Chapter 503: See Through The Appearance To Get At The Essence
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Xiao Jin had just ended the court session to come and join Su Ying and his children for breakfast.
Now, the family of four ate almost all three meals a day together. Unless Xiao Jin was busy with state affairs and couldn’t step away, he never missed a meal. Ling was going to receive lessons from the horseback archery teacher today while Ji was going to the Imperial study to study under Xiao Jin.
Su Ying was very curious. Ji was still so young. Would he understand if he was asked to understudy his father in the Imperial study?
“Mother, I can understand.” Ji’s answer was very certain.
Su Ying chewed on the fresh steamed dumpling and pondered for a long time before asking, “Ji, are you happy?”
What she received in reply was Ji looking at her like she was a fool. However, this was his beloved mother after all, so Ji said very patiently, “Mother, I am’ happy.”
Su Ying looked into his clear yet determined eyes and suddenly realized that the joke was on her.
“Ji has been intelligent since young and has a photographic memory. Don’t underestimate him.” In the end, it was the father who felt sorry for his wife who spoke up to smooth things over.
I m just afraid that the child will feel too much pressure.” It was easy to become psychopathic as a result.
“Mother, I love reading. Reading makes me happy!” Ji added.
Alright.” It was fine as long as he was happy.
Su Ying slowly turned her gaze to Ling. Ling’s little mouth, which was chewing on a bun, paused. With a sad expression, she said, ”Mother, I am not happy at all. I’m not happy because I can’t be with Mother all the time!”
After mastering the celerity skill, she could climb trees to pick bird eggs. She could even pick fruits to eat. She couldn’t be happier!
Su Ying frowned. “Ling, stop pretending. Even a mouthful of buns can’t block the happiness oozing from your mouth.”
Su Ying felt that the two children were getting better at lying to her. They resembled their father very much in this aspect.
After eating their fill, the palace maids took Ling to class. Xiao Jin also got ready to take Ji to the Imperial study to learn.
The two of them had just stood up when a palace maid came to report that Zhou Xiangrong had entered the palace.
Su Ying told someone to bring her in.
Zhou Xiangrong saw Xiao Jin and Ji walking toward her when she walked into the Conjugal Phoenix Palace. She only took a glance before bowing and stepping to the side.
“Your official’s daughter Zhou Xiangrong hereby greets Your Majesty and His Highness the First Prince.”
Zhou Nichang had never met Xiao Jin before. Now that she was able to come into close contact with him, she was completely stunned. She even forgot to pay her respects.
Just as Xiao Jin was about to reach the two of them, Zhou Xiangrong suddenly pushed Zhou Nichang. As she was standing behind Zhou Nichang, everyone’s attention was on Xiao Jin and the rest, so no one noticed the small action on her side.
Zhou Nichang stumbled from the push and lost her balance before falling toward Xiao Jin.
“Argh!”
Zhou Nichang was so terrified that she screamed. However, when she saw Xiao Jin’s face that was so close to her, joy rose in her heart. She wanted to throw herself into Xiao Jin’s arms in her most delicate appearance.
“Gosh!”
However, what she did not expect was that just as she was about to fall on Xiao Jin, Xiao Jin pulled Ji and quickly stepped back. He simply watched idly as Zhou Nichang fell flat on her face.
Zhou Nichang’s knees hit the ground first with a thump. It was so painful that her tears were about to burst out.
“It’s so… so painful…”
The palace maids and eunuchs at the side all stared at her icily. No one was willing to go forward to help her up.
Zhou Xiangrong appeared shocked. She knelt in front of Xiao Jin and begged for mercy. “Your Majesty, please calm down. Younger Sister did not mean to offend you. Please forgive Younger Sister this time, Your Majesty.” Xiao Jin’s dark eyes were chilly. He looked at the two of them without any emotion. “You two are from Marquis Bo An’s Residence?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Xiao Jin thought about how Zhou Xiangrong had cured the plague victims and couldn’t be bothered to hold them accountable for such a trivial matter. “How reckless. If there’s a next time, I won’t forgive you.”
