Things were even more chaotic in Rongfu Hall.

Nanny Wang gave the lady smelling salts and helped her to calm down. After a while, the lady finally recovered, her face pale.

"Lingyu, what exactly did your elder brother do wrong?" the lady said with a trembling voice.

The lady knew about her eldest son's return to Beijing that morning. She thought that since her eldest son had an errand to attend to, it was only natural for him to go directly to the palace upon his return. Later, when she saw that the Prince Chen's Mansion was sealed by the Embroidered Uniform Guards, she wondered if it was the eldest son's credit.

She was waiting for her eldest son to return home to celebrate his success, but she didn't expect that her eldest son didn't come back, but instead she received the news that he was imprisoned in the Sky Prison.

The more the lady thought about it, the more panicked she became. She looked at Master Chu II helplessly, "You have to help your eldest brother!"

In the house, all the servants were sent out, leaving only the lady-in-waiting and the masters and wives of the other three rooms in the mansion. The atmosphere was heavy.

Chu Lingyu felt relieved to see that the lady was fine.

Then, he frowned deeply again, and said angrily in annoyance: "Mother, this is an order from the emperor himself, how can I help?! I don't know what my elder brother did..."

"I just want to get some information, but I need a way to do it."

Chu Lingyu also tried to find out the news, but those people all seemed to be very secretive and refused to say more.

Chu Lingting and Chu Lingtao beside them also looked unhappy, and they all hated Chu Lingxiao for bringing trouble to the family.

The title belongs to the eldest branch of the family, and all the benefits belong to the eldest branch as well. However, if the eldest branch gets into trouble, the other branches will also suffer as a result.

Liu and other female family members were even more nervous, as they had never experienced such a thing before.

The Third Madam Yu stammered, "Mother, the Imperial Concubine and the Second Prince..."

She wanted to say whether she should go to Concubine Chu and Gu Nanzhao to get some information, but she couldn't continue halfway through.

It's already this late. Even if the lady handed the card to the palace now, it would be too late for her to enter the palace today.

Liu knew that the Madam was partial to Chu Lingxiao, so she didn't dare to say anything bad about Chu Lingxiao. She could only complain to Chu Qianchen, "Mother, Sister Chen was also in the palace at the time. She was the Princess of Chen. Why didn't you plead for Uncle? Uncle is her biological father!"

The third lady and the others also nodded frequently.

Yes. Instead of making things difficult for them, Madam Tai might as well go to Prince Chen's Mansion to find Chu Qianchen.

The lady glared at Liu coldly, pursed her lips and said nothing.

Is it necessary for her to explain such a simple truth? ! The problem is that Chu Qianchen has just discovered her life experience and is probably still angry. It is impossible for her to take the initiative to plead for Chu Lingxiao.

The lady calmed down and asked again, "Lingyu, what crime will your elder brother be convicted of?"

Chu Lingyu had also inquired about this, and his expression became even uglier.

He said with difficulty: "In all likelihood, he will be stripped of his title."

These seven words seemed to have exhausted all his strength.

It was as if a bucket of cold water was poured over her head, and the lady almost had a heart palpitation.

If this title passed down from our ancestors is gone...

Just thinking about it made her feel dizzy again and she almost fainted again.

Nanny Wang was quick to put smelling salts under the lady's nose.

The lady took several deep breaths before her breathing gradually calmed down.

Chu Lingyu hesitated and said, "Mother, my sister-in-law..."

Fifteen years ago, the Chu family encountered a disaster and were almost stripped of their title. They were able to retain their title thanks to the Mu Mansion.

So now is it possible to...

The lady raised her hand and rubbed her eyebrows, and her forehead was aching.

Ever since Chu Qianchen returned home for the third time, Shen took Chu Yunmu back to her parents' home, and they have not returned to the Marquis' Mansion yet.

