Read Princess Consort Chu - Chapter 145 (1)

Note: This chapter now has 7,000 words. Because someone said yesterday that he would give out tickets if I updated before 12 o'clock, I will update this much first. I will make up the missing 3,000 words by 1 o'clock and will never owe you any debts!

Hehe, today is the last day of the month, so please allow me to be a little shameless for once and complete 10,000 words in one go!

"Your Majesty, speaking of starting a family and building a career, I also have something to ask you!" At this time, Chu Nanshan interrupted the younger generations' argument!

Chu Nanshan rarely spoke on important occasions, especially at this moment, he stood up from his seat and spoke with a serious face and expression as he spoke just now, making everyone look at him in confusion!

Seeing that Chu Nanshan seemed to have something important to say, Eunuch Yu waved his hand and asked the dancers who were still standing in the hall to withdraw. The rest of the people stopped talking and just waited for what the King of Chu, who had the favor of three generations of emperors, would say!

Yun Qianmeng glanced at Chu Pei's calm expression, and her heart couldn't help but tighten slightly. She felt that what happened today might be beyond their previous expectations. The vague uneasiness in her heart was gradually growing, and she always had a premonition that things would not be easily resolved!

"If your Highness has anything important to say, please sit down first. You are not in good health, so don't tire yourself out!" Unlike the look and expression that everyone expected, Emperor Yu Gan seemed much calmer at this time. When he saw Chu Nanshan stand up, he immediately raised his hand to signal him to sit down!

Seeing how much Emperor Yugan loved King Chu, everyone couldn't help but sigh in their hearts. After all, they could not be compared with the Chu family. If someone else interrupted the conversation between the two kings at such an important moment, it would definitely arouse the anger of the two kings and the emperor. However, Chu Nanshan did this and received the care of Emperor Yugan. It can be seen that the weight of the Chu family in the heart of the royal family is not comparable to that of ordinary people!

Seeing Emperor Yugan like this, Chu Nanshan did not take advantage of his seniority to sit down. Instead, he stood up straight and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I am old and worried about something happening to me. I plan to give up the throne of King Chu in advance and have one of my children and grandchildren inherit the throne. I beg for your approval!"

Chu Nanshan spoke slowly, his face as sullen as water, not a single ripple visible. Yet, it was like a bombshell, instantly causing a commotion in the hall. Everyone's faces were filled with shock and astonishment. They couldn't understand why the King of Chu would abdicate so early. What prince would be willing to give up the power he held without enjoying it? Moreover, among the many princes, the King of Chu's power was the most coveted. Having served three generations of emperors, he was not only a founding father but also a veteran of three dynasties. The power and honor accumulated in his hands were beyond the reach of other families' generations. Yet, he was giving up power at this moment, and even wanted to give up the throne that others could only dream of. For a moment, everyone's eyes were filled with fear. They truly couldn't understand what the King of Chu was thinking!

Although Emperor Yugan was also quite surprised, compared with the surprise and disbelief shown by his ministers, Emperor Yugan seemed much calmer. However, he did not make a decision immediately. His hand, which was lightly placed on the table, slowly turned the exquisite wine glass in his hand, as if he was considering whether what King Chu had just said was true or false!

But at this time, the people below had already started to discuss among themselves, and bunches of inquiring, puzzled and bewildered eyes were shot towards the King of Chu, as if they wanted to see through the King of Chu's thoughts!

What disappointed them was that Chu Nanshan maintained a calm expression from beginning to end, and did not show any expression of loss or reluctance for having to give up the wealth and glory in his hands. His aura as deep as the sea allowed everyone present to truly see the true emotions hidden by the King of Western Chu. His figure, who was unshakable even if Mount Tai collapsed before his eyes, stood in front of everyone like a towering mountain, blocking everyone's prying eyes and malicious thoughts!

Having hit a wall with the King of Chu, everyone still refused to give up and turned their attention to the two people most likely to inherit the throne!

But at this moment, Chu Pei's expression was indifferent, and his calm eyes instantly repelled everyone's curious gazes. He just stared straight ahead without looking sideways, and it was impossible to catch any emotion or thoughts that were revealed in him!

