Marquis Wenning's Mansion.
Just as Mrs. Lu was about to ask the maid to lock the gate, a maid came in hurriedly and said:
"Madam, the Ninth Prince is here! The Marquis urgently wants you to go to the front yard."
Hearing this, Lu asked in shock and anger:
"Why is the Ninth Prince coming to the Marquis' Mansion so late at night? Did he think he hadn't wronged us enough and was looking for trouble again? And even if he wanted to provoke, the Marquis would have stepped in to deal with it. Why did he invite a female relative like me?"
The maid whispered:
"I don't know why the Ninth Prince came, but I heard from the maidservant beside the old lady that he brought gifts with him this time, so it doesn't seem like he's here to cause trouble. As for why he asked you to come, I have no idea."
Why would Shen Tingsi send gifts to the Wen Ning Marquis Mansion? Isn't this like a weasel paying a New Year's visit to a chicken?
Lu was full of doubts, but she still changed into her attire for meeting guests and quickly went to the front yard.
When she arrived, she saw the Ninth Prince wearing a smoky blue brocade robe, talking to Marquis Wen Ning. Even her mother-in-law, Old Lady Qin, was sitting beside them to keep them company.
Seeing the brilliant smile on the Ninth Prince's face, Mrs. Lu almost suspected that her eyes were blurry.
It was only after the old lady coughed that Mrs. Lu came back to her senses and reluctantly bowed to the Ninth Prince.
Jiang Xiancao smiled and told her to excuse herself, but the smile did not reach her eyes.
Mrs. Lu stood up and sat down next to Old Madam Qin. As soon as her butt touched the stool, she heard Jiang Xiancao ask:
"Why don't you see Miss Chu?"
Her heart instantly lifted up as she suddenly thought of the rumors that the Ninth Prince also had his eyes on Chu Yushu and wanted to compete with the Crown Prince for the beauty, intending to marry Chu Yushu as his principal wife.
At present, the Jiang family is on the side of the prince. In addition, the queen had previously sent a female official to make a deal with them. It was agreed that as long as the Jiang family helped to promote the marriage between the prince and Chu Yusu, the queen would reinstate her beloved son.
Although Lu had always coveted the Chu family's vast fortune, she also knew in her heart that if the Queen and the Right Prime Minister did not come forward to help, it would take her son an unknown amount of time to return to officialdom.
Trading Chu Yuxu's marriage for her son's future is not a bad deal.
Everything was originally agreed upon, and she had finally understood and accepted it, but now the Ninth Prince suddenly wanted to interfere.
If he really intercepted the plan, the Queen and the Crown Prince would definitely hold a grudge against the Jiang family, thinking that they were playing both sides and reaping the benefits.
Having offended the Empress Dowager, the Queen, the Crown Prince, and the Right Prime Minister's followers at the same time, her son's future was truly bleak.
Thinking of this, Mrs. Lu could no longer sit still. She first looked at Old Madam Qin on her left, and then looked at Marquis Wen Ning who was sitting side by side with the Ninth Prince, hoping that the two of them would speak up quickly to dissuade the Ninth Prince from his idea.
Marquis Wen Ning was much more patient than her, and said slowly:
"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness, but Yu Shu has already gone to bed."
Jiang Xiancao blinked and said, "She's asleep. Just get someone to wake her up."
Her overly righteous tone startled even Marquis Wen Ning.
He paused and said, "Yu Shu just arrived in the capital and is a little uncomfortable with the climate. She drank a tranquilizing soup before going to bed tonight."
Jiang Xiancao smiled and said, "So that's how it is. It seems that I was too abrupt."
Marquis Wen Ning said nothing, thinking that it was good that you knew you were being abrupt.
But Jiang Xiancao said next:
"Miss Chu drank the tranquilizing soup and fell asleep. Did Second Miss Jiang also drink the tranquilizing soup?"
Marquis Wen Ning frowned slightly, and said with a forced smile:
"May I ask why the Ninth Prince wants to see Cao'er?"
Jiang Xiancao smiled and said, "Although she and I are not destined to be husband and wife, we have a past relationship. I already treat her as a younger sister and want to know how she's been doing lately."
Hearing her words, the expressions of both Madam Qin and Mrs. Lu changed.
After all the fuss, the Ninth Prince came to visit late at night, and he was here to cause trouble.
"Thank you, Your Highness, for your kindness to me, but I am only a servant. I am not outstanding in either talent or character. I am not worthy of being recognized as your adopted sister."
Marquis Wen Ning said in a deep voice, "Furthermore, this child is stubborn and still can't forget the prince. If the prince truly has sympathy for her, please refrain from seeing her again. This way, she can quickly change her mind and follow the family's arrangements to marry and have children. Otherwise, her life will be ruined."
Jiang Xiancao looked at the Marquis of Wenning, who was like a loving father, worrying about his daughter, and raised the corner of his mouth in mockery:
"What if I don't agree and insist on seeing her?"
Marquis Wenning's expression turned slightly cold. He looked at Jiang Xiancao intently.
"Your Highness has the imperial token, so even if you were to force your way into the backyard of the Marquis Wenning's mansion, I wouldn't dare stop you. I will only ask the Emperor for an imperial decree tomorrow morning, in front of all the civil and military officials, to prohibit Your Highness from ever setting foot in the Marquis Wenning's mansion again, in order to preserve the reputation and good name of the women of the Jiang family."
Jiang Xiancao listened to his threatening words and shook the teacup in his hand with a smile:
"Look at what you're saying, my Lord. I just want to see her in the company of you, the old lady, and the Marquis' wife to see if the wound on her hand has healed. Why are you so nervous? Could I really do something to destroy her innocence?"
Marquis Wen Ning's face was gloomy. "As a father and the head of the Jiang family, I am naturally concerned about the reputation of the women in my family."
Jiang Xiancao smiled without saying anything and did not argue with him.
Marquis Wenning continued:
"Your Highness, you came to the Marquis' Mansion so late, but it was not enough for me to receive you alone. You insisted on inviting my mother and my wife to come, saying that you had something important to discuss. I have fulfilled your request. If you are free now, please return."
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
