Chapter 465 Female Official Chen

Spring has passed and autumn has come; Chen Yinduo has been following Yuan Hongqu for ten years.

The frail girl brought back from the grasslands years ago has now grown into a graceful female official, serving as the clerk in the Women's Academy, managing all affairs of the academy, and becoming Yuan Hongqu's most capable assistant.

That day, Yuan Hongqu handed a letter to Yinduo: "The imperial decree to exonerate your maternal grandfather's family has been issued. I have asked someone to find their relatives in Jiangnan."

Yin Duo took the letter, her hand trembling slightly.

Over the years, she had come to regard Yuan Hongqu as her closest relative, but the bond of blood was ultimately hard to sever.

Accompanied by Daiyu, she traveled south to meet her relatives.

In the water towns of Jiangnan, a group of clansmen had been waiting for a long time in front of the Chen family's old house.

An elderly woman with white hair stepped forward shakily, cupped Yinduo's face in her hands, and examined her closely: "She looks...so much like your mother..."

It turns out that Yinduo's mother was originally the eldest daughter of the Chen family in Jiangnan. Due to the family's misfortune, she and her family were exiled thousands of miles away. When they encountered a natural disaster and got separated from their group, she was taken by the Second Prince to become his concubine.

Now that the injustice has been redressed, the Chen family has returned to their hometown, a time for reunion.

During her three months in Jiangnan, Yinduo experienced a warmth of family she had never felt before.

Her uncles and aunts treated her very well, and her cousins ​​were also very close to her.

But whenever the night is quiet, she always thinks of the small courtyard that the former mansion in the capital left her.

"My lord," Yin Duo said to Yuan Hongqu after returning to the capital, "Jiangnan is beautiful, but this is my home."

Yuan Hongqu chuckled softly, "Isn't having more homes a good thing?"

Yinduo shook her head: "Yinduo's greatest fortune in this life is meeting you, Master. I would rather follow you forever."

That autumn, envoys from various tribes of the grasslands came to pay tribute, and the one leading the delegation was Yinduo's biological father—the Second Prince of the Grasslands.

During the tribute ceremony, the Second Prince did not recognize which of the female officials standing next to Yuan Hongqu was his daughter or his attendant, but he recognized Chen Yinduo.

Ten years have passed, and that little girl from back then has grown into such a beautiful young woman, and what's even more remarkable is her composed demeanor.

When the Second Prince learned that it was his own daughter, he immediately had designs on her.

That evening, he secretly visited the residence of the Vice Minister of Rites.

"My lord," the Second Prince said with a fawning smile, "my daughter, Yinduo, is currently in the capital, and I hope you will take good care of her. If you don't mind, you might consider keeping her by your side..."

It was common knowledge that the Vice Minister of Rites was a womanizer.

The Second Prince catered to his preferences, which he could understand.

Women from the grasslands are definitely different from women in the capital.

However, before he could take any action, these words reached Chen Yinduo's ears.

She immediately wrote two letters.

A letter sent to the Vice Minister of Rites contained only a few words: "Does Your Excellency know that Yin Duo is now a sixth-rank female official? What crime should she be punished for taking a court official as a concubine?"

Another letter, addressed to the Second Prince, was even more scathing: "Father, have you forgotten that we severed our father-daughter relationship back then, and you gave me away to Lord Yuan? Now that your daughter has achieved success, you want to use me to gain benefits? Have you completely lost the backbone of a son of the grasslands?"

When the Vice Minister of Rites received the letter, he was terrified.

He then remembered that Chen Yinduo was not only Yuan Hongqu's right-hand woman, but also a female official appointed by the imperial court.

Forcibly taking a female official as a concubine is a serious crime!

He rushed to Yuan Hongqu's residence that very night to beg for forgiveness, kneeling on the ground and swearing to the heavens: "This humble official was confused for a moment and would never have dared to have any improper thoughts about Lady Chen! I beg Lord Yuan to forgive me!"

