Chapter 61: Wolf's Ambition (Seeking First Subscription!)

  "Jiuyang!" Chu Qiying's voice was low and stern, with a hint of anger on his face.

  Chu Youyang hooked up the corner of her lips, but didn't care about him, and directly patted her skirt, picked up a chair next to her and sat down.

  Yanling Jun didn't show any extra expression, just treating himself as an outsider watching the scene, and he also found a chair to sit down at the lower end. At the same time he sat down, he slightly raised his eyes and exchanged a glance with Tuoba Huai'an who had been staring at him thoughtfully.

  Both parties did not say a word, but it was already an unspoken understanding.

  At that time, everyone's eyes in the hall were focused on Chu Jiu Yang, and she just pretended not to see it. She calmly picked up her tea cup and took a sip of tea before smiling at Su Lin who was staring coldly at her from across the room: "I'm just exchanging pleasantries with Young Master Su, he doesn't mind, why are you so tense?"

  She spoke lightly, completely disregarding the cold intent floating in Su Lin's eyes.

  Chu Qi Hui was in a dilemma, and for a moment, she didn't know how to respond.

  Chu Qiyan saw this and smiled lightly, mediating the situation by saying, "The young mistress is just playful, and Su Shi is not a petty person. Your Excellency Longsun should not blame her."

  Chu Qi Hui found a step, her face color only slightly eased, and she picked up the teacup again to take a sip of tea.

  Su Lin and Chu Nanyang locked eyes, and at this moment, he slowly opened his mouth with a cold tone: "If the young lady was just joking, Su would not have taken it to heart!"

  The implication is that he wants Zhu Xiangyang to take back his previous words and apologize to him!

  The atmosphere in the hall, which had just eased by half, suddenly became solemn again!

  Chu Zhenyang found it interesting in his heart ——

  Is Su Lin infatuated with Zhu Lingyun to the point of madness? Now even his IQ has gone with that woman?

  Chu Nanyang just smiled and didn't speak, focusing on sipping his tea with downcast eyes, not caring about his probing questions at all.

  Since Su Lin no longer bothered to maintain a superficial harmony, what was she afraid of?

  Chu Youyang didn't take the bait, instead he provoked Su Lin even more.

  Su Lin did not think she would be so reckless, and for a moment, she had nothing to say, her face becoming increasingly ugly.

  Chu Qiyan's eyebrows had imperceptibly furrowed several times, this Su Lin was really not a good omen, in such a public place he actually played such tricks on a young woman!

  "Alright, the time for dinner is almost here, so let's not waste any more words." Chu Qiyan subtly took a deep breath and put down the teacup in his hand. He walked to the front of the corpse that was placed at the entrance of the grand hall, gesturing to Li Lin to remove the white cloth covering it. Then he said, "I and Duke Changsun have invited everyone here today because of the previous incident where Madam Su was stabbed in the forest. The identity of the assassin has already been investigated, so we've called everyone over to give an explanation."

  He said, then looked at Su Lin and said: "Su Shizi, since this is a family matter of the Longshun Wangfu, you can explain it to everyone."

  "I'm truly sorry for what happened today, and I've put everyone in a state of shock." Su Lin nodded, his face unpleased, and spoke in a cold tone, glancing at Chu Sunyang with a hint of deeper meaning. His words were laced with a biting chill: "I must also thank the young master of Jiangyang for pointing this out. After interrogating the lower-ranking officials, we have already identified the assassin's identity. His name is Qi Da, and he was one of the horsemen who accompanied me to the capital. It seems that because I punished him for getting drunk previously, he harbored resentment in his heart and took advantage of the opportunity to hatch a sinister plot, committing such a heinous crime."

  A mere horseman, attempting to assassinate the precious son of the Su family? It's truly unbelievable.

  The people present looked at each other and began to discuss in low voices.

  "Ah-ha!" Chu Lingyun's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise, and she let out a soft sigh, "It seems it was just a false alarm after all."

  "Yes, it's good that Lord Yanling intervened in time. Unfortunately, the mistress of Suzhou will have to take good care of herself for a while." Someone nearby immediately echoed this sentiment.

  "Yes!" Chu Lingyun smiled faintly and turned to Chu Qiyan, saying seriously: "Although this is just a private matter of the Longshun Wangfu, after all, the Suzhou hostess has suffered. You should still report it to the emperor according to the rules."

  If it's really an assassination attempt in the imperial palace, then it must be reported to the Emperor for handling. But if it's just a domestic dispute within the Su family, this trivial matter will probably not be intervened by the Emperor.

  It goes without saying that this idea must have come from Chu Qiyan. Judging from Su Lin's vengeful and petty personality, she wouldn't be able to come up with such a swift and decisive reaction.

  As long as things are covered up within the Su family, it can be considered a good calculation.

  "This is right!" Chu Qiyan nodded, originally waiting to respond, but suddenly remembered something and looked at Chu Qihui again. "I don't know what the intention of the Marquis Changsun is? The Emperor had previously entrusted that everything on this side would be handled by you for the past few days. Should this matter be reported back by you or should I write a memorial?"

  Chu Qi Hui furrowed her brow, seemingly weighing the pros and cons. After a moment, she swept her gaze over the people present and said: "Since it's just a matter of the Su family's household affairs, the Emperor is busy with state matters every day. In my opinion, it's better not to bother him with such trivial things. What do you all think?"

  Today's affair, while it may deceive others, cannot completely fool Chu Qi Hui, who has had dealings with the Su family siblings. Is it said that a servant of the Su family assassinated Su Wei? Fooling others is still possible, but Chu Qi Hui wouldn't believe it even if you told her ten thousand times.

  However, Chu Qiyan's words clearly meant to go with the flow and follow the Su family's wishes to suppress this matter.

  Does the South River Wangfu show kindness to the Su family? Chu Qi Hui instinctively felt a sense of crisis, so even if he knew at this moment that Chu Qi Yan wanted to use his hands to wipe out this matter, he would not refuse.

