Before leaving, the prince handed over the Prince Chen's Palace and the 30,000 Black Armored Army stationed in Beijing to him. Logically speaking, he could not leave Beijing at will.

However, when a general is away from the court, he may not obey the orders of the king.

This matter concerns the safety of the prince. If it is handed over to someone else, not only will the princess be worried, but he will also be worried...

Su Mubai quickly weighed the pros and cons and made a decision in his mind.

It is enough to have the princess in charge of the capital now. Besides, the emperor suffered a heavy loss this time in the matter of Chu Lingxiao. It is estimated that no matter what he wants to do in the short term, he will think twice before acting and will not do anything stupid again.

"Princess, I will go back and prepare, and set off tomorrow morning." Su Mubai responded with a fist salute.

He didn't stay long. After just a short cup of tea in the hall, he hurriedly said goodbye.

He is now the commander-in-chief of the Five Cities Military Department, and he cannot just leave Beijing. He still has to make some arrangements.

Chu Qianchen was left sitting motionless on the armchair, staring at Su Mubai's leaving back, without saying a word for a long time.

Amber knew that she was worried about the prince, so she comforted him softly, "Princess, the prince will be fine."

Chu Qianchen didn't know whether he heard it or not, and didn't speak for a long time.

Her mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts, all kinds of speculations emerged uncontrollably, and her eyes were filled with undercurrents.

She took two deep breaths, trying to calm herself down, and told herself that she couldn't lose her composure.

The prince has always been cautious, perceptive, and resourceful. No matter who it is, it is not easy to plot against the prince... The prince will definitely be fine.

She took two sips of hot tea and her eyes gradually calmed down.

When Chu Qianchen finished drinking the cup of tea, Shen followed Madam Cai and walked over here.

"Brother Yi has fallen asleep." Shen said as she sat down next to Chu Qianchen.

Thinking that Chu Yunyi almost killed him, Shen felt distressed again and sighed, "This child... I really don't know what to say about him."

"Beat him." Chu Qianchen suggested seriously, "When he recovers, you can give him a good beating."

If you can't convince me, I'll beat you!

Shen was stunned and was amused by her.

The mother and daughter smiled at each other, and the atmosphere suddenly became cheerful.

After a while, Chu Qianchen pursed his lips, looked into Shen's eyes, and said, "Mother, it was Chu Qianhuang's idea to let Brother Yi rescue me so that he could make amends for his crime."

Since Chu Qianhuang dared to do it, Chu Qianchen would not hide it for her.

Although Shen didn't ask anything, when she heard Chu Qianchen say this, there was no trace of surprise on her face.

Not only was she not surprised, she even felt that it was as she expected.

Chu Qianhuang was no longer the daughter she remembered.

"Sister Huang has changed." Shen said in a hoarse voice, only saying these five short words.

In front of Chu Qianchen, Shen never mentioned Chu Qianhuang much.

It was not Chu Qianhuang's fault that Chu Qianchen and Chu Qianhuang were switched, so Shen Shi would not vent her anger, but she could not treat her the same way as before. After all, Chu Qianchen was the most innocent person in this matter, and the one who had suffered injustice for fourteen years was also Chu Qianchen. No one could persuade Chu Qianchen to be magnanimous.

Shen was also afraid that Chu Qianchen would think too much, afraid that she would feel that everything that originally belonged to her was taken away by someone else, even her own mother.

Chu Qianchen thought for a moment and asked, "Now that the title is vacant, mother, what are your plans?"

Shen hesitated, and the teacup in her hand paused in mid-air.

Originally, it was natural for the legitimate son to inherit the title.

But now, the title of Marquis Yongding can be said to be exchanged for Chu Yunyi's life, otherwise, the emperor would definitely take back this title.

Then, Chu Yunmu has no title to inherit.

Under such circumstances, Shen could not say with a clear conscience that the title belonged to Chu Yunmu.

Shen continued to bring the teacup to her lips and drank the tea slowly.

Chu Qianchen naturally saw Shen's hesitation and guessed her thoughts.

In fact, Chu Qianchen still felt that the title of Marquis Yongding should have no longer belonged to the Chu family fifteen years ago.

