Other People’s Love Lives
After confirming that Eunuch Chi had left with his procession, Chen ChuXiu called out the door, “Why haven’t you invited them in yet?”
Senior minister Chen curiously looked up and saw a girl dressed in plain clothes enter the room. She was shrouded in a fairy-like aura, as she was beautiful but not glamorous and charming but not vulgar.
It was Princess ZhenJiang.
He quickly stood up, using the bedside table for support. Yu Fu saw this and quickly stepped forward to stop him, but Chen ChuXiu was a step faster, “Father, princess came to visit you. If you try to be too courteous, wouldn’t it cause princess to feel guilty?”
Chen GeLao shot an unhappy look at him, “You, you really… I have never seen anyone as rude as you. Do you think that you could get away with not saluting His Majesty by claiming to be ill?”
Chen ChuXiu’s brow twitched. It really was hard to say on this matter.
On the contrary, Yu Fu felt a bit of admiration for this sort of attitude and hurriedly said: “Senior minister Chen absolutely must not be overly courteous. I came to make a request. If senior minister’s illness worsened because of a matter of getting up to salute, it would be detrimental for me.”
Chen GeLao knew that Yu Fu was not like the usual domineering and arrogant princesses, thus he obediently sat back down, “Princess, please tell us what your request is. This subject will not avoid anything.”
Yu Fu had previously come to check on Chen GeLao and knew that he was a loyal subject. He was full of admiration for people like Ji DaoGong and Gu HuaiJiang.
Chen ChuXiu looked laidback and playful, but he had an air of being able to distinguish right from wrong.
She let out a sigh, “Senior minister has not fully recovered, so I should not have come to disturb him. It’s just that the matter of the cabinet is extremely important. Though head general managed to convince His Majesty to abolish the prime minister’s position, people with keen intuitions can tell that the position of leader of the cabinet will be given to Yin Shuo.”
Chen GeLao slightly nodded, “That is indeed the case. Fortunately, Marquis Gu was present and able to convince His Majesty to abolish the prime minister’s position and establish the cabinet. Yin Shuo will be pressured by the older officials when he is the leader of the cabinet, and that’s better than allowing him to monopolize the power. Though this official does not know why the late emperor no longer trusted him, the late emperor was a wise ruler. There had to be a good reason for him to not trust Yin Shuo.”
He did not know the underlying reason, but Yu Fu did.
Yu Fu pursed her lips. She did not plan on telling him the situation, but Chen ChuXiu said: “Father doesn’t know? Based on the various attempts that Yin Shuo made to disrupt the creation of the cabinet, it’s clear that he is not a righteous person. As someone who is willing to use their own younger sister as a honey trap, is he worthy of being the prime minister?”
Chen GeLao did not want to bring up this matter. Yu Fu was still a young girl who had yet to marry, and it was not good to let her listen to this sort of thing.
Who knew that Yu Fu would just smile, “I already knew about this matter. Yin Shuo is not a virtuous person; however, his younger sister is a kind person, and she is my friend.”
Chen GeLao seemed to have something on his mind, “The reason for princess’ visit today, is it related to the matter of the empress’ position?”
“It could be said that it is, but it could also be said that it isn’t.”
Yu Fu said: “There is no room for negotiation on the matter of being appointed empress. It’s not just me, but the entirety of Marquis Gu’s Manor will also refuse to accept it. But in the end, this is something that pertains to our manor. Yu Fu does not dare ask any other lords for help. I just hope that senior minister can quickly recover and return to the cabinet to unite the other ministers. Don’t allow Yin Shuo to do anything bad.”
Chen GeLao suddenly remembered back when Yu Fu had set out for the border on her own, she saved tens of thousands of soldiers of the Gu family’s army. After returning to the capital, the first thing that she did was summon the general responsible for maintaining order in the capital and the governor of Lin’An.
It was done to come up with a plan to restore peace in the capital.
