Chapter 1117 - Chapter 1117 Surprising, Eldest Brother Will Take the Palace Examination?
Chapter 1117 Surprising, Eldest Brother Will Take the Palace Examination?
Chu Liuyue and Chu Liuchen walked side by side in the front, followed by Chu Liuxin. The three of them remained silent, and only the footsteps could be heard.
“Third Brother, well done!” Chu Liuyue suddenly turned around and said with a smile.
“So, what do you want to say?” Chu Liuchen beamed and asked, with a hint of sarcasm in his eyes.
On his n.o.ble robe, the four-clawed gigantic dragon overturning rivers and seas displayed an overwhelming momentum. It made his handsome and exquisite face appear even more extraordinary.
However, his impressive bearing contained a trace of otherworldly coldness, which chilled Chu Liuyue’s heart. In a flash, he remembered that Chu Liuchen before him was never easy to deal with. Even though he was the Emperor’s eldest son, he could never establish his supremacy before Chu Liuchen.
Chu Liuyue coughed in a low voice and turned his head, regretting acting on impulse.
At this time, he shouldn’t be so irrational as to confront Chu Liuchen. Somehow, Shao Wanru’s figure appeared in his mind, and he frowned involuntarily.
“How is the Empress now?”
“Oh, that’s strange. Shouldn’t you ask my Second Brother about it? The Empress would see him instead of me.” Chu Liuchen’s eyes dimmed.
“You must find out who hurt Princess Chen!” Chu Liuyue gave a slight cough and intended to change this inappropriate topic.
“Who do you think did it?” Chu Liuchen gently asked him back with a smile. His every move became more and more gorgeous and graceful!
Chu Liuyue was again stunned by the question and secretly gritted his teeth, thinking that Chu Liuchen was a tough nut indeed.
“I didn’t know that, so I asked you. Couldn’t you find out the truth until now?” Chu Liuyue asked.
Chu Liuchen looked unperturbed, and there was a hint of evil coldness in his smile. “Isn’t everyone investigating it? You have spent more time surveying it. After all, I have only been back in the capital for a few days!”
Since such a great sensation happened in the Prince Chen’s Mansion, anyone involved had to do some research in order to show their innocence.
The Emperor initiated the survey while the other princes a.s.sisted him in the investigation.
Chu Liuyue felt a sudden surge of anger. There was no loophole in Chu Liuchen for him to exploit, but Chu Liuchen managed to hurl a critical question at him. Chu Liuyue suppressed his anger hard and said slowly in a low voice, “Since this matter has something to do with the Palace, it’s better to let our imperial father verify it. Before he does a thorough investigation, you should be careful when looking into the matter!”
“Be careful? What do you mean? Do you want me to stop investigating? But my wife was seriously injured and almost died. How could you advise me to slow down the investigation?” Chu Liuchen asked in reply. Although his tone was sharp and forceful, he was still smiling gently.
Such a smile looked offensive to Chu Liuyue.
He badly wanted to pour out his wrath on Chu Liuchen but had to think twice.
After a violent flick of his sleeve, he said with a black look, “Third Brother, since you said so, I won’t meddle in your business.”
After finis.h.i.+ng his words, he ignored Chu Liuchen and strode away with a straight face.
Chu Liuchen watched him leave with a smile and turned around, ready to go. Then, he saw Chu Liuxin still behind him.
“What’s the matter, Fourth Brother?”
“I… Nothing!” Chu Liuxin stammered, stepped aside, and let Chu Liuchen go first.
Chu Liuchen glanced at him carelessly. Then, he turned around and went to the Empress Dowager’s Palace of Benevolent Peace. His Imperial Grandmother was sick, so he had to see her before returning to his mansion.
Shao Wanru told him he didn’t have to rush back to the mansion today. The Marquis Xing’s Mansion would send someone to visit her. It should be Zhao Xiran, the Eldest Young Madam. So, if he returned early, he would have nothing to do.
Chu Liuxin watched Chu Liuchen leave, pursed his thin lips tightly, and slowly lowered his head. He was not supposed to ask how she was. It was best to remain silent about it because he lost the right to ask if she was safe long ago.
Shao Wanru had become his sister-in-law, no longer a single woman. Even if he fell in love with her first, she married his Third Brother, not him!
“Your Highness, shall we go back to the mansion?” Seeing his master standing in a daze, Eunuch Liu reminded him carefully.
Chu Liuxin vigorously took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. Once again, he slipped into low spirits and said weakly, “Go back to my mansion!”
“Your Highness, but Consort Ming asked you to go to her palace after the court,” Eunuch Liu reminded.
Chu Liuxin waved his hand and said, “No, let’s go back home!”
Of course, he knew what his mother had in mind — she wanted him to marry someone beneficial to him. What did she mean by that? His mother, able to accept reality as it was, was still urging him to fight for the throne.
But he didn’t want that!
He missed the woman he cared about the most. Worse still, she knew such an unbearable scene. What else could he fight for? It was better to spend this life as an idle prince. There was no need to sink deeper and deeper into the mire.
Overflowed with pain and sadness, he was near to tears. However, he struggled to hold up his head, fighting back the tears in his eyes. She was seriously injured, yet he couldn’t ask about her condition or visit her.
At present, he held no unrealistic expectations and just worried about her safety.
When Shao Wanru married his Third Brother, he thought she could live an easy life even though Prince Chen could never ascend to the throne. Unfortunately, that seemed not to be the case. His Third Brother was sent to the heart of the struggle for ultimate power. What should she do?