Originally, the lady wanted to give Shen the cold shoulder, to prevent her from thinking that she could show off in the Chu family just because she was the marquis' wife. In every family, a daughter-in-law has to bow down to her mother-in-law, but Shen had never been submissive in front of her mother-in-law over the years, and she had to bring up that old matter.

But now, seeing that the emperor was about to issue an edict to strip her of her title and her eldest son was suffering in the Heavenly Prison, the lady could no longer care about anything else.

She gritted her teeth and said resolutely: "Hurry up and prepare the car. I'll go to Duke Mu's Mansion now."

The carriage soon drove out of the Marquis' Mansion, and Liu accompanied it. The lady-in-waiting also warned Liu specifically, wanting her to be humble in front of Shen.

Mrs. Ren had good intentions, but she didn't expect that she would not even have the chance to enter and was directly turned away.

"Madam, the doorman of the Duke's Mansion said that they are closed to visitors today."

Nanny Wang came back dejected and delivered the message truthfully.

Her face didn't look very good either. The Duke's Mansion's refusal was too direct, and they didn't even bother to give an excuse.

This shows that they know why the Chu family came.

Madam: “…”

As a relative of the Duke Mu's family, the lady was always treated as an honored guest whenever she came here. This was the first time she was turned away like this.

The lady's first reaction was to return to the Marquis' Mansion, but she never said it out loud.

She almost crushed the beads in her hand and said to Liu: "You go there."

Liu's face turned green and purple, and she agreed reluctantly.

She got off the carriage and went with Nanny Zhang to knock on the door of the Duke's Mansion again.

After a while, Liu came back again and said the same thing, that the Duke's Mansion was closed to visitors today.

The lady waited stubbornly outside the Duke's Mansion, hoping that the door would open.

However, she waited and waited, but the door of the Duke's Mansion remained closed.

The lady's anxiety grew stronger and stronger.

Liu reminded nervously: "Mother, curfew is almost here..."

"..." The lady's heart felt as if it had been pierced with several holes. The cold wind blew through her heart, chilling her to the bone.

In the past, no matter what happened in the Marquis' Mansion, the Duke Mu's Mansion would always provide a guarantee, and this was the confidence of the Marquis' Mansion.

Could it be that even Duke Mu's Mansion doesn't care about them this time? !

The lady opened her mouth slightly and could not help but lift the curtain to look at the gate of the Duke's Mansion. The vermilion lacquered door was still closed, with no signs of opening.

The lady said weakly, "Go back."

She came with great expectations and left in panic. That night, the lady fell ill.

The Marquis was imprisoned and the Dowager fell ill. The two pillars of the Marquis's Mansion collapsed one after another, making the mansion even more backboneless. People from the second, third and fourth rooms were looking for news everywhere, but the Chu family was now in the center of the storm, and no one dared to have the slightest relationship with them. Everyone spoke vaguely.

Even Chu Yunyi, who was studying at the Imperial College, was greatly affected and was stopped outside the classroom by a group of people.

"Isn't this Brother Chu?! I haven't seen you for a few days. How are you doing?"

Shi Zice was smiling and waving his folding fan, looking very romantic. Behind him were four or five people including Yi Cheng, who blocked Chu Yunyi's way.

Without waiting for Chu Yunyi to answer, Shi Zice asked himself, "Hey, look at me, I can't talk. Your father is still in the prison. Brother Chu, are you okay?"

Anyway, they had already fallen out with Chu Yunyi last time outside the Yongding Marquis' Mansion, and Shi Zice was too lazy to pretend to be a good buddy anymore, and did not hide the sarcastic smile on his face.

Chu Yunyi's eyes were filled with anger and his hands were clenched into fists.

But now, his family has encountered drastic changes and he can no longer follow his own temper.

Chu Yunyi had no idea what had happened in the imperial study yesterday. Even his uncles at home didn't tell him much about his father. They just told him to study hard in the Imperial College.