Though she was not of the late emperor’s blood, she was concerned about the well-being of the citizens. She far surpassed any other princesses and even the princes. Even he felt a little ashamed.
When he was fourteen, he had also been like Chen ChuXiu, neglecting his studies to go out and fool around.
Chen GeLao looked at Yu Fu in a slightly different light, “Princess’ words are too kind for this subject. Returning to the cabinet to help guide the cabinet is not just beneficial to princess, but it is something that this subject should do! This subject wants nothing more than to return to court for fear of His Majesty being misled by Yin Shuo… Fortunately, I heard that he also hurt his legs and has not been able to attend court.”
When Chen GeLao brought up Yin Shuo’s injured leg, Yu Fu was stunned. Only now did she understand how Gu HuaiJiang was able to convince Ning ChengZhi.
Based on Yin Shuo’s eloquence, if he had been present at that time, he would not have allowed his power to be shared with others…
It turned out that he really did hurt his leg that night. The blood on the rockery did belong to him.
She suddenly felt an indescribable feeling, thinking back to Yin Shuo’s parting figure and how he had left slightly hurriedly while pretending to be fine.
He had forced himself to endure the pain and pretend that he had not been injured in hopes that she would not blame herself…
“Princess?”
Chen GeLao called out to her a few times before Yu Fu came back to her senses and waved to the door. Yao Lan entered with a small brocade box.
Yu Fu handed the brocade box to Chen GeLao, “This is a secret medicinal pill from Immortals Valley. Master made it himself, and it is used to regulate breathing and heart rate. It will be very effective in treating senior minister’s condition.”
Upon hearing that it was a medicinal pill made by Xun Chi, Chen GeLao and Chen ChuXiu wore solemn expressions.
Chen GeLao hastily tried to decline, “A medicinal pill made by the Deity of Medicine himself must be extremely valuable. Back when the late emperor fell ill, we did not see the Deity of Medicine give him a medicinal pill. How could this subject dare to be so arrogant as to accept?”
Chen ChuXiu also said: “Father and I accept princess’ kindness, but father is right. This medicine is too valuable. It would be better if princess kept it.”
Yu Fu did not leave any room for negotiation, placing the brocade box on the table and pushing it toward Chen GeLao, “Medicine is meant to be used by people. In a doctor’s eyes, all lives are equal. There’s no such thing as arrogance. In the case of the late emperor’s illness, there was no need for a medicinal pill to treat his illness. If not for his assassination, he would have lived much longer. Senior minister’s illness is different. It doesn’t look severe, but it requires proper treatment.”
For the sake of preventing Chen GeLao from refusing further, Yu Fu decided to stand up, “I have caused a disruption for senior minister, so I will be leaving first.”
Chen GeLao wanted to get up to send the guest out, but Yu Fu walked out without giving him a chance to. He had no choice but to have Chen ChuXiu go out to send her off.
Chen ChuXiu accompanied Yu Fu to the front gate. Along the way, he said: “Princess, such a great favor cannot go without thanks. When my father has recovered, I will personally visit you to give my thanks.”
Yu Fu stopped in her tracks and turned back to look at him, “Do you know why I came here on my own today without bringing any guards from Marquis Gu’s Manor?”
Chen ChuXiu froze, understanding what Yu Fu meant, “Princess is hoping to keep Marquis Gu’s Manor and the Chen manor from being entangled?”
“It’s the opposite.”
Yu Fu said: “Right now, I do not hope for any of the moderate officials in court to become entangled with Marquis Gu’s Manor. His Majesty is highly opposed to the cabinet, and the foundational reason for that is that he does not want to have anyone oppose his decision to appoint an empress. Marquis Gu’s Manor has been repeatedly suppressed, and head general has lost a considerable amount of power. We still don’t know what His Majesty might do in the future. I have said before that this is Marquis Gu’s Manor’s business, and I don’t want to implicate anyone who is innocent. This is true regardless of whether it’s you, your father, or Lord Ji.”