  This favor for the Su family can only be sent from him.

  Everyone present was a noble, and their social skills were equally refined. Since he had spoken up, the others naturally followed suit and responded in agreement.

  Chu Youyang watched with a smile, as if an unrelated spectator, and did not raise any objections to either Su Lin's words or Chu Qihui's words.

  And so the matter was quietly settled.

  "Since there's nothing else, let's disperse for now." Chu Qiyan secretly breathed a sigh of relief in her heart, but her face didn't show it. She just bowed to Taobao Huai An and said, "Please, Your Highness, come over and bear witness to today's events. I'm sorry to have taken up your time. I'll make it up to you at the banquet later."

  "The prince is being polite." Tuoba Huai smiled lightly and stood up to return the courtesy, his eyes inadvertently sweeping towards Che Qianyang sitting beside him.

  He had dealings with this girl, and she was a tough cookie who never took advantage of anyone. He thought for sure that something would go down today, but in the end he was left disappointed as she didn't make a peep and just endured it all silently.

  Apart from Tuoba Huai, there was also Chu Qiyan who had the same thoughts. She didn't know much about Chu Yun's temper, but judging from a few things that happened before, she absolutely shouldn't have admitted to this dumb loss so obediently.

  The two of them exchanged polite conversation with each other, while everyone else began to get up and leave.

  Chu Youyang was just going with the flow, and had just put down the teacup in his hand when he inadvertently caught a glimpse of a corner of a blue robe floating into his line of sight, accompanied by Su Lin's icy voice ringing out above his head: "Su Mou still has one thing that puzzles him, Chu Youyang, you have always been cleverer than others, do you know if you can help Su Mou dispel his doubts?"

  His voice was somewhat intentionally high-pitched, and instantly stopped everyone's footsteps.

  It's indeed consistent with Su Lin's style.

  Chu Youyang almost laughed out loud, slowly raising his head to look at him.

  At that time, Su Lin was standing in front of her, with a faint cold smile at the corner of his lips, staring at her steadily.

  Chu Nanyang smiled and patted her skirt as she stood up, but it was a calm and peaceful smile as she looked back at him: "I'd like to hear more!"

  Su Lin's eyebrows furrowed, looking puzzled, and he turned to look at the corpse being carried away: "This Qi Dajie was just a humble horseman, I don't understand why, even if I had scolded him before, as a slave of the Su family, how could he have harbored evil intentions towards Wan'er? In the laws of Western Yue, the crime of betraying one's master has always been punished severely. If it was just because of two harsh words... isn't this behavior a bit too ruthless?"

  He deliberately emphasized the last four words, with a hint of meaning.

  Because ——

  No one knows better than him the inside story of Su and Wu's injuries.

  Zhidai was sent by him and would never lay a hand on Su Wu, so there's only one possibility——

  That's her Chaoyang!

  Or there is now more direct evidence pointing to Yanling Jun's hand.

  Although he still couldn't figure out why the arrow that shot Su and Wu would come from Qi Da's quiver, there was no doubt that these two people were behind it, killing his assassin and injuring his sister!

  He couldn't swallow this tone no matter what.

  Su Lin's eyes were filled with undisguised hatred and hostility as he looked at Chu Mo Yang, more like interrogation than inquiry.

  "Has he gone mad?" Chu Sunyang pressed his lips, savoring his words, and nodded in deep agreement. "Su Shi's words seem to make sense too. What do you think, Young Master? What could be the reason behind his outrageous behavior today?"

  Is she implying that she is ruthless and crazy? She did secretly shoot and injure Su Wei, but does that mean the Su family's setup to send an assassin to hurt people is justified?

  Su Lin sneered and was about to speak when Chu Qiyan quietly took a step forward, blocking him from Chu Junyang, and smiled: "This matter is indeed puzzling, your doubts are justified, why don't we change places and sit down to talk again? We'll eventually get to the bottom of it."

  Chu Qihui seeing the situation is not good also came forward to persuade: "Yes, Xunyang she a woman can understand what? If you have doubts in your heart, later this palace will send someone to continue investigating."

  Chu Youyang simply looked at him calmly and quietly, and this action fell into Su Lin's eyes, making him even more guilty.

  Strike the iron while it's hot, how can Su Lin be willing to give up? His gaze passed over the two of them and still stared at Zhuo Jin Yang. Suddenly, he raised his hand and took out a big thing from his pocket with a loud bang and slapped it on the table.

  His slap on the table was too loud, and people had already gathered around again. The one he had left on the table -

  Lo and behold, it was a whole stack of thick silver notes.

  "These silver tickets were found in Qida's gift box, I now suspect that someone paid a high price to borrow his hand to harm people maliciously." Su Lin said, word by word, each word was squeezed out from between her teeth.

  As soon as this was said, the whole room erupted in an uproar!

  Chu Qiyan's face was gloomy, and a clear annoyance had already appeared in her eyes.

  This Su Lin, doesn't even know when to stop?

  As soon as he had this thought, he suddenly realized something and turned his head to look in Chu Lingyun's direction. Sure enough, he saw Chu Lingyun looking at him with a cold expression, as if watching a good show.

  Noticing the anger in his eyes, Chu Lingyun's gaze flickered, and she felt a bit guilty, but only for an instant before deliberately raising her head high, pretending not to see it.

  It's not easy to catch an opportunity to openly target Chu Mianyang, how can she return empty-handed?

  This matter is not so easy to settle!

  Su Lin and Chu Qi Yang were at odds with each other, as Su Lin's words had already been thrown out, and Chu Qi Yan knew that if he continued to intervene, he would only be dragged down, so he could only watch coldly.

  Looking at Su Lin's furious appearance, Chu Yuexian's eyes rolled over, seemingly understanding something. She squeezed over and snatched the silver ticket from his hand, counted it, and said loudly, "There's a full 10,000 taels here! That person is just a groom, where did he get so much silver? He must have been bribed!"

