The black cat curled up beside him into a round, fluffy black ball, sleeping with him in the sunshine, its fur shiny and smooth.
Hearing the sound of the door curtain being opened, Gu Jue opened his eyes and looked in the direction of Chu Qianchen. His narrow eyes were half closed, curved in a shallow arc, with the inner corners of his eyes curled inward, and the tails of his eyes were very long and slightly raised upwards, as if they were carefully outlined by a master of painting.
Chu Qianchen smiled, quickened his pace, and lay down on the beauty couch.
The beauty couch was not big to begin with, and after she lay down on it, it suddenly became crowded, squeezing the cat's space as well.
The black cat opened its eyes lazily and looked at her. It could only yawn while adjusting its sleeping position, turning itself into a long strip, and then closed its eyes and continued to sleep.
Chu Qianchen has become accustomed to reporting to Gu Jue what he saw and heard today when he gets home, and telling him about the dirty deeds of the Chu family and Kang Hongda.
This incident was not surprising. People in Gu Jue's position had heard more outrageous and dirty things. But this time, Gu Jue was angry.
Before, when Jiang Yuan came to ask for the appointment letter on the orders of Chu Qianchen, Gu Jue didn't even ask about the cause and effect and just told the chief secretary to do it. Only now did he know the whole story.
The little girl he raised well and whom he wanted to hold in the palm of his hand heard these dirty things for no reason.
Gu Jue couldn't help but raise his hand to touch her right ear and rub it.
Her ears were pure white, small and delicate like shells, except for the fleshy earlobes. In the sunlight, the fine hairs on her ears appeared translucent.
Chu Qianchen blinked, thought about it, and raised his hand to touch his ear, rubbing his cold earlobe to warm it up.
While rubbing his ears, she asked, "Your Majesty, if my mother and Chu Lingxiao divorce, and she wants to take Mu Ge'er away, what should I do?"
Gu Jue said as a matter of course: "Then we have to let the Chu family 'take the initiative' to give it."
Divorce by peaceful consent is easy, but it is not so easy for Shen to divorce Chu Lingxiao and take away the only legitimate son of her husband's family. She has to find another way.
"Yeah." Chu Qianchen responded and nodded.
The problem with this matter is the degree. We need to put pressure on the Chu family, but at the same time, we need to strike just the right balance so as not to force them to the point where they would rather die than fight to the death...
While thinking, Chu Qianchen subconsciously leaned towards Gu Jue again.
"Meow!" The black cat, who was almost crushed into a cat pancake by the two men, became angry. After baring its teeth for a while, it kicked its hind legs, jumped onto the windowsill, turned around, gave the two men a look of contempt, and left.
Gu Jue: “…”
Chu Qianchen: “…”
Chu Qianchen's fingers crawled from Gu Jue's ear along the well-defined jawline to his chin. He had no beard and his chin looked smooth, but when her fingertips touched the skin of his chin, she could feel the fine stubble, which felt itchy.
Chu Qianchen chuckled as if he had discovered some little secret, and then said, "Prince, do you think you should tell Brother Yi about Kang Hongda?"
In Chu Qianchen's opinion, this matter should be said so that Chu Yunyi can be prepared.
However, she knew Chu Yunyi's personality. He was proud and awkward. If he knew that he was abandoned by his family, it would be a huge blow to him. She was not sure if he could hold on, after all, he was only twelve years old.
For the sake of his family and the title of the Chu family, Chu Yunyi risked his life.
Unlike her, she has lived two lives and no longer cares about these things. No matter what the Chu family does, it can't hurt her at all.
"Let Yunzhan speak." Gu Jue also imitated her movements, his fingertips sliding from her delicate and shiny earlobe to her chin, and gently stroking the shallow dimple on her chin, as gentle as a feather.
Chu Yunyi is a boy after all, and Chu Qianchen is his sister, so some things are not appropriate for her to say. And he doesn't want his little girl to think about these dirty things all day long.
He added: "It's better for men to drink and talk."
"Yeah." Chu Qianchen responded obediently, thinking it made sense.
Anyway, whatever the prince says makes sense!
Chu Qianchen felt relieved after leaving the matter to the prince. She added, "Brother Mu and Brother Yi will stay in the palace for a while." She squinted her eyes and smiled like a cunning little fox. "I've also left Brother Mu to Yun Zhan."
