After Rebirth, My Wife Turned Out to Be Myself - Chapter 63

Martial Arts Ground.

Xie Wan was practicing archery, shooting at a target.

Her posture was straight, her fingertips resting on the arrow’s nock, her eyes slightly narrowed, the arrow on the bowstring seemingly poised to fly.

But after just making the motion, Xie Wan noticed Zhou Ning approaching quickly from behind, so she lowered her bow.

“Your Majesty, there’s movement from the Xu manor.”

“Mm, keep a close eye on him.”

Zhou Ning nodded. Seeing several arrows already embedded in the bullseye from a distance, she praised, “Your Majesty has excellent aim.”

Zhou Ning hadn’t expected that the seemingly frail Emperor possessed such good archery skills.

Xie Wan smiled without speaking.

“But it’s getting late. Is Your Majesty not returning to the palace to rest?” Winter nights always arrived early. Although it wasn’t as cold as Jinghe, it wasn’t weather suitable for staying outdoors for long periods.

“Returning to the palace is boring. I can do things here to pass the time.”

Zhou Ning thought for a moment and suddenly understood something.

Had Her Majesty been spending so much time at the Martial Arts Ground these past few days because Anyu had returned to the Xie manor?

“Has Consort Wan… not returned to the palace yet?” Zhou Ning asked cautiously.

As the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards, she had spent a considerable amount of time by Her Majesty’s side. When no one else was around, she could even chat with Her Majesty about private matters.

Xie Wan paused, “She was away in the Northern border for several months. It’s not strange for the Xie family to miss her and keep her at the manor for a few days.” Hearing her question, Xie Wan admitted frankly, “It’s just that the palace feels much colder without Anyu.”

If Anyu were here, she wouldn’t be so idle, shooting at targets here.

But she was the one who let her leave the palace. Now that she missed her a little, she felt somewhat annoyed. Xie Anyu really left and didn’t come back.

“Did Your Majesty and Consort Wan have a quarrel?”

“No.”

Then why hasn’t Consort Wan returned…?

“Great General Xie’s birthday is in two days. She naturally has to stay at the Xie manor,” Xie Wan narrowed her eyes. “What displeases me is that Xie Anyu didn’t even send a verbal message back to the palace.”

Zhou Ning: “…Consort Wan still has a child’s temperament.”

Zhou Ning didn’t quite understand. Her Majesty missed Anyu so much that she even went all the way to Jinghe to fetch her. The General’s Manor was right here in the capital, only half an hour away. Why hadn’t Her Majesty gone?

Perhaps there was some difficulty.

As a close official to the Emperor, Zhou Ning naturally understood the need to share Her Majesty’s burdens. She immediately said, “My relationship with Young General Xie is decent. I can make a trip for Your Majesty and deliver a verbal decree…” It wouldn’t be difficult.

“No need. It’s General Xie’s birthday, I will be going in two days anyway.”

Zhou Ning lowered her head, “Yes.”

Xie Wan looked at the sky, “I should return to the palace. Zhou Ning, you should also go back and rest early.”

“Yes.”

In fact, Anyu at the Xie manor wasn’t exactly idle.

News of her return spread throughout the capital the next day. As a result, the General’s Manor received numerous visiting cards and invitations.

Great General Xie’s birthday was approaching. Logically, all these people should be trying to curry favor with her father, but one after another, the invitations were all for her.

Of course, those who sent invitations were all wives of prominent officials in the capital. Wives of certain ministers, wives of marquises, all sent her invitations.

Anyu didn’t want to go, so she refused some, but couldn’t stop people from visiting in person.

Upon closer inquiry, she found out that it was the rumor about her possibly becoming Empress that had stirred things up again. The future Empress of Da Yue had left the palace, who wouldn’t want to socialize and make connections?

Naturally, many also came to propose marriages for her eldest and second cousins. Eldest Uncle and Eldest Aunt were still staying at the Xie manor, so the threshold of the Xie family was almost worn through.

Another one sent away.

Anyu slumped onto the table, exhausted, and whispered, “Younger Aunt, Eldest Aunt, I’m so tired.”

Those noble ladies and young women, each one was more poised and dignified than the last. Younger Aunt and Eldest Aunt were receiving guests with her, so she naturally couldn’t let Her Majesty lose face.