  Su Lin did not respond, but looked at Chu Mianyang and said, "What does the Princess of Mianyang think?"

  Chu Nanyang smiled and picked up the bundle of silver tickets in his hand, nodding in agreement, "Indeed, it's a big deal!"

  Su Lin saw that she was intentionally evasive, and her determination to get to the bottom of it grew even stronger. She pressed on with her questioning, step by step: "So, in your opinion, Young Mistress, where did these silver notes come from?"

  "Where did it come from?" Chu Youyang heard this and suddenly laughed, "This person is a slave of your Su family, and these silver tickets were taken out by you, Su Shizhong. If anyone should be asked, it's you! Su Shizhong, why don't you tell us where these silver tickets came from?"

  Although Su Lin didn't understand, she had already become vigilant in her heart and coldly smiled: "In these years, Wan'er has entered the capital a total of five times. The number of people she came into contact with can be counted on one hand, let alone those who have had dealings with her. It's precisely because of this that Su Mou is even more unable to figure out who would harbor such malicious intentions and actually lay such a vicious hand on a weak woman like her. As the Marquise of Xunyang, you've lived in the capital for a long time and should have extensive connections, but I don't know if there's anyone in your impression who is narrow-minded and would harm people with such a heart?"

  Su Wu had lived in the south for a long time, and over the past few years, she occasionally followed her father and brother to Beijing several times. Although she was somewhat arrogant, after all, she was just a daughter of a wealthy family and couldn't possibly have any grudges against anyone.

  As soon as Su Lin spoke, everyone's gaze towards Chu Jiu Yang changed subtly.

  The commotion in the city last time was not small, and it was even spread far and wide. Some said that Su Zhe was rude and impolite, while others said that Chu Nan Yang was arrogant and reckless. It was just a small misunderstanding, but it was so serious that even the capital's government office was alarmed. What is this if not a deep-seated feud?

  Su Lin's words were hinting at something, although she didn't mention any names, her purpose was already achieved.

  A faint, cold glint flashed in his eyes, followed by an even more mournful sigh: "It's also unfortunate that if Lord Yanling hadn't been present with you, the county master, at the time, and had managed to keep this vital breath, things should have been settled long ago."

  It's all because of her that Chu Yunyang was too ruthless when he took action. If they had captured Qi Da alive at the time, he would have been speechless.

  As of now——

  It's either black or white, and everything is under one's control.

  Chu Nanyang didn't understand what was on his mind, and with a slight smile, he said: "In that case, Su Shizhong's intention is to say that this matter is not just an internal affair of the Su family? Do we need to re-formulate a plan?"

  Two people, four eyes locked in a stare, neither willing to back down.

  Chu Qi Hui's heart skipped a beat, and her face changed to an extremely ugly expression in an instant.

  He didn't want to get involved with Chu Nanyang, which would openly damage his relationship with the Su family. Secondly, he also didn't want the Su siblings to be exposed by Chu Nanyang. However, these two people were as stubborn as if they had lost their minds, making it difficult for him to decide what to do.

  Su Lin actually didn't plan to sentence Chu Yan Yang for this matter, because his words had already been released, and the suspicion and recognition of the people present were enough to make Chu Yan Yang's reputation plummet, from which there was no possibility of turning over.

  Knowing that continuing to entangle would only lead to the opposite effect, Su Lin was about to see good and collect, when Chu Sunyang opened his mouth with a cold tone: "Since things are unclear, it's reasonable to investigate until the truth is revealed. Su Shizi, you take a look, should this matter be handed over to the Jingzhao government or directly ask the people from the Dali Temple to conduct a thorough investigation? It's a small matter that Su Junzhu was cheated and suffered, but in our imperial family's traveling palace, there are still people who dare to do such things. If he doesn't die, it would be too easy for him."

  Su Lin was choked by her and clutched at her chest in pain, her face turning pale.

  The onlookers' minds had changed in an instant—

  Looking at this Junzhou County Master's guiltless appearance, it seems that this matter shouldn't be related to her either.

  The so-called bribery case was actually fabricated by Su Lin and Chu Lingyun to frame Chu Liuyang. If it were to be thoroughly investigated by the authorities, many things would inevitably come to light.

  Su Lin now truly understands what it means to lift a stone and hit his own foot. However, since he took on this matter himself, if he were to refuse and not allow the government to intervene, wouldn't that be proof that he has a guilty conscience?

  Su Lin had never suffered such a loss in his life, and he gritted his teeth, staring at Chu Xiangyang, the muscles on his cheeks twitching slightly.

  Chu Sunyang saw that he didn't speak, so she continued with a faint smile: "Actually, if you want to investigate, it's simple. Although the silver ticket is anonymous, there is a serial number. Why not just have someone take it to the money house to compare and see who this silver ticket belongs to? If someone goes to deposit the silver, they will always leave some clues behind."

  Chu Lingyun's heart skipped a beat as soon as she heard the words, and she almost lost control and rushed over.

  Chu Qiyan remained expressionless and subtly shifted her position, isolating her actions from the crowd's line of sight. Meanwhile, the flames of anger in her heart had reached a boiling point.

  Taking a deep breath to calm down, Chu Qiyan said: "If someone wants to buy murder, they must have prepared in advance and won't leave any clues for us. I'll send someone to the Silver Bank to investigate later, but it's best not to have too much hope, Su Shizi."

  He said, and then signaled Li Lin to take the silver ticket from Chu Mo Yang's hand.

  Chu Nanyang held the silver ticket, but didn't let go. Instead, he took a step forward and stuffed the bundle of silver tickets into Su Lin's bosom, saying: "I don't know what others think, but I saw that this bundle of silver tickets was taken out from your son Su Shi's bosom. If you want to investigate, then go ahead and do it. In the end, if he says he stole them himself, I won't be surprised!"

