Enjoying the scenery?
With the car doors closed and the curtains drawn, what scenery can you see?
Chu Yao turned Wushuang's face and kissed her again, and Wushuang couldn't remember anything anymore.
The day after returning to the Prince's Mansion, Hua Chao heard the gossip of the maids and servants and reported it to Wu Shuang, only then did she learn that the Yu family's property had been confiscated.
"Did you hear that right?" Wushuang asked incredulously. "The Yu family, the maternal family of Consort Yu, the maternal grandfather of the eldest princess, and the in-laws of the fifth prince?"
Hua Chao laughed: "That's right, it's their family. If it weren't such a prominent family, no one would be interested in talking about it. I heard they're involved in embezzlement, and someone even died. Our prince personally led the arrest. They have mountains of gold and silver in their house, and they haven't even finished counting them yet, which shows they've embezzled a lot."
Wu Shuang remained silent. No wonder Chu Yao took a detour that day, going back to the Prince of Ying's mansion from their house. If he had taken the normal route, he would have had to pass through an alley where the Yu family lived.
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Chapter 143 | Table of Contents
Chapter 143:
With such a major incident, Wushuang naturally had to ask Chu Yao. (Read Tianhuo Avenue online: http://www.qiushu.cc/)
Upon hearing Chu Yao's words, she went from being somewhat surprised to speechless, stammering as she repeated, "You...you said that Mr. Lu is the wife of Uncle He, who died at the hands of bandits years ago? Lu An is Uncle He's son? And the bandits were arranged by Consort Yu at the behest of my father and brothers to fulfill the wishes of the eldest princess?"
No wonder, no wonder. She said that the crime should not be committed by married women, but I heard that Consort Yu was also given a white silk ribbon.
Will Mr. Lu reunite with Uncle He?
Wushuang was a little worried. Now that Lu Zhenniang's appearance had changed like that, would Uncle He still treat her well?
"I don't know yet." Chu Yao opened his arms, gesturing for Wushuang to help him change. "The eldest princess has only given birth to one daughter for the Grand Prince Consort all these years. In other families, even without taking concubines or having maids, they would probably have to adopt a son from a collateral branch to maintain the family line and continue the family business. The He family is just hesitant to mention it because of the eldest princess's status. My uncle's idea is that Lu An, after all, is the eldest son of the Grand Prince Consort, and can openly acknowledge his ancestry. He can simply say that a loyal servant saved him back then. As for Lu Zhenniang, if she is willing to rekindle her relationship with the Grand Prince Consort, my uncle will not object, but it must not be made public. However, I see that Lu An seems unwilling to return to the He family, saying that everything depends on Mr. Lu's wishes."
Wushuang lowered her head to untie the jade belt around Chu Yao's waist, but she had never done this before and didn't know where to start. So she simply let go and looked up, saying, "If it were me, I might not want to go back either. Lu An has never received any protection from the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion since he was a child. On the contrary, he almost lost his life because of it. Moreover, he has done quite well for himself over the years through his own efforts. The Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion has long since declined. Going back wouldn't be helpful, and he might even have to be subservient to the eldest princess. What's the point? As for Mr. Lu, perhaps he still cherishes the bond he formed with his wife in his youth."
After thinking for a moment, he asked again, "Is the eldest princess really completely unaware of what happened back then?"
“That’s what the Yu family father and son, and Consort Yu all said,” Chu Yao said. “Who knows if it’s true or not. But she was only thirteen or fourteen years old at the time, so she shouldn’t have been so cruel.” Halfway through his sentence, he thought of He Yao and changed his tone, “Maybe it’s true that like mother, like daughter. Consort Yu and her two granddaughters are all equally ruthless and vicious. That’s why my uncle didn’t believe it either, and said he wanted to send the eldest princess to Huangjue Temple to keep He Yao company, but my grandmother kept stopping him.”
"His Majesty has always been fair, which is truly admirable." Wushuang sincerely praised him, recalling how Emperor Deqing had treated He Yao.