Putting on airs like this all day, how was it more tiring than fighting a battle?

Eldest Aunt also rubbed the back of her neck, “Anyu, Eldest Aunt is tired too.”

Eldest Aunt was also impatient by nature, making her sit here receiving guests, and she still had to maintain the Xie family’s reputation.

“At this time, I’d rather my two sons weren’t so prominent. It’s clearly Second Brother’s birthday, yet so many matchmakers have come to the door,” Eldest Aunt said with a wry smile.

“Eldest Aunt hasn’t found anyone you like?” Anyu tilted her head.

Eldest Aunt smiled, “What use is it if I like them? It’s not me who will spend a lifetime with the young ladies. It’s better to note down their names and portraits and let them choose for themselves. Yunyu and Yunliang have reached the age for discussing marriage.”

“Sister-in-law has a broad mind,” Younger Aunt chimed in.

Eldest Aunt chided playfully, “Children and grandchildren have their own fortunes, you know.”

Watching this scene, Anyu thought, when she returned to the palace, she would ask Her Majesty what kind of sisters-in-law her elder and second brothers would marry in the future.

It was already getting late. After sitting for a while, Eldest Aunt and Younger Aunt both returned to their own quarters first.

Anyu also planned to go back.

Before the night got too deep, she should send a letter to the palace.

Anyu curved her lips, her expression quite joyful.

Pushing open the courtyard door.

A wave of emptiness.

She wasn’t someone who liked too many servants attending to her anyway. There weren’t many servants in the courtyard, and this time they were all busy with her father’s birthday banquet. Her courtyard was so desolate that only the moonlight kept her company.

The wind picked up at night, rustling the leaves on the tree in the courtyard.

Anyu was walking when she suddenly stopped, feeling some eyes on her. She turned to look at the eastern wall.

The eastern wall was empty.

She frowned slightly.

Then, Anyu asked in a clear voice, “Who dares trespass even into my Xie manor?”

Hearing her speak, the person hiding behind the eastern wall no longer concealed themselves.

Flipping over the wall, he looked at her with a smile, “Sister Anyu.”

The moonlight wasn’t very bright, and the person happened to be backlit. When Anyu saw the person clearly, she was stunned, “Chu Tang? Oh… I should call you Prince Xian now.”

“It sounds better when Sister just calls me Chu Tang,” the thirteen-year-old young gentleman squatted on the wall with a smile, just like when he used to laugh and play with her in Grand Consort Qin’s palace.

But that was just an act back then. It was naturally still an act now.

Chu Tang was skilled at acting. This thirteen-year-old Prince wasn’t so simple-minded behind the scenes.

Anyu suppressed the hint of wariness in her heart and asked, “Why did you come to the General’s Manor? And climb over the wall?”

“I came out of the palace for a stroll. I heard Sister Anyu returned to the General’s Manor, so I came to see you along the way,” Chu Tang jumped down from the wall. His movements were light, and unlike before, he seemed to no longer hide the fact that he had practiced martial arts.

“I also came to ask for the little trinket Sister promised to give me when you first came out. First you went to suppress bandits, then you went to the Northern region. Did Sister forget all about promising to bring me a little trinket from outside the palace?” Chu Tang lowered his eyelids slightly, looking somewhat unhappy.

“Haha… You also know I went to suppress bandits and fight battles, I didn’t have time to look for little trinkets…” Anyu laughed evasively.

“Sister Anyu only has Imperial Sister in her eyes.”

Hearing this, Anyu frowned slightly, “I don’t understand what Your Highness means by that.”

What did he mean she only had Her Majesty in her eyes?

Of course, she only had Her Majesty in her eyes, who else would there be?

By this time, Chu Tang had walked closer.

The thirteen-year-old Chu Tang wasn’t very tall, but he had grown quite a bit in the past few months. Now he was as tall as Anyu’s chin.

He was wearing brocade clothes made in the palace, a dark green color that didn’t suit his age.

A young man who was still growing, with the inherent nobility of royalty, would likely attract a lot of attention if he walked on the street.

“I heard that Sister Anyu gave her pillow as a birthday gift to Imperial Sister.”

News from the palace, if one was determined to find out, could always be known.

Anyu was about to say something when she saw Chu Tang lower his gaze, “Even the pillow you liked the most was given to her. Yet I can’t even get a little trinket.”