There is an old saying: If virtue does not match the position, disaster will occur.

What Chu Lingxiao did just verified this statement.

Chu Qianchen smiled sweetly and said slowly, "Mother, Brother Yi wants to join the army, and Brother Mu also wants to be a general. They both have ambitions and determination. What does this little Marquis Yongding mean to you!"

"Is the title of nobility really a kind of honor?!"

"If they really have the ability, then the title is just a shackle that will only confine them to this small piece of land."

"What kind of future they can have will ultimately depend on their own abilities. The ancestors of the Chu family were able to earn the title of Marquis Yongding. If they have the ability, they can also earn their own glory."

"Let's keep the title of Marquis Yongding. They are both still young anyway. If one of them is really unsuccessful in the future, he can inherit the title."

Chu Qianchen said it lightly, and Amber was stunned.

There are so many mansions of royal families and nobles in the capital, and everyone regards the title as their life. Even if they kill each other, they still try their best to inherit the family title. But when Chu Qianchen says it, it seems that only people with no future would inherit the title of their ancestors.

"..." Shen smiled and chuckled again, with interest gleaming in her eyes.

Perhaps only a daughter like her could describe a marquis as so insignificant and unworthy of mention! Her sister Chen was truly extraordinary!

Shen took another sip of tea, chewing over Chu Qianchen's words carefully.

The girl's words sounded extremely arrogant, but after thinking about it carefully, Shen felt that the girl was right.

The title of Marquis Yongding is indeed a shackle to some extent.

Among the nobles in the capital, the Yongding Marquis Mansion had long been in decline and on the fringe of the court. Once one inherits the title, one must put all kinds of thought into revitalizing the Yongding Marquis Mansion. Not only must one do one's job well, but one must also take care of the entire Chu family. The Chu family had long been corrupt and only knew how to ask for things without any effort.

A person's energy is limited. If all his thoughts are spent on those messy mundane affairs, how can he have the energy to realize his ambitions? Instead, he will be restrained by the shackles of the Marquis' Mansion.

To put it another way, if Chu Yunyi and Chu Yunmu were both fixated on the title of Marquis Yongding, their vision and minds would probably be limited, and they would not achieve anything.

If they really have the ability, they may be able to earn themselves a title like the Prince of Chen.

Shen's eyes were like the surface of a lake with ripples on it, clear and transparent. Her face was graceful, yet a bit heroic.

She put down the blue and white porcelain teacup in her hand and said calmly, "It seems I have to go back to the Marquis' Mansion."

Shen knew the Chu family best. Before, the Madam and Chu Lingyu were extremely worried about losing their titles, and now they would fight for the title.

Shen smiled slightly and stroked her sleeves, "I can't let others get away with it."

She has always been a decisive person. She will do whatever she wants to do.

"Mom, I'll see you off." Chu Qianchen also stood up, "Brother Yi should stay in the palace first. The palace is quiet and more suitable for recuperation."

"By the way, when Brother Mu is free, let him come over and play more often."

As Chu Qianchen spoke, she walked out of the hall with Shen, and the mother and daughter chatted leisurely.

On this side, Shen's carriage came out of Prince Chen's Mansion; on the other side, Chu Qianhuang had returned to the Marquis' Mansion and was in Rongfu Hall.

"Grandma, I didn't see Brother Yi." Chu Qianhuang sat next to the lady and said straight to the point.

The lady was lazily leaning on the beauty couch, with a dark red pillow with the Eight Immortals pattern on it behind her. She was also wearing a headband with a dark parrot green pattern on her forehead, which made her face look pale and she looked exhausted.

There was a white porcelain incense burner lit in the room, with smoke emanating from the burner like clouds, and the fragrance was just the right amount.

The lady raised her hand and gestured, indicating Chu Qianhuang to help her sit up.

"Forget it, your second sister's personality... is just like her mother!!" the lady sighed.

The old lady was thinking about how she knelt outside Prince Chen's mansion yesterday morning, and about Shen who had been living in Duke Mu's mansion and not returning to the Marquis's mansion. She was filled with rage and felt that Shen and Chu Qianchen, mother and daughter, were both troublesome people.

