She came early this morning and brought two large carts full of wild game, furs, etc. that she and Gu Jue had brought back from the hunting ground.

Like the Mansion of Duke Mu, the Mansion of Marquis Yongding did not accompany the emperor on the winter hunting trip this time, but for a different reason.

Because Chu Lingxiao was convicted and exiled, although the Yongding Marquisate was lucky enough to retain the title, it is now increasingly marginalized in the court, and they have no part in this winter hunt.

Large-scale hunting activities like winter hunting have always been a declaration of the emperor's will. Now the Marquis's Mansion does not have a single male who can support the family, and the title is still in jeopardy. It is obvious that he has lost the qualification.

When the lady-in-waiting found out that the marquis could not accompany the emperor, she was not very happy. She stayed in the room and did not go out, tossing and turning for several nights. Finally, she caught a minor cold due to her weak body. Now she has recovered, but looks even more haggard.

Shen didn't care. She just wanted to accompany Chu Qianchen to stroll around the hunting ground, but she was a little depressed that she couldn't do it.

Today, seeing her daughter come to visit her as soon as she returned to Beijing, Shen felt as if she was holding honey and felt extremely happy and satisfied.

Shen held Chu Qianchen's hand and kept talking:

"Sister Chen, have you grown taller?"

"Well, you look good too. It seems you had a good time at Xiyuan Palace."

"Tell me, have you gained anything?"

“…”

Most of the time, Shen was the one who was talking, and Chu Qianchen followed suit and answered: "Well, I went hunting with the prince, and I killed all the prey... I also made a shuttlecock for Mu Ge'er."

"Later we went into the mountains to pick wild mushrooms and some wild fruits..."

When talking about the day he spent in the hunting ground, Chu Qianchen's eyebrows danced with joy and his eyes sparkled.

Seeing the little girl's energetic and unsatisfied look, Shen felt relieved and raised her hand to touch her soft hair.

As long as her daughter and the Prince Chen and his wife get along well, she has nothing to worry about.

Shen peeled the orange herself, then divided it into two halves and gave one half to Chu Qianchen.

Chu Qianchen didn't bother to be polite with Shen, and while breaking off a petal, he said, "Mom, Brother Yi also came to pick me up yesterday."

Thinking of Chu Yunyi's proud little look, Chu Qianchen couldn't help but pursed his lips and smiled, revealing a pair of shallow dimples.

The girl has an outstanding appearance to begin with, and the dimples on her lips are the icing on the cake. When she smiles, her whole face becomes lively, bright and pretty.

Shen took a sip of tea and said with some emotion: "Brother Yi has gone through a lot. I have seen him grow up a lot. Now he doesn't run out to race horses or fight birds after class in the Imperial College. I plan to hire a martial arts master for him to come to the mansion. Sister Chen, you can help him later."

Shen looked at Chu Qianchen with gentle eyes. These children grew up too fast, Chu Yunyi and Chu Qianchen too, it seemed like they were just toddlers yesterday, and now they can almost support a family.

Chu Qianchen agreed with a smile, thinking about mentioning it to the prince when he returned.

Shen continued, "There will be a provincial military examination next spring, and Brother Yi plans to take a chance."

Therefore, Shen planned to hire a martial arts master to practice with this kid.

If one wants to stand out from outstanding peers, it is not enough to rely solely on what one has learned in the Imperial College. As far as Shen knows, many royal families and noble families have martial arts masters, for fear that the younger generations will not have the desire to learn.

After a pause, Shen said, "Brother Yi is just too strong-willed. Since he wants to try, let him try."

Shen actually felt that it was too early for Chu Yunyi to take the exam this year, as he was only twelve years old. It would not be too late to take the exam in three years when he was fifteen years old and had fully grown.

However, from the fact that Chu Yunyi risked his life to protect the emperor at Yuanqing Temple just to keep the title of Marquis, Shen also realized that Chu Yunyi was too stubborn and arrogant, and his bad temper needed to be tempered, so it would be good for him to go to the martial arts examination to suffer some setbacks and temper his temper.

As the mother and daughter were talking, Chu Yunmu came in happily.

He came to pay his respects to Mrs. Shen, and then he was going to attend classes at the clan school.

"Chu Qianchen!"

As a result, as soon as he entered the warm room, he saw Chu Qianchen, and his eyes suddenly widened.

"You're back! That's great!" Chu Yunmu forgot to greet his mother. He rushed towards Chu Qianchen like a gust of wind. His short legs consciously climbed onto the kang, and he sat beside Chu Qianchen, pinching Chu Qianchen's sleeve with one hand.

