"Mom, didn't I talk to her properly?" Chu Lingxiao's face turned pale, and his heart was still surging with anger. "She was the one who did it, not me!"

The doctor who treated Chu Lingxiao's injured leg had just left. Until now, Chu Lingxiao's left leg was still aching, repeatedly reminding him of what Shen had just done to him.

The lady sighed secretly in her heart, worried that if the couple continued to quarrel, it would be detrimental to the Marquisate, so she could only continue to persuade: "Lingxiao, don't be angry with Azhi. Also, don't pamper Minshan too much and ignore Azhi."

"As a woman, I also know Ah Zhi's thoughts. The reason why she indulges Sister Chen is just to be angry with you. She is not a person who knows her limits. Look, didn't she send Sister Chen away?"

Chu Lingxiao's lips curled up slightly, and a hint of mockery flashed in his eyes. Did Shen Zhi regret it? She couldn't bring herself to apologize, so she used the excuse of sending Chu Qianchen away to show her kindness to herself.

The lady tried to appeal to her emotions and continued, "You and Azhi still have your two children, Huang Jie'er and Mu Ge'er. You should always consider them."

"Now, Azhi has taken a step back. Lingxiao, you are a man, you should have a manly demeanor. Don't be so tough. Just humble yourself and coax Azhi more."

Chu Lingxiao was not happy to coax Shen, so he said casually: "Mom, I know."

No one knows a child better than his mother. The old lady could see that her son was still in a bad mood. Her forehead ached slightly and she felt very tired. She sighed in her heart that her children were all debts.

She thought for a moment and then said tactfully, "Lingxiao, there is still a long time to come. It is not a good idea for you and Azhi to continue like this. Listen to your mother and move back to live with Azhi so that you can recover from your injuries."

"Once your leg is healed, you will have a bright future."

The lady emphasized the word "future" to remind her son that his future job would still depend on the Duke Mu's Mansion.

The reason why she suggested Chu Lingxiao to move back to the main courtyard and live with Shen was that she hoped Shen would soften her heart when she saw Chu Lingxiao's injured leg, so that the couple could cultivate their relationship by living together.

Speaking of the future, Chu Lingxiao was excited.

He has already managed to invite a famous doctor who is good at surgery from the Hao Kingdom. His left leg will definitely be cured. By then, if he wants to return to the court, he will definitely need the help of the Duke Mu's Mansion.

Although the position of deputy commander of the Banner-Bearer Guard has been taken away by someone else, when Commander Wang is in mourning, he may be able to be parachuted into the position of commander of the Banner-Bearer Guard.

When God wants to give a man a great responsibility, he must first make his heart suffer and his muscles and bones work hard...

He just endured the humiliation and waited for the opportunity. As long as he took the position of commander of the flag-bearer guard in the future, he would naturally be able to show his face in front of the emperor. Sooner or later, he would be valued by the emperor like Jinyiwei commander Lu Siji.

Things change over time. When he becomes famous, it will be the turn of the Mu Mansion to bow to him. The Shen family will still have to look at his face and kowtow to him!

Humph, when the time comes, I will take revenge if I have revenge, and I will complain if I have complaints.

Chu Lingxiao finally showed a smile between his eyebrows and said, "Mom, I will move back to the main courtyard today."

As he said this, he told the maid, "Go back and clean up first."

"Yes, my lord." The maid hurriedly knelt down to accept the order and walked out of the house.

Seeing that her son had really figured it out, the lady was relieved and said carefully, "Lingxiao, Sister Chen's matter..."

She wanted to remind her son not to quarrel with Shen again because of Chu Qianchen.

Speaking of Chu Qianchen, the old lady felt a trace of disgust in her heart. This second granddaughter was really a troublemaker who made the family unpeaceful.

"Mom, Chu Qianchen can't be kept!" Chu Lingxiao emphasized.

Just now he told Shen that he wanted Chu Qianchen to die suddenly, but Shen was unwilling to do so and even attacked him. She is simply a shrew!

But now, she had not given in yet, and took the initiative to send Chu Qianchen to the manor!

This guy, if he can take a step back, he can take another ten thousand steps back. This time, he must let Shen give the order personally.

Chu Lingxiao's mouth curled up into a malicious sneer, and he said to himself in his heart that he would let her know after a long, long time...

What kind of expression will she show when that time comes? !

Thinking about the distant future, Chu Lingxiao felt much more relieved and felt that the humiliation he was enduring now was nothing.

He picked up his cane and walked out, saying, "I know what I'm doing and I'll take it step by step."

At this time, the head maid pushed the door and went to the main room outside. As soon as the door opened, the voices of the mother and son could be heard outside.

Outside the main hall, a young man in blue happened to walk under the eaves and heard Chu Lingxiao's two words in the room: "Mother, Chu Qianchen can't be kept! I know what's going on, and I will take it step by step."

