The thank-you gift for Xiao Xun was selected by Chu Tang. After choosing the gift, she went to see Chu Lan and Jiang Shi.
Chu Lan, claiming to be frightened and ill, refused to see anyone. Chu Tang had no interest in speaking further with her father’s side of the family and only met with Jiang Shi, reassuring her not to worry.
"Linglong was foolish and stumbled into the water. The Heir Apparent, being kind-hearted, couldn’t bear to see an innocent person implicated, so he rescued her."
"I took the opportunity to present Linglong to the Heir Apparent. This shows our gratitude and propriety, while also reflecting the Heir Apparent’s noble and upright character."
"Moreover, Linglong is aware of the situation. Giving her to the Heir Apparent serves as our apology and puts his mind at ease."
Jiang Shi had little patience for these details and instead pulled Chu Tang aside to ask, "Will the Heir Apparent hold a grudge against us? Will he blame us? Could he harm us?"
Had Chu Tang not heard Chu Zhao’s remark earlier, she might have shared this concern. But now—
She roughly understood that the Crown Prince of Zhongshan intended to approach their Chu family—or more directly, Chu Ling.
And Chu Ling had no intention of associating with the Crown Prince of Zhongshan.
Thus, when one’s desires go unfulfilled, resentment is inevitable.
However, Chu Zhao—or perhaps her uncle—dared to act this way, likely because they had the confidence to fear no repercussions.
In any case, this matter had little to do with Chu Lan and his wife. In Xiao Xun’s eyes, they were merely being used.
"Mother," Chu Tang pressed Jiang Shi back into her seat, "rest assured, nothing will happen. I have already selected generous gifts."
She even presented the gift list to Jiang Shi.
The list was indeed lavish, and Jiang Shi felt not the slightest pang of regret. Instead, she was immensely relieved.
"Moreover, with Linglong serving the Heir Apparent, it will be more convenient for him to relay any instructions to our family," Chu Tang added with a smile.
Jiang Shi nodded repeatedly, feeling even more at ease. "Exactly. Linglong was trained by you personally. The maids by your side are all clever and capable."
What kind of creature had she trained? Chu Tang inwardly rolled her eyes. The moment that wretched maid learned she could become the Heir Apparent’s servant, she no longer regarded Chu Tang as her mistress. Without a backward glance or a word of farewell, she had fled.
Chu Tang saw no need to elaborate further. These few words were enough to placate her parents. Taking her leave, she returned to her own courtyard, arriving just as the lanterns were being lit.
The lamps in her room were lit, but the space still felt dim.
Chu Tang frowned. "Linglong, why isn’t the lamp in front of the mirror lit?"
A young maid hurriedly went to light it, flustered. "This servant’s mistake."
Chu Tang suddenly remembered—Linglong was no longer there.
Looking around the room, she noticed that although Linglong was absent, it seemed as though there were suddenly many more maids—all crowding around her.
"All matters close to the young lady were handled by Sister Linglong. We are clumsy and were not usually allowed near," the young maid said, bowing her head.
Chu Tang was amused. This little maid knew how to throw Linglong under the bus, aware that her mistress now disliked Linglong and would share her resentment.
"Enough," she said lazily. "If you don’t know how, learn slowly." She pointed at the young maid, thought for a moment, and recalled her name. "Dingdong, from now on, you will take Linglong’s place."
The young maid, Dingdong, was overjoyed. The other maids were filled with regret and envy—this little girl had seized the opportunity.
"Thank you, young lady," Dingdong said, kneeling and kowtowing repeatedly. "I will do my best in everything."
Chu Tang smiled faintly. "No need to be too exceptional. Otherwise, when you leave someday, I might find it hard to let you go."
Dingdong immediately lifted her head. "This servant will never leave the young lady. In life, I belong to you. If someone else were to save me, I would die at once and be reborn to repay your kindness in my next life."Chu Tang was amused. Her mother was right—the maids by her side were indeed clever and quick-witted, but they also lacked loyalty.
Linglong was like this, and now this little maid was no different. Despite her seemingly devoted demeanor, given a good opportunity, she would flee just as swiftly as Linglong.
But it didn’t matter. Maids were meant to be used—how could one truly treat them as sisters? Even real sisters schemed against one another.
It all came down to who could outmaneuver whom.
This time, she had been outmaneuvered.
Yet, strangely, she didn’t feel anger. Instead, a peculiar sensation stirred within her.
Could it be that Chu Zhao had no intention of marrying the Crown Prince of Zhongshan?
