My husband, who abandoned his father and kept his son, actually wants me to be his concubine.

Chapter 5 The Seventh Prince's Consort
Lu Jinshi chuckled softly as he listened to Madam He's words.

Such a hasty marriage means I must marry myself; otherwise, I'll be labeled an unfilial son.

Was Lu Jinshi stupid?

Lu Jinshi looked at Madam He and said, "Since my sister has already been betrothed to the Seventh Prince, why not let her get engaged to the Seventh Prince as soon as possible, as a way to bring good luck?"

He Jinlan said, "The Seventh Prince is not in Chang'an City. He went to Jiangnan to study."

Lu Jinshi was taken aback. When it came to academies in Jiangnan, their Tianzhang Academy was considered one of the best.

The Seventh Prince went to Jiangnan to study, why didn't he go to study at their Tianzhang Academy?
Liu Xiuxiu tugged at He Jinlan's sleeve and said, "Jinshi, it's not that your sister is unwilling to marry to bring good luck, but there's an order of seniority. You, the older sister, haven't gotten married yet, so the younger sister can't get married either, can she?"

“That young master Huang is a rare and good man. The Anping Marquis’s family is a good match for our He family. You will definitely not suffer if you marry him.”

Lu Jinshi chuckled softly and said, "What a fine order of seniority! If that's the case, how could His Majesty knowingly bypass me and bestow a marriage upon my sister when I am not yet married?"

Last summer, His Majesty and the Empress Dowager wrote to inquire about my marriage.

At that time, Lu Jinshi was about to give birth, but she was too embarrassed to say that she was pregnant out of wedlock. This matter was too bold, and she did not dare to let the Emperor and the Empress Dowager know and worry. She only said that her marriage had not been completed because of the rumors.

How could His Majesty bestow a marriage upon his sister when he knows he is not yet married?
Lu Jinshi scanned the expressions on everyone's faces in the room and looked at He Jinlan, asking, "What exactly is written in His Majesty's decree of marriage?"

He Jinlan said, "His Majesty must have written a marriage decree for me and the Seventh Prince. You are two years older than the Seventh Prince, so the age difference doesn't apply."

"Lan'er," Liu Xiuxiu said, stopping He Jinlan.

Lu Jinshi smiled and said, "Grandmother is right. Marriage is a major event and should be decided by one's parents. It's not enough to just obey one's father's order; one must also obey one's mother's order."

"Although my mother is in Jiangnan, my uncle is in the Prince An's mansion. This marriage naturally needs to be discussed with my uncle. I will go to the Prince An's mansion now and ask my uncle to come and discuss the marriage together."

Madam He's expression changed drastically. "Why bother consulting your uncle? Would your grandmother possibly harm you?"

Lu Jinshi said, "Grandmother, even if we don't discuss the marriage with my uncle, how can I not invite him to the wedding banquet for such a momentous occasion as my marriage?"

Lu Jinshi glanced at He Tan, his eyes filled with disappointment. "I'll go to the Prince An's residence right now."

"Stop right there!" Old Madam He called out. "What kind of decorum is it for a young lady like you to go and discuss marriage with your uncle?"

Lu Jinshi ignored Madam He and left Shouhe Courtyard directly.

As she watched Lu Jinshi's retreating figure, Madam He said angrily, "Indeed, she raised a girl who has no manners or respect! She has ruined such a fine young lady by taking her to the countryside."

He Jinlan lowered her head and smiled. She had nothing to worry about with He Jinshi being so ignorant of etiquette.

A well-bred young lady from a noble family was spoiled and ruined growing up in the countryside.

Liu Xiuxiu hurriedly went forward to coax Madam He.

After leaving the He family, Lu Jinshi went straight to the Prince An's residence.

When the carriage arrived at Prince An's residence, Lu Jinshi had a maid present his invitation card, and the gatekeeper respectfully invited him inside.

Not long after Lu Jinshi entered the hall, Princess An hurriedly came over and said, "Jinshi, when did you come to Chang'an? I have prepared a courtyard for you in the palace, the one your mother used to live in."

Lu Jinshi smiled faintly and bowed, saying, "Aunt, I have a place to stay." Neither her uncle nor aunt knew that Lu Jinshi had a son, and Lu Jinshi didn't know how to explain it, so she decided it was better to keep it a secret, since she wouldn't be staying in Chang'an for too long anyway.

