The young couple, separated for a long time, were finally reunited and naturally wanted to spend some time together.
With Wuxia seven months pregnant and about to give birth, Chu Ye was somewhat hesitant in his movements, afraid of hurting her and the baby in her womb.
Perhaps for this reason, Wuxia was unable to find joy, always seemed absent-minded, and sighed frequently.
Chu Ye stopped what he was doing: "I feel uncomfortable."
Wuxia shook her head: "Don't worry about me."
Chu Ye wasn't a selfish man who only cared about his own pleasure and didn't care about his wife's life or death, so he hurriedly asked, "What's wrong? Why are you sighing? Is your posture wrong, or is something bothering you?"
He asked the question so boldly that, despite being an old married couple, Wuxia blushed.
She used her strength to get off Chu Ye, adjusted her position, leaned against the bed railing, and only when she was comfortable did she whisper, "I was thinking about Shuangshuang."
Chu Ye breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out that she was thinking about his sister-in-law. Although it was a little awkward for a couple to think about anyone while in London, his sister-in-law was family. It was better not to think about her than to think about someone else.
"Speaking of which, it's rare to not see Shuangshuang today," he joked. "She's always hanging around me, saying she's asking my brother-in-law for good food, drinks, and little gifts. Could it be that she's ignoring me now that she knows there aren't any interesting trinkets in the disaster area?"
When he told a joke, Wuxia only managed a forced, bitter smile.
This reaction is wrong.
After being married for many years, if Chu Ye couldn't even recognize a flawless complexion, he would truly be unworthy of being a husband.
"What happened to Shuangshuang?" he asked anxiously. "Tell me what's wrong, and we'll figure something out together."
Wuxia, with a pained expression, recounted the whole story.
“It’s been over twenty days, and Wushuang has been confined to the family temple. Father said he’ll bring her back after the storm passes, but a girl’s reputation is ruined; how can everyone just let it go?” She sighed repeatedly. “I wonder what Prince Ying is planning. He’s supposed to be the most well-informed, and with the incident causing such a stir that day, it’s hard to believe he hasn’t heard anything. But he hasn’t come home either. Is the engagement still on, or… Sigh, perhaps this isn’t entirely up to him. After all, the Empress Dowager is still alive, and His Majesty is still here…”
Being sisters, they had no time to worry about the most practical things, the key factors that determine a daughter's lifelong happiness. (Read the latest chapters at Qiuhu.cc)
Chu Ye's expression grew increasingly grim as he listened.
As her brother-in-law, he watched Wushuang grow up and understood her personality.
She was a very simple little girl.
She loves to eat delicious food, seems lazy and doesn't care much about anything, but she cares a lot about her family.
He didn't believe Wushuang would do anything to bring shame to her family.
As soon as Chu Ye expressed his thoughts, Wu Xia immediately pressed for an answer: "But... she's just a young girl, she rarely even sees outsiders, how could she have such a deep grudge against anyone?"
Chu Ye couldn't understand this either.
"We'll definitely see Zixiu at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet tomorrow, and we can discuss it with him then."
However, Chu Ye miscalculated.
Chu Yao, a favorite of Emperor Deqing for many years, did not attend this Mid-Autumn Festival palace banquet. Even his beloved younger sister, Princess Yu Rong Chu Wan, who was always the emperor's favorite, claimed to be ill and did not come.
The most prominent figure at the palace banquet was the eldest prince, Chu Fang.
He officially took charge of the firearms battalion half a month ago, which is now the most watched government office in the capital.
Western muskets are said to be far more powerful than bows and arrows. The person whom the Emperor has appointed to command the firearms battalion must be the most trusted and favored by the Emperor.
The eldest prince immediately stood out from the rest of the princes.
With the position of Crown Prince vacant, many civil and military officials have begun plotting to side with the eldest prince and vie for a chance to rise to power.
As the birth mother of the eldest prince, Consort Yu's joy was palpable.
Her family background was the strongest among the concubines, yet she failed to become the Empress. Although her son was the eldest, he was not the legitimate heir. After the late Empress passed away, the management of palace affairs fell to Consort Jing, who was the most favored by the Emperor.
Consort Yu had always been strong-willed since childhood, but for many years she had been inferior to others in the harem, and she had long been impatient. Now that she finally had the opportunity to show her strength, she couldn't help but lose her composure and forget how to be low-key.
Wise people know how to read the wind and change their stance; when they want to ask someone for a favor, they will do so when the other person is in the best mood.
After the palace banquet ended, taking advantage of the opportunity to escort Consort Yu back to Chengxian Palace to rest, the Fifth Prince Chu Yun cautiously brought up the candidate for his future wife.
Consort Yu's laughter, which had lasted all night, paused, and when she laughed again, it always carried a hint of unnaturalness: "Fifth Brother, I'm overjoyed that you're in love with Xiangxiang. After all, she's my own niece, and it's really worrying to marry her off to an outsider. It's different with you; I know your character, and I know you'll definitely treat her well. However, precisely because she's family, and I genuinely care about you, I want to give you some more advice. Your maternal grandfather and uncles have always been of one mind with us, and they'll do everything in their power to help us in any way. Even with an additional layer of kinship, you can't benefit any more. That's why your eldest brother didn't marry a princess from the Yu family. You're still young; don't rush into settling things." "Think it over carefully, look around some more. There are plenty of powerful and influential families in the capital, and many good girls too. If you choose one of them as your wife, wouldn't we have the support of both your maternal grandfather's family and your sister-in-law's family, as well as your new bride's family?" She pointed to the incense burner on the table against the wall. "Look at that incense burner, why is it made with three legs? It's because since ancient times, a tripod with three legs can stand firm." After saying this, she rubbed her temples, her voice soft but carrying an undeniable authority. "It's a big holiday, and we've all drunk quite a bit. Marriage is a matter of your entire life, so you can't make a decision while drunk. Alright, I have a bit of a headache and want to rest. You should go home early too."
Having been rebuffed, Chu Yun sheepishly took his leave.
On his way back to his residence from the palace, his mind was in turmoil, and he was never still for a moment.
They claimed that the Yu family's power was all at their disposal, but this "they" referred to Consort Yu and the First Prince, and never included him.
They hoped he would marry another family's daughter, firstly because they looked down on his low birth and lack of maternal support, and secondly because they wanted to use him to provide the eldest prince with a powerful ally.
Chu Yun knew perfectly well that Consort Yu's keeping him by her side was not out of maternal love, but purely for her purpose of educating him from a young age, and to provide the eldest prince with a dog bound by brotherly affection.
If you want a dog to be obedient and bite whoever you point at, you have to take good care of it on a daily basis, otherwise you can't blame the dog for turning against you and biting you back.
Although he was also a prince, he never felt inferior to his brothers because of his mother's humble origins. In his youth, he studied and practiced martial arts; in his official duties and conduct, he was never inferior to anyone else.
If it weren't for his meticulously planned assassination attempt, the Crown Prince wouldn't have been deposed, and the First Prince wouldn't be enjoying his current prestige.
To be honest, even my father wasn't as shrewd as him.
His goal was to gain the Yu family's power by marrying Yu Xiangxiang, and then gradually trample the other princes underfoot.
Even if Consort Yu was unwilling to agree, he had ways to force her to agree.
The day after the Mid-Autumn Festival, Emperor Deqing arranged for the firearms battalion to make an appearance in front of everyone.