The current Emperor values rules and the reputation of the Imperial Family above all else. Since Rong Cang openly committed such an act and was impeached before the Emperor, the Emperor is furious, and I fear he will not let him off easily.
"He won't." Chu Yunfei looked up at the vast, boundless sky, a complex expression flashing in her eyes and disappearing. "Mother, you don't need to worry. I know what I am doing."
Madam Chu looked at her, puzzled, always feeling that she was hiding something in her heart.
After a long silence, until the two reached Begonia Residence, Madam Chu spoke again: "Although Prince Zhan has a noble status, this marriage was not something we sought to climb up to; rather, he proactively requested it. Therefore, you do not need to swallow your pride and compromise before him. If you truly cannot go on..."
"Mother, you don't need to worry." Chu Yunfei smiled gently, as if soothing her overthinking. "If the day truly comes when I cannot go on, I will not let myself suffer injustice. It is just that the current situation is special, and there are some things I still need to clarify."
Madam Chu gave a hum of acknowledgment: "In any case, as long as you have a plan in your heart, that is enough. You don't need to care about what your father says."
Although she is only the wife of a small Minister, not as noble as the Imperial relatives, she has Langya City behind her.
If she hadn't been blind back then, falling for Chu Yuanzhong's dashing demeanor and outstanding talent—becoming a Top Scholar at such a young age—she would have been qualified to marry even into the Imperial family.
"I know." Chu Yunfei walked into the room and sat down, turning her head to instruct: "Sheng Xia, you know the direction of the Chu Family Ancestral Hall. Go and watch it now. I want to know if anyone will be drawn there after Chu Yun Jiao is punished."
"Yes, Princess Consort." Sheng Xia received the order and left.
"Nanny Xiong, you and Baochan take them out first. I want to speak with Mother alone for a while."
Nanny Xiong curtsied: "Yes, this old servant will take her leave."
In the blink of an eye, only Madam Chu and her daughter, Chu Yunfei, remained in the room.
"The commotion today was too great; I fear it cannot be hidden from the outside," Madam Chu pondered carefully. "There is no need to worry about the Emperor, but Consort Gu..."
Her tone paused, and she frowned slightly: "Consort Gu has a temper that is not good, and her nature is strict. Since you caused such a scene, I fear she will blame you for being ignorant."
If this matter had only been about teaching Chu Yun Jiao a lesson, that would be one thing, but she did not expect Fei'er to teach Rong Cang a lesson as well. With the matter impeached before the Emperor, it is impossible for Consort Gu not to know.
As Prince Zhan's biological mother, if Consort Gu learns that her son was punished by His Majesty because of such a matter, she will surely blame Yunfei for being jealous, lacking a heart of tolerance, and not being a gentle and virtuous daughter-in-law.
"Mother, rest assured." Chu Yunfei smiled faintly. "Not only will Consort Gu not make things difficult for me, she might even coax me."
Madam Chu was startled: "How could that be?"
"Mother, don't think so much." Chu Yunfei smiled faintly. "Your daughter has her reasons for doing this. Mother will understand in the future."
Madam Chu gave a hum of acknowledgment: "Then, regarding Prince Zhan..."
"There is nothing going on for now." Chu Yunfei poured herself a cup of tea. "As for what happens in the future, it depends on his performance."
Madam Chu sighed softly: "It is not easy to be a daughter-in-law of the Royal Family. You must protect yourself well, do you understand?"
"Yes."
Madam Chu chatted with her about other things, and half an hour passed quickly.
Approaching noon, Nanny Xiong entered from outside and curtsied to report: "Your Ladyship, Princess Consort, someone from the Prince's Estate just came to send a message. They said the Emperor was furious, and the Prince was summoned into the palace and punished with twenty strokes of the rod in front of Minister Chu and Prince Chen."
Twenty strokes of the rod?
Madam Chu's expression changed, and she instinctively turned to look at her daughter: "The Prince is a man who leads troops; won't this injury delay matters?"
