Phi-Fic Chapter 9 I truly find it hard to accept.
Chapter 9 I truly find it hard to accept.
"Mother, why is His Highness the Crown Prince personally accompanying that Young Master Lin today?"
Old Mrs. Wu slammed her cane on the ground and angrily cursed her daughter-in-law, Xue: "Fool! Can't you see? It's obvious that the Lin boy invited the Crown Prince to back him up! Didn't you see him following behind His Highness the Crown Prince, not only refusing to greet me, but also daring to accept my grand gesture!"
After being berated harshly, Madam Xue immediately lowered her head, dejected and speechless.
Sitting behind Madam Xue, Wu Shuangwan was already biting her lip anxiously. Seeing that her mother dared not speak again after being scolded, she disregarded her reserve and hurriedly spoke to Old Madam Wu.
"Grandmother, His Highness the Crown Prince is giving him so much face, so how could I... how could I possibly..." As she spoke, Wu Shuangwan began to cry pitifully.
Although Old Mrs. Wu had always suppressed her daughter-in-law whom she did not like, she was very fond of the two children born to Mrs. Xue.
Seeing her beloved granddaughter crying with tears streaming down her face, Grandma Wu was heartbroken.
"Help the young lady up here!"
The maidservant next to her rushed forward and helped the crying Wu Shuangwan to Old Madam Wu's side.
"Don't cry, my darling! It's all your parents' fault for being so useless, failing to secure your title as Crown Princess sooner, letting that wild boy from the Lin family steal it away. But don't worry, Grandma will definitely find another way for you!"
“But, but Lin Shiming is the son of the Lin family of the Duke of Zhenguo. Not only is his family background noble, but he also seems to be so favored by the Crown Prince. How can Grandmother possibly scheme against him!”
Upon hearing Wu Shuangwan's words, even the usually confident Old Mrs. Wu paused and fell into deep thought.
She had originally planned that if that Lin family brat hadn't come today, she would spread rumors that Lin Shiming was arrogant and disrespectful to his elders, and then manipulate the situation to get His Majesty to issue an edict to depose him.
If he dared to come, she would arrange for a maid to ruin his reputation and decisively end his marriage to the Crown Prince. Even if the Lin family sought revenge afterward, she was confident she could leave no evidence within her own residence. Moreover, once it was done, she would risk her reputation to ask His Majesty for her granddaughter's position as Crown Princess. With the royal family involved, what could the Lin family, no matter how powerful, do to her?
To this end, she even used the most precious savior her father had given her, plotting against Ji Tiao's father last night, preventing Lin Shihe and Ji Tiao from coming and forcing them to send Lin Shiming alone. In her eyes, the Duke of Zhenguo's heir and his wife were always intelligent and knowledgeable, but this unknown Lin Shiming, who was unfamiliar with the situation in the capital and the ways of the inner quarters, would surely be an easy target.
But to her utter surprise, despite all her preparations, the Crown Prince actually accompanied her today. Having lived in the palace for so long, the Crown Prince had seen countless schemes and plots; ordinary methods would inevitably be seen through, making this situation much more difficult to navigate.
"Grandmother?" Seeing that Old Madam Wu remained silent for a long time, Wu Shuangwan became anxious again and tentatively asked.
Grandma Wu was brought back to her senses by the call, and her gaze fell on her granddaughter's face, whose eyes were red from crying. After a moment of hesitation, Grandma Wu made up her mind.
"Wan'er, it seems our scheme against the Lin family boy won't work today. Would you be willing to become a concubine?"
Wu Shuangwan stopped crying instantly, "A concubine?"
Even Xue, who had been barely noticeable to the side, quietly raised her head to listen.
Grandma Wu nodded, "It's difficult to ruin that boy from the Lin family now, so Grandma can only try to make you a concubine. But don't worry, even as a concubine, your future will be limitless."
