Chapter 108 An Encumbrance That Cannot Be Thrown Off
“Yes, Your Highness. They went to the capital city at noon today without fanfare. And they went to the imperial palace as soon as they arrived there!” Xiao Xuanzi respectfully reported to Chu Liuchen.
Chu Liuchen moved his thin lip cape without raising his head. “They don’t want anyone to know that they followed me to the imperial palace. But so what? I’m a casual person, so I go wherever I want at will. What are they trying to find out?”
“Your Highness, what do you mean?” Xiao Xuanzi looked at the innocent smile of his master, unsure of what he meant for a short while.
“I mean nothing. Hasn’t Prince Zhou been looking for them all these days? Just let him see that they go out without taking him!”
Chu Liuchen spoke lazily, with a bigger smile than before, which made him look a little more wicked than he had just looked.
Prince Zhou, who called Chu Liuzhou, was the second son of the emperor. Besides, he also was the legitimate son of the queen, but he hadn’t the primogeniture. However, with his personality, he had never been compatible with Prince Yue, Chu Liuyue, or Prince Xin, Chu Liuxin.
“Yes, I understand!” Xiao Xuanzi knew what he meant. It wasn’t a secret in the capital city that Prince Zhou and Prince Yue had fought for the throne. It was nothing but a spurious brotherhood when they got together.
The two brothers were designated as the eldest son and the legitimate son respectively, which was very difficult for the emperor to select a crown prince. Moreover, the emperor had a son called Chu Liuchen, whose identity of the prince was deposed.
The reason why Chu Liuchen was deposed at that time was simply that he was young. He didn’t do anything wrong. There even had been some secret rumors that the emperor had promised the deceased emperor to pass the throne to his nephew, Chu Liuchen.
These were certainly some rumors but no one had solid evidence.
But even so, many people still held a wait-and-see attitude in private. After all, the deceased emperor was the previous emperor, who had established the country with heroic bearing. Even after so many years, there were still some old courtiers, secretly supporting the deceased emperor and his son, Prince Chen.
“Ningyuan Army General’s Mansion hasn’t left yet?” After finishing one book, Chu Liuchen picked up another one. But as he picked it up in his long hands, he spoke gently while raising his head, with a slight pause.
“I really don’t know about this!” Xiao Xuanzi did not think it was a big deal.
“Stupid!” he said coldly as the smile fled from Chu Liuchen’s face and his face clouded over. He looked down at the files in his hands, looking even paler with his hair hanging down. With his thin and colorless lips closed firmly, he thought for a while, as if about to say something. Raising his long eyelashes, he squinted at Xiao Xuanzi with his black eyes. This made one feel a surge of fear.
He totally wasn’t the handsome young man who had been so quiet and calm.
“Go to find out when they arrive!”
“Yes, I got it!” lowering his head quickly, Xiao Xuanzi replied respectfully. Xiao Xuanzi was a little bit frightened by Chu Liuchen, wondering when he had offended his master because his face didn’t look good. Have they really developed a friendly relationship like that of childish playmates after his master got along with that little young madam for some time?
In all these years, he had never seemed to see the childish side of his little master.
Ever since Xiao Xuanzi had followed Chu Liuchen, the man had always been very steady with people. No matter how angry, evil, or enchanting he was, he would never show his childish side.
Had he really developed a true friendship with that little young madam of the Ningyuan Army General’s Mansion?
Xiao Xuanzi was puzzled because he had no playmates.
“Get out. Out of my way!” looking at Xiao Xuanzi’s stunned look, Chu Liuchen said without a good mood and looked down again.
“Yes, yes, I’ll go to check it immediately. When they arrive there, you can play with the Second Miss of the Qin’s Mansion,” Xiao Xuanzi came back to reality suddenly and said hurriedly. Then he backed out of the room and smiled at the door at the thought of it.
For so many years, his master didn’t even have a good playmate. He was an exquisite boy like a porcelain doll when he was young, and he was even a more delicate porcelain doll after he had grown up.
Porcelain dolls were beautiful, but they had no vitality!
Qin Wanru was unaware that someone had kept thinking about her before she went to the capital city. Old Grandma’s carriage was so large and spacious that there was plenty of room left, even if Old Grandma and Qin Wanru lay in the carriage.
The carriage was covered with thick cushions, so they felt warm and soft.
Qin Wanru chatted with Old Grandma every day and took a nap after lunch. She lived a rather comfortable life.
It was far from Jiangzhou to the capital city. Besides, it was hard to walk fast with such a large team of carriages and old people! Fortunately, with Qin Wanru’s care all the way, Old Grandma was in good health and even looked better. This was a great relief to Qin Huaiyong.
With Old Grandma’s consent, the carriage moved faster.
Qi Baiyu rode with Qin Huaiyong, and he would also pay respect to Old Grandma together with Qin Huaiyong from time to time. Compared with other people of the Qi’s Mansion, Old Grandma was satisfied with Qi Baiyu, feeling that he was the most promising son of Magistrate Qi. Even though he was not the legitimate son of Magistrate Qi, his prospect was beyond measure because he had such a good manner.
They finally arrived in the capital city after traveling a long way. As soon as Qin Huaiyong entered the capital city, he reported to the Ministry of Personnel. And Old Grandma took them to their house in the capital city.
The Qin’s Mansion had a house in the capital city. At that time, Qin Huaiyong’s father was also an official in the capital city, so he made an engagement with the family of Duke Yong. But then he was demoted for being involved in some affairs. Thanks to Qin Huaiyong’s efforts, it was also a great blessing for him to return to the capital city.
