sjar Chapter 599: No more copying as punishment, now it's time to settle accounts.
Chapter 599: No more copying as punishment, now it's time to settle accounts.
Gu Qingchen and Qian Zhenyun ran all the way back to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, acting like thieves.
Qian Zhenyun, with his chubby little body, was panting heavily from exhaustion, and his face was flushed red.
"Sister, I... I'm going back now. If my mother finds out I'm not here, I really won't be able to save my leg."
Gu Qingchen was also panting from running. She waved to Qian Zhenyun and said, "Go back now! Thank you so much for today!"
Watching Qian Zhenyun's figure disappear behind the moon gate, Gu Qingchen lifted the hem of her skirt, tiptoed, and quietly slipped back to her own courtyard.
She tiptoed open the door, peeked in, looked around, and only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that none of the maids were there. She then slipped into the room.
"At least I wasn't discovered!" She patted her chest, poured herself a glass of water, and drank it all in one gulp.
But when she turned around, she froze.
In the dim candlelight, Chu Ruohan sat quietly at her desk, holding in her hand the copy of "Instructions for Women" that Qian Zhenyun had transcribed for her.
Her face was expressionless, but her eyes were colder than the deep night outside.
"Mother... Mother?" Gu Qingchen's voice trembled, and she could barely hold the teacup in her hand.
Chu Ruohan didn't speak, but simply pushed the copy of the homework forward, then looked up and quietly stared at her.
Gu Qingchen knew she couldn't hide it anymore. She knelt down with a thud, her head bowed low: "Mother, I was wrong."
"Where did we go wrong?" Chu Ruohan's voice was soft, yet it carried an undeniable authority.
I shouldn't have run away.
"anything else?"
“I shouldn’t have let Gun Gun help me copy the book; I was deceiving you.”
"You're quite the loyal friend, willing to go to great lengths for your friends." Chu Ruohan's tone was ambiguous, neither praising nor sarcastic.
Gu Qingchen suddenly raised his head: "It was Wang Hao and his gang who bullied people..."
"Lin Jiayou has his uncle protecting him, do you think it's your place to step in?" Chu Ruohan interrupted her. "Who do you think you are? Can you solve everything?"
Gu Qingchen was speechless when asked the question, and her eyes gradually reddened.
Seeing her daughter's aggrieved and defiant expression, Chu Ruohan's anger finally turned into a sigh.
She knelt down and tidied her daughter's slightly messy hair, her tone softening considerably.
"Qingchen, I know you're not a bad person, and I know you value relationships. But you must understand that everything requires the right approach. If Lin Jingchuan hadn't arrived in time today, how would you have handled the situation?"
"Mother, I..."
"The punishment of confinement will be severe." Chu Ruohan stood up again, her coldness returning. "Starting tomorrow, the maids and servants in your courtyard will be doubled in their watchfulness. If you manage to sneak out again, I will send you to the estate so you can reflect on your actions."
Gu Qingchen's face turned deathly pale instantly.
"As for this 'Women's Instructions'," Chu Ruohan glanced at the Xuan paper on the table, "since you don't want to copy it, then you won't."
Gu Qingchen's eyes lit up, thinking he had misheard.
“Starting tomorrow, I will personally teach you how to manage the household and read the accounts. Your confinement will only end when you can sort out the household's monthly expenses.” Chu Ruohan said calmly.
Gu Qingchen's face immediately fell. This punishment was a hundred times worse than copying books!
After dealing with her daughter's matter, Chu Ruohan returned to her room, but she couldn't fall asleep.
Lan Jie'er's red, swollen eyes remained etched in her mind.
Lu Ge'er and Lan Jie'er are the children of an illegitimate son; their parents are both dead.
Over the years, Madam Gu has maintained a friendly demeanor on the surface, but in reality, she has done a lot to trip up the brother and sister.
Now that Brother Lü has become successful, she wants to package up her granddaughter Lan, who is not her biological daughter, and sell her for a good price, like a commodity.
