Chapter 764 The Rules of the Imperial Palace

Chu Liuyue was the son of Consort of Virtue, the head of the four concubines. Apart from the Empress, she was the noblest in the palace.

But in fact, when she was brought into the palace in the beginning, she had just been a concubine at the lowest rank. She and her elder sister were brought into the palace together, but her sister, the eldest lineal daughter of their family, was given a higher position. As for her, the second lineal daughter of their family, if it had not been for the special event, she would not have been summoned to the palace along with her sister.

No two imperial concubines shall come from one mansion. Even if she had been brought in because of a special situation, she had been deliberately made a nameless concubine. Compared to her sister brought in when she was in her golden age, she had just been a small wave.

But in the end, the small wave had become a huge one, which completely defeated her sister, and emerged victoriously. Since then, no one had ever remembered her noble sister.

This was Consort of Virtue’s story, and there was also Consort Lan’s…

In theory, the royal family was the most rule-bound, but it was, in fact, the unruliest. Rules were always ignored on special occasions.

“Nonsense!” Chu Liuyue slammed the table and shouted.

“Your Highness!” Shao Yanru looked at Chu Liuyue in shock. Then, her eyes turned red, and she sobbed, “Your Highness… what… what do you mean?”

Chu Liuyue calmed down, suppressed his anger, and said gently, “How could you talk irresponsibly about such a thing? It will be bad if someone hears it!”

“Right… I know you’re doing this for my good, Your Highness!” Shao Yanru looked at Chu Liuyue tearfully, wiped away her tears gently with her handkerchief, and then smiled shyly, “My father means… when I am your woman… he will do his best… I’m his only daughter… he will always think for me!”

Chu Liuyue frowned but knew what Shao Yanru meant. Duke Xing was an old cunning fox. He looked kind and smiled at everyone he met, but he didn’t give his word.

This promise was quite reliable, but he had to marry Shao Yanru. He had wanted to marry her earlier. Even if he only took Duke Xing’s Mansion into account, he would have to do it.

However, after the accident that Shao Yanru fell into the water in the palace, he inexplicably felt bad when he thought about marrying her. Others might not know it, but Chu Liuzhou and Chu Qing knew it.

He felt that he would be secretly ridiculed by Chu Liuzhou and Chu Qing if he really took Shao Yanru as his princess. A man like Chu Liuzhou would possibly hurt him with it from time to time, making him feel that he was a cuckold.

He didn’t like Chu Qing. When he remembered that he had held Shao Yanru in his arms in the water and many people had seen it at that time, he felt a gag at his throat. He could not swallow it or spit it out. The feeling was terrible.

But he couldn’t let anyone else take her. After all, Shao Yanru had sincerely said that Duke Xing, the old cunning fox, would unhesitatingly support the one who married her.

Let Shao Yanru be his consort? Then what about Shao Wanru?

He thought quickly and made up his mind. Shao Wanru was absolutely beneficial to him, but he would have to give her up if he got Shao Yanru. And Chu Liuxin would have a reaction. Then, he had to take all these things into consideration.

When he got that high position, he would have all kinds of beauties. If he still could not let go, he would just need to take the woman back from Chu Liuxin. Anyway, this man would not be his rival!

He held Shao Yanru’s hand that was on the table and gently squeezed it twice before he looked at her softly and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll marry you and bring you into my mansion, but you also know that my word is not guaranteed to be the final word for a few things. I will try my best to recommend you to Their Majesties. But if something unexpected happens… you should trust me. Even if you only get a lower position, it is temporary!”

“What do you mean, Your Highness?” Shao Yanru raised her slightly red eyes and looked at Chu Liuyue eagerly. Seeing the watery eyes full of affection, even the most iron-hearted man would inevitably want to hold her in his arms and love her with a tender heart.

“I’m just afraid there’s an ‘if’. You know that I only love you. In the future… everything will be yours!”

Chu Liuyue knew that Shao Yanru understood, so he consoled her softly.

He couldn’t let her be his princess, but he could make her his consort. Of course, he knew that neither Shao Yanru nor Duke Xing’s Mansion would be satisfied. It was necessary to give them another great false hope. Over the years, Duke Xing had never chosen to stand in line with anyone, nor had he ever shown his attitude toward his obvious invitation. And he had kept Shao Yanru unmarried from then to now. No doubt, he wanted to stand on the side of the one who was sure to win!

He had a mocking smile. Duke Xing had really dared to do so! What were the children of the royal family in his eyes?

With this thought, he began to hate Shao Yanru inexplicably. The charming face in front of him looked so unreal. What she showed on her face should be what she was willing to show!

Shao Yanru had been smart since her childhood. Even when she was a child, she would please him and Chu Liuzhou. But she didn’t care so much about Chu Liuxin. As for Chu Liuchen, could she have the luck to please him?

He felt bad about having been selected. No matter how affectionate Shao Yanru showed she was, Chu Liuyue inexplicably felt uncomfortable and thought it was quite fake.

