Who is spreading rumors that my filial piety towards them has changed?

Chapter 238 They're going to have a midnight rendezvous?

Consort Wan's jade-like face flushed red. Through her dress, she could feel the heat of Chu Mingkong's large hand pressing against her, strong and scorching. Worried that Xiao Zhi would discover her, she moved her delicate body closer to Chu Mingkong, using his body as a tree trunk to block Xiao Zhi's view.

A soft, delicate hand landed on the back of Chu Mingkong's hand, whether to stop his reckless behavior or to encourage him to continue, it was unclear.

Chu Mingkong only dares to act this way towards Consort Wan. He wouldn't dare to do it with Princess Chu. If he were to act abruptly towards her, it would only worsen their already improved relationship. In the future, Chu Mingkong would still have to rely on this city as a base.

Whether considering his relationship with Yunhan or his grand plan to empty the capital in the future, he cannot act rashly. Even taking a sip of the Chu Princess's plump flesh is absolutely out of the question.

"Mother Consort Xiao Zhi, are you getting used to managing the affairs of Tianya City?" Chu Mingkong asked.

"Fortunately, since Prince Huai disappeared, I have been handling many things. It's just that before I had to act as Prince Huai, but now I act as myself. Things haven't changed, but it seems like something has changed as well," said the Queen Consort of Chu.

The difference might be that you go from being an employee who manages people and things to becoming a boss who manages people and things.

Chu Mingkong glanced at her, poured tea for the Princess Consort of Chu, and although Consort Wan's teacup was still full, Chu Mingkong symbolically poured her some as well, as a gesture of impartiality. He continued:

"If you're used to it, that's fine. But Consort Xiao Zhi must have a lot more things to manage, such as military affairs. Have you dealt with those officers that the Xiao family bribed before?"

Princess Chu was somewhat bothered by this topic. It wasn't that she wanted to avoid it, but Chu Mingkong's open revelation of the Xiao family's past collusion with Xiling military officers worried that her son might hold a grudge against her for bringing her maternal relatives into the family. However, seeing Chu Mingkong's composed expression, she nodded with slight relief and said:

"...Those contacts were made in my name. Only a very small number were bribed by Xiao Chengren. The list was given out and the matter was almost resolved. I showed it to Mingkong last time."

"Yes, if Consort Xiao Zhi encounters any difficulties, you should tell me as soon as possible. For example, if there are disgruntled military officers or merchant families, I can help you deal with them now. In the future, you will have to take care of these tedious matters."

If these matters truly become exhausting, Empress Xiao Zhi's mother shouldn't insist on doing them herself. No one can force you to shoulder any burdens. Being at ease and content is the most important thing. At worst, you can let the elders of Tianya Tower handle it.

"......it is good."

The Queen of Chu simply agreed, gazing at her son's handsome profile, a complex mix of emotions welling up within her.

She suddenly felt a sense of security, as if she had someone to rely on. Her marriage to Prince Huai had an element of alliance, and although they were husband and wife in name, it was difficult to feel that sense of wholehearted support. Everything after the marriage proceeded according to plan. Xiao Zhi treated the tasks she needed to accomplish after the marriage as goals she had set for herself as a child, except that as a child, those goals were music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, while as an adult, they were marriage and childbirth.

The "beauty" depicted in those folk love stories was, in Xiao Zhi's eyes, the ordinary people's way of finding joy in hardship; she couldn't understand what it felt like at all.

In a daze, she recalled the time when Prince Huai had just disappeared. At that time, she was overwhelmed by the many tasks that suddenly weighed on her shoulders. She had no one to rely on and it was the first time she had felt helpless. She didn't know how to decide on these matters and only knew that she couldn't just hand them over to others.

If the crown prince is given to Chu Mingkong, she still has a chance to help her son regain the family business. But if the power falls into the hands of military officers or retainers, then there will be no way to take it back.

