If I were born again, I would marry a strong but short-lived husband.

Princess Yongning went to pay a visit to Queen Qu, who hugged her daughter and cried bitterly.

Now the only person she can rely on is her daughter.

"Mother, staying alive is the most important thing now. Don't think about anything else. Only then will there be hope for the future." Yongning did not tell Queen Qu what his father had said.

She was afraid that if she told her mother, she would become even more desperate.

Queen Qu had been under house arrest for so long that no matter how much resentment and hatred she had, they had all calmed down.

Her family had become completely useless, and the empress dowager, the only person in the palace who could help her, had left the capital to worship Buddha.

With no one to rely on, no one to use, and no one to trust, how could she fight for the Fifth Prince?

"Yongning, you are still young. Let your father choose a man from a noble family for you to marry." Queen Qu said, holding her daughter's hand.

"Mother, I don't want to get married for the time being." Yongning said in a low voice.

It had been less than a year since her husband died in battle.

Queen Qu said, "The Qu family is unwilling to help your brother. Your brother now only relies on you. If your future husband's family is strong..."

"Mother, my father will not arrange a marriage for me with a husband's family that is too powerful." It is even more impossible for one to have military force.

"Your father is partial!" Queen Qu said angrily.

Yongning patted Queen Qu's back and said softly, "Mother, let's not fight anymore, okay?"

"If we don't fight, we will die." Queen Qu had tears in her eyes.

"Father would not treat us like this," Yongning said.

Queen Qu pushed her away, "You're useless."

Yongning burst into tears and tried her best to persuade, "Mother, my fifth brother is still young. It is better to let him study hard with the Grand Tutor. He will have a chance to make a name for himself in the future."

"Father is still young. If you keep forcing him, he will be furious and appoint a crown prince. Then my fifth brother will really have no chance."

"Now that the emperor has not really made up his mind, fifth brother still has a chance."

Queen Qu gradually took Yongning's words in and her expression became less ferocious.

"You don't look well. I'll ask the imperial physician to take your pulse," Yongning said.

After Queen Qu was put under house arrest, she was always depressed and her face looked pale and ugly. She was suffering from a mental illness.

The imperial physician prescribed some medicine and advised the queen not to worry and to rest.

Yongning also advised her to take care of her health for the sake of the Fifth Prince.

Yongning heaved a sigh of relief only after helping Queen Qu drink the medicine and fall asleep. Seeing that it was still early, she asked the palace maids to help her change her clothes.

"Go to Duke Lu's Mansion."

the other side.

Guangning was scolded in Zhaoxi Palace and left the palace angrily. She didn't want to embarrass herself in front of Shen Suian, so she simply returned to the princess's mansion.

But she never expected that she asked someone to change direction in the middle of the road, as if she saw an acquaintance.

The carriage chased for a long time and unknowingly left the city.

Not long after entering the mountain road, the trace of the carriage disappeared inexplicably.

……

……

The arrival of Princess Yongning made Danboyuan feel like it was facing a formidable enemy.

Ningshuang and Fuqiu even stood guard at the door to prevent the princess from suddenly hurting their young mistress.

Shen Suian calmly entertained Princess Yongning in the hall and told Banjian to serve tea.

"You're really not worried at all that I'm going to steal your husband." Although Princess Yongning was still indifferent, there seemed to be no jealousy in her eyes as when she first saw Shen Suian.

"It's useless for me to keep something that can be easily snatched away," said Shen Sui'an.

After experiencing a lifetime, she knew that a woman's life could not be pinned on a man. What was the point of her having her husband taken away from her?

Princess Yongning tilted her head and looked at Shen Sui'an, "I've met you a few times before, but I didn't realize you had such a broad mind."

Shen Sui'an smiled slightly.

"I deliberately spread the news outside. I originally wanted to test Lu Yuan's reaction. He is really the same as always, so ruthless." Yongning laughed at himself.

When she was a young girl, she had liked Lu Yuan and really wanted to marry him.

The emperor refused to agree to her request. She knew that her father wanted to use Lu Yuan and would never let Lu Yuan become her consort. He did not want Lu Yuan to be a member of the queen's party.

After she married Wu Qiaofeng, gradually her husband was the only one in her heart.

When she came back to the capital this time, she saw that Lu Yuan, who once said that he was not interested in getting married, was actually gentle, considerate and protective of another woman. She got angry and turned her bad face towards Shen Sui'an.

What did Shen Sui'an do wrong?

"Has the princess got what she wanted now?" Shen Sui'an asked in a low voice.

Yongning gave her a sharp look and said, "You are very smart."

"Li'er and I are close friends. We grew up together. I hope her family members are doing well more than anyone else." Shen Sui'an said.

"The Qu family is fine, but my mother and fifth brother may not be." Yongning said coldly.

Shen Sui'an did not want to comment too much on the secrets of the royal family.

Yongning: "Anyway, it's my fault that this matter has caused you trouble. I'm here to apologize to you today."

Shen Sui'an said, "The princess' words are serious, but they actually have no impact on Lu Yuan and me."

"Heh." Yongning understood that Shen Suian meant that they had a deep relationship as husband and wife and their relationship would not be affected by other people at all.

"That's good." Yongning stood up, "I won't bother you anymore."

Shen Sui'an and Princess Yongning had never had any contact with each other, so it was naturally impossible for them to chat about anything else.

"I'll take the princess there," she said.

After she sent Yongning out of the Duke's Mansion, someone came from the upper room and called her over.

Old Madam Lu and Second Madam Lu looked stern and looked at Shen Sui'an with inquiring eyes.

"Princess Yongning came to see you just now? Was it because she wanted to recruit Lu Yuan as her consort?" Old Madam Lu went straight to the point.

Shen Sui'an was stunned, "The princess did come to see me, but..."

"How can your status compare with that of the princess? If the princess is the principal wife, then you will naturally be a concubine. The Lu family can no longer afford to offend the royal family." Old Madam Lu frowned.

"Don't offend the princess for a little personal dignity. Now you are also a member of the Lu family. The future of the Lu family is the most important."

Shen Sui'an raised his eyes and looked at the old lady calmly, "..."

"Madam, it's impossible for Lu Yuan to become a royal consort." Shen Sui'an said.

Mrs. Lu Er: "When the imperial edict comes, can he refuse it if he doesn't want it? Disobeying the imperial edict is a serious crime."

Shen Sui'an was too lazy to explain. He just felt that the selfish faces of the Lu family were extremely ugly.

When Lu Yuan was needed, he was a member of the Lu family and could influence the future of the Lu family. When Lu Yuan was not needed, he was treated like a transparent person and never as a family member.

They all felt that they had done Lu Yuan a great favor and should be grateful.

"Then let's wait until the imperial edict arrives." Shen Sui'an said.

"If the emperor really wants Lu Yuan to be his consort, I will ask to leave the palace. Old Madam, you don't have to worry that I will cling to the position of principal wife, and I will not make things difficult for the Lu family."

Madam Lu snorted coldly, "It's best if you think so."

Mrs. Lu raised her lips and said, "It is also an honor for the Lu family to have two princes-in-law at the same time."

"It is indeed an honor. Will all the property of the Duke's Mansion belong to the second house by then?" Shen Suian asked with a smile.

"I don't have such dirty thoughts." Mrs. Lu immediately retorted.

Shen Sui'an said, "I misunderstood Second Aunt."