Proud Feather

Chapter 8 Kindness
Chu Ling left Funing Palace and Lu Chan was waiting for her.

"A Ling!" She came forward, "Are you okay?"

Chu Ling nodded and looked at her sister-in-law.

After her eldest brother passed away in her previous life, she was immersed in grief and didn't care about anything else. Her eldest sister-in-law once advised her that since things had come to this, she should take care of herself.

At that time, she didn't understand and ignored these words. Later, she thought that her sister-in-law was such a smart person, she must have noticed something was wrong a long time ago.

Just like now, she had nothing to worry about when she was talking to her father, but her sister-in-law was deliberately waiting for her.

"Empress Shufei said that my second brother has returned to Huaide Palace?"

Lu Chan nodded.

"Then sister-in-law, if you stay here, won't you worry about your brother's body?"

Lu Chan was startled and looked at her intently.

Chu Ling curled the corners of his mouth and looked at her.

Lu Chan took a deep breath and replied, "There's nothing to worry about. Prime Minister Zhang has witnessed it, the imperial physician has examined it, and the emperor has cleared it. Anyone who dares to tamper with it now will be courting death."

"That's right." Chu Ling responded softly, "So, sister-in-law, are you going back to look after Jin'er?"

Lu Chan looked at her seriously: "A Ling, you have grown up overnight."

Chu Ling let out a bitter smile. She hadn't grown up overnight. In fact, she had been on this road for eight years! She had paid a heavy price!

"Sister-in-law." Chu Ling lowered her voice, "Even my elder brother could be poisoned. Do you and Jin'er want to move out of the East Palace?"

"It's okay." After the great sorrow, Lu Chan's whole body exuded an unusual calmness. "Father already knows and will protect us."

Chu Ling understood her implication. As she said before, now that the truth had been exposed, any attempt to harm her and the little grandson would be a recipe for disaster.

It's different now. The situation is different now that the cause of the eldest brother's death has been revealed. The most important thing for the second brother now is to distance himself from the matter, not to eradicate it.

"Well, take care, sister-in-law."

Lu Chan understood and exchanged glances with her: "Well, A Ling, you should go back and rest. You must be tired now after all the trouble just now."

The aunt and sister-in-law said goodbye, one returned to Nanming Palace and the other returned to the East Palace.

Lu Chan watched Chu Ling leave, her heart heavy, yet also comforted. Ever since her husband's death, she'd been gripped by a strong sense of crisis, but now, she knew she had someone to share her burdens with.

As the sky gradually darkened, the people mourning in Huaide Hall dispersed.

When Chu Ling was halfway there, he happened to meet those people leaving the palace.

"Princess." The clan members and nobles all bowed.

Chu Ling paused and said, "My dear uncles and aunts, thank you for your hard work today. The etiquette and laws are here, so I have to trouble you all. Please bear with me."

Everyone was flattered. The Crown Prince was the heir apparent, and mourning was a minister's duty. But regardless, it was heartwarming that the palace understood their difficulties.

However, it is somewhat surprising that this was said by Princess Jiahe. It is true that people grow up when they encounter difficulties. Alas!

"Thank you, Princess. This is all part of our job."

Chu Ling said: "You should do it, and my father and I should also be understanding. This is the great-aunt of the Ningguo Mansion, right? The way out of the palace is so long, it is really difficult for the old lady to walk. Qiu Niang, ask someone to send a sedan chair." The old lady of the Ningguo Mansion is the granddaughter of the Taizu. In terms of seniority, she is the emperor's cousin. She is very old and walks tremblingly.

Hearing this, Duke Ningguo was delighted and said, "Thank you, Princess, for your grace."

Only a few important old ministers and old clan members had the honor of riding in shoulder carriages in the palace. For example, the eldest clan leader, Prince Fu, was taken away first.

Chu Ling accepted it calmly and glanced over: "There are also several other great-grandmothers and great-grandfathers. There is still one day tomorrow, so they can also ride in the sedan chair. Father has always respected his elders, and he will not be able to bear to see this. I will make this decision on his behalf."

So many people were surprised, especially those who were older and had low family titles. It was not easy for them to enter the palace on normal days, and they never expected that they could get on a sedan chair. How proud they would be to tell others about this!

"Thank you, Princess, for your grace. Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."

"No need to be polite. Qiu Niang, go call Sun Shouquan..."

Princess Jiahe was the apple of the Emperor's eye. He himself was so heartbroken that he fell ill, yet he deliberately sent his daughter to stay behind to comfort him. The eunuchs knew how to adapt to the situation, so how could they refuse? Soon, the sedan chair was brought out, and amidst a chorus of praise, the royal family and nobles left the palace.

Before leaving the palace, Yang Yu, the young master of the Ningguo Mansion, turned his head and saw the notoriously arrogant and willful Princess Jiahe looking at him silently for a while, then turned and went to Nanming Palace, her back looking lonely and resolute.

While waiting for her carriage to arrive, the old lady was still praising him: "I've been to the palace so many times, but I didn't expect to be able to sit in a sedan chair today. It's all thanks to the princess!"

The old lady from the clan beside her nodded: "The princess is kind and good, and a filial and good child."

"After all, they are siblings. They are just as kind and considerate as the prince."

Speaking of the prince, everyone sighed with regret.

Yang Yu got on the carriage and couldn't help asking, "Father, do you think the princess seems different from before?"

Duke Ningguo closed his eyes to rest and replied, "It is a little different, but I understand. In the past, His Majesty and the Crown Prince both doted on her, so it was inevitable that the little girl was a little spoiled. Now that she has encountered difficulties, she has become more reasonable."

Speaking of this, he added, "Look, she was so impulsive today that she almost caused a disaster and burned down the mourning hall. It was only after they discovered something unusual about the prince's body that no one took it seriously."

No, that's not the case. Yang Yu thought of the situation in Huaide Hall.

He was a little sleepy at the time, so he stared at the brazier and happened to see the princess kick it over. The angle didn't seem accidental. And the coffin lid? That was the prince's coffin, it was heavy, how could it be easily knocked open?

"Come to think of it." Duke Ning opened his eyes and looked at his son. "Why did you stand up for yourself back then?"

There was something wrong with the prince's body, but no one said it was poisoned until he read the passage from "Xiyuanlu" and directly changed the topic.

If Duke Ningguo didn't know his son's character, he would have suspected that he did it on purpose.

"No, I just thought of it suddenly." Yang Yu said.

"Really?" Duke Ningguo was unconvinced. "Father, I have to tell you, matters above are not our business. We should not interfere if we can avoid it. The events of Emperor Xingzong are still not far away."

During Xingzong's reign, so many bloody events took place in the palace, so many people were implicated, and so many families fell into ruin. It is still frightening today.

"I know." After a pause, Yang Yu continued, "I was just thinking of the Crown Prince at the time. We've crossed paths a few times in the past...not again in the future."

"That's good to know." Duke Ningguo paused, and sighed, "The Crown Prince is indeed a good man, but... let's leave this matter at that. No matter what happens, it's none of our business."

Should we stop? Yang Yu thought of the figure he saw before leaving the palace, and inexplicably felt that this matter might not be stopped.

　I prefer updating at night.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)