Last night he was thinking about going to Prince Chen's Mansion during his two days off, and wanted to ask his sister if he could also go to the military camp.

Recently, when Chu Yunyi was at home, he always looked at him as if he was a little brat, which made him very unhappy.

So, he also has to go to Xuanjia Camp.

He is already six years old. If he starts practicing now, he will definitely learn faster than Chu Yunyi.

Before he could finish his words, Chu Qianchen took out the colorful shuttlecock that he had prepared long ago and handed it to him, "Here, your gift. I made this shuttlecock myself."

Chu Qianchen came so early today on purpose just to get there before he went to school so that the little guy could be happy.

"For me?" Chu Yunmu snatched the shuttlecock, his eyes shining.

In an instant he forgot exactly what he had intended to say.

Hahaha! Chu Qianchen only brought this shuttlecock over, which was for him, which meant that she brought him a gift specially, but Chu Yunyi didn't.

As expected, Chu Qianchen likes him the most!

He is her favorite Brother Mu! Chu Yunmu smiled contentedly, revealing a row of cute little teeth, and her phoenix eyes, similar to Chu Qianchen's, also curved.

He held the shuttlecock in one hand and pinched Chu Qianchen's sleeve with the other, and boasted happily: "Sister, next time you and brother-in-law take me hunting. Now I can hit the target three out of ten arrows." The seven arrows that hit the target were just a fraction of a second away. After he practices for another month, he will be able to hit the target with all ten arrows.

"As long as mother agrees, I will take you there." Chu Qianchen said with a smile.

She was thinking that after the snow melted in the spring of next year, she could take the kid for a walk in the mountains and forests near the capital that were suitable for hunting.

It doesn't matter if there isn't much prey. She just wants to take Chu Yunmu out to play anyway. As long as she can hunt some rabbits and pheasants, it will be enough for her to entertain the child.

Chu Yunmu opened his pair of clear black and white phoenix eyes and turned his gaze to Shen, blinking his eyes full of anticipation.

Shen smiled and said, "If you go out to play with your sister, you have to listen to her. Can you do that?"

Chu Yunmu immediately patted his chest and promised that he would be obedient.

He has a cheerful personality and is very easy to coax. He was so happy that he couldn't stop smiling. He almost forgot about going to class. It was Dongmei who reminded him.

Only then did he reluctantly get off the kang, looking back every few steps and asking Chu Qianchen to wait for him to have lunch together.

Looking at Chu Yunmu's lively back, Chu Qianchen couldn't help but think of Gu Zhiyan. The smile on his lips faded and he said, "Mother, Qi Niang has not been in good health these days. I saw that my aunt was not in a good spirit during the winter hunt."

Shen frowned slightly.

Children have insufficient physical energy, weak defenses against external pathogens, and are easily affected by external pathogens. Their physique is naturally not as strong as that of adults.

Qi Niang's body is a little weaker than Chu Yunmu's. Since she was a child, she has caught colds and fevers from time to time.

Therefore, Shen Shi first thought of whether Gu Zhiyan had a fever, and asked: "Does Qi Niang have a fever?"

Chu Qianchen did not see Gu Zhiyan during the days he stayed in the Xiyuan Palace, but he had read the pulse cases submitted by Zheng Yuanpan several times, and they were all just common children's fevers.

Chu Qianchen told her everything she knew, and then said, "Qiniang seems to have been ill for a while. However, judging from the pulse record written by the imperial physician, she doesn't have any serious problems. It seems that she is weak as a child..."

Chu Qianchen still had something to say.

She suspected that Gu Zhiyan had some signs of mental disorder, but she had never examined Gu Zhiyan in person, so it was just a guess.

Shen listened and frowned even more. She felt sorry for her sister and niece. She sighed and said, "Sister Chen, you don't know, right? Qi Niang was born prematurely, a tiny little ball. I was really worried that she wouldn't make it."

"Your aunt worked hard to raise her. She had a fever every few days since she was little. Your aunt was a new mother, and she would panic and get scared whenever something was wrong with Qi Niang. I remember when Qi Niang had a fever and was sick, she often stayed up all night to take care of the child."

"Later, when Qi Niang was a little older, around the age of six or seven, her health got better."

Thinking back on these past events, Shen sighed.

However, in recent months, Shen Wan has not returned to Duke Mu's Mansion.

Of course Shen knew why, and she curled her lips in sarcasm.

Why else could it be? Wasn't it because her sister Chen had gone to Duke Mu's mansion several times? !

