Liang Yuzhou served the old lady some dishes and calmly retorted, "When did your grandson ever say he would marry her?"
The room fell into complete silence. The old lady stared at the tremella and lotus seed soup in front of her, rummaging through her memories.
The princess royal had grabbed hold of the old duke's weakness and pressured him. The old duke had then tried to use his authority as a father to force Yuzhou to marry Yu Huiyan.
Yuzhou had been beaten until his skin was lacerated, yet he had firmly declared that he would never marry Yu Huiyan.
However, the news of their impending marriage still spread far and wide.
Yu Huiyan had poisoned Wanchu, hoping to ruin her reputation. It was also Yuzhou who had first noticed something fishy about Cuizhu's death. Through the silver note on her, he had discovered that the Princess Jiahe had merely taken the blame for Yu Huiyan.
With the evidence in hand, he had the bargaining chips to negotiate with the princess royal.
The princess royal had lost all face. Being so proud and arrogant, she couldn't bear the thought that after making the match, Yu Huiyan could only be a concubine. So she simply cancelled the marriage.
During this period, Yuzhou seemed to have been protecting Yu Huiyan all along, but he had never shown any regret or dissatisfaction at the cancellation of the marriage.
And the current rumor going around that Yuzhou would propose to Yu Huiyan after winning the martial champion was not something she had heard from Yuzhou himself.
The old lady slowly stirred the soup in her bowl. She seemed to understand something...
"You've given everyone the illusion that you like Yu Huiyan more than Wanchu. Is it because of what Princess Lingyang said three years ago when you went to the Song family to welcome the bride?"
That day, the Duke's Mansion had welcomed the new bride with the ceremony due to a principal wife. No one had expected Princess Lingyang to suddenly barge in.
She didn't have an invitation card, but no one dared to stop her.
She angrily questioned Liang Yuzhou, "Isn't it just taking a concubine? Why are you making such a big deal out of it? It's as if you're marrying a principal wife!"
Not long before, Liang Yuzhou had just rejected her advances, and Princess Lingyang was still fuming.
The emperor had also decreed that Wanchu be given to Liang Yuzhou as a noble concubine. Princess Lingyang thought that Liang Yuzhou had fallen in love with Song Wanchu.
At that time, Princess Lingyang had come to question him, making the atmosphere extremely awkward. All the guests were on tenterhooks.
The old lady had come out to explain, "Although it's just taking a concubine, the emperor has bestowed Wanchu as a noble concubine. The Duke's Mansion doesn't dare to neglect the emperor's kindness. We're welcoming Wanchu in with the ceremony due to a principal wife to show our respect for the imperial grace."
Given her status, no matter how domineering Princess Lingyang was, she still had to give the old lady some face.
Before leaving, she left a harsh warning, "Second Brother Liang, I know Song Wanchu is very beautiful, but you'd better not really fall in love with her. And don't even think about making her the principal wife. Your principal wife's position will eventually be mine! Anyone who dares to take my place, I'll turn her happy occasion into a funeral immediately!"
"Yuzhou, did you take Princess Lingyang's words seriously?"
The old lady felt that everything made sense now.
For the past three years, every time she mentioned making Wanchu the principal wife, Yuzhou had been ambiguous.
When Princess Lingyang was around, he always seemed to care more about Yu Huiyan than Wanchu...
"Old lady, I can't not take it seriously, because I can't gamble with Wanchu's life!"
The hatred Princess Lingyang had shown towards Yu Huiyan was intense and jealous. She completely regarded Yu Huiyan as a mortal enemy.
As for Wanchu, it was just arrogance and contempt.
Although she had also had malicious and mischievous thoughts towards Wanchu, she had never really wanted Wanchu's life.
"So that's how it is..."
The old lady murmured, a nameless sadness welling up in her heart. "Yuzhou, you've endured for three years and let the rumors spread for three years. But have you ever thought that Wanchu took it seriously and has given up on you!"
Those rumors and the coldness that Liang Yuzhou had deliberately shown had really hurt Wanchu.
"Heh..."
Liang Yuzhou let out a soft laugh. "She's never loved me. So how can she be said to have given up on me?"
