CHAPTER 476: CHAPTER 422 HIS WOMAN

Ji Feng entered the palace to report the news of Mr. Zimu leaving the mountain to Emperor Liang, while Lu Zhaoyan and others escorted Mr. Zimu to the Crown Prince Mansion.

When arranging a residence for Mr. Zimu, Lu Zhaoyan deliberately chose the most serene and tasteful courtyard for him, but Mr. Zimu refused.

He didn’t want a quiet one; he wanted the biggest.

It should allow for planting flowers and vegetables, raising chickens and ducks, and even cows and donkeys.

Steward Jia had an awkward expression: "Is he planning to turn the Crown Prince Mansion into a farm?"

Lu Zhaoyan responded seriously, "Make the arrangements."

"Y-Yes!"

Steward Jia felt this gentleman was exceedingly difficult to please.

Being personally invited by the Crown Prince was already a great honor, yet he still had the audacity to make demands upon arrival.

The mansion was not short on strategists, but none had ever been this presumptuous.

Though he inwardly grumbled, the work had to be done without sloppiness.

Having offended a certain major figure earlier, he now desperately hoped to redeem himself with meritorious service to secure his position.

With this thought, Steward Jia cast an aggrieved look at Lu Yuan before obediently going off to choose a courtyard.

In the middle of the night, after walking all over the Crown Prince Mansion, Mr. Zimu found fault everywhere. He wasn’t pleased with this courtyard or that one, citing reasons such as it being too small, lacking sunlight, or incompatible with his feng shui.

Feng shui... Feng your uncle!

Steward Jia gritted his back teeth.

Mr. Zimu commented, "Actually, the Crown Prince’s courtyard is nice."

Lu Yuan teased, "Old man, thinking about leaving the mountain again?"

Mr. Zimu smoothed his hair, blown messily by the wind: "The courtyard on the east side will do too."

The east courtyard was next to Lu Qi’s residence, with the two sharing a small garden between them.

Steward Jia muttered under his breath, "Living next to His Highness... this is..."

Utter cheek!

His Highness was about to marry the eldest young lady of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion—the Heaven’s Mandated Phoenix—sharing a blissful future. Why would an elderly man insert himself into their vicinity?

Cursing internally while beaming externally, Steward Jia went to make arrangements.

Once everything was settled, Lu Qi also prepared to return to his own courtyard.

"Father, it’s late. You should retire early," he said respectfully, bowing to take his leave.

Seeing that Lu Yuan wasn’t moving, he courteously bowed to Lu Yuan as well, "Sir, you should rest early. May I know which courtyard you’re staying in? I can escort you."

It wasn’t that his status required him to bow so low to the mansion’s strategists, but his father’s example of valuing talent was something a son ought to emulate.

Lu Yuan, sitting leisurely in the study chair, glanced at Lu Qi and said, "Escort me where? I’m staying here."

Lu Qi froze in disbelief, looking at Lu Yuan, then at his father.

Without waiting for Lu Zhaoyan to speak, Lu Yuan snorted, "I don’t care. I’m staying here. My mother said so."

Your mother said what now? Your mother said so?

Lies just rolled off his tongue!

Lu Yuan looked heavenward, resolute in his stubbornness. Simply put, he wasn’t budging.

Lu Zhaoyan pinched his brow and said to Lu Qi, "You should go back now."

"...Yes, Father."

Lu Qi left the courtyard in a daze. Standing in the night, he looked back at the figure cast by candlelight on the window paper. Even just seeing the silhouette, one could sense a defiant spirit.

"Why do I feel like something’s off?"

He murmured to himself.

Steward Jia, looking worn-out, came to report back to the Crown Prince.

The old gentleman was so particular that he almost drove people to madness.

"Commandery Prince."

He weakly saluted and greeted Lu Qi.

Lu Qi stopped him, "Steward Jia, who is the gentleman in my father’s study?"

Steward Jia hesitated before saying, "Which gentleman? There’s no gentleman. Isn’t the only person in His Highness’s study that wild kid pretending to be his private child?"

Lu Qi gasped sharply, "It’s him?"

Steward Jia covered his mouth.

Dear heavens, he might’ve said something he wasn’t supposed to.

"I-I-I... I still have things to do. I’ll be going now."

Steward Jia fled decisively.

Lu Qi returned with a heavy expression to his courtyard.

Dou Qingyi, having heard from her servants about the good news of Mr. Zimu entering the mansion, was too delighted to sleep and waited in her son’s courtyard for his return.

"Qi’er!"

Upon seeing her son, she walked toward him excitedly. But noticing the weariness on his face, a hint of concern surfaced, "You must be exhausted. I heard Mr. Zimu lived on the mountain..."

"Mother."

Lu Qi sat down with a complicated expression.

Dou Qingyi immediately picked up on her son’s unusual mood, "Qi’er, what’s wrong? Did things not go smoothly today? But Mr. Zimu has already settled in the mansion—"

Lu Qi frowned and said, "Mother, do you know who Father brought along today?"

Dou Qingyi smiled, "You, of course."

Lu Qi said, "There was someone else besides me."

Dou Qingyi chuckled, "Your uncle, Prince Ming?"

Lu Qi replied, "The illegitimate child your uncle brought back."

Dou Qingyi’s smile froze: "What?"

"Father treats him... exceedingly well."

Lu Qi couldn’t quite describe his father’s attitude toward the boy, thinking it over before concluding it was exceedingly good.

That boy had done things he dared not do, said things he dared not say, and behaved recklessly before Father, to the extent that Lu Qi mistook him for one of the mansion’s strategists.

In his view, his father was strict with his son but lenient and accommodating with the strategists.

As his father often said: use one’s strengths, tolerate one’s flaws.

Dou Qingyi’s brows knitted slightly, "That... is he truly your father’s private child? Did your father acknowledge him? Did he call your father ’Dad’?"

Lu Qi shook his head, "Not exactly."

Lu Yuan was busy collecting "wild dads," though not blatantly calling them so in front of Lu Qi.

Dou Qingyi pondered for a moment and sighed, "At most, he’s your father’s old friend’s son."

Lu Qi recalled the conversation between the boy and his father in the study, "He mentioned his mother today, and Father seemed to have a deep connection with her."

"A woman?"

Dou Qingyi instantly grew vigilant.