Proud Feather

Chapter 145 Testing
The sun is shining brightly today, and charcoal is burning in the pavilion, making it warm and cozy.

Prince Fu and Prince Kang, however, were extremely uneasy, not moving their chess pieces for a long time, and glancing from time to time at the girl next to them who was fanning herself and brewing tea.

Chu Ling seemed oblivious to everything, staring at the chessboard as she said, "Grand Master, aren't you moving your horse? It's about to be captured!"

"Oh!" Prince Fu seemed to wake from a dream, picked up his horse and took a step.

The kettle gurgled and gurgled. Chu Ling looked away, set out the tea set, and deftly rinsed and cleaned the kettle before actually brewing tea.

Prince Fu and Prince Kang exchanged glances.

What's this girl doing here?
How should I know? I came to your house.

Has anything happened recently?
I haven't heard of it.

“Kang Wangbo, why aren’t you moving your chariot? The Grand Minister of Rites’ cannon is aimed at you!” Chu Ling said again.

"Yes!" King Kang hurriedly moved the carriage.

Chu Ling finished brewing the tea and served it to them one by one, saying, "Try it."

The two princes gave the order and the princes performed the action, and sure enough, the prince was so hot that he almost jumped up, causing his servants to scramble around in a flurry.

Chu Ling confessed, "It's my fault for not reminding them; they got burned by the Grand Minister of Rites and the Prince of Kang."

The two princes dared not accept her courtesy and hurriedly said, "It has nothing to do with the princess; we are just old and senile."

"Yes, yes, at their age, they don't even know how to drink tea. It's our fault, our fault!"

"Alright, all of you, step back! It's nothing, don't make a fuss!"

"Keep playing chess, keep playing chess!"

The servants withdrew, and the two princes continued playing chess. Chu Ling stopped brewing tea and sat to the side to watch. The back garden became quiet again.

Prince Fu gave a wink, and Prince Kang pondered for a moment before smiling and saying, "Speaking of which, our little Jiu has become much more decent lately, all thanks to the princess's support!"

"Lord Kang, you're too kind. It's Xiao Jiu who has helped me a lot," Chu Ling said with a smile. "I haven't seen him in a long time. What has Xiao Jiu been up to lately?"

"What else can that kid do?" King Kang stroked his beard. "He just goes around having fun and bragging, he doesn't do anything serious. Oh well, it's good that he doesn't cause trouble."

Chu Ling chuckled: "What trouble could Xiao Jiu possibly cause? He's just indulging in eating, drinking, and having fun. He wouldn't even dare to forcibly abduct a woman."

"That's true." King Kang was quite satisfied with this grandson. "This lad may seem dissolute, but he's actually quite shrewd!"

Chu Ling said slowly, "Actually, it doesn't matter if he causes some trouble. Doesn't your mansion have an imperial edict from the founding emperor? As long as it's not a crime of treason, the Kang Prince's mansion will always be the Kang Prince's mansion."

"..." The two princes looked at her.

Chu Ling smiled slightly and glanced at the chessboard: "Grand Master, it's your turn."

"Oh, yes." Prince Fu moved his pawn.

Chu Ling rested her chin on her hand and continued chatting casually: "After all, we're not in Emperor Xiaozong's reign anymore. If it were back then, someone like Xiao Jiu might have been in trouble. Duke Kang, right?"

King Kang laughed dryly.

Who doesn't know that the reign of Emperor Xiaozong was a dark time for the imperial clan? The palace was fiercely intrigued. Emperor Xiaozong himself couldn't father a son, and he was paranoid. Many members of the imperial clan were implicated for even minor offenses, resulting in the loss of several princely residences. Only Prince Fu and he, with their ancestral privileges and their ability to keep a low profile, managed to survive.

Chu Ling continued, "Father has mentioned this past incident and warned us never to repeat the same mistake. Father is so wise, he certainly won't!"

Prince Fu nodded in agreement: "Your Majesty is benevolent."

Continuing the conversation would be too dangerous, so King Kang changed the subject: "Playing chess with us two old men is really boring. Doesn't the princess want to go play?"

"We play every day, a little more time won't make a difference." Chu Ling poured them tea. "It's not too hot this time, you two can drink without worry!"

Prince Fu and Prince Kang exchanged a glance and drank the tea.

...An hour later, Chu Ling finally left.

The two old princes breathed a sigh of relief and huddled together to speak in hushed tones.

"What do you mean by 'princess'? All of a sudden..."

"Warning? The younger generation in both our families is considered well-behaved and hasn't caused any trouble recently."

Prince Kang thought for a moment: "Is this a message from His Majesty? During the reign of Emperor Xiaozong..."

A chill ran down their spines. What had caused His Majesty such worry? The Crown Prince was gone, so what would happen next…?

Inside the imperial carriage, Qingcha handed over a hand warmer: "Princess, do the two princes understand your meaning?"

Chu Ling grunted, clutching her cold hands, and said slowly, "It's alright, we're just scouting the area today."

To complete her plan, a highly respected elder was needed to oversee it. Within the entire imperial clan, no one was more suitable than Prince Fu. But whether Prince Fu was willing to take on this role was another matter entirely.

After all, even if he wanted to protect his clan, he had to do so without endangering himself.

Chu Ling considered in his mind: besides the imperial relatives, there were also meritorious officials and veteran ministers...

As the imperial carriage moved slowly forward, a commotion arose in the street, and soon the road ahead was blocked.

Chu Ling asked, "What happened?"

Qingcha peeked out, and after a while, the eunuch returned and reported, "A student drank too much and was sent to the clinic but couldn't be saved. His family is causing trouble."

Chu Ling nodded. The capital city is so big that there are countless disputes every day, which are handled by the government offices.

Anyway, she wasn't in a hurry to go back; she could wait until the road ahead was clear before making her way.

“Oh, it’s Lord Gao,” Qingcha suddenly said.

Chu Ling looked up and, sure enough, saw Gao Mian's figure.

"Is the student's death suspicious? Why was it reported to the Dali Temple?" she asked.

The eunuch replied, "The medical clinic claims that the student suffered a sudden heart attack after drinking and was already beyond saving when he arrived, so it has nothing to do with them. However, his family argues that the student did not have a heart attack at all and that the medical clinic is shirking responsibility. The two sides are in dispute over the cause of death, so Lord Gao specially brought a coroner to perform an autopsy."

"Oh……"

Through the car window, Chu Ling saw the body lying in the lobby of the clinic. It was a young man in his early twenties; no wonder his family couldn't accept it.

"I heard he was a successful candidate in the provincial examination, coming from out of town to Beijing to prepare for next year's metropolitan examination. What a pity!"

“I live near the academy and have met this scholar. He is very learned and often comes out on top in literary competitions. I heard that he is also appreciated by a noble person and is waiting to pass the imperial examination next year.”

"That's amazing? Does that mean his promising future is ruined? No wonder his family can't accept it."

"Isn't that right? He's well-educated and has also gotten in touch with a powerful person. If nothing unexpected happens, his career will definitely be smooth sailing in the future."

"So, I don't believe he died from drinking. How could a little alcohol at a literary gathering kill someone?"

"Yes, it might really be a heart condition..."

"Does that mean there won't be any compensation? His family is so pitiful..."

Hearing this, Qingcha turned to look at her: "Princess..."

Chu Ling understood her meaning and said in a low voice, "Go and see Lord Gao, and find out the cause of this student's death."

Qingcha understood immediately: "Yes."

(End of this chapter)