Chapter 102: Pleading for My Husband

Chapter 102: Interceding for Her Husband

That "treasure" was clearly in Lu Feng's possession—she was certain of it!

Jiang Wanrou clenched her fists, steeling herself to stay composed.

She had always understood that Lu Feng was no man to bow his head to others. Later, when he was enfeoffed as the Prince of Qi and his power grew, she reined in the household staff, forbidding them from exploiting the prince’s name for mischief.

Some things she had considered, but with the emperor still in his prime and the various princes each having their strengths, and Lu Feng suffering from a crippled leg, the thought had seemed like a fantasy—she had laughed it off.

She never imagined this day would come so swiftly. Compared to Lu Feng's relentless ambition, Jiang Wanrou was far simpler to satisfy.

In the beginning, under Madame Qin’s thumb, she had only wanted enough to eat and wear, to find a kind husband who treated her well and could perhaps even look after her mother. Though fate had led her to marry Lu Feng, after years of adjustment, she had nearly attained the life she once dreamed of.

Later, after giving birth to Huai Yi and the pair of twins, she focused on raising her children, hoping to one day become a revered dowager in comfort, enjoying wealth and honor until old age. That was enough for her.

As for climbing higher... she had known since childhood that manna didn’t rain from heaven. Success might elevate the whole family, but failure could mean the scaffold and the extermination of their line—losing everything.

Now, with a harmonious marriage, children, and her mother soon to be freed from the wolf’s den of a household at Ning'an Marquisate, she sought only stability, without a trace of improper ambition.

Jiang Wanrou took a deep breath and asked, "Has His Highness sent any message home?"

Cuizhu shook her head. "None."

From the moment Lu Feng entered the palace last night until the rumors erupted this morning, everyone from the Prince of Qi's estate had been detained in the palace—not a single person had returned.

Jiang Wanrou pressed, "Where did you hear that His Highness was punished by His Majesty?"

Cuizhu hesitated. "Everyone... everyone is saying it. It spread everywhere this morning."

Jiang Wanrou's voice turned icy. "The incident happened last night, in His Majesty's Hall of Mental Cultivation, yet by morning, it's already common knowledge. Which households comprise this 'everyone'?"

Suspicion swirled in Jiang Wanrou's mind. When Lu Feng told her not to wait for him last night, was it just a casual remark, or had he planned this all along? And what of her? What should she do now to make the right choice?

After a moment, Jiang Wanrou spoke calmly. "Inform everyone in the estate that, starting today, no one is to leave the premises. Everything continues as usual. If anyone dares to fan the flames at this time, they will meet my wrath."

"Send Jintao to the heir's quarters and tell him to focus on his studies—he need not be disturbed by outside matters."

"Prepare a carriage. I am going to the palace."

With rumors swirling outside and likely opportunists taking advantage, Jiang Wanrou had no intention of sending people out to gather information. The priority now was to see Lu Feng in person.

Hearing this, Cuizhu's round face paled further. Trembling, she said, "Princess Consort, perhaps it would be better to wait patiently. Maybe once His Majesty's anger subsides, His Highness will return soon..."

With the emperor furious enough to punish his own son, wasn't this the worst time to invite trouble? The Princess Consort had always been wise, with three children to rely on—why wade into this mess?

Jiang Wanrou lowered her gaze and did not respond. Unable to guess her thoughts, Cuizhu scurried off like a hare to arrange the carriage.

This was precisely why Jiang Wanrou valued her. While Jintao might deliberate before acting, Cuizhu followed orders without question, whether she understood or not.

***

Instead of donning her grand crimson princess robes, Jiang Wanrou chose an unadorned gown of lake-blue silk, layered with a moon-white satin jacket. Her dark hair was coiled into a dignified bun, adorned only with plain white jade hairpins shaped like auspicious clouds. Wispy tendrils curled at her nape, and pearl earrings swayed gently as she walked, exuding quiet dignity.

The loose jacket slightly concealed her voluptuous curves. Jiang Wanrou examined herself in the mirror. Though she had traveled far, she had suffered little hardship—her lips were still rosy, her face plump and luminous. Only after applying powder several times did she manage a pallor of distress.

As the carriage jolted along the palace road, Jiang Wanrou remained silent, her mind racing.

She thought of her elder sister, the former Princess of Gong—Jiang Wanxue.

