Jiang Zhuoying plunged into the water with a loud “thump”—the considerable commotion naturally drawing the attention of everyone in the room.
Qi Fan paused briefly, then immediately rose and strode toward the blue-and-white porcelain jar, with Chu Yixin closely following behind.
Staring anxiously at the fiery red figure in the water, Chu Yixin fretted, “Your Highness, we just changed the water. For Zhuozhuo to act so unusually—could there be something wrong with it?”
Before Physician Wang returned to the palace, he had mentioned that if the red carp leaped from the jar, it could indicate either a water quality issue or an illness in the carp itself.
But since the physician had only just left, Zhuozhuo must be healthy—which meant the problem had to lie with the water.
Qi Fan narrowed his eyes. “Is this water from the spring in the back hills?”
“Yes, I fetched it myself! It’s genuine spring water from the hills, no doubt about it!”
Suddenly lowering his voice, his sharp tone growing slightly hoarse, Chu Yixin whispered, “Your Highness, could it be the Third Prince’s doing?”
Everyone at court knew how dearly his master cherished Zhuozhuo, treating the carp as his own life. If someone wished to harm the master, Zhuozhuo would be the easiest target.
Qi Fan remained silent for the moment. Both of them gazed down solemnly at the plump, fiery-red carp in the jar.
Jiang Zhuoying flicked her tail fin, blowing bubbles toward the two faces above the water.
They really were letting their imaginations run wild…
The Third Prince was so talented and handsome, praised by the entire court—why would he bother targeting a mere carp belonging to an unfavored prince?
“Your Highness, the evening meal has been served,” reported the servant who had just set the table.
Jiang Zhuoying caught a whiff of the food’s aroma, making the hunger in her belly even more pronounced.
Wait, what about her dinner?
Why hadn’t they fed her yet, after all this time?
Chu Yixin murmured softly, “Your Highness, why don’t you go ahead and eat? I’ll stay here and watch over Zhuozhuo.”
Qi Fan stared intently at the fiery red carp for a few more breaths, then nodded. “Very well. While you’re at it, feed Zhuozhuo her dinner too.”
Chu Yixin bowed. “Understood.”
Finally, they remembered to feed her. Jiang Zhuoying slowly floated upward, swaying her tail.
She watched as the clean-shaven man picked up a porcelain dish, scooped something from it with a porcelain spoon, and then scattered the contents into the water…
Shrimp!
Jiang Zhuoying opened her mouth and swallowed a shrimp floating near her lips, then tried chewing.
Hmm… the taste wasn’t bad.
But…
She stared at the food drifting in the water like scattered flower petals and gradually stopped chewing.
This didn’t seem right…
No matter how hungry she was, how could she chase after food all over the jar without any dignity?
After all, she was the legitimate daughter of the second branch of the Rui Guo Gong Manor.
Seeing the scarlet carp in the jar remain completely still, Chu Yixin’s heart sank, and he couldn’t help but grow worried.
He bent down and coaxed in a low voice, “What’s troubling you, Mistress Zhuozhuo? At this time, you’re usually the most excited.”
Normally lazy and sluggish, Zhuozhuo would always dart excitedly around the pond during feeding time.
This kind of behavior was truly unprecedented.
Could it be that the newly changed water had really been tampered with?
Jiang Zhuoying looked up at him. Chu Yixin’s face was full of genuine worry and anxiety, and she felt her heart soften a little.
And so, Chu Yixin saw the plump little carp slowly paddling its pectoral fins in the water, leisurely floating upward before poking its head above the surface.
Jiang Zhuoying tilted her head above the water, using her pectoral fins to grip the edge of the porcelain jar while her tail worked hard to maintain balance, then opened her mouth.
She was ready—feed her now!
“This…”
Chu Yixin’s pupils trembled. The vivid movements of the fiery red carp before him made its intention unmistakable.
But Zhuozhuo had never behaved like this before!
He suddenly recalled his master’s earlier words and frowned deeply. Had she… become a spirit?
