Following the censor’s indictment, another imperial censor on Shao Jing’s side started to accuse Rui’an Great Elder Princess of sticking her nose into too much official business. “Great Elder Princess, as a royal family member, is of noble status. The officials are respectful to her. But it doesn’t mean that she can boss the officials around at will without considering their emotions, especially those aristocrats who have made a great contribution to our country. It is against the imperial court!”

Then two parties were naturally formed in the Imperial Court, one disapproving of Rui’an Great Elder Princess, and the other disagreeing about Marquis Xing’s Mansion. The latter insisted that Marquis Xing’s Mansion shouldn’t force Princess Chen to help them with the marriage issue relevant to the royal family, as there was no intimate relationship between them.

Shao Jing didn’t intend to admit that he had planned to replace his daughter with Shao Caihuan to marry Commandery Prince Qing. He said that it was Commandery Prince Qing who had misunderstood. As for the other accusations, Shao Jing insisted that he was innocent.

Both sides had their own reasons. Though fewer people supported Shao Jing, they were very hostile and aggressive in the argument. They might have started a fight if they were not civil officials.

Suddenly the Emperor smashed the memorial book in his hand at a quarreling official, who was so intimidated that he instantly knelt to the ground. All the other officials didn’t dare to speak a word. It became quiet in the imperial hall within a second. Then the Emperor asked slowly, “What do you think, Prince Chen?”

Chu Liuchen’s beautiful eyes fell on those argumentative officials. “My princess used to live a poor life when she was a child, and no one cared about her. But now she is my wife, so she won’t be bullied by others anymore!”

Standing in the front of the line, Shao Jing suddenly had a bad vibe. He had considered how to deal with Rui’an Great Elder Princess but hadn’t thought that he might need to deal with Prince Chen!

“Marquis Xing, you haven’t taken care of my princess, so how could you threaten her to do something immoral with the so-called filial piety? Are you going to force her to take all the blame for the bad things your mansion has done?”

Chu Liuchen looked at Shao Jing’s face with a strange and cold smile on his darkened face.

Shao Jing felt a panic. He hastened to step out of the line and was about to defend himself.

“Marquis Xing, let me be clear. Do not ever bother my princess again even if your mansion gets in trouble in the future. She is still young. What’s more, none of the people in your mansion has ever been concerned about her since she was a child, right? You probably have deleted her from your genealogy after she married out, haven’t you? If you think that you will suffer a loss, I can return parts of my wife’s dowries to you. We just keep the part that belongs to my mother-in-law!” Chu Liuchen said in a cold voice.

He showed a cold smile on his handsome face. Now, he was very different from what he looked like as usual. Anyone could see that Prince Chen was angry.

If such words had come out of another person’s mouth, he must have been criticized as an unfilial son-in-law. But it was Chu Liuchen who said that, and everyone was speechless faced with him.

On the one hand, they dared not contradict him because of his high status. On the other hand, they couldn’t deny what he said was right and practicable. Since the elder were not concerned about the junior, why should the junior help them? Moreover, Princess Chen was not an ordinary person anymore. As for the proposition of returning the dowries, it sounded like Prince Chen intended to pay to cut off the connection between Princess Chen and Marquis Xing’s Mansion.

“Prince Chen, I have never had such a plan!” Shao Jing said with a flushed face.

“Then what on earth do you want, Marquis Xing? What can persuade you to let go of my princess? She is young and immature. If she has offended you, please let me know. If you need help, just turn to me! So she doesn’t have to ask me for help again!” Chu Liuchen said.

The smile on his face was cold and scary.

“No… I don’t…” Shao Jing stammered. He couldn’t even speak clearly. He had never thought that Prince Chen would give him a slap on the face in front of all the officials. He didn’t know what to reply.

“Since you don’t have any needs, don’t disturb Princess Chen again!” Chu Liuchen said, “Come to ask me for help if you are in need in case she is criticized as an unfilial daughter again. She didn’t grow up in your mansion, and you were not concerned about her after she moved there… She has suffered a lot for so many years!” Chu Liuchen continued rebuking Shao Jiang.

“You have my promise, Your Highness!” Shao Jing had to agree.

“Marquis Xing, take care of your domestic affairs yourself!” the Emperor said.

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Shao Jing had to accept the accusation with a bitter face. He didn’t expect that such an indifferent person as Prince Chen would be so partial to his wife Shao Wanru.

However, though Shao Jing knew that Prince Chen took sides with Shao Wanru, he could not point it out. Moreover, the Emperor took sides with Prince Chen! So what could he say?

Since Shao Jing had admitted his guilt, the imperial sensors of the two sides stopped arguing. They glanced at Chu Liuchen silently and returned to their lines.

