couldn’t find their way to the old emperor’s quarters.

Just as they were scratching their heads in confusion, the old emperor’s personal eunuch hurried over to them.

“Master Lu, Tanhua, this way, please.” The old eunuch rushed up to the two men and, without even catching his breath, bowed and led them toward his master’s palace.

Lu Zhengliang noticed that the eunuch’s attire and the embroidery on his robe differed from those of the other eunuchs they had passed. He roughly guessed the eunuch’s status. When the eunuch led them to the entrance of the Imperial Study, Lu Zhengliang quickly pulled several large gold ingots from his pocket and pressed them into the old eunuch’s hands.

“Oh my! This won’t do. It won’t do!” The old eunuch was a shrewd man. At the moment, his master was not particularly fond of this Tanhua. If the emperor found out he had accepted money from the Lu family, he would undoubtedly face a scolding.

“It’s fine, it’s fine.” Lu Zhengliang wanted to win over the old eunuch, hoping he would put in a good word for his younger son in front of the emperor. So, he firmly pried open the eunuch’s hand and stuffed the gold ingots into the inner lining of his robe.

“You” The old eunuch glanced left and right. Only after ensuring no one was paying attention to them did he close the collar that Lu Zhengliang had tugged open.

“Sir, this is only proper. My son will need your guidance and support in the future.”

Lu Zhengliang looked at the old eunuch with an ingratiating expression. In truth, he didn’t need to act this way. He and the emperor were to be in-laws, so what was a mere eunuch to him?

However, after settling Lu Jiahe’s marriage, he would soon return to Bianjing. He knew that the Eldest Princess, upon marrying into the Lu family, would live in the capital. The Lu family had few relatives in the area, and they seldom interacted. He feared that if his younger son encountered any troubles in the future, there would be no one to help him.

The old eunuch understood Lu Zhengliang’s intentions. He looked at him and sighed deeply before speaking, “Don’t worry. Once the Tanhua becomes the imperial son-in-law, no one will dare bully him.”

“Yes, yes, you’re absolutely right.”

“Alright, hurry inside now. Don’t keep His Majesty waiting.” With that, the old eunuch pushed open the door to the Imperial Study and ushered the two inside.

In the grand and imposing Imperial Study, the man standing before the desk stared sternly at the two who had entered.

“Your humble subject, Lu Zhengliang, pays his respects to Your Majesty.”

“Your humble subject, Lu Jiahe, pays his respects to Your Majesty.”

Emperor Cheng, with his hands clasped behind his back, scrutinized Lu Zhengliang carefully. Only after a long while did he speak, allowing them to rise.

“Rise.” He turned his head and gestured to the old eunuch beside him. “Grant them seats.”

The old eunuch withdrew upon hearing this and had two young eunuchs bring chairs for the Lu father and son, then led everyone else out of the imperial study.

“Your Majesty, these are humble gifts I specially brought from Bianjing for you, Her Majesty the Empress, and Her Highness the Princess. I hope you will accept them.” Lu Jiahe opened the chests carried in by the palace attendants.

The first few chests mostly contained rare wild delicacies unique to Bianjing and calligraphy and paintings by renowned masters. But when he opened the later chests, their contents dazzled Cheng’s father’s eyes.

Three large chests were filled with neatly arranged gold ingots. Though Cheng’s father was the ruler of a nation, he had never seen so much money since crossing over into this world!

Ahem! Cheng’s father feigned a cough and then asked, “What is the meaning of this?”

Lu Zhengliang smiled and explained to the old emperor, “Your Majesty, I know I have wronged my youngest son. It is truly an injustice for Her Highness the Princess to marry into our Lu family. But rest assured, while our Lu family may lack in other aspects, we certainly have no shortage of money.”

“I am aware that the border is in crisis and this is precisely the time when silver, provisions, and fodder are needed. Since my son has married Her Highness the Princess, our Lu family will spare no effort to share Your Majesty’s burdens and difficulties.”

Upon hearing this, Cheng’s father raised an eyebrow. Although he needed funds to replenish the national treasury, Lu Zhengliang’s words did not sit well with him.

“Do you think I am trading my daughter for your family’s silver?” Cheng’s father frowned at the two. “Let me tell you, if my daughter never wishes to marry, I will support her for life. I would never do something as despicable as exchanging my own flesh and blood for future wealth and glory!”

Realizing from the emperor’s tone that he had misspoken, Lu Zhengliang immediately rose from his chair and knelt on the ground. “Your Majesty, you misunderstand. This humble subject has spoken wrongly.”

Hmph! Cheng’s father glared at Lu Zhengliang, then sat back in his chair, waiting for an explanation.

“What I meant was that after my son and Her Highness the Princess marry, no matter how much silver, provisions, or fodder the court requires, our Lu family will fully support it. Even if it means exhausting all we have, it is of no consequence.”

