Chapter 18: The Army Demands Justice (Part II)

"Me? I was resting with my servant! I wonder, Prime Minister Lu, what brings you here to my Serene Residence at dawn? Surely you’re not out for a stroll—could it be a robbery? Or are you here for wealth, or for beauty?" Anran pressed forward, her dark eyes so piercing that Lu Anrong retreated again and again. Madame Leng was right—he dared not meet her gaze!

"Enough nonsense! I’m here to give you two choices: either you go to prison, or you heal my son’s leg and leave Moon City for good. Choose."

Lu Anrong, battle-hardened from years at court, recovered quickly from Anran’s rebuke. His hands clenched into fists within his sleeves, and he regarded her with lofty disdain.

Choices? Lu Anrong, you overestimate yourself.

"Prison? Did I mishear you, Prime Minister? Give me a reason." Anran smiled serenely, her beauty breathtaking, yet her voice was icy, devoid of warmth.

"I’m ridding the people of harm—is that reason enough?" He had met many, but this young girl defied all his insight.

"Ridding the people of harm? Prime Minister Lu, it seems age has brought you forgetfulness. My medical skills may be humble, but treating you would be no trouble at all! As for harm, yesterday I removed a threat from Moon City—why did you not commend me on behalf of the court? Or is it that your son can violate the law and escape justice simply because his father is the Prime Minister?" Anran’s smile vanished; her face became tranquil as still water, her eyes deep and inscrutable.

"My son erred first, it’s true. But I already had him and Doctor Sang pay their respects and offer apologies, as well as treat the injured. Why did you break his leg?"

He had spent last night investigating Anran. Three days ago, she purchased Serene Residence, arriving in Moon City just yesterday. Accompanying her were a maid and an elderly disciple, her name was Anran, but her origins and background were a complete mystery. The investigation yielded nothing, which made Lu Anrong all the more convinced she was from the Crescent Moon clan. Though her name was Anran, who could say if she bore that surname? Besides, the Night Moon An family lived several months’ journey from Moon City—it was impossible for a girl barely of age to have traveled so far. So he dismissed the An family from his calculations.

"Prime Minister Lu, please don’t jest. Young Master Lu’s method of apology was truly unique—it forced me to see him in a new light! Since he had no intention of apologizing sincerely, why bother going through the motions? Was it just to show the people of the street that your Lu family is upright? If so, it’s better not to—such gestures insult both yourself and others. Breaking his leg was merely a small punishment."

Anran’s face remained calm, but her heart was in turmoil. The man who had shared her bed for ten years stood before her; though time had left its mark, he had grown more mature, more composed, making it hard for her to face him without emotion. But a decade as his beloved, only to be used, flattered with honeyed words, aiding his rise—only to meet her own end in the depths of the underworld. His son now, but back then, when her own precious child was skinned and broken, he showed not a shred of pity. And now, for this brute, he came to demand justice—the contrast was laughable, a joke of the heavens.

Lu Anrong sensed something amiss; Anran seemed to speak in riddles, hinting at hidden truths. Could there be more beneath the surface? If so, his visit today might disgrace the Lu family. No, he had to get to the bottom of it.