The mother and daughter-in-law returned to the Prince of Qin's manor. The Princess Consort of Prince Qin ordered a senior maid to summon Lu Jingning.
A quarter of an hour later, the senior maid returned.
"The young madam is feeling unwell and cannot get out of bed," the maid reported.
"Then carry her here," the Princess Consort of Prince Qin said coldly.
"Yes." The maid acknowledged and left again.
The Princess Consort of Prince Qin cast a sidelong glance at her foolish daughter-in-law. "Since she entered the household, feeling unwell has been her excuse to refuse everything. I originally thought Xuan'er would rely on his father-in-law for support, but now it seems that raising a daughter like Lu Jingning reflects poorly on Grand Scholar Lu's character. It's uncertain if he can even maintain his position long-term. You saw Grand Scholar Lu's attitude towards his principal wife at the Grand Scholar's manor today."
"But, but that has nothing to do with his learning or his official position, does it?" the Heir's wife asked cautiously.
The Princess Consort of Prince Qin rubbed her forehead, giving up on communicating with this foolish woman.
Soon, Lu Jingning was carried in.
She wore a forehead band and her face was somewhat pale, truly appearing unwell.
"Grandmother, Mother, may I ask why you urgently summoned me? Didn't Grandmother go out with Mother on some business? Was it handled?" Lu Jingning asked weakly.
"It was handled. Your mother will be here to pick you up shortly," the Princess Consort of Prince Qin said with a smile that wasn't quite a smile.
Lu Jingning feigned ignorance. "What does Grandmother mean by that?" Da Feng Novel Network
"You are intelligent and quick-witted; you don't understand even this?" The Princess Consort of Prince Qin snorted coldly. "It means exactly what it says: your mother is coming to pick you up. Our Prince's manor cannot accommodate a granddaughter-in-law as scheming and as prone to acting on her own as you are."
"Grandmother, if your granddaughter-in-law has done something wrong, please just say it, and your granddaughter-in-law will correct it. It's not right for your granddaughter-in-law to be sent back to her maiden home without knowing what she did wrong. How will your granddaughter-in-law establish herself in the capital in the future? How will my family establish itself? I have sisters who are not yet married. Can you bear to affect their marriages?" Lu Jingning said, trying to remain calm.
"Why should this Princess Consort care about the daughters of your Lu family? Besides, you are the main culprit; it's not my fault." The Princess Consort of Prince Qin continued, "As for what you did wrong, you are so clever, you know it in your heart!"
"Your granddaughter-in-law does not understand!" Lu Jingning knelt directly before the Princess Consort of Prince Qin.
"Since you refuse to learn until you hit a brick wall, this Princess Consort will explain it clearly. The Crown Princess of the Nanchang Kingdom did not blame your mother-in-law!" the Princess Consort of Prince Qin stated.
"Then, then that's good news, how does it involve your granddaughter-in-law?" Lu Jingning appeared bewildered.
"Hmph." The Princess Consort of Prince Qin looked at Lu Jingning mockingly. "Do you really think everyone else is foolish, and only you are smart? People like your mother-in-law, who you can manipulate so easily, are few. Can someone who holds the position of a nation's Crown Princess be toyed with by a mere woman of the inner chambers like you? What you did, and how you did it, the Crown Princess of the Nanchang Kingdom knows perfectly well."
"No, I didn't," Lu Jingning denied excitedly.
"Whether you did or not is not for you to decide, but for the Crown Princess of the Nanchang Kingdom to decide. She has already identified you, so it must be you. Furthermore, a dignified Crown Princess of a nation, with no enmity towards you, why would she slander you? She already has the evidence! Lu Jingning, your cleverness has backfired. If you had accompanied your mother-in-law when she went to apologize today, and shown a sincere attitude, the Crown Princess of the Nanchang Kingdom might not have pursued the matter. As for what you did, our Prince's manor, for the sake of face, would naturally cover for you. If the common people do not accuse, the officials do not investigate. With our sincere attitude and proper compensation, this matter would have been settled. But you insisted on..."
After speaking, the Princess Consort of Prince Jing sighed and shook her head.