Chapter 321: The Crazy Brother Jiu
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The royal family had few children. Prince Jin and Prince Ling were born from a different mother of the Emperor, so there was no need to mention that they had long been regarded as outsiders by the Emperor. In the bloodline of the Emperor and Prince Yan, only Yan Jiuchao had sons. This was originally a matter of joy for the royal family, not to mention that he had three babies and all of them were lively. Even in the entire Great Zhou Dynasty, there was no one more blessed than him.
However, everyone showed off their children by showing off their talents. It didn’t seem to be the same for him.
It was still early in the day, so everyone had nothing to do.
The Eldest Prince carried the five-year-old princess over. “Come, let’s play chess.”
The Third Prince was not to be outdone. He held the hand of the three-year-old princess. “Be good and draw a painting.”!!
The princesses were really capable. They wondered what kind of talents the little masters of the Young Master Manor had. Everyone looked at Yan Jiuchao.
Yan Jiuchao calmly rubbed the three little lads. “Give them something to eat.”
Everyone was speechless again.
In the inner hall of the Zhaoyang Palace, Yu Wan had already become friends with the women of the clan. She did not like to socialize, but that did not mean that she could not. There was almost nothing she could not please if she wanted to please someone. She spoke well, was elegant and generous, and did not look like a girl who had grown up in the countryside at all. There was no vulgar countryside in her, but she did not have the arrogance of being arrogant. She was neither flippant nor serious, neither arrogant nor rash. Everything was just right.
A six-year-old girl ran to the Empress’s side and whispered a few words to her. As she spoke, she sized up Yu Wan from the corner of her eye. Yu Wan looked at her in confusion, but she ran away.
The Empress laughed happily and said to Yu Wan, “The Ninth Princess likes you.”
Yu Wan had studied the royal family’s genealogy, so she naturally knew about this shy Ninth Princess. Her biological mother was Noble Imperial Concubine Mu, and Noble Imperial Concubine Mu had passed away early. She had grown up in the Prince Hall. The Prince Hall was where the princes and princesses lived. The concubines of noble status would keep the princes and princesses by their side and raise them. The more lowly ones would send the imperial heirs to the Prince Hall.
A few days ago, the Empress accidentally went to the garden and met the Ninth Princess, who was catching butterflies. She felt that the little girl was naive and cute, so she brought her back to the palace to raise her. As a person, it was inevitable that she would be lonely at an old age. Moreover, she could no longer serve the Emperor. If she wanted to keep the Emperor, she had to think of another way.
Yu Wan did not interfere with the Empress’s methods of gaining favor. Yu Wan looked at the child. The Ninth Princess blushed and hid behind the nanny, only revealing a pair of big watery eyes.
Yu Wan thought of the three little fellows. They had also shyly hid behind the door and looked at her with this gaze. She was sure that the Ninth Princess really liked her and not the Empress’s polite words. Yu Wan smiled friendlily.
The Ninth Princess also smiled.
Suddenly, Emissary Cui hurried in and reported to the Empress in a low voice. The Empress frowned and everyone sensed the Empress’s abnormality. The Empress smiled gently. “It’s almost time. I’ll be back soon.”
Everyone bowed and sent her off. When she passed by Yu Wan, the Empress stretched out her hand. “Wan’er, come with me.”
“Yes.” Yu Wan held the Empress’s hand and left the Zhaoyang Palace with her. Emissary Cui and a few palace maids and eunuchs followed from afar.
With no one else around, the Empress let out a long sigh. “The princess of Xiongnu is throwing a tantrum again. She refuses to wear the wedding dress no matter what. I heard that you’re on good terms with the princess of Xiongnu. She even went to Lotus Flower Village to visit you. Why don’t you help me persuade her?”
That girl went to Lotus Flower Village to snatch her father, okay? She and the princess of Xiongnu were just short of fighting on the streets. How could they be considered on good terms?
If such a thing happened on the wedding day, the entire royal family would be humiliated. Yu Wan took a deep breath. “I’ll try, but I can’t guarantee that I’ll succeed.”
The Empress held Yu Wan’s hand gratefully. “I understand.”
Yu Wan went to the princess’s bedroom. Just as she reached the door, she heard a large commotion mixed with Central Plains language.
“I won’t marry! I already said I won’t marry!”
“@#¥%@#%!”
Yu Wan understood the first two sentences. The Xiongnu language behind was out of the Heavenly Book.
“Didn’t we agree? If you obediently marry him, I’ll give you whatever you want!”
“I want to go back to Xiongnu!”
“Apart from this!”
“Then @#%¥!”
Yu Wan listened to the Heavenly Book again.