When the Prince of Gong fell into trouble, Jiang Wanrou had attended a palace banquet with Lu Feng. At the Donghua Gate, she had seen Jiang Wanxue, swathed in the weighty regalia of a princess consort and crowned with gold, kneeling rigidly before the palace gates, begging clemency for her lord.

Back then, she was merely an onlooker, marveling at Jiang Wanxue's reckless devotion, unsure if she herself could match such fervor. Now that it was her turn, after all they had been through together, if kneeling could free Lu Feng from his predicament, she was willing—regardless of dignity or shame.

But Jiang Wanxue’s fate had taught her one thing: no, this path was closed. She had to find another way.

Jiang Wanrou thought to herself, while Jiang Wanxue’s approach had been unflinching, what kind of man was the emperor? The Supreme Sovereign! For *his own* daughter-in-law to kneel before the bustling Donghua Gate—how would that not humiliate the emperor? Confining his own son and forcing his daughter-in-law to kneel—though the emperor was benevolent to the common people, why was he so harsh in his own family affairs?

Having spent enough time with Lu Feng, Jiang Wanrou had developed her own way of dealing with someone like the emperor. Force wouldn’t work—who in the world could outmatch His Imperial Majesty in power? Even Lu Feng, with his volatile temper, had to yield somewhat when facing his father. A single decree from the emperor had sent her on a six-month deployment—she certainly didn’t dare oppose him outright.

A gentle approach was needed. Only gentleness could overcome hardness.

...

"Princess Consort, we’ve arrived at the Xihua Gate."

Jiang Wanrou snapped out of her thoughts. She picked up the rosewood food box beside her and stepped gracefully out of the carriage.

The Xihua Gate was less frequented, with few passersby. Without needing instruction, Cuizhu immediately stepped forward and slipped the guard a gold ingot hidden in a handkerchief.

"Would you kindly announce that the Princess Consort of the Prince of Qi seeks an audience?"

The guard quietly weighed the gold in his hand—it was substantial, but one had to be alive to spend it. When giants clashed, ants were crushed. With the emperor in a rage, no one wanted to invite misfortune.

His heart aching with reluctance, he was about to refuse when Jiang Wanrou suddenly spoke. "A few days ago, the young master personally dug up some bamboo shoots, hoping to offer them to his imperial grandfather for a taste. Unfortunately, he fell ill and couldn’t come himself, so he pleaded with me to act in his stead."

"During the time the prince and I were away from the capital, it was only through *Imperial Father’s* grace that the young master was cared for. As his mother, how could I refuse his earnest wish?"

Deliberately or not, she emphasized the words "prince" and "Imperial Father," reminding the guard that Lu Feng was not like Prince Gong—stripped of his title and reduced to a commoner. Lu Huaiyi had been summoned to the palace multiple times by the emperor, and it was well known in court that the Prince of Qi’s heir was favored by His Majesty. Now that the young master wished to show filial piety to his imperial grandfather, who would dare stop it? Who could stop it?

Indeed, those in the palace were shrewd. The guard carefully considered Jiang Wanrou’s words twice before smoothly tucking the gold into his sleeve. "Please wait a moment, Princess Consort."

He kicked another guard in the calf and snapped, "Hurry up! If you delay Her Highness’s business, ten heads won’t be enough to atone!"

Jiang Wanrou lowered her gaze. Those who were arrogant before would grovel later—such was the world’s cruelty, sycophants trampling the weak, laid bare in the palace. No wonder everyone sought to climb higher.

Fortunately, the guard delivered the message. Shortly after, Jiang Wanrou was led by a eunuch to the Wenhua Hall, where the emperor often went after court.

"Your humble daughter-in-law greets *Imperial Father*. Long live Your Majesty."

The hall’s dais was paved with jade, its vermilion pillars towering, each carved with dragons and phoenixes in exquisite detail. Several eunuchs in dark blue robes stood with eyes fixed on the floor in submission, the vast hall utterly silent.

After a long while, the emperor finally looked up from his cluttered desk and said sternly, "If you’ve come to plead for leniency, spare yourself the effort."

Lu Feng’s tampering with the military tally was something the emperor could never tolerate. For anyone else, the rod would’ve struck hard by now—but it had to be Lu Feng.

His own treasured son, who had just won a great victory for Great Qi, for whom he had already prepared rewards and a celebratory feast—why had it come to this?

The emperor did not bid her rise. Jiang Wanrou knelt on the cold floor, head bowed, and said softly, "Though I am but a woman, I understand some simple truths. As a son, my husband has provoked Your Majesty’s anger—that is his fault, and he deserves punishment."

