Chapter 64 "Second Young Master, Princess Ziluo is back..."
Chapter Sixty-Four: Old Friends ==
"Yes, madam, it is absolutely true."
Madam Lu even gave up the jade vase in her hand. Wanwan's return to the capital was wonderful news.
If it weren't for Prime Minister Lu's hand supporting her from below, the jade bottle in her hand would have fallen to the ground. Madam Lu was both surprised and delighted, and suddenly didn't know how to react. She pointed outside and said, "Quickly, quickly tell the Second Young Master this news."
What did you tell the second young master...?
His wife was truly confused. Prime Minister Lu quickly stopped her, somewhat helplessly saying, "Madam, you're really confused. Have you forgotten that Wanwan is now the Crown Princess of Beili?"
Su Wanyue and Lu Qingchen were childhood sweethearts. She was also close to the third daughter of Prime Minister Lu's family. She was practically raised by Prime Minister Lu and his wife. If she and Lu Qingchen were to get together, Prime Minister Lu would definitely approve. But it's just that the two children weren't meant to be.
Now that Su Wanyue has become the Crown Prince of Beili's legal wife, the couple is harmonious and loving. If they were to send their second son over now, what would others think?
Madam Lu slapped her forehead. "What you said makes sense. I've long considered Wanwan my own daughter. So, Qingchen is practically her brother. Should I deliberately keep her coming back a secret from Qingchen?"
Princess Zilu of the Southern Prince's Mansion returning to the capital was indeed impossible to keep secret.
"Then let someone tell Qingchen this news first. Wanwan will definitely have to go to the palace to see the Emperor and Empress before returning to the Prince of Nan's residence. Madam, please be calm. This person is there, he can't escape." After his initial shock, Prime Minister Lu advised her gently, not wanting them to lose their composure in the end.
"Yes, yes, yes." Madam Lu immediately summoned a servant, gave him some instructions, and then sent him to the Magnolia Garden.
The courtyard of Magnolia Garden was planted entirely with white magnolias, and coincidentally, the second son of Prime Minister Lu's family was just such a person.
The servant went straight to the study in the Magnolia Garden, knocked on the door three times, and said, "I have important business to discuss with the Second Young Master."
Lu Qingchen: "What is it? Speak."
"Second Young Master, Princess Zilu has returned to the capital."
Lu Qingchen's hand trembled, and the ink instantly soaked through the entire sheet of Xuan paper, turning the white paper black. Why did she come back at this time? Upon learning that Su Wanyue had returned, Lu Qingchen's first reaction was excitement, but after the excitement, Lu Qingchen's gentle brows were filled with worry. Her identity had been exposed. If Bei Li let her come back at this time, was it because the Crown Prince of Bei Li had bullied her?
The servant secretly observed the second young master's expression. He saw that the young master seemed excited, yet also unexcited. He seemed happy, but it was hard to describe the feeling. The servant couldn't figure it out, so he simply stopped trying.
It wasn't until the second young master asked him, "Did she come back alone?"
At first, the servant didn't understand what Lu Qingchen meant. But when the second young master asked him if Princess Zilu had returned alone, the servant understood his implication. The servant said, "Princess Zilu returned alone, but she came back to visit Prince Nan."
In Nanqiong, Su Wanyue's only real family was her father.
Hearing that she had returned alone to visit her family, Lu Qingchen breathed a sigh of relief. He had visited Uncle Nan yesterday, and Uncle Nan's spirits had improved considerably. With her return, Uncle Nan's health would surely recover even faster. Lu Qingchen's hands trembled as he suppressed his heartbeat, which had returned to life. He felt a mix of trepidation and excitement as he approached home. If he had known she was coming back, he should have visited Uncle Nan today.
But meeting her at this time would only bring her trouble, so it was better not to meet. Lu Qingchen calmed down.
"Is the Second Young Master going to the Prince of Nan's residence?" The servant scratched his head and tentatively asked Lu Qingchen, thinking that the Second Young Master probably wanted to see Princess Zilu.
Lu Qingchen certainly wanted to see her, but it wasn't the right time. He didn't know how many people were watching them. Lu Qingchen shook his head. "Let's go another day."
