Chapter 929: Yan Yan's Child

Chen Wuji's question made Yu Yan Chu blush and roll her eyes. "I say, husband, we're at least sisters—how can you use such a phrase of being familiar or not?"

"The inner palace is like a sea, everyone wears a mask—what's wrong with my way of speaking?" Chen Wuji asked. "Although I'm a true village person, I've still heard a bit about palace affairs, and your father often writes to me."

"That's my imperial father!"

"That's also your father."

"..."

Yu Yan Chu conceded defeat, her husband whom she'd known less than three months had at some point stopped treating the emperor as His Majesty; correcting whether to call him imperial father or dad here seemed pointless.

"Alright, alright, alright, my imperial father!"

Chen Wuji couldn't help laughing; the two words "imperial father" sounded like they had deep meaning.

It made him involuntarily recall his high school enlightenment education.

He couldn't remember the names of those two teachers, but the story they acted out and some classic moves remained vivid in his mind, after all those moves were full of youthful restlessness and the fervor of discovering a new continent.

"I really don't know the eleventh princess very well, but I still know most things." Yu Yan Chu said. "The imperial palace is indeed deep as a sea, but it can't hide too many secrets, especially since I also hold the title of elder princess; as the eldest daughter, I still have advantages in some places."

"Even if I do nothing and have no interest in those matters, someone will still voluntarily bring me news for power and status, helping me monitor others' movements."

Yu Yan Chu curled up, naturally resting her head on Chen Wuji's lap. "Don't pinch it, if you pinch more it'll go flat."

"You say yours, this thing won't go flat—it'll only get bigger!" Chen Wuji laughed.

Upon hearing that, Yu Yan Chu grabbed Chen Wuji's hand and moved it elsewhere. "If that's possible, maybe we should spread the rain and dew evenly. But I suggest you stop, husband—I'm already big enough; getting any bigger would get in the way when I walk."

"I like it!"

"..." Yu Yan Chu pursed her lips. "But I don't like it!"

"That's not up to you, hurry up and say yours."

"..."

Yu Yan Chu grunted helplessly, only able to let Chen Wuji continue his antics, while she steered the conversation toward the eleventh princess. "The eleventh princess grew up in the cold palace, because her birth consort committed some mistakes, causing her to be neglected by my imperial father from childhood."

"Actually she almost died, but my mother the empress saved her; her birth consort's mistake, which dragged the eleventh princess into it, is somewhat unjust."

Chen Wuji asked curiously, "What mistake did the eleventh princess's mother commit?"

"..." Yu Yan Chu opened her mouth to correct, then gave up. "Forget it, mother is mother; out of the palace we have to follow local customs, right? But as for what mistake she made, I can't say—husband, you should at least spare a thought for the royal family's dignity."

"If you won't tell me, I'll go ask your father; I'm sure he'll be willing to say—it's just a small matter, trivial compared to the big things he wants to do." Chen Wuji said with a light smile.

Yu Yan Chu was taken aback. "Goodness, you really scare me—this has nothing to do with the eleventh princess either, why do you insist on figuring this out?"

"Pure curiosity!"

"..." Yu Yan Chu deliberately pressed the back of her head against Chen Wuji's core, pursing her lips. "Her mother had an affair with a guard—a huge scandal in the palace; my imperial father was nearly driven mad, preparing to exterminate the entire family of the eleventh princess's maternal uncle, but was talked out of it."

"Your father is still merciful!" Chen Wuji remarked.

"Ordinary people can't tolerate a green hat on their heads, let alone someone of your father's stature; since this affair implicated the eleventh princess, it's not really unjust either."

"You could also say that, since it was later clarified—the eleventh princess's mother only began the affair with that guard after giving birth to her; the eleventh princess is still my father's daughter, so naturally she has nothing to do with it." Yu Yan Chu explained.

Chen Wuji nodded slightly. "Even if it's clarified, your father surely still harbors resentment; neglecting the eleventh princess is thus understandable."

"Her mother that person—she was never the obedient type; as a consort she kept close to outside officials, and although the affair with the guard was clarified, there's still more to it." Yu Yan Chu said.

"Because the officials involved have special status, my imperial father didn't pursue it further, but how could he not hold a grudge? Afterwards he kept sending people to investigate in secret, but gave up when nothing turned up. Or maybe he did find out, and I just don't know."

Chen Wuji's heart suddenly stirred. "Is the eleventh princess's mother perhaps closer to Yan Yan?"

As soon as he said that, Yu Yan Chu was startled, she jerked her head up. "Husband, how many people have you planted in the palace? How do you even know this?"

"I don't have that ability, I just happened to know a bit of it." Chen Wuji said offhand.

But Yu Yan Chu didn't believe a word of it; she was convinced Chen Wuji had planted people in the palace, and possibly for a long time.

Perhaps he had been eyeing her since long ago.

After all, she's the most beautiful of all the princesses.

This guy loves beauty, he has plenty of reason to do that.

Pursing her lips and grunting, Yu Yan Chu continued. "The eleventh princess's mother's clan is the Yan family; she and Yan Yan are cousins, though not particularly close."

"Not particularly close? How come that sounds so awkward?"

"What I mean is the kinship isn't that close—it's more like sharing a grandfather." Yu Yan Chu explained. "It's that kind of closeness, not that… I'm getting dizzy, but that's the idea."

"Alright, no need to explain, I get it." Chen Wuji's palms got sweaty, the feel wasn't great, so he shifted position and began rubbing Yu Yan Chu's head.

"You say, is it possible that the eleventh princess is Yan Yan's child?" Chen Wuji asked.

Yu Yan Chu stared for a moment. "Husband, isn't that idea a bit exaggerated? Yan Yan is the eleventh princess's maternal uncle—how could there be such a relation?"

"How could there be no such possibility? Relatives having kids is commonplace, let alone this being just cousins sharing a grandfather." Chen Wuji thought the likelihood was huge.

Yu Yan Chu thought it over, then fell silent.

She had actually heard of such things before.

"Husband, what is the eleventh princess involved in?" Yu Yan Chu returned to the original question.

"I caught her, in Liu Yan's army." Chen Wuji said.