The Unfeeling Lord Lu of the Prison Administration

Lu Jingsi had not seemed as busy lately as he used to be. He came back every day to have dinner with her.

He also spent every night in the main bedchamber.

Since he could not do anything to her for the time being anyway, Su Luoqian set her mind at ease.

With a free human cushion in bed, she slept much more comfortably at night.

Several days passed this way.

Then, one day—

Su Luoqian was looking over the account books in her room when a young servant hurried in. "Princess Consort, Nanny Cheng from the Su family has come to the residence. She is waiting at the gate."

At the mention of Nanny Cheng, Su Luoqian's eyes lit up at once. "Quick, show her in."

The servant acknowledged the order, bowed, and hurried back out.

Su Luoqian put away the account books. "Zelan, prepare tea in the pavilion in the courtyard."

Before long, the servant led Nanny Cheng through the moon gate and slowly toward the pavilion.

When she came closer, Nanny Cheng bent to kowtow, but Su Luoqian caught her. "Nanny, there's no need for such formalities."

Nanny Cheng smiled at her. "The cloth shop received some fine fabrics today. Madam sent this old servant to bring some to you, Princess Consort."

As the Princess Consort of Cheng'an, Su Luoqian had all such things in abundance, but parents still thought of their children whenever they acquired something good.

Besides, it was not proper for Su Luoqian to keep running back to her maiden home, so it made more sense for the Su household to send an old nanny to visit her.

Su Luoqian looked behind Nanny Cheng. What the servants held carefully in their arms were several bolts of fine cloud brocade.

Cloud brocade had a delicate texture and intricate, exquisite cloud patterns unique to it. It was a relatively rare fabric.

Su Luoqian had the courtyard servants put the fabric away, then took Nanny Cheng's hand and sat down with her beside the stone table in the pavilion. "Nanny, has everything been well at home lately?" she asked softly.

Seeing Su Luoqian's charming face, her hair arranged in a married woman's bun and adorned with a dangling hair ornament, Nanny Cheng felt even more tenderness for her.

She had served Cui Anlan for decades and had watched Su Luoqian grow up. Now that Su Luoqian was married, she could not help feeling a little sentimental.

She answered gently, "Everything at home is well. Master and Madam are in good health, and business at the shops is going smoothly too."

Su Luoqian asked, "Has Kong Cuilian come by recently?"

Nanny Cheng shook her head. "No. Perhaps she felt she made a spectacle of herself that day. She seems to have behaved herself a little more lately."

Su Manrong was Su Liangzhuo's younger cousin. The Kong family had once run a business of their own, but Su Manrong and Kong Cuilian's father had managed it poorly, leaving their shops on the verge of collapse. In the end, with no other choice, they had transferred the shops to others and come to work under Su Liangzhuo.

With Su Liangzhuo keeping an eye on things and the Su family behind them, the two shops allotted to the Kong family had managed to stay afloat.

Hearing this, Su Luoqian pondered briefly.

It was impossible for Kong Cuilian and her mother to stop making trouble. If they were quiet now, they were probably brewing some wicked scheme.

Still, the Kong family depended on the Su family's business for their livelihood. Presumably, they would not dare do anything too outrageous to Su Liangzhuo and Cui Anlan.

As long as her parents were well, she could rest easy.

Nanny Cheng took a sip of tea, then continued as if making casual conversation.

"Recently, a young master from a collateral branch of the Su clan came to the capital to prepare for the metropolitan examination next spring. He is staying in the front courtyard at home."

"Madam has always been especially attentive to the younger generation. These past few days, she has told the kitchen to give Young Master Su a greater variety of dishes."

"Come to think of it, Princess Consort, you met that young master when you were little."

"Young Master Su?"

Su Luoqian thought for a moment. "Is he the young master who came to the Su residence with his father and mother when he was little?"

"Yes," Nanny Cheng said cheerfully, her expression kind. "I didn't expect you to remember him, Princess Consort."

Su Luoqian remembered Young Master Su because, after three generations of Su family merchants, a scholar had finally emerged.

He was held in considerable esteem by the other elders of the large clan.

"The young master has a gentle disposition and is extremely polite and friendly to the servants."

"If he really can pass the examinations and gain an official position someday, our Su household will share in the good fortune."

Nanny Cheng cheerfully sang Young Master Su's praises for a while.

Su Luoqian smiled. "It sounds as though Young Master Su is a man of upright character. If someone like him places highly in the examinations, he will surely accomplish something in the future."

"Yes..."

The summer weather was mild. Though the lotuses in the little pond beside the pavilion had yet to bloom, waves of fragrance rose from the other flower beds.

The older woman and the younger woman sat on the stone stools in the pavilion, drinking tea and chatting about family matters. Neither noticed—

Not far away, beside a tree amid the low grass, Nanny Liu stood half-hidden, her face full of resentment. Her eyes narrowed as anger surged within her.

Just as I thought. She has no virtue, no shame, and no face left to lose.

She's already married into the prince's residence, yet she's still pining for her older clan brother. I'll make sure the prince sees your true colors!

Having made up her mind, she viciously ground a fallen flower underfoot as if venting her anger, then left with a dark expression.

Meanwhile, in the pavilion not far away, Su Luoqian and Nanny Cheng knew nothing of it.

After finishing her account of recent family matters at the Su residence, Nanny Cheng paused and changed the subject slightly.

"On my way here just now, I saw the prince leading a group of men and horses toward the outskirts. They looked quite formidable."

"He went to the outskirts?"

Su Luoqian's voice rose slightly, and her heart suddenly raced.

Could he have gone to Lin Yonghong's country estate?

Nanny Cheng nodded. "I heard people by the street saying he seemed to be going to arrest the murderer in some case involving a woman's corpse?"

As iron hooves thundered down the street, the people all hurried to make way. Lu Jingsi sat on horseback in his official robes, his unfathomable black eyes seeming capable of seeing into people's hearts.

At such times, he was no longer the aloof and noble Prince of Cheng'an, but the unfeeling Lord Lu of the Prison Administration, brimming with killing intent.

Nanny Cheng was an old servant who lived in the inner residence. When had she ever seen such official might? Even now, the memory still filled her with apprehension.

"The woman's corpse case..." The words echoed in her mind, and realization began to dawn. Her voice trembling, she asked, "Princess Consort, that murderer... is he the one who killed Peilan?"

The case had shocked the imperial court and stirred a great clamor among the people.

Lu Jingsi had previously investigated in secret, but now he seemed intent on bringing everything into the open.

Thus, Nanny Cheng had heard most of the story on the streets that morning.

Su Luoqian instinctively clenched her hands. "Yes."

Sorrow appeared on Nanny Cheng's face. "I hope... I hope the prince can bring that villain to justice."

So many lives—all of them girls in the prime of their youth.

Su Luoqian seemed to remember something and murmured, "He will..."

At the mention of Peilan, the mood in the pavilion immediately grew subdued.

Nanny Cheng passed on the few words Cui Anlan had specifically asked her to convey, gave Su Luoqian a few reminders, and then left the prince's residence.

After Nanny Cheng left, Su Luoqian was no longer in the mood to check the accounts.

After twisting her handkerchief and pacing back and forth several times, she looked toward the gate. As if she had made up her mind, she called Zelan over and prepared to go out with her.

Unexpectedly, just as Su Luoqian lifted her skirts and was about to step over the threshold, a tall, cold figure appeared before her.