"Fine." Qin Rong gritted her teeth, slapped Han Rui, and demanded, "Why did you push your brother into the water?"
Han Rui covered his face with one hand and gripped the wheelchair armrest tightly with the other, his whole body seemingly breathing fire as he stared intently at Han Zhuo, who had just woken up.
Han Zhuo was frightened by Han Rui's behavior. He whispered, "Mother, I'm scared..."
"Don't be afraid," Qin Rong patted Han Zhuo's back, "Your mother is here to protect you."
Hahahaha.
Han Rui suddenly burst into laughter. He mocked, "What a scene of maternal love and filial piety! Mother, do you remember that I am your biological son, while Han Zhuo is just someone you randomly picked from a collateral branch?"
He was unwilling to accept it.
He was unwilling to lose his position as heir apparent, unwilling to be ridden by someone like Han Zhuo who only knew how to play the victim, and even more unwilling that Qin Rong had given all the love she had given him to Han Zhuo.
Clearly, his mother should have put in a lot of effort to plan for him, but Han Zhuo ruined it all.
Han Rui slammed his hand on his wheelchair and said fiercely, "I'm going to kill him. I'm going to take back everything I've lost."
Qin Rong watched coldly from beginning to end, without being moved in the slightest, letting Han Rui act crazy and Han Rui a scene.
Now that Han Rui had stopped, Qin Rong asked casually, "Are you done?"
She seemed to care about Han Rui completely, and she probably would have acted the same way even if Han Rui died in front of her.
Looking at Qin Rong's calm face, Han Rui asked in a trembling voice, "Mother, am I really your biological child?"
Qin Rong sneered, "Sometimes I really wish it weren't."
Han Rui was stunned. "Mother, what did you say?"
"When your father and I were young, he was in danger. I took a butcher's knife and fought my way out of the encirclement with him. Outsiders said I was reckless and a shrew, but so what?"
Qin Rong walked to Han Rui's side and gently hugged Han Rui, just like she had when Han Rui was a child. She smiled and whispered, "Your father betrayed me, but I didn't even have time to grieve. Clearly, the title is more important than your father's love. Now I have the Duke of Anguo's Residence in my hands. What are you doing?"
Before Han Rui could even feel more of his mother's warmth, Qin Rong pushed him away. Qin Rong looked down at him, and at that moment, they seemed not to be mother and son.
Qin Rong said calmly, " Han Rui, you are truly, terribly stupid."
It was a foregone conclusion that Han Rui would lose his position as heir apparent, but he lacked Qin Rong's decisiveness. Originally, Qin Rong had planned to take good care of him.
As long as she is there, apart from losing the title of heir apparent, everything else about Han Rui will remain unchanged.
Unfortunately, Han Rui was foolish and couldn't see the situation clearly.
Does Qin Rong really like Han Zhuo?
What she liked about Han Zhuo was his sensible and tactful nature, which made him someone she could use.
In the face of absolute power, even a son can become a discarded pawn.
Mei Xiangyu echoed her mother-in-law's words, saying with a headache, "Husband, you really aren't very smart."
"You, you all..."
Qin Rong waved her sleeve. "Gentlemen, the show is over. Can you leave now?"
This means they're telling you to leave.
[ The Duke Anguo's Wife was quite kind; she even let us see everything before we left.]
Tong Aning nodded and left with Tong Fengye and Feng Chu. Mei Xiangyu pushed Han Rui and walked in front of them.
[Looks like next time it won't just be "former prince," it'll be "foolish prince" too.]
Mei Xiangyu chuckled. Tong Fengye thought to himself, "It's a good thing Han Rui can't hear me, otherwise he would be so angry that he would jump up and chase his sister for two miles."
After leaving the manor, Tong Fengye suddenly stopped and asked, " Aning, can you check if my eyesight is failing? I can see the young master."
Tong Fengye's eyes widened. Feng Chu said, "Let me see—"
Feng Chu had just moved closer when Tong Fengye shoved her away, saying, "You're the most annoying one!"
Feng Chu snorted, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Over there, Tong Aning was talking to Xue Lin.
Tong Aning asked, "The young master only returned today?"
"Yes."
Sichen chimed in, "Of course, the young master looked travel-worn. I told him to go back to the palace to bathe, but he wasn't happy about it."
Tong Aning looked at the gray figure beside Xue Lin and asked uncertainly, "Are you... Sichen?"
"Yeah," Sichen scratched his face, looking a little disappointed, "It's only been a short time since I left, and Miss Tong doesn't even recognize me anymore."
Tong Fengye, who had followed, glanced at Sichen and chuckled, "Looking like this, it'll be hard for anyone to recognize you, won't it?"
Xue Lin: "Take a good shower when we get back."
That's as if he's very unclean.
Sichen stamped his foot, and dust fell from his clothes. He muttered, "Young Master, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be in this situation."
Feng Chu asked curiously, "What did you do?"
Sichen: "... Let's not talk about it."
[Spent the whole night hiding in the chicken coop... it must have been tough.]
Sichen: "..."
He said optimistically, "Your Highness, my neck is itchy, could it be chicken feathers?"
Tong Fengye comforted him, "You've worked hard."
Sichen got excited, "That's nothing! I caught that thief in one go! It's just that the chickens there can't tell good guys from bad guys; when they pecked the bad guy, they pecked me too!"
