Fortunate Life of the Rural Beauty
Chapter 540 - 531: Considerate Son

Chapter 540: Chapter 531: Considerate Son

On the 24th of March, Prince He formally moved into his own royal mansion which signified the establishment of his officialdom.

The day before, in the late afternoon, Prince He invited Chen Afu, Chu Hanyan, her two young brothers, Yu’er, Chu Lingzhi, and the crew from Animal House for a first-look tour of his new royal residence.

Originally, the mansion was the inherited estate of the Wang family that had been managed for over a century; it was majestic and luxurious. After several months of renovation, it had become extravagantly lavish and exquisitely refined.

Chen Afu led the children and the people from Animal House to the palace of Prince He. Seeing Prince He standing at the side door with a beaming face, she figured that he had actually wanted to usher them through the main entrance, but he knew that doing so would invite unwelcomed attention to his mother and sister. Thus, he regretfully settled for welcoming them at the side entrance instead.

As soon as Chen Afu and others got off the carriage, he immediately took Afu and Hanyan by the hands and said jubilantly, "This is my home now. I’ve specially prepared rooms for my mother-in-law and sister. You could stay over whenever it gets late during your visit here."

The young brothers were slightly hurt by his words. Yu dejectedly argued, "Prince He only likes Mom and our sisters. He doesn’t like us brothers and Dad."

Ming quickly supplemented with, "Prince He only likes girls, not boys."

That was because they had been hearing nonstop about the imminent return of their father and so they included him too.

Prince He’s face flushed from their teasing. He quickly responded, "Of course, rooms have been prepared for father and brothers too. Enough to accommodate grandparents, uncle, the whole lot of them in our large compound."

It was a seven-part mansion with a large garden and a yard full of blooming begonias. There was a man-made lake in the middle of it with a small island, atop which was a little courtyard. It took them more than an hour to tour around the compound riding a guardrail-free donkey cart.

This was equivalent to a large integrated park from the modern era.

Chen Afu glanced at Prince He and Chu Hanyan a few times, and thought the house was too big for just the two of them. But then, she drew another conclusion-- it was important for Qi’er to learn from the finance department to become a financial director for Ms. Chu in the future. Qi’er was bold and meticulous--qualities needed to assist Ms. Chu in supervising the mansion. Even though there would be dedicated personnel to manage the treasury, Ms. Chu should always have a clear idea of how much wealth was at her disposal.

After the tour, when the evening was about to fall, Prince He invited them for dinner in the main hall.

The main hall was decorated with resplendent florals, releasing a subtle fragrance. The interior boasted the most extravagant and delicate features. Prince He turned to Chu Hanyan and said, "Sister, you will be living here once you marry into the royal family. Do you like it?"

Ms. Chu blinked her eyes playfully and nodded.

Prince He then asked Chen Afu, "Mother-in-law, what do you think?"

Chen Afu also nodded and laughed, "Yes, very nice."

Sensing that Hanyan had gone into the bedroom with Yu’er and the young brothers, Prince He whispered to Chen Afu, "Mother-in-law, Consort Yang constantly brings her sister into the palace. It’s quite a nuisance. Now that I live in my own house, I can see whoever I want, and disengage from those I don’t want to see."

Chen Afu noticed his frowned eyebrows and a face full of disdain. Prince He was wise beyond his years. His reaction indicated that Princess Yang’s regular visits weren’t all that simple, and probably had ulterior motives.

Chen Afu looked at him seriously and said, "I agreed to let Hanyan be your princess because I believe that you won’t mistreat her. Hanyan is too kind and can’t compete with others."

Prince He, on hearing these words from his mother-in-law, understood his indirect advice that Princess Yang had ulterior motives in visiting him and he should maintain a distance from her. He hastily assured, "Mother-in-law, don’t worry. I will devote all my kindness to Hanyan alone."

Chen Afu hinted again, "Prince He, you are smart and know how to handle certain matters. Empress Zhang shows a lot of respect to Hanyan’s grandfather and is deeply respected by the emperor as well. In the future, besides fulfilling your filial duties towards the Empress Dowager, you should also try to maintain a good relationship with Empress Zhang."

Prince He contemplated and whispered, "Mother also asked me to maintain a good relationship with the empress, saying that she is upright and has shared the trials with my elder imperial brother."

Indeed, he was a clever child who had grown up under her meticulous care.

Chen Afu laughed and gave his ear a light tug, something she always did when she was pleased, either by giving him a peck on the cheek or by pulling on his ear.

Having obtained the approval of his mother-in-law, Prince He’s eyes beamed with joy.

After dinner, Chen Afu and others returned to the Chu’s mansion.

Though Prince He had invited them to visit his mansion the next day, Chen Afu declined. Considering that the princes, princesses, and possibly even the emperor and the empresses, would be there tomorrow, they decided not to crowd them.

Mrs. Wei was also going back to her place on the same day. On their way, helped her to her carriage, and inquired about Miss Yang.

Mrs. Wei informed her in a low voice about Miss Yang. Her given name was Yang Wenfang, she was eleven years old, and renowned for her beautiful looks. Lady Yang often brought her into the palace. Moreover, she had been bumping into Prince He frequently and had been trying to ingratiate herself with him...

"...I always felt there was something a bit off, but I couldn’t be certain. Even a child like Prince He has sensed it. I wonder what kind of strategy she’s using," said Mrs. Wei grimacingly.

Chen Afu seethed, Lady Yang really had no shame, grooming her little sister for the role of concubine. Of course, she may have entertained the notion of overthrowing Ms. Chu to become the principal wife as well.

She whispered, "Prince He is an excellent catch. I am sure many girls will have designs on him. They might think Hanyan is naive and even if they could be a concubine, their lives would be comfortable. And then there are those who dream big, hoping to edge Hanyan out in the future. Both you and Qiu Yue should be vigilant, and instruct Xiao Gezi to be cautious - don’t let Prince He fall prey to other’s scheming." She sighed and added, "Dabao was raised by me from a young age. I understand his nature and know that he would never indulge in disgraceful acts. But those shameless flies are repulsive, always buzzing around him."

Mrs. Wei nodded in agreement, "Yes, I understood."

After returning to the Chu’s mansion, when Chen Afu saw the smiling Chu Hanyan, her heart ached for her. Even for the sake of her child, Chen Afu would make sure that Chu Lingxuan would strive to rise in ranks. Only when he had a prosperous career would her children not be oppressed. It was extremely difficult to achieve such a balance that would please the emperor, but will not cause his jealousy.

Time flew by and by mid-April, the victorious army returned to the capital city.

Not only was the capital city getting spruced up for the victorious troops returning from the rebellion, the Chus’ mansion was also undergoing a thorough cleanup and getting decorated with red silk and bright lanterns.

On the 12th of April, the victorious army entered the city. In fact, they had arrived in the suburbs of the capital the day before, but they had to wait until that early morning for the emperor, leading the civil and military officials, to greet them outside the city.

Chen Afu and the others received the news of the impending homecoming from the third lord and Chu Lingxuan’s courier the previous day. Both the third lady and Chen Afu cried tears of joy upon hearing the news.

Marquis Chu left with the emperor to welcome the victorious soldiers, while the Marquis’s father, along with the Chu family, waited for the news in Rong’an Hall. Today, the Imperial College was closed for the day and the fourth and fifth masters of Chu’s Mansion–Chu Lingwei, Chu Lingzhi, and Chen Alu–had all gone to the streets to join in the celebrations.