This helplessness didn't last long, because her family members arrived with the same goal—to help Xiao Fengnan get back everything that was rightfully his. Plus, they were related by blood, so Xiao Zhi trusted her blood relatives implicitly.

Now, she faces a situation similar to that of the past, with many matters concerning the memorials to the emperor falling on her shoulders. However, she no longer feels the helplessness she once did. Has she become adept at handling these matters?

Until just now, Xiao Zhi thought it was...

But after hearing what Chu Mingkong said just now... if she's tired, she should let it go; her feelings are the most important thing.

Xiao Zhi realized that it was actually Chu Mingkong who had been supporting and relying on her all these days. Whenever she encountered any difficult or troublesome matters, Chu Mingkong would quietly go out and deal with them after learning about them. As soon as the signs of pressure appeared, they were already removed by Chu Mingkong, and none of them fell on her shoulders.

She knew she was a strong-willed woman, but Xiao Zhi had to admit that she also had a vulnerable side. She also wanted to live a more relaxed life, to have someone to support her and give her support, so that she could have a calm and confident heart when facing the heavy burdens of life.

These past few days, Xiao Zhi hadn't noticed this at all. Perhaps it was because she was too busy to pay attention, or perhaps Chu Mingkong handled things too naturally, taking care of everything for her as soon as he picked up a task.

Those things that she could tell were extremely troublesome at a glance, after Chu Mingkong took them away, she never heard him mention the difficulties he encountered afterward. She only knew that he would handle them properly. She knew nothing about the difficulties involved, and he didn't put any pressure on her at all.

Now that the topic of Chu Mingkong's preparation for leaving has come up, Xiao Zhi has noticed a point that she had been overlooking all along.

She never felt a sense of security after becoming a wife, starting a family, and having children. This adopted son, who was raised on her breast milk, gave her that feeling without her even realizing it...

Xiao Zhi snapped out of her reverie, and Chu Mingkong took out the paper slips developed by the elders of Tianya Tower and explained to her and Wan Hua how to use them and how they could communicate with each other in the future.

She only heard the gist of it and didn't really take it in, because Xiao Zhi noticed a slight difference in how Chu Mingkong treated her compared to how he treated Wan Hua.

This difference was not a matter of favoritism, but rather a genuine surprise from Chu Mingkong.

He treated Xiao Zhi very well, and the past estrangement seemed to have disappeared with the reconciliation. However, he treated Wan Hua differently. The intimacy he showed was something Xiao Zhi had never experienced before, and therefore it was hard to describe and understand.

The only thing that makes sense is that her son, Chu Mingkong, is indeed closer to her sister, Wan Hua. Why is that...?

......

As night fell, Consort Wan went to take a bath, leaving the note Chu Mingkong had given her in the room.

After reading the newly delivered memorial, the Princess of Chu suddenly noticed a glint of light on the cover of her sister's paper.

This seems to be a message sent from Chu Mingkong's side.

"Mingkong secretly contacted her using notes?" Princess Chu frowned, slowly opening the note and seeing the message Chu Mingkong had written to Consort Wan. She murmured, "Midnight...meeting?!"

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P.S.: Getting back to the everyday and emotional storylines, I can't write quickly. I haven't yet grasped the essence of that kind of cathartic emotional description. Please forgive me!

Chapter 239 No rush

Princess Chu pretended not to see it, carefully placed the note for Consort Wan, and silently noted the time in her mind.

After the mother and son finished bathing, they gathered together to chat. Chu Mingkong thought they would have some fruit and snacks, and a pot of fragrant tea to eat and chat, but Consort Wan said she didn't want to eat at night, so she pulled Chu Mingkong and Princess Chu to sit on the bed and chat.

The conversation covered a wide range of topics, but it was mostly about Chu Mingkong. Initially, they wanted to ask him about his life in the capital.