Chu Yunyi was stunned and stood there like a stone sculpture, motionless.

Chu Lingxiao's two sentences echoed in his ears again and again.

The reason why he came to Rongfu Hall was because he heard that Chu Qianchen had gone to the manor and wanted to come over to ask about the situation, but he ended up hearing what Chu Lingxiao and the lady said.

Chu Yunyi couldn't stay there any longer. He felt that he couldn't face his grandmother and father at all. He ignored the shouts of the maids behind him and strode out of the yard.

"Young Master, Young Master..."

The maidservant shouted louder and louder, but Chu Yunyi did not look back. Instead, he walked faster and faster.

The noise also alarmed the lady and Chu Lingxiao in the room, and both of them changed their expressions slightly.

After Chu Yunyi left Rongfu Hall, he rushed to Qinghui Courtyard in a hurry, naturally to find Aunt Jiang.

"Aunt, do you know that my second sister went to the farm?" Chu Yunyi said to Aunt Jiang straight to the point.

Aunt Jiang was delighted to see her son coming, but she didn't expect that the first thing he said was Chu Qianchen, and her face froze slightly.

Her long eyelashes trembled, and a layer of tears appeared in her eyes as she looked at Chu Yunyi. She nodded, "I just heard about it."

Chu Yunyi took a deep breath and said with difficulty: "Aunt, please go to my father and ask for mercy for my second sister. My father...he wants my second sister to die suddenly."

Thinking that his father had no regard for the father-daughter relationship and was willing to put his second sister to death, Chu Yunyi felt cold all over, shocked, disappointed, heartbroken, sad, and all kinds of emotions intertwined.

Aunt Jiang bit her lower lip slightly, looking weak and helpless, as if she regarded her husband as her heaven. "Brother Yi, your father has his reasons for doing things."

"You don't know, do you? Because of the emperor's marriage, your father didn't sleep all night last night..."

Chu Yunyi felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, and his heart was chilled.

So, my father didn't sleep all night, and the way he thought of was to kill my second sister? !

The second sister is his biological daughter!

Their mothers were indifferent to this...

Chu Yunyi couldn't help but think of Shen's sincere and gentle voice yesterday: "Sister Chen, don't worry, I'm here and I won't let you marry in vain..."

The stepmother can run around for the second sister and even went back to Duke Mu's mansion today, but what about their aunt? !

Chu Yunyi felt that he could no longer face Aunt Jiang and turned around silently.

Aunt Jiang also felt that her son's mood was a little strange, so she quickly got up from the bed and called out, "Brother Yi, listen to me..."

She quickly chased after Chu Yunyi, trying to grab his arm, but Chu Yunyi walked faster than her, so she missed...

Chu Yunyi opened the curtain and went out. The curtain fell down again and trembled slightly in the air.

Aunt Jiang bit her lips again, looking very pitiful. Her maid hurriedly comforted her: "Aunt, the young master is still young. He will understand the painstaking efforts of the Marquis and you in the future..."

These words could no longer reach Chu Yunyi's ears. After leaving Qinghui Courtyard, he headed towards the Yimen Gate, leading a horse and preparing to leave the mansion, but he was stopped at the corner gate.

"Brother Yi, where are you going?"

Chu Lingxiao was carried here on a sedan chair. He signaled with his eyes to the two guards to block the corner door and not let Chu Yunyi out.

Just now, after Chu Yunyi left Rongfu Hall, Chu Lingxiao and the lady sent people to chase him. When the maidservant arrived at Qinghui Courtyard, she was one step too late. Chu Yunyi had already left, so Chu Lingxiao hurriedly brought people here to chase him.

Chu Yunyi looked straight at Chu Lingxiao calmly. His face, which was four or five points similar to Chu Lingxiao, showed the stubbornness that only a teenager can show. "I want to go find my second sister!"

Chu Lingxiao asked, "Brother Yi, did you hear me talking to your grandmother just now?"

“……”Chu Yunyi’s thin lips were pursed into a straight line.

His silence amounted to acquiescence.

Chu Lingxiao patiently explained, "Brother Yi, you only heard a few words. I'm afraid you have misunderstood me and your grandmother."

"There is no misunderstanding." Chu Yunyi said coldly, his voice hard, "Just tell me, do you want my second sister to die suddenly?"

Chu Lingxiao's face didn't look good.

"Sudden death" is a way of saying it to the outside world. The noble families in the capital all know exactly what happened. It's okay to talk about it in private, but no one would mention "sudden death" so bluntly in public.

The guards and servants around naturally heard it, and their faces looked a little strange, and they just hated themselves for having ears. It is better not to know about the secrets of the Marquisate.

"Brother Yi, stop making trouble." Chu Lingxiao calmed down, softened his tone, and tried to reason with his eldest son, "There are some things you don't understand. Come back to Rongfu Hall with me first, and then we can talk it over..."

