Chapter 62: Discuss Another Day
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What was this about? Mingzhu was very interested and immediately trotted behind the screen to hide, peeking out through the cracks.
The sunlight streamed in from outside the hall, and Yuwen Chu entered calmly, with the radiant morning sun behind him. He still had that appearance of purity and indifference, and his purple court attire seemed even more austere.
Pretentious! Every time Mingzhu saw Yuwen Chu, she thought of this word, and then the more she looked at him, the more she felt that he was indeed good at pretending. From his gaze to his movements, everything seemed fake.
When Yuwen Chu greeted the Great Empress Dowager and stood up, his gaze swept subtly over the screen, then quickly lowered his eyelids, adopting a serene demeanor once more. However, Mingzhu felt certain that he must know she was there. Don’t ask her why she felt this way, she just knew. He knew she was hiding there.
“I heard everything from Mingzhu yesterday. Thank you,” the Great Empress Dowager spoke very slowly, as if contemplating something.
“Responding to Royal Mother, it’s something your son should do. There’s no need for Royal Mother’s thanks,” Yuwen Chu lowered his eyes, his expression extremely sincere and obedient.
“Please, take a seat.” The Great Empress Dowager’s tone softened slightly. After Yuwen Chu had settled down, Mu Gugu served the tea, and the Great Empress Dowager spoke with a gentle expression, “Mingzhu was quite frightened and may not have explained everything clearly. I wanted you to come and tell me again.”
Mingzhu felt extremely aggrieved.
Did she not explain everything clearly? According to this, she might even be mocked by Yuwen Chu afterwards, saying that she couldn’t even explain herself clearly, truly a fool. However, Yuwen Chu simply responded with a “yes” and calmly recounted the events.
“Earlier, because of Funing’s disrespect, I feared she would cause trouble at the Imperial Consort’s birthday banquet. So, I sent her back. Unexpectedly, I happened to overhear Ninth Brother speaking with a palace maid, mentioning Miss Fu’s name. I remembered it. Then I saw Miss Fu heading towards the Lotus Palace. Because I was worried, I followed…”
His tone was calm and steady, clear and dignified, carrying a reassuring power. Unconsciously, Mingzhu followed his words and replayed the events of that day in her mind. When he mentioned helping her evade the search by Yuwen Long, her heart inexplicably quickened. She wondered how he would describe that experience.
But she was surprised when Yuwen Chu casually skimmed over that part of the story, only mentioning guiding her to safety without delving into further details.
She couldn’t help but curse inwardly at how cunning and shameless this person was. He must be afraid of upsetting the Empress Dowager by revealing the truth. When she snapped back to reality, the discussion outside had already concluded.
The Empress Dowager’s voice sounded stern and chilly: “Did you manage to see clearly who that woman was?”
Yuwen Chu replied without missing a beat, “I followed because I saw Miss Fu entering and was worried about her safety. After sending the person out, I left early, so I didn’t see who that person was.”
The Great Empress Dowager sneered, “Aren’t you curious?”
Yuwen Chu calmly responded, “In response to Royal Mother’s question, I once said to Miss Fu, ‘Curiosity killed the cat.’ Matters unrelated to me, I prefer not to meddle in. As long as Miss Fu is safe, it’s enough.”
The Great Empress Dowager fell silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, “If you don’t want to meddle in others’ affairs, why did you take action? Are you the only one in the palace capable of looking after her? By not informing me and acting in secret, are you trying to protect your two incompetent little brothers?”
Yuwen Chu fell silent and tightly pursed his lips. He could have easily explained it away by saying he was pressed for time, but the Great Empress Dowager wasn’t genuinely asking for the reason; she was emphasizing the warning in her last statement. Therefore, there was no need for further explanation.
Mingzhu also felt very curious. Since her rebirth, he had appeared in front of her too many times, almost intervening in everything happening around her. She also wanted to know why. Was he truly devoted to his family, or did he have ulterior motives?
With both of them silent outside, after a while, the Great Empress Dowager sighed softly and said, “The Second Miss of the Changxing Marquis Mansion sent some gifts yesterday, and I quite liked them. She’s a smart and capable girl, talented and pleasing, and your mother also likes her. She’s quite good. You’re not young anymore; don’t drag things out. After you return, pick an auspicious day with your mother and welcome her into the family. It’s time to start a family soon, so that the late emperor’s soul in heaven can stop worrying about you.”
Yuwen Chu suddenly raised his head and said loudly, “Royal Mother! I have something to report!” Through the screen, Mingzhu saw a glint in his eyes and a faint blush on his fair face. She was very curious about what important matter he wanted to report to the Great Empress Dowager.
But then there was a crisp sound as the Great Empress Dowager forcefully threw the teacup onto the table. Mingzhu shuddered and turned to look at the Great Empress Dowager. She knew Auntie was displeased, but she didn’t know why.
The Great Empress Dowager said coldly, “I still have matters to attend to. We’ll discuss this another day. You may leave for now.”
Yuwen Chu seemed as if he hadn’t heard and raised his voice a bit, “Mother Empress!”
“I said we’ll discuss it another day. Didn’t you hear me?” The Great Empress Dowager raised her voice, her tone sharp.
A flicker of disappointment crossed Yuwen Chu’s face, but it quickly disappeared. He composed himself and respectfully bowed to the Great Empress Dowager before leaving, “Yes, this son will take his leave.”
The Great Empress Dowager lazily waved her hand and lightly admonished, “Since you know it’s not good to meddle in others’ affairs, forget about what happened earlier. Your mother and I have been sisters for many years, and you’re the one I cherish the most among all the children. Don’t disappoint me.”
“Yes.” Yuwen Chu stood up, his face pale, and after glancing at the screen, he turned and walked away steadily.
Mingzhu watched his retreating figure through the cracks in the screen and suddenly felt that he seemed very unhappy. However, no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t figure out what had happened between him and the Great Empress Dowager.
As she saw Yuwen Chu walking further away, she emerged from behind the screen and called out, “Auntie.”
The Great Empress Dowager, who had been staring at Yuwen Chu’s back, heard her call and motioned for her to come over, “What did you observe?”
Mingzhu shook her head, “What he said matched what I saw. I didn’t notice anything else. When you asked him that last question, were you implying that he was hiding from you and secretly acting to protect Anyang Wang and Linan Wang?”
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