Zhou Nichang was scared silly when she heard Xiao Jin’s heartless words “Please forgive me, Your Majesty. It’s her, it’s this bitch… It is Zhou Xiangrong who pushed me. She wanted to harm me. Please investigate, Your Majesty.” Zhou Nichang really hated Zhou Xiangrong to the core. She had finally gotten so close to the Emperor after much difficulty, but the chance was ruined by this bitch.
Zhou Xiangrong’s face was filled with helplessness and forbearance. “Yes, Your Majesty. Please forgive me. It’s my fault. Younger Sister, don’t say anything more. Apologize to His Majesty and the First Prince first.”
“You were the one who pushed me. What did I do wrong?” Zhou Nichang felt that as long as she pushed the blame on Zhou Xiangrong, Xiao Jin would not think that she had broken the rules.
Zhou Xiangrong lowered her head. No matter how much Zhou Nichang criticized her, she simply tensed up her face and endured it. In the eyes of other people, Zhou Nichang’s arrogance and willfulness were vividly displayed.
“It was clearly this Second Miss Zhou who deliberately threw herself onto the Emperor’s body. Her evil scheme failed and she blamed it on someone else instead. It can be seen that this Eldest Miss Zhou’s life in Marquis Bo An’s Residence is not good either.”
The mam hall wasn’t too far from the corridor, so Su Ying and the others came out when they heard the commotion.
Su Ymg’s gaze swept across Zhou Xiangrong’s silent face and then looked at the furious Bai Shuang. “Bai Shuang.”
“Yes, Your Imperial Highness.”
“In terms of understanding people’s nature, you still have a lot to learn from Lin Zhuyu.”
Bai Shuang was surprised. “Your Imperial Highness, what was I mistaken about?”
Su Ying didn’t like those convoluted tricks that the women’s quarters in the back courtyard liked to engage in, but that didn’t mean she didn’t understand human nature.
Since Zhou Xiangrong had the guts to go to Luo City, it meant that this person was not only smart but also brazen. She was definitely not the type to suffer bullying.
She appeared to be suppressed by Zhou Nichang who was raising a ruckus, but in fact, she had already won in this matter.
“We have to see through the appearance to get at the essence. Go. Don’t let them delay my good son’s studies. Bring them to me.”
Zhou Nichang looked at the Emperor who had walked past until only a comer of his robe was left, and her face could not help showing a disappointed expression.
She then followed Zhou Xiangrong to the main hall of the Conjugal Phoenix Palace to pay her respects to the Empress.
A clear and icy voice rang out from above her head. Zhou Nichang boldly raised her head and met Su Ying’s two clear and chilly eyes.
Zhou Nichang’s gaze swept across Su Ying’s perfectly curved oval face. She first saw Su Ying’s naturally heroic eyebrows, then her languid yet condescending almond-shaped eyes, followed by her high nose bridge with an exquisite nose, and lastly, her slightly down-turned lips when she did not speak.
The Empress was beautiful, but she lacked a certain feminine gentleness. How could men like such a strong woman for a long time? In the end, the one who would be doted on was still a beautiful woman like Zhou Nichang who was as gentle as water.
“You don’t seem very satisfied with my face?”
The icy voice roused Zhou Nichang from her reverie abruptly and she quickly lowered her head in fear. “Please forgive me, Your Imperial Highness. Your Imperial Highness is really too beautiful. For a moment, I was stunned when I saw you.”
Which woman didn’t like to hear others praise her looks? Zhou Nichang felt that her words would definitely make Su Ying happy.
However, Su Ying only responded with an indifferent hum before shifting her gaze to Zhou Xiangrong.
“Zhou Xiangrong, if I remember correctly, I only summoned you. You brought an unrelated person into the palace without my consent. Do you know your crime?”
Zhou Xiangrong calmly pleaded for forgiveness. “It’s my fault. Please forgive me, Your Imperial Highness. I’m willing to bear all the blame for Younger Sister..”