She thought that no matter how furious the Emperor was, he would not punish his son in front of his subjects, at most scolding him, docking two months' salary, or confining him to quarters for reflection for a few days.
She did not expect the punishment to be so heavy.
"Has the Prince been sent back to the Prince's Estate?" Chu Yunfei raised her eyes to look at Nanny Xiong, with no sign of worry on her face.
Nanny Xiong nodded: "The Emperor also arranged for an Imperial Physician to follow him to the Prince's Estate, saying it was to treat the Prince's injuries."
Chu Yunfei nodded slowly: "I understand."
Nanny Xiong looked at her, hesitating to speak.
"Nanny, are you worried about the Prince and want me to go back early?" Chu Yunfei seemed to see through her thoughts and spoke faintly.
Nanny Xiong frowned: "The Prince's behavior this time is indeed puzzling, but this old servant understands him very well, and I always feel—"
"Chu Yunfei!" A roar suddenly sounded from outside. "Get out here! Don't hide inside and refuse to see anyone!"
Nanny Xiong's expression turned cold. She turned and walked out, speaking coldly: "Who is shouting outside the Madam's and the Princess Consort's door? Is there no sense of rules left?"
A young man in a treasure-blue robe stood in the courtyard. He was eighteen or nineteen years old, with a refined and handsome face, but his expression was gloomy and displeased.
Hearing Nanny Xiong's reprimand, he clearly did not take it to heart and only said coldly: "I am looking for Chu Yunfei. Why are you, a mere servant, shouting here? Is she so amazing just because she became a Princess Consort? A Princess Consort who is about to become an abandoned wife, what airs are you putting on here?"
Nanny Xiong had served in the palace for many years, and after being assigned to the Prince's Estate, she had always been quite prestigious and was the Princess Consort's most capable helper.
To be pointed at and called "a mere servant" by the illegitimate son of an official today—this feeling was truly fresh.
She knew who the man in front of her was.
Chu Yuxiao, the illegitimate eldest son of Minister Chu's family, and also the only male descendant of the Chu family.
Concubine Chen had become pregnant by accident back then, and only after giving birth to this illegitimate eldest son did she rely on her son to be elevated from a sex slave concubine to a concubine.
Nanny Xiong also knew that Concubine Chen had been a beautiful concubine sent to Chu Yuanzhong under the instruction of the Imperial Consort back then. Chu Yuanzhong had long since leaned toward the Imperial Consort in secret, and it was precisely because of this that Concubine Chen had the confidence to challenge the main wife.
And Chu Yuxiao naturally became a member of the young men of the Chen Wang Party.
Thinking of this, Nanny Xiong's expression darkened: "Even if you are the illegitimate eldest son of the Chu family, you were once raised by the main wife. How dare you shout in front of the main wife's room today? Do the descendants of the Chu family not even know filial piety?"
Chu Yuxiao frowned. In front of the main wife's room?
This Begonia Residence was clearly the courtyard where Chu Yunfei lived before she was married off.
"And regarding the Princess Consort," Nanny Xiong looked at him with cold eyes, her tone becoming increasingly severe, "The Princess Consort was the legitimate eldest daughter of this family. After marrying Prince Zhan, she is a proper Princess Consort. To what degree of nobility has Young Master Chu reached that he dares to be so disrespectful to the Princess Consort?"
Chu Yuxiao was speechless for a moment and argued forcefully: "I am her elder brother."
"Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Kin, and Teacher. Ruler and Subject come first, Father and Son come after. Even Minister Chu and the Madam must be respectful in front of the Princess Consort." Nanny Xiong's tone was stern. "Young Master Chu not only does not understand filial piety, but he also cannot even distinguish between hierarchy! As expected, a son born to a concubine is far inferior to those proper young masters of noble families!"
As her words fell, Chu Yuxiao's face turned pale, and he stared at Nanny Xiong with gritted teeth, wishing he could step forward and slap this wicked slave who was using her master's power to bully others.
✦✦✦