“That Lin family boy is infertile. Even if he takes the position of the principal wife and has the Duke of Zhenguo’s mansion as his backing, as long as you can give birth to His Highness the Crown Prince’s eldest son, then if things go smoothly in the future, you will be the birth mother, and Lin Shiming will have to bow down to you.”
Wu Shuangwan's eyes flickered, then she lowered her head shyly, "Grandmother, why are you saying these things... I admire His Highness the Crown Prince, so... even as a concubine, I am willing!"
Grandma Wu patted Wu Shuangwan's hand and nodded in satisfaction, while Madam Xue beside her also smiled.
*
The main hall was packed with guests, who arrived in an endless stream.
"His Highness Prince Ping has arrived—"
"His Highness Prince An has arrived—"
With two consecutive announcements, two richly dressed men strode into the main hall, bypassing the crowd bowing to them, and headed straight for Lu Yuxi.
"I see His Highness the Crown Prince."
"Your Majesty, you may rise without the formalities," Lu Yuxi waved his hand.
"Your subject pays respects to Your Highnesses, Prince Ping and Prince An." Lin Shiming suddenly stood up and cupped his hands in greeting.
"Rise off the formalities!" Prince Ping, as the elder brother, spoke first. He quickly sized up Lin Shiming and instantly realized his identity. "This must be the Second Young Master Lin, my future sister-in-law?"
Lin Shiming chuckled, "Indeed. My name is Lin Shiming."
Prince An finally found an opportunity to interject, "The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion is full of military officers. I didn't expect Young Master Lin to be so elegant and handsome. He is indeed worthy of the title of Crown Princess."
Oh, this insults the entire Lin family, generation after generation. After all, the Lin family members are known for their good looks, a breath of fresh air among military generals.
"Thank you for your praise, Your Highness." Lin Shiming smiled. "The First Emperor once said that the Lin family is full of handsome people, possessing both virtue and talent, which is truly enviable. I am merely just right, not disgracing the family name. However, I am indeed more deserving of the title of Crown Princess than Your Highness."
"What do you mean--"
“Fourth Imperial Brother!” Lu Yuxi reached out and pulled Lin Shiming to sit down again. “Did he say something wrong? Or does Imperial Brother think you are more suitable to be the Crown Princess than him?”
As she spoke, Lu Yuxi flicked her sleeves, "But even if my brother has that confidence, I truly find it hard to accept."
"you!"
"Enough!" Prince Ping, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke. "What kind of behavior is it for you two, one a crown prince and the other a prince, to cause trouble in the home of a court official? Today, I, Your Majesty, have been too presumptuous. You two brothers, let's stop here."
Lu Yuxi snorted coldly and raised her hand to pour Lin Shiming a cup of tea. Prince An, Lu Yuchen, stopped pressing the matter and sat down on the other side.
Seeing that the confrontation between the princes had come to an end, the Marquis of Nanyang and the other guests finally stopped being in a state of trepidation and gradually took their seats again.
“Young Master Wu,” Lin Shiming called out to the young master of Nanyang, who was about to get up to greet the guest, “I wonder if your residence has any scenic spots? I am often in the Jianghu, so I inevitably get bored sitting for too long and would like to go out for a walk.”
"Yes, yes!" Prince Wu immediately waved to a servant. "The manor garden is not far from here. The winter plum blossoms are in full bloom now, creating a vibrant scene. It's quite a nice place to enjoy the scenery. If you don't mind, please have this servant lead the way."
Lin Shiming turned to look at Lu Yuxi, "Are you going?"
Lu Yuxi chuckled, put down her cup, and stood up.
*
The two followed the servant and soon arrived at the plum garden.
"You can go down first. We'll go back on our own after we're done shopping."
“This…” the servant hesitated for a moment, “Yes.”
Only after sending the person away did the two relax a little.
"Why did you stand up and bow just now? You already ignored that old lady when you came in, so why would you need them? I already said that I'm here to support you today."