As for Chu Feiyang, everyone is very familiar with him!

A general who could scare the enemy in the battlefield, a left prime minister who could debate with scholars in the court to clear Qu Changqing's grievances, a man who could become the head of all officials at the age of twenty, how could he lose his composure in such an occasion, and how could he let those ministers who were not as good as him peek into his inner thoughts!

At this moment, he seemed to have not heard Chu Nanshan's words at all. He picked up the jade pot in front of him with skillful and elegant movements and poured himself a glass of wine. His slender but powerful fingers lifted the wine glass in front of him with a little force, and then he drank the clear liquid in the glass in a sip with a calm expression. His eyes were half-closed as if in enjoyment, and his expression was very natural!

The female members of the family were in an uproar. They cast envious and jealous eyes at Yun Qianmeng, as if trying to figure out what kind of woman this woman, whose engagement was broken off by Prince Chen, was capable of. Not only did she marry the Prime Minister of Chu, who was favored by everyone, but now she even had the chance to become the Princess of Chu!

Especially now, it is said that Chu Pei's second wife was in critical condition yesterday while saving someone, and Chu Pei has not set foot in Kyoto for more than 20 years. Under such circumstances, anyone would understand who would take over the throne of Chu!

Thinking of this, a strange look appeared in everyone's eyes. Why did the King of Chu announce today that he wanted to abdicate, and the assassination of the Second Madam of Chu happened yesterday? Isn't this coincidence too strange?

However, no matter whether the gazes of the female relatives were cast on her out of jealousy or envy, or even worse, some people regarded her as the murderer of her stepmother, Yun Qianmeng and her husband had exactly the same expression. She always had an elegant smile on her lips, and did not show any displeasure or act rudely in front of others because of Chu Nanshan's sudden behavior. Her good upbringing was revealed in front of everyone at this time, and she immediately stood out from everyone. Her confident and calm temperament made those anxious young ladies realize their own loss of composure. They all put away the strong curiosity in their eyes, adjusted their facial expressions, and then raised their heads again to look into the hall!

However, although Yun Qianmeng did not meet these gazes, her sharpness as a police officer allowed her to analyze the gazes that fell on her one by one, and grasped the most important ray of light from them. She slightly sideways glanced to meet the gaze that was indifferent but with a hint of coldness, but the gaze turned away in an instant when she looked over, leaving Yun Qianmeng with only the exquisite and somewhat cold side of Princess Duan!

"Why do you say that, Your Highness? I actually think that Your Highness will live a long life. It is really too hasty to think about these things now!" While everyone was busy being surprised, the Queen Mother's eyes had already swept across several people in the room who were related to the King of Chu. She took their expressions in her heart, and then she spoke slowly!

"Your Majesty, your Majesty is right. I also feel that the prince is in good health. It is too early to consider these things now!" Following the Queen Mother's words, Emperor Yugan nodded and began to persuade her. However, his shrewd eyes turned from Chu Feiyang to Chu Pei. Seeing that the father and son both looked unusually calm, it was difficult to find any clues for a while!

Seeing that Emperor Yugan and the Queen Mother had expressed their opinions, everyone couldn't help but relax a little. Only Chu Pei and Chu Feiyang's expressions remained the same. They were neither excited as when they heard that they might get the throne, nor disappointed because of Emperor Yugan's obstruction. Their indifference to fame and fortune made everyone feel a little disappointed!

At this time, Qu Jingqing couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. When she heard that the King of Chu was going to pass the throne to his descendants, her heart couldn't help but rise!

Before she even married, Yun Qianmeng had already used her methods to suppress Su Qing, the favored figure in the Yun Xiang Mansion, and had deliberately framed Su Qianyue and others. This shows how vicious she is. Now that she's just married to Chu Feiyang and become the Prime Minister's wife, she's become the object of everyone's fawning in the capital. If she were to become the Princess of Chu, she would truly be arrogant! I'm afraid that in the future, who knows how many people will die at her hands!