Chu Yunyi answered Chu Lingxiao with practical actions. He led the horse and was about to continue walking forward, looking like he didn't want to say more.

He really had no way to deal with his eldest son. Beating him was not right, nor was scolding him. He could only give an order: "Come here, stop the young master, send him back to Qingfeng Pavilion, and take a good look at him!"

What he meant was to put Chu Yunyi under house arrest temporarily.

The guards could only approach Chu Yunyi, surrounded him, and said apologetically: "Master, please don't make things difficult for your subordinates!"

Chu Yunyi's two fists were no match for four hands, so he walked away in a huff.

After a while, the area near the corner gate became empty again.

With so many eyes watching the Marquis' Mansion, what happened at the Yimen could naturally not be hidden from everyone, and Shen's side was also quickly reported.

"...The Marquis has told the eldest young master not to go to school for the time being. He should reflect on himself in his room and come out when he has figured things out." Nanny Chen added with emotion.

Shen curled her lips sarcastically, "Brother Lian Yi is much more conscientious than Chu Lingxiao."

Chu Lingxiao and Jiang Minshan are both selfish, but the two children they gave birth to are completely unlike their father and mother. It is Mu Ge'er's blessing to have such brothers and sisters.

Nanny Chen also sighed and praised: "It's also because of your good teaching, Madam."

Chu Yunyi is the eldest son of the Marquis's family. In the first few years after he was born, Shen had only Chu Qianhuang as her legitimate daughter. She also raised Chu Yunyi for a while. At that time, Chu Lingxiao advised her every day to register Chu Yunyi under her name.

Later, after Shen gave birth to Chu Yunmu, Chu Lingxiao suddenly proposed that Chu Yunyi move to the outer courtyard. After that, except for coming to pay respects on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month, he usually no longer came on weekdays.

Shen knew that this was Chu Lingxiao's intention and did not force it.

Shen didn't continue the topic. She changed the subject and told Dongmei, "Dongmei, go get the birthday gift. I'll go through it one last time."

The day after tomorrow is the Emperor's birthday, and there cannot be any mistakes in the birthday gift for the Emperor. Shen was very serious and checked it over and over again. Even Nanny Chen and Dongmei were affected and did everything themselves.

Dongmei quickly brought the gift list and birthday gifts. Shen checked them carefully again and had them locked up in the warehouse in the main courtyard.

Nanny Chen knew that Shen had been troubled recently, so she took the initiative to suggest, "Madam, don't worry, I will go back to the storeroom three times a day to check, and nothing will go wrong."

Dongmei also smiled and coaxed Shen: "Madam, would you like to have a bowl of rock sugar bird's nest porridge?"

"This bird's nest porridge is the food supplement recipe that the second lady gave me before she left today. I added a few medicinal herbs. The second lady said that you didn't sleep well last night. Eating it can nourish yin and moisten dryness, replenish qi and strengthen the body. I'll light some calming incense to ensure that you have a good sleep tonight."

Shen felt a warm current flowing through her heart and nodded, "Bring it up."

Dongmei responded with a smile and exchanged a glance with Nanny Chen.

However, before the rock sugar bird's nest porridge was served, a maid came to report: "Madam, the Marquis is here."

The smile on Shen's lips disappeared instantly. She raised her brows in disgust and said only two words: "No."

The maid conveyed Shen's intention to Chu Lingxiao truthfully.

Chu Lingxiao: “…”

Before Chu Lingxiao came, he wanted to coax Shen and move back to the main courtyard. He thought Shen sent Chu Qianchen to the manor to show her kindness to him. He never expected that she would block him outside the house and even refused to see him.

“Bang!”

The sound of the slap in Rongfu Hall just now echoed clearly in Chu Lingxiao's ears again.

Chu Lingxiao's face turned blue and white, his teeth were chattering, and he felt hatred in his heart: This Shen family is simply shameless!

Chu Lingxiao was so angry that he waved his sleeves and said angrily: "Go!"

He was carried in a sedan chair, and was carried away in the same way, with his feet never touching the ground.

Chu Lingxiao hit a snag in the main courtyard, and the news spread quickly throughout the marquis's mansion.

No matter where Chu Lingxiao went, he felt that others were laughing at him. He went straight back to the outer study and never went out again. He even did not go to Rongfu Hall to pay his respects to the lady that night or the next morning.

Tomorrow is the Emperor's Birthday. The capital city is filled with the festive atmosphere, and the Marquis's Mansion has also hung up large red lanterns inside and outside the mansion.

Chu Lingxiao didn't care about this. He had planned to continue hiding in the house and not go out. However, at noon, the eunuch Ni Gonggong beside the emperor came to convey the emperor's oral order.

Chu Lingxiao did not dare to delay and hurried to the main gate and asked someone to inform Shen.

