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Chapter 530 Just an Adopted Son
Compared to the awkward, forced conversation between Lu Qing and Lu Zhang, Yan Shu had much more to say to Zhu Yu.

“Let me tell you, you’re locked up here and you’re out of the loop. You have no idea what kind of person that Brahma King’s nephew is outside!” Yan Shu had already sat down on the floor next to the cell bars, cross-legged, facing Zhu Yu, and they chatted through the gaps. “The emperor is said to be very polite to him, treating him like an honored guest. That would have been considered proper etiquette, nothing to complain about, but that guy started acting all high and mighty.”

Instead of staying put when there's nothing wrong, he insists on running away. And once he's out there, he has a foul mouth, spreading rumors that his uncle is the Brahma King and was murdered by the carefree Prince Lu Qing and his men.

The matter has caused a great uproar in the capital. Not only those in the palace, but also ordinary people on the streets, including vendors and laborers, are well aware of it.

The most outrageous thing is that there are even teahouses in the capital with tea masters who tell stories about this matter in great detail. Even if they don't use your names, anyone with ears and a brain can tell that they are talking about you.

Their attitude was utterly arrogant, as if they were certain you couldn't turn things around and therefore couldn't do anything to them!

After she finished speaking, she suddenly felt that it was a bit inappropriate. It was as if she was sending a pessimistic message to Zhu Yu and the others. So she awkwardly cut off her words and looked at Zhu Yu helplessly, like a child who had done something wrong.

I smiled bitterly.

For her, being able to learn about the outside world from Yan Shu, no matter what kind of news it was, was a good thing.

Moreover, how this matter will ultimately be resolved is definitely not something that can be controlled by the prevailing sentiments in the community.

She was certain that the storytellers in those teahouses weren't just making a fuss about this on their own; they were probably being instigated by someone.

This person might be the real mastermind behind that Brahma King's nephew, trying to create momentum outside so that Emperor Jin would have to take some disciplinary action due to the impact already caused, and not allow him to completely protect his own.

Another possibility is that someone deliberately used this incident to make a fuss, taking advantage of the chaos, and having those tea masters spread rumors around.

She couldn't say for sure which of the two possibilities was closer to the truth.

However, seeing Yan Shu's nervous and uneasy expression, she decided to put this question aside for the time being.

"This is quite strange," she said, looking Yan Shu up and down. "How do you know about what happens in the teahouses and among the common people?"

Yan Shu was surprised that Zhu Yu asked this question. She was straightforward and didn't think too much about it. She pointed to Lu Zhang beside her and said, "He also learned from you. After he came back, he had a heart-to-heart talk with me and made sure that I would not rush to Jie Kingdom again. So he also did what you did and bought me some men's clothes so that I could disguise myself and walk around the streets when I had nothing to do."

That's why I was able to hear firsthand how those gossipy people were spouting nonsense outside.

These words surprised Zhu Yu somewhat.

She had been worried that after returning to the capital, Yan Shu would be imprisoned in the Prince Yi's mansion, enduring days of torment within those high walls like a prisoner. But her worries were unfounded! After his trip, Lu Zhang's attitude had completely changed, and he was now treating Yan Shu much better.

Feeling a bit uncomfortable under Zhu Yu's scrutiny, Yan Shu waved her hand dismissively, saying, "What time is it? You still have the mind to tease me! Just thinking about these things makes me feel like there's a wall built up in my heart!"

"It's alright, don't worry, we won't die!" Zhu Yu said to Yan Shu with an air of seriousness. "I observed the celestial phenomena last night and saw that there is still a chance for this matter to turn around. We still have great opportunities, and we won't be framed like this without any explanation!"

"Ah?! Really?!" Upon hearing this, Yan Shu's previously dim expression seemed to be rekindled. She knew that she had witnessed Zhu Yu's ability to perform autopsies before, so she always thought that Zhu Yu had great abilities. Now, hearing her talk about observing the celestial phenomena at night, she had no doubts at all.

However, her gaze fell behind Zhu Yu, and her brows quickly furrowed again: "But there isn't even a window in this cell. How did you observe the celestial phenomena at night? Are you just saying this to comfort me so I won't worry?"

"How could that be? I observed the celestial phenomena before I was locked up," Zhu Yu replied with absolute certainty, showing no sign that he was making it up.

"Really?" Yan Shu breathed a sigh of relief and nodded happily. "That's great! It's good that there's still room for maneuver!"

Unlike Yan Shu, whose thoughts were simple, Lu Qing and Lu Zhang, who were standing to the side, understood very well from Zhu Yu's words that she was comforting Yan Shu by telling a lie.

Lu Qing glanced at Lu Zhang, who did not deny what Yan Shu had just said.

Lu Qing lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment before asking, "You came to see me at the prison today. The Duke of Yan should not know about this, right?"

This matter was actually something that was tacitly understood. Lu Zhang hadn't seen Lu Qing mention it earlier, so he took it as a tacit understanding between the two of them. He didn't expect that Lu Qing would suddenly ask him about it so directly.

This left him unsure how to respond. After a moment's thought, he said somewhat vaguely, "When I first wanted to visit my brother, my maternal grandfather was indeed not in favor. He always required me to be cautious in my actions and didn't want to cause any trouble at this critical juncture, which wouldn't be good for either of us."

However... I've seen Lu Ze come here several times these past few days, and no one seems to blame or stop him, so I figured there shouldn't be any problem. Since Yan Shu was also thinking about her sister-in-law, I brought her along.

Since the trip was a last-minute decision, it was a bit rushed, and it was already quite late. I didn't specifically tell my grandfather, but I figured he would agree. After all, we're brothers, how could I not consider that?

“That’s not quite how it works.” After hearing his words, Lu Qing suddenly smiled enigmatically. “You and I aren’t blood brothers. You are genuine princes, true princes.”

As for me, I was just an adopted son who was taken in out of pity.

Strictly speaking, given my status, I am not worthy to discuss brotherhood with His Highnesses Yi and Shu.