Chen ChuXiu looked at the beautiful adolescent girl standing before him. Her bright eyes were as clear as mountain springs. It was such that anyone who saw them would be able to see to the bottom, but it also felt as though they could never truly see through the depths.
As a child of an official, he despised court intrigue. As a result, he had been pretending to be a playboy to stay away. He never expected that he would see a girl like Yu Fu in his lifetime.
She would rather be with Gu ShuBai than be appointed to the position of empress. She would rather have Marquis Gu’s Manor bear the entire brunt of the guilt for refusing an imperial decree than implicate others.
This kindness and sincerity moved him.
He subconsciously eased his tone, “Most of the officials oppose appointing you as empress because the engagement between you and Marquis Gu’s heir was a result of the late emperor’s decree; however, did princess know that some of the officials that do not oppose His Majesty are not doing it for the sake of kissing up to His Majesty?”
Yu Fu was puzzled and said: “Then what is the reason?”
“It’s because it’s as if princess was born to be an empress, showing concern for the country and its people. For a moment, even I could not help but think that if princess became the empress and assisted His Majesty, it might be possible that Eastern Ling could be saved.”
When Chen ChuXiu said this, he could not help but laugh and cup his hands toward Yu Fu, “Princess, please forgive me. I know that I should not be saying this sort of thing.”
Yu Fu remained silent for a moment, “It’s fine. I know that you are just saying that there was such an explanation and do not harbor any ill will. It’s just that you should know that there is no such thing as suitability when it comes to emotions. I do not love His Majesty, so even if I did become the empress, I could not force myself to dedicate myself to His Majesty.”
When it came to emotions, there was no such thing as suitability.
When Chen ChuXiu heard this, it was as if he had suddenly been filled with wisdom. In an instant, he felt a joy from finding an understanding companion.
He warmly looked at Yu Fu, “Princess is right! There isn’t any business of suitability. You like whom you like, so who can say that people must marry people who are of a similar status? Princess’ words have resolved a worry that has plagued me for a long time. Many thanks, princess!”
He respectfully cupped his hands and bowed deeply, and Yu Fu did not know whether to laugh or cry.
Chen ChuXiu’s actions were completely in line with her intentions. In the two times that he had met her, she had seen him either forego any salute or perform this sort of grand salute.
She smiled and said: “Young sir Chen, how do you want me to respond to this sort of courtesy?”
Chen ChuXiu raised his head and was a little embarrassed. With a faint smile, he said: “There was never any need for you to return the salute. In truth, my salute was not just in response to princess’ words. There is one thing that I would like to ask princess for help with.”
Yu Fu said: “Young sir Chen, please go ahead.”
“Since princess knows about what happened between young miss Yin and me, I will keep things brief. I was rude to young miss Yin that day. The truth is that I was just wanting to vent for Miss Yao Yue and had no intention of being rude to her. Even if Yao Yue did not arrive when she did, I would have stopped myself. Does princess believe me?”
Yu Fu burst out laughing, “Naturally, I believe you. It’s not just me. I know that JiYao has someone that she likes, and she has maintained her purity for him. She approached you because she was forced to do it. If she had not guessed that you did not have wicked intentions, she would surely have come to get revenge against you.”
Chen ChuXiu let out a sigh, “Young miss Yin is an intelligent person. It’s no wonder princess praises her so highly. I was the one who was rude back then. I hope that princess will pass along my apology to her the next time that you see her.”
Though he said this, he still had a gloomy expression.
Yu Fu tentatively said: “In truth, the one that you are more worried about is Yao Yue. When I spoke about how there is no such thing as suitability when it came to emotions, you were so elated. Thinking about it, you there had to be someone that you liked that others might think was not suited to being with you.”
Chen ChuXiu knew that Yu Fu and Yao Yue were very familiar. He had wanted to say a few words, but after opening his mouth, he swallowed his words.