The young man looked very sad.

Anyu, however, didn’t know where this sadness came from. Was he asking why Chu Tang knew that pillow was her favorite?

After thinking, Anyu still said, “That’s a calming pillow, good for Her Majesty’s health. As for the little trinket you want… aren’t you able to leave the palace now?”

Chu Tang raised his face, “Then you’re not bringing it for me?”

“What exactly did you come for?” Anyu looked at him, her sharp eyes falling on Chu Tang’s slightly sad face.

Coming to her courtyard late at night, saying meaningless things. Anyu was a little impatient, but she hid it well.

Hearing her words, Chu Tang put away his expression and looked at her quietly, seemingly intending to discern something from her.

That frank, scrutinizing gaze, instead, made Anyu feel a layer of goosebumps.

Thus, her frown deepened.

Just as Anyu couldn’t help but say something, Chu Tang spoke—

“In Sister Wan’s eyes, am I not as good as Imperial Sister?”

His address for her changed from ‘Sister Anyu’ to ‘Sister Wan’.

Anyu felt an indescribable strangeness in her heart. Her intuition told her that Chu Tang’s words had a hidden meaning, but she clearly didn’t understand.

However, Anyu didn’t avoid his gaze and said lightly, “I am Her Majesty’s consort, so naturally I think she is the best.”

Chu Tang smiled, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes, “Then Imperial Sister is truly lucky.”

The atmosphere suddenly became heavy.

Neither of them spoke again.

And outside the door, the guards’ shouts sounded at the right time, “Lady Consort, were you calling someone?”

Presumably, their conversation had attracted them.

Chu Tang used his Lightness Skill, leaped onto the wall, and quickly disappeared from the courtyard.

He came in a hurry and left in a hurry.

“Lady Consort?” The guard’s voice was a little anxious.

“Ah, it’s nothing!” Anyu shouted loudly.

Only then did the guards breathe a sigh of relief. Consort Wan had returned to the General’s Manor for a visit, nothing could go wrong.

Anyu dealt with the guards and walked straight towards her bedroom.

She thought to herself, the minds of young men are truly complicated.

Chu Tang compared himself to Emperor Ruiming? Perhaps Chu Tang was indeed much more outstanding. But the current Emperor Ruiming, at her core, was ‘that person’.

If it was that person, then there was no one who could be compared to her.

It was just that Chu Tang was clearly not right today.

Anyu thought, if only the moonlight had been brighter today.

If it had been brighter, maybe she wouldn’t have misjudged.

How could she have thought that Chu Tang’s eyes were full of grievance, as if saying she was being biased?

Anyu was no longer ignorant of romantic matters.

It couldn’t be, Chu Tang, he couldn’t possibly like her, could he?

Anyu scratched her head.

Meanwhile, Chu Tang also rode the moonlight back to the palace.

Sitting in the carriage, the person beside him looked at his face with apprehension.

His Highness seemed unhappy.

“Master, you didn’t see Lady Consort Wan?” His confidant carefully chose his words, “Master, although Lady Consort Wan is the person closest to Her Majesty, she is probably difficult to win over. Even if you didn’t see her, Master doesn’t need to…”

“What do you know?” Chu Tang suddenly interrupted him, “Shut up and let me be quiet for a while.”

His attitude was stern, showing none of the appearance he had just displayed in front of Anyu.

“…Yes.” The confidant dared not say more, only thinking that His Highness’s temper was becoming increasingly unpredictable.

Chu Tang slowly tightened his hand in his sleeve.

He was very unhappy.

It shouldn’t be like this…

The person Xie Wan looked down on the most was his Imperial Sister. Imperial Sister was the most incompetent Emperor in the history of Da Yue. How could she truly become a favored consort? How could she bear to give her favorite pillow to that person!

But everything was different now, the difference started from when Xie Wan entered the palace.

So, all of this was indeed because of Xie Wan. Xie Wan was very likely the same as him.

But he couldn’t accept it…

He couldn’t accept that she chose to support the incompetent Imperial Sister instead of choosing him, the one who was supposed to become Emperor, and it was because of such a ridiculous and absurd reason.

“I am Her Majesty’s consort, so naturally I think she is the best.”

She is her consort?

Cold light surged in Chu Tang’s eyes.

Once Chu Long dies, what kind of Consort Wan can you still be?