RPAGF Chapter 178 A son has no right to interfere with his father's marriages and concubines.
Chapter 178 A son has no right to interfere with his father's marriages and concubines.
During the Lantern Festival, the lights come on.
Chu Ruohan was depressed because of Gu Yun's departure and locked herself in her room for many days.
Gu Junze felt a pang of heartache. "Han'er, today is the Lantern Festival. It's very lively outside. I'll accompany you for a walk to clear your mind."
Chu Ruohan hesitated for a moment, then looked at Gu Junze's concerned eyes and finally nodded.
The lights on Zhuque Street resembled a reversed Milky Way, with thousands of glass lamps hanging under the vermilion eaves.
Ruohan stared blankly at the lanterns illuminating the street. She hadn't stepped out of Hongmeng Courtyard for several days since Yun-ge'er left that day.
Gu Junze turned his wheelchair and walked alongside her.
A lantern vendor on the street waved enthusiastically at them, "Young master, madam, come join the fun! My shop has some new lantern riddles; if you guess them correctly, you can take a lantern for free. Would you like to give it a try?"
Chu Ruohan subconsciously stopped in her tracks, her gaze falling on a beautifully decorated lantern painted with peach blossoms on the stall.
Gu Junze took in her expression and turned to the vendor, saying, "Alright, let's give it a try."
The vendor, beaming, pulled a slip of paper from his bamboo tube and read: "Neither above nor below, not above, but below. Guess the Chinese character."
Chu Ruohan frowned slightly, lost in thought.
Gu Junze smiled slightly and said slowly, "It's the character '一' (one)."
"Young master, you are indeed a man of great talent!" the vendor exclaimed. "Your answer is absolutely correct."
As he spoke, he took down the peach blossom lantern and handed it to Chu Ruohan, saying, "Madam, please take this lantern."
Chu Ruohan took the lantern, and couldn't help but smile, revealing a long-lost smile.
Looking at her smile, Gu Junze felt a surge of joy in his heart.
At this moment, the vendor took out another piece of paper. "You two are clearly quick-witted. I have another riddle here. Would you be interested in trying to guess it?"
Gu Junze became somewhat interested and nodded in agreement: "Tell me about it."
The riddle is: "Spring rain falls softly, and the wife sleeps alone." Guess a single character.
Chu Ruohan frowned; this riddle was difficult.
"It's still the character '一' (one). 'Spring rain is continuous' means there is no sun, so remove '日' (sun) from '春' (spring); 'wife sleeps alone' means the husband is not here, so remove '夫' (husband), and finally only '一' (one) is left."
The vendor's eyes widened, he gave a thumbs up and exclaimed, "Young master, with your talent, it's a pity you're not going to take the imperial examination!"
A familiar yet slightly obsequious voice came from behind.
"My elder brother is the top scholar in the provincial examination, so these riddles are no challenge for him. When the imperial examination comes in the spring, the title of top scholar will be a piece of cake!"
Everyone turned around and saw Gu Jiacheng walking quickly towards them with a woman.
With a broad smile, Gu Jiacheng walked up to Gu Junze and first bowed to Chu Ruohan and Gu Junze.
"Brother, sister-in-law, what a coincidence! I didn't expect to run into you here. Today is the Lantern Festival, and I came out to join in the fun. I've come to see your charisma, brother."
Since they are all descendants of the Gu family, Gu Jiacheng's way of addressing them makes it seem a bit more intimate.
However, Gu Junze has now been granted the title of Crown Prince, and according to the regulations of the court, he should respectfully address him as "Crown Prince" and respectfully call Chu Ruohan "Crown Prince's Wife".
Gu Junze gave a faint "hmm," his expression turning somewhat indifferent, having his mood dampened.
Gu Jiacheng warmly introduced, "Brother, sister-in-law, this is Yang Zhaozhao, the beloved daughter of Minister Yang of the Ministry of War. Miss Yang is renowned in the capital for her beauty and talent."
Yang Zhaozhao moved gracefully with light steps, gave an elegant bow, and said in a clear and melodious voice, "Greetings, Your Highness, Your Highness's Wife."
Chu Ruohan politely returned the greeting and said softly, "Miss Yang."
On the surface, he remained calm, but inwardly he couldn't help but wonder: Had Gu Jiacheng climbed the social ladder?
Why would the Yang family's daughter be willing to become Gu Jiacheng's second wife?
The girl appeared to be dressed in fine clothes, but the hairpins she wore were from a few years ago, and even her cloak was an outdated style.
Before even being engaged, she went for a night stroll with a man amidst lanterns; such behavior is not typical of a daughter raised by a noble family.
Gu Jiacheng was still thinking about how his son, Xuan Ge'er, had been adopted by these two people, and he figured he would need their help in the future.
Furthermore, Lady Wang is dead, and he has long coveted Yang Zhaozhao, but given his status, marrying the legitimate daughter of the Vice Minister of War is practically impossible.
If the heir of the Marquis of Anyang's mansion could act as matchmaker, there might be a chance for things to turn around.
Thinking about it this way, Gu Jiacheng's smile became even more obsequious.
The way she looked at Gu Junze and Chu Ruohan became more ingratiating, as if she couldn't wait to spill all her schemes.
"Brother, sister-in-law, has Xuan-ge been behaving well with you lately? If he does anything disobedient, please feel free to discipline him."
Gu Junze said, "Xuan-ge'er is very sensible, you don't need to worry."
The coldness and unwillingness to engage were obvious, but Gu Jiacheng was still persistent, chattering incessantly beside them, which was annoying.
Chu Ruohan was annoyed by his noise when she inadvertently caught sight of a familiar figure.
Her heart tightened, and she quickly tugged at Gu Junze's sleeve.
Gu Junze looked up at her, then said in a deep voice, "We have other matters to attend to, so please excuse us."
Chu Ruohan pushed the wheelchair away, and Gu Jiacheng, seeing this, was not about to let it go. "Brother..."
Gu Junze signaled Ying Qing to stop Gu Jiacheng.
"Young master, please wait." Ying Qing stretched out her arm and steadily blocked Gu Jiacheng's path.
At this moment, Chu Ruohan had already pushed Gu Junze several feet away. Gu Jiacheng watched their departing figures, and then looked at Ying Qing, who stood like an iron tower in front of him.
He had no choice but to give up and focus on appeasing the woman beside him before visiting her again when the opportunity arose.
Chu Ruohan pushed Gu Junze through the bustling crowd to a secluded spot.
The two gazed at the familiar figure by the lake; Marquis Anyang was chatting and laughing with a woman.
Upon closer inspection, this woman was a few years younger than Chu Ruohan.
It seems that the Marquis of Anyang's residence will soon be welcoming new people.
Whether or not his father should marry or take concubines is not something that Gu Junze, as his son, can interfere with.
"Let's go back."
"Ah."
The two had long lost interest in admiring the lanterns.
As soon as they returned to Hongmeng Garden, they ran into Granny Zhou, who had been waiting for them for a long time.
"Your Highness, Your Highness's Wife, the Ninth Prince has been gone for quite some time now. The matter entrusted to us by the Empress Dowager cannot be delayed any longer."
Chu Ruohan sighed softly, resignedly took the bowl of still-steaming medicine, frowned slightly, and drank it all in one gulp.
The bitter medicine slid down her throat, and she couldn't help but feel nauseous.
Gu Junze felt sorry for her and quickly poured her a glass of water. "Quick, rinse your mouth."
Chu Ruohan took the water glass, rinsed her mouth, and finally calmed down a little.
"Granny, you can leave now."
Gu Junze looked at Granny Zhou, his tone unfriendly...