My husband, who abandoned his father and kept his son, actually wants me to be his concubine.

Chapter 77 It wasn't Her Highness the Princess who intentionally punished me.
Blood continued to flow from the maid's forehead. Seeing that Princess Yongjia's expression had softened, Lu Jinshi stepped forward and advised, "Your Highness, Yuan Jie deserved his punishment..."

Princess Yongjia looked at Lu Jinshi and said, "Jinshi, I...we were husband and wife after all. I...I'll go see him one last time. Whether he lives or dies is none of my business."

Lu Jinshi couldn't help but sigh. He wondered if it was because Princess Yongjia had had a smooth life since childhood, that she was just too kind.

Seeing this, the stepmother quickly hugged her two-year-old daughter and kowtowed to Princess Yongjia, saying, "Thank you, Your Highness, thank you, Your Highness."

Princess Yongjia heard a cold snort. She glanced at Lu Xiao in the crowd, clenched the handkerchief in her hand, and said to Lu Jinshi, "I just want to see what will happen to him."

Lu Jinshi looked at Princess Yongjia and asked, "Would you like me to go with you?"

"Your happy occasion is approaching, so please don't go to that filthy place."

After Princess Yongjia finished speaking, she got into her carriage.

Lu Jinshi said to the students who were gathered at the door watching the commotion, "Disperse and go back to your studies."

The students dispersed, but Lu Xiao frowned and said, "She clearly promised me I wouldn't go, but she broke her promise."

Lu Jinshi said to Lu Xiao, "Then why aren't you chasing after them?"

Lu Xiao looked at Lu Jinshi and asked, "If I prevented the princess from seeing Yuan Jie, and Yuan Jie really died, would Your Highness hate me for not letting her see Yuan Jie one last time?"

Lu Jinshi said, "By then, the person will already be dead, and Her Highness the Princess will still harbor hatred towards Yuan Jie. If you don't hurry up now, do you want Yuan Jie's self-inflicted injury ruse to work?"

Lu Xiao smiled at Lu Jinshi and hurriedly rode his horse to catch up with Princess Yongjia's carriage.

Rong Yi said to Lu Jinshi, "You really want to match Lu Xiao with the Imperial Sister? You should understand that if Lu Xiao marries the Imperial Sister, the power of the Prince An's Mansion will be much less than it is today."

Lu Jinshi looked up at Rong Yi and said, "The power of the Prince An's Mansion is important to me, but I would prefer that Lu Xiao and my sister find happiness. I am still too young to help my mother with her divorce, but I don't want my sister to repeat my mother's mistakes."

Rong Yi placed his hand on Lu Jinshi's shoulder. Lu Jinshi turned to look at Rong Yi and sighed softly as she gazed at his profile.

Lu Jinshi was not really sure that Rong Yi would not take concubines or secondary wives. After all, when she first came to Chang'an, Rong Yi had been thinking of making her a concubine and even tried to take away her Zhang'er.

The closer the divorce date gets, the less Lu Jinshi wants to get married.

If it weren't for Zhang'er, she would definitely not have agreed to marry Rong Yi today. She doesn't think Rong Yi's vow can guarantee anything.

Just like her biological father, Yuan Jie, at least they had feelings for each other.

As for Rong Yi... Lu Jinshi didn't think he had any feelings for her.
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Lu Xiao rode up to Princess Yongjia's carriage and stopped it.

Yongjia sat in the carriage and saw Lu Xiao enter. She frowned and said, "Lu Xiao...you..."

"You clearly promised yesterday that you wouldn't see Yuan Jie, how can you go back on your word?"

Princess Yongjia said, "I'm just going to see his tragic end."

Lu Xiao looked at Princess Yongjia and said, "You may want to see Yuan Jie, but only if I go with you to see Yuan Jie."

Princess Yongjia sighed, "Lu Xiao, why do you insist on forcing me? If we're really talking about a relationship, we're practically unrelated..."

