Chapter 423: The Lu Family Lacks Successors

Chapter 423: The Lu Family Lacks Successors

Grand Tutor Lu has fallen seriously ill again. This time it’s quite severe; several physicians worked through the night to save him, and in the end, they had to call for the imperial physician from the palace to revive him.

The Emperor sent over some nourishing supplements and dispatched his personal eunuch to convey his regards on his behalf.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Jinyu suggested that the Long Princess should also pay a visit.

Her primary intention was to gauge how long Grand Tutor Lu could still live, as this would affect their subsequent decisions.

The Long Princess readily agreed to her suggestion.

She had once been Grand Tutor Lu’s student, so visiting him with her daughter-in-law when he was ill was perfectly normal.

The Long Princess informed the Lu family of her visit a day in advance.

They began preparations immediately, clearing the path, arranging beautiful flowers, and laying down a path all the way to Grand Tutor Lu’s sickroom.

The sickroom was meticulously arranged, bright and clean, with fresh flowers placed inside, making it spotless before moving Grand Tutor Lu in.

There was no unpleasant smell in the room, only a faint aroma of medicine mixed with the scent of flowers.

It seemed that Lady Lu had put considerable effort into hosting the Long Princess.

The Long Princess, accustomed to such treatment, naturally sat down.

Grand Tutor Lu struggled to get up, but the Long Princess stopped him.

"Teacher, you’re not feeling well; just lie down."

Grand Tutor Lu clasped his hands and said, "Thank you, Princess."

His voice sounded weaker than when she last visited to move the dowry.

"Teacher, I heard you were critically ill last night and that the imperial physician was called. Have you improved after a night of treatment?"

Grand Tutor Lu nodded and replied, "Thank you for your concern, Princess. I am much better now."

"That’s good. You must rest well and take care of your health. The Emperor, this Palace, and the entire Qi Dynasty cannot do without you. Without you, there would be no Qi Dynasty today."

Touched by her words, Grand Tutor Lu’s eyes welled up with tears. He politely responded, "I never expected that my useless old self would receive such praise from the Princess. Even if I die now, it would be worth it."

The two engaged in mutual flattery, exchanging exaggerated pleasantries, yet both appeared genuinely sincere.

Indeed, one must possess certain skills to hold a high position.

The Long Princess and Grand Tutor Lu talked about his illness, then moved on to state affairs, and eventually reminisced about the Long Princess’s childhood. Before they knew it, their tea had cooled.

Somehow, the conversation turned to his sons and grandsons.

Then, Grand Tutor Lu glanced at Zheng Jinyu and sighed, "Regardless of gender, finding a smart and compatible partner is correct. Unlike me, who thought myself clever enough despite being ugly, I married a beautiful wife, hoping our children would inherit my intelligence and her beauty. But none of my three sons fulfilled my expectations."

Zheng Jinyu had heard that elderly people, especially those nearing death, often like to recall the past and discuss their descendants.

It seemed Grand Tutor Lu was no exception.

As he spoke, he inadvertently revealed family matters, leaving Lady Lu, who was serving them, extremely embarrassed.

The Long Princess was momentarily speechless, unsure how to respond.

In the end, she forced herself to praise his three disappointing sons.

"Your third son inherited his mother’s beauty. Back then, he was the most handsome in our academy."

While he was indeed handsome, calling him the most handsome was merely a polite compliment.

Grand Tutor Lu did not seem particularly pleased and waved his hand dismissively. "What use is it? Even with his mother’s beauty, it doesn’t make up for his lack of intelligence."

Indeed, lack of intelligence is a hard flaw to overcome.

Zheng Jinyu thought that Grand Tutor Lu suffered from a lack of education.

Intelligence, after all, tends to follow the mother, which is quite normal.

But what was the point of mentioning it? If one is ugly and desires beauty, one must trade intelligence for it.

One cannot have everything.

After more conversation, they returned to discussing his illness.

"My body is failing, and they won’t tell me the truth, but I know deep down that I might not live past this year."

Everyone present tried to reassure him.

"Teacher, take your medicine properly, and you’ll recover."

"Father, don’t talk like that. Our whole family relies on you. You must take your medicine and get better. Don’t say anything unlucky."

"Yes, Master, don’t worry too much. It’s just a common cold. Taking medicine will help."

"There’s no need to comfort me. I know my own body." He looked at the Long Princess, his eyes filled with a pleading expression. "Princess, I fear that once I’m gone, the Qi Dynasty will fall into chaos, and my foolish sons and grandsons will scatter. Do you think that will happen?"

Zheng Jinyu looked at him in surprise.

His aged eyes were already clouded, as if covered by a film.

Most elderly people were like this; he probably couldn’t see clearly, only making out vague outlines.

At that moment, he was looking at the Princess Chang with anticipation, with tears still glistening in his eyes.

Grand Tutor Lu indeed had some skills; he probably knew something.

But he also understood that at his age, he didn't have many days left to live, and knowing anything wouldn't change anything.

So he pretended to be ignorant, acting as if he knew nothing.

The Princess Chang gave a faint smile, "What are you talking about, Master? Why would the Qi Dynasty become chaotic? Even if your few descendants are ordinary, at most they won't enter officialdom or achieve great things, but how could they scatter?"

Hearing her words, Grand Tutor Lu felt slightly relieved.

He thought that no matter what happened, with the Princess Chang's promise, these fools' lives would be saved.

However, Grand Tutor Lu was indeed old and nearing the end of his life, his mind not as sharp as it used to be.

He failed to discern the hidden meaning in the Princess Chang's words.

Not entering officialdom and not achieving great things meant they wouldn't scatter.

His descendants originally had no real abilities; three generations could live off such a large estate without running out, yet they insisted on pursuing great achievements. He had also exerted great effort to send Lu Shen down the path of officialdom.

Had he really made no arrangements?

If he hadn't made any preparations, why did he agree to Lady Lu and Lu Shen's absurd idea of marrying two wives in one day?

Originally, the Wang family was unwilling to let Wang Fuzhen marry into the Lu family, but after Old Master Lu went to the Wang family and had a secret conversation with their heads, they suddenly agreed.

What were they plotting?

And Wang Fuyu, the eldest daughter of the Wang family and Wang Fuzhen's elder sister, married Gao Zhi's biological younger brother, a full-blooded sibling.

Their eldest brother died under mysterious circumstances; otherwise, Prince Zhong's Mansion wouldn't have been inherited by a son born of a concubine.

No one is a fool; who knows what schemes they had behind closed doors.

The old man was truly skilled at rambling; he soon brought up events from decades ago.

As Zheng Jinyu had been sitting there for a while, she had already drunk several cups of tea and needed to use the restroom urgently.

After informing the Princess Chang, she excused herself.

Lady Lu, being observant, immediately followed her out to make arrangements.

"Princess Chen, let me show you where to go."

This was a polite gesture, and Zheng Jinyu understood. She politely declined, "Thank you, Lady Lu, but it's not necessary. You need to attend to things here; just send a maid to guide me."