After Marrying the Villainous Prime Minister in My Brother’s Stead - Chapter 16

16: Having Children—Gu Que Is Stunned, It’s Impossible!

Between husband and wife, spending day and night together makes it easy for feelings to develop, especially since the young master has been very attentive to Prime Minister Yan. The young master’s household is clean—no concubines, no maidservants—and coupled with his handsome appearance, it’s only natural for Prime Minister Yan to like him.

Thinking this way, Tinglan felt utterly uncomfortable—a woman liking another woman.

Oh heavens, the sky is about to fall.

At the dining table, neither spoke. Gu Que buried herself in breakfast, while Yan Luo set down her chopsticks and stared vacantly into the distance.

After a while, both finished eating, and the maidservants orderly cleared the table.

The steward arrived punctually with the gift list for the return visit. Out of habit, he first offered it to Yan Luo, but as soon as he spoke, her icy gaze made him swiftly change direction and hand the list to the young master instead.

Gu Que, unaware of the underlying dynamics, took the list and passed it to Prime Minister Yan.

Yan Luo gave face to the young master, while the young master showed her respect. The two were in perfect sync.

Yan Luo took the list from Gu Que and politely asked, “Has the young master reviewed it? If anything seems inappropriate, we can still make changes.”

“Prime Minister may decide. I’m not well-versed in these matters.” Gu Que replied. She was still learning ancient etiquette—what gifts to give to whom, whether to cater to personal preferences—all of it was a challenge.

Yan Luo skimmed the list and handed it back to the steward. “Good, proceed as is.”

The steward exhaled in relief and bowed before withdrawing. Yan Luo then said to Gu Que, “The Yan family is more complicated than the Gu family. My father passed early, and my mother raised me with great difficulty. Others need not be acknowledged, but my mother has suffered much. Please show her extra respect.”

Yan Luo had no father, and the Yan family was a large clan where covert competition and rivalry were commonplace. The Gu family only had two branches, yet they forced the Marquis of Yongle to have his daughter replace his son. In just a few sentences, Gu Que grasped the hardships and replied, “Prime Minister need not worry. Your mother is my mother, and I will treat her with the utmost respect.”

Yan Luo smiled faintly, meeting her gaze, then announced it was time to depart.

Before the marriage, the Yan residence bore the plaque “Prime Minister’s Manor.” But after Yan Luo married, the family replaced it with a new one simply reading “Yan Manor.”

Tracing its history, the Yan family once held lofty status, with ancestors who had served as prime ministers. By Yan Luo’s grandfather’s generation, the family had declined, but her grandmother was a county princess, securing Yan Luo’s position as a palace study companion.

Other branches of the family had members in official posts, the highest being a third-rank official—still enviable to ordinary families.

Yet when Yan Luo entered the court, this third-rank uncle offered no support. A woman in court faced immense difficulty and ridicule, and Yan Luo’s mother endured tremendous pressure to back her daughter.

Upon arrival, the two alighted from the carriage, where the steward awaited at the gate. Gu Que, wiser this time, stepped down first and offered her hand to assist Prime Minister Yan.

Side by side, the steward hurried down the steps with a smile. “Seventh Miss has returned.”

Yan Luo was the seventh in her generation, and the steward’s address marked her as a married daughter returning home.

Gu Que frowned, displeased. Though new to this world, she could discern the underlying message—the steward was disregarding Yan Luo’s current status. She suppressed her irritation and glanced at Yan Luo, who seemed unbothered by the title “Seventh Miss” and calmly led Gu Que up the steps.

Since Yan Luo didn’t react, Gu Que held her tongue but shot the steward a sharp look.

Entering the manor, the grandeur of an aristocratic family was evident. Last time, a maid had guided her, but today Yan Luo walked with her, pointing out landmarks.

A century-old tree stood witness to the Yan family’s rise and fall since the manor’s founding.

A pavilion, named “Prime Minister’s Pavilion,” was built when an ancestor achieved the post.

Further in, they reached Yan Luo’s former courtyard—now locked and deserted. Gu Que glanced curiously, and Yan Luo explained, “Once married, there’s no returning. This courtyard will go to others. It’s no longer mine.”

Leave, and the room is forfeited—a harsh reality.

Gu Que nodded. Some distance away stood another courtyard, where two matrons at the door dropped their melon seeds in terror at the sight of Yan Luo, kneeling as if facing the king of hell.

