Upon hearing Xiu'er's words, Tang Zhuyun's uneasy feeling intensified.
It turns out she wasn't the only one who thought this way.
Today, Wu Zhenhai was in charge of security, and then this unbelievable thing happened.
She wanted to know where these bandits came from, that they had such audacity!
Linlin calmly said, "Mother, let's go back to the Prince's Mansion first and wait for news."
"Good."
One should not linger in a place of trouble.
If it's a ploy to lure them away from their predicament, and something bad happens to those two heavily pregnant women during the journey, it wouldn't be worth it.
Fortunately, the journey back was smooth and there were no unexpected problems.
In the carriage, Xiu'er said, "Your Highness, I've found out that Concubine Yu entered the manor after the Prince's birthday."
Just as expected.
"Zhou Fu is much younger than the Prince," Xiu'er continued. "Concubine Yu had been pregnant twice before, once miscarried because Zhou Yushan beat her, and the other time lost because Madam Zhou made her kneel as punishment."
Tang Zhuyun was furious.
Those two scoundrels, just you wait!
However, she also became certain that Concubine Yu was indeed a weak-willed person.
Therefore, the chances of her having an affair are very small, and it is highly likely that Zhou Xu is still Zhou Yushan's biological child.
Zhou Yushan not only hated his Concubine Yu, but he was also unkind to his own children... What exactly did he hate?
Different strokes for different folks; there are truly beasts in this world who wouldn't even treat their own flesh and blood well!
Think about how Zhou Xu had to submit to someone just to survive—even though the man was decent-looking and not a decrepit old man, their social standing meant that she was always on edge and walking on thin ice in this relationship.
But Mingming doesn't have to endure any of this.
Yanran then said, "I played with some of the Zhou Family's kids, and they said that Concubine Yu is easy to bully. But Zhou Xu can be very fierce, so no one dares to mess with her, otherwise she'll curse and even hit people."
Even if it means being punished, she wants to let people know she's not someone to mess with.
In other words, Zhou Xu's treatment in the Zhou Residence had indeed always been poor, regardless of whether the Prince's Mansion was there or not.
"Anyway, nobody likes her," Yanran said. "But I think she's pretty good, because she and Zhou Fu don't get along, and I hate Zhou Fu's pretentious attitude."
As for the other gossip about the Zhou Family, she had heard a lot of it, but it was all useless and a waste.
Xiu'er scoffed, "She's still waiting to show off! Oh dear—"
"What's wrong?" Tang Zhuyun asked.
"Your Highness, do you think she might have seen the Prince going to look for Zhou Xu and followed him?"
Tang Zhuyun said, "Perhaps?"
She didn't really understand this.
The Zhou Family outwardly complied with the Prince of Jin but inwardly opposed them, their true intention being quite clear.
Under these circumstances, it's rather strange that Zhou Fu would be close to the Prince of Jin.
"It's not surprising," Xiu'er said. "She's simply fallen for the prince. What does it matter whether her family agrees or not?"
Tang Zhuyun: "So brainless?"
"Wanting to be a princess or a concubine isn't exactly brainless, is it?"
That's the right path!
Don't assume everyone is a couch potato.
Tang Zhuyun was preoccupied with Zhou Xu's safety and had no mind to joke with her.
Zhou Fu can do whatever she wants, just please make sure nothing happens to Zhou Xu.
"Won't the prince be wary of Wu Zhenhai?" Tang Zhuyun asked.
"Yes," Linlin said. "You didn't hide her relationship with Wu Zhenhai from Father before; today's events are sudden and strange, Father will likely suspect Wu Zhenhai as well."
"That's good." Tang Zhuyun's eyelids twitched.
Please, please don't let anything happen...
Linlin said coldly, "Mother, there's something I'd like to discuss with you."
Xiu'er, ever outspoken, said, "No need to discuss it, we'll all listen to you!"
Yanran: "I'll listen to my brother too!"
Tang Zhuyun: I will also obey the organization's arrangements.
"Go back and tell Concubine Yu about this." Linlin Lin's eyes were calm.
He originally intended to "scare" Concubine Yu like this, to see if she would reveal the truth in a moment of desperation.
Unexpectedly, Zhou Xu really got into trouble.
Tang Zhuyun was considering the feasibility; this matter was indeed somewhat cruel.
"With Mother Consort here, nothing will happen to her."
This means that Tang Zhuyun is a medical guarantor.
"Sooner or later, Zhou Xu will find out about this," Linlin continued. "She's very attached to Zhou Xu."
Xiu'er's eyes darted around, and she immediately understood.
"If it's bad news, we'll find out sooner or later, so a day or two won't make a difference; if it's nothing serious, it's just a matter of worrying for a day or two, nothing major will happen, right?"
However, this method will most likely get Concubine Yu to tell the truth.
Because Concubine Yu was well aware that if Zhou Xu were to get into trouble on her own, the Zhou Family family would not do their best to save her.
Desperate to save her daughter, she had no choice but to seek help from the Prince's Palace.
The best way would be to reveal one's identity and ask the Prince of Jin to save Zhou Xu out of consideration for their shared motherhood.
"Brother, how can you be so smart!" Yanran.
Honestly, in all these years we've been together, she's never felt inferior; she's relied entirely on her own strength.
They all eat the same food, so how come she only grows taller but not smarter?
Cling tightly to your brother's leg!
Tang Zhuyun nodded. "Okay, I'll go keep her company."
Regardless of whether she was Prince of Jin's biological mother or not, Concubine Yu biological daughter was in trouble.
She doesn't know how she wants things to end.
Yanran was still somewhat upset and asked Linlin, "Brother, why did you perform so poorly in the archery and horsemanship competition today? Did the Zhou Family rig it?"
"I did it on purpose," Linlin said.
Yanran: "... Why! Wouldn't that boost the Zhou Family's morale?"
"In recent years, the Zhou Family has effectively controlled the border town and even the Northwest, and has become quite arrogant," Linlin said.
The women didn't see the men of the Zhou Family, but they themselves had.
From Governor-General Zhou to his sons and grandsons, they all considered themselves "Kings of the Northwest".
Since that's the case, let's let them be even more arrogant.
Tang Zhuyun's eyes showed approval.
Children of this age are mostly competitive.
Linlin, however, had already surpassed them by a great deal—he was no longer just looking at the immediate outcome, but considering the bigger picture.
This child is so steady.
She felt inferior to him.
All she could think about was getting slapped in the face, getting slapped in the face, getting slapped in the face!
In the future, Linlin will surely surpass his teachers.
Xiu'er snorted coldly, saying with no small amount of pride, "Old Granny Zhou Family even said she'd have two sons or something! So what if she had eight? The Prince's Mansion can afford to raise them, they're well-mannered, and with Linlin around, there won't be any chaos!"
This older brother is the pillar of strength.
She wants to try her best to have a son so he can be Linlin's servant!
Like Yanran, she was a sucker for powerful figures.
She became even more determined.
Her life trajectory and that of Song Jingyang perfectly illustrate how important it is to align yourself with the right powerful figure!
Tang Zhuyun asked again, "Linlin, did you see any bandits up ahead?"
Linlin shook her head. "No, a guard just said that some women have been kidnapped by bandits."
Then his father went mad.
Tang Zhuyun seemed to be deep in thought.
Xiu'er said, "We didn't see them on the male guests' side, nor on the female guests' side. It's as if these bandits suddenly appeared from underground and then disappeared just as suddenly."
Tang Zhuyun: "I don't think it looks like a robbery, but more like a sneaky kidnapping."
She became even more convinced that Wu Zhenhai might be behind it.