After this incident, Madam Jia’s deliberately crafted reputation for kindness, generosity, and moral purity was completely ruined, and without the support of her family, she naturally became very subdued.
Tingfeng Courtyard.
Seeing Grand Prince deeply engrossed in carving Small Wooden Swords, with a finished one on the stone table beside him, Yang Mengchen knowingly asked, "Imperial Uncle, what made you think of making Small Wooden Swords? Who are you planning to give them to?"
"Momo and Jiujiu are here." Grand Prince looked up at Long Xuanmo and Yang Mengchen, "I promised to give Qing Yang and Qing Yun Small Wooden Swords, but since returning, I have been too busy to do so. Fortunately, I have time today to quickly finish them, so as not to disappoint Qing Yang and Qing Yun. Please take a seat; I’ll be done soon." With that, he continued with his head down.
Exchanging glances, Long Xuanmo and Yang Mengchen walked over to the table, sat down, and elegantly sipped their tea without disturbing Grand Prince.
About a quarter of an hour later, Grand Prince finished carving the Wooden Sword and placed it next to the previous one. The two Small Wooden Swords were exquisitely delicate and smooth, unlikely to accidentally harm the children.
Placing the Small Wooden Swords into two brocade boxes, Grand Prince instructed Gao Jun to send them, along with his gifts for Qing Yang and Qing Yun, to Yangliu village.
Song Ming brought water for Grand Prince to wash his hands.
After pouring a cup of tea for Grand Prince, Yang Mengchen smiled and said, "Imperial Uncle, do you like Qing Yang and Qing Yun?"
"Hmm." Grand Prince took a sip of the clear tea and nodded, "Qing Yang and Qing Yun are still so young, yet they are bright, polite, and endearing. They are indeed very likeable."
Seeing a trace of wistfulness in Grand Prince’s expression, Yang Mengchen understood that the Grand Prince must be thinking of his son who died young, "How about you, Imperial Uncle?"
"If Lin’er were still here, he would be about their age by now." The words came out subconsciously, and Grand Prince quickly came back to his senses, his smile tinged with a fleeting bitterness, "But it’s strange, the first time I saw Qing Yang and Qing Yun, I felt a closeness to them. Having them around makes me feel peaceful and warm at heart, which is truly incredible."
That was the power of blood relations, nothing strange at all, Yang Mengchen mused to himself. He smiled outwardly, "Qing Yang and Qing Yun are still young, Imperial Uncle could visit them in Yangliu village when you have time." Now was not the time to reveal the truth to Imperial Uncle.
"I am indeed planning to do that." Grand Prince really did like the children.
The three of them chatted for a while, and after Yang Mengchen reminded Grand Prince to take good care of his health, he left with Long Xuanmo. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
Bathed in warm sunshine and a gentle breeze that brought wafts of refreshing floral fragrance, Long Xuanmo and Yang Mengchen strolled hand in hand through the courtyard.
Sister Jin and the others followed not too far behind the two of them.
Yang Mengchen suddenly asked, "Has the spy around Imperial Uncle been found out?"
Long Xuanmo nodded, "The man’s name is Liu Yuan, a refugee saved by Imperial Uncle in his youth. He has been with Imperial Uncle for over twenty years. Liu Yuan is loyal and honest, and Imperial Uncle trusts him a lot;
Liu Yuan took a new wife in the south, who is lazy, shrewish, and vulgar, with two brothers in her family who are prone to gambling and womanizing;
Over five years ago, the two brothers racked up a huge gambling debt, selling even their ancestral home wasn’t enough. But not long after, not only were the brothers able to pay off their debt, but they also acquired quite a bit of property, and Liu Yuan’s wife suddenly had a continuous supply of new clothes and jewelry, supposedly because the brothers had struck it rich;
Imperial Uncle, being kindhearted and forgiving, rarely inquires into his subordinates’ affairs, therefore he overlooked the abnormalities in Liu Yuan’s household, and Liu Yuan managed to avoid the last screening;
If it weren’t for this incident, we might not have suspected Liu Yuan at all. Imperial Uncle intends to identify Liu Yuan’s backer before exposing him, hence he is only shadowed secretly for now;
Besides, the reason we were able to uncover Liu Yuan so quickly is that someone secretly passed us information."
"Lin Zheqi!" Yang Mengchen blurted out.
Long Xuanmo nodded, "Knowing his own true identity, he is more concerned about Imperial Uncle’s safety than anyone else. When is Ah Jiu planning to tell Imperial Uncle the truth?"
"That depends on Lin Zheqi’s wishes," Yang Mengchen said. "The person who has harbored such a venomous scheme for over twenty years and has nurtured Lin Zheqi so well must be no ordinary individual. Relative to us, Lin Zheqi knows a bit more about that person. Let’s see what his plans are first."
Long Xuanmo deeply agreed, "Regarding Madam Mu..."
"Her full name is Duanmu Yao," Yang Mengchen clarified, shaking his head. "She comes from the Duanmu family in Xinggu Prefecture. Over six years ago, the Duanmu family was massacred, leaving only her and her sister alive. Later, they drifted to Peng City, and by a twist of fate, she married Lin Zheqi as a concubine;
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
