At that moment, the tightly closed door suddenly swung open, and Xie Xianqing stepped out: “Naturally, there is none.”
His gaze was calm, his expression composed, eyes turning to the Fifth Prince. “Today’s matter is trivial, and you, Fifth Prince, surely are not the scheming type, one without the capacity to tolerate others…”
As soon as he spoke, everyone else’s expressions shifted, especially the Fifth Prince. Chen Jiao’s face was exaggerated, yet inwardly she thought, well done!
Truly befitting the Crown Prince, with just a few words he had pinned the label of “deeply scheming, lacking tolerance” onto the Fifth Prince. Six short characters, and it was a psychological blow that cut straight to the heart.
One who cannot tolerate others, how could he ever be emperor? Ridiculous!
As expected, the Fifth Prince turned, gritting his teeth as he said in a low voice, “It’s a misunderstanding. I spoke out of turn; Chen Jiao need not take it to heart.”
The guard who had spoken earlier, showing flexibility, immediately bowed down: “I acknowledge my mistake, please forgive me, Chen Jiao!”
Chen Jiao, as if oblivious to the exchange between the princes, relaxed and patted her chest: “That’s good, that’s good. After all, I am the sole heir of the Chen family for three generations, my parents had me in their forties, the only precious child of the Chen household!”
Everyone else: …How shameless!!
Hearing Chen Jiao openly declare she was the Chen family’s only heir, everyone’s minds went numb.
The Crown Prince, however, understood the subtle meaning behind her playful words, and his gloomy mood lifted slightly.
Chen Jiao, completely unaware of the disdain in others’ hearts, continued, “If anything happened to me because I offended the Fifth Prince, like being beaten on the street with a sack over my head, or disappearing into some river, my parents and grandparents would surely be frantic with worry and anger, and might even suspect the Fifth Prince as the culprit…”
She wiped her face, sighed, and added, “Poor grandparents, at their age, with my grandfather’s bold and brave nature, he might risk his life and meet his enemy in mutual destruction.”
At this, no one had the time to mock Chen Jiao’s crude phrasing. Her words reminded them of her special status.
Three generations with no other heirs, the only child of the Chen family, the son born to the Yong’an Marquis in his forties, Princess Yihe’s only child!
Most ancient noble families were populous, especially aristocratic ones, and few were as unique as the Chen family. If anything happened to her, the Yong’an Marquis household would likely fight to the death.
The Yong’an Marquis was a scholar, yet everyone nearly forgot that the family had risen to prominence because the Old Marquis had fought alongside the great-grandfather in campaigns across the land. With such a military background, no one could underestimate the network of his subordinates.
Realizing this, the furious Fifth Prince also calmed down.
He understood that Chen Jiao was a hard nut to crack, truly difficult to handle. Any attempt to move against her, successful or not, would only bring trouble upon himself…
Moreover, judging from the Crown Prince’s words earlier, it seemed he intended to protect her. Though Xie Xianqing was renowned externally as a gentleman of impeccable conduct, the other brothers never dared to covet this seemingly gentle elder brother.
No matter how dissatisfied the emperor was with the Crown Prince, he had yet to depose him, proving that the Crown Prince’s methods were deep and dangerous, not to be trifled with.
The Fifth Prince had once attempted to secretly undermine the Crown Prince, but the next day, the memorial reporting his consort’s family seizing commoners’ property reached the court, resulting in his family being confiscated and exiled. The humiliation and panic of that time were still vivid.
Recalling this lesson, the Fifth Prince’s gaze toward the Crown Prince now held fear.
He quickly lowered his eyes, bowed to Xie Xianqing, and left without hesitation.
The Fifth Prince stormed off. Chen Jiao watched the group’s retreating backs and snorted.
Only then did the Crown Prince’s remaining attendants gather, commenting one after another: “Chen Jiao, you are still too young!”
The Deputy Minister of Revenue walked alongside Chen Jiao, sighing: “Chen Jiao, I never imagined you could infuriate the Fifth Prince to such an extent…”
“The Fifth Prince is cunning and vengeful; you’ve offended him today, so be careful when going out in the future.”
They had long been annoyed by the Fifth Prince’s arrogant behavior, being disrespectful to the Crown Prince while constantly stirring trouble at court. Yet due to age and rank, they had never dared confront him directly. Chen Jiao had done what they wanted to but could not.
They felt a rush of satisfaction, instantly viewing her more favorably.
That shamelessness had its uses after all.
Chen Jiao clasped her hands theatrically toward them: “Oh, it’s nothing difficult. We all serve the Crown Prince wholeheartedly. The Fifth Prince can insult me all he wants, but if he disrespects His Highness, I simply cannot stand by! The thought that His Highness’s reputation might suffer because of the Fifth Prince is far worse than death itself!”
