Hu Yang was still angry.
When he returned to the Princess's Mansion, he asked, "Where is Mr. Chen?"
"Your Majesty, the young master has gone out."
"Did you say where you were going?"
"He didn't say where he was going, just that you don't have to worry about his affairs, princess."
Bang!
Hu Yang was so angry that she kicked over the stool. "This evil creature, is he really trying to piss me off to death? Send someone to find him and bring him back."
After receiving the letter, Chen Min left the county government office from the corner gate and hurried to the teahouse.
Finally met Chen Lu in the private room of the teahouse.
"elder brother!"
"Minmin is here, please sit down."
Chen Min sat down on the chair and said anxiously, "I've heard everything. My mother brought people to Princess Fuming's residence to cause trouble. It was a very ugly scene. Not only did it alarm the Shaofu's household commander, it also alarmed the Jinwu Guard. Your Majesty will get the news soon.
"Brother, what are you thinking? Why did you suddenly think of marrying Zhou Yi? You know that Mother and Princess Fuming don't get along, but you are stabbing a knife into Mother's heart, do you know that?"
"It's not a sudden decision." Chen Lu's face was calm.
"What?" Chen Min was puzzled.
Chen Lu took a deep breath and said, "Zhou Yi and I have been together for half a year. It's time to talk about marriage."
"ah!"
Chen Min covered her mouth, fearing that she would scream out in fright.
"Brother and Zhou Yi have been together for half a year? How could you two be together? How did you two get together?"
Chen Lu said expressionlessly, "We met by chance, and then we started chatting. Maybe it's because we're of similar status and have both had hard times over the years, so we can empathize with each other's experiences, and then everything just fell into place. That's how it happened."
Chen Min digested it for a moment and asked nervously, "Does mother know?"
Chen Lu shook his head. "I didn't tell her. There's no point in telling her. She's just opposing everything and has no interest in listening to me. I don't want to talk to her either."
Chen Min looked a little sad. "Mother actually cares about you very much."
"It doesn't matter. She opposed my marriage to Zhou Yi simply because she felt I was embarrassing her. Do you think she truly cares about me? Not at all!"
"Brother, how can you say that? Mother has had a hard time these years. Don't you feel ashamed when you say that?"
Chen Lu looked at Chen Min with a complicated expression, "Minmin, there are many things you don't know and don't understand. Between my mother and I..."
Chen Min rudely interrupted Chen Lu, "If you don't tell me, I certainly don't understand. I don't care how many reasons you have, but you can't say that about Mother. Even if she has her own morals flawed, you can't deny that she always cared about us."
Chen Lu lowered his head and smiled sarcastically.
Chen Min was very sad. "Brother, what happened to you? Why do I feel like I don't know you anymore?"
Chen Lu raised his head and looked at her. "Minmin, what do you think of me? Will there be a girl from a good family who would marry me?"
"You are great! There will definitely be a girl from a good family willing to marry you." Chen Min blurted out without thinking.
Chen Lu smiled and shook his head, "No girl from a good family would be willing to marry me."
"Brother, why do you belittle yourself?" Chen Min was dissatisfied.
Chen Lu said, "It's not that I belittle myself, but it's the truth. Go ask which official family is willing to marry their daughter to me? Okay, I'll lower my requirements and not ask for a noble family. A girl from an ordinary family will do.
Sister, do you know that even ordinary families would only marry their daughter to me if I paid a generous betrothal gift? And the girl only gave half of the betrothal gift as a dowry.
"Sister, I am the only male in the Chen family. I am the heir of the Chen family. My last name is Chen. I have been a member of the Chen family all my life. I have been the descendant of a convicted official all my life. A truly talented, well-educated, well-bred, and well-mannered girl would never consider me."
"My last name is Chen too, and I'm also the descendant of a criminal official."
Chen Min was very angry. She felt that Chen Lu had changed, becoming gloomy and depressed.
He is no longer the Chen Lu who made lofty ambitions and was determined to revive the Chen family.
Chen Lu shook his head repeatedly, "Minmin, you are really lucky to be a girl. You don't have to bear the sins of the Chen family."
"Brother, what are you talking about? What sins? Those are all in the past. Didn't you tell me to move on? Why did you become like this?"
