You Were Supposed to Simulate Fate, But You Ended Up Running Away With All the Heroines

“Grand Preceptor, there’s no need for flattery. The Li family’s current position was not easily achieved, and I would never allow that unfilial son to destroy the efforts of generations.”

Lu Ping wholeheartedly agreed.

After all, everything the Li family had today was essentially granted by the royal family.

Only with the stability of Great Jing could the Li family continue to enjoy its wealth and honor.

But for his own selfish interests, Li Wenfu had tried to stir up trouble in the court using the matter of Luo Jinxuan’s premarital pregnancy.

When it came to the very foundation of the Great Jing Kingdom, Madam Li could not tolerate it!

However, Lu Ping had a lingering doubt.

Was there really such a mother in this world who would side with justice over her own child?

To be fair, Li Wenfu did have the capability to seize power.

Otherwise, how could Lu Ping have failed the simulation twice before?

Although usurping the throne was a matter that could lead to the extermination of nine generations, what ambitious person wouldn’t take a chance on the path of no return?

“Great Jing is fortunate to have Grand Preceptor Lu.”

Why was she suddenly praising him again?

And why was she putting him on such a high pedestal?

Lu Ping looked at Madam Li with suspicion.

Madam Li continued, “Earlier, I warned Xuan’er to be wary of the Grand Preceptor, lest she find herself rid of one Li Wenfu only to face another Lu Ping. But Xuan’er has full faith that you would never betray her or Great Jing. I don’t know what history lies between the two of you, but I have a request, and I hope the Grand Preceptor will agree.”

This old lady really didn’t see herself as an outsider!

She even repeated to his face the warning she had given Luo Jinxuan about him.

“You wish for me to spare Li Wenfu’s life in the future?”

Lu Ping had already guessed Madam Li’s intention.

She first warned Luo Jinxuan to be cautious of Lu Ping, but since Luo Jinxuan had unwavering trust in him, she had to settle for asking Lu Ping to show leniency towards the Li family in the future.

“Rest assured, Madam. As long as Li Youqing does not oppose me in the future, I will not be petty.”

At first glance, it seemed like Lu Ping had agreed to Madam Li’s request, but he also left himself plenty of room to maneuver.

If Li Wenfu didn’t oppose him, there would be no reason to kill him.

But what if he remained stubborn and tried to retaliate?

Madam Li caught the underlying meaning in Lu Ping’s words and pointed at him, speechless. “If he were willing to let things go, why would I need to make this request to you?”

Lu Ping frowned.

So Madam Li knew that Li Wenfu was incorrigible, but still expected Lu Ping to show mercy and not pursue him to the bitter end?

Wasn’t that asking a bit too much?

“Alright!”

Lu Ping agreed.

After all, Madam Li was Emperor Zheng’s mother-in-law and Luo Jinxuan’s grandmother; he had to give her this face.

But after the old lady passed away, if Lu Ping decided to deal with Li Wenfu, she wouldn’t be able to rise from her grave to stop him, would she?

Deceiving someone in this situation probably didn’t count as a serious offense, right?

At worst, people might call him fickle.

The main issue was that Lu Ping wouldn’t feel at ease with Li Wenfu alive.

Hearing how readily Lu Ping agreed, Madam Li breathed a sigh of relief. “I trust that the Grand Preceptor is a man of righteousness.”

“Naturally, I have always been a man of my word!”

Lu Ping almost believed his own lie.

…

With Li Wenfu’s plans thwarted this time, he should be quiet for a while.

Next, Lu Ping needed to consider giving the child in Luo Jinxuan’s belly a proper status.

He couldn’t just continue fooling himself, claiming that the child was a gift from the heavens, right?

The best course of action would be to hasten his marriage to Luo Jinxuan, then happily accept this so-called heavenly gift, which might even win over the hearts of the people.

The problem was, for some reason, Lu Ping’s intimacy level with Luo Jinxuan had severely decreased. Judging by the numbers alone, the two were not yet in a position to marry.