Jiang Zhuoying waited a few moments, but the dull-witted eunuch made no move!
She quickly lost patience. With a “splash,” she slapped the water with her tail, the spray instantly dampening the back of Chu Yixin’s hand.
Chu Yixin snapped back to attention and bent forward with a practiced smile. “Don’t be impatient, Zhuozhuo. This servant will feed you right away.”Just as before, he used the little fat carp’s exclusive porcelain spoon to scoop up a tiny portion of shrimp meat and carefully fed it into Jiang Zhuoying’s mouth.”
Chu Yixin was meticulous in his duties. Fearing the red carp might choke, he deliberately fed Jiang Zhuoying only half a spoonful at a time.
Jiang Zhuoying was satisfied with this arrangement. After each bite, she would retreat into the water to chew thoroughly before swallowing, then resurface—whereupon the dull eunuch would promptly feed her the next mouthful.
“Ah, Zhuozhuo is truly clever as ice and snow!” Chu Yixin praised with a laugh, the corners of his eyes crinkling.
Jiang Zhuoying swished her tail fin with greater vigor. The eunuch wasn’t wrong.
She had indeed been exceptionally bright since childhood, beginning her studies at three—praised endlessly by both her tutors and parents for her intelligence.
Chu Yixin’s praise reached Qi Fan’s ears. The man paused slightly, set down his chopsticks, and strode toward the blue-and-white porcelain jar.
Jiang Zhuoying had just swallowed her final bite—a limit she’d set for herself.
Having seen her current round, plump figure in the bronze mirror earlier, she knew she needed restraint. Three satisfying meals a day were enough; she mustn’t overindulge.
Yet she had underestimated this scarlet carp’s appetite. Despite feeling full, she unconsciously longed for more…
She’d never been like this before!
Qi Fan watched Chu Yixin feeding Jiang Zhuoying, a shadow flickering through his deep, dark eyes.
“Master, perhaps you’d like to feed Zhuozhuo yourself? She would surely be even happier.”
The man nodded, and Chu Yixin handed him the porcelain spoon.
Jiang Zhuoying hesitated for a few moments, staring at the spoon extended over the water. Fighting the urge, she averted her gaze—only to notice the white jade pendant hanging from the man’s waist.
With a soft “plop,” the fiery red carp reflected in the man’s dark pupils turned and plunged into the water…
Jiang Zhuoying swiftly sank to the bottom. She refused to eat from the hand of someone so calculating and manipulative!
Besides, she was already full.
The man’s stern face visibly darkened…
Ahem, Master, Zhuozhuo has eaten quite a bit already. She must be full.
Chu Yixin strained to find an excuse, though inwardly he was perplexed.
The master had been by Zhuozhuo’s side since she was merely a finger’s length long. She had always been extremely affectionate toward him before.
What on earth is going on now?
Qi Fan tossed the porcelain spoon back into the jar. “Forget it. Go check if today’s message has arrived.”
“Yes, this servant will go immediately.”
After Chu Yixin left, Jiang Zhuoying didn’t look up, knowing the man was still standing by the porcelain jar watching her.
She casually brushed the aquatic plants at the bottom of the jar with her pectoral fin. Wait… what’s that?!
During the day she hadn’t noticed it at all, but now after the evening meal, as dusk fell and lamps were lit in the room, she suddenly spotted something glowing among the crevices of the stones at the bottom.
Jiang Zhuoying swam forward a bit and used her pectoral fin to dig it out. Now she could see clearly.
It was actually a night-shining pearl, larger than her head!
Night-shining pearls weren’t particularly rare to her, but one of this size was truly extraordinary.
As the daughter of the Duke’s Manor, with her father having served as the Commandant of the Capital Guard, she had been deeply cherished since childhood.
Yet even so, the night-shining pearl in her bedchamber was only the size of a finger joint, far smaller than the one before her.
Filled with curiosity, Jiang Zhuoying began chasing after the pearl to examine it closely…
“The message has arrived. Please take a look, my lord.”
