The disgraced official I took care of was actually Zhu Houcong's childhood friend.

Chapter 591

"It's alright, we'll have to face this sooner or later."

Zhou Chu remained calm upon hearing this, showing no sign of panic.

"Second brother, if it doesn't work out, then you should marry the county princess. Even someone as powerful as Shang Yang wanted to reform the laws in Qin, so he had to marry a princess of Qin. Whether you can marry the county princess is very important to His Majesty, as it will determine His Majesty's attitude towards you in the future."

Yun Jin looked at Zhou Chu and said.

These words were spoken in a veiled manner, but the meaning was clear: if Zhou Chu insisted on not marrying Lin Yao, Jiajing would probably not trust Zhou Chu as much as he does now in the future.

After all, Zhou Chu is now the Left Pillar of State, Grand Master of the Palace, and Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. It is no exaggeration to say that he wields immense power in the court.

Even Zhang Cong, the Minister of Revenue, had to be mindful of Zhou Chu's mood. In the entire capital, besides the Emperor, who could do that?

"Do you really think so?"

Zhou Chu looked at Yun Jin and said somewhat teasingly.

During their two years in Tibet, especially the last year, Zhou Chu and Yun Jin went through countless hardships together and had already developed feelings for each other, only one last thing they needed to do before confessing their feelings.

Upon hearing this, Yun Jin blushed slightly upon seeing Zhou Chu's expression.

"That's exactly what I think. Compared to what my second brother is going to do, personal feelings are nothing."

Yun Jin said sincerely.

Zhou Chu shook his head.

"No matter how big or small the matter, I only seek to do things with a clear conscience. You've been with me for so many years, and you should continue to follow me in the future."

Zhou Chu looked at Yun Jin, then at Lu Bing, and said.

Lu Bing, who was standing to the side, felt a little awkward. He wanted to leave but felt it was inappropriate, since he was the one who had invited him to the event.

"His Majesty said that Hengqi can marry both of you at the same time. His Majesty will issue a special imperial decree that you two will be his principal wives, and there will be no secondary wives or concubines."

To ease the awkwardness, Lu Bing spoke up.

"Brother, let's discuss this matter later. Yun Jin is still young, and it won't be too late to wait another two years."

Zhou Chu looked at Lu Bing and said.

Zhou Chu didn't actually have any romantic feelings for Lin Yao, but given his current position, he couldn't completely do or not do things as he pleased.

At first, Zhou Chu could do whatever he wanted, but as he took on more and more responsibilities and rose in rank, he needed to be more and more careful.

In fact, both Yun Jin and Lu Bing were well aware that if Zhou Chu wanted to continue doing many things, marrying Lin Yao was the best option.

Neither Lu Bing nor Yun Jin were people who cared only about personal feelings. Yun Jin, in particular, had followed Zhou Chu for so many years, and her perspective on things was no longer limited to that of a woman from the Ming Dynasty.

Yun Jin knew very well that the Ming Dynasty was now thriving and the Lu family's status was also rising steadily. From any perspective, she felt that Zhou Chu should marry Lin Yao.

Jealousy and rivalry were never something Yun Jin needed to consider. Yun Jin always knew that, throughout the entire Ming Dynasty, there was no woman who could be on the same wavelength as Zhou Chu. Even if she tried her best to catch up, she could only barely stay by her second brother's side.

Princess Lin Yao and her second brother didn't have much in common. Even after they got married, in her second brother's words, it was only because he was accommodating to her that Yun Jin ever paid attention to Lin Yao.

"Then we'll discuss it later, we'll discuss it later."

As Lu Bing spoke, he picked up his wine glass, trying to ease the tension.

"Weighing instrument, it's been a long time since we brothers have had a drink, hasn't it?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chu smiled and raised his wine glass. Yun Jin, who was standing next to him, also raised her glass. The three of them clinked glasses and drank it all in one gulp.

Yun Jin then left, leaving Lu Bing and Zhou Chu to drink and make merry at Zuixianlou.

“Hengqi, you don’t know, when my parents were imprisoned, I was stunned when I first heard the news. I know all too well what it’s like in prison. If no one had taken care of things, my mother probably wouldn’t have lasted many more days. I was terrified at the time, and I rode my horse all the way to the capital, afraid that if I was a little slower, I would never see my mother again.”

Lu Bing and Zhou Chu drank together, completely letting loose. He usually wouldn't dare to get drunk, and he kept many things bottled up inside, not knowing who to talk to.

At this moment, Lu Bing was already slightly drunk and intoxicated. When he said these words, it was as if he were back many years ago, and tears streamed down his face.

"When I arrived in the capital and learned that it was you who had been making arrangements while I was in prison, I didn't know what to feel. When my Lu family was in trouble, all my relatives and friends avoided me like the plague, but you, only you, Hengqi!"

As Lu Bing spoke, he picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.

"I think my older brother was quite carefree at the time, and didn't seem that sad."

Zhou Chu raised his glass and drank with Lu Bing, making a slightly teasing remark to lighten the mood.

"I was just pretending to be calm back then. I stayed in the capital for a while and observed you for a long time. I found that Yun Jin didn't suffer at all while following you. You suffered all the hardship by yourself. My mother was right. In the first month or two, you were so hungry that you were almost skin and bones, while Yun Jin's face was round and chubby. Every time my mother talked about these things, she couldn't help but shed tears and say that you had suffered. She never said these words to you, did she?"

Lu Bing gave a wry smile.

Zhou Chu shook his head upon hearing this.

"My aunt hasn't talked to me about these things much."

"Mother knows you are a person who will do great things, and doesn't want to talk to you about things that are just about personal feelings."

Lu Bing sighed.

“Yun Jin followed you, learned military strategy, and became a disciple of Tang Jieyuan. Her painting skills are also first-rate. If she hadn’t followed you, her life would probably have been no different from other noble ladies in the capital. She would have married someone of equal social standing, and how could she have achieved her current status and experience?”

Lu Bing raised his glass again as he finished speaking.

“Weighing Instrument, what I want to tell you is that no matter what you do or what choices you make, it’s all up to the Lu family and Yun Jin. We owe you so much that we can’t even count it all. Saying more would be too much of a fuss. Everything is in the wine.”

After Lu Bing finished speaking, he drank it all in one gulp.

Zhou Chu then drank a cup with him.