Rebirth of the Cannon Fodder in the Entertainment Circle
Chapter 526: Cannon Fodder Princess Consort (19)

Chapter 526: Cannon Fodder Princess Consort (19)

Lu Xiao didn’t return to the Prince Mansion immediately this time, but went back to the banquet hall, sat down, and drank some wine until the palace feast ended before leaving.

He didn’t know that, shortly after his departure, a spy from within the palace appeared before the Emperor.

And reported the private meeting between Lu Xiao and Princess Consort Chun.

The spy was too far away to hear their conversation clearly, but he could read lips and roughly translated the content of their dialogue.

As for their first meeting, since it hadn’t drawn the Emperor’s attention, no spy had been sent to follow, so that remained unknown.

After listening, the Emperor fondled the ring on his finger.

He commanded, "Go investigate, during the time when the Fourth Prince was injured at Guardian Temple, if there was anything else that happened."

"Yes!" The spy quickly withdrew.

Not long after, an external spy requested an audience.

The Emperor had the person summoned.

After the individual had knelt and completed the salute, he asked, "What’s the matter?"

The spy respectfully replied, "Today, Prince Rui and Princess Rui returned from the palace feast and divorced. Princess Rui even took her dowry and servants who came with her trousseau and left the Prince Mansion to live in another residence."

The Emperor was utterly astonished, "Are you certain they divorced?"

"Certain. Princess Rui received the divorce paper and even went to register it at the Royal Family’s ancestral hall and the government office," replied the spy.

The Emperor had not expected Luo Ning to divorce Prince Rui.

Indeed, he didn’t believe it was Prince Rui who initiated the divorce, otherwise, how could Luo Ning have packed up her dowry so quickly and left with her servants?

It seemed more like she was afraid Prince Rui would retract his decision, rushing to the ancestral hall and government office with the divorce paper in hand.

Once registered, the divorce became a reality, nullifying any marital ties between them.

He asked, "Do you know why they divorced?"

The spy shook his head and replied, "The specifics have not been found out yet, but it is said that the couple had been arguing frequently of late, and Princess Rui locked Prince Rui out of the mansion several times."

"There was also a dispute in the study before the divorce."

Had it not been for the prior report from the internal spy, the Emperor would never have understood why they would suddenly divorce.

Now, he had a speculation.

He could tell that Luo Ning was not one to tolerate any wrongdoing, otherwise, she would not have brought her mother to file a complaint and then helped Mrs. Wen get a divorce.

If she came to know that Prince Rui had deceived her and used her as a shield, it would be normal for her to be unable to bear it and divorce him.

But given Prince Rui’s character, it was highly improbable he would agree to a divorce.

Unless Luo Ning held some sort of leverage over him, a threat grave enough to destroy them both.

He also thought of Prince Rui’s sudden return and the conversation with Princess Consort Chun.

Thus, he commanded, "Go check if there was any connection or contact between Princess Consort Chun and Prince Rui before she entered the crown prince’s mansion and before she entered the palace."

The Emperor felt very uncomfortable at that moment.

Although he did not favor Princess Consort Chun, he only granted her a place among the Princes to balance the court and placate Duke Dingguo.

It didn’t matter that he didn’t favor her, but the thought of his concubine aiming to cuckold him was intolerable.

And the idea of a brother trying to cuckold him was also unbearable.

Even if the current clues suggested that Princess Consort Chun had deceived Prince Rui, leading to their affair, it didn’t quell his anger.

What man could tolerate betrayal or divided affections in his woman, especially when that man was the supreme Emperor; such a thing was even less tolerable.

The Emperor knew that this matter required thorough investigation and that he couldn’t tolerate being cuckolded – both of these facts were within Luo Ning’s calculations.

That evening, Luo Ning had dinner with her mother and went back after having taken a bath to enjoy the cool evening air in the courtyard when Lu Xiao arrived.

Prince Rui wanted to enter, but the people outside tried to stop him without success.

