After My System Went Bankrupt, I Found My Happy Ending with the General - Chapter 4

Luo Chuchen was startled, his mind instantly thrown into turmoil.

So, earlier in front of the pastry shop, he had encountered the Child of Fortune? His life points had increased by a full 10%.

That made sense. When he entered the Chu residence, Shechuan had mentioned that he seemed much more energetic. At the time, Luo Chuchen hadn’t paid it much mind, but now it dawned on him the Child of Fortune must have been among the crowd at the pastry shop.

He just didn’t know who it was.

There had been many people in front of the pastry shop. Luo Chuchen thought back and realized he had brushed past quite a few while waiting in line.

It could have been Liang Jue, that young nobleman, or perhaps some passerby he had merely brushed shoulders with.

As he pondered this, his palms grew sweaty, a nervous tension creeping over him as if he were inching closer to a crucial answer.

He hoped it was Liang Jue.

Luo Chuchen forced himself to calm down and casually picked up a storybook to read, though his mind refused to settle.

Less than half an hour later, the servant he had sent out earlier returned, beaming as he said, “Young master, the General has sent a reply.”

Luo Chuchen immediately set down the storybook and tore open the envelope in a flash.

The handwriting was still the familiar one he remembered bold and elegant strokes, exceptionally pleasing to the eye. The letter stated that there was no need to meet at Ruyi Tavern tomorrow; he could go directly to Liang Jue’s residence and included the current address of the General’s estate.

Surprisingly, the address was on the same street as the Pingyang Marquis’s residence. Was it a coincidence?

Regardless, Luo Chuchen was overjoyed. He carefully tucked the letter away before resuming his reading.

By the time the sun was nearly setting, his uncle finally hurried back to the residence.

The kitchen had long prepared dinner, and the steward had asked several times whether Luo Chuchen wished to eat first. However, considering it had been years since he last saw his uncle, Luo Chuchen felt it would be impolite to start without him. He merely nibbled on some snacks to stave off the hunger.

Even so, he was starving.

During the latter part of the voyage, Luo Chuchen’s health had deteriorated due to his declining life points, and he gradually lost his appetite. At noon that day, he had only managed a bowl of plain congee. The exhaustion from the journey had taken a toll on him.

The Eight Immortals table in the dining hall was already laden with seven or eight dishes, all flavors Luo Chuchen had loved as a child, their aromas tantalizing. Swallowing his saliva, he waited impatiently until his uncle, now changed into his official robes, finally arrived. Luo Chuchen stood up and bowed in greeting.

Luo Chuchen’s uncle, Chu Yuanzhu, was in his thirties but still possessed a strikingly handsome and refined appearance, every bit the dashing gentleman.

As soon as he saw Luo Chuchen, he strode forward and enveloped him in a hug.

Luo Chuchen: ???

Flustered, he stood stiffly in his uncle’s embrace, unsure how to react.

Chu Yuanzhu held him for a good five or six minutes before releasing him, his gaze fixed on Luo Chuchen’s face.

“You still haven’t grown any taller,” he remarked.

Luo Chuchen: “…”

Memories of being teased by this uncle in his childhood instantly flooded back. His ears flushed crimson with embarrassment as he pushed Chu Yuanzhu away, gritting his teeth. “And you, Uncle, still haven’t married. You look much older now.”

“Not true, not true,” Chu Yuanzhu shook his head theatrically as he sat down. “Steward Jiang, tell him, how many matchmakers have we turned away this month?”

Steward Jiang stood to the side, smiling but offering no reply.

Luo Chuchen simply ignored him, treating it as empty boasting, and picked up his chopsticks to serve himself.

Chu Yuanzhu reached over and tapped his chopsticks lightly. “How come after a few years in Yunzhou, you’ve forgotten your manners? You must wait for your elder to start eating first.”

“Oh, really?” Luo Chuchen asked, “Where is this elder you speak of?”

Chu Yuanzhu shook his head, “You little rascal, your health has improved, but your eyesight seems to have worsened. What a pity.”

The butler waited until the two had exchanged a few more barbs before cheerfully interjecting, “Earlier, I urged the young master several times to eat first, but he insisted on waiting for your return, only having a few pastries to stave off hunger.”

