Chu Yuxiao was ultimately punished with forty slaps to the mouth, and the incident alarmed the butler of the front courtyard.
To prevent him from continuing to speak rudely and inviting greater disaster, the butler quickly ordered people to take him away and humbly apologized to Chu Yunfei, saying that the Eldest Young Master had acted improperly because he was too agitated by the Second Miss's punishment, and asked the Eldest Miss not to hold it against him.
Chu Yunfei truly did not have the spare thoughts to hold it against him.
Concubine Chen and Chu Yun Jiao had been punished.
As Chu Yuanzhong's most treasured eldest son, Chu Yuxiao had finally hit a wall this time.
The three of them, mother and son, could no longer expect to be as arrogant and domineering as they had been in the past, not just today, but every day from now on.
After dealing with the family affairs, the carriage outside was already prepared.
Chu Yunfei did not delay any further; she quickly said goodbye to her mother, boarded the carriage, and prepared to leave.
"Princess Consort." Nanny Xiong stood in front of the carriage and respectfully asked for permission, "May this old servant board the carriage to serve you? There are some things this old servant wishes to speak to the Princess Consort about in private."
Chu Yunfei gave a nod.
"Many thanks, Princess Consort." Nanny Xiong supported herself on Baochan's arm as she entered the carriage and knelt on the soft rug in the carriage compartment. "Concubine Chen is a person of the Noble Consort."
A single sentence explained the reason why Concubine Chen and the Concubine's Daughter could be so arrogant and domineering.
Chu Yunfei leaned against the brocade couch, her eyebrows and eyes calm, as if this had been within her expectations long ago.
"Not long after Madam Chu entered the estate, the Noble Consort saw that Lord Chu was a talent worth using, so she proactively ordered someone to send him the beauty Chen Shi," Nanny Xiong said in a low voice. "After the Madam entered the estate, she had never been pregnant, but Chen Shi was the first to become pregnant. At that time, Lord Chu held a low official position and, out of concern for the reputation of his main wife, he did not dare to let Chen Shi give birth to the child and wanted to secretly give her medicine. However, the Noble Consort soon learned of this matter, and the child was protected under the Noble Consort's pressure, which led to the birth of the Chu family's concubine's eldest son."
Chu Yunfei raised her gaze slightly and looked at Nanny Xiong calmly; this nanny had served the Empress Dowager in the imperial palace back then, so these matters could not be hidden from her.
Besides this, she likely knew quite a few hidden reasons.
Chu Yunfei's tone was indifferent: "When Concubine Chen was pregnant back then, she was not even considered a concubine. Father did not dare to let this child be born, likely not out of concern for my mother, but out of fear of influencing his official career."
"The Princess Consort's assessment is also correct," Nanny Xiong nodded. "Imperial relatives, nobles, and official families all have unwritten rules. Although it is common for a man to have three wives and four concubines, because they value reputation and respect the main wife, the first child must usually be born to the main wife."
The stricter the family's rules, the more this is the case. Many great aristocratic families do not even allow the taking of concubines or sex slave concubines until the main wife has given birth to the eldest legitimate son.
However, all rules have exceptions.
Just as in most households, the main wife can decide the life or death of the concubines, and the illegitimate sons and concubine's daughters must live by the main wife's mood, yet there are always one or two exceptions.
In general, whether a concubine's status is low or not depends on how powerful her backing is.
Chu Yunfei leaned against the carriage compartment and spoke as if casually: "Speaking of the Noble Consort... I don't quite understand. Rong Cang is the Noble Consort's own son; logically, she should be very happy to see the husband and wife in a loving relationship."
Yet, what the Noble Consort had done was clearly intended to drive a wedge into their marital relationship.
Nanny Xiong hesitated to speak, as if she had some concerns.
"Why did the Noble Consort want Yun Jiao to marry Prince Zhan?" Chu Yunfei frowned, seemingly unable to figure it out. "Is it just because Concubine Chen is a chess piece she sent to my father? But Prince Zhan is a prince; no matter how you look at it, I, as the legitimate daughter, am more suitable to be an imperial consort than a concubine's daughter."