Lu Xiao said, "I'm not forcing you. I'm just afraid that you'll be deceived because of your kindness. Just let me go with you to visit Yuan Jie."

Princess Yongjia looked at Lu Xiao in front of her and sighed helplessly. Lu Xiao was really difficult to deal with. "Fine, but you have to promise me that you can't let anyone know about what's between us. Otherwise, I will never talk to you again."

"Ah."

"Don't say anything in front of Yuan Jie later."

"Hmm." "Princess." Lu Xiao moved closer to Princess Yongjia and said, "Can I have a bite to eat first? If you let me eat my fill, I naturally won't talk nonsense anymore."

Princess Yongjia was still in a daze when Lu Xiao pinned her against the carriage. Lu Xiao's thin lips then descended upon her. Yongjia had nowhere to retreat, but she didn't want to either, as she was afraid that if she went to see Yuan Jie, Lu Xiao would cause trouble.

I can only appease Lu Xiao first.

Fortunately, Lu Xiao was young and easy to coax.

Princess Yongjia's carriage stopped at the entrance of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.

Lu Xiao lifted the curtain first and walked out of the carriage.

Yuan Fei, who was riding in front, looked at Lu Xiao with a puzzled expression and asked, "When did you get into my sister-in-law's carriage?"

Lu Xiao said, "Who is your sister-in-law? Don't call me that. Her Highness the Princess divorced your elder brother a long time ago. I came here to protect Her Highness on the orders of my cousin, in case your Yuan family bullies her."

Yuan Fei didn't doubt it at all. "Senior Sister Lu is overthinking it. How could we dare to bully Her Highness the Princess?"

Princess Yongjia took quite a while to emerge from the carriage.

When Madam Yuan heard the maid's report, she hurriedly came out to greet her, saying, "Your Highness, may you be well."

Madam Yuan observed Princess Yongjia's expression. Contrary to her expectations that Princess Yongjia would look worried, Princess Yongjia appeared radiant today.

Princess Yongjia said to Madam Yuan, "No need for formalities."

Madam Yuan said, "Your Highness, it's good that you can come. Jie'er has been in a daze for the past few days and has had difficulty taking his medicine. The imperial physician said that if he continues like this and refuses to take his medicine, he may pass away. Jie'er has been not very lucid these past few days and has only been calling Your Highness's name. Please go in and see Jie'er."

Princess Yongjia bit her lower lip, lowered her eyes, and stepped through the gate of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion into the house.

Lu Xiao looked at Princess Yongjia, his face turning ashen.

Princess Yongjia walked into Yuan Jie's courtyard and smelled a medicinal odor.

Princess Yongjia entered Yuan Jie's room and heard the sounds coming from inside.

"Husband," Wan Niang said, "Husband..."

"Ahem, Wan Niang, what happened to your forehead?"

Princess Yongjia clenched her fists as she heard Yuan Jie's weak voice from outside the screen.

Wan Niang said, "It's nothing, my forehead is fine. I just accidentally fell when I went to beg Her Highness the Princess to come. It wasn't Her Highness the Princess who deliberately punished me by making me kowtow. It was my own choice."

Yuan Jie looked at the youngest daughter next to Wan Niang, "Rou'er kowtowed too?"

"My lord, Her Highness the princess will be here soon. Would you like to wash your face..."

Yuan Jie looked at Wan Niang and said, "Wan Niang, you've suffered a lot because of me. You don't know how much you've suffered in front of the princess. Please ask the imperial physician to take a good look at your forehead later, so that it won't leave a scar."

Lu Xiao, standing outside the screen, looked down at Princess Yongjia, only to see her cover her lips and run into the courtyard to vomit.

Upon seeing this, Madam Yuan asked repeatedly, "Your Highness, are you alright?"

Princess Yongjia covered her lips with a handkerchief, trembling as she said, "Your Zhenguo Duke's mansion smells awful. I find it disgusting and won't stay long. I'll never come here again."

After Princess Yongjia finished speaking, she strode out of the gate of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.