Although his family members didn't say anything, Chu Yunyi had heard some rumors outside. He roughly knew that his father was put in jail for falsely accusing Prince Chen, and that the incident of the Jinyiwei surrounding Prince Chen's mansion yesterday was also caused by his father.

When Chu Yunyi first heard this, his mind went almost blank.

The father was too cruel. He first switched Chu Qianchen when she was born, and now he had caused such a scene. He simply wanted to kill his own daughter... All the things he had done consumed the last bit of respect Chu Yunyi had for him.

Before coming to the Imperial College this morning, the lady took his hand and said something to him earnestly: "Brother Yi, you are the eldest grandson, and this generation of the Chu family depends on you."

"Brother Yi, you have to do your best."

The old lady looked ten years older from her exhausted appearance. Chu Yunyi had never seen his grandmother like this before.

Grandma was right. He is the eldest grandson and the family will have to rely on him from now on.

It's time for him to grow up! Chu Yunyi pursed his lips, but didn't say anything in the end. He bypassed Shi Zice and the others and wanted to leave.

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

However, Shi Zice and the others came here intentionally to cause trouble, so how could they let Chu Yunyi leave easily?

Yi Cheng took two steps to the right, blocking Chu Yunyi's way again, and said sarcastically: "Chu Yunyi, is your eyesight or hearing poor? Didn't you hear Brother Zice talking to you?!"

Shi Zice slowly waved his folding fan and said sarcastically, "Brother Chu, since you are not feeling well, you should go see a doctor. Why are you coming to the Imperial College? Isn't this just misleading others and yourself?!"

The followers that Shi Zice brought with him immediately started to support him:

"That's right."

"Since you are sick, you should drop out of school and go home to recuperate!"

"You can't keep your student status anyway, so don't just sit there and do nothing. Be smart and drop out of school."

These people spoke implicitly at first, but then they spoke bluntly, implying that they wanted to force Chu Yunyi to drop out of the Imperial College, to give up his position and give the place to Shi Zice.

Chu Yunyi suppressed the anger in his chest and said to himself in his heart that he was not like Chu Yunmu who was only five years old, he was already twelve years old.

The noise here was too loud, and there were still many students from the Imperial College who had not left yet, and they all gathered here.

The Imperial College had only been open for a few days, and the freshmen had already divided into several factions. Some of them were on good terms with Chu Yunyi, and they were all students of the military department. Three or four young men saw Chu Yunyi being bullied, and walked up to him with big strides.

One of the young men in blue shouted at Shi Zice and the others, "This is the Imperial College, not your home. What right do you have to force Chu Yunyi to drop out of school?!"

"Chu Yunyi, ignore them!"

Several young men cheered for Chu Yunyi with righteous indignation.

There are more and more people around, and more of them are just bystanders and will not easily take sides.

Unless recommended by famous scholars, most of the students of the Imperial College were born in the mansions of nobles and court officials. Any student whose family had some connections had been warned by their families that the Yongding Marquis's mansion was in danger of being in trouble this time and that the title might not be kept.

In comparison, Shi Jia was unsuccessful during the previous emperor's time, but in recent years, the prince of Chang'an Marquis has taken refuge with Kang Hongda. This time, he even accompanied Kang Hongda to various states for military reviews, and was highly appreciated by Kang Hongda. He has a bright future ahead of him.

Most people would not offend historians for no reason and create more enemies for themselves.

Shi Zice gave a condescending sneer and didn't bother to be polite. He called Chu Yunyi by his name: "Chu Yunyi, if you know what's best for you, drop out of school immediately. We can still be considered friends. I can also give you a few taels of silver. Just consider it as my kindness to help your family."

"Otherwise, when your Yongding Marquis's Mansion is raided, you, the young master, will be left with nothing and will end up being a beggar on the streets!"

"Humph, if you don't drop out of school when that time comes, you will still be kicked out, which will only be more embarrassing."

Shi Zice raised his chin and took two steps closer to Chu Yunyi, meeting his eyes with a serious look.

