Farm Girl's Manor
Chapter 1028: The Intention to Tear Off the Mask (1)

Chapter 1028: Chapter 1028: The Intention to Tear Off the Mask (1)

Now that things have come to this, talking more is of no use, what’s most important is to firmly establish Xiao Xiong and Lady Wei’s reputation as unkind parents. That way, even if our cousin does something that a son shouldn’t do to those two people, it can still be deemed "understandable," right?

With this in mind, Chu Heng continued to ask, "What do you plan to do next? If you need your cousin’s help, just speak up."

Xiao Ruiyuan’s expression softened, and he shook his head: "Hanzhang will resolve this matter on his own, there’s no need for cousin to take action. However, if The Emperor asks about it, I hope cousin can cover up for Hanzhang a bit."

When Chu Heng heard this, the smile on his face faded, and he said with a hint of resignation, "Do whatever you want to do, no one will interfere with you."

A touch of gratitude appeared on Xiao Ruiyuan’s face, and he bowed seriously to express his thanks: "Thank you, cousin."

He had long since lost any father-son affection for that man, maintaining only a superficial harmony. The Emperor harbored a wary heart towards him and might not wish to see him completely break with that man, losing one more person to restrain him. If The Emperor took that man’s side, using him to do something against him, he would have no choice but to endure it.

Now that his cousin was willing to help him, there was no need for further concern, and he could go ahead with the next steps.

"Not only are we sovereign and subject, we are also cousins connected by blood, no need for thanks!" Chu Heng feigned displeasure, but thinking of something, a mocking smile crossed his face again: "Those two weren’t entirely wrong about you, you really have ’forgotten your father for your wife.’ If it were just about you being plotted against, you’d never get so angry, but it involves that girl, and you can’t help it, haha!"

Unlike other days when he would stiffen up at his cousin’s jests, trying to mask the slight shyness in his heart, Xiao Ruiyuan looked at Chu Heng and said openly, "Yanyan is Hanzhang’s reverse scale; whoever plots against her will not be spared by Hanzhang."

The events of the previous night made it clear to him that those two people would not only make life difficult for him but, in the coming days, make things harder for Yanyan after she married him. Even if they as a couple moved into the General Mansion, those two would have even more reason to accuse Yanyan of being unfilial and unvirtuous. How could he allow those despicable people to sully the treasure he held in the palm of his hand?

Even if they faced the world united as husband and wife, indifferent to the opinions of others, he would not tolerate any disrespect towards her. This opportunity to irreparably break ties with those two people was to ensure that they could rightfully move into the General Mansion after their marriage, without Yanyan being criticized by anyone.

If possible, he would prefer to drive those two out of the Hou Mansion, but as long as that man was alive, he was the nominal head of the Hou Mansion. Even if he could force that man to willingly leave the Hou Mansion, outsiders would not understand, and all his actions today would be in vain. He did not care about how others might talk about him but he couldn’t allow Yanyan’s reputation to suffer.

Besides, even if he ceded the Hou Mansion to those two, what of it? Their only son would never have the chance to live there again. Let them tend to the vast Hou Mansion until they die a hopeless old death, a fittingly cruel punishment.

"You... never mind, do as you please!" Chu Heng sighed helplessly, signaling his despair at the Crown Prince’s relentless pampering of his wife.

Even now, he still didn’t understand how such a woman had managed to turn his cousin, solid as refined steel, into putty in her hands. In his eyes, a wife, or even a concubine, was merely an accessory to a man—worth cherishing, certainly worth pampering, but not without limits.

Though that was his way of thinking, this was an affair between a young married couple, and he, as their cousin, had no intention of getting involved. It would be too