“I have witnessed the affection between Her Highness the Princess and my son. It is I-I who have wronged Jiahe and his late mother. I have been mistaken for half my life and do not wish to remain obstinate any longer.”

Lu Jiahe was momentarily stunned by his father’s words, surprised that his father. A man who valued face above all and never spoke of his mother in front of others, would express such remorse for past actions.

“While in Bianjing, I observed that Her Highness the Princess has considerable talent for business. I am willing to entrust the management of our family’s future assets to Her Highness.”

Cheng’s father had already inquired about the Lu family’s affairs and knew of the rift between Lu Jiahe and his father and stepmother.

“Aren’t you afraid that your wife and two sons will stir up trouble and disrupt your household? Have you considered that if they were to learn of this, the Princess and the Tanhua might face assassination again?”

Hearing the old emperor’s tone soften slightly, Lu Zhengliang added, “Do not worry, in the Lu family, ‘prosperity and decline are shared’. I will make this clear to them.”

“I do not covet your Lu family’s wealth. What I care about is whether my daughter is happy and content. If she suffers even the slightest grievance in your household, I will not let it slide.” Cheng’s father did not wish to dwell on trivial matters with Lu Zhengliang. After all, he respected the freedom of love, Lu Jiahe was the man his daughter had chosen, and as long as he treated her well, that was enough.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Lu Zhengliang kowtowed to the man in the bright yellow dragon robe, understanding that the emperor had consented to the marriage between the princess and his son. He hurriedly expressed his gratitude, fearing the emperor might change his mind.

“Go and summon the elders of your family to the palace for a simple meal. It would be good for both families to get acquainted.”

In Cheng’s father’s mind, the meeting of the two families before the children’s marriage was an essential step that could not be overlooked.

“Also, bring the two little dogs into the palace. My daughter must miss them.”

Outwardly calm, Lu Zhengliang was inwardly astonished that the old emperor knew so much about his family. “Yes.”

After the two families settled on a time for the meal, Lu Zhengliang left the palace first to make preparations. Meanwhile, Lu Jiahe was escorted by a palace maid from the princess’s residence, who had been waiting outside the imperial study, to Cheng Yi’s bedchamber.

“Darling, I’ve missed you so much.” The moment Lu Jiahe entered the room, he rushed toward his wife.

The young couple, still in the throes of their honeymoon phase, acted as if they had been separated for a decade after just one night apart. They dismissed everyone from the room and secretly snuggled in bed, even in broad daylight.

“We’ll be having a meal soon. Can’t you behave for a while?” Cheng Yi grabbed the mischievous hands tugging at her collar, thinking how awkward it would be if her mother happened to walk in and see this.

Lu Jiahe straddled her, pouting with a pitiful expression. “Darling, I missed you.”

Cheng Yi shot him an exasperated glare, then kicked the frisky rooster off her. “Do you miss me, or do you miss my body? Why is it that every time we meet, you immediately try to undress me?” She tightened her collar, pretending to be angry as she stared at the impatient bird.

“I miss both. I miss you, and I miss your body.” Lu Jiahe sidled up to Cheng Yi, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into an embrace.

“Look at you. Anyone would think I’m just a tool for your pleasure.” Cheng Yi pushed away the hand Lu Jiahe had placed on her stomach. “Don’t press on my stomach. I’ve been feeling uncomfortable there lately, and when you press on it, I feel nauseous.”

Lu Jiahe grew concerned upon hearing this. “What’s wrong, darling? Have you called for a physician to take a look?”

Cheng Yi sighed deeply. “No, it’s nothing serious. Just occasional discomfort.”

“That won’t do.” Lu Jiahe propped himself up and rested his head on his wife’s shoulder. “Minor illnesses can turn into major ones if neglected. If you’re feeling unwell, you must see a physician promptly.”

“I know.”

Cheng Yi pulled the blanket over herself. She believed her symptoms were likely due to catching a chill from the changing seasons. Even if she saw a physician, she would only be prescribed bitter herbal medicine. It would be better to tough it out until she recovered.

Unbeknownst to her, Cheng’s mother, who had been eavesdropping outside the door, took note of the conversation. She thought to herself that Lu Jiahe was right, minor illnesses do indeed become major ones when ignored.

“Wan’er, go to the Imperial Hospital and fetch Physician Zhao to examine Her Highness the Princess,” the Empress whispered to Xue Wanning standing behind her.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Xue Wanning replied without the slightest delay, darting out of the princess’s bedchamber like the wind.

Before the evening meal, after much persuasion from her mother and Lu Jiahe, Cheng Yi finally agreed to let Physician Zhao, who had been waiting outside, examine her.

Physician Zhao was the most skilled doctor of the court. Upon entering the chamber, she immediately took out her instruments to check the Princess’s pulse.

“This.

” Physician Zhao looked at the Princess, hesitating to speak. Her face turned pale then green, not daring to announce the pulse diagnosis in front of everyone.