Upon returning to the Princess’s Manor, Eldest Princess Changning and Prince Consort Lin had just entered the main courtyard when they saw their eldest son, Lin Fengyu, waiting for them.
Looking at their eldest son, who stepped forward to greet them with a smile, the Eldest Princess and Prince Consort swallowed hard in embarrassment.
No one would ever believe that the Eldest Princess, who feared nothing and no one in the outside world, was actually afraid of her own eldest son at home.
Seeing his parents’ guilty expressions, Lin Fengyu’s eyes were filled with helpless resignation. “Do tell, Mother. Which noble lord or high official of Cangming did you beat up today?”
At the thought of the scoundrelly things Chu Mochen had done, the slight guilt the Eldest Princess had felt just a moment ago vanished completely. “This Palace did not beat up anyone else today; I merely gave our son-in-law twenty lashes of the whip.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Fengyu’s gaze instantly sharpened. “What did the Marquis of Wenxuan do to anger my sister and Mother?”
“Yu’er, you have no idea! That scoundrel of a Marquis kept a mistress outside and even fathered two children. The oldest one is only a month younger than Heng’er.
If you had been at the Marquis’s Manor today, you would probably have given that scoundrel a few lashes yourself.”
At the mention of that bastard Chu Mochen, Prince Consort Lin’s anger flared up to his very hair. After finishing his piece, he poured himself a large cup of tea and downed it just to calm himself.
“Are the rumors outside true? Did you make a move, Father? What does sister think about this?”
Although Lin Fengyu spoke in a gentle tone with a warm smile at this moment, anyone who knew him well would know that he was currently radiating a dangerous aura.
“The rumors outside are entirely true. Your sister has grown up quite a bit through this ordeal and didn’t make a fuss over life and death as she used to.
Your father didn’t make a move, but even though this Palace did, my chest still feels tightly suffocated with anger.”
Having said her piece, the Eldest Princess also poured herself a large cup of tea and downed it.
Lin Fengyu thoughtfully refilled his parents’ cups and gently consoled the Eldest Princess, saying, “Do not be angry, Mother. A gentleman’s revenge is never too late, even if it takes ten years; there is no need to rush.
Tomorrow, when you see Imperial Grandmother and Emperor Uncle, just cry. The imperial family has always been protective of their own. Once the Marquis of Wenxuan is written into Emperor Uncle’s little black book, his future prospects will end right there.
As for the rest, just leave it to your son. You and Father should show more concern for sister. If all else fails…”
As Lin Fengyu spoke, he made a throat-slitting gesture. In his eyes, a divorce was nowhere near as peaceful and convenient as becoming a widow.
However, such matters required gradual planning and could not be rushed.
The Eldest Princess and Prince Consort Lin nodded in unison. Their eldest son was smarter than both of them, so naturally, whatever he said went.
The next day, as expected, Chu Mochen submitted a memorial to request sick leave, while the Eldest Princess was heavily impeached by the imperial censors.
Consequently, the Emperor sent people to summon the Eldest Princess to the palace. After entering and paying her respects to her imperial brother, before the Emperor could even order the attendants to bring out the memorials criticizing her, the Eldest Princess threw herself forward, grabbed the Emperor’s thigh, and wailed loudly.
The Emperor, who had been about to have the impeachment memorials brought forward, was completely dumbfounded by his sister’s sudden maneuver.
He tried hard to pull his leg back, but could not wrench it free. He could only feign anger and scold, “If you have something to say, speak properly! What does it look like for a grand Eldest Princess to cry like this?”
“Imperial Brother, that ungrateful scoundrel, the Marquis of Wenxuan, has kicked down the bridge after crossing it! Now that his noble title is secure, he actually kept a mistress outside and even fathered two children with her.
Setting aside the fact that when he begged to marry Ran’er back then, he swore an oath never to take concubines—even if he regrets it now, if he had just spoken to Ran’er honestly, with her soft, dough-like temper, could she possibly have refused him?
