3278 Qiaomu's Suspicions

"And if that's not enough, there's more to come!"

Master Chen's brow twitched violently.

The Crown Prince's words made it sound like these two beauties were just oranges and pears from the market...

That very night, Old Prince Jianping angrily sent an invitation to the Eastern Palace, intending to find the two rascals and confront them.

The news he received back was: "Apologies, Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince has gone back to his wife's family with the Crown Princess!"

Old Prince Jianping slapped the orange tree in front of his gate into smithereens!

How could that couple be so infuriating?!

And this Crown Prince, wasn't he a bit too shameless?

The Crown Princess went back to her family, why would you cling to her and go along?!

Caixiu and Caiqi, leading a group of young palace maids and eunuchs from the Eastern Palace, tidied up Yulan Garden thoroughly, inside and out, then led everyone away.

Qiaomu had Chen Shang come over.

Now, Chen Shang had shed that melancholic air about her, gaining a hint of sunlit vibrancy.

Her half-darkened face no longer appeared as gloomy as before.

"Sit," Qiaomu gestured to the spot beside her, inviting Chen Shang to sit.

Chen Shang bowed, cupped her hands, and then said, "Thank you, Young Mistress."

Qiaomu looked at her and asked, "Are you getting used to it?"

Chen Shang smiled and said, "Don't worry, Young Mistress, Chen Shang is doing very well. In my free time every day, I plant flowers, drink tea, and if I have an epiphany, I enter seclusion to cultivate. It's much better than living alone as I used to."

The young Crown Princess nodded. "That's good then."

"Chen Shang, I want to ask you something."

"Please speak, Young Mistress."

"Are you familiar with Mu Qingya?"

Chen Shang paused slightly, then smiled and said, "We usually don't interact much, but occasionally we do have contact. However, ever since your mother left the Mu family and I went to Zhufeng Garden, we haven't had any contact."

Qiaomu nodded. "I remember Granny mentioning it before. She said Mother and Mu Qingya had a pretty good relationship?"

"Yes," Chen Shang nodded. "Your mother even praised Mu Qingya, saying that although she had no cultivation and seemed fragile and dependent, in reality, she had a resilient character and was a very strong-willed woman."

"All these years, it truly hasn't been easy for Qingya to manage such a large Mu family."

Qiaomu nodded slightly. "Can you tell me more about her specifically?"

Chen Shang smiled upon hearing this. "Whatever Young Mistress wishes to know, Chen Shang will certainly tell you everything without holding anything back."

"Logically, she should resent my mother, right? After all, according to what most people would think, it should have been my mother's arrival that broke up her and Mu Jingfeng, wasn't it?"

"But she actually managed to befriend my mother as if nothing happened?"

Chen Shang quickly advised, "This woman, Mu Qingya, is a bit different from other women. You see, even your mother praised her for her strong will. Ever since your mother married in, Mu Qingya completely broke off ties with your father. Everyone in the Mu family saw this with their own eyes."

"Your father, however, was not a good person, thinking of playing both sides, having both a wife and a concubine." Chen Shang scoffed with disdain as she spoke, sighing deeply. "If it weren't for the three-hundred-year marriage pact between the Mu family and the Long family, how could your mother have married into the Mu family?"

"What do you mean?" Qiaomu blinked.

"The Mu family's ancestor, Chaoyang, once saved the Long family's ancestor's life, and the two families then formed a three-hundred-year marriage alliance," Chen Shang said with a bitter smile.