Chapter 91

In the outskirts of the capital, at the Mu family residence.

When the sun was high in the sky, Lady Mu, dressed in her finest attire, summoned her daughter and the guests. In front of everyone, she announced that she would recognize the Xu sisters as her goddaughters.

Hongye readily agreed with a smile, while Xu Qinglian, who had received word from home earlier and was prepared, led Hongye to kowtow and present tea to Lady Mu. They then had the maids bring in two lacquered gift boxes inlaid with mother-of-pearl.

Lady Mu was moved by the Xu family's prompt and proper etiquette, and she smiled as she personally helped the two goddaughters to their feet.

Muxue, who was by her mother's side, felt happy for her mother. Thinking about how she would soon have to call the Xu sisters her siblings and could see and talk to them often without having to avoid them, she couldn't help but feel flustered and uncomfortable.

Mu Qingshuang curiously walked over and opened the gift boxes. Inside were twenty-four exquisite Ding kiln porcelain dishes, each containing rare fruits such as olives, water chestnuts, apples, grapes, slices of quince, tangerines, and lychees. Additionally, there were two sets of gold longevity-character wine vessels, three purple copper longevity-character incense burners, and three pairs of Buddha hand tongs.

The gifts from the Xu family were not particularly valuable, but the sincerity was what mattered. Mu Qingshuang nodded in approval. Having seen many fine things since childhood, she didn't care much about their value and walked away after a few glances.

Lady Mu and Muxue also came over to take a look, finding the gifts very much to their liking. They smiled and ordered the maids to put them away. Lady Mu then had a pair of emerald green bracelets brought out and said with a smile, "These are heirlooms passed down from our ancestors. Though they are meaningful, they are not particularly valuable. Come, each of you put one on."

Xu Qinglian and Xu Hongye, not from humble backgrounds, did not act coy. They graciously accepted the bracelets with both hands and put them on their wrists.

Lady Mu looked at the composed and polite Xu Qinglian on one side and the lively and adorable Xu Hongye on the other. Along with her own daughter Muxue and her second daughter Qingshuang, each one was more beautiful and sensible than the last. From now on, she would have four lovely daughters to keep her company, and she would no longer fear loneliness. She was overjoyed.

At the same time, Xu Hao's mood had plummeted to the bottom as he was desperately thinking of a solution.

With the date for the enfeoffment of the Crown Prince and his consort set, it was clear that Zhu Gaozhi was already at a loss. He had personally promised his elder sister that he would marry her, but later, Zhu Yuanzhang personally chose his granddaughter-in-law, Zhang. Since the status was still uncertain, Zhu Gaozhi had harbored a glimmer of hope.

Unfortunately, after Zhang's marriage, she proved to be both talented and beautiful, and also well-read and virtuous. Zhu Di and his wife were very satisfied with this daughter-in-law. With the enfeoffment imminent, how could Zhu Gaozhi dare to resist? If he tried to make Xu Qinglian his principal wife, he would surely anger Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di, and lose his position as Crown Prince.

But as a man, Zhu Gaozhi was unwilling to let Xu Qinglian marry someone else. Therefore, he broke his previous promise and tried to force Xu Qinglian to give an answer. As the legitimate heir of the Prince of Yan, how could Xu Qinglian, knowing his character, dare to offend the Xu family, the greatest support behind her?

At this moment, Xu Hao began to despise the always benevolent and righteous Zhu Gaozhi, who would even scheme against his beloved! No matter how much he read, he couldn't read away a man's innate possessiveness and selfishness. Yet, from a man's perspective, he couldn't openly criticize him. In this era, who didn't have multiple wives and concubines? He would do the same if he were in his place.

Xu Hao had always respected Xu Qinglian's personal wishes and would never make decisions for her until the last moment. Now that the last moment had come, Xu Hao couldn't avoid it and decided to try to persuade him one last time.

"I remember saying that we should forget each other and go our separate ways, and you agreed. Now you have a wife and concubines, and in the future, you will have many more. Why worry about not finding a few close female friends?"

Xu Hao slowly finished speaking, looking straight at Zhu Gaozhi, whose face was as calm as water. "In principle, my sister's marriage should not be decided by me, her younger brother. You can go to the elders. I and my sister are deeply moved by your kindness. This way, I don't need to go back and ask her. I can predict that my sister will agree. The question is, are you really happy? Do you really plan to take my sister into the Yan王府 without any status?"

"This!"

