Cui Yuanbin wanted to shoot daggers at his son, Cui Yanjin, with his glare.
He said angrily, "I have hundreds of items in my private collection. Are you blind, boy?"
Cui Yanjin sighed and turned back to his father, "Father, all you have in your collection are baubles, none of which are worth showing off."
Cui Yuanbin: "..."
Cui Yanjin stopped arguing with him and went straight to his mother’s private collection.
As they were moving house after arriving in the Nanchu Capital, they’d brought things without ordering them, to avoid reordering during the move. Thus, things in the private collection were haphazard and only secured with a lock.
Cui Yanjin got the key from his mother and dove straight back into her collection.
Liao Yuying, curious, followed Cui Yanjin into the private collection, watching him rummaging through things. She squatted down and asked, "Son, what are you looking for? Apart from jewelry, the only other notable items are collected weapons and hidden weapons. These items, can’t be given as a birthday present to the princess, right?"
Cui Yanjin beamed, "Ah, mother, you have a collection of weapons. I remember you collected about half of what’s listed on the Jianghu weapons list."
His eyes sparkled as he stared at his mother. "You must have something worthy here. I could give it to my future sister-in-law since she loves weapons."
"Really?" Liao Yuying was skeptical.
"Yes, mother." Cui Yanjin whispered to her: "Before my granduncle arrived, the princess and my cousin had a few squabbles because the king bestowed a weapon repository to my cousin, not her. If the princess wanted to play with any weapon, she had to borrow the keys from my cousin, who intentionally wouldn’t lend her."
Liao Yuying: "..."
She was curiously gossiping, "Really? I haven’t heard of this!"
When she was in Qinghe, she loved to hear the gossip about the residences of different families, but she hadn’t heard about this even after being in the royal capital for over a month.
"Oh, only I know about this," Cui Yanjin whispered. "I heard it from Brother Feng. He was also envious of that weapons repository."
"Okay, palace gossip is indeed hard to find out." Liao Yuying asked: "Sword, spear, hook, or axe? What do you want to give?"
"Let me first see which one I fancy and think the princess will like too," Cui Yanjin replied.
Liao Yuying: "..."
Alright then. After all, this boy is her own son.
She helped her son look, while continuing to chat with him, "The princess seems to have a good temper, does she really have squabbles with your cousin?"
Cui Yanjin immediately said, "No, mother, you’re wrong, it is my cousin who has squabbles with the princess, the princess is very easy-going, it is my cousin’s bad temper that often annoys him, and the princess always humors him."
"Huh? But didn’t you just say the princess quarreled with your cousin?" Liao Yuying was confused.
"That was because my cousin was mean, he bullied her! He has the weapon repository from the king, and can play with any weapon he likes, but he doesn’t let the princess play with anything. The princess has to ask for his permission, but he is unwilling to give it and even makes things difficult for her."
Liao Yuying reflected for a bit, "There’s a reason for that, but how come I sense a hint of disapproval towards your cousin in your words?"
"Exactly, I’ve complained about him to my granduncle and he will teach him a lesson," Cui Yanjin said.
Liao Yuying: "..."
While continuing to search for a weapon, Cui Yanjin said, "My cousin is arrogant due to favoritism. He doesn’t realise he needs to improve his temper. Otherwise, would the princess humor him for the rest of her life? Doesn’t he know that many young noblemen in the capital are after Princess, who defeated Dawei and achieved a historic feat? Many young admirers want to enter the palace to accompany her, but my cousin never wakes up to the threats around him. He thinks no one can threaten his position. When his looks fade with age, let’s see how he cries regretfully. If he doesn’t listen to my advice and change his temper, only to get beaten up, I won’t console him when he loses the princess’s love in the future."
Liao Yuying: "..."
She looked at her son, utterly shocked.
Cui Yuanbin, who had locked up his private collection and come over, also looked at Cui Yanjin in shock after hearing this, "Boy, what nonsense are you talking about?"
"I’m not talking nonsense."
Cui Yanjin mumbled, "The princess naturally likes handsome men, it’s clear as day. She rejected my cousin’s proposal at first and would’ve chosen the handsome Second Young Master Ye without hesitation if my cousin hadn’t persevered."
Cui Yuanbin: "..."
Liao Yuying: "..."
Cui Yanjin sighed, "Ah, Second Young Master Ye is so outstanding, the princess is just too soft-hearted towards my cousin."
The couple looked at each other, not knowing what to say. Was this kid aware that without his cousin, there would be no princess? Did he really know who his biological relatives were?
Cui Yuanbin reminded him, "Your cousin is Zhou Gu, not Second Young Master Ye."
"Oh, I know. If it were Second Young Master Ye, I wouldn’t be worried. Second Young Master Ye has such a good temperament," Cui Yanjin made his concerns for Zhou Gu’s future clear, "My cousin won’t listen to my counsel. Luckily, his good looks might win the princess’s affection as he ages!"
Cui Yuanbin: "..."
"Anyway, I’ve already asked my granduncle to talk to him," Cui Yanjin said. "I hope my granduncle can knock some sense into him.."
After speaking, he stopped and said, "Father, mother, please don’t distract me while I look for things."
Cui Yuanbin had something to say but held it back when he heard those words, looking at Liao Yuying.
Liao Yuying likewise was looking at him.
As their eyes met, both didn’t want to admit this child was theirs. They started questioning whether he should be in the Ministry of Rites or the Ministry of Works at all. Given his preaching abilities, he should have gone to the Imperial Academy to be a mentor.
Cui Yanjin spent an hour rummaging through his mother’s private collection and picked out three weapons that caught his eye. One was a twelve-bone jade fan, which concealed six hidden flying knives, a Black Iron Ice Sword, and a bracelet hid twelve bone-piercing needles.
Squatting before these three items, he was torn on which to choose.
Liao Yuying looked at her son—wondering if he might actually be someone else’s, considering he’d searched her whole weapon collection. Silently suffering, she said in a heavy tone, "Son, these three items, are my favorites."
Cui Yanjin turned to face his mother, "Isn’t father your favorite?"
Liao Yuying: "..."
She was rendered speechless.
Cui Yuanbin, standing aside, was overjoyed by his response. "Yes yes, your mother’s favorite is indeed me."
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