Chapter 229: Chapter 229: Naturally, Lu Zhan Must Bear Everything

That evening, Lu Zhenbei had just returned to the estate when he saw Nanny Fang waiting for him.

"Your Grace, the Madam requests your presence at Lan Courtyard," Nanny Fang said respectfully as she stepped forward.

A hint of barely perceptible joy flickered across Lu Zhenbei’s stern face. "My wife is back?"

"Yes," Nanny Fang replied with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhenbei hurried to Lan Courtyard without even taking the time to remove his armor.

This was the first time his wife had summoned him to Lan Courtyard since the incident with Aunt Wang.

He felt both surprised and flattered.

Lan Courtyard.

Lady Wei had rested all afternoon and felt much recovered.

When Lu Zhenbei entered, she was sipping a bowl of duck soup.

Seeing him enter, she ladled a bowl for him. "Go wash your hands and come have some soup. The weather’s been so dry, and this duck soup is good for cooling you down."

Lu Zhenbei paused, listening to his wife’s gentle fussing. He had missed this dearly.

’How long has it been since she’s shown me such concern?’

"Minghui..." Lu Zhenbei began, deeply moved.

"Go on, hurry," Lady Wei urged, as if she hadn’t noticed his emotional reaction.

"Alright." Lu Zhenbei suppressed his excitement and went to wash his hands as instructed.

After washing his hands, he sat down across from Lady Wei.

He picked up his bowl, took two sips of soup, and then asked with concern, "You rushed to Yangzhou so suddenly. Did something happen to Wan’er?"

"Something major did happen," Lady Wei said with a nod, her expression turning serious.

"What is it?" Lu Zhenbei pressed.

Lady Wei said, "Finish your soup first. It won’t taste good cold."

Lu Zhenbei had no choice but to pick up his bowl and continue drinking.

After deliberating for a long moment, Lady Wei picked up her round fan and began fanning herself as she spoke. "Your son wants to marry Wan’er. He’s even picked the date himself—the twenty-third of next month!"

"PFFT!"

Lady Wei, sitting across from him, stared at the soup splattered across her fan. Her face turned livid. "Lu Zhenbei!"

Lu Zhenbei choked on his soup and broke into a violent fit of coughing. "COUGH, COUGH, COUGH..."

With a dark expression, Lady Wei threw down her fan, strode over, and slapped him hard on the back.

The slap nearly sent Lu Zhenbei to his grave.

"COUGH, COUGH, COUGH, COUGH, COUGH..." He coughed even more violently.

Now Lady Wei started to panic, her movements softening. "Are you alright?" ’He startles so easily! To think he’s the great general in command of the entire army.’

When Lu Zhenbei finally caught his breath, he stared at her in disbelief. "Did you just say Jinzhi and Wan’er?"

"That’s right. That rebellious son you raised. I don’t know when he set his sights on Wan’er, but now he refuses to marry anyone but her," Lady Wei said, feigning a headache.

"Didn’t you raise him...?" Lu Zhenbei muttered.

Lady Wei retorted indignantly, "When Lu Zhan was young, he followed you to the military camps. You two spent far more time together than he ever did with me."

Lu Zhenbei wanted to argue that he had been too busy fighting wars and managing the army back then to have any time to discipline his son.

But on second thought, he swallowed his words and simply said, "Then what should we do? Jinzhi is so much older than Wan’er."

"Exactly! He’s a cradle robber!" Lady Wei grew angry just talking about it. "He even said that if he can’t marry Wan’er, he’ll never marry in this life. He’ll renounce the world and become a monk!"

The corner of Lu Zhenbei’s mouth twitched. He couldn’t imagine his son, with that personality of his, saying such a thing.

"This... You didn’t just make all of this up, did you?"

"Why would I make it up? I even had to resort to family discipline, and he still insisted on marrying Wan’er," Lady Wei said, not looking the least bit guilty. She didn’t, however, tell him that their son had ruined Wan’er’s innocence.

’It’s enough that I know about this. No one else can ever find out.’

’Otherwise, Wan’er would never be able to hold her head high in the Lu Family.’

’Everyone would surely assume that Wan’er was the one who seduced Lu Zhan.’

’She couldn’t let Wan’er suffer such an injustice.’