She gestured to her chest with exaggerated pain, performing with full expression.
Others: …Indeed, she’s still the same annoying flatterer.
Xie Xianqing lowered his eyes, glancing at Chen Jiao’s performance with a small smile, then stepped forward into the room calmly.
Chen Jiao, still acting, looked up and was surprised to see the Crown Prince had already entered. He hadn’t witnessed her performance!
Then her display of loyalty had been for nothing?!
She hurriedly lifted her skirts and rushed after him: “Your…Highness, please wait!”
Inside the room, the Crown Prince set down his teacup and suddenly turned to Chen Jiao, who was cautiously standing aside: “The Fifth Prince is suspicious by nature. Be careful when going out in the coming days.”
“Thank you for the reminder, Crown Prince.” Chen Jiao, valuing her life, immediately resolved to double her number of attendants.
Seeing that she took his warning seriously rather than responding perfunctorily, Xie Xianqing’s opinion of her improved further.
He had thought Chen Jiao merely a clever, scheming youth, but today’s actions—venturing out at the right moment, using words to corner the Fifth Prince and his men, and standing bravely when confronted—had impressed him.
She was thoughtful and measured, neither arrogant nor resentful, tactful in her actions. Compared to the ambitious princes, Chen Jiao’s readiness to ease the Crown Prince’s burdens made her far more valuable.
The Ministry of Revenue had been under the Crown Prince’s control for some time, yet incidents had recently occurred, likely due to traitors feeding information to other princes, forcing him to implement reforms.
He had summoned Wang Zhong’an and the Deputy Minister of Revenue today to identify the leaks. He had not expected the Fifth Prince to attempt a break-in upon learning of this.
Reflecting later, Xie Xianqing guessed that the Fifth Prince likely wanted to witness him and the Deputy Minister together as “evidence” for a complaint.
The Fifth Prince lacked the talent and cleverness for such schemes, so it must have been prompted by the emperor, intending to reshape the Ministry.
Thinking this, Xie Xianqing’s eyes grew colder, his strategy already forming. Turning his gaze inside, he saw Chen Jiao, after all the upheaval, leisurely picking up her chopsticks to eat.
Xie Xianqing: …
Chen Jiao’s decisive action today had earned merit. He had intended to ask what reward she desired—money, position, or people coming to him but everyone pursued such things, and he was no exception.
Some things could not be ignored, some positions could not be forfeited; one misstep could mean a bottomless abyss.
With this in mind, the Crown Prince turned to gaze at the drifting clouds outside, eyes dark and contemplative.
Elsewhere, after Chen Jiao chased after the Crown Prince, the other officials exchanged glances: “Sigh, Chen Jiao is perfect in every way except her love of acting. So annoying.”
“To have a colleague like this… I wonder if it’s a blessing or a curse…”
After the Fifth Prince incident, Chen Jiao became famous, rising to prominence beside the Crown Prince. She was now highly valued, and her status within the Crown Prince’s faction visibly increased.
Previously, when she sought attention at court, the Crown Prince favored her, yet his faction never fully accepted her. Now, by demonstrating both resolve and capability, and representing the interests of the Yong’an Marquis, she finally earned their full acceptance.
Chen Jiao noticed her colleagues’ attitude toward her improving significantly.
Previously, during meetings, they would deliberately ignore her, exclude her from private gatherings, likely attempting to discourage her through isolation.
Now, whenever she met them, they greeted her, occasionally sending invitations to drink or admire flowers. Even when she encountered Minister Zhou at the Crown Prince’s residence, he did not frown but merely nodded with a smile before leaving.
Chen Jiao understood why their attitude had changed, and she was very satisfied.
She had said she joined this “household” not to disrupt it. Everyone was part of the same project, managing the Crown Prince’s affairs.
Since they had come to terms with this, she would not cause trouble or give the Crown Prince any headaches.
The Crown Prince had recently faced targeting from the emperor and other princes stirring trouble, keeping him extremely busy. Internal conflicts among his subordinates would only add to his frustration.
Chen Jiao considered herself the first little brother and would not engage in such antics.
Thus, while others expected her to resent past isolation, refuse their friendly gestures, or even slander them to the Crown Prince, she instead accepted them easily.
Her attitude was calm, serene, as if previous grievances had never existed, integrating seamlessly into the group.
Her refusal to create trouble surprised everyone, especially after knowing her personality.
Whether demonstrating skill before the Crown Prince, or dealing with the Fifth Prince, Chen Jiao was no ordinary person, certainly not the frivolous playboy or sycophantic official rumored.
Now, by easily moving past prior conflicts, she further demonstrated her magnanimity and composure.