“It’s different. When we entered, the scene was grand, and that old lady was just a princess. I could have easily gotten away with it by following behind you. But just now, it was definitely harder to avoid them. Besides, they are princes, with higher ranks. It wouldn’t be good for me to pretend to be stupid.” Lin Shiming said, picking a plum blossom and handing it to Lu Yuxi. “Furthermore, we’ve only been married for two months at most. How many times can I possibly run into them? There’s no need to let them find fault with me just because of a few times.”
"You care about this?"
“Of course.” Lin Shiming raised an eyebrow. “I said I would take it seriously. We are one, and although these are just minor troubles, I don’t want to give them a chance to attack you.”
Lu Yuxi smiled gently, "Okay. So, while you're at it, try to find out anything?"
"...Why do you think you're so smart?" It makes me look stupid!
“I am the crown prince, I need to be this clever.”
"Oh," Lin Shiming replied with dissatisfaction. "I learned a little from my brother. The fourth prince, Prince An, Lu Yuchen, was born to Consort Liang. He is impatient and shallow. He is usually the one who jumps around the most, as if he is afraid that others do not know his thoughts. Meeting him today, it is quite fitting."
"And what about King Ping?"
"The Second Prince, Lu Yusheng, the Prince of Ping, was born to Consort Shen. He has a calm and unassuming personality and is considered to have a relatively low profile among the princes."
"and then?"
“Then,” Lin Shiming stopped in his tracks, “he is deep-thinking, very shrewd, and patient. He enjoys watching others suffer heavy losses so he can then come out and pick up the pieces. He is much more difficult to deal with than Prince An.”
“You’re very perceptive.” Lu Yuxi nodded in agreement. “My second brother is just as good at hiding himself as his mother.”
After saying that, the two looked at each other and smiled.
After walking a little further in, Lin Shiming suddenly stopped. "The rest of my life."
From who knows where, Yu Sheng appeared and called out, "Young Master."
"Tell me what you've observed."
"Your subordinate received a message that there were signs of foul play in Mr. Ji's fall last night. The traitor has been identified and confirmed to be a member of the prince's secret guards."
Lu Yuxi understood instantly, "The person that Prince Zhuang left to protect Old Madam Wu, has he been dealt with properly?"
"The young master personally took action and has completely eliminated it."
"And what about the mansion itself?"
"Old Madam Wu arranged for maids to ruin the young master's reputation, but because she was afraid of His Highness the Crown Prince, they were all removed a quarter of an hour ago." Yu Sheng said calmly, "Old Madam Wu changed her mind and plans to make Wu Shuangwan the Crown Prince's concubine. She didn't say what the specific plan was. There are no signs of any arrangements in the mansion."
Lin Shiming was somewhat surprised, "You know so much, did you go into the inner room?"
Yu Sheng nodded.
"...After all, this is a place for women, so be careful."
Yu Sheng agreed, and was about to say something when he suddenly disappeared from the spot.
A voice called out from not far away, "Your Highness, Young Master Lin!"
Prince Wu strode over.
"Are you getting ready to start the banquet?"
"Exactly."
"Okay, let's go back."
*
The Marquis of Nanyang's mansion truly spared no expense for this banquet. Although it was winter, green vegetables were everywhere on the table, along with some precious ingredients from various regions, and the wines were all aged vintages.
Once the banquet started, the atmosphere became much more lively. People, whether they knew each other or not, gathered in twos and threes, creating a very festive atmosphere.
Lin Shiming was also infected by the atmosphere, and he chatted with Lu Yuxi in a low voice, his eyes and brows full of smiles.
Just as they were enjoying their meal, a group of maids escorted Old Madam Wu in, followed by Wu Shuangwan.
A group of people walked straight toward Lu Yuxi and her companions.
"Your Highness, I am deeply grateful that Your Highness has come to my birthday banquet today!" Old Madam Wu's voice silenced the entire main hall. "However, since Your Highness has the honor of being here today, I do have something I would like to ask of Your Highness."