  Su Lin's face turned bright red from being slapped by that stack of silver notes, after all—

  He said the silver ticket was found from Qi Da, but there wasn't a single credible witness to help take responsibility for this matter, and the slaves around him were not counted.

  "Your meaning is that I, Su family member, am shouting to catch a thief?" Su Lin's face was embarrassed, his fingers under the sleeve were clenched tightly, and blood marks had already been pinched on his palm.

  "I didn't say that!" Chu Nianyang let out a cold laugh from his nose, but he didn't compromise.

  Chu Qi Hui and Chu Qi Yan both had their concerns, and for now, they chose to remain silent.

  The scene was at a stalemate, Su Lin was trying his best to endure, but the expression on his face was gradually becoming unbearable, just as he was about to explode, suddenly heard a weak voice from the direction of the door: "Big brother, don't bother with my affairs anymore."

  Su Lin was like a great amnesty, following the sound and looking away, but saw Su Wei, who should have been seriously injured in bed, being supported by two maids and slowly moving into the hall from outside.

  Due to the loss of blood, her face was deathly pale, and her body was extremely weak. At this time, she was being supported by two maids, one on each side, with almost her entire body leaning on them for support. Her originally tall and slender figure now seemed like a thin sheet of paper, as if it could be blown away by the wind at any moment.

  "Wan'er, how did you come here?" Su Lin hastily went to welcome her, and placed her on a chair beside him, scolding with concern, "You're injured, just stay in the house and rest well, what are you doing running out?"

  "For my sake, so many people are troubled, and Wan'er's heart is not at ease." Su Wan's expression was gloomy, and she weakly forced out a smile. Her hand, hidden under her sleeve, secretly grasped Su Lin's hand tightly: "Big brother, I know you care about me, but this matter is also my own carelessness. Everyone has come here with difficulty, so let's not let everyone be disappointed because of me."

  She said two sentences and couldn't bear it anymore, panting heavily, her weak appearance won a lot of sympathy.

  "Alright! Don't think too much about it for now, I'll send you back to rest first."

  "Hmm!" Su Wan nodded.

  Su Lin supported Su Wei as she stood up and walked towards the door.

  "Su Shizi, please stay!" At this time, Yanling Jun, who had been sitting at the end, sipping tea and watching the play, suddenly spoke up to stop him.

  Su Lin's heart tightened and he looked over with a guarded expression, saying: "Does Lord Yanling have any instructions?"

  "I dare not!" said Yanling Jun with a smile, still sitting there elegantly swirling the tea leaves in his cup. His gaze at Su Lin was full of approval: "As for the silver ticket, wise men see wisdom, and I, a humble minister, will not participate in the discussion. However... Su Shizi, I must say that I'm quite envious of the Longshun Wangfu's arrangements. You can casually pull out an unknown horseman who is exceptionally skilled with a bow, and he can even hide in a tree for a long time without being discovered by passersby. If this were a regular guard, I fear it would be difficult for even the Imperial Guard to match! If the clue on the silver ticket is lost, you might as well try to investigate his lineage again. Who knows, you might gain something unexpected!"

  Since Nazhi was chosen by Su Lin as an assassin to carry out such a crucial assassination mission, his identity would not be simply that of a horseman. Although Chu Xiangyang deliberately didn't mention it earlier, it doesn't mean she couldn't think of this connection.

  As soon as Yanling Jun spoke, Su's siblings were even more like they had been slapped in the face, their faces dark and terrifying.

  "Thanks for reminding me." Su Lin endured for a long time before barely stabilizing his emotions, squeezing out a few words from between his teeth.

  "You're welcome!" Yanling Jun smiled and slowly stood up, shaking his robes as he walked out, "Today, I, a humble minister, have also interfered too much. I won't stay here to be in the way anymore. Prince Jian is still waiting for me to administer acupuncture, Chancellor Longsun, I bid you farewell!"

  Having said that, he bowed to Chu Qi Hui and others, then turned around and left with a swish of his sleeves.

  Tuoba Huai'an's eyes sank a few more points, and he kept watching his back until he disappeared from the temple.

  "Alright, since nothing's wrong, let's go too." Chu Nanyang exhaled and said in a relaxed tone, "I'm not interested in knowing the follow-up to today's assassination attempt either. Don't waste my time with such trivial matters from now on."

  She said, with a nonchalant glance at the crowd, and followed him out of the hall, saying: "Big brother, I had a fright today and my stomach is not feeling well, so I won't be attending tonight's banquet."

  "Got it." Chu Qi Hui replied in a low voice.

  Chu Youyang retreated on his own accord, and this play could no longer be performed.

  Chu Qi Hui was oppressed by the atmosphere here for half a day and now she also didn't want to stay any longer, leaving in big strides.

  Others followed suit, and the grand hall that was just filled with people suddenly became desolate.

  Su Lin stood still, supporting Su Wei's arm, watching the crowd leave. A clear killing intent gradually spread across her face as she said in a hateful tone: "I'd like to see how long her good luck will last!"

  How could she even evade the assassin he had carefully arranged for her? Chu Nanyang was just a young whippersnapper, it was simply ridiculous!

  Su Lin said, thinking of Su Wei's injury, her eyes added a few more worried colors, looking at her and saying: "Don't worry, this time big brother will definitely investigate clearly, give you an explanation!"

  At that time, the people had already gone and the building was empty. The courtyard was desolate, but Su Wei's gaze remained fixed on the direction of the main gate, as if still following the back of someone or something.

  "What's there to investigate?" She sneered, the light in her eyes flickering uncertainly, which made Su Lin's heart tremble with a strange feeling. Her voice was low and eerie as she said, "The one who hurt me is clearly her, just wait, I'll eventually take revenge for this arrow of resentment!"

  Chu Yuanyang? Yanling Jun?

