The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife
Chapter 410: Displeased with the Second Miss of the Xue Family

Chapter 410: Displeased with the Second Miss of the Xue Family

The room was filled with the scent of burning incense.

Chu Yang stood there, mouth agape, unable to speak. He looked from the statue to Nanli in disbelief.

"Sixth Sister, your Grandmaster is truly remarkable!"

Nanli, observing the slowly burning incense, replied, "Indeed, he’s quite mysterious. Sometimes, I don’t even know what he intends to do."

Back when Xie Beihan had persisted for a long time, it had taken considerable effort to get the Grandmaster to accept his offerings. But now, the Grandmaster had voluntarily come out, wanting Chu Yang to offer incense to him. It seemed the Grandmaster was quite fond of her fourth brother.

Chu Yang couldn’t help but scrutinize the statue of the Grandmaster again.

Strange, why did that smile seem to grow even brighter?

He rubbed his eyes, and when he looked again, the statue’s smile had returned to normal.

He must have been seeing things.

After the incense burned down, Nanli put the Grandmaster back into her bag. The statue, having received its offering, settled down and stopped its antics.

Chu Yang then asked, "Sixth Sister, how about we have a spar? I’ve already advanced to the second level of the Fire Cloud Spell."

Nanli blinked in surprise. "It’s only been a few days, and you’ve advanced so quickly."

Chu Yang scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed. "Indeed, even Master Zhao was astonished. He’s worried I might be advancing too fast and could end up losing control."

Nanli had observed Chu Yang’s use of internal energy earlier. He seemed steady and well-grounded, showing no signs of instability.

"Fourth Brother, you’re truly a martial arts prodigy."

Chu Yang quickly waved his hand in denial. "What prodigy? If anyone’s a prodigy, it’s the Prince. By the time he was fifteen, he could defeat first-class martial artists. If royalty were allowed to be on the martial arts leaderboard, the Prince would surely be at the top, and no one could challenge his position."

Chu Huan, standing by, felt uneasy and quickly interjected, "Fourth Brother, while it’s true that literary accomplishments are hard to rank, martial prowess isn’t everything. Comparing yourself to the top will only mess with your mindset."

"Third Brother, I understand that. I just admire the Prince and aim to improve myself. I have no intention of competing with him." Chu Yang assured.

He was determined to hone his martial skills, but that didn’t mean he would let it become a mental burden.

Chu Huan nodded in relief.

Nanli, impressed by Chu Yang’s resolve, said, "Fourth Brother, we’ll spar another day. I came today to discuss something with Third Brother."

Chu Yang, though slightly disappointed, didn’t press the issue. He pouted, "Alright, but don’t forget."

Understanding that Sixth Sister was probably here to talk about court matters with Third Brother--topics that never really interested him--Chu Yang slung his sword over his shoulder and left, intending to practice some more.

Chu Huan invited Nanli to sit.

"Sixth Sister, you’re not here as an envoy for Prime Minister Lu, are you?"

Nanli raised an eyebrow, impressed by his quick thinking. It was evident that his time in the court had sharpened his mind.

She nodded, "Since you guessed it, I won’t beat around the bush. Yes, Prime Minister Lu asked me to persuade you."

A hint of anger flashed across Chu Huan’s face--his first time showing any frustration towards Nanli. His voice grew cold. "Sixth Sister, when I and a few like-minded friends decided to revise the laws, it wasn’t for the sake of promotion. Others might not understand my intentions, but how could you not?"

Nanli remained calm, countering, "Then why did Third Brother become an official? Was it for the glory of the family or to serve the court?"

"I want to serve the people, to do more for them!" Chu Huan’s voice grew even firmer.

Nanli’s expression turned serious, her words deliberate and clear:

"Third Brother, you must realize that, despite my title as the Ninth Princess, I couldn’t have gotten the Emperor to approve the legal reforms on my own. He agreed because I’m Chu Nanli, and he needs my abilities--whether it’s catching ghosts or setting up formations."

"If you truly want to do more for the people, you need to move into the inner circle, become stronger, and gain more power. Only then can you propose changes directly and make your voice heard, even by the Emperor."

Chu Huan was startled, asking, "Sixth Sister, should we be talking about this?"

These were dangerous words--treasonous, even! If overheard, they could bring disaster.

Nanli reassured him, "I said as much directly to the Emperor, and he didn’t take offense. Third Brother, don’t you understand the principle?"

Of course, Chu Huan understood. If he didn’t enter the inner circle, his ability to effect change would be minimal at best. His eyes darted around the room, a sign that his thoughts were in turmoil.

He pressed his lips together, wrestling with his emotions before finally saying, "I know, but I want to take it one step at a time, to avoid giving anyone ammunition against me."

Nanli smiled, "Prime Minister Lu only wants you to do some minor tasks in the inner circle, to observe and learn. Isn’t that taking it one step at a time? And besides, no matter what you do, there will always be those who criticize. The path of serving the people is inherently lonely and challenging. You’ll inevitably offend many powerful people. If you can’t handle that pressure now, how will you manage in the future?"

Chu Huan, whose thoughts had been in disarray, suddenly felt a sense of clarity.

He had previously been concerned about jealousy from his peers, fearing they’d accuse him of relying on his family background to gain Prime Minister Lu’s favor. But he realized now that he had been overthinking it.

He had been born into a fortunate family, and it wasn’t his fault. There was no need to punish himself by rejecting this opportunity for advancement.

Although his family background had helped him reach this point, all his efforts were for the benefit of the people--a fact that set him apart from those who only knew how to talk.

A long sigh of relief escaped him as the anger dissipated, replaced by a wide, contented smile.

"Sixth Sister, I was being narrow-minded. Thank you for your words today."

Nanli smiled back, "There’s no need for thanks among family. If Third Brother becomes Prime Minister someday, I’ll share in the glory, won’t I?"

Chu Huan’s initial reaction was to caution her against saying such things, but then he realized they were alone. If he couldn’t confront his true aspirations, he’d only become more conflicted and lose confidence.

In this respect, Fourth Brother was better--once he set a goal, he pursued it relentlessly, letting nothing and no one stand in his way.

With his thoughts clear, the last traces of worry and doubt faded from Chu Huan’s face. He nodded firmly, "I will work diligently to reach that position. Even if I fall short, I won’t have any regrets."

Finally, he added, "I should ask Mother to hurry up and arrange a marriage for me."

After all, a man should settle down before striving for success.

Nanli’s interest was piqued, her eyes lighting up, "Mother has already looked at a few potential brides for you, hasn’t she? Do you have a favorite among them?"

She was excited to see her brothers, all of whom were of age, one by one getting married, making the family estate livelier with each passing day.

Chu Huan, a bit shy, blushed slightly. "As long as Mother approves, I’m fine with it."

Nanli rubbed her chin thoughtfully, "Third Brother, our family doesn’t believe in arranged marriages without consent. Mother will definitely ask for your opinion before finalizing anything."

Chu Huan gave it some serious thought before finally saying, "I think all the girls Mother has considered are quite suitable... Except for the Second Miss of the Xue family--I don’t think I’m fond of her. I suspect Mother feels the same way."

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