Chapter 386: Chapter 373: Bustling, It’s A Good Thing

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All the kimchi that had been pickled a few days ago had now been fermented and tasted quite good, so it was brought out.

Soon after, Fan Wenxuan and Chu Jinzhou arrived and joined Zhuang Qingsui and Zhuang Mingli in the room for studies, while Zhuang Qingning busied herself with the preparation of lunch.

“You must be quite pleased with yourself lately?”

In Qingan Garden, Chu Yunzhao sipped his tea with a smile spreading across his face.

“So-so,” Chu Jinnian responded, as cold and indifferent as ever.

“The tale is spreading like wildfire throughout the capital city. Women from high-ranking households are buzzing with gossip, saying that no man is good all the time and no flower blossoms for a hundred days. The Princess Qi, who used to hold her head high because of the King of Qi’s favor, has now tasted what it’s like to be neglected. It’s quite an intriguing spectacle.”

“Ah, I wonder, this Prince Qi, who used to be fond of lingering in the flower gardens and would not hesitate to hold Mrs. Ruo and her son close to his heart, is now so smitten by Hang Xueyun that he’s cast the others aside. I’m curious what kind of charm this Hang Xueyun possesses.”

Chu Yunzhao lamented.

“Curious?” Chu Jinnian arched an eyebrow, “Why not give it a try yourself?

Chu Yunzhao suddenly choked on his words, picked up a half-eaten almond from the table and threw it at Chu Jinnian, “Stop messing around.”

“I’m just telling the truth.” Chu Jinnian expertly caught the almond and put it back on the plate, then shrugged, “It was you who were curious.”

“That’s not true, you’re just teasing me,” Chu Yunzhao sulked, “I was just puzzled as to why Prince Qi changed his affections so quickly.”

“Well if we look at the context, it’s human nature to change, especially for Prince Qi who is not known for constancy in love. Changing affection is normal for him, he probably just hadn’t met the one who caught his eye before.”

“I’ve heard that after Hang Xueyun’s miscarriage, Prince Qi was utterly heartbroken and indifferent to Princess Qi. In order to compensate Hang Xueyun, he has brought her into his mansion, wanting to give her formal status.”

“The mansion of Prince Qi is going to become extremely lively in the future.”

“Being lively is a good thing,” Chu Jinnian said, a smirk tugging at his lips.

Chu Yunzhao nodded in agreement.

indeed, liveliness was a good thing. With Prince Qi in distress and Mrs. Ruo kept busy, most of their energy would be consumed by the inner house of Prince Qi’s mansion, leaving them with less time to bother Chu Jinnian. As a result, he would be rid of a lot of trouble.

More importantly, if Prince Qi’s mansion was lively, the many pairs of eyes in the capital city would be focused on this matter, which would result in less attention on other issues.

For instance, the Fourth Prince, the son of the favored imperial concubine, Concubine Hui.

However, there was a certain amount of risk involved in this.

The issue of Hang Xueyun was rather abrupt. Anyone who had seen it coming would suspect that it was orchestrated by Chu Jinnian. For him and Chu Jinzhou, who were still growing and didn’t have enough strength to back them up, it might be too early to make an enemy.

Chu Jinnian, who was always prudent and meticulous in his affairs and preferred to manipulate things behind the scenes, couldn’t possibly have taken such a risky move, Chu Yunzhao thought.

Could there possibly be some reasons that forced him to take such actions?

Chu Yunzhao looked over at Chu Jinnian, full of questions.

“Want to ask me why I’m impatient?” Chu Jinnian turned his head slightly and asked.

Chu Yunzhao didn’t answer, tacitly agreeing.

“Because there are some things that, no matter how I think about them, I believe they should be done before this. To avoid any unexpected issues later that might create complications.”

Chu Jinnian said, “Don’t worry, I have it under control.”

Chu Yunzhao naturally had faith in Chu Jinnian, who had always been more careful and thorough in his ways than him.

If he said that there were reasons why he had to act in this way, then there must be valid reasons.

As for what these reasons were, if Chu Jinnian didn’t mention them, Chu Yunzhao would not ask.

“How are the arrangements for the First Prince’s side going along?” Chu Yunzhao asked.

“Everything has been arranged properly, there are already rumors going around. The Empress and the First Prince are already alert and they’ve sent people to probe twice now. Sooner is better than later, so it should happen in the next few days.”

After a brief pause, Chu Jinnian added, “Presumably, it will be after the Mid­Autumn Festival.”

“The Empress’s birthday is on the sixteenth of September, presenting this as a birthday gift could be considered creative and pleasing. The Empress is bound to be thrilled,” Chu Yunzhao grinned and said. “Surely the Empress and the First Prince would not miss this opportunity to please the Empress and showcase their filial piety.”

“But I still wonder, which family’s daughter are you planning on presenting?”

“The daughter of Mr. Liang, the Right Associate Imperial Censor, Liang Zhiyao,” Chu Jinnian answered with a chuckle.

“Mr. Liang?” Chu Yunzhao paused for a while and then smiled again, This Associate Imperial Censor is quite popular in the capital city.”

“Being an Imperial Censor, he has the power to impeach, theoretically being fearless of those in power and not minding making a few enemies along the way. However, he carries out his tasks without any trace and hones a great ambition, knowing exactly what to use as his chess pieces when he doesn’t have any real power.”

“I heard Mr. Liang comes from a poor background and is just a commoner in his family. He’s never been particularly valued at home and they say that he’s quite ruthless in his ways, merely to stand out and hold his head high one day.

“Since Mr. Liang is so ambitious, the daughter he has raised must be quite formidable, too. Just like him. From the status of a fourth-rank official, if his daughter can be the concubine of the First Prince, he can look forward to proving himself.”

“I do think that Mr. Liang will not give up such an opportunity.”

Chu Yunzhao spoke, his smile broadening, “If that’s the case, I imagine the First Prince’s mansion will be even more lively.”

Perhaps even several times dirtier than the affairs in Prince Qi’s mansion. It could be considered revenge for him being unable to be together with Miss Luo in a short period of time.

“Doesn’t the Empress love a bustling environment? For no reason at all, she likes gathering the imperial concubines, for a chat, a cup of tea, or appreciation of flowers. If there are more daughters-in-law in the future, she will surely feel even happier.”

Chu Jinnian looked up at the sky, “At this time of the day, Concubine Hui should be done with her midday nap, right? Could you accompany me to pay our respects to her palatial residence?”

“Knowing you are going to pay respects at this time, I knew you wouldn’t be present at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet,” Chu Yunzhao pouted.

“As usual, Fourth Prince should get used to it,” Chu Jinnian put down the teacup in his hand, stood up, and adjusted his clothes.

Chu Yunzhao also got up, ordered his servants to go to Concubine Hui s residence and inform her, then sighed slightly, “I’m already used to it, but my mother…”

“She’s likely to nag for half an hour before she’s finally satisfied.

“No worries. This time, I promise, Concubine Hui will not feel unhappy, instead, she will be delighted,” Chu Jinnian reassured.