At night, Chu Chi couldn't sleep at all, worried about his younger brother and his mother.
Lu Yiling walked up to Chu Chi and said, "Aunt, it's so cold outside. You should go inside and rest. My little sister also needs to rest."
Chu Chi tried to smile faintly and said, "Princess, you can't call me little aunt."
"My uncle has already recognized you as his aunt, so you are my aunt." Lu Yiling looked up at the starry sky at night and said, "I miss Chu Che. I can't sleep without him."
Chu Chi looked at Lu Yiling and said, "I'll sleep with the little princess."
Lu Yiling leaned in Chu Chi's arms, letting Chu Chi touch her head. Lu Yiling slept soundly in Chu Chi's arms.
Chu Chi looked down at Lu Yiling's face, touched her belly and couldn't help sighing. Her own future was uncertain, and she just hoped that it would not affect the child's well-being.
This year's New Year was very miserable for Lu Yiling. Without her cousin and Chu Che, she lost two major playmates at once. Lu Han was sick during the New Year. Her two cousins were too noisy, and it was difficult for her younger brother to say ten words a day.
Lu Yiling could only go to the palace every day and report to Zhao Jie every detail of Chu Chi's life in Yuemi Courtyard. "Uncle, growing up is really not good. Lingling should not grow up."
Zhao Jie smiled faintly and said, "You finally realize that growing up is not good."
Lu Yiling sighed and said, "Growing up means separation. Love affairs between men and women are also annoying. Just like my uncle and aunt, they clearly like each other, but because someone doesn't allow you to be husband and wife, you can't be husband and wife. You are the emperor, and as an emperor, you can't marry who you want to marry? Then will I also be unable to marry who I want to marry in the future?"
Zhao Jie asked, "Who do you want to marry?"
"Uncle, Brother You, Cousin, Brother Han..."
Zhao Jie chuckled and said, "Among these people, the only one you have a chance of marrying is Brother You. I'm your uncle and I can't marry you. Your cousin is also your uncle, so he can't marry you either. Brother Han shares the same surname as you, Lu, and he's your cousin, but he can't marry you either."
Lu Yiling exclaimed, "Then I have to find a few more husband candidates first."
Zhao Jie smiled softly and said, "Okay, find a few more and keep them in reserve. When you take a fancy to someone, I will help you issue an imperial decree to grant you a marriage."
…
Ye Li chased after him and finally caught up with Chu Che on the second day of the first lunar month.
When Chu Che saw Ye Li and Chu Yan coming together, he was so scared that he wanted to run away, but he had just learned to ride a horse not long ago, so he was naturally no match for Chu Yan.
Chu Yan saw his younger son, who looked like him. He was a complete stranger to him. "Che'er, if you don't want to go back with me now, you don't have to, but your mother is very worried about you."
Chu Che looked at the pale Ye Li and said, "Mother, I will prove myself. I can make a name for myself even without returning to the Chu family."
Ye Li held little Chu Che in her arms, her voice trembling as she said, "Mother won't force you to return to the Chu family. Don't go to North City..."
"Master, a letter came from Jiangnan saying that the old lady has passed away."
After hearing this letter, Chu Yan said to Ye Li, "You take Che'er with you and return to Jiangnan with me. This time, I will make sure you become my wife and children."
Ye Li raised her eyes to look at Chu Yan and said, "I can see that Ning Wei likes you. She doesn't treat you the way you say, taking what you need from each other. She has been your wife for so many years..."
Chu Yan said, "My marriage to Ning Wei was just a deal. I don't owe her anything. We can divorce after the deal is over. Besides, Ning Wei was also involved in Chu Liuli's targeting of Chi'er. I've already forgiven her once."
Chu Che looked at Ye Li and said, "Mother."
Ye Li held Chu Che's hand tightly, looked at Chu Yan and said, "I'll trust you just once."
Seeing Chu Che about to leave, Qi Zhiyuan hurriedly said, "Aunt Ye, you can't take Chu Che with you. I promised my cousin that I would take good care of Chu Che. If I don't take good care of Chu Che, I won't be able to marry my cousin in the future, and I won't have a wife."
Ye Li said: "Young Prince, I will take good care of Che'er, don't worry."
…
In February, a major event came from Jiangnan. The head of the Chu family divorced his wife and married an unknown woman, Mrs. Chu.
When Chu Chi received the news, she was handling harem affairs in the Shanggong Bureau. Shanggong Wu had already left the palace. Although His Majesty had not yet appointed her as Shanggong, her duties were also those of a Shanggong.
Zhao Jie walked in and said to Chu Chi with a smile, "Did you hear that your parents got married?"
Chu Chi laughed at what Zhao Jie said, "My parents were married. If they weren't married, what would I be?"
Zhao Jie smiled and said, "You know what I mean."
Zhao Jie held Chu Chi in his arms and said with a smile, "I can finally marry you legitimately. Now that you have such status, I want to see which minister dares to stop me from marrying you."
Chu Chi whispered, "The Queen Mother..."
Zhao Jie put Chu Chi down, glanced at her flat belly and said, "The child cannot wait any longer. It would be inappropriate to wait until you are six months pregnant to hold the ceremony of conferring the title of Queen. I have my own way with the Queen Mother. Come with me to her."
Chu Chi took Zhao Jie's hand and went to the Queen Mother's palace. The Queen Mother saw Chu Chi's unhappy face and asked: "My son, why did you bring her here?"
Zhao Jie smiled faintly and said, "Mother, I have come to tell you a piece of good news. Ah Chi is three months pregnant."
Queen Mother Zhou didn't smile. She frowned and said, "How can Chu Chi be pregnant? The child in her belly cannot be kept!"
Chu Chi heard the Queen Mother's words and even covered his lower abdomen with his hands, "Queen Mother..."
Empress Dowager Zhou angrily scolded, "Do you think I don't know what you and your master are thinking? Is it because you see that His Majesty is about to take power that you are thinking of replacing him with a puppet emperor?"
Chu Chi knelt on the ground and said, "I have only one master, Your Majesty. I hope the Empress Dowager will understand."
Zhao Jie helped Chu Chi up and sighed to Queen Mother Zhou, "Mother, I still say the same thing. If my cousin and my uncle Prince Qi wanted to rebel, they would never have waited until today. I know everything my cousin has taught me over the years, without anyone telling me."
"Your cousin taught you to be completely heartless. You can't keep the child in Chu Chi's belly. You can't keep it!"
Zhao Jie said, "Mother, how about we both take a step back? You promise Chu Chi to keep the child, and I promise you to marry the eldest daughter of the Chu family as your queen."
Chu Chi raised his eyes and looked at Zhao Jie.
Empress Dowager Zhou said, "I heard that the eldest daughter of the Chu family has had her face ruined, right?"
After Chu Liuli's face was disfigured, Queen Mother Zhou never saw her again.
Zhao Jie said, "The eldest daughter of the Chu family is injured on her face, but it's not too serious. I wish to make the eldest daughter of the Jiangnan Chu family my empress. Your Majesty, please keep the child in Chu Chi's arms. What do you think?"
Queen Mother Zhou thought about it and agreed. The baby in Chu Chi's belly might not be a boy or a girl, the important thing was that Zhao Jie was finally willing to marry someone else.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
