After Empress Dowager Zhao finished speaking, she passed down the order.

Soon, two palace maids who were about sixteen or seventeen years old appeared in front of Li Jing.

The two maids were both beautiful and slender. One looked gentle and quiet, while the other had a heroic look. It was obvious that they were carefully selected according to Li Jing’s preferences.

While performing the ceremony, the two palace maids each shyly glanced at the handsome Second Prince.

As a palace maid, being awarded to the princes was a great honor. Look at Yang Gongren, she became pregnant after serving for a period of time, and when she gave birth to a child, she could be promoted to a concubine.

With the precedent of Yang Gong Ren, when Empress Dowager Zhao slightly revealed that she wanted to select palace maids for the Second Prince, all the palace maids in Shouning Palace were eager to try.

To be able to stand out from the crowd of palace maids, both of them were naturally extremely beautiful.

It turned out to be this trick.

Li Jing’s expression remained unchanged, but he smiled coldly in his heart.

Empress Qiao, who really cared about Lu Mingyu’s health, never mentioned taking a concubine. It was Empress Dowager Zhao who showed her ill intentions in a hurry without saying a few words.

This was to use the two palace maids to provoke Lu Mingyu and cause discord between the couple.

Li Jing didn’t even look at the two beautiful palace maids. He said to Empress Dowager Zhao respectfully, “Royal Grandmother, your grandson should not refuse your kindness. But, my elder brother and his wife have set a precedent. How can I knowingly violate it?”

When mentioning the eldest Huangzi Fei, Empress Dowager Zhao paused.

The eldest Huangzi Fei, Liang Shi, had a miscarriage due to depression, which was not unrelated to the two palace maids given by Meng Guifei. The knot between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law deepened.

Empress Dowager Zhao would never admit that she had such a vicious thought and quickly said with a smile: “Lu Shi has been practicing martial arts since she was a child, and she is in good health. She didn’t have any reaction during pregnancy, which shows that she is in good health…”

“My grandson doesn’t want to take any risks.” Li Jing said gently but firmly: “In my grandson’s heart, nothing is more important than his wife and children!”

Empress Dowager Zhao was embarrassed to be talked back by her grandson in public, and she couldn’t even smile: “What do you mean by saying that? I love you so much that I especially found two gentle and lovely palace maids to take care of your food, clothing, and daily life. How come you say that I have bad intentions!”

Li Jing raised his eyes and met the unhappy Empress Dowager Zhao’s gaze: “Grandson appreciates your kindness, Grandmother. However, I cannot take these two palace maids back with me.”

Empress Dowager Zhao: “…”

Empress Dowager Zhao was impatient, but she didn’t get angry on the spot. Instead, she laughed and said, “Forget it. If you don’t want it, I can’t force you to do it.”

After a quick glance, the two palace maids retreated tremblingly.

Empress Dowager Zhao lost interest in talking, and after saying a few irrelevant words, she sent Li Jing away.

…

Li Jing walked out of Shouning Palace and slowly let out a breath.

Empress Dowager Zhao was partial and confused, but she was his grandmother. She had the highest position and the longest generation. Due to filial piety, no matter how angry he was, he could not turn against her.

Fortunately, he has made his attitude clear today.

Empress Dowager Zhao knew that this approach was not feasible and that it was time to restrain herself.

As it turned out, Li Jing still underestimated Empress Dowager Zhao.

That evening, after Li Jing returned to the Lu Mansion, the doorman greeted him with a subtle look.

The butler Lu Jia’s face was not so good either, and his voice was a little hard, revealing dissatisfaction: “Your Highness, the palace rewarded two palace maids today, saying that they are people from the Empress Dowager’s Shouning Palace, and they are kept to serve Your Highness’s food, clothing and daily life. In this case, why not send these two palace maids to the Second Prince’s Mansion!”

Li Jing: “…”

The flame in Li Jing’s heart suddenly ignited and his face darkened.

What a great Empress Dowager Zhao!

He had clearly refused. Empress Dowager Zhao actually sent the person directly to the Lu Mansion!

Lu Mingyu was pregnant. If she sent the person back in anger, she would be known as disrespectful to her elders. How could Lu Mingyu not be angry if the two palace maids were left here?

This was a deliberate attempt to cause trouble for the couple!

Lu Jia obviously misunderstood. Thinking that Li Jing was unhappy because he had revealed his thoughts, he snorted in his heart.

That was too much!

The young lady was pregnant and was trying to take care of the baby. The palace has just given people so much money. Isn’t this deliberately making things difficult for the young lady? The second prince must know about this. But he didn’t even send a message back. What does this mean?

Lu Jia was just feeling dissatisfied when he heard Li Jing ask in a deep voice, “Where is Xiaoyu? Where are the two palace maids?”

Lu Jia replied expressionlessly, “The Second Huangzi Fei is in the courtyard. The two palace maids were sent to the Lu residence half an hour ago. I didn’t want them to disturb the Second Huangzi Fei peace, so I didn’t report the matter to her. Instead, I sent them to the guest room first. Your Highness wants to see them, so I’ll lead the way immediately.”

Li Jing glanced at Lu Jia and said, “You handled this matter correctly. Don’t tell Xiaoyu yet. Bring the two palace maids here. I will send them back to the palace.”

Hearing this, Lu Jia calmed down a lot and spoke in a more gentle tone: “It’s getting dark and the palace gates will soon close. Your Highness, why don’t you wait until tomorrow to deal with these two palace maids.”

Li Jing said calmly, “We can’t let them stay overnight in the Lu Mansion. It will be too late to deal with them tomorrow. No need to say more, just follow my instructions.”

This was what a real man is like!

When encountering such a situation, he should step forward and protect his wife behind him.

Lu Jia calmed down a lot and stopped trying to persuade him.

In just a few minutes, two palace maids were brought over.

The two beautiful palace maids were already nervous, and after seeing the Second Prince’s cold face, they trembled in their hearts and knelt down at the same time.

The masters were competing with each other, and the two of them were just pawns, helpless.

Li Jing glanced at them coldly and said, “Get in the carriage immediately. I will take you to the palace.”

The two maids’ faces turned pale, their bodies trembled like sieves, and they kowtowed and begged for mercy: “The Empress Dowager has ordered that if His Highness and the Huangzi Fei do not want us, we will not return to Shouning Palace.”

“If Your Highness sends us back to the palace, we will have no way to survive.”

“Please have mercy on us, Your Highness. Please spare our lives. Please keep us here! We will serve Your Highness and Huangzi Fei wholeheartedly and will never have any evil intentions.”

The two beautiful palace maids cried, kowtowed, and begged for mercy, tears streaming down their faces, looking very pitiful.

Unfortunately, no matter how pitifully they cried, Li Jing was not moved at all.

Li Jing was usually gentle and smiling, but at this moment he was as cold as ice, not moved at all: “Come here, send them both to the carriage.”

Two palace maids were “helped” onto the carriage, and their crying could be clearly heard.

At this moment, a familiar voice sounded: “What’s going on?”

It was Lu Mingyu.

Li Jing’s heart tightened and he turned around: “Xiaoyu, why are you here?”

Lu Mingyu’s eyes swept across the carriage from which the woman’s crying voice came, and then fell on Li Jing’s tense and angry face: “What happened?”

(End of this chapter)