Chapter 252: Heard

Words : 1391 Updated : Sep 27th, 2025

The Empress Dowager’s face turned ashen, as if she’d been poisoned. Su Jin’s lips twitched. Who would’ve thought the Emperor was also so infuriating. His skill at pouring oil on the fire is no less than my father’s. Su Jin was somewhat suspicious that the Emperor and her father, Marquis Dongxiang, were kindred spirits who admired each other upon meeting. But— She liked it. The Empress Dowager came furiously, wasn’t it just to blame her for not taking the Emperor’s health seriously? Now Marquis Jibei pleaded for her, the words of blame the Empress Dowager had prepared were impossible to utter. But the Empress Dowager is quite aged, she shouldn’t be sent on a fruitless trip; might as well find something for the idle Empress Dowager to do. The Emperor is wise! The Empress Dowager was shaking with rage. Only after a while did a word pop out from between her teeth. "Fine!" Nanny Li supported the Empress Dowager to leave. Dean Zhou wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He had the fortune to witness the fierce power of the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion. Clearly, she hadn’t done anything. Yet the Empress and Princess Shouning were punished. The Empress Dowager came in fury to vent for the Empress, and without speaking, the Empress Dowager was driven away. Not only driven away but also had to reward her for the Emperor. In a daze, the Emperor waved his hand, saying, "You may leave." Dean Zhou, "..." Dean Zhou quickly grabbed his medicine box and retreated. The Emperor granted Marquis Jibei a seat and then looked at Su Jin and Xie Jingchen, saying, "You two may return now." Su Jin turned back to look at Xingxing, "The ointment." Xingxing dug around at her waist pouch and took out a bottle of ointment, handing it to Su Jin. Su Jin handed it to the Emperor, saying, "This is scar-removing ointment; in two days, apply it on the wound, and it won’t leave a scar." The Emperor was stunned for a moment, then reached out to take the ointment. Su Jin prepared to leave. Xie Jingchen stepped forward, saying, "There is something I need to discuss with Your Majesty." "What is it?" The Emperor looked skeptical. Xie Jingchen turned his head to glance backward. Eunuch Fu took the hint and quickly ushered out all the little eunuchs from the hall. Once everyone had left, Xie Jingchen said, "All these years, Your Majesty has been concerned about Old Duke Chong being poisoned. Now that my poison has been cured, perhaps my wife can also cure Old Duke Chong." Old Duke Chong is Old Duke Chong. Duke Chong is Duke Chong. No one has ever confused the two. The Emperor’s brows furrowed slightly. He had considered this issue before. But the person who cured Xie Jingchen was Su Jin, the daughter of Marquis Dongxiang. Marquis Dongxiang had even seized the ancestral home of Duke Chong’s Mansion. Sending Marquis Dongxiang’s daughter to cure Old Duke Chong... Old Duke Chong, with his iron will, would certainly not agree. Moreover, Old Duke Chong is the type to repay kindness with gratitude... Marquis Dongxiang holds grudges. The Emperor simply did not know what to do about it. If it were anyone else, the Emperor would have sent them long ago. Marquis Jibei, seeing the Emperor’s dilemma, although surprised at Su Jin’s medical skills, thought that Young Master Xie’s poison being cured was enough to prove her extraordinary. "Your Majesty, let the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion go see Old Duke Chong," said Marquis Jibei. "Does the Old Marquis think it’s appropriate to do this?" the Emperor asked. Marquis Jibei nodded lightly. "If Your Majesty thinks it’s inappropriate for the daughter of Marquis Dongxiang to go, she could be disguised as a maid or servant and accompany me," suggested Marquis Jibei. Marquis Jibei often visited Old Duke Chong. If he went to see Old Duke Chong, Duke Chong wouldn’t suspect anything. This way, both concerns would be addressed. "Very well," the Emperor said. Thus, the matter was arranged in this way. Xie Jingchen and Su Jin took their