Chapter 9 A carp being bullied? Qi Fan stared, suddenly calming down...

Qi Fan stared at the suddenly calmed-down little fat carp, a smile in his eyes.

"Not only do I need information about Madam Jiang Zheng's death, but I also need all the information about the inner quarters of the Duke of Rui's mansion."

"This servant understands."

Chu Yixin accepted the order and was about to leave when the man stopped him: "In that case, how is the girl?"

girl?

Chu Yixin pondered for a few moments before finally realizing what was going on.

"Reporting to Master, if there are no unforeseen circumstances, Miss Jiang should be fine."

"Okay, go ahead."

"Yes, then this servant will go and deliver the message right away!"

Hearing Chu Yixin's hurried footsteps as she left, Jiang Zhuoying felt at ease.

Once she knew she was alright, she immediately became active again.

Not only did it swim back and forth quickly in front of Qi Fan, but it also occasionally leaped out of the water.

Anyone could see how excited she was.

Very good!

This is the most ideal situation right now!

She learned the truth about her mother's death from the Second Prince, and then returned to the mansion to investigate the matter of her sudden "smallpox".

If nothing unexpected happens, her sudden "smallpox" should be related to her marriage with Jiang Ying.

However, she still had to investigate the details herself.

Finding out the cause of her mother's death is more important than her affairs.

Jiang Zhuoying secretly made plans and arranged what she needed to do clearly.

She was pampered by her family from a young age and has always been positive and optimistic.

Although she had experienced a period of depression a few years ago due to her parents' situation, she now has new ideas.

...

Jiang Zhuoying was suddenly awakened.

She was taking a nap when she was suddenly jolted awake by a high-pitched, loud voice.

The voice sounded like that of a eunuch, but it wasn't the voice of the Second Prince's personal eunuch.

Jiang Zhuoying was puzzled and slowly floated up, wanting to see who it was.

As soon as she surfaced, she spotted the two eunuchs standing on the shore.

Both of them stood by the pool, gazing at the water.

When they found the fiery red figure in the pool, the unfamiliar eunuch's eyes lit up, and he asked in a high-pitched voice with delight, "This must be Zhuozhuo, right?"

Chu Yixin smiled and replied, "That's right. There's only Zhuozhuo in this pond. His Highness said that Zhuozhuo doesn't need to compete for favor with the red carp next to her."

Seeing how polite the Second Prince's personal eunuch was, Jiang Zhuoying became even more curious about the identity of this unfamiliar eunuch.

She swam forward to the shore, passing back and forth in front of the two men, constantly swimming past their eyes.

"Zhuozhuo's figure is not significantly different from last year."

Chu Yixin immediately replied, "Eunuch Liu is joking. Zhuozhuo is already over ten years old and won't grow any older."

The unfamiliar eunuch remained silent for a few moments after hearing this, then suddenly changed the subject: "His Majesty also misses Zhuozhuo very much."

Jiang Zhuoying: "!"

What did she hear?

Your Majesty? Wasn't it said that the Second Prince was not favored by the Emperor?

If it were truly not favored by the emperor, how could he possibly remember this red carp?

Just then, a familiar, cold voice came from above Jiang Zhuoying's head again: "Eunuch Liu, thank you for making this trip."

Liu Li immediately turned around: "This servant greets His Highness the Second Prince."

"You're too kind, Eunuch Liu. Please get up."

Liu Li raised her head, a smile playing on her lips: "Your Highness, His Majesty is very concerned about you. This time, he sent me to bring Zhuozhuo many fine items."

Qi Fan remained unmoved, calmly turning to the side and bowing, saying, "Your subject thanks Your Majesty on behalf of Zhuozhuo."

Jiang Zhuoying was even more shocked that the Emperor had specially sent someone to deliver something to her?

"Ahem." Liu Li coughed lightly twice, then said, "Second Prince, this servant has come here again to convey another important matter."

"Please speak frankly, Eunuch Liu." Qi Fan stood tall and nodded slightly to him.

"Ahem, the Third Prince intends to marry the eldest daughter of the Duke of Rui's family. Your Majesty, I would also like to arrange a marriage for you."

The man's eyes narrowed slightly: "I wonder which noble lady Father favors?"

"His Majesty wishes to hear your opinion first. Does Your Highness have a woman you admire?"

Liu Li's face was full of anticipation; this was the most important matter His Majesty had entrusted to him.

The man lowered his eyes in thought, then shook his head: "I hope Eunuch Liu can convey to the Emperor that I only wish to live a peaceful life and have no intention of getting married."

Liu Li's raised lips froze: "Your Highness, forgive this old servant for speaking out of turn, but one can enjoy such a leisurely life even after marriage!"

Jiang Zhuoying also quietly pricked up her ears.

The man remained silent for a moment, seemingly deep in thought, before slowly speaking again: "I have lived in seclusion for many years, and am of a cold temperament. I have no intention of getting married."

Liu Li nodded helplessly: "Your Highness's meaning is clear to this servant, and I will certainly report it to His Majesty truthfully!"

Qi Fan's expression remained indifferent: "Thank you, Eunuch Liu. Accommodation has been arranged in the courtyard. You may go and rest there at any time."

"This servant knows, but it's been so long since I've seen Eunuch Chu. This servant would like to catch up with him!"

"Um."

...It's pointless.

Jiang Zhuoying shook her head and sank into the depths of the water.

