Madam Cen was startled.
For the wife of the esteemed Assistant Supervisor of the Household of the Crown Prince to be taken away by the Military and Police Commission—those unaware would think she had committed some grave crime.
Her husband valued face above all else; he would surely flay her alive!
Now Madam Cen dared not put on airs. She hastily stood up, no longer caring about her status as an elder.
“Nephew, don’t!”
“When your esteemed mother was still with us, our Cen and Zhou families were old friends!”
Meeting Zhou Mingchong’s mocking gaze, Madam Cen instinctively lowered her head. “I was merely here to visit your sister…”
Zhou Mingchong glanced at her, showing not the slightest courtesy.
“This official was unaware of the Cen family’s way of paying visits—bringing so many stout-bodied maids and servants. One might think you intended to take advantage of my absence to plunder my family.”
Madam Cen’s face turned pale then flushed with anger.
This wretched boy! No matter what, she was still an elder. How dare he speak to an elder like this?
The Zhou siblings truly had no upbringing at all!
But she was indeed in the wrong now, so she could only force a dry smile. “A misunderstanding, it’s all a misunderstanding!”
Zhou Mingchong snorted coldly, shielding his sister behind him, and turned to say:
“A Chang, you tell me. Your brother only believes what you say.”
Ever since their parents passed away, her brother had always been like this—no matter what happened, he would stand in front of her without hesitation, protecting her.
But such a wonderful brother had ended up with such a fate in her previous life.
Zhou Mingyi’s eyes reddened slightly, her nose tingling uncontrollably, her voice carrying a soft, nasal tone.
“Brother…”
Hearing his sister’s voice, Zhou Mingchong grew even more certain she had been wronged.
“Hmph! To the Military and Police Commission!”
Madam Cen’s face turned deathly pale. Forgetting all about dignity, she hurriedly said, “No, no, nephew! We’ll leave right now, right now! We’ll come another day to apologize properly!”
“Don’t act rashly, please don’t act rashly!”
With that, she immediately turned and left with her entourage.
Madam Cen had arrived with great bluster but left in disgrace, creating an extremely awkward scene.
Once inside the carriage, Madam Cen’s heart still pounded fiercely.
Her trusted maid cautiously asked, “The second young master is injured like this… are we just going to let it go?”
Madam Cen had just caught her breath when anger surged again. “That troublesome little devil has been bewitched by that fox spirit!”
“That fox spirit refuses to admit it and even threatened to send me to the Military and Police Commission. Where would that leave my dignity?”
As she spoke, she turned her frustration on the trusted maid. “Why didn’t you stop me?”
The maid’s heart sank. She thought to herself: When Madam recklessly brought people to the Zhou residence, wasn’t it precisely because she was bullying the young Miss Zhou for being alone and helpless?
Now that her brother had returned—not only holding an official position but also adamant about sending them to the Military and Police Commission—Madam had backed down.
Her mistress had always been fierce in appearance but weak at heart. As a mere servant, how could she have stopped her?
But she said aloud, “It’s all this servant’s fault for being useless!”
What Madam Cen was thinking about, however, was Zhou Mingchong’s official uniform, sending a slight chill down her spine.
If Zhou Mingchong truly was unscathed and had even entered the Hanlin Academy, it was possible Zhou Mingyi might actually marry into their family.
But the marriage alliance between the two families had already been called off…
At this thought, Madam Cen suddenly saw the light.
It wasn’t she who had broken off the engagement—it was that Madam Zhou herself who had come to cancel it.
Even if her husband asked about it, he couldn’t blame her.
If she had known it would come to this, why did she act as she did back then? What use was there in entanglement now?
Since ancient times, marriage arrangements between men and women have always been negotiated by the elders of both families, after which the groom’s family would select an auspicious day to send betrothal gifts to the bride’s family.
She was the birth mother of that wretched troublemaker and the matriarch of the Cen family. As long as she refused, Madam Zhou would never marry into their household!
Madam Cen felt reassured. “Enough, I’ll think of another way later. I must make that fox spirit give up!”
The matron said, “…How wise of you, Madam!”
As soon as Madam Cen left, Zhou Mingchong drove Cen Shaoyuan out as well.
Before Madam Cen had gone far, she watched helplessly as her youngest son was expelled, stretcher and all.
Yet that lawless troublemaker of hers, who had been unruly since childhood, stubbornly refused to leave…
Madam Cen clutched her chest again, feeling a pang of heartache.
“Someone!”
The trusted matron replied, “Madam…”
Madam Cen said weakly, “Carry that wretched creature back for me. Don’t let him embarrass us here any longer!”
The trusted matron replied, “…Yes!”
…
Finally having driven away the irrelevant people, Zhou Mingchong’s expression softened slightly.
“Did they give you any trouble?”
Ming Yi shook her head. “No.”
