The Flirtatious Prince and His Savage Concubine

After thinking for a while, Queen Gu decided to say something that would benefit her first. She leaned slightly towards the direction of Emperor Nan Zheng and said as calmly as possible: "Your Majesty, in ordinary families, a daughter-in-law has to pay respects to her mother-in-law every day from the second day of marriage. I understand that she is young and sleepy, so I allowed her to pay respects once every five days, but she always finds excuses to shirk. Now it has been almost two months since the marriage, and she has only come to pay respects for the third time, and she is always late. Isn't it obvious that she doesn't take me, her stepmother-in-law, and all the concubines-in-law seriously and is disrespectful to her elders?"

When she mentioned "all those concubines-in-law", she swept her hand over all the concubines in the palace, implying that Lu Lingxi was not disrespectful to her alone, but to all the concubines of Emperor Nanzheng, and she was just taking the lead in venting the concubines' anger.

There was no need for Lu Lingxi to refute this, as the Emperor of Nanzheng also knew the inside story. He refuted with an impatient look on his face: "You also said that it was in an ordinary family. In ordinary families, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law live in the same courtyard and can reach each other in two steps. It doesn't take much time to pay respects every day. But our royal ancestors did not have princes who lived in separate houses. It makes sense that if you marry a queen, you must go to the palace to pay respects every day. You are not allowed to enter the palace without an imperial edict. I didn't agree with your five-day pay respects, but the prince and the princess didn't raise any objections, so I didn't bother with you. And every time Lingxi took leave and didn't come to pay respects, it was because she was unwell or there was something important in the mansion. You know it, so why can't you understand? You dislike her for being late for paying respects, but she did enter the palace with the prince. Are you saying that the prince was also late for court. Is my time for court also late? Do I have to come according to your time? To be in your favor?"

At this time, Lu Lingxi muttered softly: "Isn't it? The daughter-in-law has also explained that we haven't set a time to pay respects. The daughter-in-law really doesn't know what the queen mother means by being late. The queen mother just thinks that the daughter-in-law is quibbling." After saying this, she looked at Queen Gu timidly, as if she was afraid that she would offend her again.

Queen Gu couldn't bear to see her in such a pitiful state. Whenever she saw her, her face was full of displeasure: "Serving your mother-in-law is your duty as a daughter-in-law, but you complain so much just because I asked you to get up early. I can't expect you to serve tea and meals."

Emperor Nan Zheng: "Are you in need of a maid? Do these things have to be done by Lingxi? Isn't she the mistress of a mansion and doesn't have to take care of the internal affairs of the mansion? Can she just serve you?"

"That's not what I meant."

"Since that is not your intention, then from now on, the Crown Princess will not have to come to the palace to pay respects. You don't have to enter the palace without an imperial decree."

Lu Lingxi quickly thanked him: "Thank you for your understanding, father!"

She didn't expect to achieve her goal so quickly. She was so happy that she forgot the injury on her leg and wanted to stand up to express her gratitude.

Nan Wangyu quickly held her down: "If your leg is injured, just be quiet!"

Seeing Nan Wangyu so nervous about Lu Lingxi, the Southern Emperor was very pleased and followed Nan Wangyu's words and said, "Since your legs are inconvenient, just sit still and don't have to stand up and salute."

The pure gold armor was deformed by Queen Gu. How could this rude little girl be loved by her husband, protected by her father-in-law, and loved by her own father? It was simply abominable, just as abominable as her mother-in-law who died early.

Jealousy made Queen Gu speak without restraint: "It is because of the doting of Your Majesty and the Crown Prince that the Crown Princess has developed an arrogant and domineering character. She bullies and humiliates concubines in the mansion, and dares to pull me in front of everyone in the palace."

Emperor Nanzheng looked back at Queen Gu and asked, "Lingxi is bullying my concubines. Where did this come from?"

"Your Majesty, haven't you heard yet? Crown Prince's Concubine Su Yun, the daughter of the Crown Prince's tutor, was welcomed into the Crown Prince's Palace on the same day as the Crown Princess. The Crown Princess was jealous of her childhood friendship with the Crown Prince and was favored more than her, so she confined her to the palace a few days after entering. Two days ago, at the flower viewing banquet at the Crown Prince's Palace, she was released from confinement, and that night she was demoted again, and is now Su Liangdi."

Without waiting for the Emperor to ask in detail, Nan Wangyu took the lead in explaining: "Su Yun was confined by me, and her position was also demoted by me. It has nothing to do with the Crown Princess."

