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He Yu and the Crown Prince discussed for about an hour and decided to take a break for tea.
"By the way, what's going on with Fourth? After all these years of marrying consorts, he has a son and a daughter with his concubines, but there's still no news about his legitimate son?" Yang Yunqing asked curiously.
When Fourth was mentioned, He Yu just snorted through his nose and replied irritably, "I'm not his father, why should I care?"
The Crown Prince laughed, "Right, no need to care about him. However, Third Prince hasn't looked for Daughter-in-law in these past few years either. If he doesn't bring it up, Father Emperor certainly won't remember; it's as if he doesn't have this son at all."
"His mother doesn't have enough background and her status is low; how could the Emperor pay attention to that?" He Yu sighed lightly and thought for a moment before saying, "Speaking of which, I think the Minister of Revenue's Legitimate Daughter is actually quite good. She would be a suitable match for Third Prince; why not consider it?"
"That could work," the Crown Prince pondered for a while. "It's not bad, but this matter should really be handled by the ladies."
"Don't worry, I'll go back and discuss it with my wife. When the time comes to visit the garden, the Minister of Revenue will definitely be there; we can think of a way then!" He Yu said with determination in his eyes.
The Crown Prince also felt it was feasible. Originally, the Minister of Revenue had a somewhat distant relationship with them; if they could bring Third Prince into the fold, then marrying off his daughter would naturally make the Minister of Revenue part of their camp. With this thought in mind, the Crown Prince felt it was worth taking action.
That evening, He Yu returned home and discussed this matter with Xiao Yao. After listening, Xiao Yao was quite interested; after all, in a place without internet or television, there had to be something to do to pass the time.
"However, now is definitely not a good time. It's so hot outside that everyone is too lazy to move. Let's plan properly when we get to the garden," Xiao Yao said.
"Of course! I'll leave this matter entirely to my esteemed wife!" He Yu replied with a smile.
"Don't worry!" Xiao Yao assured confidently, patting her chest as she promised He Yu.
After preparing for about ten days, the main group finally set off towards Zhili Palace.
Xiao Yao sat in the carriage with their two sons while He Yu, as the Emperor's favored minister, rode alongside the imperial carriage. The sun blazed down on the ground, and He Yu's light blue thin shirt was almost completely soaked through.
He Zi'an leaned against the window of the carriage, watching his father sitting on a tall horse in the distance. He turned to Xiao Yao and said, "It's nice outside. Doesn't Father worry about the heat?"
Xiao Yao smiled helplessly, lowered the curtain on the window, and replied to He Zi'an, "It is hot. Father's clothes must be soaked by now, but there's nothing that can be done about it; it's Father's duty."
At five years old, He Zi'an likely didn't fully understand the word "duty," but it would leave some impression in his mind that he might recall at necessary moments later.
This was an experience Xiao Yao had learned from her past life. She also loved reading books, even though she often couldn't understand most of them. Still, some impressions remained in her memory. Although she felt she had forgotten them most of the time, when something happened or in a special situation, those memories would come rushing back from deep within her mind.
He Zi'an thought for a moment and asked, "So should I be like Father in the future?"
"Not necessarily," Xiao Yao shook her head at He Zi'an but then pointed at He Ziyi with a smile and said, "However, you might have to be like this in the future."
"Yes! I will definitely not embarrass Father and Mother!" He Ziyi's voice was loud enough for those outside to hear clearly, and fortunately, he remembered to refer to his parents as Father and Mother Consort, showing he had some sense.
His declaration was so full of energy that people nearby outside the carriage couldn't help but chuckle quietly.
The Crown Prince teased He Yu, "Your son is indeed full of energy."
He Yu smiled and shook his head, saying, "My eldest is just too mischievous; it's quite a headache."
The Crown Prince rested his chin on his hand, clearly uninterested in He Yu's polite words. Although He Yu's expression seemed helpless, his eyes were filled with pride. Seeing the sparkle in He Yu's eyes made Yang Yunqing's thoughts wander; he began to imagine what his son would be like when he grew up and couldn't help but feel a bit excited.
Xiao Yao noticed some commotion outside but her two sons were oblivious and continued playing by themselves. She didn't plan to remind them; after all, focusing on themselves was the most important thing, especially for children.
As for what was happening outside, she could leave it to her husband to handle.
Actually, the journey was not a continuous walk, but rather a series of stops and starts.
The aging Emperor seemed to have developed an interest in the daily lives of the common people. He would stop whenever he saw commoners bowing nearby or laboring in the fields, adopting a concerned demeanor and kindly asking questions.
At such times, everyone had to dismount or get out of their car; in short, they all had to accompany him.
Only friends could remain in the carriage.