Princess An said, "Where do you live? Are you staying at the Yongxing Marquis's residence? You've already changed your surname to Lu, so there's no reason for you to stay at the He family's residence anymore."

Lu Jinshi smiled gently and said, "I live in the newly bought house on East Street, so Aunt doesn't need to worry about me."

Princess An smiled and said, "Your uncle is out of town in Chang'an, your cousin is at the academy, and your cousins ​​went to a banquet today. I'll send someone to fetch them right away..."

Lu Jinshi shook his head and said, "No need. There will be a time when we meet again, cousin. I came here today for two reasons: first, to visit you and my uncle, and second, to ask my aunt about Huang Teng of the Marquis of Anping. This morning I went to the Marquis's mansion to visit my grandfather, but they forced me to marry Huang Teng to bring good luck."

Upon hearing this, Princess An's smile vanished completely. "What a terrible Yongxing Marquis's mansion! They've tormented you like this. You don't have to marry Huang Teng. You're now surnamed Lu, and your marriage is no longer up to the He family to decide!"

Lu Jinshi asked, "Aunt, doesn't Huang Teng have a good reputation?"

Princess An said, "It's not just that it sounds bad. There's no reason why he wouldn't touch any of the maids in the Anping Earl's mansion who are even slightly pretty. Even the daughters of those from humble families in Chang'an City wouldn't marry him."

Lu Jinshi knew that Huang Teng was no better, but hearing his aunt say this, his anger, which was already caused by Rong Yi, intensified.

Princess An said, "The He family is something else. His Majesty has already gone to the He residence to issue you a decree of marriage, yet they still dare to make you marry someone else."

Hearing Princess An's words, Lu Jinshi asked in confusion, "His Majesty has bestowed a marriage upon me? How come I didn't know?"

Princess An said, "The imperial decree of marriage has been given to the He family, so there's no need to go to Jiangnan to announce it. Besides, the old Marquis He is nearing his death, and you will definitely come to Chang'an for the funeral. It's not too late to discuss the marriage then. How could the He family not have told you about such an important matter as the imperial decree of marriage? They even dared to force you to marry the second son of the Marquis of Anping."

Hearing Princess An's words, Lu Jinshi asked with slight surprise, "Your Majesty doesn't mean you want me to be the Seventh Prince's wife?"

Princess An nodded and said, "Yes, when you were born, the Imperial Preceptor said that you had a life of wealth and nobility, which is why he named you Jinshi. How could you be destined to bring misfortune to your husband? The Empress Dowager and His Majesty discussed it and decided to have you marry the Seventh Prince and become his consort."

Lu Jinshi had originally intended to keep the matter of having a child through artificial insemination a secret, but now she couldn't hide it anymore. "Aunt, I cannot become the Seventh Prince's consort."

Princess An asked, "Why?"

Lu Jinshi found it difficult to speak: "Although I am not yet married, I already have a child, who is seven months pregnant now..."

Princess An asked in surprise, "You have a child? How could you have a child without being married? Which beast got you pregnant and then refused to take responsibility?"

Lu Jinshi whispered, "Aunt, don't mention that beast. I can't be the Seventh Prince's consort anyway. I have to go to the palace to apologize to His Majesty."

Princess An asked, "And your child? Did you bring him to Chang'an?"

Lu Jinshi nodded and said, "I brought it. I'll bring it over for my aunt to see another day."

Princess An nodded slightly and said, "Very well. The Seventh Prince has been intelligent since childhood, and his appearance can be described as that of an immortal descended to earth. He has a bright future and can be considered a good husband in the eyes of the noble ladies of Chang'an. It would be a pity if you missed out on such a husband. Alas."

Lu Jinshi pondered for a moment, then smiled faintly: "No wonder they forced me to get married as soon as I arrived at the He family today. It turns out that the He family wants to give the position of the Seventh Prince's Consort, which was bestowed by His Majesty, to He Jinlan."

Princess An spat lightly, "What are the He family dreaming of? The imperial decree of marriage clearly states that she is the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Yongxing's heir. So what kind of eldest daughter is He Jinlan? The He family is really too audacious! We'll go to the palace later to complain to His Majesty and seek justice."

Lu Jinshi smiled and said, "There's no rush. He Jinlan already considers herself the Seventh Prince's consort. Let her dream for a few more days, and let me watch the show."

(End of this chapter)