The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife
Chapter 100: Respecting Elders, It Is My Duty

Chapter 100: Respecting Elders, It Is My Duty

Those who cannot find Xue Cheng at Sanqing Temple are unaware that he is not driven by fame and fortune.

He has traveled far and wide, exorcising ghosts and demons, and performing good deeds to accumulate merits.

The people around Sanqing Temple praise him greatly, for he only charges a single coin as payment for capturing ghosts and dispelling evil spirits.

This has been the case for many years.

Upon hearing this, Ye Chengyan’s respect for Xue Cheng grew even stronger.

He thought to himself that Chu Nanli truly embarked on the path of cultivation halfway, as compared to Xue Cheng’s unwavering dedication.

Having thoroughly investigated Xue Cheng’s background, Ye Chengyan felt at ease and immediately set up a formation with him at Yuanqiu Mountain.

They also enhanced the dragon energy of Emperor Muwu and made some adjustments to the layout of Changqiu Hall.

By the time they finished these tasks, it was already half a month later, and the Emperor and Empress had set off from the capital with their courtiers and officials.

A thousand imperial guards led the way.

Naturally, the Emperor and Empress’ carriage was at the forefront, followed by the carriages of Ye Siheng and the other princes.

As for the royal ministers, they were arranged according to their positions and influence.

Due to the marriage between the Mansion of Anyang Marquis and the Prince Yu, the marquis’ carriage was also placed towards the front of the procession.

The elderly Dowager and Lady Shen would stay behind to oversee the household affairs, so they did not join in the excitement.

Chu Shuo and Aunt Qian returned to Luoyang, so only four people were going to Yuanqiu Mountain this time.

Chu Nanli and his Aunt, Xiao Wanyi, shared one carriage, while Chu Yang and Chu Yan occupied another.

Although Lord Xiao held a third-rank official position, there were countless titled nobles and high-ranking officials in the capital, so Xiao Wanyi did not have the qualifications to accompany the imperial entourage on the autumn hunt. Her presence this time was due to her husband’s status.

It would take half a day to travel from the capital to Yuanqiu Mountain.

During the respite, Ye Siheng and his entourage arrived.

With a wave of his hand, the servants and maids immediately laid out mats and arranged a variety of food.

The speed and abundance of the feast were astonishing.

Instead of taking a seat first, Ye Siheng turned to Xiao Wanyi and said, "Aunt, please."

"Ah? This... Ninth Prince, you are too kind," Xiao Wanyi trembled, feeling somewhat frightened. How could she dare to sit before him?

"I am betrothed to A’li, so we will soon be family. It is only right to respect our elders," Ye Siheng maintained a calm expression. "Fourth brother, fifth brother, please."

Chu Yang and Chu Yan were even more startled.

Ninth Prince, you are at least four or five years older than us.

How can we bear to be called ’brother’ by you?

The three of them looked at each other, none daring to take a seat first.

Helpless, Chu Nanli pulled Ye Siheng to sit down first and said, "I haven’t married you yet, so there’s no need to be so particular."

Then, she invited their family members to sit down, reassuring them not to be nervous.

The three of them swallowed nervously.

They were sitting at the same table as the God of War of Mu Nation and had to eat together. How could they not be anxious?

If we talk about thick-skinned individuals, it would be Xie Beihan.

Although he was somewhat afraid of Ye Siheng, his own food was not as abundant, so he forced himself to join in.

Unfortunately, the three of them only managed to hastily eat two pancakes each before claiming to be full and disappearing without a trace.

After this, Xie Beihan took two more delicious pancakes and mumbled with a muffled voice, "Ninth Prince, Sixth Sister, excuse me!"

Only two people remained at the table.

Chu Nanli nibbled on a fruit and said, "It seems I still can’t eat with you. Aunt and the others haven’t eaten their fill yet."

Ye Siheng furrowed his brows lightly. "Am I not being polite enough?"

"Even if you are polite, they can’t feel at ease in front of you," Chu Nanli replied.

