Chapter 349: Arrogant Madman
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Yuwen Chu promised Madam Cui earnestly, “Ah Lin is a good child, I will take care of him.”
Madam Cui didn’t care much about men’s matters, but she understood that Yuwen Chu’s care was not ordinary care. She thanked him sincerely and took the opportunity to belittle Mingzhu several times again, saying that Mingzhu was simply a troublemaker who had been spoiled by her and Fu Cong, and didn’t understand anything. When Madam Cui said this, she shifted all the blame to her and Fu Cong, saying that whatever went wrong was their fault.
Before, Mingzhu used to listen with relish as her mother found different ways to belittle her. But when she heard this part, she couldn’t bear to listen any longer, her face uncontrollably flushing red. She couldn’t help but sneak a glance at Yuwen Chu, afraid he might tease her, but to her surprise, he was still listening very seriously, without a hint of amusement.
After Madam Cui finished her speech praising Mingzhu, she concluded with a hint of reluctance, “It’s getting late, and Your Highness and the Wangfei have traveled far. You must be tired. It’s better to go back and rest early.” Then, she gave a stern admonishment to Mingzhu, “Remember my words, don’t cause trouble for His Highness for no reason. His Highness is such a good person.”
Mingzhu obediently listened, bidding farewell to her family with Yuwen Chu.
As usual, Fu Cong led the men from their household to respectfully accompany the two to the gate, observing all the proper etiquette. Mingzhu, who had been tense before, revealed her true self as soon as she got into the carriage, slumping down and resting her head on Yuwen Chu’s leg, sighing, “I’m so tired. Everyone scolds me as soon as they see me. Am I really so detestable and ignorant?”
“They’re just protecting you,” Yuwen Chu, who had accompanied Fu Cong for a few drinks, exuded a faint aroma of alcohol and his eyes were a bit brighter than usual, “There’s no one more protective than your parents.”
Mingzhu’s heart skipped a beat when she heard this, thinking about the whole incident with Fu Lin’s injury. “What do you mean?” she asked. “I know my mother is protective, so much so that it embarrasses me, but my father didn’t say anything.”
Yuwen Chu replied, “How do you know your father didn’t say anything? The first cup of wine was an apology to me, admitting he didn’t teach his daughter well, which caused trouble for the Ying Wang Mansion and for me. The second cup was a thank you for my generosity in taking care of you so well and patiently teaching you. Therefore, His Highness is a good person. The third cup was for business.”
“….” Mingzhu’s face flushed again, no matter how thick-skinned she was, her family’s difficulties and everyone’s unity made her want to work even harder.
Yuwen Chu whispered, “I know everything about Fu Lin’s situation. I’ll find a way to ensure he doesn’t end up disabled, and in the future, I’ll receive him.”
Mingzhu turned over and buried her head in Yuwen Chu’s chest, holding onto his waist tightly, softly murmuring in agreement without seizing the opportunity to talk about Fu Lin. Sometimes, it’s unnecessary to say too much in front of a clever person. Since Yuwen Chu knew everything and even made a promise on his own, she shouldn’t push too far or show off.
Instead, it was Yuwen Chu who came up with an idea for Fu Lin: “Let him learn to write with his left hand. With enough effort, it might not be worse than using his right hand. Even if it’s a bit worse, I won’t mind.”
If the Emperor doesn’t mind poorly written characters, then no one else would dare to mind. Is that the meaning? Mingzhu couldn’t help but start to despise him when she heard this. Was he so sure he could ascend to the throne? Indeed, men were all arrogant!
Seeing her rolling her eyes, Yuwen Chu knew what she was thinking and smiled, “Don’t think of me as arrogant. If I don’t even dare to think, how can I act?”
He was truly amazing; he even knew what she was thinking! Mingzhu frowned, sitting up and looking at Yuwen Chu.
“You’re wondering how I knew what you were thinking, aren’t you?” Yuwen Chu couldn’t help but tease her again when he saw her expression.
Mingzhu fell for it again, “Yes, Your Highness, how did you know again?” Even if she was clever, she wasn’t this clever. Otherwise, it would be too scary.
Yuwen Chu intentionally pretended to be mysterious, “I just knew.”
“I also know what Your Highness is thinking.” Mingzhu refused to give up and imitated his serious tone, “Your Highness is thinking, this silly girl is really silly. Just scare her a bit, and she’ll believe it.”
“…” Yuwen Chu was speechless for a moment.
Mingzhu nestled back into his arms, yawning, “Actually, overly clever people are the ones who worry the most. I’m lucky not to be one of them.”
Yuwen Chu fully agreed with her statement. People like him and Fu Cong were burdened with worries, while she enjoyed a comfortable life.
It had been a while since the two had left the capital, and according to custom, they should visit the palace. The next day, they got up early, got ready, and went to the palace together.
Their first stop was the Chongzheng Hall. Yuwen Bai was very happy to see them. He first pretended to ask Mingzhu, “Is aunt recovered?”
Mingzhu ambiguously replied, “Thanks to Your Majesty’s blessings, much better.”
Yuwen Bai was currently delighted that Fu Lin had encountered such misfortune. He didn’t dwell too much on the matter with her and instead asked about Fu Lin’s recent situation, “Is Fu Lin feeling any better? I heard you went to see him yesterday after returning. You should know his situation. If he needs any medicinal herbs, just say the word. Anything available in the palace or in my private treasury is at your disposal! Second Brother was scared out of his wits. When I went to see him yesterday, he was kneeling in front of Royal Grandmother, crying and blaming himself, saying it was all his fault and he accidentally startled Fu Lin’s horse.” He pretended to be concerned but was actually enjoying the misfortune and sowing discord.
Yuwen Chu answered his words very seriously, “In response to Your Majesty, Fu Lin’s condition is not very good. He has been in a coma all this time, and his injuries are extremely severe. He can’t sleep without the sedative soup. It’s truly regrettable.” He paused, expressing regret and implication, “This child is truly a pity.”
Mingzhu felt there was no need for her to say anything. She just had to keep a straight face, as everyone knew she wasn’t good at being indirect and subtle. She wore her emotions on her face, so she just kept a stern expression.
Sure enough, seeing the couple’s demeanor, Yuwen Bai was convinced that Fu Lin had become disabled and his future ruined. He smiled broadly, suppressing his amusement, “It’s okay. After all, he’s my cousin. I’ll grant him a title, and he won’t go hungry.”
Mingzhu was itching with hatred. She pretended to be reluctantly pulled by Yuwen Chu to thank Yuwen Bai, saying expressionlessly, “Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. Your servant thanks you on behalf of my nephew.”
Yuwen Bai smiled and said, “No need for formalities. No need for formalities. Royal Grandmother mentioned you a few days ago. You should go greet her.”
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