Queen Gu did not forget her motherly persona at this time, and advised earnestly: "Yu'er, you are just a silly child, you must have been blown away by the Crown Princess' pillow talk. If she hadn't said anything to you, how could you be so cruel to Concubine Su, who has a childhood friendship with you?"

Nan Wangyu: "Su Yun and I can only say that we knew each other when we were young. We don't have any childhood sweetheart friendship. There is only one person in my heart who is in tune with me."

Queen Gu shook her head and said with an expression that said I know everything: "You just got married to the Crown Princess and you are still fresh in your heart. When the freshness wears off, you will know who you care about the most in your heart. If you say that you have no friendship with Su Yun, why did you ask for her to enter the palace on the same day as the Crown Princess? Isn't it just to support her and let her know that in your heart, she is no different from the main wife?"

Nan Wangyu only understood at this time that the outside world had such speculation about Lingxi and Su Yun entering the mansion on the same day. Lingxi was talked about like this, but she never complained to me. Did she also think that I only had Su Yun in my heart and felt that complaining was useless? It seems that Su Yun can't stay in the mansion. Every day she stays in the mansion is a day between Lingxi and me.

"It's not like that. I really don't have any romantic feelings for Su Yun. I just treat her as a younger sister. The reason I let her enter the mansion on the same day as Lingxi was because the teacher kept begging me to do so." Although he was explaining to Queen Gu, Nan Wangyu kept looking at Lu Lingxi, hoping that she could understand what he meant.

Queen Gu still didn't believe it and said bluntly: "Yu'er, you are now bewitched by the Crown Princess. When you wake up, you will regret what you just said."

The two of them were arguing but no one was on point. Lu Lingxi sighed and said helplessly to the Emperor of Nanzheng: "Alas! Father, you have seen it too. Mother treated her daughter-in-law in the same way just now. She just kept talking about love and affection. She didn't ask about the specific reasons for the matter, and just framed the prince for being instigated by her daughter-in-law. The daughter-in-law is really wronged. You personally trained the prince. How can a father not teach his children poetry, books, etiquette, morality, law, riding, shooting and martial arts, and think about training his children to be talented? Instead, he only teaches his children to talk about love and deal with women. I don't know if mother is questioning your ability to educate your children. Accusing the children you have educated of only listening to women's pillow talk, doing things without rules and ethics, and just to make women happy."

Emperor Nanzheng looked at Lu Lingxi and praised him in his heart: This child is good. He didn't get confused by the Queen's words. He only knew to prove that he didn't instigate the prince, but found loopholes in the Queen's words from other angles. Sure enough, a general not only needs brute force to charge forward, but also needs wisdom to be invincible. Lingxi is not only reckless, but also as smart as her father.

Queen Gu was frightened by Lu Lingxi's words and quickly explained: "That is absolutely not what I meant. I just... just..."

Emperor Nanzheng interrupted impatiently, "Just what? If you can't come up with a reason, just shut up and listen to what the Crown Prince has to say about this Su Yun. The son I have raised is not so stupid that he would be blown away by a few pillow talk."

Emperor Nan Zheng used what Queen Gu had just said to stop her, leaving her speechless.

Nan Wangyu was also shocked to realize that he had not checked for a while and was fooled by Queen Gu. Fortunately, Lingxi interrupted him. Now he organized his words and spoke again: "Father, there are indeed reasons for me to deprive Su Yun of her house and demote her. I deprived her of her house because she brought people to surround the main courtyard of me and Lingxi a few days after entering the mansion, and threatened me to accompany her to return home with her. I explained that although I could accompany the concubine to return home, it could not conflict with the return day of the main concubine, and I would discuss it later. She actually blamed Lingxi relentlessly and even wanted to ask someone to beat Lingxi who was only wearing underwear in the inner room. If I hadn't arrived in time, the consequences would be disastrous. I only confined her for three months for the sake of my teacher and because she was a first-time offender. At the flower viewing banquet, she begged hard, and I released her house from confinement in advance. But she still didn't repent, spoke rudely, and disturbed the peace of the Prince's Mansion, so I demoted her."

Emperor Nanzheng nodded, "Well, Su Yun is indeed a bit willful. I didn't expect Lingxi to suffer so much injustice. The prince is right. Su Yun is disrespectful to the wife and mistress, and has disturbed the peace of the family. Just confining her and demoting her is already giving her face."

"Your son would like to ask for your father's order to send Su Yun back to the palace." Nan Wangyu said.

Emperor Nan Zheng: "Yu'er, you are being unreasonable. If you send me back to the palace, how will you save the reputation of the Grand Tutor? How will Su Liangdi get married in the future?"

"I have not yet consummated my marriage with Su Yun, so it will not affect her remarriage in the future."