Although Ye Siheng was only a few years older than them, in terms of seniority, he was a whole generation above them. Coupled with his distinguished military achievements and the presence of the Black Armor Guards around him, it was strange for Chu Nanli’s family to feel at ease.

Ye Siheng looked at her brushsively. "But it seems you are quite at ease."

Chu Nanli turned her head, her eyes clear. "I am not afraid of you, so naturally, I feel at ease."

Ye Siheng couldn’t help but recall their first meeting when she showed no fear towards him and even warned her second brother not to get too close to him.

He raised an eyebrow, feeling a sense of familiarity from the moment he first saw her. When Qing Feng made a move against her, he had instinctively felt a surge of hostility.

That feeling was difficult to describe.

After resting and dining, they resumed their journey and arrived at Yuanqiu Mountain in the evening.

Crown Prince Ye Chengyan and his entourage came to welcome them.

After a day of travel, the Emperor and Empress did not need to greet anyone and went straight to Changqiu Hall to rest.

Ye Chengyan took care of all other matters.

The imperial hunting palace is not small, but only those of royal blood like Ye Siheng can reside within its walls.

As for the other nobles and ministers, they find shelter in tents at the foot of the mountain.

Though modest, their accommodations are still complete in every aspect.

However, with Ye Siheng’s presence, Nanli naturally moved out of the hunting palace.

With the Emperor and Empress’s arrival, the palace is guarded by the commander of the imperial guards, sparing Chu Ye from patrolling everywhere.

He knows where his sixth sister resides and goes directly to find her.

Yet, Ye Siheng is also present in the room, assessing what might be lacking in Nanli’s surroundings so that he may make preparations accordingly.

Upon seeing Chu Ye, he exclaims, "Big brother has arrived."

Chu Ye’s footsteps pause, his expression indiscernible as he hastily replies, "Ninth Prince, you flatter me!"

"You and your wife truly speak in unison," Ye Siheng remarks.

Chu Ye breaks into a cold sweat upon hearing him refer to Nanli as his wife. However, considering he is indeed slightly older than the Ninth Prince, he can bear the title of big brother.

At this moment, Nanli said, "Big brother, do you have urgent matters to attend to?"

Otherwise, big brother would surely have sought out his wife first.

Chu Ye recalled his purpose and composes his expression, recounting the incident with the Taoist Xue that occurred half a month ago.

Upon hearing that Xue Cheng had set up a ward against evil spirits in Yuanqiu Mountain, Nanli suddenly realized, "So it was arranged by the Crown Prince, I had mistaken it for a preexisting formation in Yuanqiu Mountain."

When she entered the mountain, she had already sensed the presence of a ward against evil spirits.

"Did you notice it, sixth sister? Did you find anything suspicious?"

Chu Ye has been restless all along, so as soon as Nanli arrived, he immediately went to inquire.

"At first glance, there seemed to be nothing, but once a formation is activated, it affects the entire system. I still need to inspect the various nodes to determine if Taoist Xue has tampered with anything," Nanli explains.

"The budget for this endeavor is so meager, the Crown Prince is even reluctant to spend eighteen thousand taels?"

She will undoubtedly be doing volunteer work during this inspection.

However, with the presence of the Anyang Marquis Mansion during the autumn hunt, she cannot simply ignore it.

Chu Ye hesitated to speak.

Ye Siheng, on the other hand, had no reservations and directly clarifies the reason to Nanli, "You and I are betrothed, that’s why the Crown Prince doesn’t want to use you, lest you achieve further merits."

Chu Ye is somewhat astonished.

It took him several days to understand the Crown Prince’s intentions, but he never expected Ye Siheng to grasp them in such a short time.

No wonder the Crown Prince was so wary of the Ninth Prince.

Upon hearing that it involved court struggles, Nanli also found it uninteresting.

She understood the principle that husband and wife rise and fall together, but she can’t help but feel that Ye Chengyan acted too recklessly by employing Taoist Xue to set up the formation.

She said, "Then I shouldn’t interfere."

She knew that she conducts herself with integrity, refraining from meddling in court struggles, but unfortunately, there were people of vile character.

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