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

Chapter 79 Parents Arrive in Chang'an

He Tan looked coldly at Liu Xiuxiu in front of him, "I only have one daughter. You know in your heart what means you used to get Jinlan."

Liu Xiuxiu knelt before He Tan and said, "Young Master, Jinlan is still your bloodline. Even if you don't care about Jinlan, you should at least think carefully for your mother and for our Yongxing Marquis's Mansion. What good will it do for our Yongxing Marquis's Mansion to become a laughing stock?"

He Tan focused his gaze solely on the portrait before him, ignoring Liu Xiuxiu in front of him.

Liu Xiuxiu helped herself up, glanced at He Tan with extreme disappointment, and then left the study.

Liu Xiuxiu sent people outside to investigate the movements of the Prince An's residence. If the Seventh Prince's Consort was indeed Lu Jinshi, then the Prince An's residence would not be completely silent.

Liu Xiuxiu went to He Jinlan's room. Looking at He Jinlan, who was extremely happy, she was very worried. "Lan'er."

“Mother.” He Jinlan looked at Liu Xiuxiu’s face and said, “Mother, why are you so worried? The position of the Seventh Prince’s consort is rightfully mine, so please rest assured.”

Liu Xiuxiu said, "You are young and do not know the great favor His Majesty bestowed upon the Prince An's mansion back then. I'm afraid the position of the Seventh Prince's Consort is truly not yours."

"Mother, who else could the eldest daughter of the He family be besides me? You don't really think it's Lu Jinshi, do you?"

Liu Xiuxiu bit her lower lip, her unease growing stronger... especially He Tan's expression just now, which made Liu Xiuxiu feel very flustered.

Liu Xiuxiu always felt deep down that something big was about to happen.

“Mother, since we moved out of Jinyuan, why haven’t you been living in the same main courtyard as Father? You should be careful of Father. I think Cuiyun next to him looks dishonest… I don’t want to have another half-brother and sister-in-law when I’m already of marriageable age.”

Liu Xiuxiu reached out and touched He Jinlan's hair, her eyes filled with self-mockery.

“Madam, we have inquired around and there is no sign of any happy event in the Prince An’s mansion. There are no double happiness characters or anything like that. It doesn’t look like they are preparing for a happy event.”

He Jinlan listened to the report from Liu Xiuxiu's maid and said to Liu Xiuxiu, "Mother, I told you you were overthinking it. Just think about it for a second. The Seventh Prince's Consort could never be a shameless woman who was pregnant before marriage."

Upon hearing the report from her maid, Liu Xiuxiu felt much less uneasy.
-
Inside the Princess's residence.

As darkness fell, Lu Jinshi was teaching Xiao Zhang'er to speak. At nine months old, Xiao Zhang'er had finally learned to call her "Mama" and had also learned to crawl.

When Rong Yi entered, he saw Xiao Zhang'er crawling around on the ground.

Rong Yi scooped up Xiao Zhang'er from the ground and looked at Lu Jinshi, saying, "Why did you let Zhang'er crawl on the ground? It's so dirty."

Lu Jinshi smiled faintly and said, "Raising a child too meticulously is not good either. This floor is mopped three times a day and is spotless. On the contrary, you, with our wedding date approaching, why do you still come to see me?"

Rong Yi said to Lu Jinshi, "I came to see you today. Father Emperor received Aunt Mingzhu's letter, and Aunt Mingzhu and the others should be able to arrive in Chang'an the day after tomorrow."

Lu Jinshi smiled and said, "That's wonderful. I haven't seen my mother for quite some time now."

Lu Jinshi teased the little Zhang'er in Rong Yi's arms and said, "Zhang'er, your maternal grandmother and grandfather will be coming to Chang'an the day after tomorrow."

Rong Yi chuckled softly and said, "Our wedding is less than ten days away. Are you nervous?"

Looking at Rong Yi's smiling face, Lu Jinshi shook her head and said, "I'm not nervous."

Lu Jinshi had already mastered the wedding ceremony by following the palace maids, and everything was ready, just waiting for the wedding day to arrive.

Rong Yi said to Lu Jinshi, "Zhang'er should come back to the palace with me a few days earlier."

Lu Jinshi frowned slightly upon hearing this. Logically speaking, Zhang'er should have gone to the palace earlier, but how could Lu Jinshi feel at ease sending a small baby to the palace?
Seeing the worry in Lu Jinshi's eyes, Rong Yi smiled gently and said, "You don't need to worry. My mother will take care of Zhang'er every step of the way, and the Empress Dowager is also here. You can rest assured."

