"You want me to seduce the Crown Prince? Why are you crying now that I've entered the pala

Chapter 18 Mother is Obedient

Perhaps the blow was too great, because that night Aunt Xu developed a fever and had nightmares.

The scenes in my dream were bizarre and fantastical, almost entirely about my daughter.

The young girl, only a few years old, tremblingly carried a basin larger than herself to wash her feet;

There were also times when she was bullied by the other concubines, she would bend down and blow on their wounds, giving them a silly smile: "Mother, it doesn't hurt, Sangsang will blow on it for you~"

When she was sick with a fever, her little face would turn red as she tugged at her sleeve, begging her not to leave, pitifully calling out, "Mommy, don't go, Sangsang is scared..."

Finally, last night, the girl cruelly and calmly said to her, "If my mother can do it, why can't I?"

No,
Her Sangsang isn't like that.
She wouldn't talk to her like that...

"Sang Sang, Sang Sang, Sang Sang—"

Aunt Xu suddenly opened her eyes and realized that it was already broad daylight. Her bedside was empty; the familiar, petite figure was not there, waiting for her to wake up with red eyes, as always.

“Sangsang, daughter…”

Aunt Xu felt a little flustered and reached out to pull off the quilt to get out of bed, but as soon as she moved, excruciating pain shot from her knees into her bones.

She was in so much pain that she broke out in a cold sweat, and then she realized that her injury... Sangsang hadn't been bandaged.

"Someone come here..."

She called out twice with difficulty, and the previously closed door was suddenly pushed open from the outside.

A girl dressed in plain clothes stood at the door, smiling at her: "Mother, you're awake?"

Aunt Xu shuddered; her body, which had been burning hot, instantly turned cold upon seeing Qin Su.
-
Chu Jiang opened his eyes immediately when he smelled the aroma of food coming from next door.

My stomach, which had been fine before, started hurting again.

But looking at the delicious-looking food on the table in front of him, he still had no appetite.

For a moment, he even regretted why he had thrown away the chicken soup yesterday.

Even if it's just to taste it, it's not impossible...

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and suddenly he exploded: "Guards!"

The shadow flickered.

Again!
He put on a mask of pain, not quite understanding what was wrong.

When the Seventh Prince first appeared, he hated interacting with people the most, and he would call out to them two or three times a month if he did.

He's been summoned so many times in the last few days that it's almost equaled the number of times he's been summoned in the past year.

"Your Highness, what are your orders?"

Liu Ying stood in the hall, bowing her head respectfully.

Chu Jiang: "Go and kill the cook."

what?
Liu Ying finally couldn't help but raise her head, but after meeting the man's terrifying and sinister expression, she shrank back down like a turtle.

His gaze swept over the food scraps scattered on the floor, and his lips twitched. "I'll go find someone to clean this up right away!"

After saying that, he turned and left, feeling an indescribable sense of surprise.

In the past, His Highness didn't eat; at most, he just starved himself.

They didn't order the cook to be killed!
Has he really gone mad this time?
Inside the room, Chu Jiang thoroughly tormented the guards, but he himself was not happy at all.

He looked up at the direction next door, his eyes glowing green, as if he wanted to devour someone.

He secretly vowed to himself that if that woman dared to come near him again today, he would kill her!
Qin Su, of course, did not go again.

She had already set the bait; now all she had to do was wait.

She prepared the meal and "thoughtfully" brought it into Aunt Xu's room:
"Mommy, are you hungry? Get up and eat."

Aunt Xu cowered on the bed, a pair of eyes similar to hers looking at her with fear.

She wanted to run, but her body wouldn't allow it.

Qin Su, however, seemed oblivious, continuing to speak and act as always.

She placed the food in a bowl, brought it to Aunt Xu, and fed her herself.

Aunt Xu wanted to refuse, but seeing the girl's smiling face reminded her of the fear of almost suffocating last night.

She dared not gamble. If she refused again, would this woman really strangle her?

She shrank back, too afraid to accept the food.

Qin Su: "Mom, don't you have the strength to feed yourself? It's okay, I'll feed you."

Her voice was gentle and caring, almost indistinguishable from the Sangsang of the past.

But Aunt Xu dared not let her feed her, and almost instinctively snatched the chopsticks away: "I, I'll do it myself, I'll do it myself."

She practically shoved the food into her mouth without chewing or looking Qin Su in the eye.

Then, she stopped...

Aunt Xu's mouth moved, but her eyes seemed empty.

She chewed again, then mechanically looked at Qin Su, her eyes filled with surprise and confusion that she could hardly contain.

"What's wrong?" Qin Su asked, tilting her head.

Aunt Xu: "This dish..."

“I made it. I remember Mother liked it the most. Is there a problem?” Qin Su asked.

Of course there is a problem!
This dish tastes exactly like the one Sangsang makes!
How can it be,

how come?
She's clearly not Sangsang...

But the taste of food doesn't lie, so could it be that I made a mistake?
Aunt Xu fell into self-doubt.

No one spoke in the room; it fell silent.

Just then, Qin Su suddenly spoke:
"Aunt Qiu just sent someone to look for you again."

Aunt Xu's hand trembled, and she almost dropped the bowl in her hand; her knees started to hurt again.

Qin Su: "I sent her away for my mother."

She couldn't help but look up at Qin Su.

Qin Su: "I still stand by what I said: in this world, my mother and I are the closest people to you. With me here, no one will bully you."

For some reason, Aunt Xu felt very moved.

Qin Su smiled slightly: "Mother, eat quickly, the food won't taste good if it gets cold."

Aunt Xu lowered her head and ate quietly.

But the next moment, they heard the girl say in a familiar voice:
“If it weren’t for my mother, I wouldn’t have had such a miserable life growing up. I was called a lowly child born of a lowly servant, unable to study and learn to read like my other sisters, and I had no maids to serve me…”

Aunt Xu's hand holding the bowl froze; she couldn't eat anymore.

She was a little angry, but dared not show it.

"But I don't blame my mother. My maternal grandparents' family was poor, and my mother just wanted to live a good life. What's wrong with you trying to climb up the social ladder?"

Aunt Xu felt a lump in her throat and, for some reason, felt like crying.

But she didn't want Qin Su to see her, so she could only shovel rice into her mouth to suppress her tears.

Qin Su saw this and said calmly, "But now, in order to protect Mother, I have completely offended Aunt Qiu. I am not afraid of her bullying me, but I am worried about you, Mother. Once she recovers, she will probably come back to find you."

Aunt Xu was stunned for a moment, then finally raised her head, her eyes filled with both fear and anger.

No matter how fiercely she was scolded, she knew she couldn't compare to the favored Aunt Qiu.

If she really wanted to kill her, she wouldn't be able to resist.

But this time, for some reason, she didn't dare to blame her daughter for not being her son, just like she always did.

"Then, what should we do?"

Qin Su: "It's very simple."

Aunt Xu: "?"

Qin Su: "Let's strike first, Mother, let's get an illness that costs ten taels of silver."

Aunt Xu: "???"

(End of this chapter)