Yuan Hongqu coldly looked at the trembling vice minister: "The one who should apologize to you, sir, is not me."

The Vice Minister hurriedly requested an audience with Yin Duo.

Yin Duo was handling official business in her study when she saw him arrive. She simply said, "Please leave, sir. Yin Duo has already pledged her life to the academy and has no intention of getting married."

The Second Prince's side was in an even worse state.

Yin Duo's letter was merciless, revealing his heartlessness and ingratitude back then.

To make matters worse, the letter somehow reached the ears of various tribes on the grasslands, and the Second Prince immediately became a laughing stock.

"What a rebellious daughter!" The Second Prince smashed his wine cup in anger. "Just wait and see..."

"Your Highness, please reconsider!" the attendant hurriedly advised. "Lady Chen is currently a favorite of Lord Yuan; she cannot be touched!"

The next day at court, the Second Prince reluctantly attended, only to find Yin Duo chatting fluently with several ministers, her demeanor composed and her words insightful, unlike any woman from the grasslands.

The Emperor specifically asked, "Chen Dianbu, I've heard you're fluent in several languages. Did the reception of the delegation go smoothly this time?"

Yin Duo bowed and replied, "Thanks to Your Majesty's great blessing, everything went smoothly. The envoys from various ministries greatly admired the products of the Celestial Empire, especially the embroidery and prepared medicines from the Women's Academy."

She reported the situation fluently in multiple languages, including the grassland language and the Western Regions language, which drew praise from everyone.

The Second Prince watched from the side, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

This daughter he abandoned has grown up to be so grown up.

As the court assembly ended and Yin Duo was about to leave, the Second Prince couldn't help but call out to her, "Yin Duo..."

Yin Duo turned around, her expression calm: "What instructions does the Second Prince have?"

The address "Second Prince" pierced his heart: "I... am, after all, your father..."

“Father?” Yinduo chuckled. “More than ten years ago, in that cold winter, my mother was seriously ill. I knelt in the snow and begged you to find a doctor for her. You thought I was bad luck and whipped me with a horsewhip. You didn’t even call a doctor. My mother passed away that night… Did you ever think of me as your father back then? Now that I’m useful, you’ve come to acknowledge me. Don’t you think it’s too late?”

The Second Prince was speechless.

Yinduo continued, "But don't worry, Yinduo won't retaliate. My master taught me that a woman should repay evil with kindness. After you return to the grasslands, I will ask the academy to send a doctor to provide free medical services to the tribe, thus fulfilling this bond of blood."

These words were spoken with neither arrogance nor servility, clearly stating their position while demonstrating their composure.

Upon hearing this, the surrounding ministers all looked at Yin Duo with new respect.

On the day the Second Prince left the capital in a sorry state, Yin Duo still went to see him off.

She stood far away on the city wall, watching the delegation gradually disappear into the distance.

"Are you reluctant to part with it?" Yuan Hongqu appeared beside her at some point.

Yinduo shook her head: "It's just a sigh. If I hadn't met you back then, I'm afraid I would have become a lonely soul on the grassland long ago."

Yuan Hongqu held her hand: "Everyone has their own path to walk. You chose forgiveness, and that's good."

After this incident, Yin Duo's reputation soared in the court.

Not only because of her wisdom in handling the matter, but also because of the abilities she demonstrated.

The Emperor issued a special decree promoting her to the rank of fifth-grade female official to assist in managing foreign affairs.

From then on, the Vice Minister of Rites would avoid Yin Duo whenever he saw her.

Once, he accidentally bumped into someone at a palace banquet, and was so frightened that he knocked over his wine cup and repeatedly apologized.

Daiyu teased, "Our Yinduo is quite powerful now; even the Vice Minister is afraid of you."

Yin Duo smiled and said, "It's not that I'm afraid of you, it's that I'm afraid of the adults and the academy behind me."