The capital city of Nanqiong is the place where secrets are hardest to keep. Everyone at Prime Minister Lu's residence knew that Su Wanyue had returned to the capital. The palace was the first to know. Before Su Wanyue could even go back to visit her father, she received an imperial edict from the Emperor and Empress of Nanqiong, summoning them to the palace for an audience.
When the Empress saw Su Wanyue, she was so excited that she grabbed her and laughed and cried at the same time. "Wanwan has suffered so much. It was all my fault before. I was bewitched for a moment, but I really had no choice at the time. Fortunately, spring is here now and Wanwan has become the Crown Princess of Beili and has children. I don't know how many people envy her."
Upon hearing this, Su Wanyue lowered her eyelashes and silently withdrew her small hand. She smiled slightly, her eyes showing a hint of aloofness. Seeing Su Wanyue's distant actions, the Empress was stunned for a moment. She didn't understand why the girl who used to be so close to her was now so unfamiliar with her. Was it because she had become the Crown Princess of Beili and the future Empress, and that she was no longer close to her former relatives? After all, she was the Empress of Nanqiong, her own aunt.
Qin Jue watched every detail clearly from the side. He pinched his brow helplessly. His mother didn't think she had done anything wrong at all. What else was there to say? She hadn't treated Wanwan sincerely. Did she expect Wanwan to be as close to her as before?
"Mother, Wanwan must be tired from her long journey. Why don't we let her go back and rest?" Qin Jue smiled slightly and stepped forward to help Su Wanyue out of the predicament.
Pregnant women are indeed prone to fatigue, and the Empress was persuaded. "And what about your father, the Emperor..."
Su Wanyue was a meritorious official of Nanqiong. Originally, the emperor wanted to come with the empress, but the Grand Tutor had a business to attend to and the emperor was still in the Qianqing Palace.
Facing the Empress, Qin Jue felt helpless. He rubbed his forehead and said, "Now that Wanwan has returned to the capital, there will definitely be many opportunities to meet in the future. Why don't we let Wanwan go back to the Prince's Mansion to see the Imperial Uncle first? The Imperial Uncle must miss his sister very much."
Qin Jue brought up the Prince of Nan, making it seem as if the Empress was deliberately keeping Su Wanyue in check. The Empress was not happy about this, but she smiled and patted Su Wanyue's hand, saying, "Then Wanwan, go back to your residence to visit your father first. After you have rested, you can come to the palace to keep me company."
Anyway, Su Wanyue has the palace token, so she can move freely in the Nanqiong Palace. Since she was a child, the Nanqiong Emperor and Empress have treated her very well. Now, she has not let down the Emperor and Empress's kindness.
The Empress was extremely satisfied with her. Not only did she not implicate them, but she also won the heart of the Crown Prince of Beili and had a child with him. If it were Wei Yang, the Empress would have been worried because Wei Yang was too spoiled and prone to causing trouble. If it were really her who married into the family, the Empress would definitely worry that she would not live well in Beili. Fortunately, this person was Su Wanyue, who had a quiet and gentle personality and did not cause them any trouble.
As the Empress was thinking, Princess Weiyang, dressed in a long robe and a peony-colored moon-flower skirt, walked in from outside the palace. As soon as she saw Su Wanyue, tears streamed down her face. "Wanwan."
She rushed over and grasped Su Wanyue's delicate, fair hand, her voice choked with sobs as she repeatedly apologized to Su Wanyue, "Wanwan, I'm so sorry. If it weren't for my momentary recklessness, you wouldn't have had to marry in my place. I know I was wrong, please forgive me, Wanwan."
“Cousin, it’s all in the past now.” Su Wanyue and Princess Weiyang had a very good relationship back in Nanqiong, especially when she stayed overnight at the palace. She and Princess Weiyang would sleep in the same room and chat about everything under the sun. But now, their relationship has become distant. There’s nothing wrong with Princess Weiyang wanting to pursue what she wants. If anyone is sorry, it’s the Emperor, the Empress and all the people of Nanqiong. She didn’t consider what the consequences would be if she ran away from the marriage.
