Chapter 437: Close Relationship

Only after all the guests had left did the Third Princess collapse weakly on the chair, and her maid Yulan immediately brought her a cup of tea.

"Where is His Highness?" The Third Princess asked after taking a sip of tea.

Yulan's face immediately showed an angry look: "I just asked Xiao Shouzi, and His Highness said that the affairs of the mansion were handled by the master, and the Ninth Princess was taken away by the Second Prince and others, so he didn't care. From what I see, it is clear that she has been bewitched by the vixen Chen Concubine. She is the daughter of the Imperial Academy, and she behaves like a vixen."

shameless.

The Third Princess's face grew darker with every word Yulan spoke. She clenched the teacup tightly, her knuckles making a crackling sound, and her body was shaking with anger.

She was working so hard in the front, but His Highness was just being affectionate with Chen Ruijin...

"Bitch!"

The Third Princess was so angry that she threw the cup in her hand away and cursed with a ferocious look on her face.

Seeing her master so aggrieved, Yulan felt even more indignant: "Master, calm down. She is just a concubine. Even if she is listed in the royal jade disc, her status is still lower than yours. After entering the Third Prince's Mansion, she can only bow down and obey your master. Your master is the principal concubine, and he has plenty of ways to deal with her."

The Third Princess's eyes were cold, as if filled with venom.

Imperial Palace, Palace of Heavenly Purity.

Emperor Chengde was just about to go to bed when he heard a palace servant report that several princes wanted to see him.

The floor of the hall was covered with thick carpets inlaid with gold threads, and in the carved incense burner, agarwood was burning, and wisps of smoke were rising.

Emperor Chengde was wearing a bright yellow middle-aged robe, with a cold look on his handsome face. He looked sharply at the group of people standing in front of him.

From the second son to the thirteenth son, except for the fifth daughter who was not there and the third son who married a concubine, all his other sons and daughters gathered in the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

The most eye-catching one is Chu Paner.

Her face was pale and her hair was still wet.

Oh, and there was a young face he didn't recognize.

Emperor Chengde's brows twitched involuntarily, and he had a bad feeling.

"Pan'er, what's wrong with you?" Emperor Chengde looked at her and asked.

Chu Pan'er looked at Emperor Chengde's concerned gaze and her eyes suddenly turned red with grievance. Just as she was about to speak, she was interrupted by Chu Jinyan.

"Father, the Ninth Princess is frightened and I'm afraid she can't explain it clearly. Let me explain it to you."

"We went to the Third Brother's house to attend the wedding banquet. When we were leaving, we heard that the Ninth Sister had fallen into the water. When I and several of my brothers arrived at the scene, we saw this Master Ji rescued the Ninth Sister. Although Master Ji had good intentions, he carried the Ninth Sister ashore and had physical contact with her. With so many eyes watching, the Ninth Sister's reputation might be damaged, so I think Master Ji should take responsibility."

The Fifth Prince glared at Chu Jinyan and said in a cold voice, "Eighth Prince, are you going to repay kindness with enmity? Young Master Ji had good intentions to save people, but now you are blaming him for damaging Ninth Sister's reputation and forcing him to take responsibility."

Who is Ji Chong? How can he be worthy of marrying Chu Paner?

Chu Jinyan glanced at Chu Shian with a half-smile, his voice as cold as winter frost: "It was well-intentioned, but also reckless. He knew it was the Ninth Princess who fell into the water, but he jumped in to save her regardless of the consequences. Doesn't he know the difference between men and women?"

"Oh, so you mean to watch your own sister drown?" Chu Shian sneered.

Chu Jinyan said calmly, "Fifth brother, you are deliberately looking for trouble. There are so many eunuchs around, isn't there any one who can swim? Even if we take a step back, Master Ji is so eager to save people that he has to hug the two of them so tightly?"

Although he had selfish motives, wouldn't the Eighth Prince's words make him hated?

Don't anger His Highness or you may end up losing your life.

The person who gave him the idea and encouraged him to do this probably wanted to kill him, right?

Chu Shian gritted his teeth in anger, his eyes ablaze with fire, wishing he could burn two holes in Chu Jinyan's body: "You are obviously making things up. Since you are saving people, why don't you carry Pan'er ashore and wait for Pan'er to drift to the shore by herself?"

"That's it. Whether it was intentional or unintentional, the two of them did have physical contact. It is also true that the Ninth Princess's reputation was damaged. Master Ji acted as a hero to save the beauty, and the Ninth Princess pledged her love to him. This is also a good story, and it also saved her reputation."

Emperor Chengde nodded indifferently: "Yes."

As he spoke, he glanced at Ji Chong with a deep and cold gaze, and wondered in his heart whether this boy did it on purpose.

"Father..." Chu Shian bowed anxiously, but just as he opened his mouth, he saw Emperor Chengde raised his arm, interrupting what he was about to say.

"No need to say more. It is a fact that Pan'er had physical contact with someone. If no one saw it, I could still find a way to suppress it. But today, with so many eyes watching, and Pan'er is a princess, it is even easier for people to talk about it. If it is not resolved in time, once this matter spreads throughout the capital, I am afraid it will get worse and worse."

Speculations and rumors are the most hurtful. As a princess, Pan'er is more likely to become the target of gossip.

The reputation of the royal family must not be damaged.

Chu Shian almost bit his teeth to pieces in anger when he heard what Emperor Chengde said.

"Father, your majesty is wise." Chu Jinyan clasped his fists and then glanced at the others: "What do you think, my brother and sister?"

Chu Chengli glanced at Chu Jinyan indifferently. You are the one who is saying all the things. Why are you asking for their opinions?

"Father is wise, and Master Ji is a hero who saves the beauty. This will be a good story if it gets out."

The Seventh Prince looked around at his brothers and agreed, "Yes."

When Chu Ying'er saw Chu Jinyan looking at her, she tilted her head back and said, "I'm still young, don't ask me."

The Ninth Princess hated her. Everything she said was wrong, so she might as well just shut up.

"In that case, I will marry Pan'er to..." Emperor Chengde said, but suddenly he didn't know who the other party was, so he asked again: "Which Ji family?"

When Chu Pan'er heard the words of arranged marriage, she widened her beautiful eyes in shock and anger: "I won't marry, Father, I won't marry him."

The fifth brother said that Chen Chi intended to marry her.

That was General Xiao Shen, who became famous at a young age. Where did this guy come from? She didn’t even know him.

Anyone she has never seen before must not be a young man from a noble family, and she doesn't want to marry such a person.

Emperor Chengde looked at Chu Pan'er with a gloomy look and said, "Pan'er, stop messing around."

The deep voice exudes unquestionable majesty and is captivating.

Chu Pan'er was horrified and bit her lips tightly, looking at Emperor Chengde with grievance and unwillingness.

"In reply to the emperor, my father is Ji Benyang, the Minister of the Imperial Household, and the younger brother of Marquis Pingliang." Seeing Emperor Chengde's eyes on him, Ji Chong quickly saluted and replied.

"So he is from the Pingliang Marquis' Mansion." Emperor Chengde showed a hint of surprise.

Chu Jinyan curled her lips. Although she was smiling, there was a hint of coldness in her smile: "In that case, this marriage is a closer one."