Xiao Wenqiang saw so much delicious food and beckoned Chu Li, who was standing by, to sit down and eat with her. Chu Li initially refused for a long time, but eventually could not resist and was pulled into the seat by Xiao Wenqiang.
The mistress and servant ate the sumptuous breakfast while chatting about everyday matters.
“Miss, looking at him today, this Ninth Prince is quite good. Miss asked him for help, and he agreed immediately,” Chu Li said indignantly, her voice filled with emotion. “Ever since our Chu family had trouble, everyone who used to be friendly has changed. It’s good enough that they didn’t kick us when we were down.”
“Xiao Li, don’t be fooled by his appearance!” Xiao Wenqiang quickly ate a crystal bun and continued, “Do you know how the evidence to frame our Chu family came about? Do you know who interrogated my three elder brothers in prison?”
“Miss, what you mean is…” Chu Li was so surprised that she almost couldn’t eat.
“Yes, it was Situ Zixian.” Xiao Wenqiang, however, still had an appetite and continued to eat other dishes.
“This… Isn’t this Ninth Prince just a leisurely prince? How could he… Miss, where did you get this information? Is it reliable?” Chu Li asked, leaning in quietly.
“I have my own channels, but they are absolutely reliable!” Xiao Wenqiang would never say that it was written in the extra chapters of the original novel, that Situ Zixian was the mastermind who helped Situ Chuanqiong do evil!
Chu Li was truly flustered now. “Then Miss, you are still talking to him! What if he wants to harm you too?”
“Don’t worry, Xiao Li!” Xiao Wenqiang put a walnut bun into her mouth. “Situ Zixian doesn’t know that I have discovered the secret behind him, so he still has some value. But you must not let anything slip out afterwards, only you and I are left of the Chu family!”
“Miss, please rest assured, your maid will definitely keep her mouth shut!” Chu Li quickly swallowed the bun and nodded repeatedly in agreement.
While the mistress and servant were confiding in each other, Situ Chuanqiong and his brother Situ Zixian were also having a lively conversation.
“Zixian, in your opinion, has the Empress truly come to her senses?” Situ Chuanqiong was still uneasy, so he summoned his younger brother to help confirm.
“Imperial Brother, according to my brother’s earlier probing, the Imperial Sister-in-law has indeed let go of her past,” Situ Zixian replied. “She even asked my brother to bring her a red-tasseled spear earlier, saying she wanted to practice.”
“Oh? She has started to have such leisure pursuits?” Situ Chuanqiong was a little curious.
“She must be bored in the cold palace and finding something to do for herself. Originally, the Imperial Sister-in-law was also a woman who grew up in the military camp, and she is somewhat different from ordinary ladies from noble families.”
“Indeed! The first time we met her, wasn’t it in the military camp?” Situ Chuanqiong began to reminisce with Situ Zixian about the scene of their first meeting with Chu Yulan.
At that time, he was only twelve years old, the Ninth Prince Zixian was only seven, and the eldest brother, the Crown Prince, was already fifteen. The princes were sent by the late emperor to the military camp stationed by Chu Qian for training, where they met Chu Yulan, who was also playing in the military camp at the time.
Chu Yulan was only ten years old then. Judging by her appearance, she was a delicate and lovely little sister. However, sibling relationships in the palace had always been distant. Situ Chuanqiong did not care much for his own imperial sisters, so naturally, he paid no attention to other generals’ daughters with whom he had no blood relation.
What made him notice Chu Yulan was an incident.
At that time, although they were all sons of the late emperor, there were already factions. Situ Chuanqiong and Situ Zixian, being born of the same mother, were naturally close. However, the largest faction was led by the Crown Prince and several other princes.
Since Situ Chuanqiong was not part of the Crown Prince’s faction, there were naturally lackeys of the Crown Prince who came to cause trouble for them. Situ Chuanqiong was older and trained diligently in martial arts, so the princes of lower ranks dared not provoke him. They turned their attention to Situ Zixian, who was only seven years old.
It had been six days since they began their training in the military camp. The strict General Chu Qian, as the princes’ master, finally granted them half a day of leave.
The Eighth Prince and the Sixth Prince found the Ninth Prince Situ Zixian and went to the lake to fish. Unexpectedly, while the little boy was not paying attention, they kicked him into the water.
The winter lake water was ice-cold. Situ Zixian, only seven years old, struggled fearfully. He had not yet learned to swim.
At that time, Situ Chuanqiong was not resting; he was still practicing on the training ground. The Eighth Prince and the Sixth Prince ran off laughing after kicking him, completely unaware of the seriousness of the situation.
It was Chu Yulan, who was napping in a fruit tree, who heard the cries for help. Without a second thought, she jumped down from the tree, took off her cotton coat, and plunged into the water to save him.
By the time the little girl rescued Situ Zixian, he was almost gone.
Meanwhile, Situ Chuanqiong, who was still practicing, somehow sensed that something was wrong. His ninth brother, who always followed him and called him “brother,” had not been seen for a long time. So, he started asking people and searching for him.
Therefore, when he arrived, he saw Chu Yulan giving Situ Zixian artificial respiration to save him. He saw his wet brother lying on the ground, pale and motionless, and was so frightened that he rushed forward and pushed the little girl away.
“Imperial Brother, are you saying that Imperial Sister-in-law saved me when I fell into the water that year?” Situ Zixian only learned this now. After all, he had lost consciousness in the water. When he vaguely woke up, the first thing he saw was his Imperial Brother’s anxious face, and then he lost consciousness again due to lack of strength.
“Yes! You didn’t know?” Situ Chuanqiong was also a little strange. “I thought you knew! Later, when you finally woke up, you told me that the Sixth Prince and the Eighth Prince had pushed you into the water, which made me furious. I immediately went to fight them. In the end, we were pulled apart by General Chu Qian, and someone reported this matter to Father Emperor. Both of us were punished by Father Emperor and confined.”
“Yes! I remember this matter afterwards. I complained to you that Father Emperor was biased. They made the mistake first, and you were punished together for speaking up for me,” Situ Zixian also smiled.
“Yes! Because the Crown Prince interceded then, saying that the Sixth and Eighth Princes did not do it intentionally, and that they accidentally knocked you down. Besides, they didn’t run away; they went to find adults for rescue,” Situ Chuanqiong recounted.
“That’s utter nonsense! They clearly pushed me down! How could Father Emperor be so unfair?” Situ Zixian said indignantly.
“There’s nothing to be angry about. Who asked us not to be the Crown Prince back then! Who asked our birth mother not to be the Empress! Actually, after that incident, I understood. If we don’t want to be bullied, we have to become stronger ourselves. Since there is already a Crown Prince, we can kill him. Won’t that allow us to change the Crown Prince!”