A cold, yet smiling gaze shot towards Qu Jingqing while he was stunned. His heart tightened slightly, and he immediately withdrew his thoughts. Only then did he realize that he was staring at Yun Qianmeng with a gloating look. His long gaze had caught Yun Qianmeng's attention. She was staring at him with a sneer, and Qu Jingqing immediately looked away! Yun Qianmeng's identity was different now. He would not confront Yun Qianmeng head-on like that fool Su Qianyue!

"What's wrong with her?" Seeing Yun Qianmeng slowly turn her head, Qu Feiqing immediately glanced at Qu Jingqing, but by then Qu Jingqing had already withdrawn his gaze, leaving Qu Feiqing only able to see her half-lowered profile. "I guess she must have been gloating just now!"

Hearing this, Yun Qianmeng just smiled, and raised her right hand holding the handkerchief slightly to wipe the tea-stained corner of her lips, but turned her gaze to look at her father-in-law. Seeing Chu Pei's silent and calm appearance, Yun Qianmeng couldn't help but sigh in her heart. The men of the Chu family really did have the same blood. Even if he was not as dazzling as Chu Nanshan and Chu Feiyang, Chu Pei was still a master at playing politics. At such a tense moment, he was sitting calmly among a group of restless ministers. He really should not be underestimated!

"I thank His Majesty and the Empress Dowager for their consideration, but time is merciless, and I am getting older with each passing year. Sooner or later, I will have to raise the issue of the throne! Today, I am taking advantage of the Lantern Festival to report to Your Majesty. I hope Your Majesty will keep an eye out for a suitable candidate for me!" I had long expected Emperor Yugan and the Empress Dowager to object, but Chu Nanshan's words were as elusive as flowers in the water or the moon in the mirror. Since he had already mentioned abdication, why would he leave the choice of the throne to Emperor Yugan? The King of Chu's thoughts were truly hard to guess!

This time, not only were the ministers scratching their heads and not knowing what the King of Chu was going to do, even Emperor Yugan showed an embarrassed expression!

However, Yun Qianmeng lowered her head and smiled when Chu Nanshan said this. She couldn't help but sigh that these adults in the palace had really become deep-minded after participating in politics for too long!

Given the status of the King of Chu, how could Emperor Yugan refuse to approve a memorial submitted to his emperor?

But he deliberately brought up the King of Chu at this time, just to lure the snake out of its hole!

I think the unrest in the Chu Prince's Mansion and the Chu Prime Minister's Mansion today has also angered my grandfather, who has always been protective of his people. Today he deliberately came here to kill these villains' prestige!

But such a simple thought was speculated and weighed over and over by those adults, and I'm afraid they have come up with thousands of ideas!

"You're still laughing! This is a critical moment that determines whether you will become the Princess of Chu!" Others could not see Yun Qianmeng's expression, but Qu Feiqing, who was sitting next to her, saw it clearly. Seeing that her cousin looked as if it had nothing to do with her, Qu Feiqing suddenly became anxious in her heart. She reached out and gently pinched Yun Qianmeng, and whispered a reminder!

"Don't worry, cousin! How can the succession to the throne be decided so easily? Besides, there are only officials above the third rank present at this moment, and the position of King Chu is so important, the emperor will definitely not make a decision immediately at this palace banquet! Moreover, things in this world are yours and will never run away, and things that are not yours will be lost even if you snatch them! Don't worry, cousin, grandpa and husband are confident in what they do!" The last sentence explained to Qu Feiqing that Chu Feiyang was actually a participant in today's events!

By superficially handing over the matter of deciding the successor to the King of Chu to Emperor Yugan, he indirectly diverted the attention of the murderer in the dark, and the Prince of Chu's Mansion and the Prime Minister of Chu's Mansion would be relatively safer!

But for Qu Feiqing, Yun Qianmeng's ability to treat the position of princess that everyone admired so lightly was truly admirable! I'm afraid those who thought Meng'er wanted to be a princess would never have thought that Yun Qianmeng had no fantasies about that position at all!

