Chapter 285: Chapter 285: A Very Gentle Feeling
Zhi Wan hung up the official’s robes. When she walked back, Lu Zhan was already lying down.
"Do you want to rest a bit more?" Lu Zhan asked, his dark eyes twinkling with amusement as he looked at her.
"No, I lay in bed all day yesterday and slept through the night. I’m not tired now." Zhi Wan picked up a silk fan, sat by the bed, and began to gently fan him. "You should get some sleep."
"Mm," Lu Zhan hummed in response and closed his eyes.
He must have been truly exhausted, as he fell asleep not long after.
Zhi Wan fanned him while studying his features.
Her cousin’s features were handsome and sharp. When he was awake, he gave off an air of stern aloofness. But in sleep, his thick, long lashes rested softly on his eyelids, softening the lines of his face and giving him a very gentle appearance.
Zhi Wan was mesmerized, the fan in her hand waving intermittently.
It wasn’t until Shuang’er came in to tell her that Lady Wei had arrived.
Only then did she snap back to her senses.
Meeting her maid’s teasing gaze, Zhi Wan’s face flushed. She quietly lowered the bed curtains and tiptoed out of the room with her.
The moment she stepped outside, she saw Lady Wei entering the courtyard.
Thinking of her cousin sleeping soundly inside, she hurried over to greet her, taking Lady Wei’s arm. "Aunt, the flowers in the garden are blooming beautifully. Let’s go take a look."
"Are you feeling better now?" Lady Wei asked.
Zhi Wan nodded. "Some people from the Eastern Palace came this morning. They even brought an Imperial Physician to examine me. I think I managed to fool them, so I took the medicine."
"People from the Eastern Palace?" Lady Wei was startled.
"Yes," Zhi Wan nodded.
Lady Wei pressed a hand to her chest, sighing in relief. "It’s a good thing we were prepared."
"Yes." Zhi Wan couldn’t agree more.
"Oh, right. I heard from your uncle that the Emperor has named you a County Princess and decreed a marriage between you and your cousin. Did you know about this?" Lady Wei’s face was all smiles as she spoke of the happy news.
"I know." Zhi Wan nodded. "My cousin already told me."
Lady Wei paused, a sudden understanding dawning on her. "So, your cousin was here this morning, wasn’t he? No wonder I didn’t see him anywhere in the mansion. He must have run off to see you. Where is he?"
"He... already left." Zhi Wan was too embarrassed to say her cousin was right in her room, so she told a little lie.
But how could Lady Wei not guess the truth? Still, mindful of her daughter’s delicate sensibilities, she didn’t expose the lie.
The two walked around the garden for a while before Lady Wei made an excuse about having other matters to attend to and left.
Zhi Wan breathed a sigh of relief.
But Lady Wei had barely left when Princess Chang Le arrived.
Zhi Wan’s heart leaped into her throat.
Terrified that her feigned illness would be discovered, she had no choice but to keep up the act.
But just as she was about to send Shuang’er to the front courtyard, a servant came to report, "Miss, Princess Chang Le says she is here to see Mr. Lu."
’The Princess is here to see my cousin? Does she know he’s here with me?’
Just as she was wondering what to do, she saw her cousin walk out from the inner chamber.
He instructed, "Go and invite Princess Chang Le in."
"Yes." The servant hurried away.
Zhi Wan looked at her cousin in surprise. "When did you wake up? Did we wake you?"
"Just now." Lu Zhan sat down beside her, picked up the cup she had been drinking from, and finished the remaining water in it.
Zhi Wan’s face flushed. "I drank from that," she reminded him.
"Mm, I know." Lu Zhan turned to look at her, a hint of a smile in his eyes. "I have a guest to receive shortly. I’ll have to trouble you to help me change, cousin."
Hearing this, Zhi Wan stood up and went into the inner chamber.
She had just taken down the official’s robes when Lu Zhan followed her in.
While helping her cousin into his official robes, Zhi Wan couldn’t help but ask, "Did you know all along that Princess Chang Le would come looking for you?"
"Mm," Lu Zhan hummed in assent.
Zhi Wan was about to ask something else when Shuang’er’s voice came from outside. "Princely Heir, Princess Chang Le has arrived."
