freenovelworld Chapter 129 Duanmu Chuze!
Chapter 129 Duanmu Chuze!
Mu Xin Nuan listened to their conversation for quite a while in the main hall before learning that the elegantly dressed, beautiful woman was actually Princess Zhao He. Although she was a princess born out of wedlock, she was extremely favored by the Emperor and the Empress Dowager.
Princess Showa is a few years younger than the Crown Prince and is now married. She has her own princess residence outside the palace, but because she misses the Empress Dowager, she often goes to the palace to keep her company.
Not long after, Princess Duanmu Jing arrived. After speaking with the Empress Dowager for a while, she stopped Mu Xin Nuan from going outside to play. The Empress Dowager thought that this was Mu Xin Nuan's first time entering the palace and that she was still a child, so she instructed them not to leave Ronghua Palace.
"Mu Xin Nuan, you're really awful! Why haven't you come to the palace to play with me in so long?"
Mu Xin Nuan was somewhat speechless. "Princess, you are of noble birth. How can I, a humble woman, freely enter and leave the palace? If you wish, you might as well come to the Mu residence to visit me more often."
“That works! Perfect, I’ve never been to the Mu residence before. Is your Mu residence big? But I heard my father say that the Mu family has been a scholarly family for generations and values etiquette and rules the most, which I hate the most.”
Seeing the headache on her face, Mu Xin Nuan laughed and said, "Princess, there's no need to worry. You are a princess, what is there to be afraid of?"
The two chatted for a while, and Duanmu Jing kept pestering her to tell her about the interesting things that happened outside the palace. Lately, she had been kept a close watch on by the people around her, and had not left the palace for a long time.
Mu Xin Nuan thought about it and realized it was probably because of the assassination attempt she had suffered during the Lantern Festival. Otherwise, who could possibly keep this little princess, who always loved to travel, contained?
As the two were chatting animatedly, Mu Xin Nuan noticed the Fourth Prince, dressed in a purple python robe, approaching. She quickly composed herself and dared not act recklessly any longer.
"Fourth brother, you've come at the perfect time! I've heard that A-Nuan also enjoys reading medical books. I suppose you two must have a lot in common. Shall we have a chat?"
Mu Xin Nuan rolled her eyes inwardly! Argue with him? How could this little princess even think of that?! What is her status, and what is the Fourth Prince's? Isn't she just asking for trouble?
Duanmu Chuze looked at Mu Xin Nuan, who stood there with a serious and extremely dignified demeanor, and a wicked smile appeared in his eyes. "Jing'er, I heard that there was a big deal out there recently. It is said that several shops were selling inferior goods as superior ones and fooling their customers. If you were in this situation, how would you handle it?"
Mu Xin Nuan's eyelids twitched slightly. She felt that the Fourth Prince's words seemed to have a hidden meaning.
"Passing off inferior goods as superior ones? What does that mean?" Duanmu Jing was genuinely intrigued.
"They are gold and silver jewelry."
Upon hearing this, Duanmu Jing began to sternly rebuke the man, cursing him for being unscrupulous, harming the people, and deserving to be dragged out and executed!
Duanmu Jing had vented her anger, but Mu Xin Nuan was still somewhat uneasy! Looking up at the Fourth Prince's ambiguous smile, Mu Xin Nuan was now even more certain that the Fourth Prince was doing this on purpose! It seemed he knew something about the inside story.
Mu Xin Nuan did not show any negative emotions. She only glanced at him quickly before lowering her head. Until the Empress Dowager sent someone to find her, she never raised her eyes again and made eye contact with the Fourth Prince.
"Ah Nuan from the Mu family, how's business at Taihe Restaurant?"
The Fourth Prince spoke very softly, and only Mu Xin Nuan, who was closest to him, heard it clearly. She immediately looked at him with some surprise and saw the deep smile in his eyes and the hint of malice in his calm expression, which made her feel that this person was too dangerous and should not be approached!
Mu Xin Nuan didn't answer him, pretending she hadn't heard anything, and quickly took two steps to catch up with Duanmu Jing.
Why is she ignoring me? Duanmu Chuze raised an eyebrow. Did she think I was threatening her, or did she think there was no need to deal with me in this kind of situation?
Duanmu Chuze narrowed his eyes slightly. It seemed that things were getting more and more interesting!
Duanmu Chuze did not return to the main hall, but left Ronghua Palace. He stopped abruptly just before reaching the palace gate and headed towards a small hexagonal pavilion.
"How's the investigation going?" If Mu Xin Nuan were here, she would have noticed that the Fourth Prince's voice was now several degrees colder and more ruthless than before!
A young man dressed as a guard knelt on one knee behind him. "Your Highness, we have found out. The mastermind behind the Song Tao incident was none other than His Highness the Grandson."
"Oh? Duanmu Chen? Interesting! Interesting! It seems that there is already a power struggle within the Eastern Palace?"
"Your Highness, Consort Song is currently being neglected. She is five months pregnant and has been confined to her quarters. I have heard that His Highness the Crown Prince intends to raise the child, regardless of gender, directly to the Crown Princess after it is born. Consort Song's chances of survival are slim."
"Should we remove the mother and keep the child? My eldest brother is so heartless! After all, she's someone he favored. Tsk tsk, he really doesn't know how to cherish a beautiful woman."
"Your Highness, the Third Prince has been causing quite a stir with the Crown Prince in the court lately. I heard that even the Emperor can't do anything about him."
"It's just a way to fool people! Father is such a wise man, how could he not have a solution? It's just a balancing act of an emperor. Alright, I didn't expect Duanmu Chen to get involved in Song Tao's matter. How old is he, yet he already knows how to use others to create momentum! It seems he's quite the schemer."
"Your Highness, I heard that the Crown Princess's selection of a consort for His Highness the Grandson has been criticized by the Emperor. He said that His Highness the Grandson is still young and it would be more appropriate to select a consort in two years. It is too early now."
Duanmu Chuze nodded, "It is indeed too early. The Crown Princess is doing this simply to help the Eastern Palace consolidate its power. My sister-in-law has always been intelligent; this kind of thing will certainly not be difficult for her."
"Your Highness, that's right. The Crown Princess explained to the Emperor that we should first settle the matter. Isn't this how marriages are done in the common people? The engagement is settled first, and only after both people have come of age will a date be chosen for the wedding."
Duanmu Chuze remained silent; he had never cared much about such matters. Regardless of the choice, Duanmu Chen's principal wife would undoubtedly be from the Crown Princess's family—that was beyond question. However, from the perspective of the Duanmu family's grand ambitions, this might not necessarily be a good thing!
"What did the Empress Dowager say to Lady Mu later?"
"Your Highness, according to our people's inquiries, it was nothing more than casual conversation. Princess Zhaoyang did mention a few things about Miss Mu's marriage in a few of her remarks. However, Madam Mu is also clever, and she dismissed them all by saying that Miss Mu is too young."
Duanmu Chuze smiled with satisfaction, "She's quite bold! To speak like that in front of the Empress Dowager and Showa shows she truly loves Xiao Anuan."
"Your Highness, the Crown Prince and His Highness the Grandson are here," a guard whispered a reminder.