Fortunate Life of the Rural Beauty
Chapter 315 - 314 Shan Lingling

Chapter 315: Chapter 314 Shan Lingling

It’s time for lunch, women in the West Hall, men in the East Hall.

Chen Afu didn’t sit down at the table but stood behind Princess Rong Zhao. It was an ancient perversion, many daughters-in-law served their mothers-in-law’s meals this way. She could only sit down and eat if the mother-in-law allowed it.

Chen Afu served a few dishes to Princess Rong Zhao, who, with a sulky face, said, "Didn’t Lady Lingxuan ask in advance what dishes I prefer?"

Mrs. Chu chimed in, "Lady Lingxuan asked me, and I told her your favourites were the eight treasures gold pot, Phoenix Tail and Shark’s Fin, lotus seed tofu, and sesame venison. She served you correctly."

Princess Rong Zhao snorted coldly, "I’ve been feeling a bit heated these past few days. I can’t eat venison."

Chen Afu quickly said, "This daughter-in-law was unaware."

Princess Rong Zhao impatiently waved her hand, "Enough, enough, I can’t stand your attentiveness. The more attentive you are, the more annoyed I become."

Chen Afu noticed there was an empty seat between Xue Baoyi and Chu Zhen, so she took that seat.

Even with Chen Afu in between, Chu Zhen was still trying her best to please Xue Baoyi, persistently chatting with her. However, Xue Baoyi had absolutely no interest in her, responding only with occasional hums.

Just as everyone was enjoying their meal, a sudden shrill scream echoed through the halls. It was Chu Zhen’s voice. A maid accidentally spilled a plate of food on Chu Zhen’s left shoulder, the meat and soup flowing down her arm. Chen Afu’s right arm was also splashed with a few droplets of soup.

The maid was so scared that she knelt on the ground and cried, "I don’t know what happened, my arm went numb, and the dish was overturned..."

Mrs. Chu stood up and coldly snorted, "Rong Zhao, what is going on here? Don’t tell me this is just another mishap. However, this time it is indeed the servant girl’s fault—the dish was spilled."

Princess Rong Zhao was still dumfounded, unable to react, when Marquis Chu and a few other men came over from the West Hall.

Marquis Chu said with a stern face, "Xuan’er, take your wife and leave. Your father is incapable of protecting you in this mansion."

Chu Lingxuan had long since wanted to leave. After hearing Marquis Chu’s words, he pulled Chen Afu and headed towards the Outer Court.

Upon reaching the Outer Court, they took a carriage straight back to the Yong’an Marquis Manor.

Blimey, this half a day was even more tiring than running a marathon. After freshening up, Chen Afu lay on the bed to rest.

Chu Lingxuan sent the servants away, lay down beside her, and took one of her hands, saying, "I’m sorry, I always thought I could protect you, but I still let you be wronged."

Chu Lingxuan felt extremely guilty.

Chen Afu opened her eyes and said, "Master, and grandfather, and my third aunt, you have all protected me very well. Compared to Abbot Liao Chen... no, compared to my mother-in-law, my little grievances are nothing." She turned around and looked at Chu Lingxuan, "In the past, I especially sympathized with my mother-in-law, thinking that being forced into the nunnery, far away from loved ones, was the most pitiful thing. But today, I suddenly feel that my father-in-law is the most pitiful, even more pitiful than my mother-in-law. Although my mother-in-law is far away from the hustle and bustle, she doesn’t have to pretend, she lives truthfully and comfortably every day. But my father-in-law, he has to deal with the overbearing Rong Zhao every day, if his character was gentle and calm, it would be fine, but he is clearly not that type... he lives a very tiring life."

Chu Lingxuan sighed deeply, thinking that he used to resent his father very much, thinking that he, as a man, forced his wife to leave home and drove his children to the border, favoring that shameless woman. It was only last year that he heard from his grandfather that his father had been enduring humiliation for the sake of the Ninth Prince and Eleven Prince.

