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Lo An Lord nodded slightly before getting into the carriage, followed closely by the strategist.
The steward, seeing both Lo An Lord and the strategist aboard, hurriedly climbed into the carriage. As he drove the horses, he began recounting recent events in the royal residence to Lo An Lord, who was seated inside.
Of course, his words were a mix of truth and deception; he spoke freely about matters that favored him and the princess, while remaining silent on anything that might cast them in a negative light.
When he mentioned Luo Bingbing from Piaoyun Pavilion, he referred to her as a monster capable of casting spells, claiming that she had turned the royal residence into a chaotic mess, causing widespread fear among the people. He further stated that everyone in the palace was suffering because of her, even the princess had been rendered speechless by her sorcery, and that the Fourth Princess had been left incapacitated by her actions. As he spoke, he pretended to shed a few tears, glancing at Lo An Lord with a pitiful expression.
However, when he noticed Lo An Lord frowning slightly and displaying signs of impatience, he quickly wiped away his tears and continued his report.
"Your Highness," the steward said, "before leaving the palace, the princess instructed me to ask you to find a way to summon the Imperial Physician to our residence to examine both the Fourth Princess and the princess."
Lo An Lord listened with curiosity and asked, "Why?"
The steward hastily replied, "The doctor we consulted previously said he could not cure the Fourth Princess or the princess's ailments. The princess wanted to find a way to invite the Imperial Physician from the palace for a diagnosis. Their medical skills are superior; perhaps they will have a remedy for both ladies. That is why she instructed me to ensure you find a way to summon the Imperial Physician."
After hearing this, both Lo An Lord and the strategist furrowed their brows deeply. They listened to the steward's detailed account but remained skeptical of his words.
Firstly, they did not believe in monsters or magic in this world. Based on their understanding of Consort Luo, they found it hard to believe that she could be unjustly persecuted by that Little One from Piaoyun Pavilion whom she had never met. Moreover, in all that the steward had recounted, there was no mention of Madam Xiang from Fragrant Pavilion, nor of the Second Princess or Fifth Son.
Exchanging glances filled with unspoken understanding only they could decipher, they fell into silence and contemplation.
Seeing that both his lord and the strategist were deep in thought and not speaking, the steward dared not interrupt them. He joined them in silence, lost in his own thoughts. As for what was going through their minds at that moment, only they knew.
As for Lo An Lord, he found himself trapped in a castle of memories, reminiscing about his childhood sweetheart—the woman he loved most in his life—who happened to be Luo Bingbing's mother. Gradually, his thoughts drifted back to that deliberately forgotten little girl—Luo Bingbing herself.
The strategist had been pondering the doubts in the steward's words, as well as their truthfulness and reliability. He was also considering how to address the issues concerning Lord Lo An upon returning to the manor, including how to find the most genuine answers within the estate and where to begin.
Meanwhile, the steward was contemplating and preparing for his next round of speeches, while also reflecting on Lord Lo An's and the strategist's potential reactions.
Just as the steward's thoughts were actively swirling in his mind, he heard Lord Lo An's authoritative voice. "How are Madam Xiang and the Second Princess?"
Upon hearing this, the steward's mind momentarily short-circuited. He couldn't understand why his own lady and the Fourth Princess were so gravely ill. It was one thing for the lord not to inquire about them, but to ask about Madam Xiang and the Second Princess, who were perfectly fine, left him perplexed. Despite his confusion, he dutifully maintained his role as a servant.
He quickly replied, "In response to your lordship, all is well with the ladies; they are simply very concerned about you."
As soon as the steward finished speaking, a realization struck him—he finally understood that Lord Lo An was subtly trying to extract information from him! His heart raced with anxiety, yet he maintained a calm demeanor, showing no signs of tension.
After hearing the steward's words, Lord Lo An fell silent. His expression remained unchanged, as if his earlier question had been merely casual concern for them, insignificant in nature.
Only Lord Lo An knew why he had asked such a simple question and whether he had received the answer he sought.
The strategist furrowed his brow slightly after listening to their exchange. He felt that matters were becoming increasingly complex and were not as straightforward as the steward had suggested.
The carriage slowly made its way toward the royal manor, leaving behind a rhythmic sound of wheels rolling...
Inside the carriage, silence enveloped them; all three were lost in their own thoughts.
Time ticked by until finally, the carriage came into view of the royal manor. The servants stationed at the entrance of Azure Water Pavilion and Fragrant Pavilion recognized that their lord must be inside this carriage upon seeing the steward drive it back. They hurriedly turned and rushed to report this news to their masters.
