Chapter 437 This maid will be of great use in the future.
The Prince of Lingnan was born as a son of a concubine. As a child, he witnessed his mother, Pei Tinglan, using every means to fight against the then Princess of Lingnan. Although those days were not exactly a matter of life and death, he was in danger of being on the verge of death several times.
Because Pei Chengkun held immense influence in the court and had the Xie family as his backing, the late Prince of Lingnan always doted on Pei Tinglan. However, Pei Tinglan only had one child, the Prince of Lingnan, in her lifetime, which gives a glimpse into how fierce the struggles in the inner quarters of the Prince of Lingnan's mansion were back then.
The Prince of Lingnan, who witnessed all of this, felt both pity and respect for Pei Tinglan. If it weren't for his mother's meticulous maneuvering in the power struggles within the household, he wouldn't have achieved his current status. This was also why, in previous years, when Pei Tinglan targeted the Duke of Chu's mansion at every turn, he not only didn't oppose her but repeatedly offered his assistance.
But times have changed. The Duke of Chu's mansion is no longer the dilapidated mansion it once was. The current Duke of Chu, Jiang Yu, though a woman, possesses skills and intelligence that rival any man in the world. More importantly, she is highly valued by the Emperor, and the Duke of Chu's mansion is now enjoying unparalleled influence in the capital.
In contrast, while their Lingnan Prince's Mansion wasn't yet in a dire situation, it was being relentlessly pressured by the Emperor. The fact that Pu Tonghe had been torn apart by five horses today was enough to demonstrate the Emperor's determination to eliminate the Lingnan forces. Even Pu Tonghe himself had begun to consider returning to the capital.
Given this situation, they should be avoiding the Duke of Chu's mansion as much as possible, so why would they want to confront it head-on?
Moreover, Pei Tinglan always mentioned to him how Jiang Jinglan had wronged him, and it was clear from her words that she still harbored feelings for Jiang Jinglan. As a son, how could he not feel indignant on behalf of his own father (the former Prince of Lingnan)?
“Mother,” the Prince of Lingnan tried to soften his tone, “the past is the past. It is not advisable for us to be enemies with the Duke of Chu’s mansion now. You should not think about taking advantage of this trip to the capital to attack the Duke of Chu’s mansion or do anything to displease him. Right now, dealing with the Emperor and returning to Lingnan safely is the most important thing.”
After saying that, he stood up, looked at Zhu Junning, and instructed, "Take your grandmother back to her room to rest."
"Yes." Zhu Junning immediately agreed.
The King of Lingnan grunted in acknowledgment, then strode out of the room without glancing at Pei Tinglan again.
Pei Tinglan watched his departing figure, her hands clenched into fists. At this moment, Zhu Junning walked to her side, his gaze lingering on her tightly clenched hands for a moment, before he said softly, "Grandmother, let me accompany you back to your room to rest."
Pei Tinglan stared sharply at Zhu Junning's face, but Zhu Junning maintained a respectful demeanor with a slight smile, finding no fault in his expression. Pei Tinglan gave a heavy "humph" and got up to leave. Zhu Junning's smile faded, and he followed her calmly, escorting her back to her courtyard. Only after watching Pei Tinglan lie down with the help of maids did Zhu Junning turn and leave.
As soon as Zhu Junning left, Pei Tinglan sat up abruptly. Her anger was palpable, her chest heaving, and her eyes and brows betrayed her barely concealed fury. Hearing the commotion, her personal maidservant rushed in, lifted the bed curtains, and seeing Pei Tinglan's enraged state, sat on the edge of the bed and gently patted her back to soothe her.
"Your Highness, the Prince is only doing this for your own good," the old nanny advised softly. "This old servant is terrified when she hears about the actions of that Duke of Chu. She can break a person's leg with a horse's hoof, and she even stormed into the Qingshan Marquis's residence with a sword, shouting threats to kill him. The Xie family is a prestigious family that has been passed down for hundreds of years, yet she brought them down just like that. Now, the eldest grandson of the Xie family has to work under her. Such a person should never be easily provoked unless you are absolutely certain of success."