Xiao Yao got out and stood beside He Yu, watching the Emperor's kind expression. She suddenly realized, oh, this is what it means to be close to the people. He Yu glanced sideways at Xiao Yao and noticed her enlightened expression, which left him momentarily speechless. He quietly leaned in and whispered in her ear, "What kind of expression is that?"
Xiao Yao smiled slightly and leaned closer to whisper a few words to He Yu, which made him bury his head in laughter. He coughed a couple of times to stifle his amusement, struggling to hold back his laughter.
With all the stops and starts, what should have been a half-day journey stretched into the night before they finally arrived at the Palace.
He Yu was assigned to a somewhat secluded courtyard in the Palace, but it was peaceful and surrounded by bamboo groves, which Xiao Yao really liked. Once they settled down, both of them were so exhausted that they could barely keep their eyes open. After forcing themselves to wash up and bathe, they went back to their rooms one after the other to sleep.
After bathing together, He Yu lay on the bed and let out a long sigh. "Finally back; I thought I was going to be worn out."
Xiao Yao sat up. "You lie down; I'll give you a massage."
He Yu did not refuse this suggestion and obediently turned over. Xiao Yao began to massage his acupoints gently, hoping to relieve his fatigue. She had learned this technique from a massage doctor at the Imperial Medical Institute specifically for helping He Yu unwind.
As the Emperor aged, even Xiao Yao noticed that the situation in the capital was gradually becoming tense. Currently, this tension was mainly focused on the Eldest Prince. The Fourth Prince, Yang Yunzhe, for some reason had suddenly stopped being so arrogant and had lowered his profile.
Thus, over these past few years, all attention had turned towards the Eldest Prince.
And this time...
It is the Eldest Prince who is acting as regent. What does the Emperor mean by this?
Instead of using the proper Crown Prince, he has chosen to let the Eldest Prince act as regent? Your Majesty, are you aware that the Eldest Prince lacks a bit in both intelligence and emotional intelligence? Xiao Yao and her husband are somewhat speechless, while the Crown Prince Couple shows an indifferent attitude.
Well, since the proper master doesn't care, there's no use in them getting anxious; they might as well go with the flow.
Xiao Yao's massage technique isn't very strong, but she has a precise grasp of the acupoints, making He Yu feel so comfortable that he just wants to hum.
Bai has been riding for a while now, and his back is already sore, but one cannot complain in front of the Emperor; he can only grit his teeth and endure.
Once they arrived at the Palace, when He Yu got off the horse, he felt as if his legs were not even his own. After taking a couple of steps, his legs gradually eased up, but the soreness in his back intensified.
He had planned to tough it out and sleep through until morning, but since Daughter-in-law was here offering to serve him, what reason did he have to refuse? After all, she is his own Daughter-in-law, so there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.
While allowing Xiao Yao to fuss around behind him, He Yu said, “Ming Wuyun and Liu Jin will be coming soon.”
“Hmm? You brought them along?” This was naturally an unexpected surprise.
“Yes.” Once the massage was nearly done, He Yu turned over and pulled Xiao Yao into his arms with a smile, saying, “Otherwise, how would we end up staying in this secluded courtyard?”
“This courtyard was arranged by you specifically?” Xiao Yao finally understood. She thought about it; no matter how one looked at it, He Yu, being the The First Non-Surname King of the Capital, shouldn't be living in such a remote place. Even though the Crown Prince came this time, surely there are other gardens next to the Emperor's main hall? That couldn't be possible.
However, with He Yu's explanation, Xiao Yao instantly understood. Arranging for Wu Yun and Liu Jin to come here would indeed avoid drawing attention. Moreover, the bamboo grove in both front and back courtyards could effectively conceal Wu Yun and Liu Jin within.
"What about going south?" Xiao Yao asked with some concern. "Are we really sending them back?"
"It's fine," He Yu yawned. "We're on a separate boat. As long as nothing unexpected happens during the trip, we can hide it well."
"Alright, I hope nothing goes wrong." Xiao Yao obediently leaned against He Yu, but felt uneasy for some reason.
However, thinking back over the years, He Yu had arranged everything meticulously and considered every detail. Therefore, trusting him had become second nature.
At that moment, hearing He Yu's confident words, she didn't think too much and comfortably nestled into He Yu's arms, falling into a deep sleep.
Sure enough.
By the second dawn, before morning had fully arrived, dark clouds and flowing gold quietly entered through a hidden side door of the Palace directly into He Yu's garden.
Yun Zhu and Zhao Hezhong were already aware of this. They got up early to attend to their two Clouded Leopard masters. Fortunately, they were easy to manage; just throwing two live chickens to them would keep them quiet for most of the time.
After attending to the feline masters, they needed to hurry back to serve their proper master.
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