Hearing that her lord had finally returned to the manor brought mixed emotions to the princess—joy at his return and sorrow at her current appearance. Unsure of how to face him in her present state, she decided against going out to greet him and instead waited for Lord Lo An in the Reception Hall of the manor.
In the Fragrant Pavilion, Madam Xiang and her two children were dressed in their finest attire. Upon hearing the report from the servants, they hurried to the entrance of the royal residence to welcome Lord Lo An.
When Lord Lo An's carriage came to a stop at the gates, Madam Xiang and her children approached eagerly.
As the butler drew back the curtains, Lord Lo An slowly descended from the carriage. The three of them immediately moved forward to pay their respects upon seeing him.
Madam Xiang led the way and was the first to bow, saying, "I pay my respects to Your Highness. Welcome back to the residence, may Your Highness be blessed!"
As soon as Madam Xiang finished speaking, Second Princess Luo Caidie stepped forward and greeted, "I pay my respects to Father. Welcome back to the residence, may Father be blessed!"
Lastly, it was Fifth Son Luo Wenhan who came forward. When Lord Lo An went to Yang City for duty, Luo Wenhan was just over a year old. During that time, Lord Lo An had never returned to the royal residence, so in his memory, he had never seen Lord Lo An; one could say he did not recognize him at all.
In his mind, Lord Lo An was merely a vague image of a father created by his mother and sister—nothing substantial at all. Therefore, from the moment he laid eyes on Lord Lo An, his gaze had not left him, filled with curiosity and confusion.
Lord Lo An noticed him too but saw that his eyes flickered with fear. Given Lord Lo An's imposing presence, he chose not to acknowledge him.
However, when Luo Wenhan stepped forward and said, "I pay my respects to Father. Welcome back to the residence, may Father be blessed!" Lord Lo An finally remembered that this was his youngest son.
After nodding at them, Lord Lo An called for his son Luo Wenhan to come closer. Luo Wenhan timidly approached him. Lord Lo An squatted down and gently patted Luo Wenhan's head, asking, "Are you Han'er?" Luo Wenhan quickly nodded in response.
Seeing him nod, Lord Lo An continued, "You are seven years old now, right? Have you been studying with a tutor and learning your letters?"
Luo Wenhan stared blankly at Lord Lo An for a moment before slowly shaking his head after blinking.
Noticing how dazed and frightened his son appeared, Lord Lo An felt disheartened and decided not to engage further. He turned to Madam Xiang and said, "Why haven't you arranged for Han'er to have a tutor or sent him to a private school?"
"Madam Xiang" quickly replied, "I thought that 'Han'er' was still too young, and since you, my lord, were not at home, I was afraid you had already made plans to send 'Han'er' to the mountains for martial arts training. I didn't want to interfere with your intentions, so..."
Before she could finish her sentence, "Lo An Lord" showed signs of impatience, waving his hand and saying, "Alright, alright, let's go inside and talk!"
After speaking, "Lo An Lord" turned to the strategist behind him and said, "Come on, let's head in!" With that, he led the way toward the main gate of the palace.
Upon hearing his words, "Strategist Gongsun Ming" nodded slightly and bowed to "Madam Xiang" and her three children before following behind him into the palace.
As everyone filed into the palace and had not yet reached "The Hall of the Wangfu," they saw a middle-aged woman standing at the entrance. She was over thirty, plump in figure, elegantly dressed, and exuding charm. She kept looking ahead, and when she spotted "Lo An Lord," her face broke into a warm smile as she hurried toward him.
Upon reaching "Lo An Lord," she quickly performed a greeting but made no sound—only gestures and expressions.
"Lo An Lord" frowned slightly and helped her up, asking, "Princess, is it true what the steward said? That you can no longer speak?"
Hearing this, "Consort Luo" looked at him with tear-filled eyes and gently nodded in response.
Meanwhile, "Madam Xiang," overhearing their conversation, feigned surprise and exclaimed dramatically, "Ah! Sister Princess, are you saying you can't speak anymore? What happened? Just a couple of days ago everything seemed fine! How did it come to this? Is it serious?"
As soon as "Madam Xiang" finished speaking, "Second Princess Luo Caidie" rushed forward to "Consort Luo," saying, "Mother, are you alright?" Her expression was filled with worry and fear; whether it was genuine or not was known only to heaven and earth—and herself.
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