Chapter 1539: Human Nature and Selfishness

With a bang, the bowl beside the Princess Consort of Min County fell to the ground, and she glanced at Chu Ze with some astonishment.

Chu Ze looked at the fragments on the ground, then calmly glanced at Wan Chun, who nervously stepped forward to clean up, handed it over to another maid, and deftly prepared tea, serving Chu Ze by helping him remove his cloak.

To be honest, her feelings towards Chu Ze were undeniably complex. For one, due to his identity, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of authority about him that made her somewhat afraid.

Secondly, he and her master were true husband and wife, especially since the master was with child, making her feel that the two of them, along with the unborn child, were inseparably connected.

Chu Ze sat at the other side of the kang table, holding the warm tea Wan Chun presented, and said flatly, "The Emperor has ordered him to be sent back to be buried with the Xia clan. If you wish to..."

The Princess Consort of Min County interrupted him, saying, "I am already a woman of the Chu Family."

Chu Ze paused.

"The Imperial Concubine once said that from the day I consummated my marriage with the Prince, I was officially a woman of the Chu Family, with no further ties to the Xia clan. As for him, we only share a trace of that person’s blood. Now that he is gone, perhaps I will not survive long either..."

"You are but a woman." This time, Chu Ze interrupted her, saying, "With the former Cabinet Minister Ning gone, and now even he is no more, those former subordinates of the Xia Crown Prince lurking in the shadows are even less likely to risk drawing on any Xia Crown Prince descendant for a restoration."

The Princess Consort of Min County gently touched her abdomen.

Chu Ze looked at her slightly protruding belly, a hint of depth flickering in his eyes before it quickly vanished, and said, "This child carries half of the Chu family’s blood, making them even more useless to them."

After a pause, he sneered, "Actually, saying useless might not be entirely true. Those with intentions, as long as there is a trace of the Xia Crown Prince’s blood, can use it as an excuse because all that is needed is a banner. What truly prevents them from taking the risk is human selfishness."

The Princess Consort of Min County looked over.

"If one truly wants a banner, in such a large Xia clan, can’t they find one? The bloodline of King Xin is close enough, right? The reason they haven’t acted is that they’ve been comfortable for over twenty years, and the ambition to restore the kingdom has long faded with time." Chu Ze stroked the rim of the teacup, indifferently saying, "In fact, a kingdom, as long as there’s favorable timing, geographical convenience, and human harmony, can rise up and become the ruler of the land when opportunity strikes. That was the case with the Chu clan back then, and perhaps someday in the future, it will be the same with some Zhao or Wang family."

"As the saying goes, the wheel of fortune turns, and this year, it’s at our doorstep. Since there is the power to maneuver, why cling to those old masters to act? Isn’t it better to be the new master oneself? You see, this is human nature; everyone has selfish desires, and that too is one of their downfalls."

The Princess Consort of Min County fell silent for a moment, then said, "Why does the Prince tell me these things."

Chu Ze glanced at her belly and said, "Telling you this is to convey that there’s no need to worry too much about this child’s future. Everyone has their destiny; what comes of him will be all fate."

The Princess Consort of Min County pressed her lips together.

Chu Ze said no more, stood up, and said, "Take good care of yourself."

He donned his cloak and left, soon disappearing into the heavy snow.

"Master."

The Princess Consort of Min County removed the hairpin from her head and said, "Go fetch a silver hairpin to style my hair."

"Yes."

The Princess Consort of Min County looked out at the swirling snowflakes outside, gently caressing her abdomen, feeling utterly unperturbed inside.