  Sometimes it's hard to find fault with one person, but when there are two people involved, it's a different story.

  Su Lin took a deep breath and asked tentatively: "What's on your mind?"

  "It's not urgent for the time being, let's talk about it later." Su Wan said, but she was selling a pass, and her body swayed slightly as she spoke.

  Su Lin also knew she was exhausted and couldn't take it anymore, so she quickly ordered someone to bring over a sedan chair and took her back to rest.

  As soon as Zou walked out of the Yiyuan Hall, she had just entered the garden when she heard Chu Qiying's voice calling her from behind: "Zouyang!"

  "Big brother? Did you call me for something?" Chu Nanyang stopped in his tracks and turned around to wait for him to approach.

  "I have a few words to say to you!" Chu Qi Hui hastily walked over, her face worried, and patted her shoulder before speaking solemnly: "Jianyang, listen to big brother's advice, let this matter rest here, and in the future be more polite to the Su family, just pretend it never happened."

  He couldn't help but rush out and preach to himself.

  Chu Yu Yang smiled wryly, carelessly plucking a strip of paper from the nearby Osmanthus tree and fiddling with it: "Big brother, how could you say such a thing? Am I not being polite enough to them? Just now in the Yi Yuan Hall, didn't you see clearly? They are the ones who refuse to repent, single-mindedly trying to frame me. I haven't pursued the matter further already giving them plenty of leeway. Could it be that big brother still expects me to repay their malice with kindness and go fawn on the Su family again?"

  Just now in that hall, Su Lin's words were veiled and allusive, every sentence was aimed at Chu Jiu Yang, this point everyone understood without needing to be told.

  Chu Qi Hui Yuan thought that as her elder brother, she should at least give some face and let the matter rest, but she never expected Chu Mo Yang to directly tear through this layer of window paper.

  Chu Qi Hui felt embarrassed, her face sank down, and she said: "Who told you to curry favor? I just advised you to be low-key in the future, but you openly made an enemy of the Su family. Have you thought about Father's position? And have you thought about how hard it is for me to be caught in the middle? Don't be so willful and act like a child from now on."

  "Huh?" Chu Nanyang curved the corner of his mouth, looking puzzled. "What do you mean by this, big brother? How did it relate to Father? And how can you be difficult to deal with? In terms of status, we are the rulers, and they, the Su family, no matter how prominent, should still maintain their humility as subjects. Whatever you say, they have no choice but to obey. Why do you need to harbor such concerns, big brother? Isn't it just self-deprecation?"

  Chu Qi Hui was choked for a moment, and after deliberating for a while, she said, "The affairs of the court are extremely complicated and cannot be simply summarized in two words. The various connections involved often affect the entire situation, and it's not something that can be explained clearly in just one or two sentences. In short, remember that your past conflicts with Su Shi and his sister will be put to rest from now on. In the future, I will find an appropriate opportunity for you all to turn hostility into friendship."

  His tone was firm, almost refusing to be refused.

  Chu Youyang's smile in his eyes faded slightly as he asked, "Big brother, are you giving me orders?"

  Chu Qi Hui was taken aback, and only then did she realize that her attitude had been a bit too radical just now.

  Logically speaking, he is the elder brother. If it were aimed at Chu Yuexuan and the others, this attitude and tone would not be anything, but Chu Jiu Yang is different after all. He cannot help but consider Chu Yi An's thoughts.

  "Jiuyang, big brother didn't mean it that way." Softening his tone, Chu Qihui spoke again with a serious expression, "I also didn't let you make enemies with the Su family for long-term considerations. Just now in the Yiyuan Hall, you saw the attitude of the Nanhe Wangfu, they also intend to win over the Su family. If you continue like this, it's destined that you will push them into the camp of the Nanhe Wangfu. Do you know what that means?"

  "So, big brother, your plan now is to win over the Su family to use for yourself?"

  "The Wangfu of Nanhe is watching us with a tiger's gaze, we can only take the initiative to be strong." Chu Qihui said, since the words have been spoken, he also simply didn't hide anymore.

  Chu Zhenyang didn't expect that upon hearing these words, he would burst out laughing and say: "Big brother, you're too naive!"

  Chu Qi Hui was laughed at by her, and his heart felt a little scared. Then he was stimulated by her words, and his face turned slightly red with anger, saying: "Great court affairs, you don't understand, so don't make reckless comments!"

  "But I know, big brother, that you want to rise to power, relying on Father's support and cultivation, rather than secretly cultivating your own forces." Chu Youyang immediately retorted with a sharp tongue, each sentence ringing out with warning.

  Chu Qi Hui didn't expect her to speak out so bluntly, and was shocked in her heart. She hurriedly covered it up by saying: "What nonsense are you talking about? What's this about secretly gathering forces? The King of Changshun is a founding merit subject, the Su family has great power in the south, I don't want you to be at odds with them, and it's also for consolidating our Donggong's power, to help Father share the burden!"

  "Is that so?" Chu Youyang smiled and took two steps to the side, his eyes shining as he looked back at him and asked, "Big brother, are you really thinking for Father's sake, or is it actually for your own sake?"

  "Jiuyang, you're too presumptuous!" Chu Qihui's face turned red with anger and embarrassment.

  "Enough!" Chu Nanyang interrupted him with a calm and collected gesture, "Regardless of whether it's for the Eastern Palace or for your own sake, I still need to remind you - keep a distance from the people of Changshun Wangfu!"

  Chu Qi Hui disliked her harsh tone, and with a flick of her sleeve said, "These matters are not for a young girl like you to discuss. As for what should be done, I have my own ideas!"

  He said and turned around impatiently, wanting to leave.

  "Big brother!" Chu Nanyang stood still on the spot, yet he spoke again to stop him.

  Chu Qi Hui stopped in her tracks and turned around, looking displeased.

