CHAPTER 211: CHAPTER 211 COMPLAINING

Princess NanAn raised her eyebrows triumphantly.

Though her son was a bit of a problem, after all, he was her son.

A mother couldn’t bear to see her son suffer, so slipping him some silver notes was perfectly reasonable.

However, she encountered an unsympathetic husband who decisively confiscated the silver notes.

Claiming it was to let their son experience the hardships of leaving the comforts of home.

Now you know!

Away from Prince NanAn Mansion, her son still lives quite well.

Eats well, lives well, and has plenty of money to spend.

The servant knew Princess NanAn was still upset about Prince NanAn withholding the money she intended for the Prince, so he quietly relayed this to Prince NanAn.

Prince NanAn, "...."

He held his forehead, amused and helpless.

He knew the ice shop that nearly enraged Duke Chong to death was named by Prince NanAn himself among several others.

And was aware they had a share in the ice shop.

But he didn’t know they had so much of it.

Nor did he expect Beauty Pavilion to have half their group involved.

They were sailing quite smoothly on the Dongxiang Marquis Mansion’s ship.

"What was the Prince doing when you went there?" Prince NanAn asked.

"He was taking a medicinal bath with the Heir of Marquis Jingguo, and the Young Master of Dongxiang Marquis Mansion was also there," the servant replied.

"Medicinal bath?" Prince NanAn raised an eyebrow.

The servant repeatedly nodded, "The Prince was beaten up pretty badly but was soaking in it with an expression of enjoyment."

Prince NanAn, "...."

His son only respects the fists from Dongxiang Marquis Mansion?

"I asked the servant from Dongxiang Marquis Mansion, and he said the recipe was obtained from the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion by the Young Master. Young Master Xie was also soaking, and it’s extremely effective. It’s said that no matter how badly one is beaten, a soak for half an hour and applying ointment makes one as energetic as the next day, with amazing effects on strengthening the body," the servant replied.

Actually, anyone could tell, that despite being beaten every day, the Prince strolled around the streets daily, proving it wasn’t that bad.

Just like staying in Prince NanAn Mansion, the Prince was living quite comfortably.

It’s just—

He was a shade darker than when he was at the Prince’s Mansion.

Whether it was from the dark medicinal bath or sun tanning, nobody knew.

...

The carriage slowly stopped before Dongxiang Marquis Mansion.

Xie Jingchen helped Su Jin out of the carriage.

Xingxing, looking at the Dongxiang Marquis plaque, joyfully exclaimed, "So imposing."

Su Jin stepped up the stairs.

In the distance, the sound of hooves approached.

Marquis Dongxiang rode back on horseback.

Seated on the horse, his deep dark eyes were unfathomable, with a commanding presence full of icy killing intent.

Yet the moment he saw Su Jin,

his demeanor softened, and even his expression became gentler.

It was a transformation from a battlefield general to a doting father of a daughter.

Such a transformation was keenly observed by Xie Jingchen.

His intuition told him that Marquis Dongxiang had seen battlefields.

Su Jin stepped down the stairs.

Xingxing called out, "Marquis."

Marquis Dongxiang leaped off the horse.

"Father," Su Jin called.

Marquis Dongxiang patted her head affectionately and asked, "Why didn’t you come back yesterday?"

"There was a little delay with some matters yesterday," Su Jin replied.

"Originally the young lady intended to return, but the Emperor had Eunuch Fu find the son-in-law to delay Marquis, so the young lady and son-in-law didn’t come back," Xingxing explained in detail.

"Well, coming back today is good. Yesterday the Marquis Mansion was quite chaotic, and now it’s mostly tidied up," Marquis Dongxiang said, in high spirits.

They stepped into the Marquis Mansion.

Dongxiang Marquis asked Xingxing, "When I wasn’t in the Capital City, did anyone bully you all?"

"Many people tried to bully the young lady," Xingxing said.

"...."

Chu Shun and others walked over just in time to hear Xingxing’s words.

They all broke into a cold sweat.

"They didn’t succeed, and were instead bullied miserably by the young lady," Xingxing happily continued.

"...."

This maid really knows how to keep suspense when speaking.

And then—

Xingxing began recounting her and Su Jin’s victories one by one to Dongxiang Marquis.

Starting with Princess Shouning causing trouble and being carried out of Duke Zhen’s Mansion.