Chu Qianchen threw herself into Gu Jue’s arms and giggled.
She had seen Yunzhan taking care of children and found that he was much more patient than her.
In her previous life, her master Lin Miao once said that although she looked docile and gentle, she was actually covered in thorns.
"That's good." Gu Jue also smiled, his voice low and mellow.
He stretched out his long arms, embraced her slender waist, and gently stroked her back with his palms.
She was surrounded by his warm breath, and her heart was also warm. She adjusted her posture slightly, being careful not to touch the knife wound on his chest.
Chu Qianchen closed his eyes and dozed off for a while, but was woken up by someone before he had slept for a while.
"Ahem." Jingfeng coughed twice outside and said stiffly, "My Lord, the Crown Prince is here."
When Chu Qianchen heard the keyword "Crown Prince", he opened his eyes immediately, and there was no trace of sleepiness in his clear phoenix eyes.
Gu Jue rubbed her head and said, "You fall asleep, I'll go see him."
Chu Qianchen responded softly.
Gu Jue looked at her well-behaved appearance, his eyes filled with endless sweetness. He leaned over and kissed her on the tip of her chin before getting up from the beauty bed.
He tidied his appearance a little and went to the outer room.
Chu Qianchen, who was lying in the inner room, turned over on the beauty couch and watched Gu Jue go to the outer room. After a while, Gu Nanjin's familiar voice came from outside: "Ninth Uncle, Haoren will leave Beijing the day after tomorrow."
Gu Jue didn't say anything and just drank his tea.
Gu Nanjin continued, "I have always suspected that Hao Ren compromised so easily on the marriage exchange because he had other intentions. I originally wanted to keep Hao Ren for a while longer, but my father..."
Gu Nanjin sighed quietly and bowed to Gu Jue solemnly: "I still want your guidance, Uncle Nine."
Gu Jue was still drinking tea without saying a word.
Gu Nanjin maintained the posture of bowing, lowering his posture even lower and looking solemn.
Chu Qianchen in the inner room also heard what Gu Nanjin said. He frowned and stared at the door curtain leading to the outer room. He felt that the prince did not treat him as an outsider.
“Meow!”
The cat seemed to agree with her. It jumped lightly onto the windowsill, looked around curiously, and then left, chasing sparrows, playing with dogtail grass, and running around wildly, having a lot of fun.
In early spring, white magnolia buds begin to bloom one by one on the treetops, pure white, like jade lanterns, and the air is filled with the rich fragrance of magnolia flowers.
The magnolias in Prince Chen's Palace and throughout the capital were all in full bloom, white, pink, purple, and red... But no one in the Yongding Marquis's Mansion was in the mood to appreciate them. The atmosphere in the mansion seemed to still be immersed in the cold winter.
Ever since Shen returned to Duke Mu's Mansion, there has been no peace in the mansion. The brothers Chu Lingxiao and Chu Lingyu have been arguing over that assignment and quarreling every day.
The old lady had a headache. Every day she was busy trying to stop quarrels and helping her eldest son persuade her second son to put the Marquis's Mansion first. No one in the family could convince anyone else, and the family was in a mess. They almost forgot that Chu Qianhuang was about to leave with Andaman and the others.
Chu Qianhuang naturally knew what they were arguing about, but she couldn't do anything about it. She felt a little bitter in her heart and packed her luggage silently.
In fact, she had already packed most of her luggage, and she had just been checking and filling in the gaps in the past two days.
Chu Qianhuang was just a concubine, and the things she could carry with her were limited. She had to reduce her luggage as much as possible, but she couldn't miss out on the necessities.
Chu Qianhuang looked at the list again, and suddenly, the maid came to report that Aunt Jiang had arrived.
Aunt Jiang wore a willow-colored jacket with dark patterns and a long emerald green lace skirt. These clothes were old clothes that she had left in the Marquis' Mansion. She had only worn them once or twice and they were 90% new, but they were obviously a lot looser.
Her black hair was tied into a crescent-shaped bun with a pair of golden lotus hairpins inserted diagonally. Her face was also powdered to cover up her sallow complexion. She looked like a completely different person from when she had just returned to Beijing two days ago.
