"If Mother knew you treated me like this for an outsider, wouldn't she be heart - broken?" Jiang Ning'an stared at him coldly.
Meeting her gaze, Chu Ming sighed again. "There's something I won't hide from you. Actually, your mother and Yu'er's mother were old friends. They once made an agreement. If you two were of different genders, you'd be betrothed in the womb. If both were girls, you'd be sworn sisters. After Yu'er grew up, she'd be taken to the Princess Mansion, and the Princess Mansion would support her and arrange a good marriage for her.
Ning'er, I'm your father and someone who used to live with your mother day and night. Do you think I'd lie to you like this?"
Jiang Ning'an stared at him coldly.
Her mother knew Chu Yu's mother and was going to arrange a marriage for Chu Yu?
She didn't believe it.
But since Chu Ming had brought up her mother, she really couldn't do anything more.
Moreover, Chu Yu was the so - called female protagonist. If she was let out, no one knew what unexpected things she would stir up.
It was indeed more prudent to keep Chu Yu under her nose.
So, Jiang Ning'an finally said, "Since Miss Chu likes the servant's quarters so much, she can just stay there."
Before Chu Yu could breathe a sigh of relief, Jiang Ning'an continued, "But Miss Chu, don't even think about coveting the things that belong to the Princess Mansion. I'll deal with the person in the flower house. Miss Chu, don't forget that she died because of you."
After saying that, Jiang Ning'an didn't stay any longer and strode away directly.
Behind her, Chu Yu's face turned deathly pale.
Was she... going to be burdened with a life?
No, this world was just a storybook. The person who sent her flowers was just a minor character, just a minor character...
Thinking like this, Chu Yu really felt better.
She looked up at Chu Ming, curious about what he had brought for her.
The father - daughter duo sat down in the yard and had breakfast together as if nothing had happened.
No one noticed Dou Kou's surprised look from the side.
---
On the other side, Jiang Ning'an returned to Wutong Residence with a still - sour face.
Meng Chun handed her a cup of cherry drink and carefully probed, "Your Highness, do we really have to kill the steward in the flower house?"
There had been quite a few deaths in the Princess Mansion recently...
"The Princess Mansion is not a mass grave. There aren't so many places to bury people," Jiang Ning'an said. "Send the flower - house steward to the estate. Make a show when she leaves the mansion for others to see."
Only then did Meng Chun breathe a sigh of relief.
Lin Ji still looked expressionless.
As a secret guard, his hands had long been stained with blood. Even if he had to kill everyone in the flower house, it wouldn't mean much to him. He just thought that those words didn't sound like something Jiang Ning'an would say, so he hadn't taken any action.
Now that he got the order, Lin Ji turned around and left.
He led a group of people to the flower house.
At that time, the pregnant flower - house steward was scolding a young girl for some unknown reason. The girl was so scolded that she couldn't lift her head.
When she turned around and saw Lin Ji leading people over, she quickly put on an obsequious face and walked towards Lin Ji. "Captain Lin, what wind has blown you here? Does Her Highness have any orders?"
Lin Ji looked down at her haughtily. "Miss Chu said that you sent those peonies over."
The flower - house steward's face froze. Before she could say anything, she was directly captured by the people Lin Ji had brought.
Lin Ji looked at her calmly. "As a steward, you don't even understand Her Highness's mind and still rush to cause trouble for Her Highness. You're really something.
Her Highness has ordered your execution."
As soon as he finished speaking, the flower - house steward was dragged out.
The flower - house steward wailed all the way, leaving behind a string of suspicious wet marks on the road, emitting a disgusting smell.
After the flower - house steward was dragged away, Lin Ji also left. The servants in the flower house glanced at each other and then scattered like frightened birds.
In the past, working in the Princess Protector's Mansion was a good job, but now, just a few days had passed, and several people had already died...
A lovelorn woman was really terrifying...
---
After the news of the flower - house steward's punishment spread, the stewards who used to have a good relationship with Chu Yu couldn't wait to stay as far away from her as possible.
