The abstinent and powerful minister is cold and aloof during the day, but he adores her in his dream

Chapter 285 gives people a very gentle feeling.

When Zhiwan hung up her official robes and returned, Lu Zhan was already lying down.

"Do you want to rest a bit more?" Lu Zhan asked, a smile in his dark eyes.

"No, I lay in bed all day yesterday and slept last night, so I'm not sleepy now." Zhiwan took a round fan, sat down on the edge of the bed, and gently fanned him. "You should go to sleep."

"Mmm," Lu Zhan responded softly, closing his eyes.

He was probably really tired, because he fell asleep soon after.

While fanning him, Zhiwan scrutinized his features.

My cousin has handsome features. When he's awake, he gives off a dignified and aloof feeling, but when he's asleep, his thick, long eyelashes softly cover his eyelids, making his features softer and giving him a gentle feeling.

Zhiwan was mesmerized, fanning herself intermittently with her fan.

It wasn't until Shuang'er came in and told her that Madam Wei had arrived.

She only then came to her senses.

When she met the maid's teasing gaze, Zhiwan's face flushed slightly. She tiptoed down the curtain and followed her out of the room.

As soon as she went out, she saw Madam Wei enter the courtyard.

Thinking of her cousin sleeping soundly inside, she hurried over and took Wei's hand, saying, "Aunt, the flowers in the garden are blooming beautifully, let's go take a look."

"Are you fully recovered?" Madam Wei asked.

Zhiwan nodded and said, "This morning, someone from the Eastern Palace came and brought an imperial physician to treat me. I thought I had gotten away with it, so I took the medicine."

"Someone from the Crown Prince's Palace has arrived?" Lady Wei was taken aback.

"Yes." Zhiwan nodded.

Madam Wei clutched her chest, thankfully saying, "Fortunately, we were prepared."

“Yes.” Zhiwan wholeheartedly agreed.

"By the way, I heard from your uncle that the Emperor has bestowed upon you the title of County Princess and has also arranged a marriage between you and your cousin. Did you know about this?" Speaking of this joyous occasion, Madam Wei's face was full of smiles.

"I know," Zhiwan nodded. "My cousin already told me."

Madam Wei paused, then suddenly understood. "So, your cousin came by this morning, right? No wonder I didn't see him at the manor; he must have come here. Where is he?"

"He's already...gone." Zhiwan was too embarrassed to say that her cousin was in her room, so she lied.

But how could Madam Wei not guess? However, out of consideration for a young woman's shyness, she did not reveal it.

The two strolled around the garden, and then Madam Wei made an excuse that she had other matters to attend to and went back first.

Zhiwan breathed a sigh of relief.

But no sooner had Lady Wei left than Princess Chang Le arrived.

Zhi Wanxin was brought up.

Fearing that his pretense of illness would be discovered, he had no choice but to continue faking it.

Just as she was about to send Shuang'er to the front courtyard, a servant came to report: "Miss, Princess Chang Le says she is here to see Lord Lu."

Zhiwan was somewhat surprised. The princess had come to see her cousin? Did the princess know that her cousin was with her?

Just as she was wondering what to do, she saw her cousin come out of the inner room.

He ordered, "Go and invite Princess Chang Le in."

"Yes." The servant hurried off.

Zhiwan looked at her cousin in surprise, "When did you wake up? Did we wake you up?"

"I just woke up." Lu Zhan sat down next to her and finished the rest of the water in the cup she had used.

Zhiwan's face flushed slightly, and she reminded her, "I've drunk this water before."

"Yes, I know." Lu Zhan turned to look at her, a hint of a smile in his eyes. "I have to meet with guests later, so I'll have to trouble you to help me change."

Upon hearing this, Zhiwan got up and went into the inner room. She had just taken off her official robes when Lu Zhan entered.

While helping her cousin put on his official robes, Zhiwan couldn't help but ask, "Did you already know that Princess Changle would come looking for you?"

"Hmm," Lu Zhan responded softly.

