Chapter 67 The Ultimate Romantic Brain: I'm the Real Husband, They're All Just Mistresses...
Looking at the festive red decorations and the bustling scene of servants coming and going, Lu Lingyue felt completely out of place.
He gazed into the distance, looking towards the main courtyard, listening to the laughter and chatter inside, his thoughts drifting uncontrollably.
What was Yuan Yan doing with that young master Yang at this moment?
She must be very happy right now. Her new wife is a dignified and elegant lady from a respectable family; she certainly won't be like him, disobeying his wife and causing everyone to dislike him.
Perhaps it was because Lu Lingyue's aura was too suppressed.
When a waiter carrying a plate passed by him, he was startled to see Lu Lingyue standing outside.
"Master Lu? Master Lu, is there something you need here...?" he asked instinctively.
However, Lu Lingyue seemed not to hear, her expression serene and silent as she turned and left.
"That's strange. His Highness is marrying the Minister, so why isn't Lu Shifu staying in his own courtyard? What's he doing here..." The male servant looked at his back and couldn't help but wonder.
At this time, all the servants were gathered in the main courtyard. In the other secluded courtyards of the Prince's mansion, only one or two people remained on duty.
Lu Lingyue didn't know where he was going. The surrounding music and celebration were too noisy; perhaps he just wanted to find a quieter place.
He was walking aimlessly. Before he knew it, he had entered an abandoned courtyard.
The servants in the courtyard must have gone to the front yard to collect their rewards. The courtyard was empty.
Lu Lingyue pushed open the door and entered, expecting to find the room empty, but to her surprise, she found many familiar objects on the table inside.
"How did these things get here?"
Upon seeing what the object looked like, Lu Lingyue was stunned.
It seemed he had seen something he could hardly believe.
In that instant, Lu Lingyue's calm expression shattered.
He reached out and picked up a broken piece of jade hairpin, his heart skipped a beat, and he showed a rare look of helplessness.
Lu Lingyue recognized the things in the room at a glance.
These jade bracelets and hairpin fragments piled together, along with the inkstone and brush washer beside them, were all gifts Yuan Yan had given him in the past.
However, when he broke off the engagement, he returned all these things, along with the correspondence, to Yuan Yan. It's just that he doesn't know why they are all now placed in this abandoned courtyard, and in such a broken state.
"You really don't know?" a voice in his mind asked him.
"..." Lu Lingyue tightened her grip on the broken jade, a look of utter disarray in her eyes.
Given his intelligence, it would be difficult for him not to guess what was going on.
Yuan Yan originally cherished their friendship, which is why he kept sending them various gifts to please him.
But he personally returned these items, which were imbued with affection, thus declaring the end of their relationship.
Through these shattered jade hairpins and bracelets, Lu Lingyue seemed to personally feel Yuan Yan's boundless rage that day. Her heart suddenly ached, as if pierced by something, and a trace of pain quietly arose.
Just then, footsteps suddenly sounded.
Who's here?
The servant guarding the courtyard returned, saw the door open, and hurriedly went inside.
“It’s me.” Lu Lingyue stood in the dark room and answered like a ghost.
The servants raised lanterns and recognized Lu Lingyue. They were quite surprised to see their mistress standing there alone.
"Master Lu." The servant put down his lantern and bowed.
"What's going on with the things in this room?" Lu Lingyue asked anxiously before the servants could even get up, disregarding everything else.
"Master Lu, these things were given to Lu Cai for safekeeping by the steward, and Lu Cai is unaware of them," the servant said.
Lu Lingyue's inquiries yielded no results, so she returned and had someone ask the steward for information.
"Young master, I've found out. It was His Highness who ordered it to be smashed and thrown away."
"The steward knows that His Highness once treasured these things, and fearing that His Highness might have acted impulsively in anger when he gave the order, he didn't dare to actually throw them away. Instead, he placed these smashed items in the abandoned courtyard for temporary preservation," Hengwu said.
"However, my father-in-law also said that it seems we won't need it now. Thank you for reminding me, my husband. He will have someone clean it up tomorrow."
Lu Lingyue listened and remained silent for a moment. His eyes seemed to hold a multitude of emotions, churning together like the sea before a storm, about to unleash a massive wave.
"Hengwu, go and retrieve these items." His voice was very low and soft; if you listened carefully, you could hear a slight tremor in it.
Even the servants knew how much Yuan Yan had valued him, yet he had discarded all those things, along with Yuan Yan's good intentions, as worthless.
Why was Yuan Yan so angry with him back then, risking punishment to forcibly take him back to his residence?
Why did she stop paying attention to him for months, treating him like air in the palace and refusing to say another word to him...? All these actions have a reason; he himself created the current situation.
Lu Lingyue's lips turned pale, and he felt as if the idea that had always supported him had shattered.
He viewed the marriage between Yuan Yan and himself as a union between their two families. A union based on mutual benefit could naturally end with mutual benefit as well.
Only Yuan Yan truly gave his heart. That's why he responded in such an extreme way after the Lu family broke off their engagement.
Ultimately, the person who wronged Yuan Yan the most was not the Lu family, but himself.
The truth that Lu Lingyue was unwilling to admit was finally fully exposed before her eyes.
However, the person who should have been the one to apologize to him the most no longer cared at all.
...
The second day of the wedding.
When Yuan Yan got up in the morning, he was full of energy. But Yang Lingyi, who was experiencing marital relations for the first time, felt sore all over and had no strength.
