Chapter 599: No more copying, let's settle the accounts
Gu Qingchen and Qian Zhenyun ran all the way and sneaked back to the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion like thieves.
Qian Zhenyun's chubby little body was so tired that he was breathing heavily and his face was flushed red.
"Sister, I, I have to go back first. If my mother finds out that I'm not here, my legs will really be gone."
Gu Qingchen was also running out of breath. She waved to Qian Zhenyun and said, "Go back quickly! Thank you so much for today!"
After watching Qian Zhenyun's figure disappear behind the moon gate, Gu Qingchen lifted the hem of her skirt, tiptoed, and quietly slipped back to her own yard.
She quietly pushed the door open, poked her head in to look around, and when she saw that the maids were not there, she breathed a sigh of relief and slipped into the house.
"At least I wasn't discovered!" She patted her chest, poured herself a glass of water and drank it all.
But when she turned around, she froze.
Under the dim candlelight, Chu Ruohan was sitting quietly in front of her desk, holding in her hand the copy of "Female Training" that Qian Zhenyun had copied for her.
There was no expression on her face, but her eyes were colder than the dark night outside.
"Mother...Mother?" Gu Qingchen's voice was trembling, and he could hardly hold the teacup in his hand.
Chu Ruohan didn't say anything, but just pushed the copied homework forward, then raised her eyes and looked at her quietly.
Gu Qingchen knew that she could no longer hide it. She fell to her knees with a plop, her head lowered. "Mother, I was wrong."
"What's wrong?" Chu Ruohan's voice was soft, but it carried an authority that brooked no room for questioning.
"I shouldn't have sneaked out."
"What else?"
"I shouldn't have let Gun Gun help me copy the book and deceived you."
"You are a man of honor, willing to go through fire and water for your friends." It was hard to tell whether Chu Ruohan's tone was a compliment or sarcasm.
Gu Qingchen raised his head suddenly: "It was Wang Hao and the others who bullied me..."
"Lin Jiayou has his uncle protecting him. How can you possibly step in?" Chu Ruohan interrupted her. "Who do you think you are? Can you solve everything?"
Gu Qingchen was speechless after being asked this question, and his eyes gradually turned red.
Seeing her daughter's aggrieved and unconvinced look, Chu Ruohan's anger finally turned into a sigh.
She squatted down and tidied her daughter's messy hair, and her tone softened a lot.
"Qingchen, I know you have a kind heart and I know you value friendship. But you have to understand that everything must be done in a proper way. If Lin Jingchuan hadn't arrived in time today, how would you have ended up like this?"
"Mother, I..."
"The punishment of house arrest will not be less." Chu Ruohan stood up again, regaining her composure. "From tomorrow on, the maids and servants in your courtyard will double the supervision. If you slip out again, I will send you to the farm to let you reflect on your mistakes."
Gu Qingchen's little face turned pale instantly.
"As for this 'Women's Training'," Chu Ruohan glanced at the rice paper on the table. "Since you don't want to copy it, then don't copy it."
Gu Qingchen's eyes lit up, thinking he had heard wrongly.
"Starting tomorrow, I will personally teach you how to manage the household and learn how to read the account books. When you can sort out the expenditure accounts of the mansion for one month, your house arrest will be over." Chu Ruohan said lightly.
Gu Qingchen's face immediately fell. This punishment was a hundred times more terrifying than copying books!
After dealing with her daughter's affairs, Chu Ruohan returned to her room, but she was not sleepy at all.
Lan Jie'er's red eyes from crying kept lingering in her mind.
Lu Ge'er and Lan Jie'er are illegitimate children, and their parents are both dead.
Over the years, Mrs. Gu San appeared to be friendly on the surface, but secretly she often made things difficult for the brother and sister.
Now that Lu Ge'er has become successful, she wants to package up Lan Jie'er, her non-biological granddaughter, and sell her for a good price like a commodity.
"Haitang." Chu Ruohan called out.
"Madam is here." Haitang walked in from outside.
"Go check on the Wang family in the south of the city. What kind of business does they make? What are their family traditions like? What kind of character does the second young master have?"
Chu Ruohan ordered, "I want to know everything, the more detailed the better."
"Yes, ma'am." Haitang accepted the order and withdrew.
East Palace.
The hall was so quiet that the only sound was the scratching of pens across paper.
The little prince sat upright in front of his desk, his expression focused as he copied the "Book of Filial Piety" stroke by stroke.
Su Wan walked out of the inner hall, the hem of her phoenix robe brushing against the mirror-like golden brick floor without making a sound.
She stopped behind her son, looked at him quietly for a while, and her eyes finally fell on his right hand holding the pen.
The knuckles of that hand were red and slightly swollen due to the continuous copying over the past few days.
Su Wan's heart felt like it was pricked by a needle, but her face remained graceful and dignified, without a trace of emotion.
"An'er." She spoke softly.
The little prince's shoulders moved slightly, and he immediately put down his pen, stood up and saluted: "Mother."
"Sit down." Su Wan walked over to him, picked up a piece of paper he had just written, and looked at it carefully. "Your handwriting has improved. It has a bit more style than before."
"Your son dare not slack off." The little prince replied respectfully.
Su Wan's gaze shifted from the rice paper to his slightly swollen hand, seemingly casually. "Does it hurt?"
The little prince subconsciously wanted to put his hands into his sleeves, but he stopped and shook his head.
"It doesn't hurt. I am willing to accept your punishment, father."
Su Wan didn't ask any more questions, but put the rice paper back on the table and changed the subject.
"I heard that you left the palace that day with Miss Gu from the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion?"
The little prince's ears turned slightly red, he lowered his head and whispered, "Yes."
"That child is quite lively." Su Wan picked up the tea served by the palace maid and gently skimmed off the foam with the cup lid. "Do you like playing with her?"
The question was asked directly. The little prince was stunned for a moment and looked up at his mother.
Su Wan's eyes were gentle and calm, as if she was just asking casually.
He hesitated for a moment, then said honestly, "Gu Qingchen is different from the people in the palace. Although she's a bit naughty, but... but being with her is fun."
"Oh?" The Queen raised an eyebrow. "How is it interesting?"
The little prince thought for a moment, as if trying to organize his words.
"She would take me to eat candy figurines sold on the street, would argue fiercely with the shopkeeper over a few taels of silver, and would stand before me without hesitation in times of danger. She...she doesn't look like a lady from a wealthy family."
In the end, he himself felt that this evaluation was a bit inappropriate, and his voice became softer.
When Su Wan heard this, a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
She knew that her son had been bound by palace rules since childhood, and everyone around him was cautious. To him, Gu Qingchen's personality was like a scenery he had never seen before.
"Okay, let's stop here for today." Su Wan put down the teacup, "Let the imperial physician take a look at your hand and apply some medicine. You'll be confined for a long time, so don't overwork yourself."
"Yes, I'll take my leave." The little prince was as if he had been pardoned. He bowed respectfully and left the hall.
Watching her son leave, the smile on Su Wan's face gradually faded, replaced by heartache.
She instructed her most trusted maid, "Go, pass the message along. The Crown Prince's birthday is next month. No need for a grand celebration. Just hold a small banquet in the palace."
The maid quickly responded, "Yes, my lady."
Su Wan paused, then added, "Send a letter to the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion, inviting Miss Gu to enter the palace..."
"The Crown Prince was with Doctor Qian's son and the young master from Prince Yong's mansion that day, right?"
The maid was very perceptive and immediately understood what the queen meant: "Your Majesty, yes."
"Invite them all." Su Wan's voice was calm and even. "An'er doesn't have many friends of his age in the palace. It's time to let him have some fun."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