Just as Zhiwan was about to ask something else, Shuang'er's voice rang out from outside, "Your Highness, Princess Chang Le has arrived."

Upon hearing this, Zhiwan whispered, "If the princess finds out that I was faking illness, it won't be good. I won't go out anymore."

“Even if the princess finds out, it doesn’t matter. As the master, it would be better for you to avoid seeing her,” Lu Zhan said gently.

Zhiwan nodded, putting aside her concerns.

Upon reaching the door, they saw Princess Chang Le standing there. The two stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness."

Princess Chang Le was not surprised at all when she saw the two of them come out of the house together. However, her eyes, which were half-smiling, were filled with a hint of mockery.

Zhiwan's face flushed slightly. She felt somewhat embarrassed to be seen in a room with her cousin by outsiders, but she remained calm and said, "Your Highness, please come inside and sit down."

Princess Chang Le nodded and followed her into the house.

As soon as she sat down, her gaze fell on Lu Zhan, and she said, "Lord Lu, I have something important to discuss with you."

Lu Zhan nodded. "Please speak, Your Highness."

Seeing that the two looked serious, Zhiwan keenly sensed that what they were about to discuss was no small matter, so she tactfully said, "Cousin, you talk to His Highness, I'll go make you some tea."

Lu Zhan knew she wanted to avoid it. He originally wanted her to stay, but thinking about what he and Princess Chang Le were going to talk about, he was afraid his cousin would be scared if she heard it, so he nodded in agreement, "Okay."

When Zhiwan went out, she saw Yuanbao and his men guarding the area around the house, which further confirmed her suspicions.

She wasn't very clear about what was happening in the imperial court, but she did know that the Lu family never got involved in factional struggles.

Princess Chang Le suddenly came to see her cousin today, and had something important to discuss. Could it be about the succession?
The current empress is the second empress, who has borne the emperor a son and a daughter. The son is Prince Rui, and the daughter is Princess Chang Le.

She hadn't heard much about Prince Rui, but he seemed to be a carefree prince who didn't concern himself with state affairs.

However, Princess Chang Le came to discuss this with her cousin in person, which must have been for the sake of Prince Rui.

Does Prince Rui intend to vie for the throne?
Realizing this, Zhiwan felt a chill run down her spine.

She didn't understand the affairs of the court, but she knew that factional struggles had always been extremely dangerous, and if one chose the wrong side, the entire clan would be wiped out.

The more Zhiwan thought about it, the more frightened she became.

Inside the room, Princess Chang Le said frankly, "I am already aware of the conflict between you and the Crown Prince in the palace today."

The Crown Prince, relying on his father's favor, acted recklessly, and was resented both inside and outside the court. However, his father refused to change the heir apparent.

If the Crown Prince ascends the throne, given the rift you have built with him today, he will certainly not let you off the hook, and even the Duke of Dingguo's mansion will be implicated.

"At that time, even your beloved little cousin won't escape the Crown Prince's clutches!"

A hint of coldness flashed in Lu Zhan's eyes as he said unhappily, "Your Highness may speak frankly; there's no need to beat around the bush."

Princess Chang Le realized that her words had angered him and regretted it somewhat, but she was telling the truth, and she believed that Lu Zhan himself was aware of it as well.

However, she always believed that Lu Zhan's anger towards the Crown Prince in court today must mean that he already had the idea of ​​overthrowing the Crown Prince.

However, there were many princes, and quite a few of them were capable and virtuous.

I wonder who Lu Zhan favors and who he wants to support?
Lu Zhan was not only trusted by his father, the emperor, but his father also held military power. The entire Lu family was an object of eagerness to be won over by various forces.

If we can get the help of the Lu family, we will be invincible in the imperial court.

Unfortunately, the Lu family never gets involved in factional struggles.

Now that she finally had a chance, she naturally wanted to secure this support for her imperial brother.

However, Lu Zhan was very shrewd and his thoughts were hard to fathom.

Thinking of this, she didn't dare beat around the bush anymore and went straight to the point: "Lu Zhan, let's cooperate and bring down the Crown Prince together!"