After the Emperor ascended the throne, he pacified the Yuans’ rebellion and established Empress Yuan’s eldest son as the Crown Prince, but he was unexpectedly assassinated just two days after his appointment. In this matter, Queen Wang was not innocent, and Consort Sun was also involved. The Emperor was so angry that he was gnashing his teeth, but could not move against them. One reason was that he had no direct evidence, and the other was that the Wangs and the Suns had just aided the Emperor in successfully gaining the throne by defeating the Treasonous Prince. In addition, their power was immense, so they couldn’t be touched for now, nor did he want to appear ungrateful.

The Emperor felt that he had failed the Yuans and Empress Yuan, not even able to protect their last bloodline. He was determined to pass the throne to someone related to the Yuans, feeling that only then could he face Empress Yuan in the future, and that only then could he compensate General Yuan, who had made great contributions to the establishment of the Dashun dynasty and was burdened by the Emperor himself.

Three years later, during an incognito outing, the Emperor took a fancy to a pretty and intelligent common girl named Shan Lingling. Not only did he favor her that night, but he also took her into the Imperial Palace. But after a few days of novelty, he realized that Shan Lingling wasn’t really that great, she was clumsy and uneducated, so he merely gave her the title of Poetess and then put her out of his mind.

In fact, Shan Lingling was really Yuan Lin, the daughter of Empress Yuan’s biological brother and Mr. Yuan’s granddaughter. "Dead" on the eve of her execution. The Emperor, who was then the Crown Prince, dispatched loyal courtiers like Chu Guangche to rescue her and send her thousands of miles away... At that time, the Emperor only wanted to preserve some of the Yuan’s bloodline, knowing that a boy would not be able to survive, so he saved Yuan Lin, who was only twelve years old at the time.

If the first Crown Prince had lived well and successfully inherited the throne, the Emperor and Yuan Lin would not have intersected. But when the Crown Prince died, the Yuan family was left with only Yuan Lin as a bloodline. So when Yuan Lin, now known as Shan Lingling, reached fifteen, she was brought back to the suburbs of the capital and happened to be seen by the Emperor...

Shan Lingling was lucky, a few holidays of favor and she got pregnant, giving birth to the Ninth Prince.

A mother’s status was ennobled by her son. The Emperor promoted Shan, the talented woman, to lady of grace and named the Ninth Prince Li Zeping. This mother and son were an invisible existence, the Emperor basically did not concern himself with them. It was only when the Ninth Prince was six years old that he pointed out seven-year-old Chu Lingxuan to be his companion.

The mother and son of the Ninth Prince had a quiet life, trying to keep a low profile and never getting into conflict with the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Seventh, Eighth, and Tenth Princes (the Sixth Prince was dead).

At that time, the Emperor’s favorite was the Third Prince, who was born from Consort Sun. He thought the Third Prince was intelligent and generous, and Consort Sun was deeply favored by the Emperor, so he refused to give the title of Crown Prince to the Second Prince, who was born from Queen Wang.

After the Second Prince turned fifteen, many court officials submitted memorials, noting that the Second Prince was born from the central palace and possessed both virtue and talent, and thus should be named Crown Prince, but the Emperor made various excuses to postpone. This caused deep resentment in Queen Wang and the Second Prince, and in the King Wang who was Queen Wang’s brother-in-law. The open and secret battles between them never stopped.

The Second Prince and the Third Prince were locked in an unending struggle. The Second Prince was even badly injured by the Third Prince and Fourth Prince. And when the Second Prince healed, his personality changed dramatically. Instead of immediately attacking the Third Prince, he conspired with Queen Wang and Lady Ma to disgrace Princess Rong Zhao, who had admired Chu Guangche since she was a widow, and Chu Guangche, who was being promoted in his official career.

Chu Guangche was one of the people the Emperor was secretly grooming for the Ninth Prince. Although the Emperor loved his eldest daughter, Princess Rong Zhao, he would not let her block the path of the Ninth Prince and ruin Chu Guangche’s future. Just as he was hesitating on how to downplay the situation, the Ninth Prince had an accident and became disabled, rendering him unfit to inherit the throne...