But this topic isn't quite right. In the capital, it's all about being a devoted son and a sycophant, currying favor with girls on orders. When his energy is at its peak, he might seduce seven at once—others might be playboys, he's a sea dog. Every day he runs to the teahouse to check if his reputation meets the standards. If he finds anyone questioning whether his bad reputation is genuine enough, Chu Mingkong will fan the flames and smear him, boasting to the tea drinkers who love to talk big, even claiming he'll take down the Prince of Xiling.

Bringing up this topic would only embarrass the Princess Consort of Chu.

And later, instead of being a simp, he started to pursue beautiful girls and cultivate together, but that's not something I can easily say.

Therefore, all Chu Mingkong could say was a few things that happened at Xiaoxiang Qin Academy and Baihu Plain after he left the capital.

Princess Chu suddenly remembered the two women who "kidnapped" her and Consort Wan on the day the martial arts performance ended. One of them seemed to be the same woman who had sneaked in and stolen the limelight from the Xiao family's dance performance back then. Her figure was too distinctive.

“Mingkong, how did you meet that maid of yours, Fengying? You were so young when you became such a close friend of an assassin? This friendship didn’t fade away even when you were down on your luck. That’s remarkable. But weren’t you an adult who spent your time in that desolate border region back then?”

Princess Chu had some understanding of this kind of advisory relationship. Usually, people would only associate with someone based on their status and position. It was quite unbelievable that Chu Mingkong, in such a difficult situation, would be willing to cooperate with such a notorious assassin.

Take the Xiao family for example. After the Xiling incident, what awaits the Xiao family now is a large number of cronies leaving. That's just how reality is.

"...Uh." Chu Mingkong stammered for a while before summarizing simply: "It's not entirely a cooperative relationship. I accidentally helped her discover a potential enemy before, and then a lot of things happened. In short, we didn't get together because of our identities. Didn't Xiao Zhi's mother recognize my master? She was also 'kidnapped' you at the time."

"That woman dressed like a lady, I only remembered that it was Zuo Qiuchi after Yunhan mentioned it. Her appearance is really... so different from her previous image."

When Chu Mingkong heard the Princess Chu's sigh, he found it amusing. Her feelings were probably similar to the shock and dismay Feng Ying felt when he discovered a cute little boy popping out of his armor.

The conversation didn't last until late at night. Chu Mingkong took the initiative to end the topic and left the room, citing "not wanting to disturb the concubines' rest."

Actually, he quite enjoyed the feeling of having a heart-to-heart talk with his two incredibly sexy and beautiful mothers. The topics weren't particularly interesting, but just looking at them gave him a sense of pleasure and excitement.

But if he didn't end the conversation sooner, how could he have a secret rendezvous with Consort Wan? He had to wait until Princess Chu fell asleep.

......

The night is deep and slightly cool.

The City Lord's Pavilion was not intended for overnight guests, so there were no guest rooms. The only rooms available for sleeping were the study and the City Lord's bedroom. Chu Mingkong slept in the study, so Consort Wan had to sleep with Princess Chu. However, they had been sleeping together for the past few days.

Consort Wan was both nervous and expectant. In the past, she would enjoy the comfort of a deep sleep, but tonight she did not want to fall asleep so early no matter what. While waiting, she heard Xiao Zhi's breathing becoming more and more steady and even.

She must be asleep, right?

Outside the window, the faint sound of the night watchman's gong signaling the time could be heard from the distant street; midnight had finally arrived.

Consort Wan quietly opened her eyes and stared at Xiao Zhi beside her to make sure she was asleep.

Xiao Zhi's breasts were large. Some women's breasts would appear smaller when they lie flat, but Xiao Zhi's breasts were still large despite their fullness. The thin blanket covering her created the illusion of a mountain, and that mountain rose and fell very little with her breathing.

Consort Wan quietly lifted her quilt and slowly got out of bed, not daring to put on her shoes for fear of making any noise that might wake Xiao Zhi. As soon as she stepped out of the room, Chu Mingkong, who had been waiting outside, grabbed her and draped his own clothes over his mother.