Chu Yao chuckled and pinched her cheek: "You, it's all because of your husband."
Wu Shuang, puzzled, covered her aching face and asked, "Because you found out the truth?"
"Because I'm more useful," Chu Yao said seriously.
Wushuang blinked and instantly understood.
Chu Yao was a man, and he was especially favored by Emperor Deqing.
I've heard countless people gossip behind my back, saying that Chu Yao's only shortcoming is that he's just the emperor's nephew; otherwise, the future throne would probably be his.
He Yao, however, was a girl, and not only was she useless, she also caused trouble every day.
From a bloodline perspective, a nephew is more distant than a granddaughter. However, Emperor Deqing is, after all, the emperor. When the interests of the two conflict, in order to protect his own interests, he will definitely choose Chu Yao first.
While such a choice may be overly pragmatic, Wushuang believes that if she were in Emperor Deqing's position, she would probably make the same choice.
She drew inferences from one instance to another and pressed further, "And this time? Will His Majesty use Uncle He, Mr. Lu, or Lu An?"
Chu Yao laughed and said, "If the Grand Prince Consort were so useful, we wouldn't have had to wait until now. Although Mr. Lu is skilled in cooking, there are plenty of capable people in the Imperial Kitchen, so there's no need for her. Lu An is indeed capable, but he's just one person and hasn't yet achieved any real power. Why would it be worth confiscating the Yu family's property for him?"
"Then why is that?" Seeing that Chu Yao was deliberately keeping her in suspense, Wu Shuang hugged his arm and swayed it from side to side, acting coquettishly.
His wife's tenderness and affection made Chu Yao beam with joy. He hadn't intended to hide it anyway, so he said, "You know that the Yu family played a crucial role in the rise of the new emperor, right?"
Wushuang nodded. "Everyone in the entire capital city knows this, right?"
"His contributions were so great, yet after his uncle ascended the throne, he retired and did not claim credit. This was originally an advantage for the Yu family. However, when this advantage becomes mere posturing, what do you think his uncle will think?"
Without a second thought, Wushuang replied, "Insincere and two-faced?"
Chu Yao nodded: "Moreover, this two-faced person has deep roots in the court and many allies. If a letter is sent out today, a prefect of the fourth rank will kill and rob for him. If another letter is sent out tomorrow, it is not impossible for him to rise up in rebellion."
Wushuang exclaimed in surprise, "Such a serious matter as treason? No way!"
“It might not work for someone else, but the Yu family has the ability. Since they were able to put their uncle on the throne, they can do the same for someone else.”
Chu Yao explained the reasoning clearly, but when he first discovered that letter, he wasn't entirely certain.
Therefore, he deliberately devised a plan to sell a play script to the shadow puppet troupe at the Lu Family Teahouse, so that he could spread rumors through the shadow puppet show and force Emperor Deqing to investigate.
Who would have thought that, just a few days after the performance began and before the rumors had even spread, Emperor Deqing himself went to the Lu family teahouse and listened to the play.
Chu Yao felt that he should strike while the iron was hot, so he made a decisive move and returned to the capital overnight to meet the emperor. He finally got the result he wanted.
Although the Yu family had no grudges against him, Consort Yu was He Yao's maternal grandmother. As long as the Yu family existed, He Yao still had hope.
He wasn't afraid of He Yao, but even a cornered dog will jump over a wall, let alone a crazy person like He Yao.
Chu Yao didn't want Wushuang to be hurt again, so he felt that uprooting the Yu family was the best outcome.
Of course, he wouldn't deliberately frame them, but it was their own fault for being corrupt and falling into his hands.
There's no need to tell Wushuang these things, lest the young girl be frightened or overthink things.
Wushuang felt she had learned a lot today: "You've taught me so much, I'll go to the kitchen and cook two dishes for you myself."
She may not be good at other things, but she learned cooking from Mr. Lu since she was a child. Making two delicious and easy home-style dishes is a piece of cake for her.