Chu Yuanzhu raised an eyebrow, clicking his tongue in praise of Luo Chuchen’s filial piety, only to hear the butler add, addressing Luo Chuchen, “Are these dishes to your liking? They were all personally selected by the master, who even made several trips to the kitchen to instruct the cooks on your preferences. The master remembers them more clearly than I do.”

“…”

“…”

Luo Chuchen gave Chu Yuanzhu an expressionless smile and lowered his head to shovel rice into his mouth.

Even the thick-skinned Chu Yuanzhu seemed to sense a hint of awkwardness and refrained from further provocation throughout the meal.

After dinner, Chu Yuanzhu stopped Luo Chuchen and said, “Come with me to the study.”

Chu Yuanzhu’s study was spacious but sparsely furnished with books, giving it an empty feel. Scattered papers lay on the desk. Leaning against the edge of the desk, Chu Yuanzhu asked him, “What are your plans?”

Facing his uncle, Luo Chuchen was straightforward: “None.”

Chu Yuanzhu said, “Once you’ve settled in, I’ll inform the Emperor in a few days of your arrival in the capital. At that time, you’ll need to enter the palace to inherit your father’s title as the Marquis of Pingyang.”

He looked Luo Chuchen up and down, appearing somewhat dissatisfied. “Father said you recovered about eighty to ninety percent of your health in Yunzhou, but you still look as thin and weak as a plucked chicken.”

Luo Chuchen: “…”

He took a deep breath, willing himself not to get angry.

Chu Yuanzhu continued with the serious matters: “Father isn’t fully aware of the court situation in Yunzhou, and it’s inconvenient to discuss details in letters. Although your parents died in an accident, the real culprit was targeting the then-Crown Prince, now the Emperor. That’s why the Emperor will treat you favorably. You needn’t feel overly burdened when you meet him. Everything in the Pingyang Marquis estate has been preserved, and the fire-damaged areas have been restored to their original state, though they remain sealed off. Most of the servants from that time have been sold off, with only a few elders retained here. If you wish to move back, it might be a bit troublesome.”

“The culprit?” Luo Chuchen was taken aback, seizing on the keyword.

Back then, Luo Chuchen had only been in Yunzhou for half a year, having just recovered from his illness, when he received news from the capital that his parents had died in a fire. He fell ill again shortly after. The system had told him then that there was more to his parents’ deaths than met the eye, but he never expected Chu Yuanzhu to reveal it so casually now.

Chu Yuanzhu nodded, “Yes, after all these years, there’s no need to hide it from you. As you know, the late Emperor was gravely ill at the time, and the court was rife with factional strife among the princes, with the Third Prince’s faction being the most powerful. Your father, as the Marquis of Pingyang and Minister of War, sided with the Crown Prince, making him a thorn in their side. But no one expected them to act so brazenly and ruthlessly.”

After speaking, Chu Yuanzhu glanced at Luo Chuchen, reached out, and pinched his cheek hard.

Luo Chuchen: !!

He let out a pained “ow!” and jumped back, his eyes reddening. “What are you doing?!”

Chu Yuanzhu pretended as if nothing had happened and continued, “Later, we discovered that the Third Prince’s faction was behind it. Unfortunately, after the new emperor ascended the throne, we only managed to capture the Third Prince’s double. He himself disappeared without a trace, and we are still searching for him to this day.”

” I see.” Luo Chuchen covered his sore cheek, feeling somewhat sullen.

“The past is in the past,” Chu Yuanzhu said. “What we need to consider now is that you can’t just idle away your days as a leisurely marquis in the capital, can you?”

Luo Chuchen thought to himself that it wouldn’t be entirely impossible, but he still replied, “When I left Yunzhou, my grandfather gave me a few letters.”

“Hmm. Back then, your parents, concerned about your poor health, never intended for you to take the imperial examinations. But after recuperating in Yunzhou for these past few years, my opinion is that you could still give it a try. The descendants of our Chu family don’t need to rely on hereditary appointments to become officials,” Chu Yuanzhu said.

Luo Chuchen was a bit bewildered, then heard Chu Yuanzhu add, “Spend the next few months studying at home. It’s not the right time for the Imperial Academy’s entrance exams now, but by the end of the year, we’ll find a way to get you in.”

But, he was simply not cut out for studying,

Luo Chuchen made a pitiful face but felt too embarrassed to admit weakness in front of his uncle, so he reluctantly agreed.

My uncle is both infuriating and endearing.