Chapter 88: A Li, Seize The Opportunity!
Yue Tang was silent for a moment, then put down the handkerchief: “The opportunity that fell into the bowl, the Shen Family certainly won’t let it slip away. It’s also good to let them take the lead in making a fuss first.”
Her initial target was Chu Xin. By taking down Chu Xin through the Du Family, on the other side, make Chu Yan break with the Chu Family, blocking the Chu Family’s malicious intent to use Prince Duan’s old subordinates in the Imperial City Department, then gradually tear open an opening and take down Chu Ying.
Both Chu Xin and Du Minghuan were taken down by Yan Bei leading the team, and moreover, Xu He was already under his control. The Shen Family couldn’t squeeze in.
But Chu Yan’s sudden action became a variable in the plan.
This concerns the imperial clan’s offspring, so the Emperor must step in. Empress Dowager Shen, as the Empress Dowager in power, although she might not necessarily look favorably on Chu Yan, now with the Chu Family father and daughter facing off in the Imperial Court, even if she just wanted to watch the show, she would happily fetch a small stool. What’s more, this was something she could righteously intervene in?
With the Shen Family stepping out, it was equivalent to giving Yue Tang a hand.
She asked again: “What was said in the Imperial Court? What happened to Chu Yan afterward?”
The guard then said: “Chu Yan accused Chu Ying of being domineering and overbearing by habit. Even after she became part of the imperial clan, she was often called back by Chu Ying to be scolded.
“She said that last night was the same. Chu Ying summoned them, mother and son, to the mansion in the middle of the night over a trivial matter, then berated them harshly.
“Later, in a fit of rage, he struck Yue Huan, causing his death.
“The Emperor accepted the petition and issued an imperial decree. The Imperial Clan Court immediately went everywhere to interrogate the servants on night duty. The servants certainly won’t reveal the truth, but they also can’t flatly deny that the father and daughter had an argument last night.
“The Shen Family members who went along used this as grounds to report back to the hall, strongly supporting Chu Yan’s accusation. Afterward, Chu Yan returned to Prince Duan’s Mansion.
“And up to now, the Chu Family hasn’t come up with a clear countermeasure, just insisting stubbornly that it was an accident. The father and daughter are now each sticking to their own story.”
The guard paused here, “But just now, outside, accusations against Chu Yan have also come flooding in, among them not a few of Chu Laotaishi’s disciples holding key positions in various departments.
“Without exception, they racked their brains to impeach the Heir Apparent’s Consort for filing an accusation against her father, calling it great unfiliality. It should be wind released by the Chu Family.”
“All they’re doing is useless things. Chu Yan is taking revenge with her life, and with the Shen Family getting involved, how can Chu Ying escape so easily?”
Yan Bei picked up a bowl of tea and slowly brought it to his lips. He paused halfway, then handed it to Yue Tang. Then he said: “Chu Yan is now accusing Chu Ying of murder and hasn’t mentioned that the Chu Family swapped the child. How could the Shen Family not know about such crucial information?
“These days Shen Yi has been trying to get close to me all the time. Yesterday he even said he wanted to invite me for tea. Should I give him face?”
Everyone in the room from the Prince’s Mansion turned their gazes to him in unison.
After all, as the greatest powerholder in their entire Prince Jingyang’s Mansion, the Regent Prince whose mere cough in the Imperial Court could make people tremble three times, it wasn’t common in the past for him to take the initiative to seek advice like this.
Yue Tang put the tea on the table and said: “No rush. First let the Shen Family put in some effort. Let them take the lead in finding the Chu Family’s flaws. We can’t let them pick up ready-made benefits for nothing.”
They didn’t even need to do much, and Empress Dowager Shen would seize on Chu Yan’s accusation that the Chu Family killed Prince Duan’s Heir, hammering Chu Ying as hard as possible.
Handing the ready-made handle to the Shen Family could certainly make them hammer harder, but exposing the bargaining chip too early would easily put them on the defensive.
No matter what, Yue Huan’s household registration file was now in Yue Tang’s hands. For this fake imperial clan offspring as the Heir, the Chu Family had no way to turn it around.
Then next, they would face a dilemma. Either Chu Ying reveals the child’s true background himself, but then it wouldn’t be easy for him to cover up the fact of swapping the child. In the end, when his wolfish ambitions are exposed, it would similarly become a handle in the Shen Family’s hands.
Or simply admit to accidental killing, but accidentally killing the Prince’s Mansion’s heir, no matter how he whitewashes it, would injure muscles and bones.
This point was originally one link in Yue Tang’s plan, but now with Chu Yan unexpectedly jumping ahead, there was no rush to expose the Chu Family swapping the child.
“You’re right.” Yan Bei unconditionally agreed, “We still have Chu Xin on our side. This kid knows all the inside story of the conspiracy back then. He’s the most important person besides the Du Family father and son. I’ll take him down first later.”