"In that case, I will pay more attention to it for Your Highness! Please take a seat!" Seeing that the King of Chu was not about to decide on the next King of Chu immediately, he smiled and gestured for Chu Nanshan to sit down. He then looked at King Rui who was still standing in the hall, and said a few words to Eunuch Yu who was standing behind him. He slowly said to King Rui, "Fourth brother, please follow Eunuch Yu to change clothes!"

"Thank you, my royal brother!" King Rui bowed respectfully to Emperor Yugan, then followed Eunuch Yu out of the hall!

However, everyone whose attention was attracted by the matter of King Chu did not notice the exchange of glances between Old Lady Gu and Ji Shuyu!

I don’t know if they were being overly suspicious, but I felt that when Emperor Yugan was looking at the ladies, he paused for a moment on Qu Feiqing!

If the King of Chu had not spoken out just now, Emperor Yugan would have already chosen Qu Feiqing as the Princess of Rui. Whether it was a coincidence or intentional, the two of them could not help but feel grateful to the King of Chu!

However, Chu Nanshan, who sat down again, had returned to his previous sick state, coughing from time to time, and even directing Chu Feiyang to pour tea and water. Yun Qianmeng laughed in her heart but could not show it!

The sound of singing and dancing could be heard again in the hall. Hidden within the lewd sounds were undercurrents, yet these undercurrents were concealed by the luxurious scene on the surface!

"Cousin, the man in the amber brocade robe must be the Prince of Hai from the Sea Palace!" At this time, Xiahou An'er moved closer to Yun Qianmeng, staring at Hai Chenxi's sneering eyes, and asked Yun Qianmeng!

"That's him!" Seeing that Xiahou An'er had cleverly guessed Hai Chenxi's identity, Yun Qianmeng smiled faintly and nodded. She was a little curious about why Xiahou An'er was only staring at Hai Chenxi when there were other princes and nobles in the palace. She asked casually, "Could it be that An'er knows the Prince of Hai?"

Hearing Yun Qianmeng's question, Xiahou An'er couldn't help but show a trace of anger on her face. Seeing Hai Chenxi had already left the table and quietly walked out of the hall, she couldn't help but look away and said with some annoyance, "Who would know him!"

Seeing her irritated look, Yun Qianmeng shook her head and chuckled to herself, wondering if she was overthinking it. Even if they had met once, Xiahou An'er wouldn't have fallen for Hai Chenxi so quickly! Furthermore, having seen such an outstanding Chu Feiyang, even if Hai Chenxi herself was exceptional, she wouldn't have lost her composure like that!

As they were talking, everyone saw Prince Rui, neatly dressed and combed, appear at the door of the hall with the handsomeness and nobility unique to the royal family. He followed Eunuch Yu and walked into the hall with extremely solemn steps. However, the corner of his eyes swept over the ladies from each family one by one, and he paused slightly when he saw Xiahou An'er's beautiful face!

Xiahou An'er, who was only thinking about the embarrassing scene he had just made in front of Hai Chenxi, naturally didn't notice the subtle details, but Yun Qianmeng, whose attention was always on the people in the hall, noticed it!

Seeing the astonished look on Prince Rui's face when he saw Xiahou An'er, Yun Qianmeng's heart skipped a beat. Then, she smiled and pulled Xiahou An'er up, whispering, "You drank a bit too much just now. Come with me outside to cool down!"

After saying that, without waiting for Xiahou An'er to speak, he pulled her out of the hall quietly and silently!

"What's wrong with my cousin? She's dizzy but still walking so fast. Be careful not to fall!" After the two of them walked out of the hall, Xiahou An'er smiled and spoke!

Although she had only spent a few days with Yun Qianmeng, Xiahou An'er knew that Yun Qianmeng was an extremely steady and calm person, and she rarely showed any signs of anxiety in front of outsiders. Therefore, her action of escaping from the hall just now actually made Xiahou An'er feel a little funny!

Listening to the girl's mockery of herself, Yun Qianmeng sighed inwardly. If she knew that Prince Rui might have set his eyes on her, she would probably jump up and down. She felt so heartbroken that she had saved her from danger and was still being treated like this!

