Chapter 124: Too Smart to Be Controlled
The door of the study was pushed open from the outside, and the man by the window withdrew his gaze and glanced at the door.
"Lord Zhao."
Cai Lian was waiting outside the door. Su Cheng entered the study alone and met the eyes of the man in front of the window.
"You're here." Zhao Hu smiled faintly, his tone deep, "I asked you to come here today because I have something to discuss with you."
Su Cheng sat quietly aside, looking very well-behaved.
"Come with me to the palace for the banquet tomorrow and get ready." Zhao Hu raised his hand to pour himself a cup of tea, his brows lowered, his expression calm. "The third prince, Yan Mu, has returned from recuperating in Baiyun County, and the Queen Mother is hosting a banquet to welcome him."
Su Cheng raised his eyes, confusion flashing in his eyes, "Third Prince?"
"The Third Prince's biological mother is the current Consort Zhe. She is favored by the Emperor and should have been the best candidate for the Crown Prince. Unfortunately, the Third Prince has been frail and sickly since childhood. He was sent to Baiyun County to be raised before he turned ten. His sudden return is also because he has not yet married at the age of eighteen."
Zhao Hu glanced at the woman beside him, his eyes cold, "Tomorrow's palace banquet is more about choosing a princess for the Third Prince than welcoming him."
"At the banquet, you should dress brightly. Concubine Zhe always likes fresh and elegant ladies. You can do the opposite. Your face is too attractive. Try to hide your edge."
Su Cheng couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth, not knowing whether he was praising him or insulting him. "I understand. I will never get close to such an important person."
Zhao Hu nodded in satisfaction. Seeing her so obedient, his tone softened a lot. "Zhao Jue's matter...was it your doing?"
"Of course not." Su Cheng lied without blushing or beating her heart, not showing any guilt at all. "I'm a weak woman. I don't even dare to kill a chicken. How could I kill someone?"
"You wouldn't dare." Zhao Hu glanced at her and said meaningfully, "Those two beside you wouldn't dare either?"
Su Cheng raised her head and looked at him, pursing her lips slightly. "We are all honest people. If you don't believe me, Lord Zhao, feel free to check."
"You and I are allies, and we are tied to each other. If we don't even have this little bit of trust, wouldn't it be disheartening?" Zhao Hu smiled a little more and said earnestly, "I just want to say that if you have any difficulties, you can come to me."
Su Cheng was surprised and looked at him intently, as if trying to judge whether there was any truth in his words.
"You work for me, so I should keep you safe." Zhao Hu leaned back in his chair and said in a deep voice, "You can try to trust me, even if it's a relationship of mutual benefit."
Su Cheng looked into his eyes and was silent for a moment.
"Ze Mu, send the young lady back."
After saying that, Manager Liu pushed open the door of the study. His eyes stayed on Zhao Hu's face for only a moment, then he looked at Su Cheng and said with a dull face, "Miss, go back."
Su Cheng nodded, stood up, and left behind Manager Liu.
Watching the graceful figure walk out of the courtyard, Zhao Hu curled his lips and smiled, muttering, "If your family can be considered honest, there is probably no such thing as a scoundrel in the world."
-
Lixiangyuan
"Cai Lian, bring me some paper and pen."
The letter paper was spread out on the table, and the little girl stood on tiptoe to grind ink for her. "Mother, what do you want to write?"
"Write a letter for your Uncle Yan." Su Cheng straightened his back, lowered his head, and wrote quickly, but his handwriting was very neat.
"Uncle Yan is coming to the capital too?" Su Zhijun looked up, his eyes full of surprise.
"Maybe." Su Cheng smiled and tapped her nose, saying in a doting tone, "You seem to be quite familiar with him."
After the ink on the paper dried, Su Cheng knocked on Du Heng's door and asked, "Old man, is the carrier pigeon that my husband gave me kept here with you?"
Du Heng was chewing some dried fruit and nodded repeatedly when he heard this. "I'll get it for you right away."
Su Cheng neatly rolled up a small piece of letter paper and stuffed it into the bamboo tube tied to the pigeon's leg. He watched the pigeon spread its wings and fly away before returning to his room with peace of mind.
"The Patriarch flew out from Lixiang Garden."
Manager Liu tied the pigeon's legs and carried it to the study.
Zhao Hu took out the small bamboo tube, poured out the letter paper inside, and unfolded it to take a look.
The letter was not big, and the first few sentences on it were written very close together—the third prince has returned, the empress dowager has ordered a banquet to choose a wife for him, and the emperor may be placed under house arrest.
"Look at this." Zhao Hu stared at the words above, the corners of his lips slightly raised, "How smart, worthy of being the one I chose."
"She's quite clever indeed," Steward Liu nodded obediently, a rare flicker of admiration crossing his wooden face. "The Patriarch only told her about the Empress Dowager's banquet, and she was able to connect the dots to the Emperor's current predicament. Her mind works incredibly quickly. But... where should this letter be sent? And who is Su Cheng's master?"
"Her origins are unknown. Can the master really trust her?"
"Even beautiful flowers have thorns, let alone people." Zhao Hu calmly rolled up the letter and stuffed it back into the bamboo tube. "Beauty and ability combined are a deadly combination. Even without me, she would have stepped on the people behind her to reach a broader world. Now we check and balance each other, and our calculations are mixed with trust. Don't worry, she won't easily turn against me unless she uses me to the extreme."
Manager Liu frowned slightly, disapproving, "But she's too smart, so smart that it's hard to control her."
Zhao Hu chuckled, raised his hand to untie the rope on the pigeon's leg, and watched it spread its wings and fly out the window. Then he said slowly, "Allies are not subordinates. As long as she can help me clear up this dirty business in the backyard, I am willing to give her a favor."
"Now it seems that she can not only complete my orders as scheduled, but even do better. That's enough."
-
The next day, before dawn, Su Cheng was carried up by two maids, one on the left and one on the right.
"What are you doing?" Su Cheng said sleepily as he lay down on the bed.
Unfortunately, before she could touch the soft bedding, she was pulled up again by Cai Lian.
"Miss, you are going to the palace for a banquet today!" Cailian was even more excited than her, rummaging through the clothes in the closet. "Yesterday, the master had a lot of clothes sent over. I took the measurements and found that they were all made according to your figure. They look so beautiful!"
Su Cheng was like a puppet, letting the two maids manipulate her. It wasn't until the rouge splashed on her face that she regained consciousness. "Is the provincial examination starting today?"
"That's right. The students who came to Beijing for the imperial examination entered their dormitories yesterday, and the assigned examiners arrived this morning." Qing Shuang tied her hair up and spoke calmly, "The master of the house told you to dress… plainly when you enter the palace today. I'd rather be laughed at than be noticed by Concubine Zhe."
Although the young lady was born in the countryside, she was very beautiful. She had never seen a young lady from another family who was more beautiful than her own master.
With this appearance alone, she might be able to become a concubine.
"Dressed ordinary?" Su Cheng was stunned. After a moment of contemplation, his eyes lit up instantly. "Cailian, go and scrape some ash from the bottom of the pot for me!"
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