How to Deal with Having the Villainous Tyrant’s Child Chapter 40

Chapter 40

He weakly leaned against the pillow at the head of the bed, clicked his tongue twice, and said, “You, I sincerely offer you advice, and this is how you respond?”

Yuwen Min glanced at him and said, “I also offer sincere advice. The longer it drags on, the more complications will arise. It’s better to marry sooner, to avoid unnecessary troubles.”

Lu Hanzhi caught the meaning in his words, and his teasing tone faded. He asked, “Did you hear something?”

Yuwen Min replied, “County Princess Zhaoyun is the daughter of Prince Zhenbei. The Five Tiger Generals of the Great Zhao, except for Prince Zhenbei, are all dispatched by General Wuwei with the Xuantie Tiger Talisman.”

Lu Hanzhi said, “Isn’t that good? If County Princess Zhaoyun marries Prince An, then…”

Before he could finish, Lu Hanzhi suddenly fell silent.

He looked up at Yuwen and said, “Does the Emperor want to… use the marriage of County Princess Zhaoyun to take back Prince Zhenbei’s military power? And then gradually regain the ability to dispatch the Tiger Talismans from the other four of the Great Zhao’s Five Tiger Generals, thereby weakening the power of General Rong?”

“Give a slap, then offer a sweet date, or give a sweet date, then slap. The order doesn’t matter; the goal is what matters,” Yuwen Min said. “The sequence is unimportant, but the purpose is paramount.”

Prince Zhenbei was essentially a decorative figure, yet he was directly controlled by the Emperor.

Yuwen Min continued, “The Five Tiger Generals of the Great Zhao were originally all under the command of the Tiger Talisman. The Emperor forced the position of Prince Zhenbei upon him, stripping one of my uncle’s military commands. Do you know who Prince Zhenbei used to be?”

Lu Hanzhi shook his head, since this wasn’t introduced in the original text!

These hidden plots were naturally unknown to Lu Hanzhi.

Yuwen Min said, “Prince Zhenbei came from the Rong family branch. He had little military achievement and performed mediocrely in the military. Yet, after being married to Princess Mingxi, he was given the title of Prince Zhenbei, gaining control over one of the Five Talismans. From then on, the northern frontier was nominally under the Rong family, but everyone knew it was in the Emperor’s hands, and the control over the military power shifted to him.”

Lu Hanzhi was shocked. The royal family really knows how to play the game. We common folk can’t understand this at all!

But now, Lu Hanzhi understood. He cautiously asked, “So, the Emperor wants to repeat the same marriage tactic and take some military power away from the Rong family again? But… my second sister-in-law doesn’t have any military power in hand!”

Yuwen Min replied, “Prince Zhenbei didn’t have military power in hand either. If the Emperor wants it, he will find a way. My elder brother’s fief is by the East Sea, rich and peaceful. Though the Wokou pirates are near, they’re blocked by the Dongli Pass. But if he goes to his fief, the responsibility for guarding the Dongli Pass might fall to him.”

Lu Hanzhi muttered, “No wonder the Emperor isn’t urgent about the Wokou pirates invading the East Sea, or the Wolf King causing chaos in the northern frontier… ” but when the Fourth Prince colludes with General Rong to rebel, then he’s in a hurry.

Lu Hanzhi asked, “Do you have a plan?”

Yuwen Min only said one word: “None.”

Lu Hanzhi: …

Yuwen Min said, “I only know how to fight. The rest, it’s up to you.”

Lu Hanzhi: … Are you overestimating me?

After a long silence, Lu Hanzhi said, “Your Highness… I think, County Princess Zhaoyun, with her noble status, would be wronged no matter who she’s married to. I believe she has the fortune to be Empress.”

One sentence awakened the dreamer, and Yuwen Min nodded and said, “I understand.”

Before leaving, he turned back to Lu Hanzhi and said, “The sixth of next month is a good day. Wang Fei should be ready to enter the door.”

