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Chapter 532 Playing the Victim
Lu Zhang clearly didn't like hearing Lu Qing's words, but he couldn't bring himself to refute Lu Qing's question.

Over the years, among the princes, Lu Zhang knew perfectly well why he was the most sought after and flattered by the high-ranking officials and nobles both inside and outside the court.

Leaving aside Lu Qing, the adopted child, there was also Lu Chao, born to Emperor Jin and his first wife, Empress Wang. Since his maternal family had long since disappeared, he was also ignored.
The reason why Lu Ze was able to receive preferential treatment that many other princes did not have was ultimately because of his favored mother.

His mother had long since passed away. If he hadn't been raised by his maternal grandfather since childhood, how could he have enjoyed such a glamorous life in public?
Even regarding Emperor Jin's praise and appreciation of him, Lu Zhang couldn't say how much of it was genuine and how much was just out of respect for his maternal grandfather.

Although as he gets older, some things and signs have gradually made him uneasy, and he often feels lost and confused, reflecting on whether he is too dependent on his maternal grandparents and whether he should start to have his own opinions.

But seeing that even Lu Ze was starting to grow up, and the Emperor Jin was still delaying in establishing a crown prince, he was afraid that if he rashly distanced himself from his maternal grandfather and the faction behind him, he might make a mistake that would lead to a series of mistakes, and lose the opportunity to win.

It was precisely because of this inner conflict that he kept wavering, and it was also because of this that Lu Qing's question just now stung him.

Seeing Lu Zhang's dark expression and silent gaze, Lu Qing spoke again: "You are related to the Emperor by blood, and you grew up in the capital by his side. You should know what kind of person the Emperor is."

In his heart, there has always been a clear distinction between insiders and outsiders, and he also knows who his own people are and who are outsiders.

While blood ties can significantly influence the distinction between family and outsiders, it's important not to forget that political stance is also a crucial factor.

Lu Zhang was taken aback, not expecting Lu Qing to suddenly say such a thing to him, and couldn't help but look up at him.

“You need to think this through.” Lu Qing didn’t give him a chance to speak and continued, “Your maternal grandfather played a crucial role in the emperor’s ascension to the throne, that’s undeniable. But just because their interests aligned at that time doesn’t mean they will always be aligned in the future.”

In the past, what the emperor feared most were veteran officials who had made great contributions and whose merits overshadowed his own; the same may still be true now.

Lu Zhang frowned. He had originally wanted to avoid these topics, but he couldn't help but ask, "Brother, did you hear something in the Brahma Land?"
You weren't originally a person who spoke and acted this way. Why did you start saying things that are likely to get you into trouble after returning from Vatican City?

Lu Qing did not answer his question. After a brief silence, he spoke to Lu Zhang again: "You should be prepared. Having a powerful backer is always better than not having one."

However, the bigger the support, the heavier the people below will be if it collapses one day.

So, you probably don't have much time to hesitate about what to do.

Lu Zhang's brows were furrowed tightly, and his face showed a painful struggle. He seemed to understand what Lu Qing was trying to say, and he knew that Lu Qing was right, but just thinking about this choice made him timid and painful.

"Many things are right in front of you. Think about what you've been through along the way. What you have to face will eventually have to be faced," Lu Qing said again with a hint of earnestness.

Lu Zhang looked at him quietly, then suddenly stood up: "It's getting late, and I don't think there's any point in me staying here any longer."

I was worried that you would be feeling down here, so I came to comfort you. But judging from your expression, you seem to be much more at ease than I am.

"In that case, I was overthinking it. Brother, you should get some rest."

After saying that, he turned around and pulled Yan Shu, who was still squatting on the ground, to her feet: "If you don't come with me, do you want to stay here?!"

Yan Shu glared at him, somewhat annoyed that this guy was taking out his frustration from Lu Qing on her and venting his anger on her.

But since they were in the confinement camp, she couldn't very well argue with Lu Zhang. She could only reluctantly turn back and look at Zhu Yu one last time.

“Once you’re home, I’m determined to visit you!” she told Zhu Yu.

Zhu Yu smiled back at her: "I hope that day will come."

"It will definitely happen!" Yan Shu didn't want to hear any discouraging words, so she quickly said.

Zhu Yu smiled and nodded: "Okay, it's a deal!"

"Let's go, keep your head down!" Lu Zhang reminded Yan Shu in a low voice, somewhat annoyed, before striding away alone.

Yan Shu was somewhat reluctant to leave, but dared not linger. She secretly glanced back at Zhu Yu, then lowered her head and followed closely behind Lu Zhang into the distance.

After the two of them left, the prison returned to silence. Zhu Yu got up, brushed the straw off his clothes, went back to his simple makeshift bed, lay down, and stared blankly at the ceiling with his arm as a pillow.

After a while, she turned to look at Lu Qing, who was lying not far from her: "So... Lu Zhang doesn't know a lot about you, right?"

“Hmm.” Lu Qing nodded. “In that case, he is at most a cicada, neither a mantis nor a sparrow.”

"So, it wasn't a wasted trip for him tonight." Zhu Yu breathed a sigh of relief. "You two... could you say it was a rather special kind of heart-to-heart talk?"

Lu Qing laughed, and after a while said, "Go to sleep. This place is in the palace. Lu Zhang needs to come in from outside the palace. No matter how secretive the operation is, it can't be hidden from everyone."

I wonder if there will be any unexpected 'surprises' waiting for us then; we'll have to be on our guard."

They spent the night like that, and the next morning someone came to bring them food. The footsteps were louder than usual. When they arrived outside the prison, they took the bowls and plates out of the food box with more force, making a clanging noise that woke up the few people who were originally too lazy to get up.

"Your Highness, I've brought you your meal!" The messenger who brought the meal grinned at them when he saw that they were awake. "Get up and eat while it's hot, it won't taste good when it's cold."

As he spoke, he pushed the slightly more lavish meal, which was more abundant than usual, through the gaps under the fence, one dish at a time.