He shook his head, “Forget it. I, Chen ChuXiu, want to pursue a woman. Is there a need to ask princess for help? Right now, the most pressing matter is for the cabinet and His Majesty to reach a resolution. Once the situation in court returns to normal, I will do my best to have Yao Yue marry me!”
The corner of Yu Fu’s lips curled up. Who knew that the infamous playboy of the capital would have this affectionate side.
But Gu JiuGe was the one that Yao Yue liked, and Yin JiYao was mixed in there too.
Yu Fu looked at him a little sympathetically.
He wanted to marry Yao Yue, but there was a long way to go…
Yu Fu left the Chen manor and left for Ji DaoGong’s manor. After that, she went to visit a few other senior ministers before returning home.
While returning to Marquis Gu’s Manor, someone carrying a lantern could be seen waiting at the entrance to the road. The faint yellow light was particularly warm.
Yao Lan lifted the curtain, and Yu Fu looked outside. Following this, she gave an order to the driver, “Stop the carriage.”
“Young miss, it’s hard to move in the snow. Do you really want us to stop here?”
After asking to make sure, the driver heard a muffled response from inside. Immediately after descending from the carriage and placing a step stool, Yu Fu stepped out of the carriage. They then saw the faint yellow lantern slowly draw closer.
“Yao Lan, you guys can go back to the manor first. I will go for a walk around here.”
Yao Lan stood on tiptoe and looked at the person carrying the lantern. That person was tall and handsome, and the light from the lantern reflected off of his cloak, giving him an elegant appearance.
She had a faint idea of who that person was and gave up on trying to dissuade Yu Fu. She returned to the carriage and returned to the manor with the carriage driver.
Yu Fu walked toward the lantern and reached the person carrying the lantern a short while later. When the two were five paces away from one another, they exchanged a look and smiled.
At almost the exact same time, the two started walking toward each other.
“Eldest brother, it’s cold outside. Why were you standing here?”
“You went out on your own today, and I was worried. I wanted to come out to receive you and somehow ended up all the way out here.”
Yu Fu could not help but smile. Gu ShuBai raised his hand and wrapped his cloak around her with the white fur lining completely shrouding her small face.
The two walked side by side, leaving two sets of neat footprints in the snow. All of this was illuminated by the gentle light radiating from the lantern.
“Father and the others are waiting for you to eat dinner. The hamlet delivered some wild animals today. Among them was a small white fox that seems to be exactly like Pang Jiu when it was little.”
Yu Fu hastily said: “It won’t be eaten, right?”
Gu ShuBai laughed and patted her head, “We know how much you love Pang Jiu. Who could bring themselves to eat it? It’s already been sent to the Western Wing to play with Pang Jiu. You will be able to see it when you get back.”
A large white dog and a small white fox, with those two being brought together, who knew just how fun it could be.
Yu Fu knew that he was trying to cheer her up, thus she spoke on some fun things to try and make him feel more at ease, “On my trip to the Chen manor, I had a chat with young sir Chen. Eldest brother would surely never expect that young sir Chen actually likes Yao Yue and wants to marry her.”
Gu ShuBai played along, showing interest, “Is it the same Miss Yao Yue that gets along with second brother? I heard that second brother is not interested in her, but she is deeply in love with second brother. I fear that young sir Chen won’t have an easy time.”
Yu Fu asked: “Then does second brother like JiYao?”
She knew how Yin JiYao felt about Gu JiuGe. As long as she was not directly rejected, she would never give up on Gu JiuGe.
Gu ShuBai thought for a bit then slightly shook his head, “He has never brought it up. From my point of view, he has some feelings for young miss Yin. As for whether or not it’s to the point of wanting to spend his life with her…”
His tone changed, as he suddenly pulled Yu Fu into his embrace. Holding the lantern in one hand, he embraced Yu Fu with the other, “You’ve been so busy during this time, and this is our only time alone together, yet you want to talk to me about other people’s love lives?”
