Chapter 43: A Subtle Hint

 Chapter 43: A Subtle Hint

"Chen Mama, I heard that Father encountered a bit of trouble in his duties recently," Chu Qianchen said faintly. 

Chen Mama, of course, was aware that the Marquis had recently been penalized with half a year's salary.

Chu Qianchen paused deliberately for a moment, then continued, "This trouble is neither too big nor too small. If His Majesty is displeased, it might not just be a salary penalty."

Chen Mama raised an eyebrow thoughtfully. "Miss's meaning is...?" 

Chu Qianchen smiled faintly and hinted, "Prince Chen has just returned to the capital, and the city is quite lively these days. Chen Mama, could you help me speak to Mother and let me go out for a while?"

"Chen Mama, I’ll take my leave first."

With that, she walked down the stone steps and left, with Hu Po following closely behind.

Chen Mama came to her senses and quickly called out, "Miss, take care."

Her brow furrowed slightly. After the events of the past few days, her opinion of the second young miss had greatly changed. She could be certain that the second young miss wouldn't say such things without a reason...

Going out for a walk...

Could it be that she wants her to ask the Madam to step outside for some peace?

As her thoughts ran, Chen Mama reached the outer door of the East Chamber. Before she could enter, she overheard the voice of Chu Lingxiao coming from inside: "…Prince Chen cut off one of the hands of the third son of the Marquis of Zhongyong today."

Chen Mama paused, signaling the maid who was about to lift the curtain for her to stop.

She then heard Shen Shi ask in surprise, "My lord, what happened?"

Chen Mama was familiar with the Marquis of Zhongyong’s family.

The Marquis of Zhongyong was one of the old aristocratic families in the capital, though it had fallen on hard times in recent years. The Marquis had failed to secure a good position and lived off the family title, neither rising nor falling.

However, the Marquis had a very talented illegitimate son who had been taken under the Prince's wing. This young man had made great achievements on the northern frontier and had been promoted to a military officer before reaching his twenties. His future was very bright.

Chu Lingxiao spoke in a low voice, "The third son of the Marquis of Zhongyong, Yun Hao, and his half-brother Yun Zhan fought on the street, and Yun Hao injured Yun Zhan by accident."

Shen Shi then asked, "How badly was Yun Zhan injured?"

"It’s just a minor injury," Chu Lingxiao said casually. "But the Prince is very protective of his own, and for this matter, he forced the Marquis to personally cripple Yun Hao’s hand."

"The Marquis refused, so Prince Chen took matters into his own hands..."

Chen Mama, standing outside, was shocked and instinctively held her breath.

There was a moment of silence in the East Chamber, then the faint sound of a tea lid tapping against the teacup was heard.

After a while, Chu Lingxiao spoke again: "Prince Chen has never had a good temper. He’s always been proud and willful. Perhaps these years in the north, where he had absolute authority, have only worsened his temperament. The day he returned to the capital, he already offended the Emperor. Now, for a small dispute between the Yun brothers, he has crippled Yun Hao’s hand."

"Ah! Prince Chen won’t be easy to deal with this time."

"Now, he’s still holding on to the military seal. The Emperor is displeased. In my opinion, we should..."

"Madam!" Chen Mama steadied herself, then lifted the curtain and walked in casually with a smile on her face.

She seemed a bit surprised to see Chu Lingxiao there, so she first greeted him, "My lord."

Then, she turned to Shen Shi and said, "Madam, everything you asked me to prepare has been done, and I also had more padding added to the carriage to ensure that the Fourth Young Master won’t be jostled."

Shen Shi: "..."

Chu Lingxiao raised an eyebrow and asked, "Where are you planning to go?"

"Madam said she wants to take the Fourth Young Master to the estate for a few days," Chen Mama said with a smile. "I just went to make preparations."

"Estate?" Chu Lingxiao's voice carried a hint of displeasure as he furrowed his brows. "Why wasn't I informed?"

His tone held a questioning undertone.

Shen Shi wasn’t sure why Chen Mama suddenly mentioned the trip to the estate, but she knew that Chen Mama wouldn’t bring up such a matter without reason. Additionally, just earlier, Chu Lingxiao had subtly mentioned Prince Chen in a way that clearly suggested he wanted her family to intervene and persuade Prince Chen to hand over the tiger seal. 

If Prince Chen bowed to the Emperor, Chu Lingxiao could also share in the credit.

Shen Shi clenched her handkerchief, her thoughts racing.

Prince Chen had made great contributions to the Da Qi dynasty, and as soon as he returned to the capital, the Emperor gave him a cold reception. It was no wonder that Prince Chen was holding onto the tiger seal. Now, the political situation in the court was unclear, and it wasn’t wise for the Shen family to get involved at this time. It could end up being a double-edged sword, causing trouble without any benefit.

Moreover, if Chu Lingxiao really wanted her to speak on his behalf, he could have asked her directly. Instead, he had brought it up in such an indirect manner, perhaps hoping for her to propose it herself.

She decided she would not bring it up!

Shen Shi had already been looking for an excuse to decline, so she decided to go along with Chen Mama’s suggestion, "The estate is peaceful, and it would be a good place for Young Master Mu to recover. I plan to go there tomorrow after Huang Jie’er returns. We’ll all go together for a short stay."

Chu Lingxiao studied her for a moment, his brow furrowing slightly.

He wasn’t sure whether Shen Shi was deliberately evading him or if she genuinely intended to go to the estate.

After a brief pause, Chu Lingxiao glanced at the smiling Chen Mama, then seemed to relax, "It should be the latter, then."

Suppressing the uneasy feeling in his chest, he asked patiently, "Ah Zhi, when will you return?"

Shen Shi smiled, "I’ll return once Mu’er’s leg is healed."

Her words were deliberately vague, giving no firm answer.

Chu Lingxiao then asked, "What about tomorrow...?"

"Tomorrow? My lord, do you have something scheduled for tomorrow? I’m afraid I won’t have time. The hot spring estate is a bit far, and I’ll need to leave early," Shen Shi answered gently, her demeanor graceful and elegant.

Chu Lingxiao looked at her, his expression complicated.

Shen Shi elegantly picked up her teacup and took a sip.

Chu Lingxiao parted his lips but didn’t say anything further. He merely replied, "Don’t stay at the estate for too long. The household needs someone to oversee the kitchen."

Shen Shi casually responded with a vague acknowledgment, not mentioning when she would return to the estate.

Chu Lingxiao: "..."

Suddenly feeling bored, he stood up abruptly, saying, "In that case, I won’t delay your preparations."

Afterward, he realized his words might have sounded a bit too deliberate, so he added more gently, "Ah Zhi, rest early."

Shen Shi stood up, saying, "My lord, take care." She made no effort to retain him.

"..." Chu Lingxiao had no choice but to leave.

Once he was gone, Shen Shi sat down immediately and took a small sip of tea.

It wasn’t until the footsteps outside faded that she asked Chen Mama, "Was this what Chen Jie’er meant?"

Chen Mama had served Shen Shi for many years, and Shen Shi knew her well. The fact that Chen Mama had perfectly provided an excuse was no coincidence—someone must have guided her.

"Yes, Madam," Chen Mama replied calmly, then proceeded to recount what Chu Qianchen had suggested to her earlier.

(End of Chapter)