leave. Outside the Taihe Palace, with no one around, Su Jin looked at Xie Jingchen and said, "The Emperor seems to trust Marquis Jibei a great deal?" Xie Jingchen nodded. "If there’s anyone in the court that Duke Chong doesn’t dare touch, it’s only Marquis Jibei," said Xie Jingchen. "Is it because of the Second Elder Master of Jibei Marquis Mansion?" Su Jin asked. "Not only him, but also because of Consort Yun," Xie Jingchen said. Su Jin knew Consort Yun was the Emperor’s most beloved consort. And she had been deceased for fifteen years. But she wasn’t yet aware of the connection between Consort Yun and Marquis Jibei. Details were scarce, and there was no way to learn more. Xie Jingchen said, "Consort Yun was the daughter of Marquis Jibei’s sister. It’s said she lived at Jibei Marquis Mansion from the age of eight and married into the palace from there." "Consort Yun regarded Marquis Jibei as a father, so naturally, the Emperor treated Marquis Jibei like a father-in-law." At this, Xingxing couldn’t help but speak, "I’ve heard the Emperor got beaten for the first time because the Second Elder Master of Jibei Marquis Mansion mistook him for harassing Consort Yun, and beat him black and blue." Su Jin, "..." Xie Jingchen, "..." "Who did you hear that from?" Su Jin asked, a perplexed look on her face. "It was Madam who said it; I overheard it while eavesdropping at the door," Xingxing said. "..." Su Jin’s face turned dark. This maid’s hearsay was an earnest eavesdrop. "Didn’t you get caught for eavesdropping?" Su Jin asked. "Not at all, Madam said if the Marquis doesn’t want anyone eavesdropping, it would mean certain death for a few turns," Xingxing said. Su Jin, "..." Xingxing recounted the process of eavesdropping in detail. Hmm. It was related to Su Jin’s marriage. Marquis Dongxiang said the two young masters of Jibei Marquis Mansion were quite good. Mrs. Tang laughed, "Back then, the second young master of Jibei Marquis Mansion even beat the current Emperor. I wonder if today’s young masters of Jibei have such courage." That was all Xingxing heard, and she told everything to Su Jin. Unable to curb her curiosity, Su Jin asked Mrs. Tang. Mrs. Tang then shared the story with them. Only Su Jin didn’t remember, but Xingxing did. Su Jin looked at Xie Jingchen, "Did you know about this?" Xie Jingchen shook his head. He didn’t know. He always found Mrs. Tang and Marquis Dongxiang to be extraordinary. They knew a lot of secrets. Qingyun Mountain is hundreds of miles from the Capital, such stories shouldn’t have reached Qingyun Mountain. Moreover, after all these years since the Emperor ascended the throne, such an embarrassing story, no one dared to leak it, so how did Mrs. Tang know? Su Jin didn’t think much, smiling, "Then the second time the Emperor got beaten?" It was just a casual question, after all, formerly he was a Prince. A Prince getting beaten was by no means trivial. Once was already shocking enough, let alone twice. Unexpectedly, there was indeed a second time. "I think it was also the Second Elder Master of Jibei Marquis Mansion who beat him," Xingxing said. "..." "Why?" Su Jin asked curiously. Xingxing’s head shook like a drum. "I don’t know, when Miss asked Madam, the Marquis happened to walk in." "The Marquis said if Madam talked about this, he couldn’t help but want to hit the Emperor, so Madam dared not say," said Xingxing regretfully. Hearing only half of a piece of gossip leaves an unsatisfying taste. If not for a fear of death, she’d have been tempted to ask the Emperor herself. "Miss even asked if there was a third time," Xingxing said. "Madam said she’d only heard of two times, as for the Marquis, he said there would be a third sooner or later," Xingxing whispered. Xingxing felt a bit sorry for the Emperor. If her Marquis decided to beat someone, he certainly would, it was just a matter of when. She wondered, if she told the Marquis that Miss had pricked the Emperor with over fifty needles, whether it’d make him happy enough to abandon the thought.

Chapter 252: Heard

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