Xu Hao's soft words hit Zhu Gaozhi's soft spot. Today's impulsive decision was made in a moment of frustration. If he forced Xu Qinglian to be his concubine, not only would she resent him, but he would also offend the entire Xu family. Although the Xu family's status and position meant that offending them wasn't a big deal, Zhu Gaozhi, being a reasonable person, couldn't act rashly and without considering the consequences.

Zhu Gaozhi was conflicted, and so was Xu Hao. Even the old matriarch and Xiao Shi were conflicted. They all thought about letting Xu Qinglian marry someone of equal status and ending the matter, but they were truly unwilling!

As for Xu Qinglian, the party involved, she was pitiful. How could she make such a major decision about her marriage? Otherwise, she would have thought about becoming a nun and already seen the predicament she was in.

Seeing Zhu Gaozhi's expression gradually soften, Xu Hao was secretly pleased. His only strategy, past, present, and future, was to delay. Delay until a peaceful breakup, delay until it happened naturally, delay until it became a rare treasure, delay until it became a matter of envy, delay until it came to nothing, in short, delay until the end of time.

Little did he know that his cunning had long been seen through by Zhu Gaozhi, who secretly resented that if not for Xu Hao's interference over the past year, he could have already made Xu Qinglian his secondary consort, and there would be no current conflict.

What frustrated Zhu Gaozhi the most was that, despite his resentment, he still had to drag things out with this scoundrel, at least until the status was determined.

Annoyed, Zhu Gaozhi said, "You don't need to accompany me in my studies anymore. Go away quickly."

Thus, Xu Hao reluctantly got off the carriage, stood in the middle of the road, and watched the convoy continue on its way. Then, Zhu Gaoxu, riding a white horse, stopped beside him.

Zhu Gaoxu waved his whip and asked with a gloomy face, "What did you say to him? Why didn't you come to me? You just know how to please him."

Xu Hao frowned and said, "He is my elder brother, and there is a difference in age."

"So what? Even walking is a struggle. You're really disgracing the Yan王府." Zhu Gaoxu sneered.

The sunlight was too strong, and Xu Hao squinted as he looked up, seeing the determination in Zhu Gaoxu's eyes. He didn't want to get involved in the conflict between the two brothers and said, "Go quickly. I have some private matters recently and can't come to the capital every day. If there's anything, send someone to my house."

"Boring, I'm leaving." Zhu Gaoxu, lacking the sophistication of his father and brother and being young, could only show his dissatisfaction without any concrete plans.

Watching the imposing Zhu Gaoxu ride his tall horse, Xu Hao was very troubled. The first side effect of joining the Prince of Yan, Zhu Di, was having to navigate between these two. One misstep could easily offend both, which would not be good for the future.

The clearest decision he made after coming to this era was to stand with Zhu Di early on, straightforward and decisive. What about the future? Should he wait for his sister's matter to be settled? If his sister follows Zhu Gaozhi, he stands with this side; if not, he stands with the other side?

The consequences seemed uncertain. This time, Xu Hao didn't want a simple either-or choice. Should he give a sister to Zhu Gaoxu as a secondary consort? One on each side to balance things out. Unreliable, what would that make him? How would Zhu Di view this?

Riches come with risks, and if things go wrong, the whole family could be executed. Can he afford to take that risk? As Xu Hao led his horse past the street lined with former dukes' residences, he looked at the sealed gate of the Lan family's mansion and felt a chill.

This was truly one problem after another. Rationally, Xu Hao leaned towards Zhu Gaoxu because this guy, when angry, would recognize no one, not even his own family, and would kill without hesitation. If he lost, Zhu Gaozhi would at least remember their past and might not resort to extreme measures.

Emotionally, he naturally favored his "future brother-in-law," and he got along well with Zhu Gaozhi, being close and intimate. The problem was what if Zhu Gaozhi didn't become the Crown Prince.

Who would ultimately ascend the throne? Xu Hao deeply regretted not studying history more and decided to take it one step at a time. If things got too difficult, he would either retire early or, when the time came, fully commit to one side.

After passing several dukes' residences, Xu Hao finally mounted his horse. When he passed the residence of the Crane Longevity Marquis, the plaque was removed and covered with a white cloth, and white lanterns hung below. Passersby no longer dismounted or got off their carriages, but walked freely.

The two fierce stone lions on either side of the gate were defaced, and the stone steps were littered with scraps of paper and cloth. The main red doors were tightly closed, and the side door on the left was slightly ajar, with only a servant dozing on the threshold.

Xu Hao sneered at the gate, looked at the ten guards and twenty servants he brought today, dismounted, and ascended the steps with a killing aura.