The Queen was startled, and looked at Yan Huisheng in disbelief.
Her words seemed to be stuck, and it took her a while to speak again, "You...you...how could you..."
Yan Huisheng replied flatly, "I have seen beautiful women surround my father since I was a child and the constant scheming and plotting in the Imperial Harem. Although I am the legitimate son, I do not hold the highest position. You, Mother, have exhausted all your resources on me. You were dealing with the previous dynasty, dealing with the harem, and worrying about my status at the same time. I understand how hard it is for you. Thus, I didn’t have much interest in these things. I just want to find a Crown Princess who I truly love and devote myself to her."
The Queen was speechless for a moment.
"So, now there is such a person. If she doesn’t give me a chance, it is okay, but if she does, I will definitely take action." Yan Huisheng spoke softly, "Mother, you wouldn’t want me to spend my whole life without finding someone I love, would you?"
The Queen didn’t know whether she should nod in agreement or not. Looking at her son, she knew how difficult their lives had been. As a Queen, she had faced difficulties, and as the Crown Prince, his hardships were even more severe. Turning away, she let out a sigh in resignation, "Fine! As long as you know what you want. The throne is yours, and you can’t lose it because of your mistakes. Otherwise, not only you but all of us, including everyone from the Eastern Palace, won’t have a good ending."
"I understand." Yan Huisheng nodded, "Don’t worry, mother. Now that my father has given me this position since I was young, I won’t allow him to take it back, whether he is willing or not."
The Queen nodded in agreement, "I will try to stabilize the Nanchu Queen first, and I will also secretly send someone to investigate why she wants to kill Su Rong. You handle Su Rong’s matter and investigate her as soon as possible."
Yan Huisheng agreed.
The Queen had said all she needed to say and didn’t linger anymore. She ordered her carriage to return to the palace.
After seeing off the Queen, Yan Huisheng called in a secret guard, "Yun An, make a trip to Jiangning. Investigate Su Rong, the seventh daughter of the Governor’s Residence. Act discreetly and don’t be discovered, especially by Zhou Gu."
"As you command!" Yun An replied.
Su Rong had no idea that the man she saved that day was the Crown Prince of Daliang. At that time, she saved his life figuring that if she didn’t, the two assassins would kill her after killing their target. So, she decided to save him.
Although she saved his life, considering that he seemed to be rich or noble, she didn’t want to get involved with someone troublesome. Therefore, she simply asked for a reward and intended to clear the debt.
She had no idea that because of her actions that day, Yan Huisheng became interested in her.
Yan Huisheng had asked Zhou Gu to find her, but Zhou Gu looked in the wrong direction. After reaching Jiangning, Zhou Gu had been looking for a fisher maiden from the countryside, never suspecting Su Rong. During the chicken roast with Zhou Gu, Su Rong didn’t dare to use the dagger, so Zhou Gu didn’t realize she was the person Yan Huisheng was looking for.
For several days, the Madam had Su Rong check the accounts, and almost every manager had some issues. Fuming with anger, the Madam scolded them severely, then said to Su Rong, "I’ve been in charge of the household for most of my life, but was still fooled. Now, I’m not worried about you not being able to manage the house. With your keen eye for checking accounts, no one would dare to fool you."
Resting her chin on her hand, Su Rong replied listlessly, "Mother, if the water is too clear, there might be no fish. Weren’t you too harsh?"
"Getting rid of one or two of them and punishing the rest might seem strict, but they’ve been fooling me for years, so I have been merciful. Otherwise, your father would have already thrown them into the Dungeon." The Madam looked at her, "While your saying about the water and the fish is true, you should remember that if you pretend to be fooled, they’ll think you are really naive and can be fooled easily. You cannot let them think you can be fooled easily."
The Madam sighed again, "I used to pride myself on being smart, but I didn’t have a keen eye for checking accounts. I didn’t expect these seemingly honest managers, who look so upright, to fool people so expertly. This really proves that appearances can be deceiving."
"Mother, no matter what, you have to keep your word and let me go," Su Rong thought about the accounts that she had already checked and insisted that the Madam keep her promise.
The Madam laughed, "It’s only been a few days, and since Zhou Gu interceded for you, you have only been working half a day each day. How tired could you be? You look so listless." The Madam glared at Su Rong, "I said I won’t make you learn to manage the household, but that doesn’t mean you won’t do anything else. You should resume your etiquette classes. Your elder brother has hired a tutor for you, a wet nurse who used to be in the palace. Her manners are impeccable. Start your lessons carefully from tomorrow."
Su Rong was annoyed, "Mother, don’t push it."
Seeing her upset, the Madam immediately said, "It’s your elder brother’s idea. He has already hired the person and she was very expensive."
The implied meaning was: if she didn’t want to study, she should talk to her elder brother because it had nothing to do with the Madam.
Su Rong only remembered that Su Xingze, her elder brother, had mentioned the etiquette tutor after he returned. Since he was the one who hired her, she had no choice but to accept. She clenched her jaw and remained silent.
Seeing her upset, the Madam gently coaxed her, "I know you don’t want to, but you need to learn manners. If you don’t learn now, you will be laughed at when you get to the Duke Residence. Then, your mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law will make you learn and your sisters-in-law will look down on you. So, don’t blame your elder brother for being strict."
Su Rong stayed silent.
Sensing her mood, the Madam said, "Haven’t you taken a liking to Zhou Gu? If you want to marry him, you should make an effort. Don’t let others laugh at you. You may not mind being laughed at, but what about Zhou Gu? He is a proud man. Consider Sheng An, the eldest princess, and the Duke’s wife, the two main women in the Duke Residence. They have never been laughed at in their lives. If you cause them embarrassment, think about the consequences. Even if they are kind-hearted, could you live with yourself?"
Su Rong sighed with defeat, "Alright, alright!"
She helplessly said, "Mother, I never knew you were so persuasive."
The Madam thought, it was because she never realized that Su Rong was a soft touch. She had spent all these years rebuking her, but had not tried a roundabout way of persuasion that touched her heart. Now that she had found Su Rong’s weakness, it worked every time.
Su Rong was aware that the Madam had switched strategies with her, but what could she do about it? She indeed liked Zhou Gu and would have to make an effort, wouldn’t she?
Alas, there truly is no such thing as a free lunch, and there is no possibility of staying lazy without repercussions. She had always avoided learning proper manners and now she had to make up for it.
"There’s no hurry. I’ll give you a day off tomorrow to rest. The tutor will come the day after tomorrow, and it will only be half a day of study every day." The Madam was lenient towards Su Rong. Seeing her listless, helpless, dejected, and dispirited, she couldn’t help but soften her heart.
Ultimately, it was because Su Rong’s face was too lovely. When she wasn’t scowling or bullying others, she was quite adorable.
Su Rong finally smiled, "Thank you, mother."
The Madam thought that when she smiled like that, she was quite well-behaved. If she could maintain this demeanor, she would be well-liked by the elders and men. These days, she could tell that Zhou Gu quite liked Su Rong. Otherwise, he would not have spent time walking with Su Rong after dinner everyday, chatting with her for at least half an hour before they parted ways and returned to their own places.
The Madam felt that this marriage was almost certain to happen.
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