The young man’s ears turned slightly red, and after a moment, as if he remembered something, his face turned pale again. He stood up abruptly, thinking, “How dare Liu Min do such a thing?”
In the Si Meng Hall of the palace, Consort Chen leaned on the couch, but she no longer had her usual serene and otherworldly demeanor. The colorful embroidery she was working on was left unfinished and tossed aside carelessly, with the intricate threads entangled in a way that was off-putting to look at.
“Old Chen, how is father doing?” Consort Chen asked, pressing her forehead.
Eunuch Chen bowed his head and replied softly, “Things are not going well for the old master. In recent days, both the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War have been scheming against him, and the old master is very angry.”
Consort Chen accidentally shattered a snow jade porcelain vase in front of her, “Zhao Guang, that old scoundrel!” The recent series of mishaps at Duke Chen’s were obviously Zhao Guang’s doing. The Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War had some connections with the General’s Mansion, especially a few stubborn old men who always loved to oppose the Chen family. Their abnormal behavior these past few days, so blatantly provocative, must have been instigated by Zhao Guang.
Eunuch Chen frowned slightly, but he somewhat disagreed with Consort Chen’s thoughts, hesitatingly said, “In my opinion, it may not be the General’s Mansion’s doing.”
“Oh?” Consort Chen glanced at him sideways, with a mocking smile, “Besides them, who else in this court dares to so brazenly trip up the Chen family?”
Only the stubborn warriors of the General’s Mansion would oppose the Duke’s Mansion at every turn. They don’t realize that in the future, the world will belong to her son. When that time comes, crushing the General’s Mansion will be as simple as crushing an ant.
“The General’s Mansion has always been direct and reckless in its actions, but lacks consideration. According to the old master’s words, these incidents were handled swiftly and aggressively. Now, the Empress is only suspicious, but has no way to confirm. The people of the General’s Mansion wouldn’t have such cunning. I dare to guess that it was the handiwork of Prince Jin Ying,” Eunuch Chen analyzed.
“Prince Jin Ying?” Consort Chen’s voice suddenly sharpened, unlike her usual gentle and graceful demeanor. She was unconsciously agitated, “Impossible!” After a pause, she said, “Prince Jin Ying has always been neutral in the court. Why would he oppose the Chen family without reason?”
Eunuch Chen sighed. Was Prince Jin Ying really neutral? He had been struggling in the palace for so many years. Consort Chen was a woman after all, and it was somewhat difficult for a woman to understand the situation in the court. Although Xiao Shao had been labeled a “traitor,” the Emperor’s regard for Xiao Shao did not seem to be treating a remnant of a traitor. Although it was unknown why, Xiao Shao seemed to be in the court over the years, not favoring any side, but his actual power was unfathomable. Who could know his thoughts? Looking at the past few days, Xiao Shao was very concerned about the eldest daughter of the Jiang family. When Consort Chen took action, Xiao Shao had someone send Ye You’s head over, which was a clear statement of his stance. He was going to protect Jiang Ruan. In this way, this kind of suppression of the Chen family, wasn’t it just venting for the Princess of Hong’an?
What Eunuch Chen could think of, Consort Chen could naturally think of as well. After being stunned for a while, she gradually calmed down. As soon as she thought of Xiao Shao taking action against the Chen family for Jiang Ruan, a sense of resentment rose in her heart. She said harshly, “What a Jiang Ruan, she even made Prince Jin Ying look at her differently!”
Eunuch Chen kept his head down and didn’t speak. Consort Chen was deep in thought in the palace. He knew her hidden thoughts as a close eunuch. Since knowing that Xiao Shao and Jiang Ruan had a deep relationship, Consort Chen often lost her composure, which was not a good thing for her. He wanted to remind her, but Consort Chen was always a person with her own ideas and would not listen to his words.
The individual who lost her composure in the Si Meng Hall was now secluded in a corner of the palace. The palace was teeming with people harboring ulterior motives, a reality Jiang Ruan had already experienced in her previous life. In this life, she had transformed into a princess, and those concubines who used to belittle her now had to flatter her upon seeing her. Jiang Ruan herself didn’t pay much heed to these matters, feeling that everyone in the Jiang Mansion was distasteful, and the palace was rife with malicious intents. It was challenging to find a tranquil place.
The Empress Dowager, aware of Jiang Ruan’s preference for tranquility, tidied up the side hall where Princess Yuan Rong used to reside before she left the mansion, and let Jiang Ruan move in. This arrangement was convenient, and the Empress Dowager’s actions led those who enjoyed palace intrigue to ponder deeper, considering that the Princess of Hong’an indeed held a significant position in the Empress Dowager’s esteem.
After Jiang Ruan moved in, she didn’t alter anything inside. The place remained as it was before. Although the Empress Dowager appeared cold, she had never let go of the memory of her prematurely deceased daughter in her heart. Even after many years, everything was still as pristine as before.
Lu Zhu and Tian Zhu were attending to her. After Tian Zhu’s injury healed, she practiced more diligently every day and carried a large concealed weapon with her to prevent unforeseen incidents. Lu Zhu went out to pick flowers early in the morning, but she returned not long after she left.
Tian Zhu was puzzled, “Where are the flowers?”
Lu Zhu’s hands were empty, she scratched her head and stammered, “Flowers… flowers, miss, Prince Xiao is here.”
Jiang Ruan almost spat out a mouthful of tea, indeed, she saw a figure appearing behind Lu Zhu, dressed in black brocade clothes, silver belt, if not Xiao Shao, then who?
Tian Zhu was also taken aback, Lu Zhu touched her nose, looking quite ashamed, “Miss, I couldn’t stop him.”
With Lu Zhu’s ability, it was indeed impossible to stop someone like Xiao Shao. Jiang Ruan put down the book in her hand and said, “I understand.”
Lu Zhu winked at Tian Zhu, Tian Zhu hurriedly said, “We will excuse ourselves now.” Without waiting for Jiang Ruan to respond, she left with Lu Zhu.
The door was closed, and Jiang Ruan watched as the two maids left without hesitation. She felt a touch of annoyance, as these two were increasingly disregarding her as their mistress. Her gaze then fell on the handsome man in front of her. Had this man lost his mind? He just swaggered into the palace, what if someone saw him? Moreover, now that they were alone in a room, he seemed to be more and more at ease.
Xiao Shao didn’t catch Jiang Ruan’s expression. He walked over to the small table, sat down, paused for a moment, and took out a packet from his bosom, placing it on the table.
“What is it?”
“Medicine for injuries,” Xiao Shao said. “The medicine from last time has run out, so I had someone bring new ones.”
Jiang Ruan was taken aback, she hadn’t expected that he came specifically to deliver medicine, and for a moment, she didn’t know what to say.
Xiao Shao casually shifted his gaze away. In fact, he didn’t come solely to deliver medicine, but after listening to Jin San’s words, he somehow found himself here. Fortunately, he didn’t see Liu Min, which made him feel a bit relieved. After a moment of silence, he said, “The selection of the new showgirls is about to begin, and Jiang Quan has prepared a portrait of Jiang Dan.”
Reflecting on when the spy returned and reported what Jiang Quan had said in the mansion, Xiao Shao felt a surge of anger. Jiang Quan had said that if Jiang Ruan wasn’t already a princess, it would be best for her to enter the palace. The emperor was selecting showgirls and specifically wanted one from the Jiang family. Jiang Susu was his most beloved daughter and shouldn’t have to suffer. Jiang Li and Jiang Dan were daughters of concubines, and since Jiang Ruan held the title of the legitimate daughter, she should repay the Jiang Mansion for raising her all these years.
(End of the chapter)
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