Accord de Mu Yucheng

Chapitre 3

I gave a cold laugh. "If I was deliberately sent here by my sisters-in-law to find you, then I'd be stuck in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat..."

That faint smile vanished abruptly, and she just stared at me without saying a word.

"Hey, Seventh Brother, what are you two doing standing there? Come with me quickly, don't keep Mother waiting." Fourth Sister-in-law's loud voice came from the side.

I suddenly laughed and walked towards Fourth Sister-in-law, with Lu Li following behind me.

Chapter Three: The Chaos Between Sisters-in-Law

Separated by a curtain, the Empress sat in the inner room, the scent of sandalwood wafting from the incense burner.

She looked calm, and I guessed that Lu Li's indifference must have come from the Empress.

"Is Zhao'er fifteen yet?" the Empress asked with a slight smile.

"Auntie, I'm over fifteen."

"I remember your birthday is in spring."

"yes."

"You've grown so much in the blink of an eye. It seems we are all getting old after all." The Empress smiled slightly. "I haven't been back to Huainan much these past few years. I hope everything is alright at the manor."

I smiled slightly. "Yes..."

"Is your back pain getting better, brother?"

"Thank you for your concern, Aunt Lao. I've been using the snow lotus from Tian Shan that you sent me the other day. The weather is getting warmer, so perhaps it will help."

"Have you met Consort Ding?" The Empress nodded and continued.

"not yet……"

"Consort Ding is famous in the palace for choosing wives; her taste is indeed extraordinary."

I felt a little uneasy and secretly glanced at Lu Li, who looked completely indifferent.

"Seventh Brother is a man of few words and not one to talk much, but he is not cold-hearted. If he ever wrongs you in any way, just come to me."

I quickly put on a smile and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty."

"Alright, let's go out. The Emperor should be back by now. Let's perform the family rites and then we can have the meal. I bet most of them are starving and eagerly waiting for the meal to begin." The Empress was helped out of the inner room by a servant, and Lu Li stepped forward to support her.

As soon as the door opened, someone came to greet them; it was Xiwen.

"Mother..." Xiwen called out affectionately, helping the Empress up.

"You silly girl... Eighth Prince is sick and instead of staying home to take care of him, you come here to join in the fun." The Princess affectionately tapped her forehead.

"I'm just curious to meet my new sister-in-law." She smiled ingratiatingly, but I found it fake. Remembering how she had deliberately put me in a bad light in front of my sisters-in-law, a surge of anger welled up inside me.

Xiwen and Luli supported the Empress on either side. Seeing that there was no place for me to stand in the corridor, I quickly stepped back and followed behind. My fourth sister-in-law gently squeezed my hand with her sleeve.

I looked at her, and she shook her head at me faintly, her expression meaningful.

Was she telling me not to worry about it?

As I approached the corridor, I saw a crowd waiting at the entrance of the main hall. Several gentlemen sat inside in order, some chatting and laughing, some pacing back and forth, and laughter could be heard coming from inside. I slowly lifted my foot and stepped inside.

A eunuch behind him called out.

Everyone in the room fell silent, vying to kneel, "Greetings, Father Emperor—"

Standing next to me is the Emperor. I used to see him as his uncle, but this time, he is my father-in-law.

Everyone quieted down. Under my fourth sister-in-law's guidance, I began the repeated tea-serving and thank-you rituals.

The Emperor and Empress ate a little and then returned to their palace, leaving only the younger generation eating, drinking, and making merry in the hall.

My fourth sister-in-law was sitting to my left. She looked after me from time to time. During the meal, I always felt many eyes glancing at me intentionally or unintentionally.

Feeling really stuffy, I made an excuse to go outside and enjoy the cool breeze to sober up.

"If you drink too much, let Lao Qi take you home."

I turned around in a panic, "Sixth Sister-in-law... why did you come out?"

She just smiled faintly, "I've never been good at these kinds of occasions."

I glanced at the table and saw that Sixth Brother was drinking with great enthusiasm. "If Sixth Sister-in-law doesn't do something about it, Sixth Brother might not be able to go home today."

Sixth Sister-in-law smiled and said, "It's best to leave him here, so I don't have to take care of him when he gets back."

I smiled and said nothing more.

Sixth Sister-in-law tugged at my sleeve, "Seventh Brother didn't drink much today. Logically speaking, he should have been the one who got drunk the most."

I looked into the inner room with a blank expression. Xi Wen, emboldened by the alcohol, had already walked towards Lu Li. Xi Wen held a wine glass and said something. Lu Li smiled, took the wine glass, and drank it all in one gulp. Everyone cheered and asked Lu Li to have another glass.

I looked away, and my sixth sister-in-law leaned closer. "Are you bothered by this?"

I shook my head. Sixth Sister-in-law smiled and said, "These are things we sisters-in-law agree not to say, but I see you are truly pitiful, so I'm telling you. The An family saved the Emperor's life. Xiwen's parents died early, so the Empress took her in and doted on her like a daughter. Xiwen has always been attached to Seventh Prince since she was little. The Empress favored her own family and married you into the family. Xiwen made a fuss about this for a long time. In a fit of anger, she begged the Emperor to grant her a marriage, and she was betrothed to Eighth Prince. Everyone is afraid of this troublesome young lady. Knowing that they owe her something, no one dares to provoke her."

"If it is truly a case of mutual affection, then it is my fault."

Sixth Sister-in-law sighed, "But you... you've really made yourself suffer."

I tugged at her sleeve. "You should at least try to keep an eye on Sixth Brother. I think he's about to lose his temper."

Sixth Sister-in-law hurriedly went into the inner room, and I followed behind her, returning to my seat.

I had just sat down when Xiwen stood up and rushed towards me, saying, "I'd like to toast my sister-in-law."

I quickly smiled and returned the glass, but Xiwen just stared at me without moving. I was stunned, and forced a smile. "What's wrong with you?"

“My seventh sister-in-law…” Her cheeks were flushed, probably from being drunk. I was really worried that she would say something that would embarrass me. “It’s really strange how you became my seventh sister-in-law. What good fortune did my seventh brother accumulate in his past life to be able to marry you… But you are not a superhuman. You are just fortunate to have the support of your father, the Prince, and the Emperor’s favor.”

My palms were sweating, and I glanced at Lu Li out of the corner of my eye with resentment. He sat calmly in his seat, and I could feel countless eyes staring at me.