To keep a mistress in secret like this is simply showing utter disregard for our imperial family!”
Although the Eldest Princess had started out faking her tears, crying in front of her biological brother made her feel more and more aggrieved, and her weeping became increasingly genuine.
The Emperor felt that the Marquis of Wenxuan did not seem like such a foolish person, so he hesitated. “Could there be some misunderstanding in this?”
“If the Marquis of Wenxuan hadn’t admitted to it himself, how could I have beaten him?!”
If her eldest son hadn’t strictly warned her before she left the manor today that she must not curse in front of her imperial brother and should only focus on crying, she would have cursed Chu Mochen’s ancestors up and down.
Seeing his imperial sister crying in such a state, the Emperor felt quite angry himself. He personally handed a handkerchief to the Eldest Princess and consoled her softly, “Stop crying. How about I promise not to punish you, alright?”
“Only not punishing me…” The Eldest Princess, who had loosened her grip slightly, wailed again and clung back onto the Emperor’s thigh, weeping loudly.
The Emperor could only helplessly increase the stakes. “Yesterday, the Marquis of Wenxuan submitted a memorial requesting to name Chu Yunxuan as his Heir Apparent. I will approve it shortly and send someone to the Marquis’s Manor to decree it.”
In response to the Emperor, the Eldest Princess only cried even louder.
The Emperor attempted to reason with the sister holding onto his leg. “Although the Marquis of Wenxuan’s actions are indeed wrong and carry a hint of defying the imperial family, Yixian is, after all, only a Commandery Princess.
Our dynasty’s rules only dictate that a Prince Consort is forbidden from taking concubines, but there is no rule stating that the husband of a Commandery Princess cannot take them.
No matter how one spins it, the Marquis of Wenxuan’s behavior is merely a lapse in personal morality. I truly cannot punish him on this basis alone.
I promise you, I will find another excuse later to punish the Marquis of Wenxuan with a period of reflection behind closed doors. How does that sound?”
Hearing the Emperor say this, the Eldest Princess grumbled inwardly, but she finally let go of his leg.
After all, despite throwing a tantrum, she knew she had to respect the boundaries and could not afford to truly annoy her imperial brother.
“Then Imperial Brother, remember what you promised. Find a reason to punish the Marquis of Wenxuan later. Also, in the future, when the Marquis performs any meritorious deeds, do not reward him directly. Instead, reward your niece, or reward Xuan’er and Heng’er!
For a father to earn some glory for his own biological sons is surely not too much to ask, is it?”
The Eldest Princess had no intention of letting her brother completely cold-shoulder Chu Mochen. Ran’er had not divorced him, and as husband and wife, they were one entity; if Chu Mochen fell into disfavor, her daughter’s circumstances would not be good either.
It was far better to treat Chu Mochen as a tool to earn glory and status for her daughter and grandsons.
Since this request of the Eldest Princess was not particularly excessive, the Emperor agreed without hesitation.
In the end, when the Eldest Princess left the palace, she even managed to plunder a large pile of treasures from the Emperor.
The Emperor held quite a bit of affection for this biological sister who shared his mother and knew how to behave with proper boundaries. As long as her requests were not too outrageous, he would always agree.
The Emperor also proactively bestowed a large quantity of precious gifts upon his niece, Lin Yanran, hoping his sister would put her mind at ease upon seeing them.
With him around, no matter how much the Marquis of Wenxuan stirred up trouble, his niece’s life would not be too difficult.
Just as the Eldest Princess left the palace, the eunuch sent to decree the imperial edict at the Marquis of Wenxuan’s Manor departed immediately after.
As the key individual who needed to receive the imperial edict was still bedridden, the decree officially establishing the Heir Apparent was ultimately received on behalf of the Marquis of Wenxuan while he lay in bed.
A few hours after the Marquis received the imperial edict, Chu Yunxuan, who was serving as a study companion in the palace, received the news and requested leave to return to the manor.
Knowing the situation at the Marquis’s Manor, the Emperor specially granted Chu Yunxuan half a month of leave.