"His surname is Gao?"
Since yesterday, one piece of news after another had left Chen Cuo's Mother at her wits' end. But when she heard that surname, she could not help growing wary.
She considered it for a moment, then said, "Gao is the surname of Qi's imperial family. This man escorted two sons born to concubines here. He can hardly be anyone of great standing."
She paused, then asked, "Ju, what do you think?"
Zhang Ju had already been summoned. He stood to one side, looking rather unsettled.
He had come mainly to discuss Prince of Nankang's dismissal. But the two young men from the north had arrived early, turning the matter into Chen family business. It was hardly his place to speak. Now that he had been asked, though, he could only steel himself and say, "Nothing escapes your discerning eye."
Chen Cuo's Mother waved a hand. "Bring them in first and let me have a look. Otherwise, word may spread that I treated them harshly. I'd like to see what the two boys look like, too."
"Yes."
Once the servant had left, the old madam asked those around her, "Has Second Son not arrived yet?"
A servant replied, "The messenger sent to the Eastern Observatory missed him. They said the lord had already gone back, so the chief steward went to the Marquis's Residence himself. He should be here soon."
Chen Cuo's Mother sighed, then asked, "And Third Miss?"
"Third Miss is still in her room and refuses to come out, but she ate all the food sent to her at noon."
"Ah! This was a good thing. Why couldn't she see it? Fortunately, the two Daoist masters were reasonable. They didn't force her and only said they would put her name down for now..."
Chen Cuo's