Su Qingyue gently shook her head, "With Feng Yin and Xiang Zhu protecting me, the Imperial Consort couldn't get close."
"Don't call her Imperial Consort anymore. The Lu family has been charged. Although the Emperor is merciful and didn't punish her along with the Lu family, she can't hold the title of Imperial Consort. She's my cousin, whom I grew up with. Although she went too far, I can't bring myself to drive her out of the manor. The Prince's manor is large enough; we'll confine her to a courtyard far away. She won't be short of food or drink!" the Second Prince said, rubbing his forehead.
"Your concubine obeys Your Highness," Su Qingyue said gently.
"I never imagined the Lu family would be so outrageous," the Second Prince sighed. "Everything I learned today has completely reshaped my understanding. If not for the Emperor's wisdom, the Zhao family's empire, and I myself, would have been ruined by the Lu family."
Su Qingyue listened quietly, not interjecting.
Her silence only made the Second Prince more eager to speak. Before long, he had recounted the Lu family's crimes in great detail, cursing them a few times when he became angry to vent his frustration.
Noble families, as a rule, were rarely entirely clean.
However, a family like the Lu family, who indulged in everything without restraint, was a rarity.
In layman's terms, their appetite was truly voracious.
Su Qingyue mused that if the Lu family had been more discreet in their pursuits, they likely wouldn't have ended up in this predicament.
At the same time, Su Qingyue also knew that Empress Lu had been placed under house arrest. Although the decree to depose her had not yet been issued, everyone knew that such a person was unworthy of her position and unfit to be the mother of the nation.
"I will beg the Emperor to show mercy and allow Mother to live with us," the Second Prince said.
Su Qingyue's response remained the same: she would listen to the Second Prince in all matters.
The purge of the Lu family this time was meticulously prepared.
Within a very short period, all those involved in the Lu family's crimes had been convicted.
Suddenly, families that had been close to the Lu family found themselves in a state of panic.
Emperor Chongwen understood the principle that "the water that is too clear has no fish." Unless the crimes were unforgivable and dealt with according to the law, leniency would be shown to others.
After all, the imperial court still needed to function.
Having lain dormant for a long time, they struck without mercy. This made the old aristocratic families, who had disregarded Emperor Chongwen for years, feel a sense of crisis.
They feared their own families would be the next to be purged.
They had always believed that emperors were transient, but aristocratic families were eternal.
Now, it seemed, at least during Emperor Chongwen's reign, their families could not be considered eternal if he intended to target them.
When Emperor Chongwen first ascended the throne, he was indeed constrained by them in every way.
However, by now, many powers had been reclaimed by Emperor Chongwen, and even if all the aristocratic families united, they could not shake his authority.
For a time, those old families who had dealings with Li An either severed ties completely or had less significant members of their families contact Li An. Their intention was clear: if trouble arose, they could easily cut their losses.
Li An's teeth ached with anger. These old aristocratic families, despite the many benefits he had promised them.
Now, with only the Lu family fallen, they were so intimidated and hesitant that they could achieve nothing.
He had maintained close contact with the Lu family. Now that the Lu family had fallen, he was unharmed, and Li An was certain that the Lu family had not implicated him.
The head of the Lu family was also an old fox. The Lu family had not placed all their hopes on the Second Prince; a portion had been placed on him. The Second Prince lacked ambition, leading to the Lu family's failure. Now, their only hope was him.
If he ascended to that position smoothly, the Lu family would still be considered meritorious.
As for Gu Sinian...
Li An's expression changed. He highly valued Gu Sinian. If Gu Sinian were to serve him, he would be as powerful as a tiger with wings.
Unfortunately, if Gu Sinian would not serve him, then he could not be blamed for being ruthless.