Chapter 17

Chu Zhaoyou precisely struck at Xie Chaoyue’s heart, leaving her some time to ponder as she seemed unable to regain her composure.

He himself was also contemplating the truth behind Xie Chaoyue’s visit. Her coming here meant that her brother knew, which also implied that the Regent was aware.

No matter how thick-skinned a young lady might be, she couldn’t conceal her girlish feelings. Even if those two old men had never been in love and their political sensitivity didn’t allow them to be ignorant.

Xie Chaoyun could be said to be unable to resist his sister.

Xiao Heng actually agreed to let Xie Chaoyue come and talk to him about this kind of matter?

The Empress Dowager had said that if the Regent couldn’t produce a son, he wouldn’t allow the young Emperor to select a consort and establish a family.

Under this premise, Xiao Heng couldn’t possibly push his good brother’s sister into the fire.

Was Xiao Heng testing him by going along with Xie Chaoyue’s visit?

Chu Zhaoyou’s mind was momentarily filled with countless conspiracy theories, and as he thought about it, he became quite upset.

It would be good if he could have three thousand concubines one day and infuriate this lonely man.

As Xie Chaoyue regained her composure, she heard such remarks for the first time. While she was shocked, she couldn’t help but admire the Emperor even more. Clearly, he was under the control of the Regent and her brother in court, yet he was so magnanimous and even spoke well of those two. Who said a puppet couldn’t be a wise ruler who knew how to use people?

“Your Majesty, with a heart for the people and a love like a father, I admire you,” Xie Chaoyue said.

This girl deliberately said what he liked to hear, and it was not in vain for him to admit his incompetence to dispel her thoughts.

Chu Zhaoyou’s lips curled up, and he thought of something. He asked with concern, “I heard from Eunuch Xue that when the Empress Dowager arranged the marriage, General Xie was not present, and the only member of the Xie family who agreed, and facilitated the marriage, was the one who was in favor of it. Is that true?”

Xie Chaoyue’s face showed a displeased expression at the mention of her uncle: “Uncle Xie is selfish and short-sighted, which has caused embarrassment to Your Majesty.”

Chu Zhaoyou was indignant: “Don’t you and General Xie have any other elders? Xie Libai, a seventh-rank minor official, how can he be the head of your family?”

In this generation, Xie Chaoyun surpassed his father, who had achieved remarkable military feats but died young, leaving the military position to Xie Libai.

Xie Chaoyue explained helplessly: “Elders are to be respected, and the Xie family only has Uncle Xie as the elder. My mother passed away early, and although my father remarried, the relationship lasted less than a year. When I was seven, my father… My stepmother, who had no children of her own, had little affection for my brother and me. She has been living in seclusion for many years. The only known elder in the Xie family is not just Uncle Xie. My stepmother has been arranging our marriage, but my brother has firmly rejected it.”

Xie Libai, a seventh-rank minor official, used the marriage of Xie Chaoyue and Xie Chaoyun as leverage, leveraging his position to gain favors and socialize, and many people bought into it. This kind of thing was not suitable to be openly discussed, so the siblings could only suffer in silence.

The most despicable part of this was agreeing to the Empress Dowager’s arranged marriage. When Xie Chaoyun returned, he took Xie Libai to the ancestral hall and reprimanded him.

Xie Libai protested, claiming that the Regent had disappeared, and the day before, the Empress Dowager had summoned his wife to the palace. They had no power or influence and dared not refuse.

At that time, many people thought that the Regent would not return, and it was a return to the dark period when the Empress Dowager was in power.

Xie Libai was just the first to act on this speculation.

Chu Zhaoyou’s thoughts were not on Xie Libai, but he clenched his fingers, as the last key figure of the Xie family had finally emerged—Xie Chaoyun’s stepmother.

He had only heard the young couple mention it briefly, saying that the general was poisoned by his mother. His biological mother had passed away, so it must be the stepmother!

He had no knowledge of when or how the poisoning occurred.

In a sense, Xie Chaoyun’s death would help to reshuffle the power dynamics, but… Chu Zhaoyou closed his eyes. After all, he was a living, spirited person. His sister was still standing below, praising him for so long.

A high-ranking court general dying unjustly was something no king could tolerate. Even though he was loyal to the Regent, he was also the defender of the people of Great Chu.

Chu Zhaoyou did not expect that saving Xie Chaoyun would make him change sides. He believed that Xie Chaoyun would not betray the Regent, who had entrusted him, just because of a life-saving favor. If that were the case, how could he pledge unwavering loyalty?

“Hearts are inscrutable. In this world, the only person you can trust is your elder brother,” Chu Zhaoyou said with a seemingly heartfelt sigh. “Not all elders have your best interests at heart. Be cautious of any elder who suddenly approaches you.”

Xie Chaoyue nodded earnestly.

“Miss Xie is the foremost noblewoman of Great Chu, and there are certainly many people who want to arrange a marriage through them. Sometimes, when a matchmaker fails, extreme measures are inevitable,” Chu Zhaoyou fabricated a reason.

Xie Chaoyun’s face turned red and then pale. With the Emperor’s words, it seemed that there was no implication in that regard.

“Have you remembered everything I said?” Chu Zhaoyou rose from his desk and walked over to Xie Chaoyue, asking with an imposing air.

Xie Chaoyue’s heart trembled. She carefully considered what exactly he meant. Was it the part about being cautious of elders?

The Emperor had always been close to the Empress Dowager. Had he heard something? If the Empress Dowager’s arranged marriage failed, was there another plan?

Her mind was in turmoil. Whenever she thought about marriage, her heart would race. She even looked at Chu Zhaoyou with some anticipation. If she could marry this man, would everything be settled?

Chu Zhaoyou didn’t expect that his words would scare the young lady again. He couldn’t help but smile wryly. “What are you afraid of? You have your elder brother. Remember, don’t spread what I said today to avoid causing trouble.”

Xie Chaoyue nodded. “I understand.”

Chu Zhaoyou was afraid that his words might seem sudden and be misinterpreted in the future. He had already sent Cui Geng away, claiming that “Miss Xie has a thin skin and it’s not suitable for the historian to record.” If Xie Chaoyue didn’t speak, no one would know.