Yan Luo ignored them, walking past without a glance. “This is Eighth Sister’s courtyard.”

Since it belonged to another young lady, Gu Que knew to keep her distance and nodded in acknowledgment.

Next were the courtyards of the Ninth and Tenth Misses, while the Eleventh Miss, still young, lived with her mother.

After a long walk, maidservants along the way knelt and kowtowed, addressing Yan Luo as “Seventh Miss.”

By the time they reached Third Madam’s courtyard, Gu Que’s feet ached. The gate was locked, guarded by two matrons who unlocked it upon Yan Luo’s arrival.

Inside, a flower garden bloomed vibrantly, yet the courtyard felt eerily deserted.

Gu Que, timid, swallowed hard, but the locked bedroom door sent a chill down her spine.

Why was the bedroom locked when the courtyard gate was already secured? She halted as a matron stepped forward to unlock it, but Yan Luo suddenly spoke: “Give me the key.”

The matron glanced at Gu Que but handed the key to Yan Luo, who dismissed them and unlocked the door herself.

As the door creaked open, sunlight spilled into the dim room. Before it fully opened, a disheveled figure rushed out, grinning vacantly at Yan Luo. “Xiao Qi, Xiao Qi is back!”

“Mother, I’ve returned.” Yan Luo smiled warmly, her icy demeanor melting as she held Third Madam’s arm and turned to Gu Que. “Mother, this is your son-in-law, Gu Yan—the one you betrothed to me years ago.”

“Xiao Yan, Xiao Yan…” Third Madam paused, studying Gu Que. “So handsome, so very handsome. Xiao Qi, does he treat you well?”

“Very well. Let’s change clothes and go eat, alright?” Yan Luo glanced at Gu Que. “Young master, do you like flowers?”

Snapping out of her shock, Gu Que bowed hastily. “Mother, I am Gu Yan. I’ll go admire the flower garden.”

“Go, go!” Third Madam waved cheerfully. “It’s lovely there. Go on!”

Gu Que retreated to the garden, pressing a hand to her pounding chest.

The illustrious Prime Minister Yan had a mentally ill mother—an unbelievable revelation.

The garden was a riot of colors, vibrant against the spring greenery. It took Gu Que a moment to steady herself. No one was perfect, and life was full of hardships. Prime Minister Yan must carry her own pain.

Soon, the door reopened, and Yan Luo emerged with Third Madam, now dressed elegantly in bamboo-green robes, her hair neatly coiled—a far cry from the madwoman earlier.

Third Madam beckoned Gu Que. “Xiao Yan, come here.”

Gu Que approached nervously as Third Madam took her hand, scrutinizing her. “Xiao Yan is fair and delicate, just as endearing as in childhood. Treat my Xiao Qi well. She’s soft-natured—don’t bully her.”

Prime Minister Yan, soft-natured? Gu Que forced a smile. “I wouldn’t dare.”

“It’s getting late.” Yan Luo reminded them, guiding Third Madam out with Gu Que trailing closely behind. From the back, Third Madam walked normally, indistinguishable from anyone else.

The matriarch’s courtyard wasn’t far. At the gate, matrons knelt as Yan Luo approached. Third Madam cheerfully helped them up. “No need for such formalities.”

“Mother, let them be,” Yan Luo whispered, steering her forward. “Grandmother is waiting. We mustn’t delay.”

Third Madam relented, patting her daughter’s hand affectionately.

The Yan matriarch, nearing sixty with silver-streaked hair, sat enthroned and beckoned them in, gesturing for Third Madam to sit beside her.

Third Madam obliged, pointing at Gu Que. “Old Madam, this is Gu Yan. Have you ever seen such a handsome young man?”

A mother-in-law’s fondness for her son-in-law only grew with time.

“Handsome indeed. Xiao Qi is blessed—he looks like the doting type,” the matriarch remarked, her sharp eyes briefly assessing Gu Que before turning away.

The others stood stiffly, not daring to breathe loudly in Yan Luo’s presence, while Third Madam chattered excitedly, clutching her daughter’s hand. “Soon, I’ll be a grandmother. I hear Xiao Yan comes from twins, and twins run in families. You two should have a pair of children—how wonderful!”

Twins?

A boy and a girl?

Gu Que was stunned.

That’s impossible!