  Chu Nanyang stood behind the flowers, smiling at him and said in a calm tone: "As you said yourself, Changshun's power is great, it's precisely because of this, if your behavior of pulling them together reaches the heavens, what do you think the Emperor will think?"

  Chu Qi Hui was stunned, her facial expression froze instantly, and for a moment, she didn't even react.

  "Big brother, you must remember that Father's current status is just a prince, one step away from the throne. There are many things that cannot be said on the same day." Chu Jiu Yang said, looking at him with clear and cold eyes: "From ancient times to the present, no emperor can tolerate anyone coveting the position he holds, not even his own son! The Su family is a powerful minister, holding military power. You should treat them with courtesy, but there must be a bottom line. Once you cross it, it becomes an ulterior motive. Are you telling me to consider Father's current situation? I'm advising you to think thrice before acting, lest one misstep bring disaster to the Eastern Palace!"

  Now Chu Qi Hui's actions would easily make the emperor think that it was Chu Yi An's intention, although the current ruler of the Su family is not Su Lin, but as the heir to the title, his role is also crucial.

  Chu Qi Hui was greatly shocked in her heart, she had not expected it to come to this level, and at this time, being mentioned by Chu Mo Yang, she suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.

  However, he didn't want to back down in front of Chu Yu Yang, so he gritted his teeth and retorted: "The people from the South River King's palace are eyeing us covetously, should we just sit here waiting for death?"

  "They are watching closely, so I advise you to be careful in your actions." Chu Youyang said, his face expressionless as he walked two steps to the side, his eyes serious and solemn.

  Chu Qi Hui looked at her profile and suspiciously blurted out: "What does it mean?"

  "Just now in the hall, why did you intervene and stop Zhu Qiyan from reporting the matter of Su Wei to the Emperor?" Chu Youyang didn't pay attention to him, but instead asked back.

  "But it's just a matter of lifting one's hand, can't be called..." Chu Qi Hui said, but halfway through the sentence, she suddenly realized something and her face turned pale, abruptly stopping mid-sentence.

  His expression was shocked and had a hint of obvious post-fright tension.

  Chu Youyang slowly raised the corners of his lips, revealing a sarcastic smile. He turned his head back to look at him: "How deep is Chu Qiyan's heart? If it was just a simple matter of sending someone off, why didn't he do it himself? Why did he have to give up the opportunity and hand it over to you?"

  Chu Qi Hui's face changed drastically, her lips moved, but she couldn't say a word.

  Chu Sunyang took a step back, stopped in front of him, shook his head and sighed, "What kind of person is the Emperor? Do you think what happened in this palace today can be hidden from him for long?"

  "Since the Su family has acknowledged it, that's their own family affair, and this is just a trivial matter." Chu Qihui said, but her tone was clearly lacking in confidence.

  He knew that the matter here couldn't be hidden from the emperor's eyes, and he thought it was no big deal to send someone from the Su family a favor. Now it seems that this matter is quite significant after all.

  Chu Xiangyang saw him like this, deceiving himself and others, and his heart was filled with disappointment.

  Chu Qi Hui's mediocre qualifications are actually not bad, with his father paving the way for him in front. When the time comes, he can just follow the rules and become a guardian of the status quo. However, it seems that he is not content with being mediocre, having short-sighted ambitions and thinking too highly of himself, he has reported wolf-like wild ambitions.

  And let alone there is a Zhu Yi'an in between, he is just the imperial grandson. Even if Zhu Yi'an were to sit on the throne at this time, he would be digging his own grave by openly winning over the powerful ministers like this.

  If it were Chuyi An on the throne, Chu Jinyang would have been left to his own devices. However, the one currently occupying the throne is a man of suspicious nature who cannot tolerate others, and once Chu Qihui's actions arouse his vigilance, the entire Eastern Palace will suffer the consequences.

  He let out a sigh, and Chu Youyang also decided to stop beating around the bush. He looked straight at Chu Qihui with a serious expression: "The assassin hiding in the woods today, Qi Dajun, was actually hired by Su Linqi to kill me!"

  Chu Qi's blood congealed all over her body, and she looked around frantically, growling: "Are you crazy? What nonsense are you talking about?"

  "Don't you know about this matter, Big Brother?" Chu Jinyang said, but he didn't budge an inch.

  Chu Qi Hui's face turned pale and white, he actually had a vague idea of the inside story, but now he didn't know how to respond.

  Chu Youyang didn't find it difficult, he just said to himself: "He wants to kill me, and I clearly know that this is the doing of his Su family, yet they didn't leave any survivors to testify against him. Big brother, aren't you curious why?"

  "You... did you really hurt Su Wen?" Chu Qi's heart was uneasy, looking at her with a nervous expression, his lips moved for half a day before he barely managed to squeeze out one sentence: "Why?"

  "Because the current situation does not allow it." Chu Jiong Yang said, seeing his puzzled expression, and continued to explain, "The Su family's status is special. If Su Lin's actions are exposed today, he will be guilty of the great crime of slaughtering the imperial clan. How would you want the Emperor to handle this matter? Take away the Su family's military power and strip them of their titles? The Su family is a founding merit subject, if you take away their titles, how would you want the court officials to think of him? Let him bear the reputation of being unrighteous and unkind for demolishing the bridge after crossing it? And if he doesn't pursue the Su family, allowing his own granddaughter to be secretly harmed by a minister without doing anything about it, how can he face the people of the world?"

  This is a hot potato, throwing it to the Emperor, maybe with half of the calculation, the entire Su family can be uprooted. But what about after that? With the Emperor's personality, in order to regain his reputation, he might end up blaming the East Palace for this matter. In the long run, it will be even harder to prevent him from thinking that his father deliberately created this incident using his own hands, with the intention of eliminating the old ministers who follow the Emperor. His mind is clear, and his purpose is self-evident!

  Chu Youyang's speech was not slow, but every word was sonorous and powerful, carrying a strong and steady deterrent force that struck Chu Qihui's face pale.