Though Luo Jinxuan had her own opinions, her interactions with Lu Ping were still subtly influenced by the intimacy level, causing her to unconsciously do things that distanced them.

For example, when Lu Ping tried to hold her hand, Luo Jinxuan instinctively pulled away, and by the time she realized and reached out again, the mood had already shifted.

So Lu Ping needed to work on raising the intimacy level.

[Lu Ping invites you to travel incognito.]

Luo Jinxuan chose to agree.

But as Lu Ping led the way, Luo Jinxuan suddenly asked, “Why didn’t you help me onto the horse?”

What the—!

This princess syndrome was coming on a bit late, wasn’t it?

Lu Ping didn’t say much, assuming he had been thoughtless, and turned back to help Luo Jinxuan onto the horse.

Just as they were about to set off, Luo Yingci appeared out of nowhere.

“With Sister Xuan’er pregnant, how could she travel without an escort? I shall accompany you both.”

Lu Ping tilted his head and stared at Luo Yingci, thinking: What trouble are you stirring up now?

If you’ve got nothing better to do, why not go back to your room and sleep a bit more?

However, Luo Jinxuan reached out to Luo Yingci and invited her to ride together.

Lu Ping was exasperated.

That spot was mine! Get off my horse!

What was supposed to be a pleasant outing had now turned into Lu Ping playing the role of a mere attendant.

“So, where would the two princesses like to go?”

Lu Ping asked with little enthusiasm.

Luo Jinxuan seemed to have planned the route in advance and pointed eastward, saying, “To the ancestral hall.”

Ancestral halls—there were many of them everywhere.

But ever since the Luo family rose to power and claimed the throne, when someone in Lingzhou mentioned the ancestral hall, they were referring to only one place.

The Luo Family Ancestral Hall in Lingzhou.

Lu Ping knew little about this ancestral hall, only recognizing it as a place name.

According to Luo Jinxuan, the current Emperor Zheng was not of the main lineage of the Luo family in Lingzhou but rather a branch that had left several hundred years ago.

Therefore, the royal family of Great Jing offered sacrifices more frequently at the ancestral temple in Luoyang rather than at this ancestral hall in Lingzhou.

However, it was odd. Typically, if a family’s descendants produced a monarch, that monarch’s name would be added to the family genealogy, and even distant relatives would try to associate themselves.

But the Luo family in Lingzhou did no such thing.

They not only refused royal rewards but also continued to live in the ancient compound built a thousand years ago, with the entire clan of over a hundred people still residing there.

Moreover, they had never had any dealings with the royal family.

Even stranger was the fact that despite the Luo family’s seemingly “ungrateful” behavior, Emperor Zheng was not at all angered. Instead, he issued an edict that no member of the royal family was to disturb the ancestral hall in Lingzhou without cause.

Sacrifices could be made, but only as descendants of the Luo family, without the use of royal protocol.

This piqued Lu Ping’s interest in the ancestral hall.

“So, what business does the Han Marquis have at the ancestral hall today?”

Luo Jinxuan’s expression suddenly became solemn. “I seek medicine.”

Medicine?

For treating Emperor Zheng’s illness?

Lu Ping didn’t understand. If even the royal physicians couldn’t cure the ailment, could the Luo family in Lingzhou have a solution?

Could it be that the Luo family in Lingzhou was actually a lineage of miraculous doctors?

Unconsciously, the three of them had already arrived at the ancient courtyard.

However, a stern-faced man standing in front of the gate waved them off from a distance. “Please return another day.”

Lu Ping turned back and glanced at Luo Jinxuan and Luo Yingci on horseback. “One, two…”

There were clearly three of them, so why did he say two?

Did he really think of Lu Ping as just the horse handler?

When Lu Ping shifted his gaze from Luo Jinxuan, he was startled by what he saw behind the horse.

When did so many people start following them?