Chapter 6: Trouble You, Heir Lu, to Act as a Matchmaker

Qi Yuning withdrew her disdainful gaze from the young master of the Lu family and looked toward little Lingling, who was intently solving a Nine Linked Rings puzzle.

Tears hung beside little Lingling's peach-blossom eyes, making her look pitiable. Recalling how both she and Lu Ze had refused to recognize Lingling just now, the little girl must have been extremely aggrieved.

Qi Yuning pulled little Lingling into her arms and said, "Lingling."

Little Lingling put down the Nine Linked Rings in her hands, threw herself into Qi Yuning's embrace, and called out sweetly, "Mother, kiss me."

Qi Yuning held Lingling tightly, then raised her eyes to ask Lu Ze, "Will Lingling return to the year of Xinwei?"

Lu Ze shook his head. "I don't know. However, it would be a good thing if Lingling could return to Xinwei early. After all, in the Shengjing City of the year of Yichou, I don't even know how Lingling's identity should be explained to the outside world."

Qi Yuning said, "To the outside world, just say Lingling is my daughter, Qi Yuning. If you are afraid that Lingling will interfere with your engagement to the daughter of the Guan family, you can simply refuse to recognize her. Lingling is only my daughter."

Lu Ze said, "I will go and break the engagement with the Guan daughter. Now that I have Lingling, I will not go and delay a good girl from the Guan family."

Upon hearing "a good girl from the Guan family," Qi Yuning let out a mocking laugh.

Lu Ze had noticed yesterday that Qi Yuning seemed to harbor hostility toward the Guan daughter. "Has the Guan daughter offended the County Princess somewhere?"

Qi Yuning was unwilling to say much about the Guan daughter.

Seeing that Qi Yuning would not answer, Lu Ze explained his concerns: "County Princess, the fact that Lingling came from six years in the future is too suspicious; it cannot be told to outsiders, lest it bring more trouble to her.

But you are still an unmarried woman. If you abruptly claim Lingling, everyone will only think that you and I have gotten you pregnant before marriage. I fear the rumors regarding your reputation in the streets of Shengjing will only intensify..."

Qi Yuning said, "Rumors are just rumors. Lingling is my daughter, so why should I fear the wagging tongues of outsiders? I won't let outsiders know that Lingling came from six years later. I will only say that I gave birth to her in secret when I was fourteen."

Since Lingling was her own flesh and blood, Qi Yuning would shoulder the responsibility of being a mother.

Looking at the proud and bright woman before him, Lu Ze thought to himself that he had overthought things. How could the ever-arrogant County Princess Qi fear rumors and gossip?

Holding little Lingling, Qi Yuning said, "Lingling, let's go back to the Prince's Mansion."

After the mother and daughter left, Lu Ze found it difficult to regain his composure in the study for a long time. Just as Qi Yuning could not believe she had a daughter with him, Lu Ze found it equally unbelievable.

Princess Pingrou entered the study carrying a bowl of bird's nest soup and said, "Ze'er, where is my dear granddaughter? I even stewed bird's nest for her."

"The County Princess took Lingling back to the Prince's Mansion," Lu Ze said slowly.

Princess Pingrou set down the bird's nest and asked, "Is Lingling truly the daughter of you two?"

Lu Ze nodded. Although Lingling came from six years in the future, she was indeed his child.

Princess Pingrou was extremely astonished. "Then it's a good thing Yun'er entered the clergy, otherwise wouldn't the mother of your child be your younger sister?

Calculating the age, Yuning was pregnant at fourteen. Tsk tsk, Lu Ze! How can you be such a beast?"

Lu Ze allowed Princess Pingrou to scold him without offering any defense, for there was no way to defend it.

The matter of Lingling coming from six years in the future was better left known to as few people as possible, so he could only endure Princess Pingrou's angry cursing.

The more Princess Pingrou scolded, the more annoyed she became. "You have always been a sensible child, how could you do something that makes a young lady appear to be pregnant out of wedlock? Without the Qi family, there would be no wealth and status for me today. You cannot fail Yuning. That engagement with the Guan family that was only verbally agreed upon..."

Lu Ze said, "I will go to the Guan family to cancel the agreement."

Fortunately, the marriage was only a verbal agreement, and only a few people knew of it, so it would not harm the reputation of the Guan daughter.

Princess Pingrou said, "Then go quickly and cancel the engagement, so Mother can prepare to go to the Qi family to propose marriage for you and Yuning."

Lu Ze frowned slightly and said, "Mother, County Princess Qi likely does not wish to be engaged to the Lu family again."

Just now, when Qi Yuning learned that they would have a child in the future, she made no effort to hide the disdain in her eyes.

Princess Pingrou said, "Sigh, given what your brother did yesterday, no wonder the Qi family looks down on the Lu men. I have prepared heavy gifts; go to the Qi family in a moment to offer an apology and settle the trouble your brother caused yesterday."

...

Qi Yuning brought little Lingling back to the Qi Prince's Mansion.

After lunch, Qi Yuning watched Lingling's tranquil sleeping face during her nap, finding it impossible to grow tired of looking at her for a long time.

