VBNWDW - Chapter 128

Chapter 128

The Grand Princess's residence had its location personally chosen and its construction overseen by the late Empress. Even later, when the Emperor grew suspicious of the Grand Princess, the construction of her residence continued unabated.

After all, compared to granting real power or official positions, expanding a princess's residence and bestowing money and jewels were the easiest and most reassuring choices.

Thus, the Grand Princess's residence was the pinnacle of luxury. A single side courtyard alone boasted a landscape of stacked rockeries, chiseled ponds, pavilions, and latticed railings.

Peeking through the gaps in the banana leaves, one could see a pavilion by the water. In its center was a long table carved from a single piece of camphor wood. Besides teacups, a chessboard sat upon it, already more than half-covered with black and white stones.

The two people on either side of the wooden table were silent, their heads bowed as they stared at the board in quiet contemplation.

Standing nearby, Li Shigui couldn't help but raise her eyes to glance at the person opposite.

Though he had never entered the imperial court, Luo Qiyuan was the head of the Luo Family, the foremost of the noble houses. Stories of him composing poetry at eight, making a name for himself at thirteen, and retiring to the mountains at nineteen, unwilling to serve as an official, had long circulated among the common folk.

Li Shigui had only ever heard the tales; now, she was finally seeing him in person.

Although he was over forty, when he stood with his son, he looked so young he could have been the other's elder brother. Every gesture he made exuded the proud self-possession of a noble family.

Another chess piece was placed on the board.

Luo Qiyuan glanced to the side, his eyes filled with a complex emotion.

His youngest daughter was sitting beside another person, busy helping them strategize against him.

Although Luo Yueqing's chess skills were poor enough that her help was more of a hindrance, Luo Qiyuan's face remained grim.

"Play here!"

Before Zhong Jueyu could place her piece, she heard the person beside her point excitedly to a spot.

Zhong Jueyu, her train of thought interrupted, didn't get angry. Instead, she followed the direction of the other's finger, and the hand holding the chess piece froze abruptly.

Even the Grand Princess began to suspect that Luo Yueqing was doing this on purpose, hinting that she should let her father win.

But this approach seemed a bit too obvious. Her original plan had been to play an evenly matched game before feigning a misstep and losing with regret.

Could it be that Luo Yueqing's father preferred the feeling of complete domination?

Zhong Jueyu finally lifted her piece and placed it on the spot Luo Yueqing had indicated.

They were father and daughter, after all. Yueqing should know him best. This had to be the right move.

The man on the other side felt his lips twitch as he tightened his grip on his chess piece.

How to put it? If an uninformed person were to see this game, they would surely suspect the player opposite was a rare chess prodigy whose skill level fluctuated wildly—sometimes soaring like a mountain, other times plunging into a canyon, as if they were a complete novice who had just learned the game.

Luo Qiyuan gritted his teeth and placed another piece. A position that had been on the verge of victory was instantly twisted into a draw.

On the other side, Zhong Jueyu immediately grew wary. Was her father-in-law intentionally letting her win, or was he, like Luo Yueqing, just a terrible chess player?

She grew more and more hesitant, clutching the piece tightly.

This short game of chess was proving more exhausting than a session at the imperial court.

Meanwhile, Luo Yueqing seemed completely oblivious, more invested in the game than the two people playing it.

"Play here!" Luo Yueqing hastily reached out and pointed.

Her Daoist robe billowed with the movement, the collar unintentionally brushing against her neck and wiping away a layer of white powder. The marks she had deliberately tried to conceal gradually became visible, yet Luo Yueqing remained completely unaware.

Zhong Jueyu hesitated for a moment before deciding to follow Luo Yueqing's instruction and place her piece.

Luo Qiyuan's gaze darted to the other side, then fixed on Luo Yueqing's neck, where it came to a sudden halt.

This was never a simple game of chess. Both sides had their own agendas, and the game was merely a pretext to broach a topic. But then an oblivious third party had arrived to disrupt it all.

After three more pieces were played, the board took on a bizarre configuration. If it were shown to outsiders for evaluation, it would twist their faces in confusion, leaving them speechless for a long while.