The words gave the emperor pause. His fury had stemmed not just from Lu Feng’s acting without permission, but from his defiance. He had committed a grave error, yet showed no remorse, mulish defiance etched into every word as he declared boldly, "This subject acted for the sake of the borderlands’ people, for the foundation of Great Qi."

"I accept punishment."

Though he claimed to accept it, his back was straighter than anyone’s, infuriating the emperor further. He didn’t believe Lu Feng’s high-sounding excuses, nor did he buy into the other princes’ whispers that the Prince of Qi was amassing power with designs on rebellion.

The borderlands were a world away from the capital—if one wanted to rebel, controlling the Imperial Guards was the way to go. A futile remedy, and he wasn’t so senile yet! What enraged him was that his sons were each scheming, and Lu Feng, knowing full well this would anger him, had done it anyway.

Done it righteously, accepting punishment but not admitting fault. The hierarchy of throne and family—he was the emperor, but also a father. How could he tolerate such insolence?

The two were at an impasse. The emperor waited for Lu Feng to admit his mistake, though he had an inkling that given Lu Feng's temperament, even if his knees were bloodied from kneeling, his mouth would remain stubborn. Now, Jiang Wanrou's words, whether sincere or not, soothed the emperor's temper.

He set down his vermilion brush and slammed the desk heavily. "Even you know he was wrong, that rebellious son... Enough said!"

The emperor's voice rang out powerfully. The moment he struck the desk, all the eunuchs and palace maids in the hall, high and low, knelt with their foreheads pressed to the ground. Since the emperor disliked pleas for mercy, not a single extra sound was made.

The hall was deathly quiet. Jiang Wanrou's heart clenched, truly experiencing for the first time what it meant to be the "Son of Heaven." His authority was thunderous—life and death, reward and punishment, all rested on the emperor's whim. At this moment, Jiang Wanrou came to a sudden understanding of Lu Feng. A man like him—how could he willingly kneel at another's feet? Just as now, she, a princess consort listed in the imperial genealogy, who had borne the royal family two sons and a daughter, knelt in the golden hall no differently from the maids and eunuchs around her.

Fortunately, the emperor was not a tyrant like Prince Chen, who vented his anger on palace servants. He slightly lifted his chin. "All rise."

Out of caution, Jiang Wanrou remained kneeling. The emperor waved his hand. "You rise as well. Someone, bring a seat for the princess consort."

The emperor had always treated her coldly. Flustered by this rare kindness, Jiang Wanrou stood up respectfully. "Your daughter-in-law thanks Your Majesty for your grace."

Her plain, delicate dress served her well today. Standing there meekly, her face heavily powdered, she looked somewhat pale and weary.

After all, she was the mother of the imperial grandson. The emperor softened his tone. "Did you resent following Jun Chi to the army?"

Jiang Wanrou, who had barely touched the seat, startled and immediately stood up, flustered. "How could Your Majesty think that? You considered both the prince and your daughter-in-law, unwilling to separate husband and wife. I'm nothing but grateful—how could I dare resent it?"

"Oh?"

Now it was the emperor's turn to be taken aback. As a princess consort, her status was noble. He knew his decision had been unfair, but Lu Feng had been like a man possessed, refusing any other woman. Back then, Jiang Wanrou had mediated with the decree-bearing eunuch in the Prince of Qi's residence. That eunuch, returning the favor, had sung her praises to the emperor.

It wasn’t fabrication—just a truthful relay of Jiang Wanrou's words, that the Princess Consort of Qi was deeply grateful to His Majesty. The emperor had barely listened at the time; the decree was already issued, and a woman's wishes were irrelevant to his considerations.

Now, recalling it, it seemed his daughter-in-law truly bore no resentment. A glimmer of pleasure rose in the emperor's heart, and his expression eased.

He nodded. "It’s good you understand my intentions."

After surviving winter, illness, and captivity, Jiang Wanrou wasn’t without resentment, but she hid it well. Following the emperor's lead, she said, "Not only does your daughter-in-law understand Your Majesty's care, but the prince also shares my gratitude for your kindness."

The emperor clearly wasn’t buying it. He scoffed. "Him? Enough."

"Huai Yi dug these bamboo shoots himself? Bring them here—let me taste them."

His son was unfilial, but at least his grandson was sensible. The emperor didn’t want to dwell on the vexing Lu Feng, but his fondness for Lu Huaiyi was well-known.

