Chapter 21: Chu Yan

Even though she did not spend the night in his chambers, Chu Ling rewarded her with a pile of gifts as usual, as if to compensate her for being startled.

He even came to dine with her at noon.

Jiang Wu could not fathom why he would have the heart to dine with her while Chu Yan was currently staying at the estate. However, no one dared to question the actions of the Prime Minister.

Yesterday, one had been furious and the other had cried as if their life depended on it, but today, both behaved as if nothing had happened, eating in silence.

The fish dish that Jiang Wu loved most was placed on Chu Ling’s side today. While she fumed internally about needing to properly discipline the incompetent servants later, she silently gave up on the fish and buried her head in the small mountain of food in her bowl.

She had only taken a few bites when a piece of fish appeared on her plate.

Jiang Wu blinked and looked up. Chu Ling, who had placed the fish for her, had already pulled his hand back, his expression so indifferent that he seemed not to have given the action a second thought.

She truly had not expected this man to perform such a thoughtful gesture.

Furthermore, the man had clearly looked as if he wanted to strangle someone yesterday, yet today he was calm and composed. Jiang Wu could even sense that he was in a rather good mood.

How did Chu Yan manage to coax him into such a state overnight?

Just as she was lost in these chaotic thoughts, the man’s cool gaze swept over her: "When you are eating, give that brain of yours a rest."

The disdain for her "brain" in his words was self-evident.

Jiang Wu secretly glared at him. As if his brain were any better.

However, taking advantage of Chu Ling’s good mood, she tentatively asked, "Princess Ruyue will be staying at the estate for these few days, right?"

Chu Ling gave a hum of acknowledgment. He was so calm now that his emotions were unreadable.

Jiang Wu was not surprised by this answer. She continued, feigning virtue: "She arrived in such a rush that I didn't have time to prepare properly. I shall have someone tidy up the Peach Courtyard tomorrow..."

*Clack.* The sound of chopsticks being set down interrupted her.

The sound was not loud, but it carried an invisible pressure that made Jiang Wu fall silent. She stole a glance; the man had set his chopsticks down, and his chest heaved noticeably for a moment, as if he were regulating his temper.

"You do not need to do anything extra. I have already arranged for her to stay in the East Courtyard. You need not concern yourself with anything, and you are not to have any contact with her."

Jiang Wu outwardly agreed with a submissive "yes," but internally, she curled her lip in disdain.

*Fine, fine. I know you treasure your precious sister. Could it be that you're afraid I'd do something to harm her? How self-absorbed.*

She had asked this only to gauge whether their reunion was going smoothly. The East Courtyard—wasn't that place rather remote? Of course, since it was the Prime Minister's estate, the rooms would naturally not be shabby, but it hardly seemed like a fitting arrangement for Chu Yan.

Was things not going well?

She pondered this, though it did not show on her face. Then, she saw Chu Ling pick up his napkin to wipe his mouth.

"Is the Lord finished?" Jiang Wu was inwardly overjoyed, wishing for nothing more than for him to leave quickly.

The way the man set down his napkin suggested he was "full of anger."

Actually, Jiang Wu found it quite baffling. Heaven knows that, driven by the thought that everyone would be better off if Chu Ling were in a good mood, she catered to this "great Buddha" at every turn, yet it seemed she was the one who provoked him most often.

But it didn't matter. As long as he didn't kill anyone, whenever she managed to make him angry, she considered it a win.

Jiang Wu even had the leisure to glance at the plate of fish, thinking that once he left, she could finally enjoy it properly.

Perhaps he sensed her intentions, as the man reached out and pushed the fish directly in front of her.

How could Jiang Wu dare to use her chopsticks? She looked at him, and Chu Ling looked back, his thin lips parting slightly: "Want to eat? Then eat."

He then stared at her without moving, as if he had made up his mind to watch her eat.

Jiang Wu had no appetite left. She looked at the fish as if it were poison.

In the end, she forced the flavorless fish down her throat. Jiang Wu wept internally; this wretched man was truly diabolical!

***

A few days later, news of Princess Ruyue staying at the Prime Minister’s estate had quietly spread throughout the capital.

Because this was earlier than originally planned, and the palace banquet was still a few days away, everyone was discussing it in private.

The first guest the Prime Minister’s estate received was Jiang Wu’s mother-in-law.

The Duchess rarely set foot in the Prime Minister’s residence, so this time, Jiang Wu was merely basking in Chu Yan’s reflected glory.

Chu Ye was away, so Nianyin accompanied her as she waited. Because her granddaughter was present, the old lady’s demeanor was not quite as terrible as it could have been.

"Where is A-Yan staying?" the old lady asked Jiang Wu upon entering.

Jiang Wu only remembered that Chu Ling had mentioned the East Courtyard, so she answered honestly. No sooner had she spoken than the old lady’s brows furrowed, and a stream of accusations began to pour forth.

"A-Yan grew up in our Ducal Mansion; she is Chu Ling’s own sister. She has suffered so much over the years, and now that she has finally returned, you, as her sister-in-law, should be putting in more effort."

Generally, Jiang Wu was the type who liked to win arguments, so she retorted softly, "The Lord gave orders that I am not to interfere."

This silenced the Duchess for a moment, but only for a moment. She soon had a new line of reasoning: "Chu Ling didn't want you to overwork yourself; can you not show him some consideration?"

*He didn't want me to overwork myself; he was afraid I'd poison his beloved.*

Jiang Wu did not say this out loud; she had lost all interest in arguing with a mother-in-law who believed everything her son did was right.

