Chapter 384: Lu Wang Yuwen Yong

Yuwen Ze raised his chin towards the outside, his gaze swept over the diners who were discussing "His Majesty becoming a Buddha" with full conviction, his eyes full of smiles.

The common people had no doubts, but instead regarded it as an auspicious omen.

His own brother's move had a better effect than expected...

Chen Yan raised his hand and picked up the blue porcelain wine cup on the table, took a sip of wine, his gaze swept through the gap in the curtain over the common people who were sighing for "His Majesty becoming a Buddha", and a playful smile slowly hooked at the corner of his mouth: "It can be considered that our Emperor has exhausted his last bit of heat for the stability and prosperity of Great Zhou!"

Now that the common people are convinced of this "auspicious omen" and the hearts of the court and the public are stabilized, it has finally exerted his role as an Emperor...

Yuwen Ze seemed to think of something, the smile on his face suddenly closed, and the force of his fingertips pinching the wine cup increased unconsciously.

He frowned tightly, his gaze falling on the swaying wine in the cup, his tone adding a bit of melancholy: "Brother, but this encounter with national mourning, the marriage between me and Miss Du..."

Saying this, he turned the wine cup lightly, a trace of helplessness flashing in his eyes.

It is a great joy that there is no longer this young Emperor who wanted to put his father to death...

But marriage is forbidden during the national mourning period.

Especially for relatives and important officials, they have to wait until the "twenty-five months" period is full.

Thinking of this, Yuwen Ze was extremely melancholy. Originally, his father said that he would welcome the Du family into the door after the New Year...

Chen Yan picked up the wine cup again, drank the wine in the cup in one gulp, and the bottom of the cup tapped the table with a crisp sound.

He looked up at Yuwen Ze, a ray of unfathomable light flashed in his eyes, his tone meaningful: "If it were an ordinary national mourning, it would indeed be delayed for a long time..."

"Huh?"

Yuwen Ze was stunned, tasted that his brother seemed to have something in his words, and keenly grasped the point...

"Ordinary"!

Does that mean...

Chen Yan picked up the wine pot, his slender fingers tilted, and slowly poured the amber wine into the cup, the wine foam rising and quickly dissipating.

He put down the wine pot, tapped his fingertips lightly on the rim of the cup, a playful smile in his eyes, and said: "A Ze, you forgot that our late Emperor was received by the Buddha..."

He paused, the curve of his mouth deepened, and continued: "You can use this as a reason to shorten the mourning period to one month!"

Since it is an auspicious event of "being received by the Buddha", not a sad funeral, the regulations of national mourning can naturally be changed—

Just say that because of the gratitude for the Emperor's blessing of the Buddha's fate, I cannot bear to let the common people fall into grief for a long time, so I shortened the national mourning to one month, which is both in line with "God's will" and follows the people's hearts. Who can pick out half a fault?

Everything is logical and justified!

"That's right, that's right!"

Yuwen Ze's hand holding the wine cup stopped suddenly, a trace of confusion flashed in his eyes, then he suddenly woke up as if struck by a thunderbolt, patted his forehead heavily, his tone full of annoyance and a bit of ecstasy: "How did I neglect this layer!"

Saying this, his body leaned forward, the melancholy in his eyes dissipated, replaced by a bright light of sudden enlightenment.

After all, he is going to promote this vigorously next...

Chen Yan raised his wine cup and smiled indifferently: "Your sister-in-law has already prepared gifts for you two!"

Du Shuying is a close friend of his wife, and A Ze is his brother. Both sides are close relatives, so Pei Suiwan is extremely concerned...

Hearing this, Yuwen Ze's eyes lit up, the smile on his face became thicker, and he immediately picked up his wine cup and tapped it lightly against Chen Yan's cup. A crisp clinking sound rang out in the private room: "Then I will not be polite!"

"Hahahaha!"

Their eyes met, and the stagnation caused by national mourning and the wedding date dissipated completely.

Their eyes were filled with knowing smiles, and then they looked up and drank the wine in their cups in one gulp, their hearty laughter through the half-covered curtain.

Lu Wang Mansion.

Evening.

The setting sun shone through the window of the Lu study, casting mottled light and shadows on the ground.

The chill crept into the room as the twilight deepened.

Yuwen Yong was wearing a black casual robe, sitting withered in front of the desk, his elbows supporting the desk, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the cold inkstone.

He had been sitting motionless like this for a whole day, the tea on the desk had long been cold, and even the charcoal in the charcoal stove only had sporadic residual warmth.

"Clang, clang, clang!"

A light knocking sound suddenly sounded, breaking the dead silence of the study.

Yuwen Yong's eyebrows frowned suddenly, the air pressure around him sank instantly, he didn't even raise his head, his voice full of suppressed impatience: "Who!"

He paused, unable to suppress the irritability in his heart, his volume rose a bit, his tone carrying extreme displeasure: "Didn't I say don't let anyone come to disturb me!"

The person outside the door was choked by Yuwen Yong's anger for a moment, and then a gentle and soft female voice came, like brocade soaked in warm water, gently ironing the tense atmosphere in the study: "Husband, it's me..."

Lu Wangfei Wang Chuyan's voice paused, carrying a bit of careful probing, and added: "Can I come in?"

"It's the Princess!"

Yuwen Yong's fingers gripping the inkstone loosened imperceptibly, the gloomy air pressure around him dissipated more than half, and the previously angry voice also eased, carrying a trace of imperceptible fatigue: "Come in!"