This second prince is not only old, but also truly old-fashioned and boring.

...But once she sank into the water, the two people on the surface whispered to each other in hushed tones.

"Tell me, does the Second Prince truly have no woman he desires?"

Chu Yixin was taken aback: "This... what Your Highness said is of course true."

"Alas, we servants naturally side with our masters, but the Second Prince is already so old, while the Third Prince is almost five years younger than him!"

After saying that, he quietly patted Chu Yixin's arm again: "You've been by His Highness the Second Prince's side for so many years, are you really not anxious?"

The latter was speechless; what was the use of his anxiety?

He had been by the side since the second prince was born. Over the years, he naturally hoped that the second prince could achieve his wish, but he also hoped that he could enjoy the joys of ordinary people.

My lord has a great cause in mind, but since that cause is not yet accomplished, I'm afraid he has little interest in romantic love.

Liu Li looked around and lowered her voice: "Ahem, tell me, what are the Second Prince's preferences?"

"Even if he doesn't marry, once we return to the palace, we can report this to the Emperor and arrange a few concubines and maids for the Second Prince. Once he gets into a good mood, things will naturally fall into place in the future."

Chu Yixin wavered slightly.

"To tell you the truth, His Majesty is concerned about Consort Wan, and naturally also about the Second Prince. The Third Prince is also about to get married. If the Second Prince continues like this, how could His Majesty possibly agree?"

"Cough cough."

Chu Yixin gripped the whisk tightly. "Never mind," she thought, "I'll apologize to my master another day."

He made up his mind and lowered his voice even further: "If that's the case, it would be better if she were a little timid, preferably someone simple, obedient, and gentle..."

The sound was so faint that even though Jiang Zhuoying was almost on the surface of the water, she could still hear it intermittently.

All I heard were words like "delicate and obedient," "well-behaved and naive," and "weak..."

It turns out the Second Prince prefers women like this.

Chu Yixin was thoughtful. Her master had never had any in-depth contact with women, so it was best to choose someone simple and obedient.

Let me know that women are naturally different from men, and they are much more interesting than studying military books all day long.

After listening, Liu Li nodded in agreement: "What you said makes sense. I will report it to His Majesty when we return to the palace."

"Let's go inside and have a cup of tea, then we can talk about it slowly..."

The two left one after the other, and Jiang Zhuoying also left the shore and swam into the depths of the lotus pods.

She sorted through her thoughts. If nothing unexpected happened, the eunuch who had just arrived was someone from the Emperor's side.

The Second Prince came here to commemorate the anniversary of Consort Wan's death.

Furthermore, the eunuch just now said, "A year has passed, and the red carp's size has not changed," which means that the emperor sends his personal attendants here every year.

The Second Prince was not in the Emperor's heart as the rumors suggested!

Jiang Zhuoying only briefly recalled the information she had gathered since arriving here, and then came to a conclusion.

This second prince has quite a few secrets!

...

Qi Fan still personally fed Jiang Zhuoying her dinner, but this time it was different from usual.

She was surrounded by onlookers!

The person feeding her appeared indifferent, but the two eunuchs beside him were extremely enthusiastic.

It's as if she's full of merits, too numerous to count.

They praised her for her beautiful color, her speed in swimming, and even her intelligence...

Jiang Zhuoying was speechless at this; she was, after all, a human being.

Jiang Zhuoying was overwhelmed by the constant praise, and she could tolerate the noise.

But there was one thing she found unbearable.

While these two were praising her, they were spitting so much that it almost splashed onto the shrimp in her porcelain spoon!

"Gurgle gurgle gurgle!"

She blew bubbles at them fiercely.

"Ahem, Zhuozhuo seems quite excited." Liu Li chuckled. "This servant will report this to His Majesty as soon as I get back. I wonder when His Highness the Second Prince will be able to bring Zhuozhuo back to the palace so that His Majesty can also take a look at her."

Jiang Zhuoying: "..."

If this outsider hadn't been there, and to save face for the Second Prince, she would have immediately lost her temper.

"Back to the palace?" the man, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke.

“That’s right, take them back to the palace.” Liu Li nodded with a beaming smile.

Qi Fan chuckled: "That won't do. Zhuozhuo has been pampered since she was little. If she goes to the fish pond in the palace, she might be bullied."

"this……"

Liu Li clicked his tongue in amazement, his gaze shifting to the fiery red carp in the pond.

Then I think back to the little goldfish in the palace pond.

The size difference is like night and day... Will I be bullied?

Jiang Zhuoying was slightly taken aback; her father had said something similar before.

"A-Zhuo has been spoiled since childhood. She needs to be more careful in the future. What if she gets bullied?"

The man handed the porcelain spoon to the surface of the water, but Jiang Zhuoying hesitated to make a move.

She had heard that fathers and daughters are connected by a deep bond, and she had a premonition that her father would return.

But her mother is gone, how is she going to explain this to her father?

"Zhuozhuo?" Chu Yixin called out casually when she saw that there was no movement on the water.

In the next instant, all three saw the red carp in the water suddenly flick its tail fin, then pop its head out of the water and swallow the chopped shrimp from the porcelain spoon.

Liu Li looked surprised, and her tone was also astonished: "Zhuozhuo... can recognize her own name?"

Qi Fan's expression immediately darkened.

Jiang Zhuoying: "!"

The man's eyes were half-closed, and his voice was low and languid: "Is that so?"

A note from the author:

----------------------