It was that ever-smiling eunuch’s voice again. Jiang Zhuoying paid no mind and didn’t take his words to heart.
Then came the rustling sound of paper being handled.
The man opened the letter and lowered his gaze to read carefully—five full pages without missing a single word.
“Hah, Third Brother certainly has quite the scheme.”
The remark seemed abrupt and disconnected. Chu Yixin, unsure how to respond, simply stood properly by his side without speaking.
“Take a look yourself.”
Qi Fan casually handed the opened letter to Chu Yixin beside him.
The Second Prince’s third brother?
Jiang Zhuoying froze in place. Were they referring to the Third Prince?
Secrets involving imperial heirs were absolutely not to be overheard—this was a matter of life and death!
But…
She was now merely a red carp. What did it matter if she listened?
Jiang Zhuoying immediately abandoned the pearl and quietly floated upward.
“Both the Third Prince and the Imperial Concubine favor the young lady from the Rui Guo Gong Manor as the principal consort. My lord, the Duke of Rui is a veteran of three reigns, deeply trusted by His Majesty.”
Chu Yixin finished reading the five pages, folded the letter, and observed his master’s expression.
“My lord, Fei Ying also mentions in the letter that both branches of the Duke’s Manor have legitimate daughters. Which one do you think the Imperial Concubine and Third Prince would prefer?”
Jiang Zhuoying never expected that a casual listen would lead to matters concerning herself.
Indeed, the eunuch was correct. The Rui Guo Gong Manor had two branches. The eldest son pursued civil service, passed the imperial examination, and entered the Hanlin Academy through the Duke’s Manor connections.
However, with only a provincial graduate qualification, he normally wouldn’t have been admitted to the Hanlin Academy.
Her grandfather, the Duke of Rui, was quite displeased with his eldest son’s actions. Being an upright man, her grandfather had always regarded this as disgraceful.
Her father, the Duke of Rui’s second son, pursued military service.
Her father rose to Commandant of the Capital Guard and three years ago was appointed General of Agile Cavalry to campaign against the Western Cliffs in the north. But they lost that battle—not only lost, but her father disappeared without trace.
The battlefield was littered with countless corpses, and that particular battle had been exceptionally brutal…
Defeat should have brought punishment, but considering the commander’s body was never recovered, the Emperor showed leniency.
Initially, both her mother and she firmly believed that her father would return one day. However, her mother later accidentally fell into the water, struck her head on a rock while submerged, and lost her breath moments after being rescued.
Since then, she had moved to this estate in the eastern suburbs with a few trusted maids and servants, where she had now lived for over three years.
…
“The Duke of Rui is upright and impartial, so the title should rightfully pass to the eldest son. Before Jiang Zheng’s accident, the two branches of the family might have been able to contend for it, but now he naturally ought to choose the daughter of the eldest branch.”
The daughter of the eldest branch—that would be her uncle’s daughter, Jiang Ying.
Hearing the man’s indifferent and cold words, Jiang Zhuoying felt a pang in her heart, yet she had to admit that this was the truth.
No wonder, a few days ago, the eldest branch had specially sent her a considerable amount of silk, satin, jewelry, and decorative items.
Perhaps they thought of her current difficult circumstances and, out of consideration for her, had not explicitly mentioned it. But it was likely meant as a celebration of the marriage…
The man stared at the Scarlet Carp swimming listlessly and lazily in the water and suddenly spoke, “Jiang Zheng’s wife passed away three years ago, didn’t she?”
“Exactly, my lord, have you forgotten? Three years ago, our informant planted in the Guogong Fu reported this matter, saying that Jiang Zheng’s wife died under suspicious circumstances, but you did not order a thorough investigation at the time.”
“Hmm.” The man gazed at the faint ripples on the water’s surface. “Have someone look into this matter carefully.”
“This?” Chu Yixin was taken aback. “But it has been so many years, I’m afraid…”