"Sister Huang," Aunt Jiang grabbed Chu Qianhuang's hand with one hand, and took out a banknote from her bosom with the other hand and stuffed it into her hand, "Keep this. This is what I have saved up through hard work over the years."
She looked at Chu Qianhuang with tears in her eyes, choking with sobs.
Holding the banknote that was crumpled by Aunt Jiang, Chu Qianhuang felt warm in her heart, as if a warm current was flowing through her, and she felt a little moved.
“Sister Huang!” Aunt Jiang hugged Chu Qianhuang tightly, her slender body trembling, and said sadly, “I’m sorry for you! Aunt Jiang is sorry for you!”
After a while, her choked voice sounded again: "I am just an aunt, although your father and I grew up together..."
As she spoke, she sobbed twice and could not go on. Her voice was sad and sorrowful, filled with a thousand kinds of tenderness and a thousand kinds of grievances.
Even if Aunt Jiang didn't continue, Chu Qianhuang understood what she had left unsaid.
She knew that Aunt Jiang was also powerless. Aunt Jiang was just an orphan, helpless, without a father or brother to rely on. She could only watch her beloved being taken away by others. She could only live her life under the control of the Shen family with grievances... She could only accompany Chu Lingxiao to Youzhou when he was exiled.
Aunt Jiang has had a very difficult time over the past decade.
Chu Qianhuang also felt bad and empathized with him. She whispered, "Aunt, I understand."
Aunt Jiang's body trembled violently again, and then she continued: "Sister Huang, you are my first child. At the beginning..."
As she said that, she let go of Chu Qianhuang, and that tearful face appeared in Chu Qianhuang's eyes.
Tears welled up in Aunt Jiang's eyes again, her eyes were a little dazed and her face showed tenderness.
"I know that if you stay with me, you will only be a concubine's daughter. No matter how outstanding you are, you will be looked down upon. That's why... your father said..."
"Hey, you've been wronged. It was all because of my impulsiveness... Over the years, I've been heartbroken watching you."
"Don't blame your father. It was me who didn't stop him..."
Aunt Jiang spoke incoherently, implying that it was Chu Lingxiao's idea to swap the two children, and that she was too weak and allowed things to go wrong step by step.
She raised her hand, her once smooth and delicate fingers now rough, and gently wiped across Chu Qianhuang's fair and translucent face, stroking it gently, her fingers trembling, she took a deep breath, and said, "Over the years, I have always been watching you...but I dare not get close to you."
Chu Qianhuang felt depressed by Aunt Jiang's words, and was also a little moved. Her eyes began to turn red, and she said again: "Aunt, I really understand."
"..." Aunt Jiang sobbed again, lowered her eyes sadly, wiped her tears with a handkerchief, and a strange light flashed in her eyes.
Chu Qianhuang didn't notice it at all. When she saw Aunt Jiang started crying again, she hugged her gently.
The mother and daughter snuggled together, hugged each other and cried bitterly, which made Baoqin, who was standing beside them, start wiping her tears with a handkerchief.
Aunt Jiang cried until her eyes were red and swollen, and her voice was a little hoarse: "I came back late. In the past few months, I have been worried in Youzhou, afraid that you would be... abused. I was always worried to the point of not being able to eat or sleep at night."
"Unfortunately, Youzhou is thousands of miles away from the capital, and the news is isolated. It is not easy to find out any news about the capital. I only knew you after returning to the capital..."
As she spoke, tears began to fall again, and I felt even more sorry for her.
Chu Qianhuang held a handkerchief and personally wiped away Aunt Jiang's tears. The tears washed away some of her makeup, revealing the sallow skin underneath and the fine lines at the corners of her eyes.
It's been less than half a year and Aunt Jiang has aged so much.
In the past, Aunt Jiang took good care of herself and looked like she was in her early twenties, but now she is haggard and looks several years older than her actual age.
Although Aunt Jiang and Shen are of the same age, they have different fates. Unlike Shen, she lives a life of luxury in the capital every day, maintains a good appearance, and has hands as smooth and delicate as those of a 28-year-old girl.
This world is so unfair! Aunt Jiang took a deep breath, calmed down a little, and then said: "Sister Huang, you are leaving now. I am just a concubine and can't do anything. What I can do is to give you all my money, although it is not much. You should keep it well, it will definitely be useful in the future."