The door was pushed open gently, and Wang Chuyan, wearing a lotus-root-colored ru skirt, walked in with a food box.

Her figure was graceful, a silver begonia hairpin was inserted obliquely at her temples, her face was beautiful and gentle, and her skirt brushed the ground silently when she walked.

After she put the food box on the side of the desk and was about to speak, Yuwen Yong still didn't raise his head, his gaze falling on the blank rice paper on the desk, asking plainly: "Chuyan, why did you come?"

Hearing this, a gentle smile bloomed in Wang Chuyan's eyes, the corners of her lips curved lightly, even the arc of the corners of her eyes showing warmth, and her voice softened a bit: "Husband, you locked yourself in the study, and haven't even had a drop of water or a grain of rice all day..."

"I specially asked the kitchen to make some side dishes!"

"And also boiled chicken soup..."

Saying this, she reached out and lifted the lid of the food box gently.

I saw four side dishes neatly arranged inside—

Emerald green cold spinach, oily sauce-burst chicken cubes, golden crispy fried lotus root boxes, and a bowl of steaming steamed perch, and finally a chicken soup served in a white porcelain bowl.

When the bowl lid was lifted, the rich fragrance instantly spread out, mixed with the slight bitterness of angelica and the freshness of chicken, dispelling some of the chill in the study.

Wang Chuyan carefully placed the dishes and soup on the desk one by one, her movements gentle and crisp.

Yuwen Yong finally looked at the woman, his gaze falling on her busy fingertips and the fragrant food on the desk, the gloom in his eyes faded a little, but still covered with a layer of lingering irritability.

His Adam's apple rolled lightly, his voice carrying a bit of hoarseness: "Sorry to trouble the Princess!"

Changing the subject, he lowered his eyes again, his fingertips unconsciously picking at the corner of the table, his tone full of difficult-to-hide irritability: "But I have no appetite now..."

Hearing this, Wang Chuyan didn't persuade him to eat anymore, just walked gently behind Yuwen Yong, covered his tense temples with warm palms, and massaged them slowly with just the right amount of force: "Husband, you have been behind closed doors in the study since this morning, is there any trouble?"

"Can you tell me about it?"

The movements were gentle and soothing, like spring breeze blowing over tense strings, slowly melting the wrinkles between Yuwen Yong's eyebrows.

They were together this morning, and there was nothing else...

The Prince just learned the news of the Emperor's passing, but it shouldn't be like this, right?

Yuwen Yong was massaged until he gradually relaxed, and the irritability in his chest seemed to ease.

He picked up the chicken soup on the desk, the warmth of the porcelain bowl transmitted through his fingertips, took a sip, the warm soup slid down his throat, carrying the slight sweetness of angelica, dispelling some chill.

When he put down the bowl, he finally turned around, his gaze falling on Wang Chuyan's gentle eyebrows, his tone carrying a bit of grave probing, less irritability: "Princess, how do you think the Emperor passed away?"

A trace of confusion flashed in Wang Chuyan's eyes, then she returned to a gentle expression, withdrew her hand gently, walked to Yuwen Yong's side, her tone carrying a bit of genuine doubt: "Isn't it said that he was praying for Great Zhou in the Buddha hall, knelt for three days and three nights, moved heaven and earth, and was received by the Buddha to bliss?"

Saying this, she frowned, as if she didn't understand why her own man would have doubts about this "conclusion": "Even Lord Sun Zhi and Lord Li Heng followed him!"

"Heh!"

Yuwen Yong snorted coldly and said: "Do you believe this kind of ghost talk that fools people?"

Knelt for three days and three nights?

He just went into the palace to see the young Emperor the day before yesterday...

Moreover, this legitimate younger brother of his, like himself, didn't believe in Buddha at all!

"Huh?"

Wang Chuyan was stunned and didn't understand: "Isn't it?"

Yuwen Yong tapped the edge of the porcelain bowl, stared at the woman, and asked: "If I said that the Emperor was killed by that Grand Chancellor cousin... do you believe it?"

When the words came out, the twilight outside the window seemed to have a bit more chill.

Wang Chuyan was stunned, her eyes full of incredulous panic, her voice even trembling: "This... this how is this possible?!"

She gripped her sleeves tightly, her eyebrows twisted tightly, her tone full of confusion and incomprehension: "Why would the Grand Chancellor poison the Emperor like this?!"

"How is it impossible?"

Yuwen Yong hooked a playful curve at the corner of his mouth and smiled lightly: "Because the puppet is disobedient!"

He paused and continued: "The puppet has its own consciousness, and even wants to seize power, and even counter-kill the manipulator..."

"This is something the manipulator cannot tolerate!"

Yuwen Yong didn't know the truth, but he guessed a rough cause and effect...

"No... no way!"

Wang Chuyan raised her hand to cover her small mouth lightly.

She suddenly understood the reason for her husband's trouble...

"Clang, clang, clang!"

A hurried knocking sound suddenly sounded outside the study, breaking the heavy atmosphere between the two.

Yuwen Yong's eyebrows frowned suddenly, the irritability that had just been suppressed rose again, and he said in a deep voice towards the door: "Who?"

"It's this old servant!" The butler's slightly hurried voice came from outside the door.

Yuwen Yong rubbed the edge of the bowl unconsciously, his tone carrying a bit of impatience: "What's the matter?"

The butler's voice paused, his speed was faster, and he was panicked: "Prince, the Grand Preceptor and the Grand Tutor have come to visit in person, and they are now in the front hall!" ===== CHAPTER 385 =====