Then to the hornet nest running rampant in the Imperial Palace, stinging whoever it saw.

And how Xie Jinyu tried to frame her with the Purple Jade Bracelet.

Finally, asking the Emperor for an Imperial Chef, opening an ice shop...

After finishing, Xingxing complained, "Now the Emperor won’t let the young lady into the palace anymore."

With such an aggrieved expression, Prince NanAn and his peers couldn’t help twitching their mouths.

Considering the combat abilities of the eldest sister-in-law and maid.

If the Emperor allowed them to enter the palace again, it would probably incite the wrath of the entire harem.

Dongxiang Marquis laughed heartily.

Mrs. Tang walked over and chided him, "Tone it down, the Emperor is already afraid of your daughter and here you are, the father, laughing so happily."

Marquis Dongxiang was still smiling, "The fact that the two of them can leave the Imperial Palace unscathed and cause such chaos makes me, as a father, immensely proud."

"The Imperial Palace is not elsewhere; definitely, precautions must be taken at all times. It’s better to stay cautious," Mrs. Tang advised.

"If there’s anything to relay to the Emperor, let the son-in-law do it. It’s best to avoid going in if possible."

Xie Jingchen, "...."

Chu Shun wiped his sweat.

This family truly was formidable.

His elder brother had thus become a mere errand runner.

Moreover, they didn’t even fancy him.

"The son-in-law also can’t enter the palace," Xingxing said.

Dongxiang Marquis glanced at Xie Jingchen.

Assessing his complexion, Dongxiang Marquis lifted his hand and patted Xie Jingchen’s shoulder.

Xie Jingchen’s expression altered slightly.

Gradually.

Beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead.

Dongxiang Marquis retracted his hand and remarked with mild surprise, "The poison in you has been resolved?"

"There are still some remnants not cleared," Xie Jingchen responded truthfully.

"Not bad."

Marquis Dongxiang said satisfactorily.

The next moment, he said, "Accompany me to the study."

Xie Jingchen, "...."

A shudder ran through his heart.

The ordeal of being forced to write a cloaked memorial surfaced in his thoughts.

Young Master Xie was quite sure he had developed a psychological shadow.

With a resigned expression, he followed Marquis Dongxiang towards the study.

Inside the study.

A man in black was rifling through things.

Upon hearing incoming footsteps, the man swiftly took the things from a hidden nook and left through a secret passage.

In his haste, he stepped on a piece of fallen pastry unnoticed.

Young Master Su returned from the toilet, pushing the door open.

"Read, read, everyday make me read," Young Master Su grumbled.

He walked towards the desk, his eyes drooping.

After taking a couple of steps, he stopped.

There was a piece of pastry on the ground, trampled and flattened.

It looked somewhat disgusting.

Young Master Su furrowed his brows.

While he attended to nature’s call, the pastry had fallen to the ground, and he hadn’t had the chance to pick it up. Why did someone have to step on it so soon, making it impossible to pick up now?

Stepped on and fled, what kind of hero or brave man is that?!

He ran to the door and yelled, "Who just entered the study?"

The servant shook his head, "No one entered the study."

"Really no one?" Young Master Su was skeptical.

"No one," the servant insisted.

"Really really no one?" Young Master Su’s brow furrowed.

"There truly was no one," the servant said patiently.

"Really really really no one?" Young Master Su intensified his tone.

"Why doesn’t Young Master trust me?" the servant said helplessly.

The next second—

"Ahh! A ghost!" Young Master Su cried out.

He dashed out, propelled by the wind.

Dongxiang Marquis was just entering, and Young Master Su crashed into him, falling to the ground.

"What happened?" Dongxiang Marquis asked.

Young Master Su scrambled up, hid behind Xie Jingchen, and said to Dongxiang Marquis, "Father, there’s a ghost in the study."

Dongxiang Marquis replied with a black line across his face, "Startling yourself in broad daylight, where would a ghost come from?"

"It’s true, no one went into the study, yet there’s an extra footprint on the pastry I dropped on the ground," Young Master Su said.

Dongxiang Marquis entered the study.

Young Master Su watched from the side.

"Are you certain no one came in?" Dongxiang Marquis asked.

The servant shook his head, "Besides Young Master, no one entered the study."

"This is my oversight," Dongxiang Marquis said.

"...."

"Someone, find the secret passage in this study for me."

"...."