"Don't worry, when your brother grows up, you'll have someone to rely on even if you're in Nanhao."
Aunt Jiang held Chu Qianhuang's hand sincerely, as if she wanted to pour out her heart to her.
Chu Qianhuang looked at Aunt Jiang with emotion. Thinking about Shen's partiality and the weakness of the lady dowager, she felt that only her biological mother was truly kind to her.
only……
Chu Qianhuang sighed faintly and said helplessly: "Aunt, Brother Yi treats my second sister better."
Ever since the incident of guarding the emperor at Yuanqing Temple last year, Chu Yunyi had obviously become distant from her, and the two siblings had spoken very few words to each other in the past few months.
Chu Qianhuang felt an indescribable feeling in her heart. It was clearly Chu Yunyi who asked her to give advice, and it was clearly Chu Yunyi who got what he wanted, but in the end, it seemed as if she had ulterior motives.
6◇9◇Book◇Bar
Chu Qianhuang was a little absent-minded.
Aunt Jiang's eyelids trembled twice, and she consoled her earnestly, "Sister Huang, you are real siblings!"
"Brother Yi was just fooled by your second sister for a while. She is just good at pretending, but time will tell. In the past, she always acted very filial in front of me, but what happened later?"
"People always say that the grace of raising a child is greater than the grace of giving birth to a child..."
Aunt Jiang added one more sentence half sighing and half sentimentally, and then stopped talking without further ado, causing the listeners to imagine a lot.
Chu Qianhuang pursed her lips and said nothing. She recalled how Chu Qianchen had always been obedient to Aunt Jiang but now he had turned against her. She agreed with that deeply.
Aunt Jiang noticed the changes in Chu Qianhuang's expression. The cold light in her eyes was fierce and gloomy. She continued, "Brother Yi is young and straightforward. He even said that the Imperial College... Hey!"
She ended with a long sigh and said no more.
Baoqin's eyes turned red again after listening to this, thinking that both her own girl and Aunt Jiang had a hard time. Unfortunately, the eldest young master was young and hot-tempered, and was coaxed away by the second girl, thus becoming estranged from his real relatives.
Chu Qianhuang pursed her lips even tighter. She also knew that Chu Yunyi had dropped out of the Imperial College. When she heard Aunt Jiang say this, she couldn't help but wonder: Could it be that Chu Qianchen also instigated Chu Yunyi to drop out of the Imperial College? Chu Qianhuang could only comfort Aunt Jiang: "Aunt, you also said that Brother Yi is still young. He has a promising future and can take the military examination in the future."
"Mencius said: When Heaven is about to confer a great responsibility on a man, it will first test his mind and will, exhaust his muscles and bones, and starve his body..."
Chu Qianhuang comforted Aunt Jiang in a gentle voice.
Unexpectedly, Aunt Jiang's expression suddenly changed, her eyes widened, and she tightly grasped Chu Qianhuang's wrist with one hand, and said with difficulty: "Children are a piece of flesh and blood that fell from their mothers. How can I bear to watch Brother Yi suffer!"
"Brother Yi has suffered so much. Sister Chen schemed against him, and even his second uncle..."
As Aunt Jiang spoke, she burst into tears, like the magnolia flowers on their branches wet by the spring rain.
Thinking about the fact that Kang Hongda fell in love with Chu Yunyi, and the conversation she heard in Rongfu Hall that day, Chu Qianhuang's eyes became dazed and she pursed her lips subconsciously.
Aunt Jiang stared at Chu Qianhuang intently, and her heart suddenly sank.
She immediately realized that Chu Qianhuang was also an insider! The overwhelming hatred surged up in an instant, occupying Aunt Jiang's heart and eyes. Her chest rose and fell violently, as if it was about to explode.
On the day she returned to Beijing, Aunt Jiang didn't know what happened, but she knew that the brothers Chu Lingxiao and Chu Lingyu had quarreled over an errand, and the quarrel was fierce. Aunt Jiang was not surprised by this, but was just curious about what kind of errand they were quarreling over that even the lady couldn't appease them.
