Chapter 28: Not Seen

  It turned out to be the King of Jin and the Crown Prince of Wei, as well as that brocade-clad Imperial Guard Commander who had come to our house before!

  When Chen Lan clearly heard these words, she couldn't help but take a deep breath and calm down. Seeing Hongluo and Qinfang hastily leaving the house, she knew that Su Mu Huipo would come with those family servants soon, and they would definitely be blocked outside the temple. She couldn't help but frown, and then felt someone pulling her sleeve.

  "Sister, since they've already sent word over there, are we going or not? When you think about it, the King of Jin is also our sister's husband."

  "Eldest Sister's Husband? Don't forget, that day was the Princess of Jin's return visit after her wedding, and the Korean Duke's mansion also opened its doors wide to welcome her with a grand ceremony. Not to mention us relatives who are one degree removed. The family etiquette is naturally for Eldest Sister's Husband, but national etiquette is different, there is a distinction between ruler and subject."

  When Chen Bing thought of that time when she was scolding her sister's husband, Zhu Shi's furious expression and those reprimands, Chen Lan couldn't help but sneer in his heart. It's worth noting that the previous Yangning Hou Chen Yong had countless concubines, but only one legitimate daughter married into the Korean public house, which is how the Jin Wangfei came to be. What about the other illegitimate daughters of the Hou household? Those who married well were matched with those incompetent and humble sons of meritorious officials, barely able to be called "madam". Those who didn't marry well either inherited their ancestors' military positions but could only hold a minor position as a small military officer, or even had to borrow money to make ends meet.

  All those marriages were dominated by Zhu Shi, and the first Yang Ning Hou Chen Yong never asked. So, although Zhu Shi's love for her granddaughter is well-known far and near, compared to Jin Wang Fei as a legitimate granddaughter, this intimacy and distance are self-evident.

  Seeing Chen Yan stunned there, she thought for a moment and then asked Xiang Fang Hongluo, "Just now when the official came to deliver the message, did you see how many people followed Jin Wang into this place? Was anyone asked to withdraw?"

  "Besides Master Zhiyong, there were many others, including the Crown Prince of Weiguo and that Commander Yang. It seemed like there were also a few Confucian scholars who were guests or officials. I just heard them say they wanted to go appreciate flowers and compose poetry. The other guards and attendants are all waiting outside."

  When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Chen Lan knew that this era was particularly strict on women, and even a slight mistake would be unforgivable. Moreover, she and Chen Yan were currently without support or backing in the Hou Mansion, making it even more impossible for her to make mistakes easily. Besides, today's events were probably designed by someone else, so she had to be extra cautious. At this moment, hearing that the King of Jin had brought all sorts of people into the mansion, she immediately made a decision. Turning around to look at Chen Yan, she opened her mouth and said: "Fourth brother, you go over there alone later."

  Chen Yan was shocked and looked bewildered: "Sister, aren't you going?"

  "Men and women are different, if I go with you together, even if the Crown Prince of Wei and others retreat, it's fine. But if they don't retreat, rumors will spread and people will gossip. You just need to say that I originally should have gone to meet them, but after a round, I couldn't hold on and lay down. Remember, when you are in front of them, whether it is the King of Jin or the Crown Prince of Wei, or even Yang Zongbao, you don't need to deliberately show off anything, just bring out your usual demeanor from school."

  "But as long as I behave myself a bit better, maybe..."

  Qing Zhi Chen Yan Xing Xing Nian Nian was only thinking about the title of Yang Ning Hou, Chen Lan couldn't help but wonder if it was the difficult situation of losing both parents at a young age that had driven this little guy to this point, or if she had also often instilled this idea in him before. But at this moment, she could only reach out and press her hand on his already quite sturdy shoulder, her face more serious than before.

  "Put your mind at ease! You must remember, one rises and falls together. The title of Duke Yangning is decided by the imperial court, by the Emperor himself. No matter how hard you try, you can't defy the heavenly decree! What did I advise you last time? Don't be gloating over others' misfortunes, and don't think this is an opportunity. Remember that right now is a major crisis for the Chen family, and things are still uncertain. The Prince of Jin and the others are all older than you, you can't outwit them, so why not be honest and sincere in front of them? Even if they ask, don't speak ill of your second uncle, after all, he is your elder..."

  She didn't care whether Chen Yan could remember so much, and just kept pouring out all the reasons she could think of at the moment. If only the King of Jin had come this time, it wouldn't matter if Chen Yan's performance was slightly poor, but there were also the son of Weiguo Gong and that Yang Jinzhou of the Brocade Guard, heaven knows whether Chen Yan's every word would be dissected and analyzed.

  Fortunately, Chen Yan still knew the general situation. Although Chen Lan was in a hurry and some of his words were not very logical, he still understood. Seeing Chen Lan's extremely serious expression, he finally nodded and said: "I know, I'll go alone."

  Chen Lan had wanted to pick another maid to follow her, but looking at the fearful expressions on Qin Fang and Yun'er's faces, and then at Hong Luo who was biting her lip tightly, she finally gave up on the idea. Those noble people never treated slaves as human beings, what if they took a liking to one of the maids and demanded to take her away on the spot? Where would she go to find an excuse to refuse? So, watching Chen Yun tidy up his clothes and walk out the door, she took a deep breath and ordered the three maids to help her get ready for bed.

