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Lu Family Study
Lu Songli pushed open half of the window.
Outside, the snow had stopped, and the red plums bloomed proudly. The cold wind blew against her face, carrying a faint, refreshing fragrance that was both cool and refreshing, making her feel invigorated.
Mo Bing, who was brewing tea, looked at her disapprovingly. Didn’t the second miss know her own body?
Lu Songli smiled. Of course, she knew. It was precisely because she knew that she only opened half the window. The most enjoyable thing in the world was probably wrapping yourself in a blanket and blowing air conditioning in the summer, or turning on the floor heating and eating watermelon in the winter. She had always liked the cool air, and every breath gave her a feeling of purging the impurities from her body. Moreover, the cold air made her mind incredibly clear.
Mo Bing didn’t continue to persuade her to close the window, but instead found her a hand warmer.
Lu Songli didn’t refuse and silently held it.
She had already started to regulate her body. Otherwise, with the heavy cold, her blood circulation would be poor, her hands and feet would be cold, and she would find it difficult to sleep at night. She had to regulate herself to feel better. Although she didn’t want to regulate her body so early to have children, she also had to consider her quality of life, right?
Lu Songli waited in the study, and soon the Qin brothers arrived.
When Qin Heng heard A Sheng say that Lu Songli wanted to see him, he was quite surprised. But through her actions and understanding of her over this period of time, Qin Heng knew that she was not a reckless person. Since she had asked A Sheng to invite him over, there must be a reason for her to do so.
Qin Heng followed Qin Sheng to the Lu family’s study. They had been here once before, after the Empress Dowager’s decree, when they, mother and son, came to propose marriage. His mother and Madam Jiang had discussed the marriage between the two families, and he had been invited to the study by Master Lu.
This study was Master Lu’s personal study, right? Now, his Sister-in-law could freely use the Lu family’s main study? It seemed like her status in the Lu family was really not low.
They moved to the south window, and after taking their seats, Qin Heng smiled and asked her, “Sixth sister-in-law, can I call you that?”
Lu Songli nodded, “Then I’ll call you Big Brother, just like A Sheng.” Anyway, the Empress Dowager had decreed the marriage, they wouldn’t be able to avoid it, and soon they would be a family.
Qin Sheng brought them here but lingered, unwilling to leave.
Lu Songli rubbed her forehead and pointed to a seat for him, “Alright, you sit over there. Don’t keep moving around, it’s making me dizzy.”
Hearing this, Qin Sheng immediately sat down and behaved himself.
Qin Heng watched them with amusement.
“Big Brother, I asked A Sheng to invite you over because I have something to tell you.” Lu Songli said seriously.
She had asked Qin Sheng to invite him this time to remind him of some things. It was best to tell him face-to-face instead of relaying them through Qin Sheng. Qin Sheng was the youngest in the family and had some say, but he certainly couldn’t compare to Qin Heng, the eldest brother who was in charge. And the things she wanted to remind him of should be done sooner rather than later, and quickly rather than slowly.
“Tell me.” Qin Heng also sat upright, showing that he was taking it seriously.
Lu Songli didn’t speak. She was pondering how to begin.
Qin Heng didn’t rush her.
Recently, Lu Songli had been thinking about the Qin family’s exile in the original story.
The Qin family, from what she knew, was a family of military generals who were loyal to Da Li.
Yes, Lu Songli used the words “loyal and devoted.”
Not to mention anything else, just take the Empress Dowager’s decree to marry her to Qin Sheng. At that time, she had already revealed that her body was unable to bear children due to the cold. The Empress Dowager, filled with anger towards her and her father, recklessly decreed her marriage to Qin Sheng without any regard for the Qin family’s face or feelings.
Lu Songli, after careful consideration, discovered that everything was due to the Qin family’s extreme loyalty, their complete lack of resistance.
The Qin family’s loyalty was no joke. They were truly loyal to Da Li, a loyalty that Heaven and Earth could bear witness to.
Lu Songli cleared her throat and said, “Big Brother, since we are a family, this won’t change. So, I’ll just say it directly.”
