Chapter 3 The Secret Jiang Zhuoying slammed into the water with a "thud"...
Jiang Zhuoying plunged into the water with a "thud," and the loud noise naturally attracted the attention of everyone inside the house.
Qi Fan paused slightly, then stood up and strode towards the blue and white porcelain jar, with Chu Yixin following closely behind him.
He stared at the fiery red stain in the water, his heart filled with unease: "Master, the water we just changed is acting so strangely. Could there be something wrong with the water?"
Before returning to the palace, Doctor Wang had said that the red carp jumping out of the tank could be due to either abnormal water quality or the carp itself being sick.
But the doctor had just left, and Zhuozhuo herself must be healthy, so the problem must lie with the water.
Qi Fan stared intently: "Is it the spring water from the back mountain?"
"Yes, this servant personally went to fetch it; it's spring water from the back mountain, there's no faking it!"
He suddenly lowered his voice, his high-pitched voice slightly hoarse: "Master, could it be that the Third Prince has made his move?"
Everyone in the court knew that their master regarded Zhuozhuo as his own life, and if anyone wanted to harm their master, Zhuozhuo would be the perfect target.
Qi Fan remained silent for the time being, and the two of them lowered their eyes and stared at the fiery red carp in the tank, their expressions solemn.
Jiang Zhuoying wiggled her tail fin and blew bubbles toward the faces of the two people on the water's surface.
They're all incredibly imaginative...
The Third Prince is so talented and handsome, and is highly regarded by all the officials. Why would he want to harm a carp that is not favored by the prince?
"Master, dinner is ready," the servant who had set the table reported from behind.
Jiang Zhuoying also smelled the aroma of the food, which made her hunger even more pronounced.
No, what about her dinner?
Why haven't you fed her dinner yet after all this time?
Chu Yixin said in a low voice, "Master, why don't you go and have your meal first? This servant will stay here and watch over Zhuozhuo."
Qi Fan stared intently at the fiery red carp for a few more breaths, then nodded: "Alright, you can feed it Zhuozhuo's dinner while you're at it."
Chu Yixin bowed: "This servant understands."
Finally, she remembered to feed her, and Jiang Zhuoying slowly floated up, wagging her tail.
She watched as the man with a clean-shaven chin picked up a porcelain dish, scooped something out with a porcelain spoon, and then tossed it into the water vat...
It's shrimp!
Jiang Zhuoying opened her mouth and swallowed a shrimp that was floating near her lips, then tried to chew it.
Hmm... the taste is not bad.
Can……
She glanced at the food floating in the water, like flowers scattered by a fairy, and slowly stopped chewing.
This doesn't seem quite right...
Even though she was extremely hungry, how could she disregard her image and chase after the whole vat?
After all, she was the legitimate daughter of the second branch of the Duke of Rui's mansion.
Chu Yixin's heart sank when she saw that the scarlet carp in the water tank was not moving at all, and she immediately began to worry.
He bent down and coaxed in a low voice, "What's bothering you, Master Zhuozhuo? You used to be the most excited at this time."
Zhuozhuo is usually lazy and lethargic, but whenever it's time to feed the baby, she gets excited and runs all over the pool.
The current situation is truly unprecedented.
Could it be that the water that was just changed was really tampered with?
Jiang Zhuoying looked up at him. Chu Yixin's face was full of worry and anxiety, which seemed genuine. Jiang Zhuoying felt a little soft-hearted.
Then, Chu Yixin saw the little fat carp floating in the water slowly paddling its pectoral fins, slowly rising to the surface, and then poking its head out of the water.
Jiang Zhuoying tilted her head back and surfaced, using her pectoral fins to cling to the edge of the tank, while her tail struggled to maintain her balance. Then she opened her mouth again.
She's ready, let's feed her!
"this……"
Chu Yixin's pupils trembled. The fiery red carp's actions were so obvious that he naturally understood its intention.
But Zhuozhuo had never acted like this before!
