Chapter 496: Chapter 9: Cannon Fodder Vase in a Power Struggle Novel (Part 9)

Jiang Lai woke up with her mind in a haze.

The afternoon nap wasn’t supposed to take that long, but there was no choice; her diabetes required her to sleep in the afternoon, and it was easy for her not to wake up.

So when Chu Yunxuan walked into the courtyard, Jiang Lai was fighting the persistent drowsiness with her head lowered.

In Chu Yunxuan’s eyes, it looked like she was faking pity.

He frowned with disgust.

“Jiang Lai, have you been sleeping all day?”

Jiang Lai looked up at him, her expression as if it were only natural.

“Yes, Your Highness told me not to go out, so what else can I do if I don’t sleep?”

“Hah… not an ounce of the demeanor of a noble lady, if a woman in the back courtyard can’t assist her husband, that’s one thing, but to indulge in decadence, that’s truly disappointing.”

So, he came specifically to manipulate her psychologically.

Jiang Lai was used to it.

“Husband, do you think I’m not ambitious and unable to assist you right now?”

“Am I wrong?”

“No, you’re absolutely right. I also think it’s not good to stay idle in the mansion all day. How about this, Your Highness, I want to go out for a walk, talk to my parents, and have a heart-to-heart with Aunt Empress at the Imperial Palace.”

Upon hearing this, Chu Yunxuan instinctively opposed.

“No way, you’ve married and now you’re running back home all the time? Do you want others to think you’re unhappy here?”

“It was Your Highness who encouraged me to be ambitious, but if you don’t let me out, how can I pursue ambition? This back courtyard is dull and boring; you only stay here a little while each day before leaving. How can I learn ambition?”

Chu Yunxuan found Jiang Lai truly troublesome, thinking she was making issues out of nothing and wasting his time with meaningless nonsense.

“There’s no need to discuss this further. Since I married you, I have the means to keep you safe and secure at home. What’s wrong? Is there something you’re dissatisfied with? I’ve already given you the small kitchen, maid, and matron; what more do you want?”

The topic was shifting.

The original self was slow-witted, and it was easy to forget what she initially wanted to say when he started talking, only to realize later that Chu Yunxuan was long gone.

Jiang Lai nodded first, and then said,

“Since Your Highness treats me well, why not let me visit my parents? Since I got married, I’ve only seen them once.”

That was on the day of returning home, after staying at her maternal home for three days before coming back, Jiang Lai hadn’t gone back since then.

The original self certainly wanted to return, but was covertly persuaded by Chu Yunxuan each time.

This time, he used the same rhetoric.

“It’s neither a holiday nor a festival now, going back would only trouble your parents with the care. As a Prince Consort, you must understand empathy. Otherwise, how else can you manage the household well in the future?”

“Those are my parents; isn’t it natural for them to take care of me? Besides, it’s only half a city away, barely half an hour’s carriage ride, yet I haven’t returned even once; my parents must be heartbroken.”

Chu Yunxuan saw Jiang Lai actually refuting him, and his face darkened.

“I’m busy today and have no time to go back with you!”

“Then I’ll go by myself, with Little He accompanying me. I’ll speak well of you to my parents; don’t worry, they won’t blame you.”

Jiang Lai had preemptively covered everything Chu Yunxuan wanted to say, leaving him both infuriated and speechless.

“If you want to go, then go! Stay longer; without you here, I can always find someone else to take over the back courtyard tasks!”

“Rest assured, Your Highness, I will arrange someone to replace me.”

Jiang Lai happily turned to leave, leaving behind Chu Yunxuan staring coldly at her back.

This woman came to her senses? Suddenly got smart?

Isn’t she afraid that once she’s gone, the other women in the back courtyard will pounce and vie for favor?

Previously, the original self hadn’t gone back often, not only because of Chu Yunxuan’s subtle confrontations, but also for fear that her absence would destabilize her position among the showy women in the back courtyard.

After all, Chu Yunxuan had said those women were merely for show, and he genuinely appreciated her.

To cater to his appreciation and avoid disappointment, the original self spared no effort in managing the affairs of the back courtyard, even filling its deficits with her own private funds.

After all the effort, what was the result? Being mercilessly discarded by him, like wiping off a snot with no sentiment.

Jiang Lai was about to leave; Little He excitedly began packing.

“It’s been a year since you last went back; this time, miss, you must stay for a few good days at the Taishi Mansion, the master and madam miss you every day.”

On the day of departure, Chu Yunxuan made an appearance, of course, to remind Jiang Lai not to speak out of turn.

“You are now a member of the Royal Family, even if you return to your parents’ home, be vigilant and cautious, do not disclose any matters of the mansion externally, understand?”

Jiang Lai looked puzzled.

“Can’t I even tell my parents? When you married me, didn’t you say that the Taishi Mansion and the Eighth Prince Mansion would be like family?”

Chu Yunxuan impatiently said.

“There are things you need to be wary of, even with your parents. If you wish to give others a handle to use against the mansion, then keep babbling!”

Jiang Lai hurriedly nodded.

“Rest assured, Your Highness, I won’t say a word!”

The carriage moved away, and Chu Yunxuan let out a sigh of relief.

Although letting her leave the mansion did pose some risk, he understood Jiang Lai’s nature; she had already wholeheartedly considered herself a part of the mansion, and with a little threat, she surely wouldn’t dare talk nonsense.

With her gone, Chu Yunxuan no longer needed to feign appearances in her courtyard daily or have meals facing her nauseating face.

Upon returning to the mansion, the first thing he did was head straight to the separate courtyard near his usual residence. Despite the cold weather, it was filled with evergreen trees, looking secluded and elegant.

Zhao Ziyuan was reading; upon seeing Chu Yunxuan, she didn’t even look up.

“What are you doing here?”

“I came to see you. Jiang Lai is gone, so I can spend the days with you.”

Zhao Ziyuan sneered.

“As if she abandoned something for me; I don’t need your company.”

Chu Yunxuan understood her temperament, aloof and proud, venting her dissatisfaction from Jiang Lai onto him now.

He helplessly coaxed her.

“That woman has little intelligence; it’s not worth arguing with her.”

“Indeed, I come from a poor background; how dare I compete with the high-born daughter of the Imperial Historian?”

Chu Yunxuan found Zhao Ziyuan’s self-deprecation frustrating but dared not show impatience.

“What do you want then? You were the one who urged me to marry her, and now you’re the one upset with her. I’ve treated her as you suggested; what else do you want me to do?”

Zhao Ziyuan looked at him.

“Would you care about my background?”

“Of course, I wouldn’t care.”

“If you had to give up the throne to marry me, would you be willing?”

Chu Yunxuan was momentarily stunned.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep