Lu Jingning was a little apprehensive. After returning, her mother-in-law had brought her to the flower hall where guests were usually received, telling her to wait there for a while before leaving.
She had been waiting for two quarters of an hour, and her grandparents had not yet come.
Just as Lu Jingning was anxiously about to look for the 世子夫人 (Shizi Furen - wife of the heir apparent), Lord Lu walked heavily into the flower hall.
Lu Jingning was surprised, "Father, why are you here?"
Lord Lu had a belly full of anger. When he was in front of Prince Qin, he had been obsequious and had to suppress his anger. Now that he saw the instigator, how could he hold back his anger? Even knowing that this was Prince Qin's mansion, he did not hesitate to act.
Lu Jingning's head was knocked askew, and blood flowed from the corner of her mouth. She slowly turned her head back, looking at Lord Lu in disbelief.
Although her father was not very reliable, she was very satisfied with the marriage he had arranged for her. Moreover, she had never been hit by him since she was little. Now that she was married, in her husband's home, she had been slapped severely by her father.
Did it hurt a lot?
Besides the stinging sensation, she didn't feel much pain.
But why did he hit her?
"Don't feel wronged. This is a light punishment. Do you know that you have not only harmed yourself but also implicated your younger siblings? You have also implicated my reputation and the reputation of our Lu family. If I were to preserve the family's reputation, I should give you a silk noose, and then everything would be over," Lord Lu gritted his teeth and said.
Lu Jingning smiled, "So, Father, you hit me because my younger siblings would be implicated by me. Are you venting your anger for your younger siblings, or are you venting your anger for your own reputation?"
"There's no point in saying this. I can't be bothered to argue with you. Pack your things, and I will send you to a temple," Lord Lu said directly.
"Go to a temple? Why should I go to a temple? Father, even if you are angry that I have harmed your reputation, you cannot send me to a temple! I am a member of the Prince's mansion, and Father has no say," Lu Jingning glared at Lord Lu angrily.
Clearly, she was the legitimate daughter, but ever since the woman her father favored had a child, she had received less and less attention from her father. Now, for them, he was so heartless. If only she had gotten rid of them all back then.
Lord Lu looked at the hatred in Lu Jingning's eyes and felt an indescribable emotion. When did his daughter become so detestable?
"You won't be for long," Lord Lu said with a stern face. "Otherwise, why do you think I would be here? Of course, the Prince and Princess called me here. The Prince's mansion values its reputation and will not throw you out at this time. Moreover, the 世子夫人 of Nanchang Kingdom said that she wants to pray for the deceased and wants you to go to a temple for two years. Both the Prince and Princess have agreed, and I also think this is the best way to quell this matter for now."
Lu Jingning's face turned pale, "You're lying. It's impossible. I am the young madam of the Prince's mansion, and in the future, I will be the Princess. How can I go to a temple for two years?"
"Yes, to be the Princess, you cannot stay in a temple. But you can't be the Princess anyway, so it doesn't matter," Lord Lu said. "Having committed such a crime, it is already very benevolent that the Prince's mansion has not given you a cup of poisoned wine to end your own life."
"How is that possible? It's impossible. It's just a lowly commoner. How could the Crown Princess stand up for such a lowly commoner?" Lu Jingning murmured, shaking her head. "Father, you misheard, you must have misheard. I'm going to ask my grandparents. Oh, and I need to ask my husband. He wouldn't let me go to a temple."