Lu Jingning's heart was uneasy. Madam Lu had originally intended to return to the Prince's Mansion with her, but Lu Jingning persuaded her to stay, instructing her to truthfully report everything she had said and done to Lord Lu upon her return.
"Mother, if you conceal anything, it means you intend to harm your daughter," Lu Jingning said.
Madam Lu pouted, "If I wanted to harm you, would I have gone with you?"
At this moment, Lu Jingning wished Madam Lu hadn't accompanied her.
"Just do as I say," Lu Jingning said patiently.
As for how her father would scold her mother after knowing, she couldn't afford to worry about that now.
She had to find a way to appease that family first, lest they refuse to let go and leave her in a difficult position.
After sending Madam Lu away, Lu Jingning took a deep breath and walked towards the Princess's courtyard.
Before entering the courtyard, she glanced at the wet nurse. With the wet nurse accompanying her, she could only truthfully recount what had happened.
The Princess's brow furrowed after listening.
Lu Jingning dared not breathe.
"What do you want this Princess to do?" the Princess asked after a long pause.
"My grandfather is on good terms with the Prefect. Could you ask my grandfather to mediate and resolve this privately?" Lu Jingning said.
"Alright, I promise you," the Princess agreed. "However, I cannot guarantee the outcome. After all, many people know about this matter now. Whether the deceased's family will accept it is another matter."
Lu Jingning also knew that this matter could not be suppressed by force. She said, "Grandmother, your granddaughter-in-law wishes to meet that family."
"You do not need to seek my permission to go out; you are free to do as you please. I only hope that before you act, you consider your current predicament. You are an intelligent person, and you know that in this situation, even if the Prince's Mansion wanted to protect you, they couldn't. Therefore, you can only rely on yourself," the Princess said.
Lu Jingning knew the Princess was speaking the truth. Even if she was unwilling to accept her current situation, she had no choice but to do so, hoping for good luck that the family wouldn't be too persistent.
After Madam Lu returned to the mansion, she did not immediately seek out Lord Lu. However, Lord Lu had instructed the gatekeepers to keep watch, so he knew as soon as Madam Lu returned. He did not wait for Madam Lu to find him but went directly to her courtyard.
"What did the Crown Princess of Nanchang say?" Lord Lu asked anxiously.
"I made a fuss about the Qin family's side; it's not a big deal at all. That Crown Princess said that since the Qin family apologized, and Ah Ning is part of the Qin family, she would not pursue the matter further. Doesn't this mean they won't pursue our Ah Ning?" Madam Lu said.
"Truly?" Lord Lu asked.
"Of course, it's true!" Madam Lu affirmed.
"If that's the case, the Princess and the Heir's wife wouldn't have come to our mansion specifically, nor would they have escalated it to the Emperor," Lord Lu said doubtfully. "Is there something you haven't told me?"
Madam Lu thought of what Lu Jingning had instructed her, and fearing she might have ruined things, she gritted her teeth and told him everything truthfully.
Lord Lu jumped up, almost slapping Madam Lu. His plan had miscarried. He knew Madam Lu was not capable of handling such matters. He had thought that an apology was not a big deal; all that was needed was to lower her stance. If he had used his brain, he would have realized that the deceased's family was definitely in the hands of the Crown Princess of Nanchang. The Crown Princess was not pursuing the matter, so it wouldn't escalate to an international incident. But if that family pursued it, how could Ah Ning escape unscathed? Her future prospects would likely be ruined!