Luo Wanqing sent people out to have Lu Jingning leave.
"If the Crown Princess does not forgive me, I will not rise," Lu Jingning said loudly.
Luo Wanqing, inside the room, simply laughed, "Listen to yourselves, doesn't this behavior resemble those concubines in the palace? When begging the Emperor for forgiveness, they say, 'Your Majesty, if you do not forgive me, this concubine will not rise.'"
"Mistress, you don't need to pay attention to her. If she wants to kneel, let her. It has nothing to do with us even if she kneels to death. Besides, you already said you wouldn't pursue it, and yet she's here pressuring you. This is clearly because she thinks you're easy to bully," said the maid serving her.
"Your mistress has never been a soft-hearted person. She can kneel until she dies," Luo Wanqing stated.
"Why don't we have her kneel elsewhere?" the maid asked.
"Instruct them to keep a distance, lest they be blamed. Oh, and have someone set up a pavilion and send over tea and pastries. We can't have anything happen on our grounds!" Luo Wanqing ordered.
"This person is truly troublesome," the maid grumbled.
"Let's go pay a visit to the Prince of Qin's manor," Luo Wanqing said. "Tell them to take their person back."
The Prince and Princess of Qin received Luo Wanqing together.
"Your Highness the Crown Princess's visit, we failed to welcome you from afar, please forgive us," said the Prince of Qin.
"I have come uninvited and have disturbed you," Luo Wanqing said. "There is nothing else, I just wish for you to take your manor's person back. Her health is frail, kneeling there is not a solution. If anything were to happen, I would be unable to extricate myself. I have already said I will not pursue this matter."
The Prince and Princess of Qin exchanged glances, and the Prince spoke cautiously, "Originally, she offended the Crown Princess, and kneeling is appropriate."
"I have said I will not pursue this matter," Luo Wanqing said lightly.
"But that family..." the Princess began.
"Princess, when a person makes a mistake, they must pay the price. That was not a small cat or dog, that was a human life. Compensation must be given, but the vicious perpetrator must also atone. Do you think your manor's young madam has even a shred of remorse?" Luo Wanqing asked.
The Prince and Princess of Qin felt ashamed. Did Lu Jingning have any remorse?
She regretted it, certainly. But she regretted not acting more discreetly, not harming a life.
"The Crown Princess is right," the Princess replied. "We have decided that in addition to compensating that family, we will also have prayers offered for the deceased at a temple, and Ah Ning will go to pray for two years."
For a young madam of a prominent family to spend two years in a temple was a severe punishment.
Luo Wanqing smiled, "The spirit of the deceased will surely be grateful for the Princess's understanding and righteousness. I shall not linger. Princess, please quickly send someone to bring your young madam back."
"Your Highness, safe travels."
After she left, the Princess of Qin breathed a sigh of relief. This meant that the deceased's family would not continue to pursue the matter. Thus, this issue was considered successfully resolved. The reputation of the Prince of Qin's manor was not significantly impacted, and the Emperor had also been appeased.
"I will have Xuan'er's mother personally go and fetch her," the Princess of Qin said.
"Also, send someone to the Grand Scholar's manor to inform Lord Lu," the Prince of Qin instructed. "At that time, Lord Lu will know what to do."
To have someone spend two years in a temple, the Prince of Qin's manor could not possibly accept such a granddaughter-in-law.
At that time, they would naturally have the Lu manor take her back.
How the Lu manor would handle it afterward would be of no concern to their manor.