Thinking of this, the Empress Dowager began to re-examine the Jiang family and planned to explain the matter to Shen Hechuan in detail when he returned.
We must never blindly give him important responsibilities.
To avoid putting the situation in a passive position.
Meanwhile, Jiang Chongfan had already returned to his residence.
As soon as he entered, his hunched body straightened up, and the somewhat withered air about him vanished instantly, replaced by wisdom and ruthlessness beneath his upright posture.
The Jiang family mansion is very large.
As soon as Jiang Chongfan entered, servants immediately brought a palanquin to a stop in front of him.
Jiang Chongfan sat down, and the servants carried him through the second gate, through the long corridor, and through an exquisite hanging flower gate before stopping.
He got down, and the butler immediately came forward, bowed, and helped him into the study. After he sat down, the butler bowed again and asked in a low voice:
"I wonder, sir, did your trip to the palace go smoothly this time?"
Jiang Chongfan nodded.
"Well enough."
He took a sip of tea as he spoke, and the butler then asked him more questions.
"Have you seen His Majesty?"
Jiang Chongfan shook his head.
"No."
"I did see that child."
"The Crown Prince?"
"Um."
He nodded sullenly.
"He's not very old, but he seems quite clever. I wonder what his personality is like?"
"This old servant has already inquired about him. This child is very clever. Even Grand Tutor Wang has praised him highly."
Moreover, when Shen Wanshan was still alive, he personally took him to court, which shows how much he liked him.
"Furthermore, this old servant has also heard that it was because of this child that Shen Wanshan began to favor our current emperor."
"Therefore, without him, there would be no His Majesty as we know him today."
Jiang Chongfan chuckled softly upon hearing this.
"No wonder he was so devoted to that woman, and argued with his ministers many times for her sake, which even tarnished his reputation."
"How incredibly stupid!"
The butler lowered his head upon hearing this and did not speak.
After a moment, Jiang Chongfan took another sip of tea before continuing to speak.
"Well, she's just a woman anyway, she can't cause any trouble. Our focus now should be on His Majesty."
"Over the years, we have been in Jiangnan and have paid no attention to His Majesty. Now that we have returned, our top priority is to gain His Majesty's trust. Everything else is secondary."
The butler nodded.
"But we can't see His Majesty at all right now."
Jiang Chongfan smiled and snorted coldly.
"Our Emperor is not in Tiandu at all right now, so naturally we cannot see him."
Upon hearing this, the butler looked up abruptly.
What does this mean?
"Hasn't His Majesty been ill for quite some time? He can't even attend the morning court session, so how could he not be in Tiandu?"
Jiang Chongfan snorted coldly, put down his teacup with a soft sound.
"Do you think the Empress Dowager could command an army of 100,000 to press on the border?"
"It must be because our Emperor is currently at the border!"
"But I wonder, what is the purpose of our Emperor's journey to the border? Does he intend to attack the Great Qi?"
The butler didn't understand any of this; he just lowered his head and listened to these words, feeling cold sweat pouring down his back.
Jiang Chongfan remained silent for a moment before standing up.
"Have someone keep watch outside the city, and notify me immediately if any suspicious carriages are spotted."
"We will personally go to welcome His Majesty then."
After saying that, he seemed to remember something and added, "Oh, right, tell Wan'er to prepare herself so she can see His Majesty at any time."
Whether she can catch His Majesty's eye then will depend on her fate.
******
At this moment, in the carriage returning to Tiandu.
Gu Jingchun was leaning against Shen Hechuan's chest, listening to Shen Hechuan recount the events that had happened along the way.
When the key points were mentioned, Gu Jingchun looked very nervous.
Looking at Shen Hechuan, her eyes were filled with heartache and emotion.
However, no matter what kind of gaze it is, it will eventually turn into a seductive look that becomes hazy because of the kiss.
Later, Gu Jingchun simply stopped listening.
She looked at her swollen lips, then slapped Shen Hechuan on the chest, causing him to wail in pain.
"Look at my lips. How can I go out like this? What will your subordinates think of me when they see them?"
"Don't worry, they won't dare look at you."
As Shen Hechuan spoke, he clutched his chest, feigning pain.
Gu Jingchun knew that the guy was faking it, but he was still worried and would always lift up his clothes to take a look.
But every time, Shen Hechuan would catch her, saying that she was lusting after his body.
He would take this opportunity to kiss her, causing her to gasp and moan.
She was certain that if Shen Hechuan hadn't been injured and was in mourning, he would have been a prime candidate for marriage.
It seems that Shen Hechuan will take her right now in the carriage.
Of course, Gu Jingchun couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't be unable to resist forcing himself on her.
However, on this day, Shen Hechuan mentioned the butterfly mark, which made Gu Jingchun frown slightly.
Butterfly imprint?
For some reason, she felt a vague sense of familiarity, but couldn't quite grasp it.
Gu Jingchun wanted to think about it some more, but Shen Hechuan, seeing her furrowed brows, couldn't help but advise her:
"Don't think about it if you can't remember. Since they want to deal with me, they will definitely come again."
"No matter who they are, the truth will come out in time."
Gu Jingchun nodded. Although she was still a little worried, there was nothing she could do at the moment.
As the two were talking, they suddenly heard the sound of horses' hooves coming from behind them, accompanied by shouts.
"Miss Gu, Miss Gu—"
Hearing the sound, Gu Jingchun peeked out and saw Xin Shengyuan chasing after him on horseback.
She quickly ordered the carriage to stop and got off.
Xin Shengyuan also stopped his horse immediately, dismounted, and quickly walked to Gu Jingchun.
Gu Jingchun looked at Xin Shengyuan with a face full of surprise.
"Xin Shengyuan? What brings you here? Is something urgent?"
Xin Shengyuan was panting heavily when he saw Gu Jingchun. He immediately handed Gu Jingchun a box from his arms.
"Miss Gu, I didn't expect you to leave in such a hurry."
As Xin Shengyuan spoke, he scratched his head, looking somewhat embarrassed.
“I went to the village to look for you, but Granny Wang said you had already left, so I hurriedly came after you.”
"This is a gift I specially prepared for you. Do you like it?"
Gu Jingchun left in a hurry this time. Before leaving, he left Granny Wang some silver and some necessities, as well as a jade token of his own. She could use this jade token to withdraw anything from Tianjing Trading Company later.
Gu Jingchun took the box, his face full of surprise.
"You... you chased after them this far just for this box?"
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