Hearing this, Zhi Wan whispered, "It wouldn’t be good if the Princess finds out I’m faking my illness. I shouldn’t go out."
"It doesn’t matter even if the Princess knows. As the host, it would be worse for you to avoid seeing her," Lu Zhan said gently.
Zhi Wan nodded, setting aside her worries.
When they went outside, they saw Princess Chang Le standing there. The two stepped forward and bowed. "Greetings, Your Highness."
Seeing the two of them emerge from the room together, Princess Chang Le wasn’t the least bit surprised. Her eyes, however, held a teasing, knowing look.
Zhi Wan’s face grew slightly hot. She was still a little embarrassed at being seen alone in a room with her cousin by an outsider, but she remained composed enough to say, "Your Highness, please come inside and have a seat."
Princess Chang Le nodded and followed her into the room.
As soon as she sat down, her gaze fell on Lu Zhan. "Mr. Lu," she began, "This Princess has an important matter to discuss with you."
Lu Zhan inclined his head. "Please speak, Your Highness."
Seeing the serious expressions on both their faces, Zhi Wan keenly sensed that the matter they were about to discuss was of great importance. She tactfully said, "Cousin, you and Her Highness should talk, then. I’ll go make some tea for you."
Lu Zhan knew she was trying to give them privacy. He wanted to ask her to stay, but considering what he and Princess Chang Le were about to discuss, he worried it might frighten his cousin. So he nodded in agreement. "Alright."
As Zhi Wan went out, she saw Yuanbao and his men standing guard around the room, which further confirmed her suspicions.
She didn’t know much about court affairs, but she did know that the Lu Family never got involved in factional disputes.
’Princess Chang Le suddenly came to find my cousin today to discuss an important matter. Could it be about the position of Crown Prince?’
The current Empress was the Emperor’s second wife. She had borne him a son and a daughter: the son was Prince Rui, and the daughter was Princess Chang Le.
She hadn’t heard much about Prince Rui, but he seemed to be a leisurely prince who paid no mind to court politics.
’But for Princess Chang Le to come and consult my cousin personally, it must be on behalf of Prince Rui.’
’Could it be that Prince Rui wants to vie for the throne?’
At this realization, Zhi Wan’s heart pounded with fear.
She didn’t understand the matters of the court, but she knew that factional struggles had always been extremely perilous. If one chose the wrong side, their entire clan could be annihilated.
The more Zhi Wan thought about it, the more frightened she became.
Inside the room, Princess Chang Le spoke bluntly. "My mother, the Empress, is already aware of the conflict between you and my Imperial Brother, the Crown Prince, in court today."
"The Crown Prince is the kind of person who, relying on our Father Emperor’s favor, acts unscrupulously. Both inside and outside the court, complaints against him are endless. Yet, our Father Emperor refuses to appoint a new Crown Prince."
"If the Crown Prince ascends the throne, given the animosity created between you two today, he will certainly not let you off. Even the Duke Dingguo Mansion will be implicated."
"And at that time, your beloved little cousin won’t be able to escape the Crown Prince’s clutches either!"
A glint of coldness flashed in Lu Zhan’s eyes. "Your Highness might as well speak plainly," he said, displeased. "There’s no need to beat around the bush."
Princess Chang Le knew her words had angered him and felt a pang of regret. But what she said was the truth, and she believed Lu Zhan himself was well aware of it.
However, she was convinced that Lu Zhan’s act of angering the Crown Prince in court today meant he already had a plan to bring him down.
It was just that there were many princes, and quite a few of them were capable and virtuous.
’Who does Lu Zhan favor? Who does he want to support?’
Not only did Lu Zhan have the Father Emperor’s trust, but his own father also held military power. The entire Lu Family was a target that all factions were desperate to win over.
If they could gain the Lu Family’s support, they would be unstoppable in the court.
Unfortunately, the Lu Family never involved themselves in factional disputes.
Now that an opportunity had finally presented itself, she naturally wanted to secure this powerful ally for her Imperial Brother.
It was just that Lu Zhan was incredibly shrewd and deep, making it impossible to fathom his thoughts.
With this in mind, she didn’t dare beat around the bush any longer and got straight to the point. "Lu Zhan, let’s work together. Let’s bring down the Crown Prince!"