Lu Hanzhi: …

I’d rather not walk through your door!

The next day, Princess Mingxi went to the palace to meet Imperial Concubine Rong as scheduled.

Imperial Concubine Rong was in good spirits lately, having just gained a grandson. Though she was anxious and hadn’t seen him yet, knowing that the little prince, whom she adored, had an heir, made her happier than her own son’s marriage.

However, Imperial Concubine Rong knew all too well the difficulties the Rong family was facing.

Since her son Ah Jue was imprisoned, she had known that the Emperor was going to take action against the Rong family.

This situation wouldn’t end with the Rong family submitting and retreating; it would only result in further suppression.

As a minister with great achievements and power, especially in this Emperor’s era, where he was suspicious and proud, even if General Rong was willing to compromise, all that awaited him was gradual suppression.

Thus, Imperial Concubine Rong dared not compete for favor, nor did she wish to.

Outside the palace, she had a brother with a reputation for shaking the throne, and inside the palace, there was a favored concubine who outshone the others.

Perhaps the Rong family thought they hadn’t died quickly enough and wanted to add fuel to the fire.

Imperial Concubine Rong had invited Princess Mingxi today, hoping that she could help them.

Trapped in the deep palace, she had no choice but to do what women do.

Princess Mingxi seemed in good spirits, but when she married to the northern frontier, she had been extremely unwilling.

Everyone knew that the Princess had a childhood sweetheart cousin, a prince, and they were mutually affectionate.

Had it not been for the Emperor’s sudden decree, they would have already been talking about marriage.

Though there had been resentment and anger over the years, in the end, they could not resist fate.

When they met, they exchanged formal pleasantries. Imperial Concubine Rong stepped forward, holding Princess Mingxi’s hand, and her eyes reddened.

“Back when we were in the Eastern Palace, we were the closest of friends. In the blink of an eye, more than ten years have passed, and Yun’er has reached the age to talk about marriage.”

Mentioning this, Princess Mingxi’s heart was filled with resentment. Being someone who spoke her mind, she said bluntly, “How dare you bring this up, Your Highness? What do I owe the Rong family? It’s one thing for me to marry into the Rong family, but now you want Yun’er to become a pawn in your power struggle over military control?”

When Imperial Concubine Rong heard this, she immediately spoke, “Good sister, you have misunderstood me. We women, we are all at the mercy of fate. I know you endured so much back then, and you don’t want Yun’er to suffer the same. But… my dear, Yun’er is one of the most noble daughters in the world. Of course, I understand that she deserves the highest status, and anything less would be beneath her. If it weren’t for this, I wouldn’t have asked you to come.”

“Who Yun’er marries, ultimately, is beyond her control. But her fate, in truth, still lies in the hands of you, the eldest princess. Since she cannot be with the one she loves in this life, why not make her the most powerful woman in the world?”

Princess Mingxi looked up at Imperial Concubine Rong after hearing these words.

Imperial Concubine Rong sighed and said, “Jue’er has no interest in the throne, and you should know this. The Emperor does not favor him, you should also be aware. The Emperor wishes to marry Yun’er to Jue’er, just as he did when he arranged my marriage with Rong Qing. They will end up as resentful partners. You’ve seen how things have been for me all these years, and you should know the pain of it. None of us want to see our children live unhappy lives in the future. If it were up to me, I would let Jue’er marry an ordinary woman and live a peaceful life. But Yun’er… she is destined to become the cornerstone of the royal family.”

This struck a chord with Princess Mingxi.

Whether they were princesses or county princesses, it sounded glamorous, admired by all.

But how many of them truly lived happily?

In the end, they had all become victims of the balancing act of imperial power.

To marry off a princess to an allied family; to appease ministers, a princess must marry off.

Princesses were like bricks, moved wherever they were needed.