Shen's eyes turned colder, and she sarcastically talked about the bad things in Prince Jing's mansion:

"The Prince of Jing's Mansion looks magnificent, and it seems like your aunt married into a wealthy family. But in fact, in my opinion, it is not as good as an ordinary noble mansion. It has not been easy for your aunt to have lived there for many years."

"Your uncle is actually the second son. He originally had an older brother who was very outstanding, but he was not the one to inherit the title. Therefore, when he was young, he was a well-known playboy in the capital. He was not good at literature or martial arts. He spent his days hanging out with a bunch of playboys in the capital, and he always said that he would just lie down and enjoy his life."

Thinking of the young, frivolous and ostentatious second son of Prince Jing's mansion, Gu Jin, Shen also found it a little funny.

She took a sip of tea and continued, "No one would have thought that your uncle's eldest brother, the then Crown Prince Gu Qin, would have fallen seriously ill and passed away so early."

"According to the order of seniority, this title will naturally be passed on to the second son, your uncle."

"The Prince's Consort Yang is the successor wife, and she also has a legitimate son, the third child."

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

"Naturally, Yang favored her own son and whispered in the ear of the old prince, wanting to make the third son the crown prince. However, the late emperor felt that he could not bypass your uncle, so he rejected the request and made your uncle the crown prince. After the late prince passed away, your uncle successfully inherited the title. The old prince had made several military achievements in the past, and the late emperor took these contributions into consideration and did not reduce his title in this generation."

"Over the years, Yang and Gu Lao San have been unwilling to accept the title. They have been trying to win over their younger brothers, openly and secretly hoping that your uncle will make a mistake so that they can take away the title."

Shen sneered coldly, "It's so stupid!"

"They don't think about the fact that the present emperor is not the previous emperor, and they are just taking extra care of the deceased old prince. If something really happens that can shake your uncle's title, it will definitely not be a small matter. When the present emperor is furious, the title of the prince's mansion will most likely be taken away directly, and will not be transferred to Gu Lao San."

Shen saw it clearly.

For example, if Prince Jing injured someone while running on the street today, as long as the person was not dead, he could still keep his title. At most, he would be stripped of his current job and fined a few years' salary, and from then on he would just be an idle prince.

Anyway, there are many idle princes in the royal family.

The inheritance of the title of the prince is not a child's play, how can it be transferred at will! Every family has its own problems, and Shen can also understand her sister and brother-in-law.

To put it bluntly, Prince Jing's qualifications are only mediocre compared to his brother Gu Qin, and he knows his own limitations. Since he has no ability to achieve great things, all he can do is to keep his title in the Prince's Mansion.

"Your uncle has had a hard time over the years. He wants to keep the title of the Prince's Mansion, but the Princess Dowager and his brothers are holding him back."

"When the mourning period for the old prince was over, the princess dowager used the excuse that your uncle had few children and stuffed 17 or 18 maids into your uncle's house. You know your aunt's temper, she is very stubborn. Without saying a word, she beat all the maids out and called human traffickers to sell them off."

"Afterwards, the Princess Dowager went to the palace to see the Queen and complained to your aunt, saying that she had dreamed of the old Prince and was so concerned about the heirs of the palace, but in the end it was a thankless job. She also implied that your aunt was jealous and that your uncle and aunt were disrespectful to her stepmother. Because of this matter, the Queen summoned your aunt to the palace several times to give her a lecture, which made your aunt very angry."

"There have been countless similar incidents over the years. Recently, they have even intensified their behavior. Last time, your aunt came to visit me at the Marquis' Mansion. The next day, the Princess Dowager of the County Prince went to the Queen to complain. Later, your uncle was fined for a random crime."

"When your third aunt was in the boudoir, her temper was much more irritable than it is now. Over the years, she has been tossed around by them, and her temper has at least been worn down by half, and she has become more cautious in doing things."

Shen gently patted Chu Qianchen's hand and sighed, "Sister Chen, your aunt loves your uncle, don't blame them."

No one knows a sister better than her elder sister. Shen knew that Shen Wan had feelings for Prince Jing, and the couple had always had a good relationship over the years after their marriage.

From Shen Wan's point of view, it is impossible for Shen Wan to remain indifferent because the emperor was unhappy when she went back to her parents' home or came to the Yongding Marquis' Mansion, and then he took his anger out on Prince Jing.

Prince Jing and Shen Wan had many frustrations and embarrassments. In order to avoid suspicion, Shen Wan could only distance herself from her natal family and sever ties with Prince Chen's Mansion.

Chu Qianchen didn't know much about this uncle whom she had only met a few times. They had never had much dealings with each other, either in the previous life or in this life. Only now did she know about this past event in the Prince's Mansion.

The Prince Jing’s mansion is really chaotic!