Zhou Mingchong didn’t believe it at all. “That Zhao woman clearly isn’t easy to deal with. Fortunately…”
He thought of that “shameless old man” again, and his expression suddenly turned grim.
If it weren’t for that disgraceful old fool, how could his sister have been forced into such a passive situation?
However, judging by Madam Cen’s attitude today, even if his sister hadn’t been compromised, the Cen family was hardly a desirable match.
“Brother, how is everything at the Hanlin Academy?”
The Zhou siblings had always shared only good news with each other, never their troubles.
Zhou Mingchong’s expression shifted rapidly before turning exceptionally gentle. “Yes, everything is going smoothly.”
“Did they gossip about you because of Princess Chaoyang?”
Zhou Mingchong’s expression remained unchanged.
“They wouldn’t dare.”
“It was… His Majesty who ordered me back to the Hanlin Academy. How would they dare to question it?”
Zhou Mingyi nodded. “His Majesty’s authority is unquestionable. Naturally, they wouldn’t dare to doubt His Majesty’s intentions.”
A flicker of something unusual passed quickly through Zhou Mingchong’s eyes. He was about to say something but changed the subject instead.
“The wind is strong outside. Let’s go inside to talk.”
…
“What did you say?”
“You mean, the reason imperial grandmother and the Emperor are helping that little Tanhua is simply because some bald monk from Hanshan Temple claimed his sister is some kind of Heaven’s Mandate Maiden who can bear the Emperor a son?”
Princess Chaoyang’s eyes narrowed slightly, her face filled with shock.
Upon hearing this news, Consort Chen also immediately grew tense.
“Just because of some baseless rumor, have the Emperor and imperial grandmother gone mad?”
After the initial shock, Princess Chaoyang simply refused to believe it.
Over the years, imperial grandmother and the Emperor had tried everything.
The Imperial Astronomical Bureau would send over several “auspicious dates” every month, instructing the Emperor to visit the imperial concubines at those specific times.
They claimed that aligning with the heavens would aid conception.
The Imperial Medical Academy specially prepared fertility medicine for her mother, which she drank daily.
Moreover, last year, a wandering Taoist said that women born in the yin year, yin month, yin day, and yang hour were most likely to conceive.
Imperial grandmother secretly sent Aunt Zhulan to search for such women among the common people…
However, most of these women only matched the birth hour but couldn’t guarantee beauty.
Some were even quite plain.
Yet, for the sake of an heir, the Emperor had no choice but to reluctantly accept them.
And what was the result…
Princess Chaoyang couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
“The strange poison afflicting the Emperor has no cure at all. What Heaven’s Mandate Maiden? Are Father and Imperial Grandmother still unwilling to give up?”
Consort Chen gazed at her daughter’s indifferent expression with a complicated look. “Don’t speak nonsense. Be careful of eavesdroppers.”
The matter of heirs was the Emperor and Empress Dowager’s greatest sensitivity.
Naturally, the Emperor and Empress Dowager would not harshly reprimand Chaoyang for saying such things—they feared it might implicate themselves instead…
Princess Chaoyang carelessly curled her lip.
Thinking of that Madam Zhou, her expression darkened.
“That Madam Zhou cannot remain.”
“Father and Imperial Grandmother released Zhou Mingchong for her sake, displeasing me. Then I shall vent my anger on her!”
“She hasn’t entered the palace yet, so she doesn’t count as Father’s woman.”
“Even if Father and Imperial Grandmother know it was my doing, at most they’ll just scold me a few times.”
Princess Chaoyang spoke as if it were perfectly natural.
Consort Chen surprisingly did not refute her.
She genuinely adored the Emperor; every time she saw him with another woman, her heart felt as if pierced by knives.
Having Chaoyang handle this matter was best.
She was the Emperor and Empress Dowager’s precious darling.
Even if she tore a hole in the sky, the Emperor and Empress Dowager could not bear to punish her severely.
Yet she still couldn’t help but remind, “Handle it cleanly. Don’t cause trouble for your father and imperial grandmother.”
Chaoyang said, “Mother Consort always considers Father and Imperial Grandmother’s feelings, yet they don’t care about yours.”
Consort Chen couldn’t help but feel self-pity.
“Your mother is but ordinary in appearance. If not for the good fortune of giving birth to you, I’m afraid I would have been lost among the many in the rear palace.”
Consort Chen lovingly stroked her daughter’s cheek. “You are different. You are the most noble princess in all the land.”
“Even if not for myself, I must make plans for you.”
Chaoyang was naturally deeply moved.
“I know Mother Consort cares for me most.”
She thought again of that Zhou Mingchong.
Remembering his tall, slender figure and strikingly handsome appearance, an expression of determined conquest ignited in her eyes.
She would break that scholar’s unyielding spirit, make him prostrate himself before her, become her favored guest!
Once she dealt with that so-called Heaven’s Mandate Maiden, Father and Imperial Grandmother would have no more reason to obstruct her…