  The three girls had their own thoughts, especially Yuner whose tongue was sharp and liked to argue with people for no reason. But now she didn't say a word. As for Qinfang who was usually taciturn, it was even more so. Hongluo covered Chenlan with a thin quilt and saw that she was leaning against the wall in a daze, so she whispered words of comfort: "Miss, don't worry, Fourth Master will definitely follow your orders, nothing will happen."

  "Nothing much today, how about tomorrow?"

  Chen Lan replied lightly, and when she saw Hong Luo stunned, she didn't speak again.

  The room was lit with sandalwood, the furnishings were simple but extremely comfortable, and there was even a heating pipe underneath. At this time, Chen Lan was leaning on the bed, wearing only a close-fitting jacket and covered with a thin quilt, yet she didn't feel cold at all, and instead had fine beads of sweat on her forehead. After circling around the temple today to pray for blessings, she was already tired, but couldn't sleep, and after running into those two mysterious people, how could she dare close her eyes? She could only force herself to lean there and think about things.

  It's really too difficult to struggle for survival in such an unfamiliar era, I don't know how the Taizu of this dynasty was able to rally people with just one call... And yet, it was this very person who founded the dynasty, and since he left behind those writings after exhausting his mind, it can be proven that his later years were not spent happily at all. Unfortunately, there are extremely few books about that period... And she, what should she do now?

  As she thought, her eyes gradually closed. In a daze, she suddenly heard a knock at the door from outside, and she was startled awake, just about to sit up, but then she heard two unusual words coming from the doorway, so she quickly closed her eyes again to pretend to be asleep. Sure enough, after a while, she heard footsteps getting closer and closer, finally stopping in front of the bed. Just when she thought the person would lift the curtain, she heard Hong Luo's low voice.

  "Master, my young lady is indeed asleep."

  "Ah, it seems I really did fall asleep. Cough, it's all because my lord is worried and sent me to take a look. Thinking about it, you were injured before the new year, and now on this cold day, you came out to pay respects, it's not surprising that you can't hold up. You tell your young lady, say that Fourth Young Master is dignified and courteous, my lord is very pleased, and the son of Duke Weiguo has also invited Fourth Young Master to his home as a guest. However, if your young lady truly cares about her brother, she should also be more mindful of herself, what a pity to waste such a good opportunity today..."

  The murmuring sound gradually subsided, and the footsteps gradually moved away. Chen Lan, lying on the bed, felt her heart sinking slowly. At this moment, she was certain that today's visit by King Jin and his entourage was not a coincidence, and the eunuch's deliberate inspection of this place was not just a simple "look-see". Those words were likely aimed at her, but she didn't know whether they contained hints from Queen Jin or also carried the meaning of King Jin himself.

  Chen Lan unconsciously clenched her fists, took a deep breath, and then opened her eyes. Her situation with Chen Yan was indeed difficult, and the chips she could use were extremely limited, but that didn't mean she would let others dictate her life. She had never been one to accept her fate without doing anything!

  "Miss! Miss!"

  A low cry from outside suddenly entered her ears, she calmed down and responded with a sound, at this time the curtain was opened a crack, and the one who came in was Yun'er. She lightly licked her tongue, then said in a low voice: "Qinfang sister sent the man away, that official spoke in a strange and gloomy tone, listening to it made me feel cold... Miss, don't worry, he didn't open the curtain."

  Chen Lan nodded wearily, learning that Chen Yan had not returned yet, and his heart was even more anxious. Seeing Yun'er quickly hanging up the curtains and helping her sit up, he went to pour water and brought it over, then asked in a low voice: "Yun'er, do you know how many children King Jin has now?"

  Yuner glanced back and saw that there was no outsider around, so she sat closer and leaned in to whisper: "King Jin has only one son and two daughters. In recent years, Queen Jin has been praying for a child, and the prescriptions given by Old Lady Shan have been numerous, but nothing has happened. It's said that she is very open-minded, and there are four concubines who have been taken in by King Jin, including Zhen Rong, who just left. There are many other maids in the palace, but only two of them have official status, namely the two ladies who were promoted to madam last year and entered the palace. The rest are just concubines..."

  "It's strange to say, but the prince's body is robust, and the princess is said to have practiced martial arts when she was young, also a good foundation. But unfortunately, until now, there is only one daughter. Fortunately, the birth mother of the eldest son of the Wang family has a low status and is still being raised by the princess, those two madams are not making any noise, otherwise, the princess's life would be even more difficult..."

  Chen Lan usually thought that Yun'er talked too much, but at this moment, listening to her detailed and meticulous words, she felt a deep sense of gratitude. If it weren't for today's encounter, and the eunuch's clever remarks, Yun'er would still be a loyal and trustworthy listener, but perhaps she wouldn't have reacted until it was too late!

  Just as she was carefully pondering these words, the door creaked open and Chen Yan burst in excitedly. He ran to the bedside, not even having time to catch his breath, and with a smile on his face, he showed Chen Lan a big pile of things in his hands.

  "Sister, look at this pouch of gold and silver ingots given by the King of Jin. He really takes me for a child! This is a folding fan sent by the Crown Prince of Wei, saying that the painting on it is done by Saint Liu's own hand. And this dagger was given by Lord Yang, who said it's made from ram's horn!"

  Looking at the pile of things in front of her, she saw Chen Yan's expression was natural, and the words that had reached Chen Lan's lips were swallowed back. It was still uncertain, why should she tell him now? So, she put away her tired look and asked curiously about today's events, until Chen Yan told her about the situation he had just encountered, and only then did she raise an eyebrow thoughtfully.

  It seems those three people aren't going in the same direction after all!

  PS: What's after disappearance, guess it ^_^