#celestial rumors

-Yue wasn't actually "born". While Wukong was in the mirror, he just changed his mind about having a kid, and just put his hands out and was like "kid. Now." And lo, did Yue come to be. This also explains why she looks so much like Macaque, as Wukong seems to think of little else.

-Of course Wukong gave birth to Yue. This explains two things. 1) why he is so hesitant about having kids. And 2) why he is Like That.

-The reason Yue has manners that she could not have possibly learned from Wukong: she just passively absorbed all the ones he doesn't use. This also explains why she is so polite, as there was a lot.

-Why is Wukong frequently upset with Azure now? The only thing that makes sense is that he fears that Azure will target Yue. Male lions kill the cubs of their predecessors, and everyone well knows that Azure seeks to become empress. (Side note: at least one bureaucrat believes this with all their heart, and thus seeks to keep Lionpeach from happening at all costs. Becomes one of Macaque's biggest supporters, seemingly out of nowhere.)

Lmao, Wukong holding out his hands and calling out "gimme" to get his baby is SO him. This is probably the rumor that is the most out there and impossible, but it's so aligned with his personality that it's the closest to being the truth. And the fact that THIS is the reason why she resembles Macaque so much and not him? Hilarious.

"It's obvious that Wukong would be the one to bear the child - look at him, he's constantly hormonal" is such a wild and out-of-pocket take. I'm wheezing.

Yue absorbing the traits that Wukong left unused through osmosis is also a wild and out-of-pocket take. So many of these rumors are dragging Wukong's personality. I feel like these rumors are more excuses to subtly insult Wukong than anything.

The most out there rumor that I have currently come up with is this:

Somewhere, someone is completely convinced that everything, from Wukong's victory over the Celestial realm, to him being briefly trapped in the mirror, happens to ensure that Yue eventually becomes Empress of the three realms. They have the era equivalent of a corkboard and thread. Everything ties back to this for them. None of their friends interventions have worked. They are alarmingly close to figuring out Yue's true deal, but as it doesn't fit, it is completely ignored. Macaque is one of the few people who know about it, and he finds it very entertaining.

Wouldn't surprised me if eventually eclipsemane becomes a rumor

First, there was talk about Azure Lion being more worthy of the Emperor. Talk that it was an inevitability that Azure would either become a consort to make up for the shortcomings of the current Empress or to replace Macaque as Empress all together.

Then, after Yue's appearance and the sudden switch of how the royal couple treated Azure, there was talk that it was the Empress who was his true goal and the Emperor just realized this. The Empress is flattered and pitying at the face of this revelation while the Emperor is salty and short. It didn't help that the Princess seemed to agree with these rumors wholeheartedly.

The more scandalous rumors is that Azure was trying to go for both monkeys and that the Empress is on board with the idea, but the Emperor is on the fence since he is loathe to share his beloved Moon.