Chu Qianchen disliked Chu Qianhuang, so it was natural for him not to allow her to enter Prince Chen's Mansion.

The lady clenched the string of beads in her hand, with a look of surprise on her face.

Chu Qianhuang's eyes flashed, and she gently massaged the lady's shoulders a few times, and then said, "Grandma, don't worry too much. No news is good news. Brother Yi will be fine."

Chu Qianhuang bit her lower lip slightly, her eyes wandering, looking worried yet forcing herself to endure.

The lady noticed that her expression was not right, and her heart skipped a beat, as if something bad had happened.

Just as the Madam was about to ask, the door curtain was raised and a petite, round-faced maid came in. She tiptoed up to her and knelt down to report, "Madam, the Second Madam is here. She said she cooked ginseng and bird's nest porridge for you."

After a pause, the round-faced maid added with a smile: "The Second Madam said that it was a top-grade blood swallow, which she specially sent someone to buy from Jiangnan..."

Upon hearing this, the lady frowned even more tightly and interrupted coldly: "Let her go back."

The lady laughed coldly: "Do you think I can covet a bite of her blood swallow?"

Chu Qianhuang hurriedly advised: "Grandma, Second Aunt is very filial, please don't be angry with her."

When talking about Liu, the old lady would get furious, thinking that it was only her eldest granddaughter who was thinking the best of others.

She raised her hand and gestured, and the maids around her retreated, leaving only Nanny Wang to serve.

The lady sneered and said, "Your second aunt, huh, she can't even pretend!"

"And your second uncle and third uncle all only think about themselves. Your father's sentence has just come down today, and they are already thinking about the title."

"They are usually of no help, but now for the sake of the title, they remember to ask their wives to come to me and pour tea, water and soup for me, and act like filial sons and daughters-in-law."

The old lady held Chu Qianhuang's hand and complained incessantly. She became angrier and angrier as she spoke, and she felt sorry for her eldest son.

"As the saying goes, an elder brother is like a father. But your uncles don't even consider your father as their elder brother."

"They are so heartless. They don't even think about who they relied on to live a good life in the past. Now that your father is in trouble, they are fighting for the title."

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"Your father will be exiled soon. He will suffer a lot on the way. I am worried to the point that my hair has turned white. But they are all worried about who will inherit the title. They are laughing happily, as if there is a wedding going on at home."

“…”

The lady waited for Chu Qianhuang to come back with great difficulty, and she vented all her resentment and dissatisfaction in her heart.

Chu Qianhuang pursed her lips and swallowed back what she was about to say.

She realized that now was not a good time to talk about the title.

Now that the title is vacant, the old lady could have asked the emperor to confer the title of new marquis on her in the name of the former marquis' wife. She knew this, and so did Chu Lingyu, Liu and the others. That's why Liu had just come to give the old lady some bird's nest porridge in an attempt to please her.

Unexpectedly, her flattery backfired.

Chu Qianhuang changed her mind, opened the porcelain lid of a soup bowl on the coffee table, picked up a spoon, and said considerately: "Grandma, don't get angry and hurt yourself."

"Let me feed you some milk Poria cream. This Poria cream can replenish qi and spleen, calm the mind and soothe the nerves. You have lost your appetite recently, so this is the best thing to eat."

When the lady heard this, there was a hint of warmth in her eyes, "Sister Huang, you are still filial."

Chu Qianhuang scooped a spoonful of jade-white milk Poria cocos cream and fed it into the lady's mouth. The warm milk Poria cocos cream melted in her mouth, making the lady feel warm all over.

Chu Qianhuang fed the Madam one spoonful after another of the milk and Poria cocos cream, and said in accordance with her wishes: "Father will be exiled for 800 miles. Although it is lighter than 3,000 miles, he will definitely suffer a lot this time because he has to walk all the way."

"Grandmother, should we help father deal with the officials, prepare some things, and send someone to take him to the place of exile? We should try our best to make father's life a little more comfortable."