Chickens probably have a hard time distinguishing between good and bad people, right?
"There used to be a big goose in our palace that would bite bad people."
Mentioning the goose, Sichen chuckled, "Your Highness, do you remember that time when you were practicing your sword and accidentally hit that goose? That goose chased you all afternoon!"
"And then what?" Tong Aning asked with great interest, "Did you catch him?"
Xue Lin coughed lightly.
Sichen pursed her lips, shook her head, and said ambiguously, "It's hard to say, it's hard to say."
Tong Aning didn't ask any more questions; she changed the subject.
"Did you just come from the Jingzhao Prefecture?"
"Um."
The person who answered was Xue Lin.
[He's very economical with words.]
Xue Lin: "..."
Or should he repeat himself, say a few more words?
Sichen said, "When we delivered the person over, Lord Cen was still there."
[Is Lord Cen being pressured to get married again?]
Pressuring someone to get married?
It probably means they should get married soon, right?
Sichen nodded, then lowered his voice. "However, when we came out, we saw Miss Wen carrying a food box inside."
" Sichen," Xue Lin said in a deep voice, "How about I transfer you to Lord Cen's side?"
Sichen immediately became serious, "Your Highness, I am yours in life and in death. Let's go back quickly."
Xue Lin glanced at him, "I don't want a ghost like you, you're ugly."
Sichen was deeply moved, "Your Highness, I knew you wouldn't want me to die..."
Xue Lin: "..."
Tong Aning smiled and said, "Yes, go back and get some rest."
[To be honest, Heir Xue and Sichen are both busy working for the people; I really admire people like them.]
Xue Lin glanced at Tong Aning.
Tong Aning smiled and waved to Xue Lin.
Xue Lin paused, noticing the bracelet he had given Tong Aning, made of five-colored stones, on her wrist.
"Then we'll head back to our residence first."
"Um."
Xue Lin mounted his horse, spurred it on, and Sichen followed behind. He was surprised to find that the young master seemed happier than before, and his whole demeanor was full of vigor.
*
Lou Yingyu swindled some money from Lou Ming and used it to treat Azhu and Tong Aning to dinner at the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion.
Knowing that Lou Yingyu was coming, the innkeeper had prepared the private room on the second floor facing the street well in advance.
Lou Yingyu said, "They've come up with quite a few new dishes."
"Yes," the shopkeeper said, "We've hired a new head chef, and he's incredibly quick-witted."
"It won't taste bad, will it?" Lou Yingyu asked casually as she flipped through the pages.
The shopkeeper patted his chest and assured them, "It's definitely delicious. We've tasted it ourselves before recommending it. Besides, even if you gave me a hundred lives, I wouldn't dare to cheat you three."
"That makes sense. I won't let anyone who tries to fool me get away with it."
Lou Yingyu, Tong Aning, Azhu each selected several new dishes, and when the shopkeeper left, his eyes were practically closed with laughter.
As expected of the Prime Minister's daughter, she makes a grand gesture.
After the shopkeeper left, Tong Aning asked, " Yingyu, how did you get the silver?"
She was already itching to get started.
Lou Yingyu glanced at her and Azhu, then rested her chin on her hand and smiled, "You both want to know?"
The two nodded in unison.
Lou Yingyu held out her hand to the two of them, "One tael of silver, and I'll tell you."
Tong Aning: "..."
Azhu: "... Miss, I remember the Prime Minister said that you shouldn't offend anyone outside."
Lou Yingyu clicked her tongue, "How could I possibly offend both of you?"
Tong Aning said with a stern face, "I'm sorry to offend you."
Lou Yingyu: "... Oh my dear Aning, here's what happened..."
Lou Ming Lou Yingyu was ignorant and incompetent, and that he could easily stump her with any method he came up with.
Lou Yingyu wasn't afraid at all; she told Lou Ming to bring it on.
"My father placed a three-thousand-tael silver note on his desk, then covered it with a teacup, telling me not to touch the teacup. If I could get it, the silver note would be mine."
Tong Aning guessed, "You flipped the table?"
Lou Yingyu's eyes lit up; she was extremely smug. "My dad said I cheated, and I said you didn't say I couldn't push the table over, which really angered him."
Tong Aning and Azhu gave her a thumbs up.
"Get lost! You dare to dine and dash at our Spring Breeze House Restaurant? You must have a death wish."
The noise came from across the street in front of Spring Breeze House.
This private room has a perfect view of the main entrance of Spring Breeze House.
Three heads popped out of the window. Lou Yingyu said, "He dared to dine and dash at Spring Breeze House; he's definitely going to die now."
The forces behind Spring Breeze House Spring Breeze House complex and intertwined; even members of certain clans would think twice before causing trouble there.
Lou Yingyu: "Tsk tsk tsk."
[He deserved it.]
Is this... some kind of gossip?
[He killed his wife and children, and while his in-laws were heartbroken, he swindled them out of their money, which he then squandered at the Spring Breeze House.]
Killed his wife and children?
Azhu said angrily, "How can there be such cold-hearted people in this world?"
She lifted her skirt as she descended the stairs; the skirt billowed out like a sharp sword.
Tong Aning asked blankly, "What is Azhu going to do?"
Lou Yingyu clapped her hands. "A tiger daughter of a military family! A tiger daughter of a military family!"
Tong Aning: "?"