The old lady looked up at him. The once high-spirited young man now had a deep and unrelenting sense of desolation hidden in his eyes.
Facing the table full of dishes, the old lady lost her appetite. Her chest felt stuffy.
Wanchu had indeed said that she had someone she liked.
"Since you can't have her, it's better to let go."
Back then, she had even risked falling out with the Princess Jiahe to get the imperial decree for their marriage, hoping that the two of them would live in harmony and respect each other.
Who would have thought that it would be a case of the襄王 yearning for the goddess in vain.
Yuzhou's stubbornness would only turn the two of them into a feuding couple.
"Never!"
The resolute tone shook the old lady's heart.
It would be better to kill him with a single knife than to make him watch Wanchu be with Shi Luohan!
The old lady knew very well about his stubbornness.
Yuzhou had been cold and aloof since childhood. When he was young, he had loved to seek the truth and often went to the Taoist temple to consult the enlightened masters.
He had seen through everything at a young age.
He rarely really cared about something or someone.
If Wanchu hadn't appeared like a fleeting glimpse of a startled swan and stirred up his silent heart lake, the old lady thought that he might have become a Taoist priest at any time.
Not to mention participating in the martial examinations and competing with his elder brother for the position of the heir apparent.
"You've schemed for three years and endured for three years. But ask yourself, was it really for Wanchu? She's the one who's been hurt the most in your scheme these three years!"
"I know." Liang Yuzhou's voice was very soft. A touch of sadness slowly spread in his eyes. "I'm the most selfish one."
His frank admission of his own selfishness made the old lady's heart ache.
The two of them had come to this point. Whether Wanchu was enthusiastic or cold towards Yuzhou, she had always been the most frank and sincere one.
The humble and shady one was Liang Yuzhou.
"If you insist on keeping her by your side, then what about the cause of her father's death? Are you going to hide it from her for a lifetime?"
Liang Yuzhou suddenly clenched his fists tightly. His knuckles turned white with coldness.
Song Hengyi's death was a thorn deeply rooted in his heart. Every time it was mentioned, it was like plucking that thorn in his heart, making his heart bleed.
His silence made the old lady frown deeply.
"Then hide it for a lifetime."
"Yuzhou..."
"Old lady, you don't need to say anymore."
Liang Yuzhou stood up. The light from the candle shone from behind him, casting his face in shadow. His expression was gloomy.
"After the martial examinations are over, the emperor will surely ask your grandson if there's any woman he wants to marry as his principal wife. At that time, I'll have to ask the old lady to beg for the title of a noble lady for Wanchu."
This was also what the old lady had originally planned.
But Wanchu had never really cared about these external things.
...
There was less than half a month left until the martial examinations.
Liang Yuzhou kept his promise and gave Song Wanchu two bolts of rain silk brocade.
The rosy clouds brocade was worth a hundred taels of silver, while the rain silk brocade was extremely rare.
Only the queen, the princess royal, and Princess Lingyang in the palace could afford such expensive brocade.
The nightgown she had made for Liang Yuzhou was also made of rain silk brocade.
He knew what was the best and was never stingy about giving the best to Yu Huiyan.
Song Wanchu took it with a blank face. "Shall I invite Miss Yu over to take her measurements?"
Liang Yuzhou hooked his lips, smiling faintly. "No need. Just make it according to your size."
She had slapped Yu Huiyan, and Yu Huiyan had been very aggrieved.
Liang Yuzhou didn't let her meet Yu Huiyan because he was afraid that the person in his heart would be wronged again.
Song Wanchu didn't care.
Yu Huiyan was shorter and plumper than her. She could just modify it according to her own size.
Liang Yuzhou watched Song Wanchu busily working with her head down. The scissors were flying quickly in her hands.
She was very diligent about making wedding clothes for others.
"There's less than half a month left. Madam had better hurry up."
Song Wanchu's hand paused.
He was about to marry Yu Huiyan as his principal wife. This address of "madam" sounded extremely ironic.
"Don't worry, Second Master. I won't delay your wedding night."
Liang Yuzhou's face darkened slightly.
Song Wanchu continued to work on her task without looking up. "After Second Master marries the principal wife, please don't come to Shuiyunju anymore. I don't want to serve Second Master overnight anymore."