The scumbag was secretly having an affair, while I was openly having an affair with the prince.

Chapter 164 Your Highness, you shall also go to Jeju!

"Lord Duke, please rest well. We can talk about it after you've fully recovered," Ye Shishu said with a smile, trying to comfort him.

She understood Yu Chi Ling's feelings and knew that he did not want to acknowledge the Duke's Mansion at the moment.

Min Wenqian's old eyes were slightly red. "Your Highness, where are you staying now? I'll have Min Qiang prepare a courtyard for you. Is that alright?"

Ye Shishu readily agreed, "Okay. But we still need to go back to our rented courtyard tonight. My second brother and sister-in-law are waiting for us there. Let Wenyan and Wenmo stay here tonight, and we'll come over tomorrow morning."

Min Wenqian turned around and instructed Min Qiang to tidy up the Yulin Courtyard on the east side.

……

Wenyan and Wenmo stayed at the Duke of Wei's mansion.

After dark, Yu Chi Ling and Ye Shi Shu returned to their rented courtyard.

Ye Shijun was starting a fire in the kitchen to cook when he saw them return. He quickly called out to Ye Shishu, "Little sister, come and help!"

Ye Shishu entered the kitchen, smelled the aroma from the pot, and asked him with a smile, "Second Brother, why are you stewing chicken?"

"Make sure your second sister-in-law has some nourishing soup!" Ye Shijun ladled out a bowl of chicken soup and instructed her as he walked out, "I'll take the chicken soup to your second sister-in-law first. There are ingredients in the kitchen, so hurry up and cook dinner!"

"..." Ye Shishu's face darkened.

They really know how to order people around!

He's not afraid of getting a stomachache if he lets her cook dinner!

Hearing footsteps, Ye Shishu turned around and smiled at the two food boxes in Yu Chiling's hands, "Luckily, we brought back some food from the Duke's mansion, otherwise we would have been starving tonight!"

Yu Chi Ling's lips twitched slightly.

Ye Shishu took a food box and delivered it to her second brother and sister-in-law's door. Hearing their flirtatious voices inside, she couldn't help but cough. "Second brother and sister-in-law, we brought back some food from the Duke's mansion."

Soon Ye Shijun opened the door.

He took the food box from her and was about to close the door again.

When Ye Shishu arrived at the door, she asked, both amused and exasperated, "Second brother, what are you doing? Where is my second sister-in-law?"

Ye Shijun pursed his lips awkwardly, then winked at her, "You guys go eat first, I'll come find you in a bit!"

Ye Shishu suppressed a laugh and withdrew her hand.

Early the next morning.

They went to the Duke's Mansion as promised.

Yu Chiling went to see Min Wenqian first.

His complexion was noticeably better today. Min Qiang smiled and said to them, "The Duke has a very good appetite; he eats more than before."

Min Wenqian looked at Yuchi Ling, his eyes red and choked with emotion, and said, "I've already asked Min Qiang to tidy up the yard for you. Go and take a look, and tell Min Qiang if you need anything!"

He barely slept last night, partly from excitement and partly from heartache.

After his daughter passed away, the Crown Prince was entrusted to Consort Lan for upbringing. Since then, he had seen the Crown Prince only a handful of times. Even when they occasionally had the chance to meet, Consort Lan would always have the Crown Prince taken away under the pretext that he needed to rest.

At first, he harbored resentment towards Consort Lan.

But later, when he heard that Consort Lan treated the Crown Prince as her own son and took better care of him than Prince Cheng, his own son, he finally let go of his resentment towards Consort Lan.

However, ever since Consort Lan began raising the Crown Prince, he and the Crown Prince had become estranged. Not only was the Crown Prince not close to him, but he also didn't even exchange a single word of greeting during festivals.

Over the years, no one knew the torment in his heart. Whenever he missed his daughter, he longed to see his eldest grandson, but the thought of his grandson's aloofness only intensified his longing for his daughter…

Now, the blood test results told him that Prince Cheng was his biological grandson, how could he not be excited?

But when he thought about the life Prince Cheng had lived over the years, he couldn't help but feel heartbroken.

