Chapter 25: Secretly Drinking Fertility-Blocking Soup Without His Knowledge

Lu Xuanheng arrived at the Prince Xian’s residence. Prince Xian and the Princess Consort sat in the seats of honor; the former wore a pleasant smile, while the latter looked displeased.

With a hint of shame on his cold, handsome face, Lu Xuanheng bowed to them and said in a calm tone, "My younger sister is young and ignorant; her reckless words have disturbed Your Highnesses. The entire Lu family is deeply remorseful, and I have come today specifically to offer an apology."

"It was merely a misunderstanding. Once cleared up, there is no need to dwell on it," Prince Xian said, his demeanor noble yet accessible. He often wore a smile and waved a hand to signal Lu Xuanheng to take a seat.

While Prince Xian was easygoing and tolerant, the Princess Consort was not. No sooner had Lu Xuanheng settled into his chair than she spoke with a sharp tone: "Whether it was merely a family member's loose talk or if there was truth to the matter, we cannot be sure. That girl was crying and making such a scene yesterday, nearly killing herself right in front of me—how could I say anything more? In any case, you Lu family members always stand together; it is difficult for others to find fault."

Lu Xuanheng stood up again and said emotionlessly, "I am sorry for the shock you endured, Your Highness. On behalf of the entire Lu family, I offer you my apologies."

The Princess Consort said coldly, "Regarding the past, we cannot say whether it was true or false, and we will not pursue it further. Since you are here today, I want your word. Swear to the heavens that from this day forward, you will be devoted solely to the Princess, and as for that Jiang You’an, you will have absolutely no further contact with her!"

Lu Xuanheng was stunned, looking at the Princess Consort with a blank expression.

Before he could respond, Prince Xian interjected, "Oh, what is all this about swearing? What is the point of saying such meaningless things?"

The Princess Consort frowned. "Your Highness!"

Ignoring her, Prince Xian changed the subject, asking Lu Xuanheng about his recent official duties. The two exchanged questions and answers, maintaining a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere. Prince Xian looked at Lu Xuanheng with the appreciation an elder holds for a promising youth.

After chatting for a while, Prince Xian said, "Go and spend some time with Lianzhu. Now that you are betrothed, there is no need to be so formal. Get to know each other better."

Lu Xuanheng was led away to meet Li Lianzhu. Prince Xian watched him leave, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned.

The Princess Consort was very unhappy and complained to Prince Xian, "I was fooled by that group of people at the Lu residence yesterday. Now that he has come in person, you should have cleared it up. Yet you, Your Highness, have simply brushed the matter aside with a few light words."

Prince Xian sighed. "In my opinion, you shouldn't have gone yesterday; it made things awkward for both families, and I could see that the lad looked unhappy just now. I agreed to this marriage because I value Lu Xuanheng’s talent at such a young age. Besides, he now commands the capital’s garrison; there will be many occasions in the future where he will be useful."

A deeper meaning flickered in Prince Xian’s eyes. "When two families join in marriage, the most important thing is to act with a single purpose. Otherwise, how will Lu Xuanheng be willing to serve me wholeheartedly in the future?"

The Princess Consort pondered for a moment. "Your Highness’s grand plan is indeed important, but if our daughter is entrusting her life to the wrong person, does that not matter to you?"

Prince Xian shook his head, looking unimpressed. "Is it not normal for a man to have concubines? You really shouldn't keep harping on this." With that, he walked away with his hands behind his back.

Watching his retreating figure, the Princess Consort gave a silent, bitter smile after a long moment.

...

In the back garden of the residence, there was a lotus lake with a pavilion built in the center, offering a delightful view.

Lu Xuanheng was led to the pavilion. Pushing open the door, he saw Li Lianzhu sitting before a tea table behind a beaded curtain, brewing tea. Seeing him arrive, she looked up and smiled. "Sit."

Lu Xuanheng walked over and sat opposite her.

Li Lianzhu’s delicate hands moved with fluid grace; her tea-brewing process was a performance in itself. Before long, the elegant fragrance of tea filled the air, and a hot cup was placed before Lu Xuanheng.

He picked it up, took a small sip, and praised it with a lukewarm tone: "Excellent tea."

Li Lianzhu laughed. "You are truly a man of few words."

However, she did not intend to add anything more. She set down her cup and quickly moved to the main topic, repeating the apologies he had made earlier before her parents.

He remained expressionless, but Li Lianzhu appeared apologetic upon hearing him. "So it was just a misunderstanding. It is my fault, too; Yunzhu came to me that day and said those things, and I believed her without much thought. Then my mother went to the Lu residence. I heard that after that Miss Jiang was wronged, she was so humiliated she wanted to die to prove her innocence. It is fortunate she is fine; otherwise, it would have been my burden to bear."

She spoke with sincerity, pressing a hand to her chest as she asked, "Is Miss Jiang alright?"

Lu Xuanheng glanced at her. "She is in no serious danger."

Li Lianzhu breathed a sigh of relief. "That is good."

She picked up her cup, took a sip, and looked at Lu Xuanheng with gentle eyes. "Actually, I have been thinking. Most men have concubines. If you truly have feelings for Miss Jiang, you may take her as a concubine after we are married. She is beautiful and has a gentle temperament; I quite like her myself."

This was clearly a probe, and Lu Xuanheng understood it.

Previously, he had thought the Princess might be kind enough to tolerate Jiang You’an. But after this incident, he realized that whether the Princess could tolerate her was irrelevant. The Princess held such a high status that she could kill Jiang You’an whenever she wished, as easily as crushing an ant.

In other words, if he were to take Jiang You’an as a concubine, he would be placing her in grave danger, and he would not be able to protect her.

Perhaps hiding her away was the only way...

Lu Xuanheng’s thoughts drifted far away. Seeing him lost in thought, Li Lianzhu called out, "Xuanheng?"

He snapped back to reality and gave a calm reply: "I have no intention of taking Jiang You’an as a concubine, so you need not worry, Princess."

Hearing his answer, Li Lianzhu’s eyes lit up noticeably.

"Very well, let us not speak of it again." She smiled and added, "It is spring now, and the grass is lush and the orioles are singing by the Tianming River outside the city; the scenery is beautiful. Shall we go for an outing next month?"

Lu Xuanheng pondered for a moment and nodded.

After leaving the residence, Lu Xuanheng went to the military camp, not returning home until dusk.

He had just taken off his cloak and poured a cup of water when Xiuzhu entered with a complicated expression.

"Young Master, the thing you asked me to investigate—it has been found."

It was the medicinal dregs he had asked Xiuzhu to check that morning.

"Speak."

Xiuzhu coughed dryly. "I asked a physician, and after looking at it, he said... this is a prescription for a contraceptive decoction."

Lu Xuanheng froze.

A contraceptive decoction? Had Jiang You’an been drinking it all along?

That was right; the two times he had caught her drinking medicine, it was the day after they had been together...

How long had she been taking this? Why would she do this? Did she not want to have his children?

Yet, only last night, she had been nestled in his arms, pitifully seeking his protection. If she truly wanted to stay by his side, why would she take such things?

Full of questions, with surprise and anger intermingled, Lu Xuanheng’s face turned ghastly pale. He shoved Xiuzhu aside and strode out with a cold, grim expression.