Chu Qianchen thought as he leaned towards Shen intimately and said in a tender voice: "Mom, do you think I am such a petty person?"

Shen was amused by Chu Qianchen and echoed: "My sister Chen is the most generous!"

The mother and daughter sat side by side, enjoying themselves very much.

However, Amber, who was standing at the side, looked at Chu Qianchen with a subtle look. His daughter was a person who clearly distinguished between gratitude and resentment. If others did not offend me, I would not offend others. But if others offended her, she would be very fussy and could never be called "magnanimous".

To put it bluntly, Chu Qianchen's indifference is based on the premise that the other party has not offended her.

Shen was still thinking about Shen Wan and his wife, and she casually said, "At the beginning, your grandfather agreed to your uncle's proposal because your uncle was only the second son and would not inherit the title. Your aunt's personality is a little... spoiled. Your grandmother always said that she was not suitable to be the mistress of the house, and it would be best for her to marry the second or third son."

"No one expected that Gu Qin would die at such a young age, leaving no children, and the title was passed on to your uncle by accident..."

In the past, Prince Jing could act recklessly and without scruples, because he had an older brother to support him. But now it is different. He must support the Prince's Mansion by himself. He cannot die with shame in front of his ancestors and his brother...

Shen smiled bitterly. Whose life is easier than whose?

Chu Qianchen personally added tea to Shen's cup and handed the teacup to her.

But before Shen could even take a sip, a round-faced maid came in and said, "Madam, Nanny Han from Duke Mu's residence wants to see you."

Shen smiled and asked someone to invite Nanny Han in quickly.

Unexpectedly, she saw Nanny Han with a sad face, which made Shen's heart skip a beat.

"Aunt, I'm here on the orders of the lady dowager to ask you to come over to your house." While speaking, Nanny Han couldn't help but glance at Chu Qianchen. Unexpectedly, Princess Chen was also there.

Seeing that Nanny Han looked unhappy, Shen almost thought that something had happened to Lady Mu, and asked hurriedly, "Is mother okay?"

"Madam Tai is fine." Nanny Han quickly explained, sighing worriedly, "It's the Princess of Hui'an..."

Nanny Han was a trusted nanny of the wife of Duke Mu. She was of course open to Shen and told her about how Shen Wan had taken Gu Zhiyan, who had a fever, to the Duke's Mansion early in the morning.

Shen: “…”

Chu Qianchen: “…”

The mother and daughter looked at each other, and Chu Qianchen was the first to speak: "Mom, I'll go too."

Shen also had the same idea and nodded.

She didn't even bother to dress up again. She only wore her original home clothes and casually put on a cloak, and hurried away with Chu Qianchen.

The mother and daughter entered the corner gate of Duke Mu's mansion in the marquis's carriage. Before they got off the carriage, a little maid ran to report that Duke Mu's wife, Princess Chen, was also there.

Two sedan chairs were waiting at the ceremonial gate. After getting off the carriages, Shen and Chu Qianchen were carried to the main courtyard of the wife of Duke Mu without even touching the ground.

Neither Lady Mu nor Shen Wan had expected that Chu Qianchen would appear with Shen.

Especially Shen Wan, who looked at Chu Qianchen with extremely complicated eyes, including shock, doubt, uneasiness, worry, etc., and her mind flashed through some of the things that happened in the past six months.

"Mother..." Shen Wan called out softly to the wife of Duke Mu. The wife of Duke Mu knew what she meant and quickly sent the servants away.

As for Gu Zhiyan, she had been taken to the green gauze cabinet by her wet nurse long before Shen and Chu Qianchen arrived.

After a while, most of the warm room was empty, with only the wife of Duke Mu, Shen, Shen Wan and Chu Qianchen left.

The four of them are different in age and temperament, but because they all have the same blood flowing in their bodies, if you look closely, you will find that their eyebrows and eyes are more or less similar.

Shen Wan, who was sitting on the kang, stared at Chu Qianchen with deep eyes. Her overly focused gaze even made Lady Mu, the Duke of Mu, feel a little strange, and she looked back and forth at them.

Lady Mu, the Duke's wife, cleared her throat and asked Shen and Chu Qianchen, mother and daughter, to sit down first.

She was also thinking about her granddaughter's illness, so she didn't bother to exchange pleasantries. She wanted to ask Shen Wan what her plan was, but she saw Shen Wan took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and cast a burning gaze at Chu Qianchen, and suddenly asked: "Are you the miracle doctor of Jishitang?"

The second update will be at 14:00, and I will ask for your monthly ticket by the way~

It’s the fourth day of Riwan.

(End of this chapter)