xymnovel Chapter 1128 - 816: In the Past, I Was the Cause of My Own Misery
Chapter 1128 - 816: In the Past, I Was the Cause of My Own Misery
Upon hearing Yu Wenquan’s words, a trace of bewilderment appeared on Yu Wenqian’s face. It seemed as though all the events of the past years suddenly flashed through his mind in that instant, leaving him at a loss.After a moment of bewildered silence, he softly said, "Because... of Uncle."
Yu Wenquan frowned, "Duke Shenwu?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Uncle, like Father, has been urging me over the years to marry, have children, and establish a career. But I kept making excuses,"
Speaking up to this point, he slowly raised his head. The lights filled the hall, reflecting in his nearly transparent eyes. Such eyes could never hide any emotion, and indeed, they hid nothing at this moment.
Because in those transparent eyes, there was only an endless chill and indifference.
He said, "In the past, it was my own misjudgment."
Yu Wenquan’s brows furrowed deeper.
Shang Ruyi’s heartbeat grew heavier than before. She instinctively turned her hand over, gripping Yu Wenye’s hand tightly.
Yu Wenqian continued, "Just now, at Uncle’s funeral, I recalled his image and demeanor, as well as his advisements and earnest efforts over the years. Perhaps he passed with this regret, which makes me deeply remorseful."
"..."
"I also thought of Father,"
Saying this, he lifted his head to look at Yu Wenquan, solemnly stating, "The saying that when one wishes to care for their parents, they are no longer present – I have finally come to understand this. I don’t wish for Father to remain troubled and sorrowful. Therefore, I earnestly request Father to arrange a marriage for me. First, so Uncle’s spirit can rest easy understanding my intentions. Second, as the Crown Prince of the Dasheng Dynasty, it is also to put Father’s mind at ease."
Upon hearing these words, although Yu Wenquan’s tightly locked brows did not relax, he lightly nodded: "It’s good that you think this way."
But he still looked at Yu Wenqian with a grave expression: "However, Duke Shenwu has just passed away."
"..."
"You personally requested to wear mourning for him because he is your uncle and because there has always been a deep bond between you two, so I agreed. But for you to ask for a marriage blessing at this moment—seems inappropriate."
Yu Wenqian said, "I understand."
"..."
"But as I said, I do this so Uncle can pass peacefully. What others think or view is not important."
"..."
"I believe Uncle’s spirit can more keenly understand my intentions."
At this moment, there was indeed no reason to refuse his request.
The departure of the eldest son to practice was a persistent concern for Yu Wenquan, and despite taking every effort, he couldn’t be swayed to return for some special reasons; then the marriage planned for him was disrupted by Shang Ruyi’s withdrawal and remarriage; now, that Yu Wenye is about to have descendants, yet as the elder brother, Yu Wenqian hasn’t even settled his marriage, this often keeps Yu Wenquan restless at night.
Therefore, his initiative to bring up his marriage is what Yu Wenquan had hoped for in the past.
But—
Yu Wenquan took a deep breath, fixating his gaze on Yu Wenqian, and said word by word: "Do you, truly wish to marry Yu Mingyue?"
Yu Wenqian also took a deep breath, but compared to Yu Wenquan’s resolute mind, no matter how deep the grief, or eventually fulfilled wishes, he had to ask for an answer amid hesitations. His breath seemed more like under the oppressive weight of hesitation, confusion, grief, and pain, and finally, having let something go, did even bring a short feeling of suffocation in the silence.
He said, "Yes."
"..."
Yu Wenquan fell silent.
The entire Liangyi Hall also fell silent.
The only one still somewhat at ease was Yu Wencheng, sitting beside Yu Wenqian. He widened his eyes, looking at his elder brother beside him, then at the grave-expressioned Father, slightly frowning as if somewhat understanding. But facing his older brother Yu Wenye’s complex gaze, his face turned cold, seemingly somewhat impatient, just waiting for Father to make the final decision.
To him, which brother marries whom or divorces whom matters not at all; all he cares about is who makes him happy and who doesn’t.
Now, the ones not making him happy are his second brother Yu Wenye and sister-in-law Shang Ruyi.
These two people never allowed him to have peace from the very beginning. From childhood to adulthood, Yu Wenye was extremely harsh to him, any slight misstep would result in punishment and scolding; and as for this second sister-in-law, she made Yu Wencheng particularly displeased. Clearly, she married into the Yuwen Family in such a disgraceful manner, yet she pretends to be a proper authority, assuming the role of "second sister-in-law like a mother" to discipline him. Fortunately, Yu Wencheng found a way to deal with her, but now her pregnancy prevented him from acting further.
As for the deceased Duke Shenwu, Yu Wencheng actually had no emotional attachment to him. But due to the Crown Prince’s connection, they had some interactions. His death would not bring tears to Yu Wencheng’s eyes, but the ensuing turmoil it stirred up was something he was eager to see.
