"She, she..." Lu Jingning's face was filled with unconcealable panic, but she knew she couldn't admit it. If she admitted it, she would be the one who almost harmed the Prince's Mansion, and even the one who almost caused a war. Bearing such a crime would be her ruin.
The Princess Consort of Prince Qin looked at Lu Jingning with disdain. "Do you have any more excuses?"
"Yes, yes, yes, it was Mother who angered the Crown Princess, and the Crown Princess then took her anger out on your granddaughter-in-law. Yes, that's it," Lu Jingning said.
The Princess Consort of Prince Qin smiled. She glanced at her bewildered daughter-in-law. "Did you hear that? You told me it wasn't good when you went to the Grand Scholar's mansion. You were worried about your daughter-in-law, but does your daughter-in-law care about you? It was you who angered Luo Wanqing!"
"This, this..." Lu Jingning was speechless.
The Heir's wife looked at Lu Jingning with a calm expression. Lu Jingning couldn't help but shrink back. "Mother, I, I..."
"Yes, I offended the Crown Princess," the Heir's wife said. "But I apologized at the time. I was resentful and really wanted to vent my anger, but I didn't come up with any plan. What I didn't expect was that you would come up with a plan, such a vicious plan. I truly underestimated you before."
"No, Mother, I, I..." Lu Jingning stammered incoherently.
"That's enough. You don't need to think of anything to defend yourself. You also don't need to be afraid that I will let Xuan'er divorce you. Your mother should arrive soon. You will go with your mother to apologize to the Crown Princess of Nanchang. If she forgives you, I will not pursue it. If she does not forgive you, then I cannot protect you. Moreover, since there was a death and it has gone to the authorities, and so many people have seen it, a statement must be made." The Heir's wife said calmly. "If that family pursues it, you will bear what you should bear. If they do not pursue it, then you are still a member of our Prince's Mansion."
"Did I agree?" the Princess Consort of Prince Qin said angrily.
"Mother, divorcing her directly at this time would harm Xuan'er's reputation, and our Prince's Mansion would not benefit. We should apologize and take responsibility, and we should show the lowest possible stance," the Heir's wife said.
In this way, who was right and who was wrong was clear.
The Princess Consort of Prince Qin's anger slowly subsided, and she slowly said, "This time, you see clearly."
The weak have always been easily sympathized with. No matter how vicious Lu Jingning's actions were, once the Prince's Mansion divorced her, her image as a frail, abandoned, pitiful woman would slowly occupy the eyes of the world. She would become the pitiable one, garnering everyone's sympathy.
Lu Jingning also understood the key point at once. She knew that further denial was useless.
"Grandmother, Mother, I was just momentarily confused. I know I was wrong, and I will never dare to do it again. Grandmother, Mother, please help me. I cannot bear this responsibility. I, I am willing to pay money, I am willing to compensate, I will pay a lot of money, enough for that family to live without worry for the rest of their lives," Lu Jingning said, weeping profusely.
If it went to the authorities and she had to bear responsibility, she would inevitably face punishment from the government. Then, if the Prince's Mansion divorced her, no one would say anything.
At that time, her life would be over. Moreover, she loved Cheng Xuan and wanted to spend her life with him. She couldn't be divorced like this!
"Go and see why Madam Lu hasn't arrived yet?" the Princess Consort of Prince Qin asked. "Apologizing is taking so long. Is she determined not to seek the Crown Princess of Nanchang's forgiveness?"