"Are you dizzy, cousin? How about I help you back to the Prime Minister's Mansion first?" Seeing Yun Qianmeng sighing with her head half lowered, Xiahou An'er asked with concern!

"It's okay! You'll feel better once you get out! Come with me and walk around. We can go back when the palace banquet is almost over!" As he said that, Yun Qianmeng took Xiahou An'er and walked slowly on the bluestone road!

At this time, the snow had just begun to melt, and the temperature was extremely low. The melted snow gradually condensed into ice and fell on the bluestone. Therefore, the two of them took every step very carefully. Otherwise, if they fell, not only would they suffer pain, but they would also be ridiculed and slandered by the people in the palace!

"Cousin, can you smell a subtle fragrance in this palace?" After leaving the hall where incense was burning, Xiahou An'er immediately spoke out due to the natural fragrance!

"This is the fragrance of wintersweet! This time of year is the season when wintersweet blooms. The fragrance is fresh and natural, and it is most refreshing. If you put one in the room, the fragrance will linger for a long time, which is much more soothing than burning incense!" Yun Qianmeng looked at the direction where he was standing at the moment, and a palace where wintersweet might be planted emerged in his mind!

"Then, cousin, let's pick some and take them back! I've never seen flowers like this in Luocheng!" Listening to Yun Qianmeng's narration, Xiahou An'er's curiosity was immediately piqued. She pulled Yun Qianmeng's sleeve and shook it coquettishly, which really made Yun Qianmeng unbearable. She raised her hand and tapped her forehead. She had no choice but to compromise and said, "Don't pick any grass or tree in the palace at will, let alone break off a branch! However, let's put the wintersweets in our purses. I believe the guards won't be able to find them!"

Seeing Yun Qianmeng agreed, Xiahou An'er immediately smiled and nodded straight. She immediately took out the exquisite purse she usually wore from her waist and held it in her hand, then followed Yun Qianmeng along the wall!

Yun Qianmeng walked towards the place where the fragrance became stronger. Sure enough, she saw a few wintersweets in the courtyard behind the main hall. She and Xiahou An'er smiled at each other, and they quickly walked to the wintersweets trees and swiftly picked the blooming wintersweets!

"I didn't expect that Madam Chu would have such a refined taste to pick wintersweets here!" Unexpectedly, when the two were halfway through picking, a slightly cold and sarcastic voice came over softly!

Xiahou An'er's hand paused slightly, and then he immediately put it down again!

However, Yun Qianmeng frowned slightly, a hint of surprise flashed across her eyes, and then she turned around with a normal expression, and sure enough, she saw Hai Chenxi standing behind them. At this moment, he gave people a sense of unrestrainedness, but the brilliance that inadvertently flashed in his eyes made people dare not underestimate him!

Especially when he appeared behind them just now, Yun Qianmeng didn't even notice his breath and footsteps. This was enough to show that Hai Chenxi was extraordinary, and it made people even more vigilant!

However, if Hai Chenxi hoped to see them panic and scream, then his calculations were wrong. Yun Qianmeng smiled elegantly and said softly, "Your Highness, you must be joking! I just didn't expect that Your Highness would have such a refined taste to come out and appreciate the plum blossoms!"

"But I'm not as enthusiastic as my lady. She not only appreciates the plum blossoms, but also picks them! I believe that my lady must be very happy when Prince Chu mentioned the matter of inheriting the title!" Hai Chenxi approached the two of them slowly with a nonchalant smile on his lips. However, the crunching sound of the snow under his feet was as frightening as the words he said!

Yun Qianmeng took Xiahou An'er's hand and unnoticeably gave the best spot for viewing the plum blossoms to Hai Chenxi. She then retreated with Xiahou An'er, maintaining a distance of two meters from Hai Chenxi in a calm and rational manner!