When the couple arrived at Waiyi Gate, Eunuch Ni happened to get off the carriage with the help of a young eunuch.

"Eunuch Ni." Chu Lingxiao bowed to Eunuch Ni attentively, and Shen smiled appropriately.

Eunuch Ni shook off the silver Buddhist whisk in his hand and said nonchalantly, "My Lord, Madam, I am here today to deliver the Emperor's order."

Chu Lingxiao and Shen bowed and respectfully listened to the imperial decree.

Eunuch Ni cleared his throat and began to deliver his instructions: "The Emperor has ordered that on the day of the Emperor's birthday, the second young lady of the Chu family is allowed to attend the banquet with the Marquis's wife!"

What?! Chu Lingxiao was stunned.

Eunuch Ni continued, "His Royal Highness Prince Chen is ill and cannot enter the palace to celebrate the Emperor's birthday tomorrow. Miss Chu is the future Princess Chen. The Emperor said that we are all family and should visit each other more often."

Of course Chu Lingxiao would not believe the emperor's polite words. The emperor wished the Prince of Chen would die, so how could he possibly regard the Prince of Chen as his own?

After all, the emperor deliberately gave this grace to allow Chu Qianchen to enter the palace to attend the birthday banquet, but it was also for outsiders to see.

Chu Lingxiao thought for a moment, then carefully considered his words and said, "Eunuch Ni, my daughter is ill and has gone to the farm to recuperate. I'm afraid she won't be able to enter the palace tomorrow."

Chu Lingxiao tried to show his loyalty to the emperor and told the emperor that their Chu family would definitely keep their distance from Prince Chen's Mansion and would never lean towards Prince Chen.

He felt that his words were very nice, so he took a step closer to Eunuch Ni and secretly stuffed a thick red envelope into his hand through the cover of his sleeves...

However, Eunuch Ni's expression suddenly changed and his smile disappeared.

He was a shrewd man and he could tell the deeper meaning behind Chu Lingxiao's ambiguous words. Chu Lingxiao was dissatisfied with the marriage and sent his daughter back to the farm, claiming to others that she was ill.

He is sick now, so in two days, will he be dead? !

Chu Lingxiao is simply trying to undermine the Emperor's wishes!

Eunuch Ni couldn't help but feel fortunate that he came here today to deliver the oral order, otherwise in a few days, they might have received the news of Chu Qianchen's death.

This Yongding Marquis really has no sense of propriety! Eunuch Ni thought secretly.

He swung his whisk suddenly, and the silver whisk hit Chu Lingxiao's hand heavily like a whip.

“Bang!”

Chu Lingxiao groaned in pain, and a red mark left by the whisk appeared on the back of his hand. The red seal in his hand also slipped out of his hand and fell on the bluestone brick floor below.

Chu Lingxiao had no idea where he had done wrong, and his face kept changing from pale to blue.

Shen, who was standing aside, said nothing from beginning to end, with a sarcastic smile on her lips.

"I would like to kindly remind you, Lord Marquis," Eunuch Ni said sarcastically, "The Emperor values ​​the future Princess Chen very much. If anything happens to your daughter, then the Yongding Marquisate will be stripped of her title and convicted."

What?! Chu Lingxiao almost suspected that he was hallucinating and was unable to react for a moment.

Eunuch Ni was annoyed just looking at Chu Lingxiao, but for the sake of the emperor's important affairs, he still patiently warned him again: "My Lord, thunder and rain are all grace from the emperor. If the emperor wants his subjects to die, they have to die."

The implication of Eunuch Ni's words was that he was going to push the Yongding Marquisate to death. Chu Lingxiao felt his head buzzing, even more panicked than the day when the marriage was granted. After the panic came fear.

It was as if the Black and White Impermanence were approaching him step by step from behind with soul-binding chains.

Eunuch Ni was the chief eunuch in front of the emperor and his confidant. He was definitely not trying to scare him. In other words, if Chu Qianchen really died suddenly, the emperor would definitely issue an order to strip him of his title.

Then, the title of Marquis of Yongding would be lost in his hands, and he would become the eternal sinner of the Chu family!

Chu Lingxiao was completely confused and completely unable to think calmly.

"My Lord, My Lord..."

When he came to his senses at the servant's call, he found that the place in front of him was empty. The vermilion lacquered door of the Marquis's Mansion was wide open, and Eunuch Ni left with a group of angels.

Chu Lingxiao's chest heaved violently.

He felt as if his chest was being crushed by a heavy object, painful and stuffy, and his breathing became more and more rapid, as if he would be unable to breathe at any time.

The servant was a little worried and asked cautiously, "My Lord, would you like me to ask you to…"

Before he could finish his words, Chu Lingxiao's upper body leaned forward and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

The still warm blood sprayed on the boy's face and clothes, which was shocking.

(End of this chapter)