As she lowered her head, she felt her little finger being hooked.

Jiang Wu looked up in surprise; it was Nianyin, who smiled softly at her after hooking her finger.

Her daughter was comforting her, fearing she might be upset.

Realizing this, Jiang Wu’s heart warmed instantly, and she returned the smile.

The Duchess, eager to see her daughter, paid no attention to this display of mother-daughter affection. The East Courtyard was indeed somewhat remote; the group walked for quite a while. As soon as they entered the courtyard, the Duchess ignored everything else and hurried inside.

Jiang Wu was in no rush; she followed slowly, though she could not deny that she was, in fact, quite curious.

She was curious to see what this woman looked like now—the one who had made her a mere substitute, the one Chu Ling and Zhang Xiu had pined for all these years.

The room was filled with the scent of medicine. When Jiang Wu entered, the Duchess was wailing with a choked voice.

"Oh, my daughter."

"You have suffered so."

And so on.

At the same time, Jiang Wu saw the woman on the bed.

Though now a young woman, she was still beautiful, with an ethereal elegance. Perhaps because she was ill, she lay reclining on the couch, her dark hair slightly loose, revealing a fragility that invited pity. She was beautiful, certainly, but it seemed somewhat different from what Jiang Wu remembered.

Jiang Wu could not describe exactly where the sense of discordance came from, but she felt that after seeing the current Chu Yan, Chu Ling would surely fall into self-doubt for having chosen her as a substitute.

They really did not look alike at all.

Then again, it had been over a decade; it was impossible for them to look the same forever.

At this moment, compared to the uncontrollably emotional Duchess, the expression on Princess Ruyue’s face was somewhat strained.

She was smiling, but the smile did not reach her eyes; it felt more like a hypocritical pretense.

"Old Lady, please do not cry and ruin your health."

"Are you resentful of me? Is that why you won't even call me 'Mother'?"

For some reason, Jiang Wu felt that every word exchanged between the two sounded increasingly fake. As she turned her gaze away in boredom, she caught sight of a familiar figure.

It was a gaunt, skeletal old man.

Jiang Wu recognized him; he was a physician.

He was called a physician, but he always gave Jiang Wu a sinister and terrifying feeling. His face, which had little flesh to begin with, had deeply sunken eye sockets, and his turbid gaze made one instinctively feel that he was not a good person.

Back then, when Chu Ling had asked him to examine her, Jiang Wu had been so frightened that she burst into tears the moment he extended his hand.

It wasn't that she had never seen an old man or withered skin before, but only when facing this man was her sense of fear so palpable.

At that time, Chu Ling had not said anything, but he never let the man appear before her again.

She had not expected to see him again.

It was normal for the estate to have a physician since Chu Yan was injured, but she could not understand why Chu Ling would summon such a strange man again.

Before she could look away, the man noticed her.

The old man took the initiative to smile at her. Sun Ke seemed to be trying hard to project goodwill, but he could not diminish the disgust in the eyes of the person before him.

Jiang Wu turned her gaze away without hesitation, making no effort to hide her dislike.

But this time, she locked eyes with Chu Yan.

Whether the woman was tired of acting with the old lady, she looked at Jiang Wu with a pleading expression.

The way she looked, it was as if they were the closest of confidantes, making her signal for help feel so natural.

But they were clearly not close at all, were they?

Jiang Wu thought this, yet her feet seemed to have a mind of their own and had already stepped forward.

"Mother, Sister A-Yan is exhausted from her long journey; let her get some proper rest."

Jiang Wu wanted to bite her own tongue. She did not understand why she had followed Chu Yan’s hint.

Furthermore, as Chu Yan gave her a secret smile of gratitude, she realized that she did not actually hate this person at all.

After her mother-in-law shot her a glare of dissatisfaction, she followed her lead.

"You're right. A-Yan, why don't you move to the Ducal Mansion to recover?"

That would never do.

"There is no need, Old Lady. The palace banquet is only a few days away, and Lord Chu has already engaged a physician. I can recover just fine here."

Hearing Chu Yan decline, Jiang Wu breathed a sigh of relief.

She did not know if the Duchess was sincere, but she did not insist further. After a few more words, just as they were about to rise and leave, a young man walked in from outside, drawing everyone’s attention.

He was about the same age as Chu Ye and was handsome and elegant, but unlike the self-confident composure Chu Ye naturally exuded, he appeared more silent. In his eyes, there was the depth that comes only after enduring the hardships of the world.

The young man was startled to see so many people in the room before he called out, "Mother."

*Mother?* Jiang Wu was stunned and did not react; whom was he calling Mother?

She soon had her answer, for Chu Yan had already responded with a smile: "Jisheng, come and meet the Old Lady and the Prime Minister’s wife."

Everyone was stunned for a moment; Jiang Wu felt as if her brain had exploded.

This was Chu Yan’s child?

It was not strange that Chu Yan had a child. But whom did she marry? The ruler of the Northern Yao Kingdom.

The appearances of people from the two nations were vastly different. Even if this Chu Jisheng looked like his mother, shouldn't there be some feature that set him apart from the people of Great Qi?

Yet this little brat was entirely a pure-blooded citizen of Great Qi.

"Oh my," the old lady was the first to react. "Is this my grandson? He is so handsome. His name is Jisheng, is it?"

"Yes," Chu Yan smiled. "Chu Jisheng. He takes my surname."

This statement caused Jiang Wu to completely lose her composure.

As it turned out, Chu Yan was still the second person she hated most in this world.

And the first was Chu Ling.