I just want to be a princess, no, you want to be a queen

As Lu Mingyang pushed open the door, the tea tray in her hand almost flew out. She hurriedly protected the tea and snacks and was hesitating whether to leave when she saw two pairs of eyes looking at her.

She had no choice but to walk over and said, "Your Highness, please have some refreshments."

"Is there something wrong?" Chu Mingzheng asked.

Lu Mingyang set out the refreshments and asked with a smile, "Your place is so beautiful. Can I stay one more night?"

"Why do you live here?!"

Before Chu Mingzheng could speak, Pei Mian shouted first.

Chu Mingzheng scolded Pei Mian with dissatisfaction, then turned to look at the little girl in front of him tenderly, his eyes flickering: "Are you just reluctant to leave the place?"

Lu Mingyang pursed her lips shyly. With someone else around, she was too embarrassed to say any sweet words to show her reluctance to part with him, so she imitated him and threw him a wink.

Anyway, I have medicine, so I'm not afraid of you.

Chu Mingzheng said calmly: "Then stay!"

"Your Highness!"

Chu Mingzheng interrupted Pei Mian coldly, "You should leave!"

"Yes!" He came today to ask His Highness to allow him to go with the bride, but it was because he lost the chess game. Pei Mian stood up and left, holding his breath.

"My maid, please retire!"

Lu Mingyang dodged Chu Mingzheng's outstretched hand and followed Pei Mian away.

When Pei Mian opened the door, he turned around to look at Chu Mingzheng, but his smug little face happened to block his view, making him feel even more aggrieved.

"Miss Lu, it's human nature to be afraid of death. You weren't raised in the Chengyang Marquis's mansion since childhood, so it's normal that you're not close to him. But you are his blood after all, so you shouldn't humiliate his reputation."

Lu Mingyang turned around to look at Prince Ningyuan and asked tentatively, "How have I insulted my father's reputation?"

"You, an unmarried woman, staying here with His Highness is a disgrace to his reputation."

There is nothing wrong with the reason, but what does it have to do with being afraid of death?

Lu Mingyang retorted angrily, "Where were you when my father was accused of being a traitor? Where were you when my father died in battle? You only dare to lecture me."

Pei Mian said anxiously, "Do you really think that your father's body was found by that idiot Marquis of Bei'an..."

"Cough, cough..."

Prince Ningyuan let out a powerful cough.

Pei Mian secretly regretted his gaffe and fled in disgrace.

Lu Mingyang looked at Chu Mingzheng, trying to figure out whether his cough was just a coincidence or if there was some kind of relationship between him and his biological father that he didn't want him to know about.

"Your Highness, someone from the palace has come to deliver an order."

A young eunuch came in hurriedly, and then the eunuch who was delivering the imperial edict from the palace came in with even more hurried steps. They were so anxious that they didn't even have time to perform the formalities.

"Your Highness Prince Ningyuan, His Majesty has urgently summoned you to the palace. Something serious has happened."

The eunuch delivering the imperial edict was also startled when he saw Lu Mingyang standing beside him. "Fourth Miss Lu, why are you here? The eunuch who was supposed to deliver the imperial edict to the Chengyang Marquis' Mansion has already left."

Chu Mingzheng asked, "Does the eunuch know what this is about?"

The eunuch who delivered the order said, "It seems that something has happened at Xiangguo Temple. I don't know what it is, but Eunuch Su is very anxious and has ordered me to invite Your Highness to the palace as soon as possible."

The two followed the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict into the palace and went to Xiefang Palace.

The gates of Xiefang Palace were locked, but the eunuch who delivered the imperial decree opened them and invited the two to go alone. It seemed the matter was truly serious, something that even the eunuch who delivered the imperial decree could not know about.

The courtyard was empty, with only Eunuch Su and Concubine Song's personal maid guarding the corridor, and the main hall door was also tightly closed.

Lu Mingyang followed Chu Mingzheng up the stone steps and heard Aunt Liu sobbing.

