The Duchess returned to the Duke Residence, making a beeline for Princess Sheng An’s courtyard.
In Princess Sheng An’s quarters, the ladies of the Residence had all gathered. They had heard the news that Su Rong been taken by Duanhua Princess to the Princess Residence, which was a significant matter. All came together to wait for news with the senior princess.
Waiting for about half an hour, the Duchess returned, prompting everyone to immediately ask, "What happened? Was it truly Lady Su Qi who was taken by Duanhua Princess to the Princess Residence? Has she been rescued?"
The Duchess let out a sigh, "She was not taken, but rather the young lady Xiaoqi willingly accompanied Duanhua to the Princess Residence for a visit."
The crowd collectively gasped.
The Duchess then quickly recounted what Su Rong had told her, awaiting their reactions. Seeing their baffled expressions, she chuckled and said, "It is just like that. Who could have thought that she willingly went there because the Princess Residence makes delicious Hibiscus Cake? As for Duanhua, she has cleaned up two chambers in her own courtyard for her to stay in, and even had a feast cooked up for her at the house. When I visited, she was in the middle of enjoying the meal, looking incredibly joyful. Princess Qingping was unusually nice today–so pleasant that it nearly frightened me."
Princess Sheng An and the other ladies remained silent.
Such unnecessary worry!
Princess Sheng An asked again to confirm, "Are you certain it was Su Rong?"
The Duchess laughed, "Absolutely, mother. It was indeed Su Rong. She showed me her waist-token. I’m quite sure of it."
Princess Sheng An was perplexed, "Given Duanhua’s infatuation with Zhou Gu, how could Su Rong convince her so easily, and even receive such a warm reception? Isn’t there something more to this story?"
The Duchess nodded, "There must be, but the little girl didn’t explain fully. Given that we were at the Princess Residence, the conversation was brief. It was not appropriate to press her further on my first visit. Seeing that she is in good spirits, safe, and taken willingly by Duanhua, I decided to come back."
The Duchess is obviously no ordinary woman, naturally inferring that Su Rong’s motive for establishing an immediate rapport with Duanhua is not as simple as she claimed. Nevertheless, she didn’t pry further, as this was her first meeting with Su Rong. She confirmed that Su Rong was safe and stress-free before returning to the Duke Residence.
Princess Sheng An nodded, "Since she is alright, we will interrogate her in detail when she visits our Residence in a few days. By then Gu’ér’s examinations will be over, and he will have returned to the residence."
The Duchess concurred with this plan.
Princess Sheng An asked again, "What was your impression of the child?"
The Duchess replied with a smile, "She’s excellent."
Princess Sheng An nodded, content that this excellent child had grabbed Zhou Gu’s immediate attention, managed to stay at the Princess Residence, and resolved the tensions between the Princess Qingping—a dynamic mother-daughter duo—and the Duke Residence. The Duchess’s affirmation that the child was excellent was the icing on the cake.
She waved her hand at the crowd, "Since there’s nothing wrong, you can all go!"
Everyone nodded and sequentially exited the quarters of Princess Sheng An.
The Duchess stayed a while longer, discussing with Princess Sheng An in hushed tones, "Mother, the girl Su Qi resembles Princess Zhenmin quite a bit. If keen-eyed people take a closer look, I’m afraid her true identity won’t remain hidden for long."
Princess Sheng An furrowed her brows, "How much similarity?"
"At least fifty percent."
Princess Sheng An’s smile vanished, "Well, if her identity can’t be concealed, then so be it! Once the Crown Prince returns to the Residence, alert him to keep a close watch on Dawei’s actions. Let him train the troops diligently. And if Dawei once again tries to wage war over the past, then our Duke Residence must protect this girl—at a minimum, we must not lose when the fighting begins. Sixteen years have passed, and we cannot allow the same thing to happen as back then with Zhenmin. We can’t be weak, and we can’t fall short in our military strength, burdening a young girl with a major responsibility. It would be a disgrace." 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞
The Duchess nodded, "Don’t worry, mother. Daliang today is not the same as it was in the past. All these years, we have recovered our national power. The military has not been neglected."