The lady felt very relieved to hear that Chu Qianhuang had thought of everything for Chu Lingxiao.

She held Chu Qianhuang's hand and smiled lovingly, "You are so considerate, your father loves you well!"

Nanny Wang chimed in and said, "The eldest girl is really considerate and filial. She is filial to the Marquis... the eldest master and the lady."

Chu Qianhuang put down the soup bowl, poured tea for the lady herself, and smiled slightly with pursed lips.

The lady drank tea to get rid of the aftertaste in her mouth, and thought about how to deal with the officials. She felt that this matter was a bit troublesome, and rubbed her brows with a headache.

The Marquis' Mansion is now out of power, and everyone is pushing it down. No one is willing to give the Mansion face, and all of its old friends are eager to cut off ties with the Mansion.

Although the Chu family now thinks that they have saved their titles for their merits in saving the emperor, Chu Lingxiao was still convicted and stripped of his title. Apart from his official position, he is just a criminal. The other members of the Chu family only hold fifth or sixth rank official positions. In the future, the Yongding Marquisate will probably be even more marginalized in this court.

In this situation, the Chu family can only rely on the Mu Mansion.

For example, if one wanted to help Chu Lingxiao arrange for the officials in the place of exile in advance, the Marquis' Mansion alone would not be enough.

The lady's eyes flickered uncertainly, and she said slowly: "It's time for your mother to come back."

The old lady still had complaints about the fact that Duke Mu's Mansion and Shen's family had been standing idly by in Chu Lingxiao's case, but the situation was stronger than people, and the Marquis' Mansion was now in a precarious situation, so she could only ask for help from Duke Mu's Mansion.

Chu Qianhuang's eyelashes trembled, and she said worriedly: "Grandma, I'm afraid mother doesn't want to come back."

The lady's fingers slowly twirled the string of beads in her hand. She had an idea in her mind and said in a deep voice, "Your mother didn't want to come back before because she blamed your father. Now your father is like this. A night of marriage is a hundred nights of love. She should calm down."

"Besides, even if she doesn't think about herself, she will always consider Mu Ge'er. Mu Ge'er is her lifeblood."

"If I am willing to petition the Emperor to confer the title of Marquis of Yongding on Mu, your mother will probably be willing to come back."

Shen was a smart person, she should know what was important and what was not. Chu Yunmu was the legitimate son, but he was too young. If she submitted a memorial to request that Chu Lingyu be named the new Marquis of Yongding, it would be reasonable and even the emperor would not be able to find fault with it.

What the lady could think of, Chu Qianhuang could also think of.

Chu Qianhuang curled the corners of his mouth slightly in sarcasm, but his expression did not show.

In her opinion, Chu Yunmu was still young. How could a five-year-old child tell whether he could support the Chu family in the future? Moreover, it was too unfair for him to reap the fruits of others' labor without doing anything.

Although she thought so in her heart, she also knew that if she brought up the title now, the lady would definitely be unhappy.

Chu Qianhuang stroked her sleeves and looked to the front right. Outside the window, colorful autumn chrysanthemums were in full bloom. The fragrance of chrysanthemums blew into the house with the wind, and a petal happened to fall on the lady's shoulder.

Chu Qianhuang raised her hand to brush away the petals for the Madam, and replied gently, "Grandma is right."

Ever since Chu Lingxiao was imprisoned, the old lady felt that everything was not going well these days. But today, what Chu Qianhuang said was so pleasing to the ears. She felt that this girl was the most considerate and had the demeanor of the eldest daughter of the marquis's mansion.

"Good boy," Madam Tai patted Chu Qianhuang's hand gently, "Our Chu family was able to keep the title this time, thanks to Brother Yi. I remember everything Brother Yi has done for our family, and your mother will definitely take Brother Yi's kindness into consideration and will not treat him unfairly."

Chu Qianhuang responded obediently, with an attitude of "grandmother is the most respected in everything".

The lady felt very happy both physically and mentally. She felt that Chu Lingyu and Liu, who were almost grandmothers, were not as sensible as Chu Qianhuang, a girl who had not yet reached marriage age. She liked this granddaughter even more in her heart.