Lu Jinshi reached out and touched Zhang'er's little face in Rong Yi's arms, "Zhang'er, you must be good when you go to the palace in a few days."

Little Zhang'er knew nothing, only giggling in Rong Yi's arms.
-
April 20th.

At dawn, the river was shrouded in mist and rain. The sun shone brightly, the wind rose, and the thick fog gradually dissipated. Lu Mingzhu, on the deck of the large ship, looked out at Chang'an Wharf, her heart filled with countless emotions.

Prince An stood beside Lu Mingzhu and said, "It's been eighteen years, hasn't it? You've been gone for eighteen years without returning to Chang'an."

Lu Mingzhu whispered to Prince An, "Yes, it's been eighteen years, a full eighteen years."

She still vividly remembers how heartbroken she was when she left Chang'an Wharf eighteen years ago. At that time, she was so grief-stricken that she couldn't eat or drink, and she could no longer stay in Chang'an. Because everywhere in Chang'an, there were memories of her and He Tan.

They knew each other since childhood, fell in love as teenagers and became husband and wife; everything should have been so perfect.

Lu Mingzhu clenched her fist.

"lady."

Qin Zhao came out with a cloak, walked behind Lu Mingzhu, and draped the cloak over her shoulders. "The river wind is strong. Put this on and be careful not to catch a cold."

Lu Mingzhu turned to look at Qin Zhao and smiled at him, saying, "Thank you, my husband."

Qin Zhao said, "It's been eighteen years. I finally have the chance to accompany you back to Chang'an and see your home."

Lu Mingzhu gazed into the distance, "I never imagined that Miaomiao would marry the seventh prince, who is the son of His Majesty and Consort Rong. It is fate that she and the seventh prince are together. I just hope that the seventh prince will not mistreat Miaomiao."

Prince An said, "With our Prince An's mansion as her support, you can rest assured, sister. She can hold her position as the prince's principal wife firmly."

The large ship was getting closer and closer to Chang'an Wharf.

Lu Jinshi, holding Xiao Zhang'er in his arms, kept standing on tiptoe to look at the river.

Lu Xiao smiled and said, "Sister, my father sent someone to say that he won't arrive until noon. There's still a while before noon. Why don't you sit down and rest for a bit?"

Qin Ke also said from the side, "Yes, sister, you sit down and rest for a while. I'll hold Zhang'er."

Lu Jinshi handed Zhang'er to Qin Ke to hold, and then looked at Lu Xiao and said, "A few days ago, my sister Yiran said that you haven't been back to the Prince's Mansion these days, and that you've been staying at the academy. What's going on? Where have you been staying these days?"

Lu Xiao avoided eye contact and said, "At a friend's house."

Lu Jinshi said, "Which friend's house is it that makes you not stay in the spacious and quiet Prince's Mansion, but have to stay in someone else's house?"

Lu Xiao said, "Even if I told you, you wouldn't know her."

Lu Jinshi didn't ask any further questions.

The sound of horses' hooves approached, and Lu Jinshi saw Rong Yi riding up.

Rong Yi dismounted and walked to Lu Jinshi's side, asking, "Have your parents arrived yet?"

"They're not your parents-in-law yet, so you can't call them that when you meet them later."

After Lu Jinshi finished speaking, he looked at the large ship that was slowly sailing on the river.

Lu Jinshi hurriedly lifted her skirt and headed towards the dock where the ships were moored.

After the large ship came to a steady stop, Lu Jinshi went to the deck and threw himself into Lu Mingzhu's arms, saying, "Mother."

Lu Mingzhu hugged Lu Jinshi and laughed, "You're a mother yourself now, yet you still act like a child."

Lu Jinshi said in Lu Mingzhu's arms, "I am always a child in my mother's eyes."

Rong Yi watched Lu Jinshi acting like a little girl in Lu Mingzhu's arms and felt quite envious of Lu Mingzhu for being able to be pampered like that by Lu Jinshi.

"Dean Qin, Aunt Mingzhu."

Rong Yi stepped forward and saluted.

Qin Zhao bowed deeply to Rong Yi, saying, "This humble subject pays his respects to the Seventh Prince."

Rong Yi helped Qin Zhao up and said with a faint smile, "In a few days, I will have to call you father-in-law. You must not perform such a grand ceremony for me."

Qin Zhao said, "When we were in Jiangnan, we were unaware of your identity and offended you greatly."

Rong Yi smiled and said, "I have not offended you. You two have come from afar. Please go back to the Princess's residence to rest first."