It is common knowledge that Consort Lan treats the Crown Prince as her own son, and it is also common knowledge that her favoritism towards the Crown Prince has led to Prince Cheng being neglected. Everyone praises Consort Lan's great virtue, but few people feel any pity for Prince Cheng.

Having grown up without a mother's love, he joined the army at the age of ten and went to the border, where he remained for more than ten years...

He couldn't imagine how his grandson had grown up!

How much suffering has he endured over the years!

"Hmm," Yu Chi Ling responded softly.

Fearing he would leave without looking back again, Min Wenqian suddenly grabbed his hand, pulled him to sit on the edge of the bed, and asked with concern, "Ling'er, what are your preferences? Are there any dietary or sleeping restrictions? I heard last year you were injured at the border and almost became a cripple. When did you recover, and are you in any serious condition now?"

He was so shocked yesterday that he didn't know how to face his eldest grandson. After a night of calming down, he's now like a gossipy old man, eager to know everything about his grandson.

Yu Chi Ling's eyes flickered, clearly not yet used to his enthusiasm.

Ye Shishu suppressed a laugh and tactfully said, "Your Highness, you should keep the Duke company and have a good chat. I'll take my second brother and sister-in-law to Yulin Courtyard first."

After saying that, she gave Min Qiang a wink, quickly went outside, and considerately closed the door for them.

On the way to Yulin Academy, she asked Min Qiang, "Uncle Qiang, I remember that Her Majesty the Empress has an elder brother. Why isn't he by the Duke's side?"

Min Qiang replied, "My lord has always served in the south. He originally wanted to bring the Duke to the south to retire, but the Duke said that Jeju is the root of the Min family and he wanted to stay in Jeju. Originally, this was the old residence of the Min family. After the Duke returned, he had the old residence renovated and the Duke's mansion in the capital was moved here."

"I see." Ye Shishu nodded.

Ye Shijun suddenly tugged at her sleeve, "Little sister, don't send me away so far away in the future. I will absolutely never go to work in a distant place!"

Night sweats, "..."

She was asking about the Duke's eldest son and what his relationship was with her second brother.

Gu Simo pulled Ye Shijun back and warned him in a low voice, "My little sister is talking, don't interrupt!"

Ye Shijun grinned and said, "I didn't interrupt. I'm just working for our future!"

Ye Shishu overheard their conversation and couldn't help but laugh and cry.

……

Beijing.

Upon hearing the news from Jeju, Yuchi Rui could no longer sit still and immediately went to Lanxia Palace to discuss the matter with Consort Lan.

They were originally preparing for the arrival of the envoy from Beilin Kingdom to recognize their relatives in Daye Kingdom, but now that they heard that Yuchi Ling and Ye Shishu had gone to the Duke of Jizhou's mansion, Consort Lan was also in a panic.

"I can't believe that old bastard is so lucky to still be alive!" After her outburst, she made a decision, "Your Highness, Your Highness, since they went to Jizhou, you two should go too!"

"Then what are our preparations..." Zhu Huaning hesitated.

"The envoy from Beilin Kingdom will not arrive in the capital for another month, so we have plenty of time to prepare. The most urgent task is to find out the purpose of Prince Cheng's visit to the Duke's mansion. If possible, you must find an opportunity to..." Consort Lan made a throat-slitting gesture as she spoke.

Yu Chi Rui and Zhu Huaning exchanged a glance, both understanding that this trip was unavoidable.

……

Meanwhile, at the Jeju State Duke's Mansion...

Upon hearing that the Crown Prince and Crown Princess had arrived, Min Wenqian, who had finally managed to regain some health, instantly looked even worse than when he was terminally ill.

"They actually came?!"

Min Qiang continued, "Lord Duke, not only the Crown Prince and Crown Princess have come, but they have also brought people with them."

Min Wenqian asked with a sour face, "Who else did you bring?"

"There is a young man named Wei Yonghuai, who is said to work under the Crown Prince. There is also a newly acquired concubine of the Crown Prince, who is said to be the Fifth Princess of Beilin Kingdom."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Yu Chi Ling and Ye Shi Shu's expressions turned ugly!