He suddenly remembered what his master had just said, and he frowned, wondering, "Has it become a spirit?"
Jiang Zhuoying waited for a few moments, but the dull eunuch did not make the slightest move!
She immediately lost her patience and, with a "smack," slapped the water's surface with her fishtail, the splash instantly wetting Chu Yixin's hand.
Chu Yixin immediately came to her senses and bent down with a smile: "Zhuozhuo, don't worry, this servant is coming right away, right away."
Just like before, he used the little fat carp's special porcelain spoon to scoop up a tiny bit of shrimp and carefully fed it into Jiang Zhuoying's mouth.
Chu Yixin was cautious in his actions. Fearing that the red carp might choke, he deliberately only fed Jiang Zhuoying half a spoonful each time.
Jiang Zhuoying was satisfied with this. Every time she took a bite, she would go back into the water, chew it carefully, and then swallow it. Then she would stick her head out again, and the dull eunuch would feed her the next bite.
"Oh, Zhuozhuo is truly brilliant!" Chu Yixin praised with a smile, wrinkles appearing at the corners of her eyes.
Jiang Zhuoying's tail fin swung a bit too much; the eunuch was right.
She was indeed exceptionally intelligent from a young age, having begun her education at the age of three. Her teachers and parents all praised her for her intelligence.
Chu Yixin's praise reached Qi Fan's ears. The man paused slightly, put down his chopsticks, and strode towards the blue and white porcelain jar.
Jiang Zhuoying had just swallowed the last bite, a last bite that she herself had decided to take.
She had already seen her current size in the bronze mirror: a round, plump little carp.
Therefore, she had to restrain herself, eating only three full meals a day and not overindulging.
But she underestimated the appetite of this scarlet carp. Even though it was already full, it still unconsciously wanted to eat some more...
She wasn't like this before!
Qi Fan watched as Chu Yixin fed Jiang Zhuoying, a dark glint flashing in his deep black eyes.
"Master, why don't you feed Zhuozhuo yourself? Zhuozhuo will surely be more delighted."
The man nodded, and Chu Yixin handed him the porcelain spoon.
Jiang Zhuoying stared at the porcelain spoon extending above the water for a few moments, then looked away, her gaze falling on the white jade pendant hanging from the man's waist.
With a "plop," the fiery red carp reflected in the man's dark pupils turned and plunged into the water...
Jiang Zhuoying quickly sank to the bottom of the water. She was so cunning and manipulative that she would never eat the food he fed her!
Besides, she was already full.
The man's cold, stern face visibly darkened...
"Ahem, Master, Zhuozhuo has already eaten quite a bit and should be full."
Chu Yixin racked her brains to find the reason, but she was also puzzled.
The master has been by Zhuozhuo's side since she was only a finger long. Zhuozhuo used to be extremely close to the master.
I don't know what's going on now.
Qi Fan tossed the porcelain spoon back into the air: "Fine, go check if today's news has arrived."
"Yes, this servant will go right away."
After Chu Yixin left, Jiang Zhuoying didn't look up. She knew that the man was still standing by the porcelain jar watching her.
She casually poked at the aquatic plants at the bottom of the tank with her pectoral fins. Wait... what's that?!
She hadn't noticed this place at all during the day, but now that she had eaten dinner and it was getting late, and the lights in the room were on, she suddenly noticed something shining in the cracks between the stones at the bottom of the vat.
Jiang Zhuoying swam forward a bit, then used her pectoral fins to reach out; she had figured it out.
It was a luminous pearl, bigger than her head!
A luminous pearl was not a rare item for her, but a luminous pearl of this size was quite unusual.
As a young lady from a Duke's mansion, and with her father having served as the Commander of the Imperial Guard, she was extremely favored from a young age.
Even so, the luminous pearl in her boudoir was only the size of a finger joint, much smaller than the one in front of her.
Jiang Zhuoying was immediately intrigued and began to examine the luminous pearl closely...