“She is a girl even younger than me. How can she stand such significant things? If… if it were me, she wouldn’t fall into such a dilemma, would she?”
Chu Liuxin couldn’t help breathing heavily, and his eyes gradually lit up. Since the incident related to Shao Yanru, it was the first time that his expression had changed. He no longer looked dejected, as if he had lost all interest in life. “So, am I still useful?”
He composed himself and said with a trace of firmness in his eyes, “Let’s go. I’ll go to see my mother!”
After saying that, he strode to Consort Ming’s palace. At first, Eunuch Liu was stunned. But when he saw that his master looked much better, he was so excited that the rims of his eyes turned red. This was the first time that his master had shown such an expression. This was really… great. As Chu Liuxin’s trusted servant, how could he not understand his master?
“Your Highness, wait for me!” Eunuch Liu wiped away the tears in his eyes and chased after him.
Anyway, at least his master’s spirits began to flourish, which was great…
What had happened in the imperial court had little to do with Shao Wanru, who was still recuperating.
Mingqiu Nun and Doctor Qi worked together and prepared the medicine for her. It was highly potent. In the past few days, she was okay and recovering fast.
When she cut herself, she knew how far to go and when to stop. Her wound looked scary, but she was not as badly injured as she appeared. These days, she had let Chu Liuchen handle her things, so she had nothing to do and felt carefree and content.
Yesterday, Zhao Xiran sent someone to ask if she could come to visit her and see her condition.
Before Chu Liuchen returned to the Prince Chen’s Mansion, its gate had been heavily guarded. Even the people from the Marquis Xing’s Mansion were not allowed to enter. This time, Rui’an Great Elder Princess came over to protect Shao Wanru in person. In the past, even Zhao Xiran had been shut out.
Shao Wanru had almost recovered, so she just needed to go on taking good care of herself. Thus, she agreed to Zhao Xiran’s request and invited her to come today.
Zhao Xiran was not the only one who came. There were actually Shao Caihuan and Zhao Xiqiong, Zhao Xiran’s younger sister.
The group was led to Shao Wanru’s courtyard, and Shao Wanru greeted them. After exchanging salutes, the guests and the host took their designated seats.
“Your Highness, are you feeling better?” Zhao Xiran looked at Shao Wanru with concern and asked, “I’ve always wanted to pay a visit but was unavoidably delayed because of my husband’s matter.”
...
In fact, she had been turned down by the Prince Chen’s Mansion. By saying so, she preserved the dignity of both mansions. After all, it wasn’t decent for the Prince Chen’s Mansion to shut out visitors from Princess Chen’s parents’ home.
“I’m fine. Is my brother in better health?” Shao Wanru asked with a smile.
“He is much better. Now, he just needs to rest and build up his strength. He will take the imperial exam three years later. It’s not that bad for him to calm down and study hard in the study!” Zhao Xiran said, smiling bitterly.
She could only say it this way. The conflict with Infanta Yuan’an was left unsettled. They had wanted Shao Wanru to stand up for them, but Shao Wanru had an accident. At this time, they couldn’t force Shao Wanru to take up this matter.
Zhao Xiran, sensible enough, never brought up this matter again.
“Does my brother want to take the imperial exam?” Shao Wanru raised her watery eyes and asked with a smile, “Why haven’t I heard him mention it?”
Shao Hua’an enjoyed a good reputation and was said to be talented. Nevertheless, the Marquis Xing’s Mansion had never intended to let him take the imperial exam. They had been waiting for him to inherit the t.i.tle of n.o.bility of the Marquis Xing’s Mansion. By taking this chance, he could achieve amazing success.
With his brilliance, Shao Hua’an could easily win the Emperor’s appreciation. In her previous life, Shao Hua’an had done this.
It was true that most people took the imperial examination to become an official. However, descendants of aristocratic families would usually inherit the n.o.ble t.i.tle before striving for greater ambition. In particular, for people like Shao Hua’an, who could inherit the n.o.ble t.i.tle, it was an easier way to stand out.
Many of the sons of aristocratic families were good for nothing, but a few weren’t. If Shao Hua’an took this path, he would win recognition from the Emperor more quickly, and his career as an official would be smoother!
“When a man pa.s.ses the imperial exam, he can get a broader platform to realize his aspirations!” Zhao Xiran explained. Then, to make her words more credible, she added, “My father pa.s.sed the imperial exam and eventually earned his current position.”
...
Indeed, Minister Zhao started his official career through the imperial examination. The Zhao family was also an aristocratic family. But since Minister Zhao was not the legitimate eldest son, he had no right to inherit the t.i.tle of n.o.bility. In this case, he threw himself wholeheartedly into studying. Fortunately, Minister Zhao had been brilliant since he was a child, and his official career had been smooth after he succeeded in the examination. Now, he was more outstanding than his Eldest Brother, who had inherited the t.i.tle of n.o.bility.
This was an inspirational success story.
Zhao Xiran mentioned this to show Shao Hua’an’s determination and that her husband had no intention of competing for the heir of a duke with Shao Yuanhao.
“It’s a good choice for Eldest Brother to take the imperial examination. If he needs anything, tell me. Our mansion may have it!”
Shao Wanru said gently, remaining calm and collected.
“That’s great. The Marquis Xing’s Mansion doesn’t have many books, but the Prince Chen’s Mansion might have the books we need. At that time, I may have to trouble you, Your Highness!” Zhao Xiran got up to thank Shao Wanru and bowed deeply to her.
Shao Wanru hurriedly asked Yujie to stop her and said, “Sister Zhao, you are too polite. It’s not a big deal.”