Chapter 140: Reward
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“Has the Wangfei been moved?” Yuwen Chu naturally held Mingzhu’s elbow, leading her towards the palace gate with a brilliant smile on his face, ignoring the various glances around them.
Was she moved? It seemed so. She wasn’t blind; she couldn’t treat such a handsome, capable, and intelligent man as an ordinary stone on the roadside. But this man was too dangerous, and she had to keep some distance. Otherwise, when the honey pot broke, wouldn’t it be embarrassing and painful?
Mingzhu smiled, glanced at Yuwen Chu lightly, and said half-jokingly, “Of course, I’ve been moved. Your Highness, can’t you see?”
Yuwen Chu continued walking, smiling at her. “Really?”
“Truer than pearls, don’t you believe me?” Mingzhu pretended to be aggrieved. “This truly breaks my heart.”
“I believe you.” Suddenly, Yuwen Chu stopped and took her hand, bringing it to his lips for a gentle kiss. He gazed into her eyes and said slowly, “I believe you.”
Mingzhu’s face flushed instantly. Despite her boldness and indifference to worldly opinions, she couldn’t help feeling embarrassed by his boldness. This man, how could he… how could he be like this? He used to be so dignified in front of others, but now that they were married, he dared to do such things in front of so many people, right at the palace gates.
“Why are you blushing?” Yuwen Chu didn’t mind at all, pointing happily at the palace servants who came to congratulate them. “Li Quanxin, reward them.”
Li Quanxin grinned and had two large chests brought down. He said grandly, “Don’t worry, we have plenty!”
When the chests were opened, they were filled with specially made small silver coins, shining brightly. They were strung together with red threads in groups of twelve, symbolizing prosperity. Although they might not be very conspicuous when distributed individually, two large chests filled with them were quite eye-catching. Mingzhu, even though she had never worried about money before, couldn’t help feeling a bit pained when she realized that this money was also partly hers. She lightly tugged at Yuwen Chu’s sleeve and whispered, “It’s not good to flaunt wealth like this, right?”
Yuwen Chu’s eyes lit up. “Are you worried about the money, or about me?”
Mainly about the money, but also about him being targeted with envy and resentment, which would ultimately make her life difficult too, ruining their plans. Mingzhu knew how to say things to please a man, but facing Yuwen Chu’s bright eyes, somehow, her words of deception turned into truth at the tip of her tongue. “Your money is mine too. If you’re targeted, and your life becomes difficult, then I won’t have a good life either.”
Yuwen Chu looked at Mingzhu with a smile, feeling particularly pleased. “You’re right. Half of this money indeed comes from your dowry. If I have a hard time, you certainly won’t have it easy either.”
“Who are you trying to fool?” Mingzhu didn’t believe it. She had just married him, and he could freely access her dowry, and the steward responsible for her dowry hadn’t even consulted her. He was powerful, but he shouldn’t be this powerful, right? If it were true, her steward could be executed for neglecting his duty. All the people she married into were carefully selected by her parents, none of them were fools, especially the steward who managed her dowry, Li Bochun.
“You don’t believe me? Your father said that once you marry me, you belong to me. The money and property you bring with you, I can freely access. He even brought Li Bochun here to instruct him personally. Don’t tell me you didn’t know about this?” Yuwen Chu looked surprised. “Originally, this reward money wasn’t a big deal. I had already prepared it. But I thought since we are married, we should both contribute to the reward for good luck, to symbolize our unity as a couple. So I had Li Bochun exchange some gold ingots for it. You remember those fifty-tael gold ingots, don’t you?”
Nonsense. What’s hers is hers, and what’s his is hers too! How could her father, who cherished her so much, hand over her money and people to him? But he spoke as if it made sense, even knowing about the fifty-tael gold ingots she brought as part of her dowry, and even her father giving him the model of that bed crossbow… When she recalled how he extorted money from her at the Jade Emperor Temple, Mingzhu felt more and more convinced that this man was capable of anything! Li Bochun must have fallen for his tricks and schemes.
Seeing the palace servants kneeling on the side of the road, congratulating them joyfully, Mingzhu didn’t want to appear stingy or unwilling to spend money, so she held back her anger and smiled falsely. “Your Highness is right, a united couple is auspicious. But does it mean I have to contribute half of our household expenses in the future?”
Yuwen Chu frowned. “You know that the expenses of the mansion are high, and there’s not much income…” Seeing Mingzhu’s expression turn ugly, he affectionately flicked her nose and said with a smile, “Why do you believe everything I say? Do you think I married you but can’t afford to support you?”
Mingzhu snorted lightly. “Do you think I’m that naive? I was just trying to please you. I’m not stupid. I have a brain of my own.”
Yuwen Chu blinked. “Is that so? Then, am I the foolish one?”
Mingzhu rolled her eyes. “I didn’t say that. If you dare to call yourself foolish, then who in this world would admit they are clever?” Seeing Yuwen Chu’s smug look, she couldn’t help feeling annoyed. Was teasing her so enjoyable for him?
The two of them entered the Chongming Hall together. He Zhengtu, the head eunuch of the Chongming Hall, came out to greet them and led them in. He first congratulated them and then whispered softly, “His Majesty just got up not long ago. One of the palace maids was not attentive enough and angered him. She’s currently being punished.”
Emperor Yuwen Bai was cruel and suspicious by nature. The people around him changed frequently, but He Zhengtu had been by his side all along. Mingzhu had dealt with him a few times and knew that he was a formidable character who kept everything under wraps. It was rare for him to voluntarily offer them advice today.
Mingzhu looked at Yuwen Chu and He Zhengtu, seeing one with a smile on his face, listening gently, and the other with a humble expression, subtly trying to please. Mingzhu suddenly understood something: He Zhengtu’s power was directed towards others, and the treatment she received today was merely due to Yuwen Chu’s influence. The truly powerful person was Yuwen Chu, quietly formidable.
Indeed, in such chaotic times, not only could he protect himself, but he could also ensure that those around him lived comfortably and securely. What kind of simple role could he be? She had no idea who would benefit the most in the end from this marriage, or how far she and Yuwen Chu could go. Mingzhu smiled self-deprecatingly, gathered her thoughts, and followed Yuwen Chu quietly into the inner hall.
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