Or perhaps her uncle had brought Chu Zhao back not to secure her a stable future through marriage, but for some other scheme?
Considering Chu Zhao’s actions—showing disrespect to Minister Liang, daring to defy the Third Prince, and now even daring to scheme against the Crown Prince of Zhongshan—what was her uncle truly planning?
Setting aside her uncle’s intentions for now, Chu Zhao herself—a young woman—had shown that there were things beyond marriage to pursue.
Chu Tang sat at her desk, gazing at the lamp, her eyes gleaming brightly.
……
……
“How could this happen?”
In the lamplight of the courier station, the scholar Ning Kun looked shocked as he turned to the maid standing outside the room.
To avoid drawing attention, he rarely appeared in public with the Heir Apparent.
There had been no need to visit the Chu residence personally. Chu Lan and his wife were foolish, and the Heir Apparent had always been meticulous and cautious, never making a misstep.
That day, Ning Kun had deliberately visited several households, enjoying wine and laughter leisurely, and only returned in the evening. As soon as he arrived, he encountered Tie Ying and asked if the matter had been resolved.
Tie Ying glanced in a certain direction. “It’s done. The person has been brought back.”
Ning Kun was taken aback. What did he mean by “the person has been brought back”?
“It was your brilliant idea, Master Ning, insisting that the Heir Apparent rescue her,” Tie Ying sneered. “Since the Heir Apparent saved her, of course, she had to be brought back.”
He had long disliked this scholar, who was always giving the Heir Apparent misguided advice.
What nonsense! This foolish guard couldn’t even speak clearly. Ning Kun had long been irritated by him. There were plenty of skilled guards—why did the Heir Apparent keep this fellow by his side?
Following Tie Ying’s gaze, Ning Kun saw a young woman standing under the corridor, her head bowed timidly.
Could it be? Were Chu Lan and his wife so shameless as to thrust the rescued girl upon them?
He had never met Chu Zhao and hurried to ask Xiao Xun, only to realize Tie Ying had played a trick on him.
That wretched boy! But there was no time to deal with him now. Ning Kun anxiously asked what had happened, and Xiao Xun recounted the events.
“The young lady falling into the water turned into a maid falling into the water, so rescuing the young lady became rescuing a maid.”
If it had been the young lady, she couldn’t have been handed over to him immediately. But maids and servants were like property—a gift from their master was a gracious gesture, and it was reasonable for him to accept.
Why had it turned out this way?
Xiao Xun sat under the lamplight, smiling. “Of course, it’s because I was outsmarted.”
Ning Kun snapped back to reality. He had already deduced as much, but—
“Who outsmarted you?” he asked. “Chu Lan and his wife?”
Impossible!
“Their daughter? I’ve heard people in the capital say that while Chu Lan’s sons are foolish and incompetent, his daughters are clever and shrewd.”
But such tricks were merely the petty schemes of young girls.
Xiao Xun waved a hand dismissively. “Why would they scheme against me? I had no intention of scheming against them. Scheming is a two-way street. So, whoever I schemed against is the one who schemed against me.”
Ning Kun understood. “Chu Zhao?”Prince Zhongshan once remarked that this girl somewhat resembled Chu Ling, but he was referring to her unruly temperament. As for her intelligence—
Even if she were intelligent, the most crucial element in this matter wasn't intelligence—it was information.
The Heir Apparent's move had relied on the fact that Chu Lan's entire family disliked Chu Zhao and would certainly keep her in the dark.
"How did she find out?"
Moreover, Chu Lan and his wife didn't even know what the Heir Apparent intended to do!
"No need to dwell on it—these details are irrelevant," Xiao Xun said. "She hasn't tried to conceal anything either. From the very beginning, she openly expressed her dislike for me, and this time too—"
He pointed to the clothes he was wearing.
"See? She made it perfectly clear to me that she knows everything."
She knew what he intended to do, knew he would jump into the water—so she even had a change of clothes prepared for him.
He looked at his reflection in the mirror. The clothes fit perfectly, and the fabric and color were both to his liking. A strange thought occurred to him: this girl seemed to know him very well—
As the thought flashed through his mind, he couldn't help but laugh.
Ning Kun shook his head. "Heir Apparent, how can you still laugh?"
That girl had actually managed to thwart their plan—things would be difficult from now on.
"Of course I can laugh—how amusing," Xiao Xun said, gazing at his reflection in the mirror, a wide smile deepening his dimples. "So besides expressing joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness toward me, there are girls who know how to scheme against me too."
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