When the carriages of the Qin’s Mansion left for the capital city, Qin Huaiyong had already sent a supervisor with a few capable people to the capital city to clean up their house.
When Old Grandma’s carriages arrived there, the supervisor sent someone to meet them at the door and greeted them into the house.
Qin Wanru got out of the carriage, sending Yujie away to rent a house with a few people for her without being noticed. Then she held Old Grandma to go inside. She was slightly stunned at the sight of both Qi Baiyu and Qi Rongzhi getting out of the carriage suddenly.
What were they going to do here if they didn’t go to their houses?
“Old Grandma, as for my elder sister, sorry to bother you!” Qi Baiyu came over and bowed to Old Grandma.
Old Grandma stopped her steps while turning her eyes from Qi Baiyu to Qi Rongzhi. Her eyes were dim. “No problem. Our two families used to be on good terms. Your father hasn’t come to the capital city yet, and your eldest brother was busy with the imperial competitive examination. You were young, so it’s rightful for your sister to live at my house! No problem!”
“Old Grandma, thanks a lot!” Qi Baiyu gave her a sincere salute and then raised his head. “Old Grandma, I’ll go back to my house and offer thanks to you with my brother tomorrow!”
“You’re welcome. Go back first. The journey is really tiring!” Old Grandma said gently.
Qi Baiyu gave a salute to Shui Ruolan and Madam Di respectively and then left.
Qin Wanru blinked and looked at Qi Rongzhi, who looked docile with low eyebrows, to her side. So this meant that Qi Rongzhi would live in her house?
It should be the negotiation result between her father and Magistrate Qi, and it was also the compensation after the General’s Mansion owed Magistrate Qi.
There had been no such thing in her previous life. So, it hadn’t occurred to her for a moment.
On second thought, she felt that as for the Qin’s Mansion, he wasn’t a man who could suffer losses. Since the General’s Mansion owed the Qin’s Mansion over and over again, they had to give something. Qi Rongzhi, an encumbrance, was thrown to the Qin’s Mansion.
And they had no choice but to accept her.
A flicker of coldness went through her beautiful eyes. Setting her eyes on Madam Di, who was full of astonishment and anger, Qin Wanru wore a smile on her pink lips. That was a good idea!
Madam Di was very surprised and angry, not only because she was unwilling to have Qi Rongzhi live in the Qin’s Mansion, but also because as Madam of the Qin’s Mansion, she was totally ignorant of this matter.
“Mother, this thing…” Madam Di’s face fell. She took a cold look at Qi Rongzhi and stopped Old Grandma. “What’s going on?”
Old Grandma stopped, setting her cold eyes on Madam Di. “Just what you see!”
“Mother, why didn’t I know about it?” Madam Di looked pale. She wanted to regain the right of managing the family after going to the capital city, only to find that she made a fool of herself, which made her extremely embarrassed.
“It’s not a nuisance you made? Our family has taken responsibility for you. What more do you want?” Old Grandma said coldly with a snort, increasingly feeling unpleasant about Madam Di, “If it were not for you and Yuru, Magistrate Qi would not let the Young Lady of Qi live in our house.”
What Old Grandma said was indeed unkind, and it not only frustrated Madam Di, but also frustrated Qi Rongzhi.
Qin Wanru looked at Qi Rongzhi calmly, only to find that the Young Lady of Qi, who used to be irritable and arrogant in Jiangzhou, still humbly lowered her head, as if she didn’t hear what her Old Grandma had said.
She looked like a different person!
“Mother, I…” Madam Di felt very embarrassed, and she could no nothing but to stay away. Suddenly, she remembered what Old Grandma meant.
“Go inside, you’re all tired. Ruolan, have the courtyards been arranged?” Old Grandma was unwilling to pay attention to her, continuing to go inside.
“Mother, everything is arranged properly,” Shui Ruolan said softly.
“All of you are tired. Go back to your courtyard first and don’t pay much attention to it. We’ll have a reunion dinner in the evening!” Old Grandma nodded, with a trace of weariness.
Although Old Grandma was still in good health the whole way, she was ineluctably full of tiredness. Just like everybody here, she simply wanted to have a good rest and had no mind for anything else.
In the capital city, their house could be said to be big, having many courtyards. Old Grandma lived in Xinning Yard, and Madam Di in Yulan Pavilion. Shui Ruolan lived in Liufeng Yard, and Qin Yuru in Yalan Xuan. Qin Wanru lived in Zhifang Xuan, and Qi Rongzhi in the guest house.
Now, no one was in the mood to say anything. After having some food, they all had a rest. In the evening, everyone woke up and refreshed themselves for the reunion dinner.
Qin Wanru got up early. She asked Yujie to go to the outer courtyard to take away the coachman who had plotted against her in the Jingxin Monastery and shut him in the room she rented. The magistrate was in such a mess that no one would notice it.
He was a pawn she had deliberately kept. The reason why she left the coachman was that he was related to the Princess of Duke Yangqu. Therefore, the coachman was a hidden pawn.
Old Grandma had not come yet when she arrived at the flower hall. From a distance, she heard a charming voice, as clear as a silver bell with a little bit of affection, and she couldn’t help slowing down her pace.
Was there anyone else? When she got a clear view of the man standing between the two women in the hall, a flicker of gloom showed in her eyes…