Zu'an couldn't help but complain, "So it turns out your grandfather was a staunch supporter of the King of Qi. What was the point of the Chu family being neutral before?"
"Yu Xuanchong, the head of the Yu family, is the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. The Yu family has marriage ties with various major families. At the same time, they started their business with Yuan Stones and can be described as being richer than a country."
Zu An suddenly asked with a strange expression, "What is the relationship between Yu Yanluo and the Yu family?"
He remembered the stunningly beautiful young woman he had rescued in the valley after arriving in this world. She seemed to be in the business of spirit stones and was once known as the most beautiful woman in the capital.
But that woman was ungrateful. She said she would repay the favor, but I never saw her in Brightmoon City. Damn it!
Beautiful women really do tend to lie.
"You actually know about Yu Yanluo?" Chu Chuyan was somewhat surprised.
“Wasn’t she the most beautiful woman in the capital back then? She should be very famous. It’s not surprising that I know.” Zu An said matter-of-factly.
Chu Chuyan blushed slightly and snorted, "Men are all big pigs!"
She finally understood why her mother reacted that way every time her father mentioned Yu Yanluo.
However, she still explained, "Yu Yanluo is indeed a member of the Yu family. The Yu family is known for its handsome men and beautiful women, making them highly sought-after marriage partners for various families. Yu Yanluo is the most outstanding among them..."
Zu An embraced her soft waist and kissed her cool face: "I think the Yu family is nothing special. The women of the Chu family are much prettier than them."
Chu Chuyan knew he was praising her, and a sweet feeling welled up in her heart, but she was too embarrassed to admit it: "If you had seen Yu Yanluo, you probably wouldn't say that. My father saw her once and never forgot her, hmph..."
Zuan muttered under his breath, "It's not like I haven't seen it before..."
However, recalling the moment he first saw her, he had to admit that she was an exceptionally beautiful woman.
Chu Chuyan continued, "The Pei family mainly consists of two branches. One branch is headed by Pei Zheng, the Duke of Linhai, whose official position here is Attendant-in-Ordinary, and he is Manman's grandfather."
“Manman’s grandfather.” Zuan suddenly felt a sense of affection for Manman’s grandfather as well.
Chu Chuyan hesitated, then said, "Their families may not be so harmonious, so don't just assume you have feelings for anyone."
Then she added, "The other branch is Julu Gong Pei Ming, whose position is Shangshu Ling. He and Pei Zheng are cousins. Compared to Pei Zheng's branch, which is a staunch supporter of the Prince of Qi, his side has a somewhat ambiguous attitude, but overall he still leans more towards the Prince of Qi."
"The Emperor's camp is mainly composed of the Yang family, the Meng family, and the Prince of Liang. You've already met the Prince of Liang and the Yang family, so I won't go into detail. Meng Jing, the head of the Meng family, is one of the Eight Dukes, currently serving as the Minister of Works, with extremely high seniority; his son, Meng Yi, is the Director of the Secretariat, in charge of the Secretariat..."
"What did you say his son's name was?" Zu'an asked in surprise.
"Meng Yi, do you know him?" Chu Chuyan asked, somewhat puzzled.
Zuan couldn't help but sigh, "Meng Yi, what man doesn't know him? Speaking of which, what kind of names do fathers give their children?"
Chu Chuyan completely missed his point and continued, "By the way, Meng Yi has a daughter who married the princess of Prince Zhao Ping of Dai."
"The Prince of Dai?"
“The Prince of Dai is the Crown Prince’s younger brother. The Crown Prince has many younger brothers. The Prince of Wu, whom you met in Jibei County before, and the Prince of Dai you are talking about now, are both among them.”
“King Wu, I remember you, I remember you.” Zu An’s expression was strange. It was more than just remembering you; he was extremely familiar with you, especially with the Queen of Wu.
"Your expression is so strange. Are you thinking about something bad?" Chu Chuyan stared at him, her jade-like cheeks slightly flushed.
Zu An's face flushed, embarrassed to mention his affair with Princess Wu, and he quickly changed the subject: "By the way, since the Crown Prince has so many younger brothers, and these brothers all seem to be intelligent, why does the Emperor insist on making a fool the Crown Prince?"
Based on his previous interactions with the King of Wu, aside from some peculiar quirk, he is far more intelligent and capable than the average person, and is certainly more than qualified to be the crown prince. As for the current crown prince, although everyone speaks very vaguely, he is clearly a complete idiot.
Chu Chuyan replied, "The Emperor probably also wanted a normal son to be the Crown Prince, but he couldn't. You should have heard the story of the Emperor and Prince Qi. Although they were brothers, Prince Qi was adopted by their uncle, the late Emperor, at a young age. Because of the chaotic situation and Prince Qi's young age, the older Emperor inherited the throne. Therefore, Prince Qi was actually qualified to inherit the throne."
"Now, His Majesty is nearing his end due to injuries sustained in a war against foreign tribes in his early years. Prince Qi is also virtuous, and many ministers in the court feel that the throne should be returned to Prince Qi's lineage. His Majesty wants to pass the throne to his own son, and the only legal principle he can hold firm to is that the eldest son of the legitimate wife inherits the throne. If he bypasses the eldest son and appoints someone else, it would be a case of appointing the virtuous over the eldest son. But in terms of virtue, how can those princes compare to Prince Qi?"
"So even though the emperor knew that the crown prince was somewhat mentally challenged, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and make him the crown prince."
Zu'an was puzzled: "But can such a fool sit securely on the throne? Isn't the emperor afraid that the entire country will be ruined in the future?"
Chu Chuyan explained, "Although the Crown Prince is not very intelligent, he is not stupid either. If we choose some close and virtuous ministers to assist him, it would not be a bad thing. Moreover, the Crown Prince has a son. Although he is young, his intelligence is normal. In the future, when the throne is passed to the Holy Grandson, it will be the same."
Zu An was taken aback: "I heard that the Crown Prince got married not long ago, and he already has an heir so quickly?"
Chu Chuyan blushed slightly and said softly, "It wasn't born to the Crown Princess. Years ago, the Emperor was worried that the Crown Prince was incompetent... and didn't know how to handle people, so he bestowed a beautiful concubine from the palace upon him to help him... Later, this concubine became pregnant. Because she didn't want to have any conflict with the Crown Princess, she returned to the palace to live and give birth after becoming pregnant."
Zu An's expression was strange: "So, is this the child of the foolish crown prince or the emperor? He's even living in the palace! This circle is truly chaotic!"
---
The two chapters have been combined.
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