Nanny Xiong lowered her eyes and remained silent, her expression complex.
The carriage compartment fell into a brief silence, which felt somewhat oppressive.
"Is there something you cannot tell me, Nanny?" Chu Yunfei looked up at her, a strange ripple appearing in her pupils. "I do not wish to be kept in the dark."
Nanny Xiong moved her lips and guessed, "The Noble Consort letting Chu Yun Jiao enter Prince Zhan's Estate may have other objectives."
"What objectives?"
"This old servant does not know for now, but I do know the Prince's thoughts toward the Princess Consort," Nanny Xiong said, her eyebrows tightly furrowed. "This old servant only asks that the Princess Consort have more patience with the Prince. He... has actually lived a very bitter life since he was a child."
Chu Yunfei's heart skipped a beat, and a strange feeling slowly rose from her lungs: "What does Nanny mean by this? I didn't quite understand."
Nanny Xiong pursed her lips, as if concerned about something.
The carriage slowly drove toward Prince Zhan's Estate.
Chu Yunfei was anxious inside, but she suppressed the impulse to know the whole truth and asked in confusion: "As a prince, the Prince has a noble status and has lived in luxury since childhood; how could he have lived a bitter life?"
Nanny Xiong looked up at her, then quickly lowered her eyes, a look of hesitation appearing on her face: "The Noble Consort has two sons, but she has always doted on Prince Chen and has not been very good to Prince Zhan."
Chu Yunfei frowned and slowly sat up straight: "So Prince Zhan went to the battlefield at fourteen, preferring to endure the wind, sand, and bone-chilling cold of the Border Pass rather than stay in the Imperial City to enjoy wealth?"
No one in the Chu State was unaware that Prince Zhan went to the battlefield at fourteen, achieved military merit at fifteen, and officially held military power at sixteen. He held this power for eight years and performed countless meritorious services.
It was not until the Border Pass was completely stable last year that Prince Zhan returned to the capital and married Chu Yunfei...
Chu Yunfei's gaze turned cold bit by bit.
Could it be that because Prince Zhan held military power and his merits were so great that they overshadowed the master, someone wanted to harm him?
"The Prince has many things he is helpless about," Nanny Xiong said with a dispirited look. "This old servant only hopes that the Princess Consort can trust the Prince more. In the year or so since the wedding, this old servant has seen with her own eyes that the Prince has had smiles on his face and has developed the seven emotions and six desires. He... he is not a person who changes his heart easily."
Chu Yunfei did not speak, a deep color flashing at the bottom of her eyes.
As an old servant who had served by the Empress Dowager's side, she had seen many things and knew many truths over the years.
But the palace rules were strict, and speaking and acting with caution was the minimum requirement. What she said today, strictly speaking, had already violated palace rules.
Fortunately, she did not live in the palace now.
As long as Chu Yunfei did not speak, the noble masters in the palace would not know, but it was still a risk.
The carriage became quiet.
Chu Yunfei did not say a word, thinking silently about some things, until they arrived outside the main gate of the Prince's Estate.
As she stepped off the carriage, Sheng Xia happened to return.
"Princess Consort," Sheng Xia walked quickly to Chu Yunfei's side and lowered her voice, "Prince Chen went to the Chu Family Ancestral Hall, having been secretly led in through the back door by the Chu family's Eldest Young Master."
Prince Chen?
Chu Yunfei looked up at the sky; the sun was slanting to the west, and it was just past noon.
Prince Chen, a prince with such a noble status, actually went to the Chu Family Ancestral Hall in person to secretly visit a concubine born to a concubine?
It was truly ridiculous.
Chu Yunfei took a deep breath and stepped into the Prince's Estate.
Upon arriving at the front courtyard, Chu Yunfei asked, "Where is the Prince?"
The butler replied, "He has been arranged in Jinlin Courtyard."
"Send him to Shuanghua Courtyard."
The butler was stunned: "Princess Consort?"
"Send the Prince to Shuanghua Courtyard," Chu Yunfei repeated, her tone allowing no room for refutation. "His injuries are severe, and he must recover in peace for the coming days to avoid being disturbed. He cannot stay in the outer courtyard anymore."
✦✦✦