The dish of bamboo shoots had been hastily stir-fried by the prince's chef and had long gone cold on the journey from the Prince of Qi's residence to the palace. The emperor, more forgiving than Lu Feng would be, took a bite and praised, "As expected of my grandson—even the bamboo shoots he digs are fresh and delicious."

Jiang Wanrou smiled. "The child cherishes you dearly. He gathered the tenderest shoots and wouldn't let anyone else near them, saving them solely for his imperial grandfather."

"Even the prince grew jealous."

The emperor's brows shot up, his tiger-like eyes blazing. "Outrageous! He himself is unfilial, yet begrudges my grandson's devotion? I went too easy on him!"

Finally steering the conversation to Lu Feng, Jiang Wanrou swallowed her fear and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. As the prince’s wife, I may sound self-serving, but I must speak fairly for him."

"You know his temper—he's all hard bones and sharper words. In his heart, he reveres you as both sovereign and father. There is no trace of unfilial defiance."

The emperor's expression darkened further. The dragon heads on his imperial robes glared fiercely, exuding authority even without anger.

Steadying herself, Jiang Wanrou continued, "The prince has always been reserved. After injuring his leg years ago, he withdrew further into silence. His thoughts are expressed not in words but in actions."

"During the battle against the Turkic, he led the charge. His body was covered in wounds—too many for me to count. Heartbroken, I urged him to take care, but he scolded me for a woman's limited perspective."

"He said, 'His Majesty once led the army with unmatched valor. Having received his trust to shoulder this great responsibility, how could I cower and besmirch his glorious reputation?'"

Jiang Wanrou lowered her gaze, her expression hidden from the emperor seated high above, who could only see the dark crown of her head.

"His Highness holds you in the highest esteem. He shed blood in battle not just for the court, but for you! As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words. Though His Highness is not as eloquent as others, I cannot bear to see him suffer this injustice in silence."

The emperor remained silent for a long moment before suddenly letting out a sharp, derisive snort. "So you’ve come to plead for him, sugarcoating your pleas. Jiang Wanrou, you are bold!"

Jiang Wanrou knelt once more, her voice soft. "Every word I speak comes from the heart. If you were to part his garments and see for yourself, you would know I speak no falsehood."

"Matters of the court are beyond my understanding. If His Highness has angered you, he deserves punishment—I have never thought to plead for leniency. Today, I came to the palace first to pay my respects to you, Father, as it has been long since I last saw you. Second, I came at Huai Yi’s request to bring you these tender bamboo shoots."

"The palace lacks no delicacies, of course. But Huai Yi said you’ve had little appetite lately. These shoots are refreshing—he hoped you might eat more."

Under the emperor’s piercing gaze, weighed down by imperial authority, Jiang Wanrou slowly drew a pair of knee guards from her robes and presented them with both hands.

She gave a bitter smile. "The Turkic lands are bitterly cold, and His Highness’s leg ailment plagues him daily. At the very least... let him wear these. I beg your permission, Father."

The knee guards had been hastily tucked into her robes before her departure. They were a dark red, resembling the color of blood.

Lu Feng now walked without a trace of a limp, so much so that even the emperor had nearly forgotten that his formidable son bore a physical flaw.

Suddenly, the emperor remembered the basins of bloody water poured out when Lu Feng had first broken his leg. He also recalled, over twenty years ago, Lu Feng’s birth mother throwing herself upon an enemy’s blade, her body drenched in blood as she cried with her last breath, "Your Highness, save our child!"

The emperor’s calloused heart clenched with unexpected pain.

***

At the entrance of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Lu Feng knelt with a cold, unyielding demeanor, his piercing gaze still imperious even in submission.

No wonder the emperor grew angry at the sight of him—his back was unbent, showing no hint of remorse.

Lu Feng mentally tallied the time. Knowing the emperor’s temper, he had prepared to kneel for two or three days. A full day and night had passed, the stone pavement aching his knees, yet his expression remained unchanged. His only concern was for his wife and child back at the estate.

In the half-year he had been away from the capital, Lu Huaiyi had grown considerably—he wasn’t worried about him. But his wife had always been gentle and fragile. She must be beside herself with worry by now.

He should have made things clearer to her.

As Lu Feng frowned in thought, a eunuch gripping a horsetail whisk hurried over, panting. "Your Highness! His Majesty has decreed—your punishment is lifted!"

"You lot, quit standing about! Quickly, help His Highness up!"