After leaving Imperial Concubine Rong’s palace, Princess Mingxi made up her mind in secret.

Imperial Concubine Rong was right—why must a princess endure all of this?

She refused to accept it. She would find a way for Yun’er to walk a smooth path to success.

Even if it was difficult, as her mother, she would push her forward!

After Princess Mingxi left, Yuwen Min, who had been hiding in the back courtyard of Chenxi Pavilion, came out.

He slightly bowed to Imperial Concubine Rong and asked, “Mother, what did the princess say?”

Imperial Concubine Rong nodded slightly and said, “I’ve said all I needed to say. She should have understood. Mingxi knows the pain of being married off and will likely understand her daughter’s suffering.”

Yuwen Min nodded, then solemnly knelt before Imperial Concubine Rong, bowing his head to the ground. “Mother, it’s my fault. I’ve caused you trouble.”

Imperial Concubine Rong immediately crouched down and hugged Yuwen Min, tears flowing freely from her eyes.

She shook her head sadly and said, “It’s not you who have caused me trouble, my son. It’s I who have caused you this pain. If it weren’t for the Rong family, how would you have fallen into this predicament? When I heard the news, my heart broke. If I lost one son, I still have another. But if I lost both of you, how could I live the rest of my life? Ah, you must promise me! If something like this happens again, preserve your life! Never, ever risk your life to break into the prison again. If you fail, I’ll have lost both my sons!”

At this point, Imperial Concubine Rong was sobbing uncontrollably.

The love between mother and son was not fake. In the original text, Imperial Concubine Rong risked being stabbed by dozens of swords to save this adopted son. Yet, when she saw him escape alive, she was smiling.

Yuwen Min, naturally, had immense respect and love for his mother. He helped Imperial Concubine Rong up and said, “Mother, don’t worry! Even if I must give all my heart and soul, I swear to turn the tide and never let the Rong family be caught between enemies again.”

The words “caught between enemies” really touched Imperial Concubine Rong’s heart.

The Rong family had always been loyal to the Emperor, but when they faced the enemy, the Emperor was always plotting to trip them up and stab them in the back. How could loyal subjects not feel disheartened?

Imperial Concubine Rong firmly nodded and said, “If you need any help from me, don’t hesitate to ask. Your eldest brother praised you when he visited the palace the other day. He said you are brave and clever, capable of accomplishing great things. Your elder brother has never competed for anything, yet he ended up imprisoned in the Great Zhao. I hope you will make good use of your skills, protect yourself, and protect those you care about.”

Yuwen Min nodded, his resolve even more firm.

Then, Imperial Concubine Rong smiled and said, “Speaking of which, last night I asked the Emperor for a favor, and he allowed me to leave the palace to see my little grandson. How about this? Don’t tell your dear Hanzhi. I’ll go with you quietly. I really want to see what kind of beauty could make my son think of him day and night.”

Yuwen Min: …

Could this be a little inappropriate?

Oh, no, actually it’s fine.

Others might not handle this well, but for this mischievous son, there was probably no pressure at all.

So, a group of them left the palace and headed to an estate in the southern suburbs.

Lu Hanzhi had stayed up drinking the night before. He woke up in the middle of the night and chatted with Yuwen Min for a long time. Exhausted, he didn’t want to get up.

One leg was draped over the bed frame, his head resting on his arms, and he had a leaf from a potted plant in his mouth, idly swinging his leg.

The door knocked, and Lu Hanzhi called out, “Luan Feng, bring me a bowl of wonton noodles! Add some scallions and cilantro!”

But he then heard Yuwen Min’s voice, as cold and firm as usual, saying, “Mother Concubine is here. She wants to see you.”

*Thud…*

The author’s note:  

Consort Rong: This daughter-in-law… well… quite unique.

Lu Hanzhi: (Oh my gosh, this is so awkward!)

Your favorite BL chaos wouldn’t be possible without coffee… lots of coffee….
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