"Your Highness, you're joking. While inheriting the title is a major event for the Chu family, it's not something women or children can get involved in. How dare I express my opinion? Grandfather and the Emperor make all the decisions, and there's no room for anyone else to interfere!" Yun Qianmeng cleverly avoided Hai Chenxi's question while implicitly criticizing him for meddling in other people's affairs! When did it become the Sea Prince's turn to meddle in the Chu Prince's family affairs? If that were the case, Hai Chenxi wouldn't even have been able to hold the position of Prince of Shanghai!

Listening to Yun Qianmeng's veiled verbal attacks on him, Hai Chenxi's eyes lit up. He felt that Yun Qianmeng was just as sharp-tongued as he remembered. He couldn't help but think of the scene when they were boating on the lake that night. She had protected her cousin in the same way. Even though she knew she was in a weak position, she still protected the people around her to the greatest extent!

Unfortunately, their conversation was ruined by Hai Tian before they could finish it that night, and this time, there was a frivolous little girl standing next to her!

The faint smile in his eyes remained, but when he turned to Xiahou An'er, there was a hint of sharpness in his eyes, which made Xiahou An'er feel cold all over. She immediately met Hai Chenxi's bottomless eyes. She felt that there was frost in his eyes, but it was covered by a spring, which made her heart tremble slightly. She didn't understand what kind of man this was and why he had such two extreme expressions!

"An'er, you haven't met Prince Hai yet! The one who is marrying the Crown Prince of Northern Qi this time is Prince Hai's sister, Princess Heshun!" Seeing a hint of coldness in Hai Chenxi's eyes when he looked at Xiahou An'er, Yun Qianmeng spoke immediately!

Xiahou An'er put away the purse in her hand and put it on her waist. She bowed slightly to Hai Chenxi and said softly, "Greetings, Prince Hai!"

However, Hai Chenxi did not spend too much time paying attention to Xiahou An'er. He turned to Yun Qianmeng with a smile in his eyes, and his mind was echoing with the words that Yun Qianmeng had just introduced herself to Xiahou An'er!

It was just that Yun Qianmeng couldn't stand her cousin staring at Chu Feiyang with murderous eyes, so she took the opportunity to introduce them to each other and inserted things about Hai Tian into the conversation to divert her attention!

No wonder Chu Feiyang fell in love with Yun Qianmeng, such a woman with a clever mind. No wonder Jiang Muchen regrets it so much now that he wants to destroy the entire Chu Xiang Mansion!

"Madam Chu, please don't forget that it was Prime Minister Chu and this prince who sent my younger sister to Northern Qi together! Along the way, Prime Minister Chu was very caring towards my younger sister!" Looking at Yun Qianmeng's impeccable smile and calm eyes, for some reason, Hai Chenxi suddenly wanted to break the expression on Yun Qianmeng's face and see what kind of beautiful face was behind this mask!

"The princess's life is crucial to the safety of Western Chu, and her husband is serving under the emperor's orders. Naturally, she must do her best to justify the monthly salary she receives! However, how can these be compared with the feelings of the prince in sending his sister away? I imagine the prince must be very reluctant to let her go along the way!" Yun Qianmeng had heard too many words of discord. Hai Chenxi wanted to see her jealous, but that was just wishful thinking! If Chu Feiyang was interested in Hai Tian, how could she have gotten the position of Prime Minister Chu's wife?

Facing Yun Qianmeng's counter-attack and counter-attack, Hai Chenxi didn't care much. He shrugged his shoulders and leaned against the wintersweet tree beside him. The tip of his nose was filled with a faint fragrance, and his eyes met a beautiful and confident face. Hai Chenxi was in a very good mood for a while, and he even wanted to continue the debate with Yun Qianmeng!

"Cousin, I'm tired. It's time for us to go back!" At this moment, Xiahou An'er suddenly spoke!

Although she was not married yet, the admiration in Hai Chenxi's eyes when she looked at Yun Qianmeng made her secretly feel uneasy, so she warned her!

"We have enjoyed the flowers, so let's go back! Since Prince Hai likes to lean on us so much, let's enjoy it!" Yun Qianmeng nodded slightly, and then she and Xiahou An'er bowed to Hai Chenxi and turned to leave!