“Don’t worry, Your Highness. I… I will listen to you, absolutely!” Shao Yanru lowered her head and silently turned her face to wipe her tears. When she turned back, she was already full of smiles, showing that she would listen to Chu Liuyue even if she had to force a smile.

Chu Liuyue did not notice that she was tearing her handkerchief violently. She had almost pinched the handkerchief into her palm.

Shuqi coughed hard and retreated to the side.

The two people in the room became quiet. Chu Liuyue withdrew his hand calmly, and Shao Yanru put her hands down on her knee cap, one over the other.

“Greetings, Your Highness and Fifth Miss!” Seeing a figure at the door, Shuqi took another step back and bowed respectfully.

“Brother, Miss Shao, Fifth Miss Shao and I are here to chat with you.” Chu Liuxin suddenly came in and waved his hand, signaling to Shuqi to rise.

Shao Wanru slowly walked after him, bowed respectfully to Chu Liuyue, and called “sister”.

“Your Highness, please sit down. Fifth Sister, sit down, too!” Shao Yanru stood up as if to greet them, but she rose so quickly that she shook and almost fell. Shuqi hurried over and supported her.

“Sister, you are injured, so don’t get up.” Shao Wanru smiled and sat down next to Shao Yanru.

Chu Liuxin sat down next to Chu Liuyue.

After he knocked on Shao Wanru’s room door, Shao Wanru had asked him to wait for a while and then followed him to Shao Yanru’s room.

The more he looked at the side of her face, the more Chu Liuxin liked Shao Wanru. He even thought that she was indeed a lady of manners.

“Fifth Miss, I was really rude just now. I knew you were next door to First Miss, so I came straight over.” Chu Liuxin apologized.

This was his fault indeed. It was not suitable for a man and a woman to be together alone.

“You’re so courteous, Your Highness!” Shao Wanru said with a smile, showing that she didn’t mind.

“It’s not that I’m courteous, but that I’m really sorry. It was indeed inappropriate for us to stay in the same room alone. It’s better for us to stay with my brother and First Miss!” Chu Liuxin apologized sincerely. “Fifth Miss, you’re a well-behaved lady, but I offended you. I’m really sorry!”

Chu Liuxin thought like this and he said like this. After he finished, he saw that Chu Liuyue’s face had turned cold and that Shao Yanru was embarrassed. Immediately, he realized his wrongdoing.

Then he did a fist and palm salute to Chu Liuyue and then explained with a smile, “Brother, First Miss, I’m not talking about you. You two have an unusual relationship. It’s nothing even if you meet in private!”

These words slipped out of his mouth. But when he had finished, he realized that he had made another mistake. Shao Yanru, who was sitting opposite him, blushed and lowered her head.

These words sounded like Chu Liuyue and Shao Yanru had been in an affair for a long time.

“No, no, I didn’t mean that. I just mean that you are different from us.” Seeing Chu Liuyue turn around and look coldly at him, Chu Liuxin shook his hands panickily and made up for it again.

Shao Wanru smiled sweetly. These words were like the salt put on the new scar, which exposed the relationship between Chu Liuyue and Shao Yanru in broad daylight.

Having an affair was against Miss Shao’s usual dignified way of conduct.

But she couldn’t explain it now. Ashamed and with hatred, she could only try her best to lower her head.

“Don’t talk nonsense!” Chu Liuyue reprimanded him unhappily. He looked at Shao Wanru but found that she was smiling, in a way of watching the fun, so he became even unhappier.

“Brother, I’m not talking nonsense. I saw Miss Shao’s portrait in your study some time ago!” Chu Liuxin said with a smile. He stealthily looked at Shao Yanru and drew something in the air with his thumb for his brother to see. He had a close relationship with Chu Liuyue, and Chu Liuyue was nice to him, his younger brother. Therefore, others might hold their tongues about a few things, but he would say anything he thought of.

With the handkerchief in her hand, she instantly felt relieved. She really blushed at this time. Sure enough, Prince Yue had always liked her and even drew a portrait of her. When he couldn’t see her, he must be looking at her portrait. Then what he just said was true.

Even if she could not get a high position now, so what? Prince Yue only loved her, so it was not a big deal for her to remain at a lower status for the time being. The one who could laugh to the end was the winner. And she was sure to be the one!

Chu Liuxin inadvertently got rid of Shao Yanru’s hesitation.

Shao Wanru observed the scene calmly. She raised her eyebrows and chose to be a silent bystander. But when she suddenly raised her head subconsciously, her watery eyes met Chu Liuyue’s cold, calm eyes.

“Well, don’t talk nonsense. There’s no such thing!” Chu Liuyue had not intended to explain anything, but he suddenly blurted it out without knowing why. He didn’t like the look of watching a show in Shao Wanru’s eyes.

Shao Wanru quietly lowered her eyes and didn’t watch the interaction between Chu Liuyue and Shao Yanru anymore, but Chu Liuyue stared at her as if he was annoyed, his eyes closely chasing after her.

Shao Yanru looked up shyly but found that Chu Liuyue was not gazing at her with affection but looking attentively at Shao Wanru. She was quite shocked and remembered the scene in the pavilion yesterday!