Other People’s Love Lives
After confirming that Eunuch Chi had left with his procession, Chen ChuXiu called out the door, “Why haven’t you invited them in yet?”
Senior minister Chen curiously looked up and saw a girl dressed in plain clothes enter the room. She was shrouded in a fairy-like aura, as she was beautiful but not glamorous and charming but not vulgar.
It was Princess ZhenJiang.
He quickly stood up, using the bedside table for support. Yu Fu saw this and quickly stepped forward to stop him, but Chen ChuXiu was a step faster, “Father, princess came to visit you. If you try to be too courteous, wouldn’t it cause princess to feel guilty?”
Chen GeLao shot an unhappy look at him, “You, you really… I have never seen anyone as rude as you. Do you think that you could get away with not saluting His Majesty by claiming to be ill?”
Chen ChuXiu’s brow twitched. It really was hard to say on this matter.
On the contrary, Yu Fu felt a bit of admiration for this sort of attitude and hurriedly said: “Senior minister Chen absolutely must not be overly courteous. I came to make a request. If senior minister’s illness worsened because of a matter of getting up to salute, it would be detrimental for me.”
Chen GeLao knew that Yu Fu was not like the usual domineering and arrogant princesses, thus he obediently sat back down, “Princess, please tell us what your request is. This subject will not avoid anything.”
Yu Fu had previously come to check on Chen GeLao and knew that he was a loyal subject. He was full of admiration for people like Ji DaoGong and Gu HuaiJiang.
Chen ChuXiu looked laidback and playful, but he had an air of being able to distinguish right from wrong.
She let out a sigh, “Senior minister has not fully recovered, so I should not have come to disturb him. It’s just that the matter of the cabinet is extremely important. Though head general managed to convince His Majesty to abolish the prime minister’s position, people with keen intuitions can tell that the position of leader of the cabinet will be given to Yin Shuo.”
Chen GeLao slightly nodded, “That is indeed the case. Fortunately, Marquis Gu was present and able to convince His Majesty to abolish the prime minister’s position and establish the cabinet. Yin Shuo will be pressured by the older officials when he is the leader of the cabinet, and that’s better than allowing him to monopolize the power. Though this official does not know why the late emperor no longer trusted him, the late emperor was a wise ruler. There had to be a good reason for him to not trust Yin Shuo.”
He did not know the underlying reason, but Yu Fu did.
Yu Fu pursed her lips. She did not plan on telling him the situation, but Chen ChuXiu said: “Father doesn’t know? Based on the various attempts that Yin Shuo made to disrupt the creation of the cabinet, it’s clear that he is not a righteous person. As someone who is willing to use their own younger sister as a honey trap, is he worthy of being the prime minister?”
Chen GeLao did not want to bring up this matter. Yu Fu was still a young girl who had yet to marry, and it was not good to let her listen to this sort of thing.
Who knew that Yu Fu would just smile, “I already knew about this matter. Yin Shuo is not a virtuous person; however, his younger sister is a kind person, and she is my friend.”
Chen GeLao seemed to have something on his mind, “The reason for princess’ visit today, is it related to the matter of the empress’ position?”
“It could be said that it is, but it could also be said that it isn’t.”
Yu Fu said: “There is no room for negotiation on the matter of being appointed empress. It’s not just me, but the entirety of Marquis Gu’s Manor will also refuse to accept it. But in the end, this is something that pertains to our manor. Yu Fu does not dare ask any other lords for help. I just hope that senior minister can quickly recover and return to the cabinet to unite the other ministers. Don’t allow Yin Shuo to do anything bad.”
Chen GeLao suddenly remembered back when Yu Fu had set out for the border on her own, she saved tens of thousands of soldiers of the Gu family’s army. After returning to the capital, the first thing that she did was summon the general responsible for maintaining order in the capital and the governor of Lin’An.
It was done to come up with a plan to restore peace in the capital.