She remembered Chu Qianhuang's hesitation to speak and asked again, "Sister Huang, you just said that you didn't see Brother Yi in the palace, so did you see the imperial physician or doctor? Or did Sister Chen say something?"

Chu Qianhuang lowered her eyes, as if she was hesitant, and then said: "Grandmother, from what my second sister said, Brother Yi should be saved. I am just worried about whether it is appropriate for Brother Yi to stay in Prince Chen's Mansion. What if the news gets to the ears of the emperor..."

Hearing this, the lady's expression changed and she frowned again.

The air in the room also became colder.

Chu Qianhuang lowered her voice and said, "Grandmother, I was in the palace and heard from Her Royal Highness the Third Princess that the Emperor has been in a bad mood these days. When His Royal Highness the Crown Prince mentioned Prince Chen to the Emperor, the Emperor hit him on the forehead with a cup..."

The lady's pupils shrank and her face turned pale, as if the emperor's cup had hit her on the head.

Yes, the emperor has always been wary of Prince Chengchen. To put it bluntly, he is simply suspicious of everything. Otherwise, the prince would not have been the target of the emperor's anger several times because of Prince Chen.

At this time, it might not be a good idea for their Chu family to have anything to do with Prince Chen's Mansion.

This time, the emperor agreed to many conditions of Prince Chen's Mansion because of this case, and he was already resentful. Now the emperor thought Chu Lingxiao was just being ambitious, but if the emperor heard that Chu Yunyi moved to Prince Chen's Mansion, he might think that all this was conspired by Prince Chen and Chu Lingxiao in advance, sacrificing Chu Lingxiao in exchange for greater benefits for Prince Chen's Mansion.

Moreover, their Chu family also has a Princess Chen, so they should avoid suspicion.

The lady's face was pale and red, and she was worried. She whispered to herself, "I have to go and take Brother Yi back to the Marquis' Mansion..."

Chu Qianhuang naturally heard the lady's mumbling, and the corners of her lips curled up at an angle that the lady could not see.

She added cautiously, "Grandma, I brought my aunt back."

Aunt?! The lady came back to her senses suddenly, looked at Chu Qianhuang sideways, and frowned, "Your aunt?"

Seeing the lady's unhappy expression, Chu Qianhuang quickly said, "Grandmother, my aunt is worried about Yi Ge'er, so she bribed the people in the laundry shop and sneaked out. She wants to see Yi Ge'er..."

As she spoke, she carefully watched the lady's expression, biting her lower lip slightly, with a bit of trepidation and panic.

The lady was displeased at first, but seeing Chu Qianhuang's cautious look, she felt a little reluctant.

Alas, in the past, when had Chu Qianhuang ever been so cautious in front of me? She was the eldest daughter of the Marquis's family, well-educated, neither arrogant nor humble, and generous. Not like now...

The lady sighed quietly in her heart and hesitated.

Aunt Jiang was the niece of the Taifu, and she had grown up under her care. The Taifu had some feelings for Aunt Jiang, and she couldn't bear to see her suffer in the laundry shop...

But the problem is that at this moment, Aunt Jiang cannot stay in the Marquis' Mansion. If Shen knew about this, she would probably be even more reluctant to come back.

The most urgent task is to bring Shen and Chu Yunmu back to the Marquis' Mansion.

The lady weighed the pros and cons in her mind and had no choice but to give up Aunt Jiang.

"Sister Huang, it's not that I'm cruel..." The lady softened her voice, her eyes gentle and helpless.

Hearing this, Chu Qianhuang already had the answer in her heart, and her heart sank little by little...

The lady thought for a moment and said carefully, "You have seen the current situation of the Marquis's Mansion. Your mother is in charge of everything at home and outside. Your mother is still angry. If she knew that you brought your aunt back..."

The lady sighed and held Chu Qianhuang's hand. "Don't worry, there is a long time to come. Wait a little longer. When your mother calms down, I will take the initiative to bring your aunt back..."

“…”

Whatever the old lady said next was no longer heard by Chu Qianhuang. Chu Qianhuang only felt irony... and felt disappointed.

(End of this chapter)