Masquerade in Bridal Attire and Marry the Prince

67. The Force Behind

Translator: Antonia

Concubine Xiao’s face turned a little pale. She couldn’t make out how in heaven’s name Yuxing Tianrui knew the content of their conversation over here. No wonder she doubted. Yuxing Tianrui’s interruption was too purposive.

The third prince Yuxing Wei seemed not understand everything and still grinned, “So sister-in-law likes to eat meat? That’s great. In the future we can hang out together and hunt in the mountains. The toasted wild animals taste really nice.”

He said in a carefree manner, and no one retorted to hurt his face. Knowing he was of malicious intention, Du Chuxuan could only give him a friendly nod and stopped paying attention to him.

He smiled at Yuxing Tianrui, “Thank you, Your Highness.” Then, he took a bite on the drumstick, as if he hadn’t seen one for a million years.

The Emperor chuckled a little and didn’t mind his manner. After all it wasn’t easy for her, as a woman, to have stayed in the barren borders for so long. Moreover, just now in the imperial study, Yuxing Tianrui had reported to the Emperor everything that Du Chuxuan had done for him in details. The Emperor would agree if Du Chuxuan asked for more rewards at this moment.

The family enjoyed the meal jovially. As for whether some people were happy or not, Du Chuxuan had no idea. They had returned in advance, so the Army would arrive in a few days. During these days, Yuxing Tianrui was put on leave by the Emperor and could take a good rest in his palace.

While they were free of ties, Yuxing Tianrui and Du Chuxuan went to the palace outside the city to take a fresh air. Casually, they only took with them his guards and set off in a hurry after getting the Emperor’s permission.

“Finally, we’re out.” Du Chuxuan lay in the carriage in a comfortable attitude. Down to the brass tacks, the imperial family’s life was better. The Du family only had narrow carriages and he had to sit tight in it. Even if his family got the wealth, due to the identity and low rank of merchants, they weren’t allowed to have bigger carriages. But things were different for the imperial family.

The carriage was big enough for three people to lie down. Outside the compartment, Dongxiang and Ada were driving the carriage, and inside, Yuxing Tianrui and Du Chuxuan took full use of it, each occupying a side.

Taking out the refreshments of Bakery Shangpin from the food box, Du Chuxuan, narrowing his eyes, took a bite with satisfaction. What a good life this was! As long as there were no wars for him to fight, he could stay in the capital city like a useless man. Thinking of this, he couldn’t help asking, “I heard that father is going to let the third prince join the court?”

Yuxing Tianrui was holding Commentary on the Waterways Classic, a book he had read many times and took out now just to kill time. Hearing the question, he nodded, “Now he doesn’t know much, so father let him join the court first to get familiar with everything. I guess later he’ll be given a position with some power.”

Du Chuxuan narrowed his eyes. This Yuxing Wei was some hot potato. Now the Emperor had three princes. The first prince was the eldest, the second the heir to the throne, while the third, with no background of particular consequences, had nothing. However, the third prince was able to please the Emperor with sweetened words and got everything out of him.

As if he sensed what Du Chuxuan had in mind, Yuxing Tianrui smiled, took out something from a secret drawer and gently threw to Du Chuxuan.

Du Chuxuan caught it reflectively and saw it was something like a seal, surprised, “Why give me this?” He turned the seal over and was confused at the pattern of it, a flower. Only females used seals like this.

The curtains of the windows were lifted for them to enjoy the scenery along the way. Knowing there were only his people around, Yuxing Tianrui was more relaxed, “Even you can tell it, and father is still willing to be close to him. Aren’t you curious about the force behind him when his intention is so obvious?”

Slightly stunned, Du Chuxuan rolled up at once and examined the seal, his brain working fast. The imperial members liked to use tokens to show their identity, so a seal was too casual for them. Wulin people preferred to use a seal more likely. Judging from the pattern, it must have come into existence for quite a long time.

“You think he’s ganged up with Wulin people?” Du Chuxuan asked in a frown and still doubted it, because that would be a crime enough to put the prince into jail and the prince wasn’t a fool.

Yuxing Tianrui cracked a smile, “Of course, he’s no fool. However, obviously Concubine Xiao left the palace with an identity, but she never told anyone. Even if it was because father ordered her to do that, the child could be exempted. What’s more, she was merely a woman with no support. How could she live on alone with a child outside the palace?”

“If there is no other unspeakable reason, there’s one possibility—” Yuxing Tianrui slowed his voice, “She has her own force, and she left only to do her own good and cultivate her power outside.”

Many things that had happened years ago weren’t told to Yuxing Tianrui. Over many years later, he only knew that his parents loved each other deeply so that his father had dismissed the harem. However, no matter what, the imperial family cared about descendants and wouldn’t allow any one of them to wander among folks.

When she knew more than well that as long as she publicized the news of her pregnancy, she would have not only had a position in the palace but also enjoyed a comfortable life forever, she still had chosen to leave the palace. The contradictory situation wouldn’t make Yuxing Tianrui believe that Concubine Xiao had done it merely because she had no idea she was pregnant then.

Reminded by his analysis, Du Chuxuan saw the strange point. He carefully held the seal in his hand, “Then what’s this? Does it represent the force behind the third prince?”

On this question, Yuxing Tianrui curled up his lips, “This seal is a symbol of the Lord of Sect Luo, which is one of my hidden forces.”

Pretending to be casual about it, Yuxing Tianrui lowered his head but stealthily regarded Du Chuxuan from the corners of his eyes. After what they had been through, he trusted Du Chuxuan, but he wanted to test out his attitude because the imperial members were forbidden to be in touch with Wulin forces.

Haha. Some real fox he was to calculate on his own dear hubby! Du Chuxuan roasted to himself and pretended to panic, “What do you mean, Your Highness?! I can’t take it.”

In the next second, he swiftly pulled down the curtains and leaned over to Yuxing Tianrui, “Your Highness, are you trusting me with everything you have? Don’t you fear I seize it and run away?”