Though she was not of the late emperor’s blood, she was concerned about the well-being of the citizens. She far surpassed any other princesses and even the princes. Even he felt a little ashamed.
When he was fourteen, he had also been like Chen ChuXiu, neglecting his studies to go out and fool around.
Chen GeLao looked at Yu Fu in a slightly different light, “Princess’ words are too kind for this subject. Returning to the cabinet to help guide the cabinet is not just beneficial to princess, but it is something that this subject should do! This subject wants nothing more than to return to court for fear of His Majesty being misled by Yin Shuo… Fortunately, I heard that he also hurt his legs and has not been able to attend court.”
When Chen GeLao brought up Yin Shuo’s injured leg, Yu Fu was stunned. Only now did she understand how Gu HuaiJiang was able to convince Ning ChengZhi.
Based on Yin Shuo’s eloquence, if he had been present at that time, he would not have allowed his power to be shared with others…
It turned out that he really did hurt his leg that night. The blood on the rockery did belong to him.
She suddenly felt an indescribable feeling, thinking back to Yin Shuo’s parting figure and how he had left slightly hurriedly while pretending to be fine.
He had forced himself to endure the pain and pretend that he had not been injured in hopes that she would not blame herself…
“Princess?”
Chen GeLao called out to her a few times before Yu Fu came back to her senses and waved to the door. Yao Lan entered with a small brocade box.
Yu Fu handed the brocade box to Chen GeLao, “This is a secret medicinal pill from Immortals Valley. Master made it himself, and it is used to regulate breathing and heart rate. It will be very effective in treating senior minister’s condition.”
Upon hearing that it was a medicinal pill made by Xun Chi, Chen GeLao and Chen ChuXiu wore solemn expressions.
Chen GeLao hastily tried to decline, “A medicinal pill made by the Deity of Medicine himself must be extremely valuable. Back when the late emperor fell ill, we did not see the Deity of Medicine give him a medicinal pill. How could this subject dare to be so arrogant as to accept?”
Chen ChuXiu also said: “Father and I accept princess’ kindness, but father is right. This medicine is too valuable. It would be better if princess kept it.”
Yu Fu did not leave any room for negotiation, placing the brocade box on the table and pushing it toward Chen GeLao, “Medicine is meant to be used by people. In a doctor’s eyes, all lives are equal. There’s no such thing as arrogance. In the case of the late emperor’s illness, there was no need for a medicinal pill to treat his illness. If not for his assassination, he would have lived much longer. Senior minister’s illness is different. It doesn’t look severe, but it requires proper treatment.”
For the sake of preventing Chen GeLao from refusing further, Yu Fu decided to stand up, “I have caused a disruption for senior minister, so I will be leaving first.”
Chen GeLao wanted to get up to send the guest out, but Yu Fu walked out without giving him a chance to. He had no choice but to have Chen ChuXiu go out to send her off.
Chen ChuXiu accompanied Yu Fu to the front gate. Along the way, he said: “Princess, such a great favor cannot go without thanks. When my father has recovered, I will personally visit you to give my thanks.”
Yu Fu stopped in her tracks and turned back to look at him, “Do you know why I came here on my own today without bringing any guards from Marquis Gu’s Manor?”
Chen ChuXiu froze, understanding what Yu Fu meant, “Princess is hoping to keep Marquis Gu’s Manor and the Chen manor from being entangled?”
“It’s the opposite.”
Yu Fu said: “Right now, I do not hope for any of the moderate officials in court to become entangled with Marquis Gu’s Manor. His Majesty is highly opposed to the cabinet, and the foundational reason for that is that he does not want to have anyone oppose his decision to appoint an empress. Marquis Gu’s Manor has been repeatedly suppressed, and head general has lost a considerable amount of power. We still don’t know what His Majesty might do in the future. I have said before that this is Marquis Gu’s Manor’s business, and I don’t want to implicate anyone who is innocent. This is true regardless of whether it’s you, your father, or Lord Ji.”
