Jingyang Palace.
Hearing the commotion, Xu Ruyu in the main hall thought it was His Majesty and hurried to open the door, only to find that His Majesty's imperial carriage had gone straight to the side hall and His Majesty hadn't even noticed him.
Xu Ruyu thought that His Majesty had come to favor his younger brother. His eyes lowered, and he was slightly disappointed. He comforted himself, saying that His Majesty's harem would only grow larger and larger, and that Ruyan was better than anyone else.
Xu Ruyan, who was in the side hall, also heard the commotion, but he thought that His Majesty had come to see his brother again, so he didn't pay attention. He was stroking the sachet with his hand, his mind blank.
The door was suddenly pushed open, startling him. He instinctively hid the sachet under the covers and looked towards the doorway.
Chen Xiao stood alone at the door and witnessed the whole thing.
Xu Ruyan: I might have to send it...
Chen Xiao: Oh dear, here comes the pillow when I'm sleepy. If I can't get this gossip out of you, I'm not a Chu.
Chen Xiao closed the door and looked at Xu Ruyan with the eyes of someone looking at a lamb to the slaughter. Xu Ruyan trembled, feeling that her sister-in-law's eyes had the feeling of a big bad wolf.
The two remained silent for a long time in this strange atmosphere.
In the end, Xu Ruyan couldn't take it anymore, stood up, bowed, and then tried to kneel down to admit her mistake.
Chen Xiao strode forward and pressed him down. "Speak your mind, don't just kneel down all the time!" Don't be ridiculous!
Under Chen Xiao's encouraging gaze (or perhaps you've misunderstood), Xu Ruyan confessed everything.
Chen Xiao was shocked: I really misjudged him. How could this child be so honest and simple? I haven't even started asking him anything, and he has already told me everything. I can't imagine how he grew up in such a high-class family as the Prime Minister's Mansion. If he can't leave the palace in the future, what will he do in the harem?
Although her curiosity was satisfied, her lips twitched as she asked, "What makes you trust me so much that you've told me everything?"
Xu Ruyan said sincerely, "My brother told me that His Majesty is a good man, and I also believe in His Majesty's character. Rather than waiting for His Majesty to ask questions, I would rather explain myself clearly. Moreover, I do not want my brother and the Prime Minister's Mansion to be implicated by me. I hope that His Majesty can consider that I have taken the initiative to explain and punish only me, exempting the others from punishment?"
Chen Xiao looked into Xu Ruyan's clear and innocent eyes: ...Where is that taciturn and arrogant boy from back then?
"Alright, sit down and let's talk. Tell me about your partner... oh no, I mean the person you admire. Tell me who she is, and then I'll decide how to punish you."
So the two sat and chatted harmoniously.
Half an hour later, with Chen Xiao's enthusiastic support, Xu Ruyan became more and more animated as she spoke, and eventually the conversation turned to other things, giving Chen Xiao an unexpected surprise.
"What?! How could my imperial aunt have experienced such a thing?" Chen Xiao exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock.
It turns out that Xu Ruyan's love interest is the only daughter of Grand Princess Qianyun, Princess Yuanyin, and Chen Xiao also learns a lot about Grand Princess Qianyun from Xu Ruyan.
Chu Qianyun was actually Chu Qiaoling's original choice for successor and the first crown prince. However, when Chu Yanxi grew up, it was discovered that Chu Yanxi's thoughts were highly similar to Chu Qiaoling's, and she was more suitable for the position of emperor than Chu Qianyun.
Later, Chu Qiaoling deposed Chu Qianyun and made Chu Yanxi the crown prince, but this was not mentioned at all in the book.
Although Chu Qianyun was deposed, she was granted the title of Princess. Furthermore, Chu Qiaoling wrote an imperial edict to announce to the world that Chu Qianyun had done nothing wrong, and that the choice of a more suitable person was made for the sake of the Night Dynasty. She also expressed her apology to Chu Qianyun.
