"That's wrong. No matter who ascends the throne, she is the legitimate mother and the absolute Queen Mother. She doesn't need to favor anyone."
"Ah! Things in your family are really complicated. It would be better if there were fewer people around."
"You don't have a big family, but isn't it still a mess?"
Xu Yixing was powerless to refute. Gu and Nanny Gu alone were enough to kill the mother of two illegitimate children. He couldn't imagine how chaotic the family would be if there were more people.
Seeing that she was in a low mood, Lu Anyuan reached out and gently tugged at her sleeve: "We won't be like this in the future. I won't even take a concubine, so don't worry."
Xu Yixing wouldn't buy it. When would it be my turn to decide the prince's marriage? What a wishful thinking. "Really? Then I'll have to be careful of your good mothers and concubines, so they don't cause trouble for me and keep sending people in every few days."
Lu Anyuan seemed to be thinking about something and did not respond to Xu Yixing's words for a long time. When Xiao Youzi arrived at the gate of Zhaode Hall to report, Lu Anyuan said seriously:
"Actually, you don't need to listen to what I say, you just need to watch what I do."
Judging by deeds rather than words may seem simple, but countless people in the world have failed because of this.
Xu Yixing was surprised he would say such a thing, but she remained cautious. After all, a man's words were only true at the moment they were spoken. As for the future, Xu Yixing didn't want to gamble, because the man she had once believed in most in the world had ruined her with his own hands.
The Zhaode Hall looks much more refined and luxurious than the Empress's Zhaoren Palace, but it is located in the south and is not as noble as the east-facing one.
When the young eunuch came out after reporting, it was not a palace maid who came out to greet him, but the second prince.
"Seventh brother, Second Miss Xu, please come in quickly. Mother has been waiting for you!"
When Lu Anyuan saw the Second Prince, he immediately put on an expression of deep fear and trepidation: "Second brother? Why are you coming to greet him in person? As a younger brother, I can't bear this."
"Why should we be so polite?"
The two of them were allowed into the hall, and Xu Yixing was disgusted by the sight. What brotherly love and respect? These two were even more fake than puppets in a puppet show.
The hall was filled with a rich scent of incense, seemingly the same ambergris the emperor usually used, but with a hint of floral fragrance added to it. It was very strong and a bit choking. However, the people inside the hall seemed to be unable to smell it. They held their breath and concentrated, without making a sound.
"Yuan'er is here, please sit down." The voice was very gentle and pleasant. Xu Yixing saw Ying Fei, who was wearing layers of palace clothes, but had a baby face, big black eyes, and looked younger than himself.
Is the rumored beloved Concubine Ying really this childlike? She looks pretty much like the fourth character in the film.
"Greetings to Concubine Ying."
"No need to be polite. This is Yi Yan, right? She's quite good-looking. Needless to say, she's a perfect match for our Yuan Er."
Ying Fei's eyes were full of tenderness, and she looked at Xu Yixing and Lu Anyuan as if they were her own children. Xu Yixing was not used to it, but he still sat next to Lu Anyuan and listened to Ying Fei's words.
"Yi Yan, after this marriage, the old general will be relieved, right? Both of his daughters married so well, they are really blessed!"
It was quite a blessing... Sun Ziyou had always said to others that his wife had a chronic illness and therefore rarely left the house. But after such a big commotion that day, everyone in the capital knew that "Xu Yixing" had disfigured her. Now Ying Fei's words were quite mocking.
"Thank you for your kind words, Your Majesty. Your Majesty now has children and grandchildren. You will naturally be happy and content with them."
The second prince got married early, so he already had children, but he was still confined in the palace by the emperor, like a giant baby. How can you face it?
Concubine Ying's expression remained unchanged, she simply glanced at her son tenderly. The Second Prince immediately stood up and took out a box as well.
"Seventh brother, this is the newly delivered golden lark. Mother specifically asked for it to be a gift for you and Second Miss Xu. Take it back and try it."
The golden lark isn't a bird, but a type of tea. Its bright yellow color and pointed, thin tips give it its name. It's truly precious, and I imagine all the tribute from the palace is with Concubine Ying.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Lu Anyuan accepted the gift box respectfully.
"Today is our first meeting, and we will meet many times in the future. I still need to make prayer flags for the emperor, so you should go ahead."
I didn't expect that Ying Fei's situation would be so easy to deal with. When Xu Yixing walked out, he still felt it was a little unreal.
After the two left, the Second Prince sat down next to Concubine Ying, completely free of his previous restraint.
"Mother, what do you think of Xu Yiyan?"
Concubine Ying also relaxed her body, as the clothes were weighing her down.
"Hmph, you vixen! You're so young and yet you dare to mock your elders. If you become the prince's consort, you'll be in heaven!"
"She's General Xu's daughter. Xu Yixing is finished now. If Xu Yiyan marries my seventh brother, General Xu will definitely support him. What should we do?"
Concubine Ying took a breath and said nonchalantly, "Don't worry, this is obviously a good thing. Those people in the Sun Mansion have been secretly contacting your fifth brother. Now if your seventh brother can share some of General Xu's support, the Duke's Mansion will not be so powerful anymore."
"He's just wishful thinking, he doesn't deserve it!"
"Don't forget, Old Five is also your father's son. He has no foundation, so he's much easier to support than you! You must hurry up and implement the liquidation of the land property that I suggested to your father, otherwise the Sun family will be too carefree."
Ying Fei showed a little bit of disappointment on her face, but soon turned into the image of a loving mother.
Although my son has his shortcomings, he is the best among all the princes. It’s a pity that the emperor never allows him to leave the palace, so many communication matters cannot be handled. It’s really a headache.
"But we also have some land. If we conduct a large-scale investigation, I'm afraid we'll be caught making mistakes."
"Don't worry. When the rumors first broke out before the New Year, I had your uncle take action to re-register all the land under our name and report it to the authorities. Now our family is innocent and could not be more innocent."
Concubine Ying looked at the second prince and wanted to touch his face, but her son was already grown up, so it was not appropriate to do so.
"Although your mother's family background is not as noble as your third brother's, the whole family is counting on you to achieve great things and will definitely not hold you back. My son, you must strive to be an outstanding person!"
The Second Prince's face was touched, but as he lowered his head, his eyes were filled with disgust. He had heard such words countless times since childhood and was already fed up with them.
After Xu Lu and the other person left the house, it was time for lunch. They were not planning to have lunch in any empress's palace today, so they just took the time to eat lunch in an empty hall near the South Six Palaces.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