"Haitang," Chu Ruohan called out.
"Madam is here." Haitang walked in from the outer room.
"Go and investigate the Wang family in the south of the city. What kind of business do they do? What is their family tradition like? And what is the character of their second son like?"
Chu Ruohan instructed, "I need to know everything, the more detailed the better."
"Yes, Madam." Haitang acknowledged the order and withdrew.
East Palace.
The hall was so quiet that only the scratching sound of pen tips gliding across paper could be heard.
The young prince sat upright at his desk, his expression focused, carefully copying the Classic of Filial Piety.
Su Wan walked out of the inner hall, the hem of her phoenix robe brushing against the smooth, mirror-like gold brick floor without making a sound.
She stood behind her son, watched him quietly for a while, and finally her gaze fell on his right hand holding the pen.
The hand, due to days of continuous copying, had red knuckles and was slightly swollen.
Su Wan felt as if she had been gently pricked by a needle, but her face remained dignified and composed, showing no sign of emotion.
"An'er," she said softly.
The young prince's shoulders twitched slightly. He immediately put down his pen, stood up, and bowed, saying, "Mother."
"Sit down." Su Wan walked to his side, picked up a piece of paper he had just finished writing on, and looked at it carefully. "Your handwriting has improved, and it has more character than before."
"Your subject dares not slacken," the young crown prince replied respectfully.
Su Wan shifted her gaze from the rice paper, seemingly casually landing on his slightly swollen hand: "Does your hand hurt?"
The young prince instinctively tried to pull his hand into his sleeve, but stopped himself and shook his head.
"It doesn't hurt. I will willingly accept your punishment, Father."
Su Wan didn't press the matter further, but simply put the Xuan paper back on the table and changed the subject.
"I heard that you left the palace that day with Miss Gu from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion?"
The young prince's ears turned slightly red. He lowered his head and replied softly, "Yes."
"That child is quite lively." Su Wan picked up the cup of tea served by the palace maid and gently skimmed off the foam with the lid. "You like playing with her?"
The question was so direct that the young prince was taken aback for a moment, then looked up at his mother.
Su Wan's gaze was gentle and calm, as if it were just a casual question.
He hesitated for a moment, but still said honestly, "Gu Qingchen is different from the people in the palace. Although she is a bit mischievous, but... but it is very interesting to be with her."
"Oh?" The Queen raised an eyebrow. "How interesting?"
The young prince thought for a moment, seemingly organizing his thoughts.
"She would take me to eat sugar figurines from street vendors, argue with the shopkeeper over a few taels of silver until her face turned red, and stand in front of me without hesitation when in danger. She... she's not like a lady from a respectable family."
In the end, he himself felt that his assessment was somewhat inappropriate, and his voice trailed off.
Upon hearing this, Su Wan's lips curled into a very faint smile.
She knew that her son had been bound by palace rules since childhood, and everyone around him was cautious and timid. Gu Qingchen's personality was like a landscape he had never seen before.
"Alright, that's enough for today." Su Wan put down her teacup. "Let the imperial physician examine your hand and apply some medicine. You'll be confined for a long time, so don't ruin your health."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I take my leave." The young prince felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He bowed respectfully and left the hall.
Watching her son's departing figure, Su Wan's smile gradually faded, replaced by heartache.
She instructed her most trusted palace maid, "Go and pass on the message. Next month is the Crown Prince's birthday. There's no need for a grand celebration; just hold a small banquet in the palace."
The palace maid quickly replied, "Yes, Your Highness."
Su Wan paused, then added, "Send an invitation to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, inviting Miss Gu to the palace..."
"Weren't the Imperial Physician Qian's son and the young master of Prince Yong's mansion with His Highness the Crown Prince that day?"
The palace maid, quick-witted as ever, immediately understood the Empress's meaning: "Your Majesty, yes."
"Please invite them all." Su Wan's voice was calm and even. "An'er doesn't have many friends his own age in the palace, so it's time to let him have some fun."