Luo Qiyuan withdrew his probing gaze and finally placed a piece, ending the long-stalled game. Before the other could speak, he said, "Your Highness's chess skills still need refinement."

Zhong Jueyu breathed a sigh of relief and quickly replied, "Your skill is superb, Master. I am no match for you."

Regardless of the outcome, Zhong Jueyu's attitude was impeccable.

Luo Qiyuan then spoke again. "My young daughter seems to have a good relationship with Your Highness. Did you become acquainted at Xuanmiao Temple?"

Before Zhong Jueyu could answer, Luo Yueqing jumped in. "It was outside Xuanmiao Temple. I was drunk and fell on Her Highness. Then she saw that I was alone and worried it wasn't safe, so she had someone escort me back."

The corner of Luo Qiyuan's mouth twitched even more violently. After a long moment, he managed to say, "Don't do that again in the future."

But Luo Yueqing looked up at him and said bluntly, "It's boring in the mountains. A few cups of wine to relieve the tedium is all."

She added, "If you have something to say, just say it. Stop beating around the bush."

The lakeside scenery was peculiar. By some unknown method, water had been diverted up a rockery, from which it cascaded down, forming a small waterfall that splashed and pattered, bringing a cool respite from the summer heat.

Zhong Jueyu's brow furrowed slightly as she sensed something was amiss. The last time the Luo father and son had arrived in a hurry, and in their panic, they hadn't explained things in detail. Looking at it now, Luo Yueqing's relationship with her family was not good.

Thinking about it, it made sense. If they truly doted on her, how could they bear to let their daughter live alone on a mountain for two years without visiting even once? The head of Xuanmiao Temple's attitude was also strange. His dear friend's daughter was at his temple, yet he showed her no extra care, allowing her to live by herself in a small courtyard.

It wasn't Zhong Jueyu's fault for not thinking more of it before. The Luo family had ostensibly withdrawn from the world for a long time; none of their clan's children even served as officials, and Luo Qiyuan, the family head, had even moved into the wilderness. Consequently, very little news about them reached the public, let alone private matters like the relationship between a father and daughter.

Because the Luo family had helped her last time, Zhong Jueyu had mistakenly assumed they did it for Luo Yueqing's sake. She never imagined this was the reality.

Luo Qiyuan didn't speak immediately, instead bringing up another topic. "It's a rare trip down the mountain. Why didn't you come home?"

"I don't want to go back," Luo Yueqing said, not wanting to get entangled with him. Her words were exceedingly blunt.

Zhong Jueyu didn't know, but Luo Yueqing, who had seen the original plot, understood perfectly. The Luo family was rotten to the core. On one hand, they looked down on the imperial family, maintaining their reputation as scholars detached from fame and fortune. On the other, they were suppressed by the imperial court and could only rely on their ancestral estate to barely sustain the family.

Back then, as soon as the imperial family broke off the engagement, the original Luo Yueqing was immediately brought down from the mountain and married off to the scion of another noble family to secure more benefits.

Seeing Luo Yueqing's attitude, Luo Qiyuan dropped his false facade. "Where were you last night?" he asked coldly.

"What does that have to do with you?"

Luo Qiyuan sneered. "What does it have to do with me? Your own reckless behavior became known to others, who then ran to the Luo family to complain, bringing shame upon us. You tell me what it has to do with me!"

"Who was it?" Luo Yueqing seized on the key point.

Luo Qiyuan paused, then turned his gaze to Zhong Jueyu and said suddenly, "Does Your Highness know that a daughter of my Luo family can only become an empress?"

Zhong Jueyu replied, "I have heard as much."

Luo Qiyuan quickly retorted, "Then what are Your Highness's intentions in deliberately getting close to my daughter?"

Before she could answer, he added, "The head of Xuanmiao Temple is an old friend of many years. Fearing I would worry about my daughter, he often mentioned her in his letters."

The implication was clear: he already knew about their relationship.

After all, back in the mountains, Zhong Jueyu and Luo Yueqing had rarely hidden their closeness from others. Anyone who was paying attention could have figured it out after a few days of observation.

Zhong Jueyu raised her eyes slightly and asked in return, "Then what is your view on the matter, Lord Luo?"

