Chapter 827: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 827: Threats (4)
Although Xiao Ruiqing was a young master of the Marquis's family, his reputation in the capital was far from stellar due to his shameless, unmarried mother who had become pregnant before marriage. With a capable and promising older brother, Xiao Ruiqing’s status as a mere scholar was hardly comparable.
For such an unremarkable young master of a prestigious family to catch the eye of Princess Ruining and even pass the Emperor's scrutiny was indeed unusual.
Thinking of this, Xiao Ruiyuan calmly said, "If the Emperor knew of Xiao Ruiqing's actions, would he still grant the marriage?"
Xiao Xiong sneered coldly. "Even if you were to present evidence to the Emperor now, compared to Princess Ruining, do you think the Emperor would trust you?"
Xiao Ruiyuan looked at Xiao Xiong and the smug Wei Shi expressionlessly, then coldly laughed. "I don't know who the Emperor would trust, but the ancestral home is a thousand miles away from the capital. If something were to happen on the way, the death of a few people wouldn’t be of any concern."
It was effortless to quietly dispose of someone. Did they really think that by connecting with Princess Ruining and threatening him with an imperial marriage, he would just comply and bring Xiao Ruiqing back? What a delusion!
"You dare!" Xiao Xiong trembled with fury, pointing his finger at Xiao Ruiyuan. "Don’t forget what you promised your grandfather before his passing! If you dare do anything harmful to Ruiqing, you’ll be unfilial and rebellious. How will you ever face your grandfather again?"
Xiao Xiong knew very well that Xiao Ruiyuan was someone who followed through on his words. If pushed to the limit, not only would he deal with his half-brother, but even he, as the biological father, wouldn't have a good life. That was why he had schemed to help his younger son connect with Princess Ruining—to bring him back, marry him to the princess, and together, seize the title of heir from Xiao Ruiyuan.
Upon hearing Xiao Xiong mention his grandfather, Xiao Ruiyuan’s expression turned cold. "If my grandfather were alive and knew of Xiao Ruiqing’s actions, do you think he would have allowed him to live this long? Since you insist on bringing Xiao Ruiqing back, I’ll make it happen for you."
With that, in front of Xiao Xiong and Wei Shi, Xiao Ruiyuan ordered Xiao Shiyi, "Keep a close eye on Xiao Ruiqing. Don’t let him leave the ancestral tomb for even a step. As for this so-called imperial marriage decree... dead people don’t need to receive such decrees!"
Xiao Shiyi was thrilled and immediately bowed, responding loudly, "I’ll carry out the order!"
Seeing the furious Xiao Xiong and the defeated Wei Shi, Xiao Shiyi couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction. The master had been too merciful to them, which allowed them to get carried away. If the old Marquis were still alive, knowing how this disgusting trio treated the master, the old Marquis would probably not let them off lightly even without the master needing to take action.
Xiao Ruiyuan snorted coldly and, ignoring Xiao Xiong and Wei Shi, turned and strode out of the Wei Yuan Marquis’s residence, heading for the Crown Prince’s residence.
Due to the delay, by the time he arrived at the Crown Prince’s residence, Chu Heng had been waiting for a while in the study and had also heard from his subordinates about the events at the Wei Yuan Marquis’s residence.
Seeing his cousin’s displeased expression, Chu Heng comforted him, "The official engagement with the Mo family is the day after tomorrow. Don’t let some unworthy matters ruin your mood."
Xiao Ruiyuan wasn’t disgusted by Xiao Xiong and Wei Shi; he was simply reminded of unpleasant past events. Hearing Chu Heng’s words, his expression gradually softened.
Chu Heng shook his head and sighed, "Seeing you like this, I can rest assured. Once you and Miss Mo are married and have a few children, it’ll be even better."
Children?
Xiao Ruiyuan had only ever thought about marrying the woman he loved. He had never once considered having children. At this unexpected mention from his cousin, he felt a little flustered, unable to imagine what their children might look like.
Seeing his cousin so flustered, Chu Heng couldn’t help but joke, "Once your engagement is settled, the wedding day won’t be far behind. You’ve never had a woman attend to you. Some things might be a bit unfamiliar to you. How about I pick two capable wet nurses to teach you a few things?"
In the palace, there were wet nurses specifically for teaching royal sons how to perform their duties. These women not only taught the princes how to relieve themselves but also guided the newly-entered consorts in serving the emperor. They also instructed the princesses and even the future consorts on how to serve their husbands. Once they reached a certain age, these wet nurses often became the princesses' dowries.
Of course, these dowry wet nurses didn’t teach the princesses how to serve their husbands; instead, they taught the husbands how to serve the princesses. Even the decision of whether the princess and her husband would share a bed, and when, was under their supervision.
"I don’t need them!" Xiao Ruiyuan said awkwardly, refusing with a firm tone. Though he hadn’t experienced it firsthand, he had heard the "reputation" of these "bedroom wet nurses." His embarrassment was one reason, but the bigger reason was that he didn’t want too many people interfering in his private life with Mo Yan.
Chu Heng wasn’t angry. He just suppressed his teasing expression and seriously advised, "Sending you two wet nurses will not only help you with some matters but also make it easier when you marry and live separately. You’ll have a lot of responsibilities in your household, and with Miss Mo taking care of things, it’s best to have a few experienced women to guide her."
Xiao Ruiyuan thought for a moment and finally agreed, though he insisted that the "bedroom wet nurses" be replaced with capable housekeepers who could handle all household matters.
(The End of This Chapter)
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