In the past two days, Aunt Jiang has been serving Chu Lingxiao with great care and diligence. After testing him again and again, Chu Lingxiao, who was also angry, told her that Kang Hongda had a crush on Chu Yunyi and that Chu Lingyu and Kang Hongda had secretly reached some unspeakable agreement.
Chu Lingxiao angrily denounced Chu Lingyu and said that he was completely unaware of the matter before returning to Beijing.
Aunt Jiang believed what Chu Lingxiao said. After all, she saw Chu Lingxiao's anxiety and tossing on the way back to Beijing.
Aunt Jiang hated Chu Lingyu and also hated the lady. She knew that both mother and son must have known about it and wanted to use her son to benefit the Chu family! !
After a while, Aunt Jiang slowly calmed down and regained her composure. Her dark eyes were like a century-old well.
"Your uncle is so cruel!" Aunt Jiang picked up the handkerchief soaked with tears and pressed it against her eyes. Her eyes became even redder. "I am useless. I can't protect you or Brother Yi either."
When it comes to her son, Aunt Jiang's grief comes from the bottom of her heart.
Chu Qianhuang was touched by Aunt Jiang's motherly love, so she gently stroked her back and said, "Aunt, father is here."
"Your father?" Aunt Jiang smiled sadly, her eyes misty with tears, and asked, "Sister Huang, do you really believe that your father can protect you and your brother?"
Aunt Jiang has lived with Chu Lingxiao for twenty years. She has spent more time on Chu Lingxiao than anyone else and understands him far better than anyone else.
Even if Chu Lingxiao avoided the question, she could guess that Chu Lingxiao must have once thought of using Chu Yunyi to trade with Kang Hongda.
For the sake of his title, Chu Lingxiao would not give up anything. It all depended on how he could gain greater benefits.
After all, Chu Yunyi is not Chu Lingxiao's only son.
But Chu Yunyi is her life.
No one else can compare to her, and everyone else is unreliable. Only her son is her biological son, and he is her last resort. He can ask for a decree for her in the future, and no one else can.
Aunt Jiang knew very well that if Chu Yunyi wanted to inherit the title, he had to rely on Chu Lingxiao, so she didn't want to fall out with Chu Lingxiao.
However, she also didn't want to let Chu Lingyu, the culprit, go.
"..."Faced with Aunt Jiang's question, Chu Qianhuang was speechless and couldn't say anything against her conscience.
When her and Chu Qianchen's life stories were revealed, Chu Lingxiao was imprisoned and failed to protect her. He was then exiled to Youzhou, and then he returned to the capital.
The father and daughter have not had the chance to have a good talk until now, but she knows that Aunt Jiang is right. If Chu Lingxiao really felt that she was wronged, he should have come to see her in the past two days.
Her father was very heartless, so he could walk between two women safely for so many years. Men have always been like this since ancient times.
Aunt Jiang said softly, "Sister Huang, you two are the only siblings who are connected by blood. You can rely on and support each other."
"You watched Brother Yi grow up. Don't you know his personality? If someone dares to bully you today, he will be the first one to stand up for you!"
Thinking of the young man who risked his life to keep his title, Chu Qianhuang nodded subconsciously, as if thinking about something.
For her, even if she went to Hao Kingdom, it did not mean that she had to completely cut off contact with Da Qi. If she could have some support in Da Qi, she would have an extra way out in the future and would be looked up to in Hao Kingdom.
Yes, she was also crazy. She had been resentful towards the Shen family for some time, but she forgot that Chu Yunyi was her younger brother and they were related by blood. Even though he was coaxed away by Chu Qianchen now, she was just thinking in the wrong way.
Since childhood, Chu Yunyi and she have been closer and more compatible! Chu Yunyi treats people with sincerity, even in her dream, he is a clean person.
In this marquis's mansion, he is the most trustworthy person.
Chu Qianhuang held Aunt Jiang's hand and said with a smile: "Aunt, Brother Yi and I will definitely support each other."
"That's good! That's good!" Aunt Jiang said repeatedly, finally bursting into laughter, her bright eyes red and swollen from crying, "You've always been smart and have the best ideas. Aunt Jiang has been worried and unable to sleep these past few days. I really have no choice but to ask you for advice."
"Do you know that your second sister said that she wanted your second uncle to go to Youzhou to take the blame for your father, and she also took out a job at the Military Selection and Purification Department of the Ministry of War to win over your father?"