Chen Min was very sad and confused. What happened to Chen Lu?
Chen Lu laughed at himself. "Minmin, don't make a fuss. I'm fine. I just spoke my mind. When my mother found out I was going to marry Zhou Yi, do you know what she said? She said Zhou Yi was married three times and must have seduced me on purpose, and so on."
Chen Min was a little embarrassed. "Mother said Zhou Yi was a third-married woman, and that's not wrong."
"And I'm a poor man, the descendant of a corrupt official. She and I don't dislike each other, so we make a perfect match."
"How can my brother say that to me?" Chen Min said with a look of disapproval.
Chen Lu asked her, "You also don't agree with me marrying Zhou Yi?"
Chen Min pondered for a moment and said, "If you've really thought it through and want Zhou Yi, I support you. Don't worry too much about Mother. We can ask my cousin's wife for help. She has a good relationship with Mother and will definitely be able to convince her to agree to your marriage."
Chen Lu smiled and said, "Thank you, Minmin. I knew you would support me. But there's no need to ask my cousin's wife for help."
Chen Min said solemnly, "Brother, if there's only one person in the world who can convince Mother, then that person must be my cousin's wife. If it's inconvenient for you to come forward, I'll come forward for you and ask my cousin's wife for help."
Chen Lu shook his head and rejected Chen Min's kindness. "I appreciate your kindness, but it's not necessary."
Chen Min was full of doubts, "Why? Doesn't my brother want to marry Zhou Yi?"
Chen Lu took a sip of tea, thought for a moment, and then said, "I don't need my mother's consent."
"Why? Marriage is a matter of parents' orders and matchmaker's words. Do you want to get married alone without your mother's consent?"
Chen Lu looked at Chen Min with a complicated expression, "Minmin, I'm so thankful countless times that you're a girl and don't have to bear the sins of the Chen family."
"It's a sin again! Brother, please stop talking nonsense, okay?"
Chen Min's face was full of disapproval.
Why do we always talk about the sins of the Chen family?
Chen Lu took a deep breath and said solemnly: "Minmin, I won't hide it from you. Even if mother agrees to my marriage, I don't care."
Chen Min frowned, "Brother, you have a deep misunderstanding of mother."
Chen Lu opened his mouth and said, "Mother..."
He swallowed his words halfway through.
Chen Min felt a lump in her throat. "Brother always says I don't understand. Of course I don't understand. Because you won't tell me anything and hide everything from me. We are siblings, can't brother be more honest with me?"
Chen Lu picked up the teacup and drank it in one gulp.
There was worry hidden between his brows, "Sister, do you really want to know?"
"certainly!"
Chen Min was serious, she was not joking.
Chen Lu said solemnly: "Mother hates me!"
Chen Min stood there in a daze, and it took him a while to come back to his senses.
She denied it repeatedly, "Ridiculous! I can understand why my mother hates my father. But why would she hate you? You are mother and son, you are a family!"
"We are not a family. Ever since the incident with the Chen family, we are no longer a family. I am her son by blood, but we are not a family."
Chen Lu spoke in a firm tone, repeatedly emphasizing that they were not a family.
He didn't understand it before.
Later, as he grew older, his thoughts began to mature, and after experiencing so many things, he suddenly realized the truth.
Even though Hu Yang had never revealed any hatred, he still felt it.
He felt hatred!
From then on, he finally understood that they were no longer a family.
Chen Min burst into tears and looked at Chen Lu sadly, "Brother, why would you have such thoughts? We are obviously family, why do you have to deny it?"
Chen Lu laughed at himself, "Because it's the truth."
"I don't believe it!" Chen Min said stubbornly.
Chen Lu sighed softly, "I came to see you today just to talk to you. In the future, we should try to reduce our contact. If Gu Yu is sent out, you can take the children with him. Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself."
Chen Min's eyes were filled with tears. "Brother, are you hiding something from me? Can you tell me?"
Chen Lu smiled and said, "I'm not hiding anything from you, don't think too much about it."
Chen Min shook her head, she didn't believe it.
Chen Lu touched her head and said, "You are a mother yourself, why do you cry so easily?"
"My brother won't tell me the truth. What else can I do but cry?"
