Chapter 294: Deviation
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
After Mingzhu calmed down, Yuwen Chu released her and got up to pour her a drink, not tea, just plain cold water.
Mingzhu, having been agitated, was bland in her speech and very eager for stimulation, thus expressing her objection, “I want tea. Strong tea.”
“It’s late, are you planning to stay up all night?” Yuwen Chu firmly rejected her unreasonable request, coaxing and deceiving her, “Perhaps the Great Empress Dowager will summon you tomorrow, who knows? Do you want to go with dark circles under your eyes and yawning?”
Disheartened, Mingzhu agreed to drink water. Yet, he didn’t hand her the cup but instead made her drink from his hand. Mingzhu shot him a disdainful glance, like a child, she supported his palm with hers and gulped down the plain cold water.
The cool water entered her stomach, making her internal organs, along with her mind, much clearer. Wide-eyed, she laid back in Yuwen Chu’s arms, her head resting on his thigh, and softly said, “The Great Empress Dowager must know someone wants to harm her, right? My father must also know, right? The other party won’t give up easily, right? Can I do something to help her?”
Yuwen Chu leaned over to place the teacup down, noticing Mingzhu’s scalp pulled back by the weight of her heavy hair bun and ornaments. He felt sorry for her and promptly removed her hairpin, then loosened her hair, allowing her to lie comfortably. “You can’t do anything right now. The best course of action is not to cause trouble for the Great Empress Dowager. But don’t worry too much. The Great Empress Dowager has experienced more storms in her life than we have had meals. Even if she momentarily loses her way, she will soon make the right move. As for your father, I won’t say much. You know his capabilities better than I do.”
Mingzhu shook her head. “No, even the smartest person can make mistakes. Living in this world isn’t just about being clever and capable. Despite all the efforts and struggles, success still depends on luck. If luck isn’t on your side, even a slight disadvantage can lead to losing everything.”
She felt deeply about this. She was a typical idle person, living aimlessly until she eventually brought about her own demise. What about the Great Empress Dowager and her family? Were they not diligent or intelligent enough? No. When luck ran out, everything collapsed, and there was nothing left.
In her memory, Eunuch Rong died of illness three years later. Before that, he had lived a good and glorious life. The Great Empress Dowager fell ill long after Eunuch Rong’s death. Lonely but still strong, she couldn’t see any connection between these two and an affair. But now, they were saying there was an affair between them, even Yuwen Chu said so.
Things seemed to be gradually deviating from their original course. Mingzhu suddenly doubted how much she could seize the initiative.
Seeing Mingzhu solemnly express such thoughts, Yuwen Chu’s heart stirred slightly. He leaned over and whispered, “I think I’m quite lucky. Marrying you is good luck. You have the luck to prosper your husband.”
Prosper your husband? Was she prosperous for her husband? Mingzhu was stunned for a moment, looking at Yuwen Chu with raised eyebrows. She thought he was just comforting her offhandedly, trying to please her, but she didn’t expect to see such a serious expression on his face. She couldn’t help but smile. “I haven’t brought prosperity to Your Highness either.”
Seeing her smile, Yuwen Chu smiled too. “You have. With harmony in the family, everything flourishes. That’s being prosperous for your husband. If you have a few more children, you’ll be even more prosperous.” Without mentioning the bed crossbow or the entire Fu family behind her, just the fulfillment of his long-cherished wish made him feel happy when he thought about the future. Her occasional petulance wouldn’t affect the overall situation. Even if she didn’t follow reason, she wouldn’t go against the greater truth. He felt content and focused when he worked, which was being prosperous for her husband.
There was another interpretation of being prosperous for your husband, and Mingzhu, despite having many concerns, couldn’t deny that Yuwen Chu’s sweet words were very pleasant to hear. She yawned and asked him, “Your Highness, do you have anything else to say to me?”
Yuwen Chu inserted his fingers into her hair, gently massaging her scalp as he spoke softly, “Originally, I could have avoided this matter and let you ask your father, or even ask your fourth brother, who should also know something. But I think it’s better for me to tell you, after all, we are husband and wife. We are closest and the most distant*, I want to be closest to you.”
*It refers to the principle of treating people differently based on their degree of closeness or distance in relationships. The phrase implies that one should prioritize or show more concern for those who are closest to them while being less concerned about those who are more distant or less related
Mingzhu turned over, lying quietly on his lap, listening attentively. From the birth of Eunuch Rong onwards, she listened until Consort Zhou slandered the Great Empress Dowager and Eunuch Rong, unclear and ambiguous. Emperor Wen grew angry and wanted to kill Eunuch Rong, who, fearing for his life, gained weight and lost his form. Then the Great Empress Dowager fought to death with Consort Zhou and became the Great Empress Dowager, re-summoning Eunuch Rong to serve by her side.
Yuwen Chu spoke calmly, devoid of any emotional bias or personal preferences, striving for truth and objectivity. He had his own opinions, but he couldn’t impose them on Mingzhu. It was up to her to judge, as these were her relatives. If she didn’t want to believe, saying too much wouldn’t achieve anything and would only make her more resentful.
After listening, Mingzhu didn’t comment on who was right or wrong. She yawned and said, “I’m tired. Your Highness, you have to get up early tomorrow. Let’s rest.”
“It’s late, and I don’t feel like going back. Let’s stay upstairs.” Yuwen Chu had someone bring hot water for them to wash up. After they were cleaned up, he closed the door and led Mingzhu upstairs.
Mingzhu had many worries and couldn’t sleep well. Afraid of disturbing Yuwen Chu, she laid stiffly in bed, not moving at all. The more she felt she shouldn’t move, the more she wanted to. Just as she was feeling uncomfortable, she thought Yuwen Chu, who seemed to have fallen asleep, suddenly turned over and pulled her into his arms, whispering softly, “Can’t sleep? How about I massage you and pinch you?”
Mingzhu immediately felt he had ulterior motives and kicked his leg lightly, complaining, “This is not the time. I’m not in the mood.”
Yuwen Chu placed his hands on the temples on either side of her head, gently pressing. “What mood do you need for acupressure? Is Wangfei thinking too much?”
“… ” Mingzhu was speechless because she did indeed think too much. She had no choice but to let him quietly press her acupoints, smelling the unique scent of books in the small room, gradually feeling her eyelids become heavier until she fell asleep, lying on the pillow.
Yuwen Chu withdrew his hand, affectionately stroked her cheek twice, and lightly kissed her forehead. The Great Empress Dowager was wary and disliked him, but he was determined to walk his path. When that day came where there is a confrontation, Mingzhu cherishing and trusting the Great Empress Dowager so much, what would he do?
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