"Yes, it's all in the past. I was just worried that you weren't doing well in Beili." Princess Weiyang rubbed her red eyes, her tone somewhat embarrassed.
“His Highness the Crown Prince of Beili isn’t a monster. Wanwan and he are a harmonious couple with a good relationship. There are some things you shouldn’t say, sister.” Before Su Wanyue could speak, Qin Jue immediately interrupted Princess Weiyang.
His words were clearly tinged with emotion, and Princess Weiyang's eyes immediately dimmed. Wanwan had already returned, and her complexion was rosy, clearly indicating that she was doing very well in Beili. Wanwan no longer blamed her, but her brother was still blaming her, which made Princess Weiyang very uncomfortable. The Empress's gaze was already on Su Wanyue and Princess Weiyang. Seeing Princess Weiyang's gloomy expression and pale face, the Empress immediately glared at Qin Jue, "Weiyang is just worried about Wanwan. Why do you have to say such harsh words? Wanwan and Weiyang are both your sisters. The Crown Prince cannot favor one over the other."
Qin Jue lifted the tea lid, "How could your son show favoritism to one over the other, Mother?"
Su Wanyue yawned as she listened, her eyes languid. Qin'er knew she was tired and immediately said to the Empress, "Your Majesty, the Princess gets tired easily since she became pregnant. This servant will help the Princess back first."
"Your subject will take Wanwan back first." Qin Jue stood up at the opportune moment, his attitude amiable.
"Your brother is something else. His own sister is in the palace, and he doesn't care about her at all, but he cares a lot about Wanwan." After everyone left, the Empress's gaze sharpened, and she complained.
It wasn't that the Empress didn't care about Su Wanyue, but her son's attitude was just too much. His own sister was right there, and he didn't even say a kind word. But when it came to Wanwan, he was acting like a proper older brother.
“My brother has always been closer to Wanwan than to me, and I’ve gotten used to it.” The more the Empress spoke, the more disappointed Princess Weiyang looked. Seeing this, the Empress stopped talking and comforted her, “In the end, the blood relationship will not change. You are still your brother’s own sister. Wanwan will be leaving the capital in half a month. Look at Wanwan, how loving she is with the Crown Prince of Beili. What kind of consort do you want? Apart from Wang Chen, I will agree to anyone else.”
She hadn't forgotten that it was Wang Chen who took Wei Yang with him when they escaped. How could a mere eunuch be worthy of a legitimate princess? In truth, Princess Wei Yang didn't like Wang Chen either.
"Once I find a husband I like, I will definitely ask Mother to grant me a marriage. Mother, please stop nagging me." Princess Weiyang pouted unhappily. The Empress was helpless with this daughter. "Alright, alright, Mother won't say anymore."
"Should I spend more time at the Southern Prince's residence with Wanwan these next few days? Why didn't the Crown Prince of Beili come with Wanwan this time?" Princess Weiyang asked the Empress, propping her chin on her hand.
"I didn't ask in detail, but I heard that an epidemic broke out in Beili before the New Year. As the Crown Prince of Beili, he may not be able to take the time to accompany Wanwan."
If it weren't for her daughter's disappointing behavior, wouldn't she be the Crown Princess of Beili now? In the end, people's hearts are still biased.
Qin Jue accompanied Su Wanyue back to the Southern Prince's residence, and also paid a visit to the Southern Prince. Seeing that Su Wanyue's expression clearly showed some nervousness, Qin Jue couldn't help but smile, "Is my sister feeling nervous about returning home?"
He had only meant it as a joke, but the girl nodded slightly, her expression serious, "A little."
Qin Jue smiled and looked at her gently, "The Nanwang Mansion is your own home, no matter when. Uncle Nanwang must already be waiting inside. Let's go in quickly."
The Prince of Nan was indeed waiting inside. He had a refined appearance, and one could still vaguely see the handsome features of his youth. He possessed a majestic and imposing presence, exuding the aura of a military general. At this moment, his eyes kept glancing outside, revealing his anxiety. "Why hasn't Wanwan returned yet?"
Do my brother and sister-in-law have so much to say to Wanwan? Just as the Prince of Nan was about to go to the palace to fetch his daughter, his daughter's clear voice came from outside, "Father."
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