"...Fang Qing is a capable young man. My imperial brother and I have high hopes for him, and that is thanks to your fine guidance, Old Madam."
In the spacious hall, the Prince of Ancheng sat to one side, chatting with a smile.
Chen Cuo's Mother sat opposite him, beaming as she listened. Her earlier anger and displeasure had vanished without a trace.
When the Prince of Ancheng had arrived without warning, she had been puzzled. After a few words, she learned that the Emperor thought highly of her Second Son!
What was more, the prince's praise for him was lavish. She could even hear a measure of respect in his words.
It had been a long time since she had experienced anything like this. When her late husband was alive, members of the Imperial Clan and court officials alike had spoken of her Household with respect.
After her husband died, that respect had lingered briefly when her Eldest Son first took office. But as time passed, it disappeared.
Now she almost felt as though she were revisiting an old dream.
Just as the old madam was sinking into memories, the Prince of Ancheng's expression turned serious. "Fang Qing is bound for great things. That is a blessing for the Imperial Clan. But when all is said and done, someone has climbed onto the Imperial Clan's head..."
The smile on Chen Cuo's Mother's face stiffened.
The prince went on. "...I've heard about the affair between Fang Qing and the Duke of Guiyang Commandery, and I know how it unfolded. Hou Xiao provoked him first, stole his things, and acted with outrageous arrogance. If we let someone like that go without a lesson, people will say there's no one left in our Imperial Clan!"
Chen Cuo's Mother's expression remained stiff, but