"Even if we are stronger than before, the Emperor has been exercising his authority aggressively in recent years, suppressing the Crown Prince. Meanwhile, the other princes are ambitious and enjoy the Emperor’s support, throwing the situation into uncertainty." Princess Sheng An continued, "Tonight, I’ll discuss with your father once again. As the only daughter of the Nanchu King, we have to consider his perspective too. If her identity is truly exposed, the Nanchu King will undoubtedly want a say."
The duchess nodded, "Mother, you’re right. This matter needs careful consideration. If the child doesn’t resemble her, we could cover it up. But the girl does look similar. She has just arrived in the capital and hasn’t been seen by many people. Whether Qingping has any doubts or not, we do not know yet. However, as time passes and more people see her, someone will inevitably suspect that she is related to Zhenmin."
Princess Sheng An nodded, "When Zhenmin sent the letter years ago, she also hinted that the child looks like her. That was one of the reasons why your father never sent anyone to Jiangning County all these years. Now that the children are grown, we should strategize."
The duchess sighed, "I hope the emperor will overlook the past and actions related to Princess Zhenmin, so as not to cause any confusion."
"The emperor was closer to Zhenmin than to his own sister Qingping. About Su Rong, I’m not sure how much of that sentiment still exists. However, at least for the period until I die, I believe he will not dare to act with negligence, even if he is confused," replied Princess Sheng An.
The duchess gasped, "Mother, I wish you a long and healthy life. Please don’t scare your daughter-in-law by saying such things."
Princess Sheng An waved her hand dismissively at her and said, "Go ahead and have your dinner. We’ll talk about it tomorrow if there’s anything more to discuss."
The duchess complied and stood up to leave.
By the time the old Duke returned, the duchess was gone; only Princess Sheng An sat on the heated brick bed patiently awaiting his return.
Obviously, the Duke had also heard the rumors flying about and asked Princess Sheng An what was going on and if it was indeed Su Rong.
Sheng An nodded and recounted the discussion she had with the duchess earlier.
Listening to her words, the old Duke burst into laughter and said, "That girl, she’s really something."
Who wouldn’t be impressed with Su Rong living under the same roof as a princess and enjoying high-ranking hospitality? It was quite an achievement.
Princess Sheng An replied: "My son’s wife suspects there must be some hidden reason and it’s not as simple as it appears. I agree with her. I think it has something to do with Zhou Gu. Otherwise, Princess Qingping and her daughter wouldn’t welcome her so warmly."
The Duke replied, "So this girl, Su Rong, reassured Duanhua that she won’t marry Zhou Gu, and in return, was warmly welcomed by Duanhua?"
Princess Sheng An gave a startled reply, "Could that be possible?"
Consistent with his lifetime experience of cunning political intrigue, the old Duke thought it was highly probable, "Why not? Does Zhou Gu think everyone adores him?"
Slightly annoyed, Princess Sheng An protested, "What nonsense are you speaking? How dare you imply my grandson lacks appeal?"
The Duke sat down and said, "Your granddaughter, Duanhua, you’ve said that she’s a bit unstable. Who else could restrain her? I guess Su Rong would."
Considering the Duke’s argument, the more Princess Sheng An thought about it, the more convinced she became. Disturbed, she declared, "This won’t do."
She had considered what would happen if Su Rong and Zhou Gu didn’t get along, but hadn’t thought about what would happen if Zhou Gu wanted to marry Su Rong but she was unwilling?
"There’s no need to panic now. I’m just guessing; it’s far from certain. Didn’t Su Rong say she would visit our residence in a few days? We’ll see what she has to say," said the old Duke, as he tried to keep his composure.
Momentarily at ease, Sheng An discussed Su Rong’s appearance with the duke, "My daughter-in-law says there is a striking resemblance, at least fifty percent. It might not raise any suspicions for a while, but I fear we won’t be able to hide it in the long run."
Though she was being accommodated at the Princess Residence, it was impossible not to let her appear and walk in public. They could not simply lock her away.
The Duke asserted, "Well, there’s no way around it. If it’s exposed, it’s exposed. We’re not caught off guard. In the worst-case scenario, if Dawei tears up the treaty over past disputes, we won’t hesitate to wage a war. I don’t believe we would lose to Dawei this time around."
Princess Sheng An agreed, "And also the issue with the Nanchu King..."
"Let’s just play it by ear," the Duke conceded for lack of a better plan. "Let’s first meet this girl."
Sheng An nodded. They had not yet met the girl, so it was hard to speculate on the situation.
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