Chapter 120 Mu Mu Enters the Palace
Xu Chumian couldn't sleep that night.
After the family banquet at noon tomorrow, Mu Mu will prepare to go to the palace in the afternoon.
The Duke of Zhao's mansion was bustling with activity from early morning.
Lady Zhang came to visit the two sisters, followed by several maids from the palace, each carrying something in her hands.
As a princess, she should naturally have the demeanor of a princess.
Mu Mu was taken to change clothes and have her hair combed.
Only Xu Chumian and Madam Zhang remained. Madam Zhang looked at Xu Chumian, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.
"You and He'an..." Madam Zhang paused, then gritted her teeth and said, "Never mind."
Xu Chumian said softly, "Thank you for leading the troops to search for me the other day."
"Chu Mian, you're being too polite by saying that."
After thinking for a moment, Madam Zhang decided to keep quiet.
Now that Xu Chumian is a princess, Zhang Shi cannot speak rashly about her relationship with Zhao Yu.
Xu Chumian pretended not to know and did not respond.
After a long while, Mu Mu changed into her palace dress. After a night, the little girl felt better and remembered her aunt who had saved her, so she obediently called her "aunt".
Madam Zhang wanted to pat the little girl's head, but restrained herself because of her status as a princess.
"This humble woman greets Princess Rongchang."
The old nanny had already explained the rules, so Mu Mu had no choice but to raise her hand and say, "Please rise, Duchess."
Seeing this, Xu Chumian didn't say anything.
Now that Zhang Shi has no other intentions, and Ning Fei's faction no longer has the ability to harm Mu Mu, they can temporarily avoid the ending of their previous life.
When the group arrived, Old Madam Zhao led everyone to rise and greet them. Apart from the eldest and second sons, the other members of the Zhao family also came.
It's alright if it's just a princess.
The fact that the title "elder" was added before "princess" shows Emperor Mingde's favor towards her.
At the banquet, Mu Mu, Xu Chumian, Old Madam Zhao, Madam Zhang, and Zhao Yu sat at the main table.
The hall was very quiet.
Qin Ruoyu stepped past several figures and looked at Xu Chumian's beautiful face, and couldn't help but feel angry.
Jealousy filled Qin Ruoyu's heart.
Mu Mu sensed Li Yi's intention to leave, and she was no longer so afraid.
She still has to grow up and protect her older sister.
Once the banquet ended, several nannies took Mu Mu and prepared to leave the palace.
The Zhao family members stood at the entrance of the Zhao family compound, watching Yu Nian leave unjustly. Xu Chumian was among them. Her eyes stung with tears, and after Mu Mu left, the tears she had been holding back finally fell.
Xu Chumian couldn't wait two days before she moved into the Jin Yang Princess's residence.
Zhao Lingyao came to her side and said, "Sister Chumian, let's go for a spring outing outside the city when spring comes."
Xu Chumian's eyebrows curved slightly, and she hummed in agreement.
The person beside him hadn't moved yet.
Xu Chumian looked up, and Zhao Yu was still standing there, his gaze fixed on her.
Xu Chumian moved her lips, about to speak, when Old Madam Zhao's voice came.
"He'an, come with your grandmother."
Zhao Yu glanced at Xu Chumian one last time before walking away.
How could the Zhao family not know about the day Zhao Yu rode out of the city with Xu Chumian...?
Madam Zhao only contacted Zhao Yu two days later, simply to allow things to calm down and give Zhao Yu and Xu Chuming time to think things through.
Xu Chumian was watching Zhao Yu's retreating figure when Zhao Lingyao interrupted her thoughts with her voice.
There were only the two of them here.
Zhao Lingyao whispered in her ear.
"Sister Chumian, will you and my older brother... get married?"
Xu Chumian scratched her palm, words swirling in her throat, before finally shaking her head.
Zhao Lingyao frowned, her eyes filled with regret: "But... my older brother, Sister Chumian, don't you like my older brother?"
Xu Chumian stared blankly.
She didn't say anything.
Zhao Lingyao misspoke, sticking out her tongue. "Sister Chumian, I misspoke. I'll go to your courtyard; I'd like to drink the tea you brew."
Xu Chumian said softly, "Let's go."
-
After Zhao Yu left the old lady's place, he was stopped by Madam Zhang outside Songchi Courtyard.
Madam Zhang's expression was complicated as she looked at her son and cut to the chase: "What are your thoughts on the princess now?"
When Xu Chumian was not around, there was always a faint gloom in Zhao Yu's eyes.
Once inside the courtyard, Zhao Yu spoke, his face expressionless: "I await her wishes."
Madam Zhang frowned even more deeply. "What if she doesn't want to?"
Zhao Yu's aura suddenly turned gloomy.
Madam Zhang asked the same question as the old lady.
If Xu Chumian is unwilling, so what?
A little inquiry in the capital reveals that everyone knows about Xu Chumian and Xiao Qingyan.
Xu Chumian's unwillingness to be with Zhao Yu must mean she still can't forget Xiao Qingyan.
From the night before until now, Zhang Shi hadn't really noticed Xu Chumian's feelings for Zhao Yu.
The more Zhang thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed, so she said incredulously, "They don't like you, yet you still insist on going up to them?"
Zhao Yu's face was tense, and his knuckles were white.
"It was not unintentional."
Zhang frowned uncertainly, "But, I think Chu Mian—"
Zhao Yu closed his eyes, seemingly unable to endure any longer, and said in a deep voice, "Mother, I know what I'm doing."
Zhang wanted to say more, but seeing Zhao Yu's very unpleasant expression, she held back.
Have you told your father about Mu Mu?
Zhao Yu responded with a "hmm".
The night before, Zhao Yu wrote a letter to the Duke of Zhao informing him of this matter.
Zhang nodded.
With the war in the north now critical, it's better to report good news than bad.
Just then, Zhang noticed a bowl of medicine placed under the windowsill.
No wonder there was a faint, bitter medicinal smell as soon as I entered the room.
Zhang asked suspiciously, "He'an, what kind of medicine is this? Are you injured again?"
Guan Yan, standing outside the door, froze.
Oh no, the medicine bowl has been confiscated.
Zhao Yu said in a calm voice, "It's just a mild tonic soup with a calming effect."
Zhang did not believe it.
No matter what Zhao Yu said, he was convinced that his son was injured, and even started to physically attack him.
Left with no other choice, Zhao Yu had to take off his clothes.
Upon seeing the numerous wounds, Zhang's eyes immediately welled up with tears.
"Why are there so many?"
"Don't you know any of this? Were you injured? That's why you didn't come back for the New Year?"
Zhao Yu denied it, saying, "That's not the case. It's just that I'm very busy with work at the government office, and these injuries are almost healed. They're not serious."
Zhang cried until her eyes were red; the pain was on Zhao Yu's body, but it was also a mother's heartache.
Madam Zhang instructed Guanyan to brew the medicine again, and to "go to the storeroom and fetch some highly nourishing ingredients."
Guan Yan had no choice but to happily go and brew the medicine.
Madam Zhang felt a pang of sadness. If she hadn't come to Songchi Courtyard today, she didn't know how long He'an would have kept it a secret.
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