After all, she was an old woman who had served Pei Tinglan for many years, and the nanny knew best how to speak in a way that would make Pei Tinglan listen. Seeing that Pei Tinglan's expression had softened slightly, the nanny raised her hand and beckoned, and immediately a pretty maid came in carrying a teacup.
The old woman took the teacup and handed it to Pei Tinglan, then said softly, "You and the Prime Minister have been separated for more than forty years. Every time I see you secretly shedding tears because you miss your family, my heart aches. Now that you have arrived in the capital, being able to reunite with the Prime Minister is the most important thing."
By this time, Pei Tinglan's anger had subsided considerably. She drank half a cup of tea, handed the teacup back to the nanny, and said in a low voice, "I'm just unwilling to accept it."
The old woman took the teacup and handed it to the maid beside her, then handed her a handkerchief, and softly advised, "I suppose the Prime Minister understands the Duke of Chu's mansion better than anyone else, and knows the Duke of Chu's temperament even better. When you meet with the Prime Minister, you might as well tell him all your troubles and listen to his advice. The Prime Minister is your own brother, and he would never harm you."
“Hmm.” Pei Tinglan nodded. “You’re right.”
"In my opinion, the Prime Minister, as the current Prime Minister, holds the highest position among officials and is your strongest support." The maid standing to the side said with a smile, "Your Highness, don't think about these troublesome things right now. Rest well and get enough energy to reunite with the Prime Minister. When that time comes, you can tell the Prime Minister all your grievances, and he will naturally stand up for you."
These words struck a chord with Pei Tinglan, and a smile finally appeared on her face. The old woman sitting on the edge of the bed frowned slightly, but said nothing more. After offering Pei Tinglan a few more words of advice, the old woman helped her lie down, then quietly lowered the bed curtains and led the maid out.
As they walked to the veranda outside the courtyard, the old woman's face darkened, and she looked at the maid and said, "Suyun, you are not allowed to say such things in front of the Dowager Consort in the future."
The maid named Suyun immediately lowered her head and admitted her mistake: "Granny Hu, I just saw that the Dowager Consort was feeling down and wanted to say a few nice words to comfort her. If I said anything wrong, I will never mention it again."
Seeing that she was sincere in admitting her mistake, Granny Hu stopped scolding her and waved her hand, saying, "Go outside and find out more news, especially about the movements of the Duke of Chu's mansion."
"Yes." Su Yun replied and jogged away. Granny Hu watched her retreating figure and sighed softly.
...
"...The Minister of Rites, along with the Prince of Lingnan and the Prime Minister, witnessed the entire execution of Pu Tonghe..."
In the study of Jiang Yu's official residence, Steward Li reported in a deep voice the information he had gathered, "...Afterwards, the Prime Minister and others escorted the Prince of Lingnan to the gate of the Prince of Lingnan's residence and then left. However, as the Prime Minister was leaving, the Dowager Princess of Lingnan lifted the carriage curtain and exchanged a glance with the Prime Minister for a moment."
Jiang Yu leaned back casually in her chair, her fingers stroking the jade pendant at her waist. After a moment of contemplation, she asked, "Did the maid that the Yu family placed next to Pei Tinglan come along this time?"
"The Yu family said they've already come along. Apparently, that maid has quite a bit of influence with Pei Tinglan," Steward Li reported earnestly.
Jiang Yu nodded and instructed, "Tell the Yu family not to contact that maid for the time being, so as not to expose our whereabouts. This maid will be of great use in the future."
"yes."
Jiang Yu lowered her eyes, her raven-white eyelashes casting a faint shadow beneath her eyelids, but the ruthlessness in her eyes was undisguised. Seeing this, Butler Li, standing opposite her, instinctively straightened his back, his heart tightening.
"Keep a close eye on the actions of the Prince of Lingnan and Pei Tinglan." Jiang Yu's voice was calm and even, and Steward Li quickly replied, "Yes."
Jiang Yu hummed in agreement and waved for Butler Li to leave. She remained leaning back in her wide chair, sitting motionless like a statue for a long time. Her fingertips unconsciously traced the wood grain on the side of the chair. Though the movement was slow, the coldness emanating from her remained undiminished. Instead, she seemed like a chilling wind, the surrounding air itself carrying a menacing sharpness, so still that no one dared to approach.
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