Fu Chuan departed for Jiangnan the next day, having said something to his family before leaving. Regardless, from that day onward, the Duke of Cao's mansion treated Gu Yan Chen with great respect, and he was repeatedly spoken of favorably in court, the intention to curry favor being quite obvious.
Even Lu Nian Fu received an invitation to their family matriarch's birthday banquet.
The mother of the Duke of Cao was seventy-three years old this year.
Seventy-three and eighty-four, if one is not called by the King of Hell, one goes willingly. It was widely believed in the Great Yin Dynasty that seventy-three and eighty-four were two major hurdles in an elder's life. Therefore, the Duke of Cao's mansion held a grand feast, partly to ward off ill fortune, and partly so that if the elder could not hold on, the banquet would at least ensure there were no regrets.
Of course, the average lifespan in the Great Yin Dynasty was less than seventy, and very few people actually reached these milestones.
Lu Nian Fu still had two months left in her mourning period. Putting aside the fact that she did not wish to attend a banquet during this time, the Duke of Cao's mansion would hardly want someone in mourning to bring bad luck. Had they forgotten about this?
Gu Yan Chen weighed the invitation in his hand. "Even if the hosts forget, their subordinates will remind them. Most likely, because your father-in-law is not your biological father, they selectively ignored this. It's fine, I'll speak with the Duke tomorrow and decline this invitation."
"Will the Duke of Cao think you are ungrateful?"
After all, he was a powerful figure who could influence the court. To refuse the overtures of a third-rank official—just thinking about it made one feel embarrassed for him. And such great figures often valued face above all else.
It would be disadvantageous if he were to incur their resentment because of this.
Gu Yan Chen waved his hand. "Second Uncle was just appointed by the Emperor as one of the examiners for this imperial examination. The Duke of Cao's mansion has many disciples who will be taking the exam, so it is only appropriate to avoid suspicion."
Lu Nian Fu found it strange. "Aren't both Second Brother and Third Brother taking the imperial examination? Why would the Emperor appoint Second Uncle as an examiner?"
Gu Yan Chen shrugged. "Who knows what the Emperor is thinking? Perhaps he feels it's inconsequential since he's not the chief examiner."
The exam questions were discussed by the chief examiner and the Emperor. The other examiners only participated in the grading. Thinking about it this way, it was indeed inconsequential. Lu Nian Fu was speechless. "Then why are you using such a reason to brush off the Duke of Cao's mansion?"
"This is just an excuse. They are of the Crown Prince's faction, and getting too close to them offers no benefit to me. This is an opportunity to make my stance clear to everyone, so they stop lumping me in with them. I have no intention of taking sides."
"You don't think well of the Crown Prince?"
Gu Yan Chen glanced around and then had Qing Miao guard the doors and windows before speaking in a low voice. "I don't think the Emperor is very satisfied with the Crown Prince."
Lu Nian Fu's hair stood on end. "You don't think well of the Crown Prince? Could it be he thinks highly of Situ Jue?"
"That's even more impossible. Situ Jue has thoroughly exposed his shortcomings this time for some minor military achievement. When the Minister of Justice went to Jiangnan, he extricated himself cleanly. The Emperor has also begun to doubt his abilities, and his future days will not be so smooth."
"Is this considered trying to steal a chicken but ending up losing the rice?"
"Heh, he lost more than just the rice." When it came to this, Gu Yan Chen was so delighted his eyes disappeared, his schadenfreude extremely obvious.
Lu Nian Fu had to remind him, "Wipe that expression off your face. If the Imperial Consort's faction sees you like this, you might face consequences."
"Do you think I'm afraid of him?"
"I truly don't know where you get your nerve, daring to challenge the Emperor's son."
"The Emperor," Gu Yan Chen patted his head. "Speaking of which, I find it strange too. The Emperor seems exceptionally lenient towards me."
Lu Nian Fu's heart skipped a beat, and a sliver of hope about his identity resurfaced. She asked cautiously, "In what way is he lenient?"
"I can't quite say. I always feel he is particularly partial to me, but I do perform my duties beautifully. It's only right for him to be a little partial to me."
"Is that all?"
"Yes, otherwise? It's not like I'm his long-lost son, is it?" Gu Yan Chen himself chuckled, it was too absurd.
It wasn't entirely impossible. Lu Nian Fu looked at his oblivious expression and desperately tried to recall anything about the Seventh Prince from her past life. Unfortunately, she couldn't remember anything.
Forget it. Things were much better now than in her previous life. One should be content. She poked Gu Yan Chen with her finger and changed the subject. "That, what are your plans regarding Xin Yao? That girl is now obsessed. All she thinks about is revenge."
"Let her think. When she realizes what it means to strike a rock with an egg or to block a chariot with a mantis's arm, she'll naturally calm down."
Lu Nian Fu: ...
"Is it appropriate for you to act like this? She didn't come to the capital for this, did she?"
"I know, but this is her second uncle's intention."
"You also have a grudge against Situ Jue. Haven't you considered joining forces with her?"
Gu Yan Chen looked at her in disbelief. "If I want revenge, do I need to rely on a little orphan girl? I really can't believe that after two years of marriage, this is how you see me."
Lu Nian Fu: ...