“You’re truly beautiful,” Yun Shi said, gazing at Chu Changsheng and couldn’t help but praise her. “This is the first time I’ve seen someone so beautiful.”
Chu Changsheng had heard such words too many times. She changed the subject and asked with a smile, “How long have you two been married?”
“One year now,” Yun Shi replied with a warm smile spreading across her face. “Originally, my husband planned to come to the capital alone to do business, but he was worried I couldn’t manage by myself at home, so he brought me along.”
Chu Changsheng asked curiously, “Don’t you have parents at home to help?”
Speaking of this matter, Yun Shi sighed. “My mother-in-law has another young son, and she’s extremely partial to the younger child. Even though I’m pregnant, she still makes me cook…”
“Ahem!” The young man coughed, interrupting Yun Shi’s words, and said with a smile, “These are trivial household matters, no need to say more.”
But Chu Changsheng understood.
Back then, the couple without children that Father Emperor and Mother Empress found for Xie Shiyun had eventually given birth to a child, so naturally they would favor their own biological son.
She couldn’t help but look into the young man’s eyes—they were perfectly clear.
She didn’t see resentment or a sense of injustice in those eyes.
The young man poured a cup of tea and personally handed it to Chu Changsheng. “I wonder what situation brought you two here?”
“We went up the mountain to gather medicine, got injured, and ended up like this,” Chu Changsheng said with a smile. “Such experiences are rare in life, quite interesting actually.”
If not for this incident, she wouldn’t have encountered Xie Shiyun either.
Seeing that he now had a wife and child, and his business was going fairly well, she was happy for him too.
The young man’s lips parted slightly.
He actually wanted to ask what relationship that man had with her, and why they would end up stranded alone outside the capital.
She was a Jin Dynasty princess—how could she end up in such a disheveled state…
But he couldn’t bring himself to ask.
He was now Luo Cheng, no longer Xie Shiyun.
This identity was jointly bestowed upon him by the current Grand Emperor and Grand Empress Dowager. He had grown up eating the Luo family’s rice, wearing the Luo family’s clothes, marrying the wife the Luo family arranged, everything moving forward along a predetermined path.
Actually, after living with the Luo family for about half a year, he had recovered his memories.
He had thought about coming to the capital, but when this notion arose, he felt confused—what would he do in the capital? The Xie family was gone, who would shelter him?
It was precisely because he had saved Changsheng that Heaven had given him a chance to start over.
He began studying diligently, learning business, and gradually took over the Luo family’s business.
Although he wasn’t of Luo family blood, his adoptive parents’ biological son was truly worthless, unable to amount to anything, so they could only rely on him.
His adoptive parents gradually became no match for him, so they constantly imposed rules on the wife they had married into the family for him.
He had no choice but to bring his pregnant wife along to the capital.
He never dreamed that at the capital’s gate, he would see a stunningly beautiful young woman.
It was his wife Yun Shi who saw her first, then pointed her out to him.
He only felt that face looked familiar. Suddenly he thought of Yun Chu, and then suddenly, he saw the jade pendant hanging at her waist, and he knew her identity.
When he said he came from Luo River.
He could clearly feel the change in her gaze.
He knew she still remembered Xie Shiyun, still remembered that pitiful, lonely child with nowhere to go…
As long as she still remembered, that was enough.
Before long, the capital gates opened.
Murong Bi cupped his hands and said, “Thank you for the tea, Brother Luo. If you have time, you can come find me at Duke Xingguo’s manor, and I’ll certainly host you properly.”
Xie Shiyun returned the courtesy. “Just a small favor, not worth mentioning. Let’s part ways here.”
Yun Shi beside him was stunned, staring at the departing figures of Chu Changsheng and her companion, unable to recover for a long time. “He—he’s from Duke Xingguo’s manor? Heavens, husband, if we could befriend someone from the Duke’s manor, then…”
“Just a chance encounter, nothing more,” Xie Shiyun said calmly. “Let’s go, we’re also pressed for time.”
Yun Shi asked cautiously, “Husband, that woman as beautiful as a celestial being—did you know her before?”
Xie Shiyun shook his head. “This is my first time coming to the capital, how could I possibly know her? Don’t overthink it, let’s go.”
He led his pregnant wife and disappeared into the crowded throng.
When the crowd surged, Xie Shiyun couldn’t help but turn his head back.
But he could no longer see that stunningly beautiful young woman.
On this side, Murong Bi also asked, “Did the Princess Imperial know Brother Luo before?”
“An old acquaintance of sorts,” Chu Changsheng said with a smile. “But old acquaintances belong to the past. There’s no need to mention certain things again.”
As the two were talking, suddenly a large group of guards came toward them.
The common people around didn’t understand what was happening and scattered in all directions.
Chu Changsheng looked at Chu Hongyu approaching with an imposing manner and said helplessly, “Brother, why are you making such a huge commotion?”
Chu Hongyu was nearly going mad.
Last night, those useless secret guards suddenly came to report that Changsheng had rolled down the mountain.
This scared him terribly. He personally went to search for her. Finally, Changsheng’s secret guards came to report that his dear sister and Duke Xingguo’s fourth young master had supported each other and walked from a mountain ravine all the way to the western gate of the capital.
And Changsheng wouldn’t let the secret guards help.
Nor would she reveal her identity.
She stubbornly waited at the city gate for two hours.
Chu Hongyu walked over and yanked Chu Changsheng to his side, glaring angrily at Murong Bi. “So you’re Duke Xingguo’s youngest son?”
Murong Bi cupped his hands. “Greetings to Your Majesty, that’s correct. Last night, this humble subject and the Princess Imperial went up the mountain…”
“Shut up, don’t say anymore,” Chu Hongyu said coldly. “Not a word about last night’s events must be spread, or you’ll answer for it!”
He pulled Chu Changsheng onto the imperial carriage.
With a dark expression, he asked, “So you have someone you fancy too, and kept it well hidden.”
“What nonsense is brother talking about? He’s not someone I fancy,” Chu Changsheng frowned. “If he hadn’t protected me last night, I would be the injured one right now. Brother should have someone send some medicinal herbs to Duke Xingguo’s manor later.”
“If he’s not someone you fancy, then why are you sending medicinal herbs!” Chu Hongyu said through gritted teeth. “You’re not thinking of making that fool your Prince Consort, are you?”
“Why is brother so angry? I’ll have to find a Prince Consort eventually,” Chu Changsheng said, propping up her chin. “Why doesn’t brother tell me which people in the capital would be suitable as Prince Consort, so I can make a good selection?”
This question stumped Chu Hongyu completely.
He knew Chen San had always coveted the position of Prince Consort, but that fellow Chen San was just a flatterer—he didn’t want a brother-in-law who only knew how to kiss up.
The capital had the Four Great Young Masters—those four had looks and talent, everything one could want, but in his eyes, even they weren’t worthy of his sister.
As for the sons of various nobles, most were wastrel playboys, many good-for-nothings—he didn’t think much of them at all.
He felt no one in the capital would do.
Casting his gaze further, perhaps the monarchs of neighboring small kingdoms?
Thinking of this, Chu Hongyu shook his head violently.
No matter what, he couldn’t let Changsheng marry into another country—he couldn’t bear to part with her!
“To become Prince Consort, one must give up their official career,” Chu Changsheng said slowly. “Men who pursue official careers disdain becoming Prince Consort, while the men who want to become Prince Consort are mostly wastrel playboy second-generation nobles. Brother, what do you think we should do?”
Chu Hongyu was also at a loss. “Yes, what should we do?”
She couldn’t very well remain unmarried for life.