After all, with storm comes upheaval, and with upheaval, people can benefit.
Thinking of this, Yu Wencheng deliberately laughed and said, "Father Emperor, haven’t you always been worried about the Imperial Brother’s marriage? Now that the Imperial Brother wishes to marry the eldest daughter of the Yu Family, isn’t that a good thing? Why can’t Father Emperor support the Imperial Brother just like you supported the second brother and second sister-in-law?"
"...!"
With this remark, the entire hall fell into an oppressive silence.
Yu Wenquan’s brow furrowed into a knot, while Yu Wencheng raised his head again, looking at Yu Wenye, who sat opposite them, face cold. He said, "Second brother, won’t you say something?"
"..."
"Don’t you want to see the Imperial Brother marry his beloved, in harmony like you and the second sister-in-law, with mutual respect between husband and wife?"
Yu Wenye slowly raised his head, but instead of looking at his third brother’s mischievous face as if waiting for a show, he looked towards the Crown Prince standing in the brightly lit hall. His gaze was dark and nearly indistinguishable, regardless of how fiery Yu Wenqian’s gaze was, his expression remained unreadable at that moment.
Yu Wenquan said, "Feng Chen, do you have something to say?"
Yu Wenye was silent for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Son has nothing to say. The Imperial Brother’s marriage is naturally for him to decide. As his brother, I will only offer blessings."
Yu Wenqian lowered his eyes slightly.
Yu Wenquan said nothing more, casting another glance at Shang Ruyi beside him.
As for this daughter-in-law—although her marriage indeed caused some troubles, it did not prevent him from liking the daughter of an old friend, nor did it prevent her from contributing significantly after marrying into the Yuwen Family. Whether it was at the Xingluo Granary, Wanggang Village, or the Battle of Fufeng, she had achieved great merits as a woman. Her presence even compensated for Yu Wenquan’s lack of a daughter, unable to raise a General’s Tiger Daughter, so he was willing to listen to her calm and insightful opinions on many family or court matters.
But regarding this matter—
Although he could see that this always calm and composed second daughter-in-law was now pale, seemingly bewildered by the situation.
Even frightened.
After all, she had almost married Yu Wenqian. No matter how they concealed or never mentioned it, the past did exist.
And although Yu Wenquan was skilled in both strategy and battle, unaffected by his ability to detect subtle thoughts around him, especially about his son’s feelings.
Yu Wenqian had always refused to marry, even though he had been so close to Yu Mingyue, surpassing normal male-female interactions, almost uniting both families. Yet, he never discussed marriage, maybe not entirely because of Shang Ruyi, but somewhat related to her.
But today—
Yu Wenquan sighed softly in his heart.
Upon hearing his sigh, cold sweat seeped from Shang Ruyi’s palms, almost soaking both of their hands. She understood clearly that by now, some matters were already irreparable. The confrontation between the Yu Family father and daughter at Dayan Temple had annoyed Yu Wenye. Although Empress Dowager Jiang noticed Yu Wenye’s thoughts and reminded him accordingly and despite her own persuasion, Yu Wenye still acted at Longmen Crossing, seriously injuring one and killing another of the Commandery Princes, completely enraging Yu Wenqian.
These brothers, after all, have faced off against each other!
Speaking up to this point, the matter has evolved to what it is today, maybe due to too many coincidences, but this outcome seemed fated long ago. All the coincidences merely hastened or delayed reaching this result.
Of course, these are not only realizations by Shang Ruyi, but Yu Wenye and even Yu Wenquan, sitting solemnly in the hall, envisaged the situation, which is why he repeatedly inquired. And these inquiries were no less of an obstruction.
Yet, all were futile.
Yu Wenquan slowly withdrew his profound gaze from Shang Ruyi, shifting it toward Yu Wenqian, whose eyes shadowed more deeply than before. After a long silence, he finally said, "In three days, I will decree the marriage between you and the eldest daughter of the Yu Family. Once Duke Shenwu’s funeral completes, I shall officiate the wedding."
Yu Wenqian immediately stood up, bowing deeply toward him, "Thank you, Father Emperor, for fulfilling my wish!"
Yu Wenquan looked at him and added, "Within these three days, you may change your mind at any time. As long as you speak up, I will retract the decree. Your marriage can be reconsidered at leisure."
"..."
Yu Wenqian looked up at him, quietly replying, "Yes."
Evidently having resolved the most pressing concern on his mind, Yu Wenquan felt no joy. On the contrary, heavier unrest than Dong Bizheng’s death weighed upon his heart. He gazed at his Crown Prince, sternly saying, "Qian’er, you just said that in the past you deceived yourself."
"Yes."
"I hope this decision isn’t—self-deceiving."
Yu Wenqian looked up at him, declaring, "Son, will never regret."