After learning that Lingling was indeed her daughter, Qi Yuning felt that Lingling was cute in every way. Looking closely, Lingling's small mouth actually resembled her own more.

Qi Yuning instructed Gu Yu and Li Chun, "From today onwards, Lingling is my daughter, a daughter of the Qi family."

Li Chun and Gu Yu responded, "Yes."

Xiao Man entered the room and said, "County Princess, Heir Apparent Lu from Princess Pingrou's manor has brought many gifts, saying they are to apologize for yesterday's incident."

Looking at the soft, adorable little toddler before her, Qi Yuning let Li Chun and Gu Yu look after Lingling, while she took the two maids, Jingzhe and Xiao Man, to the entrance of the Qi Prince's Mansion.

The Princess's manor was indeed sincere; the treasures brought as apologies were extremely expensive.

At the gate, Qi Yuning saw the elegant and noble young master of the Lu family dressed in a cyan robe. Although she detested the Lu family, Qi Yuning had to admit that the Lu children were exceptionally beautiful, one surpassing the other.

Lu Ze cupped his hands and said, "Lu Yun has disgraced the County Princess's honor. Although he was young and muddled, it is indeed a failure of our Lu family's upbringing. I have come today by my parents' command to offer my apologies to the County Princess."

Outside the Prince's Mansion, many commoners had already gathered to watch the excitement. Seeing the apologies sent by the Princess's manor, they all marveled.

"Who would have thought the Princess's manor would possess so many rare treasures?"

"The Princess is the first daughter of His Majesty and the Empress; how could she not be pampered? I heard that the rewards given to the Princess's manor during festivals are comparable to those given to the Eastern Palace."

"These apologies from the Princess's manor are sincere enough with just one item. This many rare treasures must be equal to the dowry for the Heir Apparent Lu's wedding, right?"

"This is much more generous than a wedding dowry."

Looking at Lu Ze, who held his hands together but did not bow his head, Qi Yuning said, "Lu Yun has already entered the clergy and has nothing to do with your Lu family. Therefore, I hope your Lu family does not interfere in anything regarding Xianglin Temple."

Lu Ze lowered his hands and said, "That is only right. Lu Yun is already a monk; how he lives his life in the temple has nothing to do with those in the mortal world. The Lu family will not ask a single word about it."

Qi Yuning said, "Furthermore, Lu Yun's defiance of the imperial decree by refusing to marry and instead entering the clergy is indeed a failure of your Lu family's teaching. As they say, if a son is not taught, it is the fault of the father, and the eldest brother is like a father. If the Heir Apparent Lu is willing to kneel and kowtow three times today, I shall let the grudge of the Lu family insulting me yesterday go."

Lu Ze raised his eyes to look at Qi Yuning, his hands tightening. "County Princess."

Qi Yu'an came out from the Prince's Mansion and stood beside Qi Yuning, saying, "Heir Apparent Lu, do you think that since your Lu family has bullied my sister so much, my sister is not worthy of your kneeling apology?"

Qi Yuning lightly swayed the round fan in her hand and said, "As long as the Heir Apparent Lu kneels, this County Princess will no longer hold this matter against you."

Looking at Qi Yuning's cold eyes, Lu Ze dropped to one knee. "County Princess, can you forgive the Lu family?"

As Lu Ze knelt on one knee, the crowd of onlookers broke into an uproar.

Qi Yuning had not expected Lu Ze to actually kneel. He was the famous Lu Shaoqing, the Heir Apparent of the Lu family, the son of a Princess, and a favored child of heaven by birth!

She had heard of the Heir Apparent's excellence since childhood, yet he was actually willing to kneel and apologize to her in public?

Lu Ze was, in a sense, part of the imperial family. Qi Yu'an would not truly let him stay on both knees, so he stepped forward to help Lu Ze up, smiling. "The Qi family has received the sincerity of your Lu family. Come, accompany this Prince for a drink."

Lu Ze said, "Very well."

Qi Yuning took the list of apologies from the manager of the Princess's manor. Just as the commoners had said, the treasures in this apology were even more numerous than a wedding dowry.

Inside the Prince's Mansion, Qi Yu'an and Lu Ze were drinking in a pavilion.

Qi Yu'an sighed and said, "I took a walk outside today, and everyone was laughing that my sister wouldn't be able to marry. I want to help my sister find a husband better than Lu Yun as soon as possible, so she won't be mocked."

Lu Ze raised an eyebrow and said, "Very well."

Since they already had a daughter, in order to prevent damage to Qi Yuning's reputation, if the Qi family was willing, it was only right that he should marry Qi Yuning...

Qi Yu'an poured a cup of wine for Lu Ze and said slowly, "I have heard that Qin Feng, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, and Lin Jiang, a scholar of the Hanlin Academy, are two famous young men in Shengjing with limitless futures."

"I also heard that they are both close friends of the Heir Apparent Lu. Then, I must trouble the Heir Apparent Lu to help my sister by acting as a matchmaker for these two gentlemen."

(End of Chapter)