"Don't think too much!"
Couldn't she think more?
Chen Min's eyes were filled with sorrow. "When does my brother plan to hold his wedding with Zhou Yi? I want to watch the ceremony."
"The time hasn't been set yet. I'll let you know when it's set."
Chen Min wiped her tears. "Although I don't like Zhou Yi, she is the one my brother likes, and I will try to accept her. After so many years, my brother is finally getting married. My father must be very pleased if he is still alive."
Chen Lu's mouth twitched slightly, he wanted to laugh, but he didn't.
He told Chen Min, "Live a good life with Gu Yu, and don't worry about me. If mother sends someone to ask about you, tell her that I have returned to the barracks. I will return to the capital when I am free."
After saying that, he stood up and left.
Chen Min failed to keep him and watched him leave.
She clutched her chest, feeling incredibly miserable. She watched Chen Lu's back disappear into the crowd.
She lay on the table and cried bitterly. After crying, she wiped her tears, stood up and returned to the county government office.
No matter what Chen Lu thinks, life must go on.
Gu Yu was a little worried about her condition. "My mother-in-law sent someone over, but I sent them away. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I want to get some sleep first and then go see my mother tomorrow."
"Do you want me to go with you?"
Chen Min shook his head. "You don't have to accompany me. Besides, the government office can't do without you."
Gu Yu was worried about her, so he took some time out the next day to accompany Chen Min to the Huyang Princess Mansion.
When Princess Huyang gets angry, most people can't stand it.
Everyone in the Princess's Mansion was silent as a mouse, not daring to make a sound.
The servants still hadn't found Chen Lu, and Princess Huyang had already smashed four or five sets of tea sets.
When she was about to continue smashing, she was stopped by Chen Min.
"Mother, why not listen to your sister-in-law's opinion?"
Hu Yang paused holding the tea set, "Are you talking about Gu Jiu?"
"Exactly! Brother and Zhou Yi, everyone finds this incredible. But sister-in-law always has surprising things to say, so maybe she would have a different opinion."
"Even if Gu Jiu has a different opinion, I will never agree to become in-laws with Fu Ming."
Chen Min said calmly, "I'm afraid Princess Fuming wouldn't be happy to be my mother's in-law."
"I'd love to."
Gu Yu coughed lightly and said, "Let me interrupt you. Hasn't the palace asked about this matter?"
Princess Huyang was stunned, then shook her head.
Then, she called her trusted servant and asked, "What's going on in the palace?"
"The Jinwu Guards reported the incident truthfully. It is said that His Majesty only uttered three words."
Princess Huyang asked nervously, "Which three words?"
"'Understood!' Those are His Majesty's exact words."
Hu Yang suddenly felt a little panicked. "The Emperor only said three words, and there was no other explanation?"
The trusted servant shook his head.
Hu Yang was a little uneasy. After thinking for a while, he made up his mind very decisively, "I will go to the palace to meet my brother the emperor."
So he left Chen Min and Gu Yu behind, changed into court robes, and went into the palace.
…
Xingqing Palace.
The eunuch reported that Princess Huyang wanted to see her.
Emperor Wende first hummed, then said, "Let her wait in the side hall."
The eunuch received the order and withdrew.
Emperor Wende said bluntly to Chang En, "I don't want to see Huyang at this moment."
Chang En then asked, "Do you want me to send the princess away?"
Emperor Wende shook his head. "I know her temper perfectly well. She will not give up until she achieves her goal. If I don't see her, she will cause more trouble."
Chang En said: "If the Queen Mother were still alive, she could still ask her to persuade the Princess."
When mentioning the deceased Empress Dowager Xiao, Emperor Wende's eyes darkened, "Is there still no news of Su Wenzhi's whereabouts?"
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. We have not yet found Su Wenzhi's whereabouts. She disappeared out of thin air, as if she had never appeared."
"Ridiculous! A living person would always leave traces. It must be that the people below weren't careful enough."
"This old slave deserves death!"
Chang En knelt down and pleaded guilty.
Emperor Wende snorted coldly, "Get up! Tell the people below to hurry up and search for Su Wenzhi's whereabouts."
"I obey your command!"
"Also, let Huyang hang out for half an hour before calling her in."
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