“Don’t be so polite.”
“I’ve been researching our Qin family recently, and I’ve discovered that the Qin family is truly loyal and devoted to Da Li.”
Hearing the first half of Lu Songli’s sentence, Qin Heng chuckled a little. When he heard the second half, he fell into rare silence. After a while, he nodded solemnly, “Yes, our Qin family is truly loyal and devoted to Da Li, Heaven and Earth can bear witness.”
Qin Sheng also pursed his lips, looking serious.
Lu Songli had researched the Qin family and naturally knew why they acted this way.
The Song family, the royal family of Da Li, was not easy to please.
If the Qin family’s ancestors heard Lu Songli’s words, they would surely feel the same way. Yes, the Song royal family was too difficult to please.
In every dynasty, the early emperors’ lifespans were mostly normal, and Da Li was no exception. The Da Li Dynasty had gone through eight emperors, and the current dynasty had lasted for 178 years. Each emperor’s reign had been long or short, averaging about 22 years. Emperor Kang Cheng was the eighth emperor of Da Li and had been on the throne for 25 years.
Since the Qin family’s rise to prominence, they had gone through seven generations. Apart from the first and second generations of their ancestors, who had encountered wise emperors and had not suffered any grievances, the rest had endured so much suspicion from the Song royal family and suffered countless grievances. Especially the third and fourth generations, the head of the Qin family was even falsely accused and imprisoned. Although he was eventually released, he had been tortured in prison and suffered serious injuries, ultimately dying young.
For military families like the Qin family, inheritance was crucial. Their method of inheritance was mainly through words and deeds, mostly on the battlefield, with the old leading the young, teaching the next generation by hand.
The early death of the third generation’s pillar caused the fourth generation of the Qin family to go to war early and fight hard, facing extraordinary difficulties, barely managing to preserve the Qin family’s status.
Even Lu Songli, an outsider, felt sorry for them after hearing these things. But the Qin family’s ancestors had endured it all, swallowing their tears and grievances. They were truly like ninjas.
Based on this premise, Lu Songli began to backtrack the reasons for the Qin family’s exile.
Either the Qin family committed a crime that the emperor couldn’t tolerate. Such a crime could only be treason.
“Big Brother, the Qin family has suffered so many grievances, did our father ever have any thoughts about… such a rebellious act?” Lu Songli asked softly.
“No, he never had such a treacherous thought!” Qin Heng said decisively, then he asked her, “Why are you asking this?”
Did she hear something? Thinking about this, Qin Heng frowned slightly.
“Big Brother, calm down! I completely believe what you said. As for why I’m asking, I’ll explain later.”
Under Lu Songli’s reassurance, the Qin brothers could only continue sitting and waiting.
Lu Songli fell into her own thoughts. She had previously felt that it was unlikely the Qin family would have taken the initiative to rebel. Firstly, there was no evidence, which could be seen from the Qin family’s troop movements, there was no activity. Secondly, the Qin family’s matriarch, Madam Qin, and Qin Heng and Qin Sheng, the two legitimate sons, were all in Chang’an City, they didn’t withdraw. It could be said that as long as the Qin family had any rebellious intentions, would they not care about their lives? After all, if Qin Yue moved, the direct line in Chang’an City would be in danger. Or some might say that Qin Yue was a cold-blooded person who would sacrifice anything to achieve his goals, but based on his whole life, he was not.
So, the possibility of the Qin family rebelling on their own initiative is very small and can be temporarily ruled out.
After ruling out this reason, they turn back to look at the Qin family. No matter how they look at it, to the ruler of Da Li, the Qin family is a loyal and capable dog. Who would, without reason, move against their own loyal dog? Unless there’s greater benefit in doing so, or there’s no other choice.
For Emperor Kang Cheng and the Crown Prince, such a situation doesn’t hold. At least Emperor Kang Cheng wouldn’t act against them, and if the Crown Prince ascends to the throne, he wouldn’t either, unless he’s completely irrational.