Luo Qiyuan smiled. "Previously, when Your Highness was in the mountains, you seemed to have encountered assassins. I had my people look for their families. They said the Crown Prince had once sent people to give them a large sum of silver."

He changed the subject again. "Last night, the Crown Prince paid a sudden visit. He promised that if the Luo family married our daughter to him, he would surely make Yueqing the empress after he ascends the throne, make me a Duke, and guarantee the Luo family a century of prosperity."

Evidently, the person who had complained last night was the Crown Prince.

Zhong Jueyu, however, wasn't angry. Instead, she smiled and said, "But you don't believe any of that, do you, Lord Luo?"

The Crown Prince might be incompetent, but he was deeply suspicious. He was wary even of his own full-blooded sister, let alone the Luo family. No matter how tempted Luo Qiyuan was, he would find it difficult to place that bet.

Even if Zhong Jueren were to fulfill all these promises in the future, he was as incompetent as his father. How could he possibly defend Great Liang with enemy nations eyeing it like tigers?

In the end, it would all come to nothing.

Luo Qiyuan continued, "It is my daughter's good fortune that Your Highness has taken a liking to her. However, a romance between two women goes against all moral principles. Even if I were to agree, it would be impossible to silence the wagging tongues of the public."

Zhong Jueyu raised an eyebrow, knowing he was finally getting to the point.

At some point, their hands had joined beneath the wide sleeves of their robes. Luo Yueqing had tried to speak several times, only to have her hand squeezed tightly.

Seeing that Luo Yueqing was about to lose her patience again, Zhong Jueyu patted her hand reassuringly and took the initiative to ask, "Then what is your esteemed opinion, Lord Luo?"

"My son is of a similar age to Your Highness and is not yet married…" Luo Qiyuan tilted his head, gesturing behind him.

Luo Yueyin, who had been standing behind him all this time, stood with his hands clasped, his expression respectful. Amidst his scholarly air, a faint, almost imperceptible trace of pride could be seen.

Luo Qiyuan continued, "Since ancient times, there has been no precedent for a woman to rule as emperor. Even if Your Highness is exceptionally capable, you will face no shortage of obstacles. And that's not to mention being in love with a woman."

"If Your Highness is willing to marry my son, my son is willing to name Your Highness as empress and rule Great Liang together with you. In the future, your child will be the crown prince, and Yueqing can enter the palace as a female official, to always be by Your Highness's side."

Zhong Jueyu finally understood his scheme.

What use were Zhong Jueren's promises? This man had his eyes on the imperial throne!

Zhong Jueyu currently held military power. As long as she could suppress the border, she could easily invent a pretext to "clear the Emperor's side," turn her army around, and march back. Then, if Zhong Jueyu married Luo Yueyin, he could logically and rightfully declare himself emperor.

These words were so utterly shocking that Li Shigui and Ruan He, standing nearby, were stunned into silence.

Luo Yueqing was so furious she was about to stand up, but the person beside her grabbed her wrist.

Luo Qiyuan, however, didn't seem to think he was being shameless at all. Instead, he smiled and said, "My Yueqing has stayed at the princess's residence for a long time. We have troubled Your Highness to care for her for many days."

His tone was gentle, but he couldn't hide the threat within. "Today, I will take her home."

So what if Zhong Jueyu held immense power? The head of the Luo family wanted to take his own daughter home. How could she possibly stop him?

Although the Luo family was currently a paper tiger, strong on the outside but weak on the inside, a starved camel was still bigger than a horse. If word got out that the Grand Princess was forcibly detaining the legitimate daughter of the Luo family, the scholars who looked to the Luos as their leaders would surely surround the princess's residence.

"Luo Qiyuan, you—!" Luo Yueqing could no longer hold back and cursed aloud.

Luo Qiyuan, however, simply smiled at Zhong Jueyu, as if waiting for her to make a decision.

Ruan He and Li Shigui were so angry they wanted to step forward, but without an order from Zhong Jueyu, they stopped, fuming.

Zhong Jueyu's expression remained unchanged, even showing a hint of leisure. She smiled and replied, "Lord Luo's considerations are indeed thorough."

"In that case…" Luo Qiyuan's expression brightened.

"I agree," Zhong Jueyu said, casually picking up a chess piece and placing it on the board.

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