Chu Mingkong sniffed the fragrance from Consort Wan's snow-white neck. He was about to ask something when Consort Wan placed her slender finger to his lips, signaling him to be quiet.

Consort Wan finally breathed a sigh of relief after Chu Mingkong and she sat down on the embroidered couch in the study.

The feeling of secretly meeting Chu Mingkong late at night filled her with excitement and anticipation. The moment Chu Mingkong embraced her, her body went limp and she almost couldn't stand up.

"Did we disturb Consort Xiao Zhi's mother?" Chu Mingkong asked knowingly, knowing that if he had really woken her up, it would have been troublesome.

He looked at the stunning beauty nestled in his arms, a blush rising on her delicate, fair cheeks. He reached out and touched her, feeling her soft, warm touch.

"No, but I'm afraid that if it goes on too long, people will notice something is wrong. Mingkong, you need to hurry."

Consort Wan also stroked Chu Mingkong's face, her slender hands slowly sliding down his cheeks to his clothes, unbuttoning his shirt. Seeing Chu Mingkong's strong and muscular body, Consort Wan's breathing became heavier, and a blush unconsciously rose in her beautiful eyes. Her gaze was dreamy and affectionate, as beautiful as a peach blossom, and she seemed impatient.

"Then I'll try to finish as quickly as possible?"

Chu Mingkong joked, and Consort Wan was displeased again, giving him a coquettish glare.

"We can't rush to end this. You spent so much time chatting with Zhi'er last night, and you even changed the tea several times. Why should I be in such a hurry to end this now?"

"Just kidding, don't be angry." Chu Mingkong wrapped his arms around her waist, which was perfectly toned.

"Mingkong, do you want me to wear Princess Zhi'er's dress this time?"

Chu Mingkong lowered his head and buried his face in her fragrant shoulder:

"It all depends on your opinion. If I want Mother to wear it, but you don't want to, then I still have to go along with your preferences. I can't force Mother, can I? When we meet in private, I still want you to be happy. I can't be the only one who's happy."

"Then, then I want to wear it... You're always chatting with Zhi'er and never pay attention to me!" Consort Wan was a little jealous, but she couldn't show it at the time.

Her words left Chu Mingkong in a dilemma and feeling helpless. It wasn't that he was being biased or anything, it was just that Consort Wan hadn't said anything at the time, while Princess Chu often tried to get closer to him by asking him questions when she couldn't think of anything to say. Chu Mingkong couldn't give a simple answer, so he would usually steer the conversation in other directions, making it seem like he was having a long chat with Princess Chu.

"This is a misunderstanding. I thought you were ignoring me, Mother."

Chu Mingkong began to help her change her clothes, admiring Consort Wan's radiant white body, which shone brightly even in the night.

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In the city lord's bedroom, after her sister secretly got up and left the room, Princess Chu sat up a while later. She was afraid that Consort Wan was just beginning to be on guard and that she would be discovered if she acted rashly. Now that she thought it was about time, Princess Chu got up and quietly walked out of the room.

The City Lord's Pavilion is located at the highest point of Tianya Tower. Although it is spacious, the layout is not complicated. Looking around, Consort Wan was not found in the pavilion, so she must be in the study next door.

In the dead of night, a lone man and woman met. Princess Chu wasn't stupid; she vaguely sensed the reason, but for a moment, she refused to believe it. Perhaps, maybe...

Is it not what she thought?

Princess Chu has a city lord's mansion, so if she keeps a low profile, it's hard for her to be noticed. The study has a soundproof barrier, so you can't hear anything inside, but the window isn't closed tightly, leaving a finger-width gap.

She walked over and saw a stunningly beautiful woman, covering her mouth in a daze.

Her body was lifted up, her feet not touching the ground, suspended in mid-air, her crossed toes trembling slightly.

Wan Hua, as a woman, was being hysterically embraced by Chu Mingkong, who kept shoving open the closed doorway that displeased her.