Although the imperial censors had the right to remonstrate to Prince Chen, they didn’t dare. After all, they had never seen the Emperor scold Prince Chen. No one knew whether the Emperor was really partial to Prince Chen or not, but at least it looked like that! The imperial censors were not stupid men. No one would take risks before they figured out the truth.

More importantly, it was not worthwhile to dispute for a matter of the inner court. They wouldn’t benefit a lot even if they won. Moreover, they might lose their reputations.

Then, they started to discuss something else, but Chu Liuchen kept absent-minded. He sat there in a leisurely manner as if he had nothing to do with the ongoing meeting. There was nothing wrong with his such behaviors. After seeing Prince Chen fall into a rage, they would be frightened when they looked at him, who was said to be in poor health.

As it was seen, the Emperor said nothing after Prince Chen made such an extreme statement and even asked Marquis Xing to take the blame!

The meeting was over, and Chu Liuchen walked out of the hall slowly after all others had been away, and then he went into the Imperial Palace. Different from others, he came to the meeting from the Palace.

It was much closer to take the way through the side door. Considering his weak health, the Emperor and Empress Dowager asked him to take the side door. They had told Chu Liuchen that the side door would always be open for him.

“Third Brother!” Chu Liuyue showed up when he turned the first corner. It seemed that Chu Liuyue was waiting for him here.

“What’s wrong?” Chu Liuchen asked with a faint smile, which showed no happiness.

“Nothing serious. I just want to ask what happened and whether you need help,” Chu Liuyue said gently with a sincere face.

“Nothing serious! Thank you, Eldest Brother!” Chu Liuchen said casually.

“Well, that’s good! But just turn to me if you need help! Anyway, we are brothers, and we grew up together!” Chu Liuyue nodded, cupped his hands to Chu Liuchen, and then took another path to leave.

Chu Liuchen’s eyes darkened a little as Chu Liuyue walked along that path. Then he headed for Prince Chen’s Mansion.

After Chu Liuchen left, Chu Liuyue showed up again at the place where he left just now. He looked in the direction of Prince Chen’s Mansion with jealousy.

“I am the biological son of the Emperor, but how can I be inferior to Chu Liuchen? Who does he think he is? He is just a prince of the previous dynasty. Does he really regard himself as the son of the Emperor?” Chu Liuyue thought with jealousy. Chu Liuchen lived in the Southern Palace, the top mansion among the princes’, though it could not be compared with the Eastern Palace. Now, it was called Prince Chen’s Mansion, but everything inside was still beyond comparison.

There was no Eastern Palace yet, so Prince Chen’s Mansion was the best now.

Living in Prince Chen’s Mansion, Chu Liuchen could enter the Imperial Palace without restrictions, because of which, many officials thought more highly of him. In addition, the Emperor doted on Chu Liuchen more than his own sons due to Chu Liuchen’s identity as the son of the former Emperor.

“Your Highness!” Xiao Qizi reminded his master who was in a daze.

“Let’s go!” Chu Liuyue turned around and went back to the way he came.

“Your Highness, could we go now?” Xiao Qizi looked around with unease and asked in a low voice.

“I’m just wondering. Don’t panic!” Chu Liuyue ordered impatiently.

“Yes, Your Highness!” Xiao Qizi nodded and said, “Your Highness, don’t worry. I have arranged everything. Anyone who sees it happen will regard it as an accident! No one will see it through!”

“Good!” Chu Liuyue raised his eyebrows coldly. “Of course, I will make full use of that woman, which might do me a big favor! I should give her such a chance to display her last trace of value. What’s more, she is a beauty.”

Chu Liuyue used to have good feelings for her…

When Chu Liuchen came back, Shao Wanru was playing with the butterflies in the garden with several servant girls.

The garden in Prince Chen’s Mansion was not as big as that in the Imperial Palace, but it was much more magnificent than those in other mansions. There were various kinds of flowers and plants in it. Shao Wanru also saw some which were the same as the best in the Imperial Palace. The soil under her feet told her that these flowers had just been planted.

Shao Wanru was having fun with the servant girls. She had been covered with sweats. In the midst of the bustle, Chu Liuchen appeared.

All the servant girls stood still and made no sound.

Shao Wanru turned around. The girl, who was always with a good complexion, looked as beautiful as flowers now. Her florid face was pink-and-white like a peach, her beautiful eyes were like clean water with heart-stirring ripples, and her cherry lips were attractive and delicate.

Though she had a natural aura of distance, she looked much more charming when her exquisite facial features displayed such colors.

Shao Wanru was a little breathless, but when she saw Chu Liuchen, she looked at him with shining eyes and energetically greeted him. “Your Highness!”

The moment she took the first step to Chu Liuchen, she suddenly leaned back and blacked out…