"Fifteen years ago, the wife of the Marquis of Chengyang went to Lintao to provide relief. She was pregnant, so she sent reinforcements ahead. Unexpectedly, they encountered Xiongnu scouts along the way. The wife was in labor, and I, a servant, disguised myself as the wife to distract the Xiongnu cavalry. As a result... so many people rushed towards me, I lost count..."

The palace door was pushed open, and Aunt Liu was lying on the ground, trembling like a sieve.

Lu Mingqin slumped to the ground, staring at her mother in disbelief. A blinding light suddenly pierced her face, and she pushed her mother away like a madman.

"You're talking nonsense. I'm the Marquis of Chengyang's biological daughter. Even though my mother is of humble origin, I'm still the Marquis of Chengyang's biological daughter, the daughter of a high and mighty marquis."

Even when she learned about the dowry for the marriage, she did not lose control and run out madly.

Concubine Song hurriedly said, "Catch her quickly."

If this gets out, the consequences will be unimaginable.

Eunuch Su and Concubine Song's maid-in-charge hurried to stop Lu Mingqin. Lu Mingqin's outer garment slipped off, and she crashed hard against the corridor pillar, like a fallen leaf or withered flower.

Eunuch Su hurried to check Lu Mingqin's breath and was obviously relieved.

"It's okay, I just fainted. The wound is in my hair, so it can't be seen."

Aunt Liu crawled out and hugged her daughter, pointing at Lu Mingyang angrily, "I've already died for you once, why do you want my daughter to die for you?"

Aunt Liu and Lu Mingqin were sent to the side hall.

The door of the main hall closed again. Lu Mingyang stood in the middle, watching the thin body flash by, feeling so depressed that he couldn't breathe.

"My son, please see your father!"

Hearing Chu Mingzheng's voice, Lu Mingyang came back to his senses and followed suit in saluting.

The emperor looked at the daughter of the Marquis of Chengyang and was furious. Who could have thought that the peace talks were going smoothly, but there would be repeated problems with the daughter who was to be given as a dowry for the marriage?

"Is what she said true?"

How would I know? Lu Mingyang looked up speechlessly, and saw Uncle Zhong, who was standing in the corner, kneeling behind him.

Zhong Bo didn't know what happened back then, he just pointed out a few doubts.

First, most babies were born prematurely, but Aunt Liu gave birth more than forty days after her baby was full-term.

Second, after Concubine Liu gave birth, she had never been seen serving Marquis Chengyang for more than ten years.

Another thing is that Lu Mingqin's appearance does not look like the Marquis of Chengyang at all. Now that I think about it, the deep eye sockets and slightly curly hair are all characteristics of the Huns.

Zhongbo was still thinking about other doubts, but the emperor waved his hand impatiently. He didn't have much hope in the first place, and asking was just a one in ten thousand chance of success.

"Ming Zheng!"

"My son is here!"

Seeing that the emperor was about to give instructions, Eunuch Su walked in with a bowl of water, and was in a dilemma.

"Your Majesty, do you want to test it again?" he asked nervously.

"Test it!" After testing it myself, I completely gave up.

The blood test requires fresh blood to flow immediately, so Eunuch Su led Lu Mingyang to the side hall.

Two drops of blood fell into the white porcelain bowl and dissipated separately.

"The two girls are not born of the same mother, and their blood cannot mix. It does not mean that the fifth girl is not the biological daughter of Marquis Chengyang." Eunuch Su comforted himself in this way and hurried to the main hall with the bowl of blood.

Lu Mingyang was left here. Obviously, she had no right to know what happened next. But she felt uneasy and followed secretly.

There was no one at the entrance of the main hall. Concubine Song's head maid personally escorted Zhongbo out of Xiefang Palace.

"On the way to the bride's house, the daughter of Marquis Chengyang committed suicide out of fear. Her biological mother couldn't bear the pain of losing her daughter, so she followed her. It's reasonable and logical." The voice of Concubine Song was faintly heard.