"The message has arrived; please take a look, sir."
It was that smiling eunuch's voice again. Jiang Zhuoying didn't take it seriously and didn't pay any attention to his words.
Then came a rustling sound of paper rubbing together.
The man unfolded the letter, lowered his eyes to examine it closely, and found that he had not written a single word on the five full pages.
"Heh, Third Brother has certainly come up with a good plan."
These words came out of nowhere, and Chu Yixin didn't know how to respond, so she just stood obediently to his side without saying anything more.
"Come and take a look too."
Qi Fan casually handed the torn letter in his hand to Chu Yixin beside him.
The Second Prince's third brother?
Jiang Zhuoying paused in place. Was she referring to the Third Prince?
She absolutely could not peek into the secrets concerning the imperial heirs; it was a matter of life and death!
Can……
She's just a red carp now, so what difference does it make if she hears this?
Jiang Zhuoying immediately threw down the luminous pearl and quietly floated upwards.
"Both the Third Prince and the Imperial Concubine prefer the daughter of the Duke of Rui's family as their principal wife. Your Highness, the Duke of Rui is a veteran of three reigns and has won the Emperor's favor."
Chu Yixin also finished reading the five pages of the letter. He folded the letter and observed his master's expression.
"My lord, Fei Ying also mentioned in her letter that both branches of the Duke's mansion have daughters born of the principal wife. Which one do you think the Imperial Concubine and the Third Prince would prefer?"
Jiang Zhuoying never expected that she would hear about herself just by casually listening.
Yes, that eunuch is right. The Duke of Rui's mansion has two branches. The eldest son passed the imperial examination and entered the Hanlin Academy because of his connection with the Duke's mansion.
Even if one has the potential to become a successful candidate in the imperial examinations, one is not qualified to enter the Hanlin Academy.
Her grandfather, Duke Rui, was also quite dissatisfied with his uncle's actions. He had always been an upright man and regarded this matter as shameful.
Her father, the second son of the Duke of Rui, was a martial artist.
My father rose to the rank of Commander of the Imperial Guards, and three years ago he was appointed General of the Cavalry to lead an expedition to defend the Western Frontier. However, he lost the battle, and not only did he lose, but my father also disappeared without a trace.
Millions lay dead on the battlefield, and that battle was far too brutal...
The emperor should have been punished for the defeat, but considering that the body of the commander had not been recovered, he showed leniency.
At first, both her mother and she firmly believed that her father would return one day. However, her mother accidentally fell into the water and hit her head on a rock in the water. She lost her breath as soon as she was pulled ashore.
She then moved to this estate in the eastern suburbs with a few trusted maids and servants, and more than three years have passed since then.
...
“The Duke of Rui is upright, and this title should rightfully be passed on to his eldest son. If it were before Jiang Zheng’s accident, the two branches of the family might have been able to compete for it. Now, he should naturally choose the daughter of the eldest branch.”
The eldest daughter of the main branch was her uncle's daughter, Jiang Ying.
Hearing the man's indifferent and cold words, Jiang Zhuoying felt a pang of pain in her heart, but she had to admit that this was the truth.
No wonder that a few days ago, the eldest son's family specially sent someone to deliver a lot of silks, satins, jewelry and ornaments to her.
Perhaps out of consideration for her current situation, he didn't tell her the truth, but it seems he was just celebrating the marriage...
The man stared at the listless, leisurely swimming carp in the water, then suddenly asked, "Wasn't Jiang Zheng's wife gone three years ago?"
“Indeed, Your Excellency, don’t you remember? Three years ago, our undercover agents in the Duke’s mansion reported on this matter, saying that Jiang Zheng’s wife died under suspicious circumstances, but Your Excellency did not have anyone thoroughly investigate the matter at the time.”
"Hmm." The man stared at the faint ripples on the water's surface. "Have someone investigate this matter thoroughly."
"This?" Chu Yixin was taken aback. "But so many years have passed since then, I'm afraid..."
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