Yue Tang nodded.
Indeed, Chu Xin was her established plan target. This step couldn’t be messed up.
The matter stirred up by Chu Yan could only be considered an accidental opportunity. Just make good use of it.
She took a sip of tea and glanced up, seeing that Hua Lin had already left. Jiang Shao was also standing at the doorway talking with Wei Zhang, so she stood up and said: “A Li is still waiting for me to eat.”
Yan Bei also stood up: “I’ll go with you.”
He really did need to go with her, otherwise Yue Tang wouldn’t find the place.
However, the father and son’s courtyards were connected. For convenience, the dining hall was set in a connecting corridor between the two courtyards, and crossing one door would get there.
It was very warm inside the room. A Li was only wearing a lined garment, chattering nonstop while talking to Yun Niang, who was setting out the tableware one by one.
Hua Lin was also in the room, checking today’s medicinal cuisine. He occasionally chimed in too.
Seeing Yue Tang enter the room, A Li immediately slid down from the couch, shouting “Mother,” then quickly sat by the table. His expectant little eyes followed his mother all the way until she sat down.
Yue Tang left the seat of honor for the master, sat opposite A Li, glanced at the food placed in front of him, then handed him a spoon.
A Li said: “Mother feed me.”
“Father King feed.” Yan Bei took the bowl and spoon, sat down, rolled up his sleeve, and got to work proficiently.
A Li wasn’t insistent. Once the meal arrived, he opened his mouth wide.
Yue Tang watched them go back and forth a few rounds, then slightly raised her brow: “Didn’t A Li say last time that he wanted to protect Mother?”
“Yes,” A Li nodded heavily, patting the back of her hand with his little hand, “If bad people bully Mother, Mother must tell me.”
“Mm,” Yue Tang also nodded heavily, “Then such an awesome A Li can certainly eat by himself and drink soup by himself, right?”
The father and son froze.
Then Yan Bei said: “How can he? He’s such a little child…”
A Li scrunched up his chubby little brows in thought, then took the spoon from his father’s hand and held the bowl with both hands too. “A Li can!”
Then he clumsily scooped a spoonful of medicinal cuisine into his mouth and took a big gulp of soup. Afterward, he raised his little chin high, full of pride.
Yan Bei even stuttered.
“This bratty child wasn’t like this before!”
Yue Tang glanced at him: “With your spoiling ways, it’s not like you’ve ever given him a chance to show it.”
Yan Bei was even more speechless.
She wasn’t wrong. From the day the child returned to his hands, he had never intended to let the child suffer even a bit, whether it was food, use, clothing, or toys—he always chose the most reliable options. The servants around him had to be attentive in every way. Anything that could be done for him, he absolutely wouldn’t let the child do himself.
This was all because the child had been so fragile back then, which formed a habit, and with the strength of his Prince Jingyang’s Mansion, there was no need to worry about not being able to care for him for life.
In Yan Bei’s view, feeding him was just feeding him—what was the big deal?
He hadn’t expected that in the hands of Yue Tang, this birth mother, one sentence from her changed the child completely!
“This, what if it tires him out?” He was slightly worried.
“Fussy.” Yue Tang glanced at him, gently wiped the medicinal cuisine paste from A Li’s mouth with the silk handkerchief, then picked up her own porridge bowl. “And this is coming from you, a heavy general who commands millions of soldiers at the border.”
Yan Bei felt a bit embarrassed: “I’m just heartbroken for the child.”
He gripped the spoon and stirred it in the porridge bowl a few times, glancing at her several times in between. Then someone outside said Lan Qin had come, and taking advantage of Yue Tang getting up to go out, he lowered his voice and said to A Li, who was cheering himself on to eat: “When do you take Grandpa Hua’s medicine?”
“Right after finishing breakfast.”
A Li seriously scraped the paste from the bottom of the bowl, without lifting his head.
Mother praised him for being awesome. He had to finish breakfast on his own to prove his strength.
“Then do you remember what Mother said earlier?” Yan Bei leaned his head closer and whispered to A Li: “Mother said just now that as long as A Li needs it, she’s willing to do anything. So does A Li need to see Mother every day? Need her to sleep with you every night like last night?”
“Yes!”
A Li let out a loud voice.
Yan Bei was startled and covered his mouth, glancing toward the door. Seeing Yue Tang hadn’t been disturbed, he put his hand down and continued to encourage: “Then you can bring it up to Mother. Look, our prince’s mansion is so big, we don’t lack rooms. If Mother can stay, wouldn’t she be able to see you eat by yourself and drink your medicine by yourself every day? In Mother’s mind, wouldn’t A Li be even more awesome?”
“Yes!…”
This time Yan Bei was prepared and covered his mouth in advance, suppressing his deafening shout back in his throat.
Turning his head, he saw Yue Tang had already turned back in, so he hurriedly said: “If yes, then seize the opportunity, got it?”