’Since he is the one who wants to marry Wan’er, he must be the one to bear all the responsibility.’

"I broke the disciplinary rod over his back, and he still insisted. He even sabotaged the matches I tried to find for Wan’er before. I don’t know where he gets the nerve—a man his age, lusting after a little girl," Lady Wei added.

Lu Zhenbei cleared his throat and began to defend his son. "Jinzhi is only twenty-five this year, which isn’t really that old. Perhaps it’s fate. He’s never shown interest in any other woman, yet he has fallen for Wan’er."

"It must be because you raised Wan’er to be so outstanding that Jinzhi has become so smitten with her."

"If Wan’er is willing, we should let them marry. It would resolve a great weight on our minds, and we wouldn’t have to worry about finding matches for them anymore."

Upon hearing this, Lady Wei immediately said, "I’ll follow your lead. But you’re the one who has to tell Mother."

Lu Zhenbei: "..."

’Of all the things she just said,’ he suspected, ’that was the real point.’

"What, are you afraid Mother won’t approve? In that case, we can just forget the whole thing. Let Lu Zhan become a monk," Lady Wei said with a shrug.

Lu Zhenbei: "..."

He cleared his throat and said, "It’s not that I’m afraid... Fine. I’ll go speak with her tomorrow morning."

"Then you’d better persuade Mother properly. This is a joyous occasion, after all. We don’t want to make everyone unhappy," Lady Wei instructed.

Lu Zhenbei glanced at her. ’She gets to play the good guy, of course.’

"My lady, tonight I was thinking..."

Lady Wei yawned. "I’m tired."

Lu Zhenbei gave her a frustrated look. It had been a very long time since he had shared a bed with his wife.

Frowning, he decided to press the issue. "While you were away, Tong Da returned. He went to the border and investigated the matter thoroughly. That boy, Lu Xuan, is truly not my son. Wang Shuya deceived me. I have nothing to do with her."

Lady Wei paused for a moment before replying coolly, "I see. I will speak with Tong Da tomorrow to get the details."

Hearing her response, Lu Zhenbei knew she still didn’t believe him. He felt a pang of disappointment but didn’t press the matter. "Then you should get some rest. I’ll be going."

"Mm."

「The next day.」

As soon as the morning court session ended, Lu Zhenbei went to Fushou Hall.

Seeing her son arrive, Old Madam Lu said hurriedly, "You haven’t had breakfast yet, have you? Come, eat with me."

"Yes, Mother." Lu Zhenbei supported her by the arm as they went to the table to eat.

"Look at you, you’ve gotten so thin!" Old Madam Lu said, her face full of concern as she placed food in her son’s bowl. She then took the opportunity to complain about Lady Wei. "I don’t know how that Wei Minghui takes care of you. Always running about outside. She’s back now, but she hasn’t even come to pay her respects."

"Minghui works hard managing this household every day. She only went away recently because of an urgent matter. She’s never handled boat travel well, and she still hasn’t recovered from the journey back yesterday. She will come to pay her respects to you later, Mother," Lu Zhenbei said, defending his wife.

Old Madam Lu snorted coldly but didn’t say anything further.

After they finished eating, Lu Zhenbei spoke up. "Mother, I have something to tell you concerning Jinzhi."

"What is it?" Hearing it was about her eldest grandson, Old Madam Lu asked eagerly.

"Jinzhi sent me a letter a few days ago. He said he has found a young woman he admires and wishes to take as his wife. He has even chosen the date himself—the twenty-third of next month," Lu Zhenbei said without so much as a blush.

"What?" Old Madam Lu was so stunned she nearly dropped her teacup. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Lu Zhenbei quickly took the cup from her hand and set it on the table. "You must be overjoyed, Mother," he said with a smile. "Jinzhi is finally willing to marry. Perhaps by next year, you’ll be able to hold a great-grandson."

It was all so sudden that Old Madam Lu couldn’t quite process it. But at the mention of holding a great-grandson next year, the news finally sank in. She beamed. "Which family’s daughter is she?"

"It’s Wan’er," Lu Zhenbei replied with a gentle smile.

"Who? Who did you say?" The smile on Old Madam Lu’s face instantly froze.