Free Web NovelChapter 1269: Chapter 1258: Illegitimate Son
Compared to Ye Jing’s anticipation, Ye Sihui’s mood was truly not good, not because she didn’t hope for the Daru Dynasty’s victory, but because the sudden major change in matters this lifetime left her somewhat panicked.
She was not afraid of victory, but she feared other matters might also change, such as the Heir.
Two years ago, she finally married Prince An as his concubine as she wished, and a year later she was fortunate enough to give birth to an Imperial Grandson. Everything was proceeding in the direction she envisioned, and she didn’t want a single accident.
"Lady, the Prince is coming over here." The maid softly awoke her from her thoughts.
"I know, but has anyone beside the Prince mentioned why he is coming at this time?" Ye Sihui asked in confusion. It wasn’t unreasonable for her to ask this way; although she’d been in the mansion for two years and had successfully given birth to an heir, she knew Prince An wasn’t as confident and fond of her as he initially was.
Prince An wasn’t keen on women; he was more focused on fulfilling the task of extending heirs. Had she not gotten lucky with a son, she might have been neglected in this mansion.
So she was very perplexed why the Prince, who usually visited her only on the fifth and tenth, would come today, especially at this specific two-hour period. Could something have occurred?
"I pay my respects to the Prince," Ye Sihui said while carefully observing until she noticed that not only was there no sign of anger in Prince An but also a hint of delight, which made her even more curious.
"Stand up quickly, where is Rui?"
"Rui was taken down to sleep by the wet nurse. Why has the Prince come at this time? Is there good news to share with me?" Ye Sihui probed.
"You guessed correctly, there is indeed good news."
"Please don’t keep me guessing, what exactly is this good news?"
"This dynasty has just won a battle, do you know who contributed the most?" Prince An asked with enthusiasm.
Ye Sihui opened her mouth and said: "Old General Lin?"
"Alas," Prince An frowned, "On the surface, Old General Lin indeed has the biggest contribution, but in the memorial he presented, he has already stated in person that without another individual, the border of our Daru Dynasty might have been endangered."
"Who could be so competent? And why would the Prince tell me this? Could it be I know this person?" Ye Sihui joked.
To her surprise, Prince An nodded earnestly: "You indeed know this person and have a close relationship with him."
This really surprised Ye Sihui; someone she knew and was intimately related to—did her family have any relatives who joined the military? Could it be one of her father’s students?
It’s not unreasonable for Ye Sihui to not think of Ye Qiu, but Ye Qiu’s health was indeed too poor when he was at home, and he only managed to become a Scholar. Who would believe he had such great ability to become the Divine Strategist so highly recommended and respected by Old General Lin?
"Who exactly is the Prince referring to?"
"Your elder brother Ye Qiu," Prince An said joyfully, "Unexpectedly, you as the concubine have given me such a surprise. Father Emperor’s intention is to bestow a Second-rank Marquis title upon your elder brother when he returns. In the future, when Old General Lin retires, it might be your elder brother who will guard the border. Isn’t this a surprise for me?"
Initially, when marrying Ye Sihui, Prince An was opposed after much consideration. The strategists all said he had too many power figures involved in the rear courtyard; if he accepted a bride from a family with no actual power, it could temporarily ease the vigilance of the Noble Consort and his second brother. Thinking it was just a concubine’s position, he let it be.
Unexpectedly, the initial compromise brought him such a surprise, isn’t this a delivered force? A Twenty-year-old Second-rank Marquis, who else could achieve this honor aside from during the founding of the dynasty? Yet her illegitimate elder brother managed it.
Now, being heavily employed by Father Emperor and valued by Old General Lin, the future is incredibly promising. Why would he worry about lacking the support of military generals? In this way, the gap compared to the Noble Consort and second brother greatly narrows, isn’t this worth celebrating?
"Ye Qiu? Him?" Ye Sihui widened her eyes, unable to absorb this news for a while, "He’s the Divine Strategist praised by everyone now?"
"Yes indeed, has Military Adviser Ye not mentioned this to your family?" Prince An lightly frowned.
Ye Sihui’s heart skipped as she hurriedly explained: "At the time, my elder brother wanted to join the army, my father strongly opposed it because my elder brother’s health had always been poor. My father feared something might happen to him; to try to force him to turn back, he even resorted to some tough measures and did not allow him to use family resources, and after that day when elder brother left the mansion, he had no contact with any family member, so we did not know."
"So that’s how it was." Prince An nodded, "I can understand a father’s deep concern for his son. When your elder brother returns home with achievements, your father will surely be delighted, and the father-son grievances will be wiped clean. Go back home this afternoon and tell this news to your parents, tomorrow for the palace banquet, you will come with me."
This was the first time Ye Sihui experienced Prince An’s care and deliberation, and while she was happy, she also felt slightly uneasy, but soon after realizing the benefits Ye Qiu could bring her, she completely relaxed.
There is no need for guilty conscience, when it’s her own elder brother’s contribution, isn’t it reasonable for her to be valued?
Yet she never expected that the illegitimate elder brother she always looked down upon would bring her such surprise. How could she worry about lacking family power and influence in the future? How could she worry that her son won’t have support in the future? Although civil servant power is larger in the court, military power cannot be ignored, and it can play a decisive role in some critical moments.
Just look at the Prince, previously not mentioning the palace banquet, even attending other mansion banquets was rare, and today he came personally to tell her this, showing the importance of military power, from now on she’s one step closer to that position.
Ye Sihui knows Ye Qiu is closer to Ye Jing, but can Ye Jing compare to her? Not to mention their status, even Prince Kang and Prince An—any smart person knows who to choose, she doesn’t believe Ye Qiu won’t take the contribution within his grasp.
Moreover, Ye Qiu choosing her doesn’t mean he’s abandoning Ye Jing. Even if Prince Kang gets convicted, the Prince would still spare Ye Jing for her and Ye Qiu’s sake.
Now Ye Sihui is immensely looking forward to tomorrow’s meeting with Ye Qiu; she will no longer be a concubine that anyone can bully.
However, she was unaware that things weren’t as simple as she imagined, nor was Ye Qiu someone she could exploit and manipulate. Who said Prince An was certain to ascend the throne?
Ye Qiu desired prestige, but it was absolutely not to help her.
