Xie Zhen pursed her lips.
Actually, he doesn't really like this "whether to say it or not" speaking style.
Why can't you just say what you want to say?
Such affected mannerisms are certainly not the kind of speech and behavior that Xie Zhen admires.
However, thinking of the figure that had blocked his way three years ago, he suppressed his aversion.
"Brother, what is it? Please tell me!"
Xie Zhen tilted her head back, her delicate, childlike face filled with sincerity.
Just by looking at his expression, you can tell that he truly regards Yuwen Hao as his elder brother.
"..."
Seeing Xie Zhen so close to him, Yuwen Hao showed no emotion on his face, but he was secretly pleased.
He hesitated for a moment, feigning difficulty, before slowly saying, "At the Court of State Ceremonial, I heard someone say—"
Xie Zhen, her hand hidden in her sleeve, gently picked at her fingers: ...Will this ever end?
Can't you just be straightforward?!
Perhaps fearing that showing off too much would cause offense, Yuwen Hao finally seemed to have made up his mind and blurted out all his words.
"The sage returns in triumph, his might subduing the four seas!"
"The King of Gaochang, in awe of the sage's wisdom and might, took the initiative to submit a letter of state, expressing his willingness to submit to the Great Zhou."
"In addition to tributes, the King of Gaochang also offered the most noble and beautiful holy maiden of their tribe to the saint."
At this point, Yuwen Hao paused for a moment, as was his habit.
Xie Zhen had a bad feeling and asked anxiously, "Where's my brother-in-law? Did he refuse?"
My brother-in-law loves my sister the most; he can't see any other women in his eyes.
Even if that so-called saintess is as beautiful as an angel, my brother-in-law will not accept her!
Yuwen Hao finally saw Xie Zhen getting anxious, and he was secretly pleased.
His face still showed difficulty. Meeting Xie Zhen's expectant gaze, Yuwen Hao gently shook his head, "The Sage accepted the Holy Maiden and even brought her back to the capital!"
"Now, that saintess is following in the royal army's ranks—"
Xie Zhen's expression was somewhat blank, as if she had been stimulated by something.
A hint of secret joy flashed in Yuwen Hao's eyes, but that glint disappeared in an instant.
He still looked worried, and even tried to reassure her sincerely, "Ah Zhen, you don't need to worry!"
"Gaochang's submission to the Great Zhou is a major political event, and the Sage's action is also for the sake of the overall situation!"
"The Sage and the Empress are husband and wife, and even if he has a daughter, he will never betray the Empress."
"...No matter what, Her Majesty is still the Empress, and His Highness is still the Crown Prince!"
At first glance, Yuwen Hao's words sounded like advice.
But upon closer examination, something seems amiss. It's as if he's saying: Even if the sage fell in love with someone else, he still retained Xie Yuan's status as his principal wife and continued to make her son his heir.
This, this—
Xie Zhen glanced at Yuwen Hao, her almond-shaped eyes, which were almost identical to Xie Yuan's, sparkling.
"Yes! Brother, you're right, brother-in-law will definitely not let sister down!"
"Brother, I was worried just now, but thankfully you comforted me!"
Xie Zhen's voice was somewhere between that of a child and a teenager, clear and cool, like a tinkling mountain spring.
Yuwen Hao: ...I'm not trying to persuade you, I'm trying to sow discord.
Helian Jue accepted the beauties presented by Gaochang, and even though he hadn't done anything yet, he already had some ulterior motives.
Over the past three years, the Emperor and Empress have spent little time together.
Was their relationship really unaffected?
Yuwen Hao couldn't believe that such a steadfast relationship existed in the world.
I don't believe men can't cheat, or women can't be jealous!
Lust, jealousy, and envy are all human nature.
Especially Helian Jue and Xie Yuan, who are at the pinnacle of power, are destined to never have pure feelings for each other.
Interests, power, beauty, greed... any one of these factors can completely change them!
"Brother, the more I think about it, the more I realize you're right!"
Xie Zhen, however, seemed oblivious to Yuwen Hao's frustration and continued rambling on.
He became more and more excited as he spoke, as if he had really been enlightened by Yuwen Hao: "My brother-in-law and sister are not only husband and wife, but they have also gone through thick and thin together."
"They have supported and cherished each other for so many years!"
"They are the most important people to each other, and they will not drift apart because of any saintess!"
Xie Zhen successfully manipulated herself!
Upon seeing this, Yuwen Hao became even more frustrated.
That's not what he wanted.
He never intended to comfort Xie Zhen, but rather—
Yuwen Hao would not give up easily; he carefully recalled Xie Zhen's words from earlier.
Then, he found another key point: "Yes! The Sage and the Empress have been husband and wife for many years."
"If I remember correctly, Her Majesty has been married to the Emperor for almost ten years."
"Ten years of marriage, a loving and devoted companionship. Her Majesty has transformed from a young girl of sixteen into a mature and composed Empress!"
That still sounds a bit awkward.
On the surface, it was a compliment to Helian Jue and Xie Yuan for their long-standing and deep affection for each other.
But in fact, it was also a "reminder" to Xie Zhen: Xie Yuan is not young anymore!
She's already twenty-five years old!
At an age when you can get married at fifteen and have grandchildren in your thirties.
Twenty-five is really not a friendly age.
Leaving aside the imperial palace, even in aristocratic families, once a woman is over thirty, she basically begins to "cultivate her character and temperament."
Between husband and wife, only responsibility and rules remain, and the sweetness and intimacy of the past are gone.
Of course, Xie Yuan is not yet of age to recite Buddhist scriptures, but compared to those young and tender girls, she is really "old".
Helian Jue was an emperor, the emperor of the incredibly powerful Great Zhou Dynasty.
He was the emperor, and he had the right to "rest in the lap of a beautiful woman while drunk."
Even if he were only five years older than Xie Yuan, he could still dote on teenage girls even when he was in his fifties or sixties!
This is not just an advantage of gender, but also a benefit of power!
Xie Zhen blinked, seemingly not understanding Yuwen Hao's implied meaning, and continued to nod, "Yes, yes! Brother is right, sister and brother-in-law have been married for ten years."
Yuwen Hao: ...Is this child really stupid, or is he pretending to be stupid?
Didn't he understand my hint?
Xie Zhen: ...No!
Because Xie Zhen never thought her sister was old, nor did she believe that her brother-in-law, who loved her sister so much, would fall in love with someone else!
However, Xie Zhen doesn't like to always talk about her older sister and brother-in-law.
He already knew about the saintess's affair, but he didn't care much about anything else.
Xie Zhen changed the subject and directly targeted Yuwen Hao: "By the way, brother, you are older than sister, and you will be thirty soon."
"Brother, now that you've established your career, shouldn't you also consider starting a family?"
"After all, you are the eldest son of the family, and you have the mission of continuing the family line."
An old bachelor should really think more about his marriage prospects.
Although Xie Zhen regarded Yuwen Hao as an elder brother, he still had his own principles.
Well, my older sister and brother-in-law are ranked first, the four little ones are ranked second, and the Xie family is ranked third!
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