Actually, they all knew that Jiang Ning'an didn't like Chu Yu. It was just that Chu Yu was so endearing and had Chu Ming's care, so they continued to give her convenience.
But Chu Yu was good enough. She directly sold out the people who had helped her. After this, who would dare to get close to her?
Wasn't that just looking for death!
While everyone in the Princess Mansion was in a state of panic, Jiang Ning'an wasn't even in the mansion at all.
The Temple of Ancestors was filled with curling incense mist. Jiang Ning'an knelt on the cushion, lost in thought as she stared at the sandalwood and gilded memorial tablet enshrined in the shrine.
A steady sound of footsteps sounded, followed by a faint fragrance of dragon - spittle incense.
"Why did you suddenly come here?" The emperor stood beside her. When his gaze fell on the memorial tablet, there was endless sorrow in his eyes.
"Uncle, did Mother have any good old friends when she was alive?"
"Old friends?"
"You know... the kind with a betrothal in the womb."
The emperor was stunned for a moment and then looked at Jiang Ning'an with a complicated expression.
Jiang Ning'an also looked at him and suddenly froze.
There really was such a thing?
"Did that young man from the Jiang family go to see you?"
Jiang Ning'an was confused. "Who?"
The emperor noticed something was wrong and simply sat down on the cushion beside her. "What exactly happened? Tell me in detail."
Jiang Ning'an also changed to a sitting position and told him everything that had happened in the Princess Mansion today.
The incense mist curled, as if someone from another world was also listening intently.
After listening, the emperor sneered directly. "Your mother only had one old friend in the capital city who was close enough to make a betrothal in the womb. It was Fang Wanyao, the former wife of the Marquis of Xuanping. I've never even heard of Chu Yu's mother!"
Chu Ming really was tired of living. He dared to deceive his niece in the name of his elder sister!
And who on earth was this Chu Yu? Where did she come from?
The emperor deeply felt that the Princess Protector's Mansion had now become a muddy pond. So he said, "Ning'er, why don't you come and stay in the palace for a while? Wait until Uncle cleans up the Princess Mansion, and then you can go back. How about that?"
Jiang Ning'an had an idea in mind and shook her head. "Let me handle the outside affairs by myself. I can do it well."
The emperor stared at her steadily.
Jiang Ning'an was indeed weak, but her eyebrows and eyes were extremely similar to her mother's, with a hidden edge.
So, the emperor nodded. "If you have anything, just tell Uncle."
"Okay."
---
After leaving the palace, Jiang Ning'an didn't return to the Princess Mansion but stopped outside the Marquis of Xuanping's Mansion.
A marquis was also a noble. Although his mansion was not as grand as the Princess Protector's Mansion, it was still solemn and imposing.
In this mansion, there once lived her mother's good friend.
"How did the previous wife of the Marquis of Xuanping pass away?"
Lin Ji suddenly appeared. "Back then, Her Highness the Princess and the Unrighteous King joined hands to launch a coup d'état, intending to depose the crown prince. But the Unrighteous King betrayed at a critical moment. When Her Highness the Princess was in great danger, it was Lord Fang who stepped forward to take all the blame. He was secretly executed by the late emperor. His body was first thrown into the mass grave and later buried by His Majesty. Now, he is buried with Her Highness the Princess."
Jiang Ning'an's long eyelashes trembled slightly.
Just from Lin Ji's words, Jiang Ning'an could feel the deep friendship between her mother and the former wife of the marquis.
Jiang Ning'an took a deep breath. "What's the situation in the Marquis Mansion now?"
"The Marquis of Xuanping has remarried. The current wife of the marquis gave birth to a son more than a decade ago. As for the young master Jiang, the son of Lord Fang, he hasn't been back to the Marquis Mansion much in recent years."
Jiang Ning'an nodded and didn't say anything for a long time.
After a while, Jiang Ning'an took one last look at the Marquis Mansion in front of her. "Let's go back."
The luxurious carriage drove forward.
Suddenly, Lin Ji seemed to sense something and turned his head to look in a certain direction.
After seeing who it was, Lin Ji bowed his hands to that person and then turned around to follow the carriage.