An emperor publicly apologized to his daughter, causing an uproar throughout the land.
Therefore, people unanimously believe that Chu Qianyun must have extraordinary abilities, and His Majesty is also very wise, having chosen a wise ruler for the future of the Night Dynasty.
Thus, this imperial edict gloriously accomplished its three tasks.
Chu Qianyun is powerful, has a high status, and is favored. Although she cannot become an emperor, as the elder sister of the future emperor, her future is bright. Naturally, there are many people who want to curry favor with her.
The Qi family of Guangling was one of them.
The head of the Qi family at that time was Qi Yuan's father. As the second son born out of wedlock, Qi Yuan was never valued by his father. However, Qi Yuan was handsome and attracted the attention of many people at the palace banquet, including Chu Qianyun. However, Chu Qianyun had no other feelings for him.
As a merchant family, the Qi family was never short of business acumen. Qi's father shrewdly grasped a path that would allow the Qi family to flourish: to collect information about Chu Qianyun's preferences, mold Qi Yuan into someone she admired, and then let Qi Yuan attract her in a certain way. If successful, their future would be limitless; if they failed...?
Qi Yuan's reply was: success is the only option; failure is not an option. If he fails, his maternal family will cease to exist.
Unsurprisingly, Qi Yuan succeeded. Having grown up in the deep palace, the princess had little contact with men her age, and in the first year after moving out of the palace, she met her perfect lover.
Chu Qianyun wanted to marry Qi Yuan, but Qi Yuan prevented her from informing her mother, the Empress, of this matter. Qi Yuan kept trying to brainwash her, saying that the two were of vastly different social statuses and that His Majesty would never agree to it, and so on.
Chu Qianyun said that her mother was not such a feudal person, but she was still successfully brainwashed. Fearing that her mother would not agree to the marriage, she took the initiative to use her power and status to pave the way for the Qi family.
As a result, the Qi family gradually became extremely wealthy and became a supplier of provisions for war. Even His Majesty treated the Qi family with great respect.
Just then, a sudden change occurred. Just when Chu Qianyun thought they could get married, Qi Yuan seemed unable to bear that Chu Qianyun had been deceived by him for five years. He confessed the truth, claiming that he had gradually fallen in love with her, but felt unworthy of her and hoped to part ways peacefully.
Chu Qianyun found it all utterly absurd, but she remained clear-headed and believed that Qi Yuan was not telling her the truth out of apology or love, but perhaps there was another reason behind it.
She began sending people to investigate Qi Yuan, and at the same time started to deal with the Qi family.
The result was that Qi Yuan already had someone he liked long before they met, and the two had already secretly pledged their lives to each other, and Qi's father had always known about this.
Now that Qi Yuan's sweetheart is pregnant, he hopes to marry her and give the child a proper status.
When Qi's father learned of the consequences, he resolutely refused. He could tell clearly which family background was more advantageous to the Qi family: the Princess or an orphan. He instructed Qi Yuan to handle the woman properly and not let Chu Qianyun know about it.
Qi Yuan was unwilling to treat his lover this way, which is why he said what he said to Chu Qianyun earlier.
Chu Qianyun was furious when she learned of this. After careful consideration, she decided not to tell her mother, the Empress, because the Night Dynasty had only been established for a little over twenty years, and the war was not yet over. The war depended on the Qi family's provisions.
If the Qi family were to be in trouble, and Ye Chao were unable to gather enough provisions in a short time, the consequences would be unimaginable to her. If the war were lost, the people would be displaced.
Therefore, Chu Qianyun chose to give up.
When Qi's father learned that Qi Yuan had told Chu Qianyun the truth, he was furious and immediately prepared to severely punish Qi Yuan and his mother's family. However, Qi Yuan was prepared.
Later, Qi Yuan overthrew his father and became the new head of the Qi family. He supported his birth mother, helped her family, and married his sweetheart. Qi's father and the rest of the Qi family never appeared in public again.
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