Chen ChuXiu looked at the beautiful adolescent girl standing before him. Her bright eyes were as clear as mountain springs. It was such that anyone who saw them would be able to see to the bottom, but it also felt as though they could never truly see through the depths.
As a child of an official, he despised court intrigue. As a result, he had been pretending to be a playboy to stay away. He never expected that he would see a girl like Yu Fu in his lifetime.
She would rather be with Gu ShuBai than be appointed to the position of empress. She would rather have Marquis Gu’s Manor bear the entire brunt of the guilt for refusing an imperial decree than implicate others.
This kindness and sincerity moved him.
He subconsciously eased his tone, “Most of the officials oppose appointing you as empress because the engagement between you and Marquis Gu’s heir was a result of the late emperor’s decree; however, did princess know that some of the officials that do not oppose His Majesty are not doing it for the sake of kissing up to His Majesty?”
Yu Fu was puzzled and said: “Then what is the reason?”
“It’s because it’s as if princess was born to be an empress, showing concern for the country and its people. For a moment, even I could not help but think that if princess became the empress and assisted His Majesty, it might be possible that Eastern Ling could be saved.”
When Chen ChuXiu said this, he could not help but laugh and cup his hands toward Yu Fu, “Princess, please forgive me. I know that I should not be saying this sort of thing.”
Yu Fu remained silent for a moment, “It’s fine. I know that you are just saying that there was such an explanation and do not harbor any ill will. It’s just that you should know that there is no such thing as suitability when it comes to emotions. I do not love His Majesty, so even if I did become the empress, I could not force myself to dedicate myself to His Majesty.”
When it came to emotions, there was no such thing as suitability.
When Chen ChuXiu heard this, it was as if he had suddenly been filled with wisdom. In an instant, he felt a joy from finding an understanding companion.
He warmly looked at Yu Fu, “Princess is right! There isn’t any business of suitability. You like whom you like, so who can say that people must marry people who are of a similar status? Princess’ words have resolved a worry that has plagued me for a long time. Many thanks, princess!”
He respectfully cupped his hands and bowed deeply, and Yu Fu did not know whether to laugh or cry.
Chen ChuXiu’s actions were completely in line with her intentions. In the two times that he had met her, she had seen him either forego any salute or perform this sort of grand salute.
She smiled and said: “Young sir Chen, how do you want me to respond to this sort of courtesy?”
Chen ChuXiu raised his head and was a little embarrassed. With a faint smile, he said: “There was never any need for you to return the salute. In truth, my salute was not just in response to princess’ words. There is one thing that I would like to ask princess for help with.”
Yu Fu said: “Young sir Chen, please go ahead.”
“Since princess knows about what happened between young miss Yin and me, I will keep things brief. I was rude to young miss Yin that day. The truth is that I was just wanting to vent for Miss Yao Yue and had no intention of being rude to her. Even if Yao Yue did not arrive when she did, I would have stopped myself. Does princess believe me?”
Yu Fu burst out laughing, “Naturally, I believe you. It’s not just me. I know that JiYao has someone that she likes, and she has maintained her purity for him. She approached you because she was forced to do it. If she had not guessed that you did not have wicked intentions, she would surely have come to get revenge against you.”
Chen ChuXiu let out a sigh, “Young miss Yin is an intelligent person. It’s no wonder princess praises her so highly. I was the one who was rude back then. I hope that princess will pass along my apology to her the next time that you see her.”
Though he said this, he still had a gloomy expression.
Yu Fu tentatively said: “In truth, the one that you are more worried about is Yao Yue. When I spoke about how there is no such thing as suitability when it came to emotions, you were so elated. Thinking about it, you there had to be someone that you liked that others might think was not suited to being with you.”
Chen ChuXiu knew that Yu Fu and Yao Yue were very familiar. He had wanted to say a few words, but after opening his mouth, he swallowed his words.