In the end, the Second Prince of Xiongnu slammed the door and left. When he brushed past Yu Wan, he was so angry that he did not recognize her as a princess consort. By the time he came back to his senses and looked at Yu Wan, Yu Wan had already entered the princess’s room.
“I said I’m not marrying!”
When the princess heard someone enter, she thought that her cousin had returned and retorted without looking back.
Yu Wan said, “It’s me.”
The princess turned around and looked at the person in surprise. After a while, she recognized Yu Wan. “It’s you?”
She sized Yu Wan up from head to toe. She really could not associate this noble and elegant woman in front of her with the shabby village girl in her memory.
“I heard that you’re married to that little lunatic.” She crossed her arms as if she had found a reasonable reason for Yu Wan’s change, but she also understood that this reason did not make sense. A pheasant was a pheasant. How could it fly up the branch and become a phoenix? Unless it was a phoenix from the beginning.
Yu Wan smiled faintly. “Yes, I’m married. I’m married to the Young Master of Yan City, the future Prince Yan.”
The Princess of Xiongnu snorted. “What are you doing here? Are you here to laugh at me?”
Yu Wan said calmly, “How would I dare to laugh at the princess? I’m here to see if there’s anything I can help you with.”
The Princess of Xiongnu said angrily, “You Central Plains people like to pretend. You clearly hate me, but you still have to pretend to be happy. Don’t think I don’t know that you don’t want to help me and that Prince Cheng doesn’t want to marry me!”
Yu Wan smiled faintly. “I don’t know Prince Cheng’s intentions, but I’m indeed here to help the princess get married. After all, I can only be completely at ease when the princess gets married.”
“What do you mean?” The princess looked at her coldly.
Yu Wan said calmly, “I should be the one asking you this. You’re about to get married, but you refuse to give in. Could it be that you still have feelings for my father and want to snatch him away?”
The Princess of Xiongnu glared. “Who said that? I don’t want to snatch him anymore!”
Yu Wan was relieved. “That’s good.”
The princess continued, “I want to snatch your mother away.”
Yu Wan : “…”
… .
Fifteen minutes later, Yu Wan came out.
The Empress went forward and asked nervously, “How is it?”
Yu Wan sighed, and the Empress’s heart sank.
Yu Wan moved to the side, revealing the bride wearing a bright and moving dress under the porch. She was wearing a phoenix coronet and a veil. Red light shone in all directions, making her look beautiful and moving.
The Empress’s hanging heart finally calmed down. “I knew you had a way! You’ve really helped me a lot!”
The Emperor had asked her to organize the wedding. This was the first big thing she had done after leaving the Fengshai Palace. Once anything went wrong, she could forget about getting the Phoenix Seal back in the future.
Yu Wan smiled insincerely. She hoped that Prince Cheng would not be frightened to death when he saw a bruised and swollen Princess Consort Cheng.
When the time came, the Emperor and Empress led the royal family and the civil and military officials to the altar of the palace. They prayed to the heavens, and the princes’ were pious behind the two of them. The relatives and the civil and military officials knelt on the floor on both sides of the altar.
“Kneel—”
“Up—”
Yu Wan bowed without looking sideways. Nanny Wan had taught her these procedures more than a hundred times when she was in the Young Master Manor. Therefore, although it was her first time worshiping the heavens, she did it smoothly.
She heard that the envoy from Nanzhao had also come, but she did not know where they were observing the ceremony.
She occasionally looked up and could see the Emperor, Empress and the princes who were also kneeling and bowing. She did not deliberately look at Yan Jiuchao, but she still noticed him at first glance. This man really shone wherever he went. Unlike his usual arrogance and unruliness, at this moment, he had an additional holy dignity. He was not a prince, but he was more like an Emperor who ruled the world than anyone else.
The Emperor was old. He was drenched after kneeling down a few times, but he did not dare to wipe his sweat, afraid that he would wipe off his wig.
After a long time, the ceremony finally ended. The Emperor and the Empress had to go to the Fei Luan Hall to host the wedding of Prince Cheng and the princess of Xiongnu. Finally, all the rituals ended and the Emperor’s wig could not stick anymore.
The Emperor hurriedly pressed his head. “Back-back to the palace!”
The Emperor and Empress returned to the palace, while Prince Cheng and the bride went to the Prince Cheng Manor. As Prince Cheng’s cousin-in-law, Yan Jiuchao and his wife also went to the Prince Cheng Manor.
There were many guests in the Prince Cheng Manor. Yan Jiuchao raised his eyebrows. He pulled the few little lads over and went to show off crazily again.
Yu Wan went to the female guests’ seats. Just as she passed by the small garden, she suddenly felt someone following her.
Her gaze paused as the person grabbed her hand.