Chu Qianhuang understood after thinking about it for a moment.
Chu Qianchen clearly wanted to cause the brothers Chu Lingxiao and Chu Lingyu to turn against each other because of this. Chu Lingxiao wanted not only the job, but also the title of Marquis Yongding.
If Chu Lingxiao really took back the title, it is conceivable that he would lean towards Chu Qianchen and distance himself from himself!
It would be even more inappropriate to let Chu Lingyu inherit the title. He and his second aunt Liu are as narrow-minded as needles. When the day comes that he inherits the title, the first person they will suppress will be the eldest branch of the family.
Therefore, it is best to give the title to Chu Yunyi, so that she will be the biological sister of Marquis Yongding.
Chu Qianhuang hesitated for a moment before saying, "Don't worry, Auntie. I'll think of a way."
Chu Qianhuang didn't say anything final. There were still many uncertainties in this matter. For example, Shen was now clamoring to divorce Chu Lingxiao and even wanted to take Chu Yunmu away. If that was true, Chu Yunyi would have one less competitor. She was worried that Shen was retreating to advance.
Regardless of whether this matter succeeds or not, if Chu Yunyi knew what she had done for him, he would at least accept her kindness as his sister.
"Sister Huang, don't be too embarrassed." Aunt Jiang held Chu Qianhuang's hand, stared into her eyes and said, "I know you are going to Nanhao soon. It's not easy for you either."
"I just want you to give me some advice..."
Aunt Jiang spoke incoherently, biting her lower lip slightly. She looked so fragile, so nervous, so flustered, and yet revealed the tenacity of a mother.
"Aunt, don't worry." Chu Qianhuang raised his arms and hugged Aunt Jiang again, patting her thin back gently.
Aunt Jiang rested her chin on Chu Qianhuang's right shoulder, and her expression changed in an instant.
There was no expression on that pretty oval face, as if covered with a layer of frost. Her eyes were deep and boundless, filled with a determination to win, as if everything was under her control.
I don't know when a drizzle started falling outside the window, wetting the magnolia flowers on the branches. The raindrops on the jade-like petals looked like round crystals.
The ground was gradually wetted by the drizzle.
When Aunt Jiang came, she didn't hold an umbrella. When she left, Chu Qianhuang personally held the umbrella and sent her back to her yard.
Afterwards, Chu Qianhuang did not return to her Yuelu Courtyard, but went out alone in a carriage.
Now that Shen was no longer in the Marquis' Mansion and was about to depart, Chu Qianhuang no longer had to hide or act secretly, and took the initiative to go to the posthouse to ask for an audience with Prince Andaman.
Andaman didn't expect Chu Qianhuang to come and was a little surprised, but he still had someone lead her to the pavilion in the yard.
The drizzle was still falling, neither getting heavier nor stopping. The raindrops hit the green bamboos in the courtyard, making a rustling sound.
"Miss Chu, please take a seat." Andaman asked Chu Qianhuang to sit down. Her brown eyes seemed to be smiling, but beneath the smile was an unconcealable shrewdness and sharpness.
The two sat opposite each other in the pavilion, separated by a stone table.
A servant brought tea, and Andaman smiled and invited Chu Qianhuang to drink tea without asking her why she came. He knew that she would not come to him for tea for nothing.
Facing a smart person, Chu Qianhuang simply stated her purpose: "Prince, we are about to leave Beijing, and I am worried about my brother. I want to ask you for help with something."
Andaman: "..."
Andaman sighed and awkwardly played Tai Chi with Chu Qianhuang: "Miss Chu, this is the territory of Da Qi after all. There is an old saying in the Central Plains: A strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake."
Chu Qianhuang knew that Andaman was just evading the question, so she smiled and said, "Don't worry, Prince. I won't ask for your help in vain."
In the past, Andaman would not have believed the wild words of such a little girl, but after seeing the power of the new bow, he looked at the noble lady of Da Qi in front of him with a different eye and waited patiently for her to make her conditions.
Chu Qianhuang said confidently: "Although Hao State is located in the south and is a land of rice and fish, droughts have occurred frequently in various states in recent years, and food is insufficient. I know a crop that can produce 800 kilograms per mu. I wonder if the prince is interested?"
(End of this chapter)
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