Lin Guangxiong's earnest and fearful appearance made the man called Lord Du hesitate for a moment. He wanted to make a few jokes but stopped begrudgingly when he noticed the seriousness and slight displeasure on Lin Guangxiong's face.
"Lord Lin is rather cautious," Lord Du said awkwardly.
Lin Guangxiong replied, "In our Great Qing, we still pay great attention to the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate. My Lan'er may be a good concubine, but frankly, she is just a concubine. As her family, how dare we acknowledge a noble relationship with the Crown Prince as if we were of legitimate rank? That would be greatly disrespectful."
He spoke solemnly, even bowing towards the direction of the Imperial Palace, which left Lord Du somewhat unsettled.
Sitting nearby in a wheelchair, holding a wine cup, Song Zhiqing observed the scene. A flash of disdain and helplessness appeared in his eyes at Lin Guangxiong's overly cautious behavior.
