My System Is Three Thousand Years Early

Chapter 185: Chapter 85: Respect for One’s Elders (Please Subscribe)_5

“Ming Xian, you mentioned Wu Nan, and how he let you come to the Capital city alone. He didn’t come to keep you company. It would have been nice if you, as a couple, could have come to the Duke’s Mansion and visited me,” said Duke Zhen’s wife, the Princess of South Ming, with a light laugh and consoling words for Wu Yuemei.

“You both missed the family feast a while ago. Otherwise, it would have been an excellent opportunity for all of us to gather,” she continued.

Princess Yuemei looked down, the Queen of the South Ming covered her mouth with a chuckle, offering comfort instead.

“Yuemei, I was held back by some affairs last time. I came to the Capital city this time just to ease my mind. My sudden visit without informing you in advance was impulsive of me, and I was wrong,” Yuemei admitted.

The Queen of the South Ming, decked in luxury, appeared to be only in her late twenties, with a grace and poise beyond her years. She wore a moon-white long dress with light silver apricot flowers embroidered on the sleeves, and the silver threads on her dress traced along her voluptuous and stunningly curved figure, creating several arching lines, while at her bosom there was a wide band of brocaded fabric.

Within the Capital city and the whole Great Zhou Dynasty, the Queen of the South Ming was renowned for her beauty.

Every move she made exuded an indescribable nobility and grace.

Her voice was exceedingly pleasant, like a stream of clear water trickling through the forest at dawn.

Her tone was pure and tender, evoking the image of a spring breeze rippling across a lake.

Wu Yuemei observed her sister-in-law and found herself increasingly pleased, wondering where Wu Nan, that rugged man, had found such a princess to bring back.

Regarding the origins of the Queen of the South Ming, Yuemei wasn’t very clear, only that this princess appeared suddenly, brought back by Wu Nan and enveloped in mystery.

Even with her mysterious background,

the poise, dignity, and meticulousness of the Queen in her interactions commanded nothing but respect.

Indeed, the beauty of the Queen could rival that of the emperor’s own consorts, and even the empress, and in terms of aura, she seemed to surpass them by just a fraction.

She seemed born to be one of the most esteemed beings.

If King of South Ming wasn’t the emperor’s most beloved and only brother, countless others would surely covet the Princess.

Yuemei sighed gently, her tender brows revealing a touch of sorrow, “Speaking of which, Zhihai isn’t in the mansion. He left early in the morning for the Bureau of the Lamp, overwhelmed by the investigation concerning the crown prince recently.”

“The crown prince…” Yuemei sighed again as she mentioned him.

Indeed,

the crown prince was her own brother.

The throne was his by right, and logically, the emperor’s seat should have been his as well.

But the crown prince failed his duty, and nearly brought ruin to the Great Zhou Dynasty. If he had indeed become the emperor, it’s doubtful whether Great Zhou would enjoy the peace it has now.

Having Wu Shang ascend the throne was something both Duke Zhen and the empress dowager were pleased with. Although some of the court officials felt it broke traditional norms, they didn’t speak up against it.

Only a few old-fashioned ones staunchly opposed.

After Wu Shang assumed the throne, he didn’t dispose of these traditionalists; instead, he treated them well, even allowing most of them to maintain their official positions and continue to serve at court.

Yuemei knew that Wu Shang had a simple goal: to let these old-fashioned officials see for themselves how he would lead Great Zhou to a glorious future.

To prove that he, Wu Shang, could be as good an emperor as the late crown prince, if not better.

Because of Wu Shang’s ambition to be emperor, which led to the annihilation of the crown prince and fratricide, Wu Shang suffered, but there was no choice. For the stability of the Great Zhou Dynasty, such measures were necessary.

Having lost a brother, Wu Shang came to dote even more on King of South Ming, the leisurely prince.

There were reasons for all these events, after all.

In an era of peace, with the demotion of the crown prince, Great Zhou prospered under Wu Shang’s leadership.

However…

Nobody expected that the then-presumed-dead crown prince would return, stirring up Great Zhou into unrest once again.

The Queen of South Ming, upon hearing Yuemei mention the crown prince, frowned slightly, but she stayed silent. Her brow soon relaxed, and a pleasant, shallow smile graced her face.

“Yuemei, it’s not a problem. It’s good if they can find out about the crown prince sooner. It’s understandable for Zhihai to be busy,” she said softly.

“It will also be nice to see my nephew Cheng Guang.”

“Actually, it’s been a long time since I last saw Cheng Guang.”

Having said that, the Queen of South Ming looked up towards the pathway outside the hall, seemingly eager to see Cheng Guang soon.

Yuemei didn’t think much of the Queen’s behavior. It seemed quite normal for the Queen to want to see her son, and there was nothing worth mentioning about it.

Yet Yuemei was somewhat surprised.

She hadn’t expected the Queen to be so attentive to her own son, Guanger.

Thinking about it made sense, though, as Guanger had been the talk of the town lately.

First, at the martial contest between Great Zhou and Great Wei, Guanger caught everyone’s attention by defeating Qiu Zhiman, the head of Great Zhou’s Martial Academy. Just the day before yesterday, he had helped Cheng Zhihai uncover the Devil Clan lurking beneath the canals.

Recently, many were speaking of Guanger, praising the heir of Duke Zhen’s Mansion.

Yuemei felt a burst of happiness at the thought, perhaps the Queen’s newfound interest in Guanger stemmed from all these events.