Chu Yunyi clenched his fists and said coldly, "What if I don't drop out of school?"

"You won't retreat?" Shi Zice felt that Chu Yunyi was simply being rude, so he pointed the folding fan at his nose and said in a commanding manner, "You have to retreat even if you don't want to! Do you think you have any choice?!"

"Yes." Chu Yunyi said one word.

Shi Zice was stunned, not understanding what Chu Yunyi meant. The next moment, he felt a pain in his right foot. Then, the world was spinning around, and he fell to the ground, upside down.

The folding fan in his hand slipped out of his hand and then fell down, hitting him on the forehead.

It was really painful when the folding fan hit someone's forehead. Shi Zice screamed and covered his red and swollen forehead.

“…”

“…”

“…”

There was silence all around, and everyone was stunned.

Chu Yunyi had never been pointed at and ridiculed like this in his life. He had endured it again and again, but he couldn't bear it anymore. He remembered a sentence from Xue Feng: "When you can't bear it anymore, there is no need to endure it anymore."

Chu Yunyi felt relieved. He casually stroked his robe and looked around again.

Very good, this is the Imperial College, not the Xuanjia Camp, so he did not violate military regulations.

Chu Yunyi thought as he walked forward and stepped directly on the wrist of Shi Zice where he had just held the folding fan. Shi Zice let out another shrill scream, even sharper than the last time.

The twelve-year-old boy has clear features and an elegant appearance. His every move and gesture carries a bit of the arrogance, publicity and unruliness typical of teenagers, making him like an elegant and unruly big cat.

This was in stark contrast to Shi Zice who was screaming on the ground.

Yi Cheng and the others were all horrified and called out "Brother Zice" and "Brother Shi". Some went to help Shi Zice, while others hurried forward to block Chu Yunyi's way again.

At this moment, a majestic questioning voice came from the back: "What are you doing here?!"

Most of the students around recognized the voice and made way for the newcomer.

The visitor was a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing a blue robe, with narrow eyes, a bulbous nose, and a short and fat figure. As he walked slowly, the flesh on his cheeks seemed to tremble slightly.

The atmosphere around suddenly became solemn and the air turned cold because of the appearance of the newcomer.

All the students respectfully saluted the visitor and called out, "Zheng Jiancheng."

The Jiancheng was an official of the sixth rank, who was in charge of the supervision affairs and responsible for punishing those who made mistakes in the Imperial College. He could not only punish the students, but also the teachers below the rank of doctor in the Imperial College who violated the rules and made mistakes.

Shi Zice stood up with the help of his friends. When he saw Zheng Jiancheng, he perked up. He covered his right wrist that was stepped on by Chu Yunyi and complained excitedly: "Zheng Jiancheng, you came at the right time. Chu Yunyi just attacked me, hitting and kicking me. So many people saw it with their own eyes!"

"If you hadn't come, he would have beaten me badly."

Shi Zice became more and more excited as he spoke, and his face flushed.

His right wrist was aching so much that the severe pain made his facial features look a little hideous. The swelling on his forehead seemed to have swelled even more. His clothes were still covered with dust and grass debris, and he looked in a disheveled state.

At this moment, Shi Zice had no time to tidy up his appearance and just wanted to teach Chu Yunyi a lesson.

Today, he must expel Chu Yunyi from the Imperial College, otherwise he would not be named Shi!

Yi Cheng and others beside him immediately echoed: "That's right!"

"Zheng Jiancheng, a person with such corrupt character like Chu Yunyi cannot be allowed to stay in the Imperial College!"

“…”

Anyone with a bit of common sense could see that Shi Zice and his men wanted to use this incident to get Zheng Jiancheng to expel Chu Yunyi from the Imperial College.

Go to the Xiaoxiang Fan Festival page, and in the Dashen Extras, there are the Extras of Qianchen and the Prince ~ By the way, monthly tickets ~

(End of this chapter)