"Your two cousins have completely different personalities. Even the emperor's attitude is unclear for now. So, Dad doesn't know which one to support," Gu Fucheng said as he sat on a stool while Gu Qinglan stood behind him, massaging his shoulders.
"Dad, the fight for the crown prince must involve a lot of people. Will the emperor take this opportunity to pave the way for his own son..." Gu Qinglan asked.
Gu Fucheng turned around and glared at her. "Have you been drinking?"
Gu Qinglan quickly covered her mouth. "Dad, um... I'll go back to my room first."
Gu Fucheng looked at Gu Yishu. "Where did your sister come back from after drinking in the daytime?"
Gu Yishu raised his hands. "Dad, don't ask me. I don't know either."
Gu Qing glanced at the direction where Gu Qinglan had left and silently went to the kitchen to order someone to make a bowl of sobering soup and bring it over.
"Lan'er, I've brought you some sobering soup. Have a bit," he called out from outside the door.
Gu Qinglan walked over and opened the door. Without taking the soup from his hand, she turned around and walked straight into the room. Gu Qing followed her in directly and put the soup on the table.
"Why did you ask adoptive father that question just now?" He looked into Gu Qinglan's eyes. "Are you worried about the regent?"
Gu Qinglan was caught off guard. She glared at him. "What are you talking nonsense about?!"
"Lan'er, I've told you before not to go looking for Mu Yanming and don't have any delusions. You two can never be together!" Gu Qing advised earnestly, his face full of pity. He had seen clearly today when she came out of Jujun Tower dejectedly while he was in the cloth store opposite.
"I've already said don't interfere!" Gu Qinglan pushed him out of the door, then closed it and leaned against it.
Gu Qing wanted to knock on the door again, but in the end, he put his raised hand down.
...
At the Regent's Mansion.
Mo Qinghuan was lying in a hammock. The sunlight was too bright, so she opened the book in her hand and placed it over her face.
Dan'er walked over, blocking the sunlight. She took the book off Mo Qinghuan's face. "Miss, lunch is ready. The regent hasn't come back yet. Do you want to have lunch first?"
Mo Qinghuan opened her eyes lazily. "He probably won't be coming back. Let's go and eat."
She stood up. Just as she turned around, she saw Mu Yanming standing at the door.
She walked over. When she reached his side, he suddenly asked, "What's wrong?" Mu Yanming looked at Mo Qinghuan.
Mo Qinghuan tilted her head and smiled. "It's nothing."
When they got to the dining hall, Mu Yanming sat at the head of the table, and she sat on his right. Just as she was about to pick up some food, Bai Ke coughed lightly.
She looked at Bai Ke. Bai Ke gave a faint smile. She withdrew her gaze and was about to pick up the food again when Bai Ke coughed again. She looked up at Bai Ke again.
This happened three times. She put down her chopsticks. "Bai Ke, what do you mean?"
Bai Ke gritted his teeth and moved his lips. "Serve the regent food."
Mo Qinghuan glanced at Mu Yanming. He was sitting there motionless.
Mo Qinghuan sneered inwardly. What did this mean... There hadn't been so many rules the previous two days. Was he planning to take a concubine now and give her a warning in advance...
Thinking of this, she picked up the public chopsticks and picked up a bit of each of the twelve dishes on the table and put them in Mu Yanming's bowl.
Then, ignoring Mu Yanming's dark face, she started eating on her own.
She had been waiting for a long time and was already hungry.
Mu Yanming picked up his chopsticks. Looking at the bowl piled up like a small mountain, he suddenly didn't know where to start. He put down his chopsticks again.
"About today's matter..."
"You can arrange it yourself," Mo Qinghuan interrupted Mu Yanming with a mouthful of rice.
Mu Yanming looked at her with a gloomy face. "Arrange? Arrange what?"
Seeing Mu Yanming being so serious, Mo Qinghuan put down her bowl and also became serious. "It's okay. I won't mind. I know I'm just a nominal princess, so I won't object to such things. You can decide for yourself."
"Do you know what you're saying?" Mu Yanming squinted his eyes and stared into Mo Qinghuan's eyes. Mo Qinghuan inexplicably felt a bit guilty, but then she thought that it was Mu Yanming who had a tryst with someone outside, not her. Why should she feel guilty?
So she straightened her body and said proudly, "Of course I do."
Mu Yanming frowned and asked, "Then do you know what I'm talking about?"
"Isn't it about taking a concubine?" Mo Qinghuan suddenly realized that they might not be on the same page.
Hearing the words "taking a concubine" and seeing Mo Qinghuan looking completely unconcerned, Mu Yanming got so angry that he immediately got up and left the dining hall, leaving Mo Qinghuan looking completely bewildered.
Mo Qinghuan looked at Bai Ke. Bai Ke helplessly shook his head and chased after Mu Yanming. She then looked at Dan'er. "Dan'er, did I say something wrong?"
Dan'er shook her head. "This servant thinks the princess didn't say anything wrong, but the regent seems very angry."
Mo Qinghuan wasn't full yet, so she picked up her bowl and ate quickly.
When she finished eating, she walked out of the dining hall and saw Mu Yanming standing in the courtyard in a different set of clothes.
She originally wanted to sneak around him, but Mu Yanming called out to her. "Stop!"
She let out a groan in her heart, patted her face, put on a smile, and walked over.
"Your Highness."
Mu Yanming walked closer step by step. While she was smiling on the surface, she secretly held a gold needle in her sleeve.
The distance between them got closer and closer. Unable to bear the overwhelming pressure from Mu Yanming, she took two steps back. Suddenly, she backed into a stone table. Her body instinctively leaned backward. Just as she was about to fall, Mu Yanming grabbed her waist.
She was stunned for a moment. For no reason, she thought of Gu Qinglan hugging his waist this morning, and she felt a bit uncomfortable.
She pushed him away.
"Do you have something to say? If not, I'll go back to my room," Mo Qinghuan said with her back to him, not letting him see her expression at the moment.
But Mu Yanming walked in front of her, raised his hand and lifted her chin. "You don't care at all that I'm taking a concubine? Heh, do you think marriage is a joke?" By the end, his voice suddenly rose.
"Of course marriage isn't a joke, but does Your Highness forget why I'm standing here?" She sneered. "Did we get married because we were in love?"
Mu Yanming: ...
Bai Ke stood not far away, stunned for a moment. He secretly gave Mo Qinghuan a thumbs up in his heart. He didn't expect the princess to leave the regent speechless.
She slapped Mu Yanming's hand away and was about to leave when Mu Yanming grabbed her wrist. "Do you think just any woman can enter the Regent's Mansion? I'm telling you, I've never planned to take a concubine. As for you, since you're already my regent princess, you should fulfill your duties and don't interfere in other matters."
She originally didn't want to pay attention to him, but his hand was like a pair of pincers, and she couldn't break free. She had no choice but to turn her face to face him. "I clearly know that our relationship is just based on interests. Once you get what you want from the general's mansion, all this will end, and I'll leave. So please rest assured, I won't have any other thoughts about you!"
Hearing this, Mu Yanming let go of her hand.
Watching her back, he was surprised. He didn't expect that she thought he had married her for his own benefit...