Lu Guanyi nodded. “Yes, that happened. At that time, Chu Zonghua was eleven, Chu Yuhua was nine, and Chu Yuehua was only five. During a banquet at the Prince of Zhennan’s mansion, Chu Yuhua had caught a cold and stayed in the rear courtyard instead of going to the front. He saw the Prince of Zhennan’s wife’s one-year-old son being taken to play in the garden by his wet nurse, and under the pretext of playing with his little brother, he took the child and left.”

“The wet nurse was terrified and quickly sent a maid to inform the Princess of Zhennan. Chu Yuhua became angry immediately, had servants drag her away and throw her outside, then took the child back to his room and forced the medicine he was supposed to take down the child’s throat.”

“The Princess of Zhennan came from a humble background, and the three Chu siblings had their maternal grandfather’s support, so she was originally quite timid. But when she saw her son being forcibly given medicine and crying in fright to the point of fainting, she lost her temper and caused a scene. Since it was during a banquet, the rear courtyard was full of ladies from various households, and the incident became widely known. It’s said that her son fell ill that very night and remained sick for a long time. Afterward, his health was never good.”

Ye Yaming recalled the Princess of Zhennan’s demeanor she had witnessed today and said, “She must hate those three siblings, right?”

Lu Guanyi nodded. “How could she not? But now those three are adults, and Chu Zonghua became the heir apparent early on. The Prince of Zhennan is the type who just muddles through life and only wants to live peacefully. As long as problems don’t reach him directly or interfere with his eating, drinking, and merrymaking, he can’t be bothered to deal with them.”

At this point, he looked at Ye Yaming: “You want to…”

He left the sentence half-finished, but they both understood what he meant to say.

Ye Yaming asked, “Would it work?” Her gaze toward Lu Guanyi carried a trace of pity.

Although this hint of pity flashed by quickly, Lu Guanyi still caught it.

He held Ye Yaming’s hand tightly and sighed. “We could set things in motion. But unless necessary, I suggest we refrain from acting.”

With Lu Guanyi’s cunning and methods, he naturally hadn’t feared those three siblings back then. Unfortunately, the Duke Weiguo’s household was powerful at that time, and the three Chu siblings were of royal blood. Madam Shi had been anxious to find fault with him and constantly had people watching him. If he had made a move, Madam Shi would certainly have seized the opportunity to create trouble. For the sake of Lu Zhongyong’s greater plans, he could only endure and even retreat to Lin’an.

Though these three siblings bullied him, it was only through verbal humiliation, trying to provoke him into hitting them so Madam Shi could use it as leverage to prevent him from becoming the heir to the Marquis household. They never physically assaulted him or caused him any substantive harm.

The Princess of Zhennan’s son became sickly. Later, she conceived again, but whether due to her inherently poor health or some curse, she miscarried at two months and never conceived again. During Madam Shi’s lifetime, the Prince of Zhennan’s household had no concubine-born children. After remarrying his current princess, they only had one concubine-born daughter but no sons.

Thus, even after Duke Weiguo’s household fell, when the Prince of Zhennan worried that the Emperor might dislike Madam Shi’s grandsons and want to replace Chu Zonghua as heir, he couldn’t find a suitable replacement.

Everyone protects their own. The Prince of Zhennan might not like these three children, but if someone else tried to harm them, he would likely be the first to object.

Harming those of royal blood carried a grave charge that could result in the execution of one’s entire clan. This was why Lu Guanyi had never moved against these three.

Lu Guanyi explained these details to Ye Yaming, saying, “If Chu Yuehua doesn’t do anything, let’s leave her alone. But if she attempts to harm you, don’t hold back. However, this requires careful planning. When we return, we should discuss it thoroughly.”

Back then, for the sake of the court and his father, he could endure verbal humiliation, but he couldn’t bear to see Ye Yaming suffer even the slightest grievance.

These three Chu siblings grew up in an abnormal environment. They never acted according to common sense, were reckless and impulsive, acted without considering consequences, held grudges, and had no authority figures above them who could restrain them. Even the children of noble families in the capital dared not provoke them.

If Chu Yuehua truly came to hate Ye Yaming because of today’s events and decided to move against her, Lu Guanyi couldn’t bear the consequences of Ye Yaming being hurt or humiliated.

He understood the unspoken implication in Ye Yaming’s words earlier—she wanted to use the Princess of Zhennan as a weapon to eliminate the Chu siblings. But the Princess’s intentions remained unclear. If this weapon were not wielded properly, it might not only fail to kill their enemies but could end up hurting them.

That’s why this matter required careful consideration.

Ye Yaming asked about another matter: “Why didn’t we see the Third Princess today?”

At Prince Kang’s banquet, almost all the royal family members had attended except for those who had passed away, were out of town, or were ill. Ye Yaming had expected to encounter the Third Princess, another person who harbored hostility toward her, but she hadn’t seen her today.

“Oh, her consort is keeping a mistress, so she’s causing a scene at home.”

Ye Yaming: “…”

Were all princes’ consorts fashionably keeping mistresses these days?

Lu Guanyi added casually, “This mistress was exposed because of my arrangements.”

Ye Yaming: “…”

Seeing Ye Yaming’s beautiful eyes widen in surprise, Lu Guanyi couldn’t resist pinching her face, only to have his hand swatted away by her.

By the time their carriage returned to the mansion, it was already late. Since they hadn’t eaten much at the banquet, they asked the kitchen to prepare noodle soup. After eating, bathing, and retiring to their room, they finally discussed the matter of Chu Yuehua in detail.

“Ayi…” Ye Yaming batted away Lu Guanyi’s mischievous hand and gestured for him to keep his distance. “Have you considered that Madam Shi, Lu Guanyu, and the three Chu siblings might be working as one? Why does Chu Yuehua dislike me? It’s because of Lu Guanyu. And Madam Shi—do you think she’s content to stay in her rural hometown while her son remains suppressed for life with no chance of rising?”

Lu Guanyi’s courtesy name was Zimu. His teacher and peers of the same generation called him Zimu. But he only acquired this name after beginning his studies. Close elders had called him “Yi’er” since childhood.

When Ye Yaming called him “Zimu,” Lu Guanyi felt it created distance between them. Only outsiders called him Zimu. After their intimate moments, they had discussed the matter of names several times. Ye Yaming declined to use “Brother Yi” or “Husband,” and they finally settled on “Ayi,” which satisfied both parties.

Lu Guanyi smiled bitterly. “How could I not have thought of it?”

Over these years, most of his suffering had come from these people.

Lu Guanyu, protected by his birth mother and with the three Chu siblings acting as his enforcers, appeared as pure as a white lotus, never personally doing anything against his brother Lu Guanyi. But he was the root of everything.

As long as he, Madam Shi, and the Chu siblings were alive, Lu Guanyi and Ye Yaming could never live in peace—there would always be trouble.

But the Chu siblings were of royal blood, and Lu Guanyu was Lu Zhongyong’s son. If something were to happen to them, Lu Guanyi would be the ultimate beneficiary. Trying to move against them without leaving evidence was extremely difficult.

He said, “Over these years, I haven’t been idle. I’ve placed my pieces around Madam Shi, Lu Guanyu, and the Chu siblings.”