A Li’s eyes blinked brightly, and he nodded heavily.
Yan Bei released his hand and smoothly straightened A Li’s bib, sitting up straight as if nothing had happened.
“Yan Bei.” Yue Tang, who had sat down, clearly hadn’t noticed the abnormality between him and his son. Her brows furrowed slightly. “I have to go. When the Chu Family people see Chu Xin later, they’ll confirm I’m at the Top Scholar’s Mansion.
“If I stay at the Xu Family any longer, it’ll bring a lot of trouble.
“So I have to go, pack up, and leave.”
“How long is Mother going?” A Li’s voice was crisp and bright. “I’ll go prepare Mother’s room, fumigate Mother’s room to make it all fragrant, so Mother can live there when she comes back.”
Yue Tang looked at him in surprise.
Yan Bei looked grave beside them: “Mother won’t stay here, A Li be good, don’t make it hard for Mother.”
A Li got down from the stool, went to Yue Tang’s side, and shook her hand: “Mother stay, A Li and Father King will help Mother beat the bad guys. Then Mother sleep with A Li, and A Li won’t dream of the dark room anymore.”
“Dark room?”
“Yes,” Yan Bei inwardly praised his clever child and sighed outwardly, “He often has nightmares, always dreaming of being locked in a dark room. I don’t know if that disaster left a shadow on him.”
Yue Tang fell silent.
Yan Bei pressed on: “You just said you can’t stay at the Xu Family anymore, so your next step is to go straight back to Prince Duan’s Mansion?”
She said: “It’s not time for me to return to Prince Duan’s Mansion yet. I have another residence, so housing isn’t a problem.”
Since Chu Yan had already started biting at Chu Ying, they had to wait for her to clear up this lawsuit. Plus, the guards like Fang Ling in the prince’s mansion hadn’t been dealt with yet, so it wasn’t wise to act too hastily.
“Since you’re not going back for now, why not go along with the child’s wish and stay at Prince Jingyang’s Mansion.”
This was said too fast, Yan Bei almost bit his own tongue!
Only after saying it did he feel it wasn’t natural enough, so he quickly added before she could refuse outright: “With the two Chu Family sibling cases, we need to discuss anytime, and running back and forth isn’t convenient.
“Besides, you’ve already been exposed. Although you haven’t publicly come forward, the Chu Family definitely won’t disclose your identity themselves, but eventually someone will notice something’s off—it might not be safe.”
At this point he paused, seeing Yue Tang staring at him intently with an expressionless face, which made him uneasy. He couldn’t help but continue: “Actually, with just the two of us, man and woman alone, keeping you here isn’t appropriate!
“But who let us have a child?
“The child can’t be without a mother, you don’t know…
“Okay.”
“…every time he sees other little friends with mothers doting on and protecting them, he—”
Yan Bei looked up: “What did you just say?”
Yue Tang gazed at him calmly: “I said okay. Since the Prince is so sincerely inviting me to stay, letting this ally of yours be free from all worries, why not?”
Refusing would be foolish.
Yan Bei couldn’t hold back and stood up from his chair.
Yue Tang also stood up and took A Li’s hand: “Mother still has some things to do, you go play with your little friends first. When Mother comes back, she’ll teach you all slingshot target practice.”
“Really?” A Li asked softly. “Is Mother really staying?”
“That’s right,” Yue Tang ruffled his little head. “Because from now on, Mother is going to witness all of A Li’s impressive moments.”
A Li excitedly threw himself into Mother’s arms.
Yan Bei almost couldn’t hold back and wanted to throw himself on too.
……
Lan Qin had just come from the Xu Family side.
After Yue Tang and Yan Bei left one after another last night, she stayed at the Xu Family to accompany He Shi. Xu He didn’t know if it was out of shame to face people or if after seeing the situation clearly, he really intended to submit, but he had been busy running around and hadn’t come to see He Shi at all.
Lan Qin waited for Yue Tang all night without her return, and after daybreak, she came to the Prince’s Mansion.
After all, He Shi was the one they had brought into the capital, and now it was time to give her an explanation. Moreover, they really should leave too.
Yue Tang took the Prince’s Mansion’s horse carriage back to the Xu Family with her. Xu He happened to be in the mansion and, upon hearing the news, had been waiting at the door early.
“Welcome the Princess back to the mansion.”
Yue Tang stopped and glanced at He Shi not far behind him, then said: “Lord Xu, this is your mansion. I’ve stayed here for quite a while, so now it’s I who should thank you.”
“How dare I!”
Xu He’s legs were shaking.
He Shi behind him glanced at him once, then again, her eyes full of contempt.
Yue Tang smiled: “Lady He, please come with me to Qingyun Pavilion for a sit. How about you and I have a cup of tea?”
He Shi immediately jumped over the threshold: “Sure!”