Seeing Lu Xiao burst in, Luo Ning thought to herself that she would need to find some more skilled guards.

She sat in the rocking chair, holding a cup of chilled bayberry soup, and raised her eyebrows as she looked at Lu Xiao, "Prince, what is the meaning of this intrusion into a respectable home so late at night?"

Lu Xiao looked at Luo Ning’s fair and rosy cheeks, and that urge to bite into them arose again.

He didn’t know that every time after she bathed, she was so tempting.

But now was not the time to act on impulse. He suppressed those ripples of desire.

"I’m sorry," he said, lowering himself to apologize first.

Luo Ning took a lazy sip of bayberry juice, "You’ve wronged me plenty. Which incident are you referring to?"

Lu Xiao: "..." It was the first time he realized she was so difficult to deal with.

"That incident at the Guardian Temple, I mistook someone else for you."

"Luo Chun followed closely behind you to the cave, and when I woke up, all I saw was her."

This time, Lu Xiao was relatively honest, "Then she misled me, making me think she had saved me. That’s why I treated her differently and deceived you."

Luo Ning was unsurprised and even nodded in agreement, "That’s why I said you were blind!"

"It was clearly me who rode out to find you. You woke up, you couldn’t see me, and yet you didn’t bother to check and just believed Luo Chun’s words."

"Are you too confident, or are you just stupid?"

Luo Ning, with her sharp tongue, said, "I think it’s more of the latter, otherwise Luo Chun wouldn’t have played you like a fiddle."

"She must be scorning how stupid you are inside her heart," she added provocatively.

Lu Xiao’s face darkened, what she said made damn good sense, if only it weren’t an insult to him.

"Do you have to be so cold and sarcastic towards me?"

He walked up to Luo Ning and squatted down in front of her, looking at her with a tenderness he had never shown before, "Let’s have a proper talk."

Luo Ning felt goosebumps all over and shook her head emphatically, "No way."

"In the middle of the night, a single man and woman sharing a yard, I don’t care about my reputation, but I do."

Lu Xiao was speechless, "We are husband and wife, who would gossip?"

Luo Ning rolled her eyes, "We’ve already divorced, thanks."

"It seems you’re not only blind, but your memory is faulty too."

Lu Xiao stopped caring about her sharp tongue; instead, he found the way she rolled her eyes to be cute.

What had he missed before?

He reached out to embrace Luo Ning, "I don’t want a divorce. I will never deceive you again. Let’s make amends."

"This time it’s true. I only want you for the rest of my life," he spoke sincerely from his heart.

But before he could hug Luo Ning, she kicked him with a raised leg.

Half-squatting as he was, Lu Xiao lost his balance from the kick and fell to the ground.

Luo Ning stood up, looking down at him, "But I don’t want to! Now it’s me who doesn’t want you."

"If you break into my house again, I’ll have someone report you to the Capital Governor."

Lu Xiao looked into her eyes, which held no trace of affection or reluctance, and his heart suddenly ached – a feeling he had never experienced before.

"Ning’er, please give me another chance to atone," he pleaded, unable to bear her disregard for him.

Luo Ning glanced at him dismissively, "Not only are you blind, you’re also despicable!"

Despicable indeed. When she actively offered her love, he didn’t care for it.

Now that she didn’t want him and was cold to him, he came begging humbly.

A surge of anger rose in Lu Xiao. After all, he had always been a prince regarded highly, and no one had ever called him despicable.

But he endured, "I truly didn’t expect Luo Chun to dare deceive me. That’s why I was fooled."

"I don’t care whether you expected it or not, we are no longer related. Stop bothering me; it makes me despise you more."

Luo Ning, impatient, continued, "I’m going to rest. Please leave immediately, or I’ll report you to the authorities."

Seeing that she was unmoved, Lu Xiao figured she must still be very angry.

"Fine, I’ll leave." He wasn’t afraid of Luo Ning alerting the authorities; he just didn’t want to increase her dislike for him, "But I won’t give up."

With those words, he stood up and left.