  "You think I'm using Lord Yanling to cover this up because I'm afraid of the Su family's pursuit? Do you really think I'm intimidated by them?" Chu Jiu Yang said, not waiting for a response before shaking his head and continuing, "Lord Yanling has no backing in the imperial court, he's just a powerless deputy of the Imperial Hospital. If he takes responsibility for this matter, at least on the surface, it won't be related to the Eastern Palace. Even if someone wants to stir up trouble, they won't find an opportunity to do so. To put it bluntly, the Su family is a hot potato - if you openly try to win them over, it's seen as ulterior motives, and if you deliberately clash with them, it's also seen as suspicious. So from now on, let's just avoid them."

  In the end, Chu Nanyang's tone towards Chu Qihui was completely merciless.

  Chu Qi Hui actually agreed with her in his heart, but he couldn't save face, so after thinking for a moment, he still forced himself to argue: "You have all these worries, but others may not necessarily have them. In that case, should we just watch the Su family fall into the camp of the Nanhe Wang clan?"

  "If Nanhe Wangfu has such abilities, then let them be." Chu Jiu Yang snorted coldly, not caring at all.

  "You——" Chu Qi Hui was repeatedly provoked by her, and the fire in his heart was also rising, originally intending to lose his temper, but when he met Chu Mo Yang's clear and cold gaze, he suddenly lost his momentum.

  Anyway, Chu Youyang was right about one thing ——

  He still has to rely on his father's support nowadays. Since his father dotes on this little girl, he should also leave some room for her.

  "Alright!" After struggling in her heart for a while, Chu Qi Hui finally gritted her teeth and said, "This matter will be considered as my own oversight, but your actions are indeed excessive. Even if you didn't want to make Big Brother and Su Shi Zi get along and cause people to suspect, you could have just told me privately. But instead, you made a big show of it and quarreled with the Su siblings, even making enemies. In the future, won't this be a hidden problem for our East Palace?"

  "I'll take responsibility for my own actions." Chu Nanyang said, his tone suddenly turning cold. "If you have the energy to lecture me, big brother, why not go and advise fifth sister instead? She's always getting mixed up with Su Wei, and it's not like you can cover for her every time she causes trouble."

  Chu Qi Hui's heart skipped a beat, and she said in shock: "What do you mean by this? Yan Er is just young and playful—"

  "Don't play with people's lives, it's easy to reap what you sow." Chu Jiu Yang coldly interrupted him, his words icy. "Last time, I let the matter of startling the horse slide, but today, how coincidental that it's her again, deliberately provoking me to go hunting in the forest with Su Wan and those people?"

  Chu Qi Hui took a deep breath, he really didn't expect that Chu Yue Yan was involved in this matter again, and said incredulously, "It should just be a coincidence, even if Yue is not sensible..."

  "I also hope it's just a coincidence, but precisely because she doesn't understand things, it's better not to be taken advantage of again and again." Chu Nanyang said, coldly interrupting his words once more.

  She said, with a deep look at Chu Qi Hui, "Big brother, although we are not born of the same mother, we are both children of our father. The Eastern Palace is one door, and what brings honor to one brings honor to all, and what brings harm to one brings harm to all. I don't want this small matter to cause discord between us, and give those with ulterior motives an opportunity to take advantage!"

  As she spoke, she glanced back in a meaningful way, and it was precisely -

  Chu Qiyan's brother and sister's residence.

  Chu Qi Hui's heart skipped a beat, and even if she felt uncomfortable in her heart, she had to agree: "That's natural, I'll go find Yan'er to talk!"

  "Good!" Chu Nanyang nodded slightly.

  Chu Qi Hui felt uncomfortable all over after this conversation and quickly found an excuse to leave.

  Chu Youyang stood still, gazing at his back, but the expression in his eyes gradually became complex, and a faint chill emerged.

  If possible, she really didn't want to move against Chu Qi Hui and those people, after all they were her father's blood relatives. However, if forced to the point of no return, she had no choice, absolutely cannot repeat the same mistake again.

  Chu Youyang's eyes glazed over slightly, and then he heard the sound of footsteps slowly approaching from behind. The steps were light but steady, and without thinking, he knew who it was.

  Chu Youyang hooked up the corner of his lips and turned back, and indeed he saw Yanling Jun walking out from behind a clump of shrubs not far away.

  "Didn't you leave?" asked Chu Nanyang.

  Yanling Jun didn't respond, but instead followed her previous line of sight to look at the back of Chu Qiying who was hastily leaving, and said: "Do you think he will give up on the Su family?"

  "What do you think?" Chu Jiu Yang glared at him with a bad temper, but his tone was icy and disdainful. "On the surface, he speaks eloquently, but in reality, he is trying to solidify his father's position for himself. To put it bluntly, he is doing this for his own sake. He is hastily gathering forces, actually just to guard against my second brother. This is a case of putting the cart before the horse, completely absurd!"

  Chu Yi'an has not yet taken office, and Chu Qi Hui has already begun to actively operate, making plans for the future seizure of power.

  In the previous life, Chu Qi Feng's legs were disabled, so he had no chance of ascending to the throne from the very beginning. He was relatively honest, at least on the surface, and didn't do anything out of line against his siblings. But it won't be the case this time around, and it's likely that we'll have to watch him make trouble later on.

  "Dragons give birth to nine sons, each with different characteristics. You don't have to feel sorry for the Crown Prince on his behalf." said Yanling Jun, half comforting and half teasing.

  "Same room, same fate, ultimately a tragic human drama." Chu Jinyang gave him a glance.

  Yanling Jun smiled and didn't say anything.

  Two people walked shoulder to shoulder into the depths of the garden, after two steps, Yanling Jun still couldn't help but speak up: "With today's commotion, aren't you worried that Changshun Wangfu will form an alliance with Nanhe Wangfu to deal with the East Palace?"