He shook his head, “Forget it. I, Chen ChuXiu, want to pursue a woman. Is there a need to ask princess for help? Right now, the most pressing matter is for the cabinet and His Majesty to reach a resolution. Once the situation in court returns to normal, I will do my best to have Yao Yue marry me!”
The corner of Yu Fu’s lips curled up. Who knew that the infamous playboy of the capital would have this affectionate side.
But Gu JiuGe was the one that Yao Yue liked, and Yin JiYao was mixed in there too.
Yu Fu looked at him a little sympathetically.
He wanted to marry Yao Yue, but there was a long way to go…
Yu Fu left the Chen manor and left for Ji DaoGong’s manor. After that, she went to visit a few other senior ministers before returning home.
While returning to Marquis Gu’s Manor, someone carrying a lantern could be seen waiting at the entrance to the road. The faint yellow light was particularly warm.
Yao Lan lifted the curtain, and Yu Fu looked outside. Following this, she gave an order to the driver, “Stop the carriage.”
“Young miss, it’s hard to move in the snow. Do you really want us to stop here?”
After asking to make sure, the driver heard a muffled response from inside. Immediately after descending from the carriage and placing a step stool, Yu Fu stepped out of the carriage. They then saw the faint yellow lantern slowly draw closer.
“Yao Lan, you guys can go back to the manor first. I will go for a walk around here.”
Yao Lan stood on tiptoe and looked at the person carrying the lantern. That person was tall and handsome, and the light from the lantern reflected off of his cloak, giving him an elegant appearance.
She had a faint idea of who that person was and gave up on trying to dissuade Yu Fu. She returned to the carriage and returned to the manor with the carriage driver.
Yu Fu walked toward the lantern and reached the person carrying the lantern a short while later. When the two were five paces away from one another, they exchanged a look and smiled.
At almost the exact same time, the two started walking toward each other.
“Eldest brother, it’s cold outside. Why were you standing here?”
“You went out on your own today, and I was worried. I wanted to come out to receive you and somehow ended up all the way out here.”
Yu Fu could not help but smile. Gu ShuBai raised his hand and wrapped his cloak around her with the white fur lining completely shrouding her small face.
The two walked side by side, leaving two sets of neat footprints in the snow. All of this was illuminated by the gentle light radiating from the lantern.
“Father and the others are waiting for you to eat dinner. The hamlet delivered some wild animals today. Among them was a small white fox that seems to be exactly like Pang Jiu when it was little.”
Yu Fu hastily said: “It won’t be eaten, right?”
Gu ShuBai laughed and patted her head, “We know how much you love Pang Jiu. Who could bring themselves to eat it? It’s already been sent to the Western Wing to play with Pang Jiu. You will be able to see it when you get back.”
A large white dog and a small white fox, with those two being brought together, who knew just how fun it could be.
Yu Fu knew that he was trying to cheer her up, thus she spoke on some fun things to try and make him feel more at ease, “On my trip to the Chen manor, I had a chat with young sir Chen. Eldest brother would surely never expect that young sir Chen actually likes Yao Yue and wants to marry her.”
Gu ShuBai played along, showing interest, “Is it the same Miss Yao Yue that gets along with second brother? I heard that second brother is not interested in her, but she is deeply in love with second brother. I fear that young sir Chen won’t have an easy time.”
Yu Fu asked: “Then does second brother like JiYao?”
She knew how Yin JiYao felt about Gu JiuGe. As long as she was not directly rejected, she would never give up on Gu JiuGe.
Gu ShuBai thought for a bit then slightly shook his head, “He has never brought it up. From my point of view, he has some feelings for young miss Yin. As for whether or not it’s to the point of wanting to spend his life with her…”
His tone changed, as he suddenly pulled Yu Fu into his embrace. Holding the lantern in one hand, he embraced Yu Fu with the other, “You’ve been so busy during this time, and this is our only time alone together, yet you want to talk to me about other people’s love lives?”