"My wife..."
He spoke softly, stood up to help Yuan Yan get dressed, but slumped back down the next moment.
"Alright, Yi'er, don't push yourself. It's still early, you should rest some more." Yuan Yan smiled, tucked Yang Lingyi back into the quilt, and pressed her down to sleep.
Emperor Yuan Yan had a wedding and a ten-day holiday. During this time, he was exempt from attending court.
According to the rules of the Phoenix Kingdom, a prince is only required to enter the palace to express his gratitude on the third day after his marriage. Therefore, since there is nothing important today, Yang Lingyi can rest a little longer.
"No, I've only just married into the Prince's mansion and I'm already getting up this late. The people in the mansion will laugh at me."
Yang Lingyi shook her head repeatedly and tried to get up, but she was no match for Yuan Yan's strength and failed in her struggle.
"Don't worry, with me here, the servants in the manor won't dare to say a word."
Yuan Yan chuckled softly, then lay down again, pulling the blankets wrapped around Yang Lingyi into his arms. The two snuggled together, the atmosphere peaceful.
So when the male servants came in, they saw the two masters being so intimate.
This made Xueji, who was at the front, blush and quickly step forward to serve.
Yuan Yan had a slight impression of Jin Shu, who was beside Yang Lingyi. Seeing that Jin Shu was not among the male servants who came in, he casually asked about her.
"Yi'er, where is your previous male servant?"
"Is Sister Yan referring to Jinshu?" Yang Lingyi thought for a moment.
“Father said that Jinshu was getting old and that she had served me for so many years without any merit but with hard work. After asking her opinion, he let her go and get married.”
The dowry that Yang Lingyi brought this time included either an experienced father-in-law who would manage the courtyard for her.
Or they would be handsome male servants like Qinglan and Xueji, selected and raised from childhood to serve Yang Lingyi when she was sick or unwell, thus securing her favor and serving his wife... This was also a common practice in wealthy families when marrying off their sons.
"So that's how it is."
Yuan Yan, of course, knew nothing of this. Upon hearing this, he nodded and instructed the male servants to help Yang Lingyi with her washing and grooming.
After the two of them walked out of the courtyard together and finished their breakfast,
Yuan Yan wanted to follow Yang Lingyi, but was met with a reproachful glare.
"Sister Yan, I'm going to see the servants of the Prince's mansion. Are you coming with me?"
Managing the backyard is the husband's responsibility as the head of the household, and according to the rules of the Phoenix Kingdom, women should not be present. Upon hearing this, Yuan Yan indeed stopped in his tracks.
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Yi'er." She smiled and turned to go to the study.
After Yuan Yan left, Yang Lingyi did not rush to see Shen Lianzhou and the others. Instead, she asked her dowry father-in-law to tell him about the situation in the backyard of the Prince's mansion that she had found out.
"My lord, the enemy has found out everything." The dowry eunuch returned, his face beaming with obvious joy.
"Eunuch Kong, why are you so happy after going out?" Qinglan asked.
"Oh dear, isn't this captive just happy for his master?" Eunuch Kong said with a beaming smile, offering his congratulations repeatedly.
Yang Lingyi looked slightly surprised: "Father-in-law, what brings you this joy?"
"Your Majesty is blessed; Your Highness's backyard is the cleanest I have ever seen."
"Not to mention that there is only Shen Shuqing and Lu Shifu in the backyard. Lu Shifu is not favored and poses no threat to the master."
Kong Gonggong spoke with such certainty that it aroused the curiosity of everyone present.
"Why is that?" Yang Lingyi pressed.
"Your Highness also knows about this Lu Shifu. He was Your Highness's first fiancé. The Lu family was blind to his worth and broke off the engagement, thus humiliating Your Highness. His Majesty himself demoted Lu Shifu to a mere servant."
"Given this past incident, he's unlikely to rise again in this lifetime. He poses no threat to his master and is nothing to worry about," Eunuch Kong said with a smile.
Before persuading the Empress Dowager to arrange a marriage for Yang Lingyi, the eldest prince inquired about Yuan Yan's inner quarters and learned that there were not many men in Yuan Yan's room, which put his mind at ease.
However, because Lu Lingyue's story was not pleasant to hear, the eldest prince did not tell Yang Lingyi much detail, only vaguely mentioning that Yuan Yan had once had a fiancé.
"Father, that's all in the past. Anyway, Sister Yan hasn't married him to be the chief minister, so I don't care." That's what Yang Lingyi replied at the time.
Emperor Chang thought that Lu Lingyue was not going to amount to anything in her current state, so he didn't say anything more.
Therefore, it was only at this moment that Yang Lingyi learned the complete story behind the annulment of the engagement, and a feeling of heartache welled up inside her.
How could such a good woman as Sister Yan end up with a fiancé like Madam Lu, who is so opportunistic and sycophantic?
Breaking off an engagement and remarrying is such a blow to a woman's dignity! At that time, the wife was already in a difficult situation, and Lu, as her fiancé, not only did not support his future wife, but also kicked her when she was down.
There must have been all sorts of gossip surrounding my sister, and I don't know how she got through that period.
Yang Lingyi was already filled with indignation after just imagining it for a moment.
"If only I had come to the capital a few months earlier..."
He bit his lip and murmured to himself. He wished he could be there in front of Yuan Yan back then, gently comforting her and accompanying her through this difficult time.
Meanwhile, Eunuch Kong continued talking.
"But Master should be careful with this Shen Shuqing."
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