  "Then it depends on whether Qiyan has the ability to persuade Lingyun to form an alliance with the Changshun royal family."

  There is no great connection between the East Palace and the Su family, and even if they don't get along, it's not necessarily a sworn enemy. However, the South River Wangfu is different. If Su Lin repeatedly helps Chu Lingyun and in the end it's all for nothing, then the two families will definitely become enemies.

  This is also the reason why she would unscrupulously turn against Su Lin and her siblings.

  "After all, there's always a slim chance that the South River King's son has a deep mind and isn't an easy person to deal with," said Prince Yanling.

  "I have a plan in mind." Chu Xiangyang nodded, seeing that the sky was already dark, and reminded him, "The dinner party ahead should also be starting soon, if you need to attend, go ahead first."

  "No hurry, it's just a few steps away. Let me send you back first." Yanling Jun said, still walking forward with a leisurely pace.

  Zhu Youyang doesn't care about it either. Now that Yanling Jun has already been assigned to her camp, there's no need to avoid suspicion.

  Back at the courtyard where Zhuo Nanyang lived, the sky had already turned completely dark.

  Yanling Jun stopped in front of the gate, where two large red lanterns on the porch had already been lit. Under the warm glow, the faces of the two people were even more radiant.

  All along the way, I didn't feel anything, but now Chu Mo Yang suddenly felt a little uneasy, and he pulled the corner of his mouth to say: "We're here!"

  "Hmm!" Yanling Jun responded faintly, but didn't think her words were necessary. He just stood under the lamp shadow, quietly gazing at her, waiting for her to turn around first.

  Chu Nanyang felt even more constrained when he was stared at by him, and forced a smile, saying "Then I'll go in first!"

  Marquis Yanling nodded and did not retain him.

  Chu Xiangyang hesitated for a moment, turned around and walked into the courtyard. As she walked, she couldn't shake off the feeling that the person's gaze was like a physical blow hitting her back, making her feel constrained and helpless for the first time, every string in her body tightening silently.

  When she walked to the middle of the courtyard, she couldn't help but turn her head again and thought for a moment: "Tomorrow I want to go over and take a look at Little King Uncle, I don't know if it's convenient there?"

  Because the distance between them was a bit far, Chu Youyang deliberately raised his tone, and his voice was crisp and clear, sprinkling in the vast night sky, making it even more pleasant to hear.

  Across the door, Yanling Jun looked at her standing in the moonlight, although the facial features were somewhat blurred by the night color, but the figure was extremely vivid and dynamic, as if even the eyebrows and eyes were imprinted on his heart, clearly presented.

  Yanling Jun's lips curled up unknowingly, and his voice was filled with an unmistakable smile as he said, "Then I'll wait for you to come over tomorrow."

  "Good!" Chu Nanyang responded and then turned around and went back into the house.

  Yanling Jun didn't hurry to leave, and stood outside the courtyard for a while. When the lights in the house were lit up, he glanced at her shadow on the windowsill before turning around calmly and leaving.

  The protagonists of this banquet were naturally Tuoba Huai and his sister, and everyone at the banquet was very tactful and didn't mention a word about what happened during the day. The cups and chopsticks crossed each other in the hall, the wine fragrance overflowed, and there was a scene of singing and dancing, peaceful and harmonious atmosphere.

  Yanling Jun handled such situations with ease, as if he were born to be in the midst of it all. Not a hint of awkwardness or reserve was evident, nor did the oppressive atmosphere of the daytime gatherings faze him; instead, he effortlessly blended in with the princes and nobles.

  Because the people who came to the temporary palace this time were all young, they were less restrained, and the banquet was more lively than the one in the palace. After three rounds of wine, someone took advantage of the excitement to play a game of fist-painting and poetry recitation, making a big noise.

  Yanling Jun held a jade cup in his hand, sitting on the side with a smile, pouring himself a drink. Suddenly, he heard a voice behind him: "Yanling Lord seems to be in high spirits today, would you condescend to have a drink with me?"

  The arrival of people is naturally Taoba Huian without a doubt.

  Before he had even finished speaking, he had already sat down with a familiar air, swirling the wine cup in his hand at Lord Yanling.

  Aged flower carved ancient wine, in the cup a layer of ripples, fragrance hits the nose, faintly smelling can make people drunk.

  Yanling Jun's eyes still held a hint of amusement as he raised his cup in a toast: "The honor is mine!"

  Two jade cups collided, and suddenly without warning, Tuoba Huai'an abruptly applied internal force to his hand, overpowering the other.

  Yanling Jun's eyes moved slightly, and he also raised his energy to counterattack.

  The wine in the cup was stirred up by two internal forces and was about to spill out.

  Tuoba Huai'an was intentionally probing Yanling Jun's true intentions, but didn't expect to be too obvious in the midst of a large crowd. He hastily withdrew his hand, but it was already too late. The wine spilled from the cup and wetted a large corner of his clothes.

  Tuoba Huai'an didn't even bother to wipe it away, his face subtly changing color as he said in a deep voice: "What exactly are you?"

  Yanling Jun gazed at the wine water swaying in his cup, with a bright light in his eyes, and smiled slowly: "Your Highness, the Fifth Prince, you actually want to ask, your secret, how many people know about it now?"

  At that time, the hall was noisy and chaotic, with two people talking while holding cups, their voices not loud, but rather, no one else noticed anything unusual.

  Tuoba Huai'an's gaze suddenly turned into a cold storm, and he said in a cold voice: "Did you tell her?"

  Digression

  I originally wanted to write more, but I found that my brain wasn't working properly, so I'll just stop here for now.

  Then recommend a novel "The Golden Concubine of the Evil King" by Old Tiger Doesn't Eat Fish

  My little tiger at home is strongly recommended on the homepage, babies are asking for help, quickly surround and help collect one, Jianghu rescue emergency ~ The author is a very cute and silly soft girl, can be easily knocked down ~