Being favored by the paranoid master, the whole imperial capital kneels down

Cao lost no time in showing off her son's abilities in front of the Marquis of Chu.

Lord Chu was feeling annoyed and thought what Cao said made sense.

He was filled with anger.

"Mrs. Zhou is really not worthy of being mentioned in public. If Chu Zheng had come back, she would have treated her better. Now we don't even need to ask for what we want."

The power of Yama is too great, and the current emperor is only concerned with cultivating immortality and refining elixirs and does not care about state affairs.

By currying favor with Yan Luosi, the Chu family will immediately rise to prominence and return to the center of power.

But Zhou is short-sighted and has caused such trouble now.

Cao laughed secretly, but also agreed.

"That's right. They say even a tiger won't eat its own cubs. My sister has left her own daughter in disregard. Her heart is truly too cruel."

After leaving the front hall, Cao found Chu Xinli, who was leisurely feeding fish by the pond in the backyard.

"Chu Shiqing was dismissed from his post. Did you know about this?"

Looking at her son's unhurried demeanor, she realized that Chu Xinli had already expected Chu Shiqing to be dismissed from his official position.

Chu Xinli smiled and scattered the fish food in his hand into the pond.

"It was just a meal with a few friends, and I accidentally told others that my brother's hand was broken and he could no longer write."

"How did the news reach Big Brother's superiors?"

He had an innocent look on his face, looking like a poor kid with a rich appearance but no substance.

Cao stepped forward, stretched out her finger painted with bright red nail polish, and poked her son's forehead.

"Do you think my mother doesn't understand you?"

"For so many years, you have been suppressed and beaten by Chu Shiqing. You are obviously your father's most beloved son, but you can only watch Chu Shiqing take the position of the prince."

"Mother knows you are not convinced."

"Since you have a good relationship with Nan Chuzheng, why don't you let Nan Chuzheng do something for you so that you can take the position of Crown Prince sooner."

The position of the crown prince is an eternal knot in the hearts of Cao and Chu Xinli.

It is obvious that Cao is the woman that Marquis Chu loves the most.

Chu Xinli is the Marquis's most beloved son.

Chu Xinli and Chu Shiqing are only one day apart in age, so Chu Shiqing is the eldest son.

From then on, no matter how hard Chu Xinli tried, the people of the Chu family would love her.

Chu Xinli couldn't surpass Chu Shiqing.

"I'll go right away."

As if he had seen his own future, Chu Xinli went to the Nanzhai next door with great satisfaction.

Nan Chuzheng didn't let Chu Xinli go through the main gate.

She instructed Nanda to ask Chu Xinli to wait in the secluded alley in the backyard of Nan's house.

An hour later, Chu Xinli saw Nan Chuzheng with a lazy look on her face.

Chu Xinli's expression was quite dissatisfied.

"You said you wanted to form an alliance with me, but this is how you treat your allies?"

Chu Xinli, who had always been a concubine's son, had never had the opportunity to attend formal banquets hosted by wealthy families.

There is no chance to walk through someone else's front door with dignity.

Even when the Chu family offered sacrifices to their ancestors during festivals, Chu Xinli, a concubine's son, was not allowed to enter through the main gate of the ancestral hall and could only enter through the side door.

Today he came to see Nan Chuzheng, but Nan Chuzheng wouldn't let him go through the main gate, and she didn't even let Chu Xinli enter the Nan residence.

This made Chu Xinli feel very annoyed.

Nan Chuzheng said casually,

"Chu Shiqing has just been dismissed from his post. It's a bit too high-profile for you to go through the main gate of my house."

"You accidentally made Lord Chu suspicious and realized it was you who was behind this. You leaked the news that Chu Shiqing could no longer hold a pen. Your position as Crown Prince will be ruined again."

Before Chu Xinli could say anything, Nan Chuzheng raised her hand and said:

"I still care about you very much. Don't worry, the imperial edict appointing you as the prince of Zhaoyong Marquis Mansion will reach the Chu family soon."

Hearing this, Chu Shiqing no longer remembered the argument with Nan Chuzheng about whether to go through the main entrance or not.

Nan Chuzheng's words kept echoing in his mind.

It's unbelievable.

Chu Xinli and his mother have been fawning, currying favor, and trying to please the Chu family for nearly twenty years.

Just for the position of the crown prince of Zhaoyong Marquis Mansion.

Unexpectedly, Nan Chuzheng told him to go back and wait with just a few words, saying that the position of the crown prince would soon fall on Chu Xinli's head.

Why does Chu Xinli feel so light and unreal?

Seeing Nan Chuzheng turn around and leave.

Chu Xinli hurriedly called Nan Chuzheng,

"Wait, Dad asked you to go back and live."

"You've found your biological parents now, so it's inappropriate for you to still be living in the Nan residence. Although the Nan family raised you, you're now someone else's family."

"When you return, you will change your surname to Chu Zheng."

"Your name will also be recorded under my mother's name. From now on, we will be known to the outside world as siblings born of the same mother."

Nan Chuzheng turned around, with a hint of obvious sarcasm in her eyes.

"Then wouldn't I become a concubine like you?"

She should have been a legitimate daughter.

The Chu family wanted to keep Chu Jingyue's status as the Crown Prince's wife, but at the same time, they were unwilling to miss out on the benefits of currying favor with Yama Luosi.

So after much deliberation, he decided to sacrifice Nan Chuzheng, turning a legitimate daughter into a child raised by a virgin.

Chu Xinli frowned.

"If I become the crown prince, your status and position will also be improved. By then, you will at least be on par with Jingyue in the Chu family."

"Do I want to be on the same level as her?"

The irony in Nan Chuzheng's eyes was even stronger.

"To be on the same level as her is really lowering my status."

What Nan Chuzheng got from the Nan family was money, status, and even the respect and attention from the Nan family.

It was much more than what she got in the Chu family.

As the eldest daughter of the Nan family, Nan Chuzheng's food, clothing and other expenses in the Nan family's old house were all in accordance with the regulations of the eldest princess of the Dasheng Dynasty.

Therefore, putting Nan Chuzheng on the same level as Chu Jingyue is not to flatter Nan Chuzheng.

Instead, he pulled Nan Chuzheng down.

Seeing that Chu Xinli wanted to say more, Nan Chuzheng warned him impatiently.

"Now that Chu Xinli has obtained the position of Crown Prince, he should stop being greedy and wanting more."

"Otherwise, I can give you the throne of the Crown Prince today, but I can also take it back at any time."

Chu Xinli was holding his breath, but he had seen how powerful Nan Chuzheng was, and he also understood how omnipotent Yan Luosi was.

In the end, he didn't say anything to persuade Nan Chuzheng to go back.

Nan Chuzheng walked away quickly.

Directly entered the backyard of the South House.

Chu Xinli wanted to follow, but was stopped by a servant of the Nan family who was guarding outside the small door in the backyard.

"No one can enter without the eldest lady's order."

Chu Xinli's lips moved, and he became more and more curious about this heavily guarded southern residence.

Just outside the alley where Chu Xinli was, in a dark teahouse.

Someone whispered to the person behind the screen,

"The decree to appoint Chu Xinli as the Crown Prince was made by the Yama Division."

"Also, although Miss Chu Zheng promised Chu Xinli to reattach Chu Shiqing's severed hand, she did not return to the Chu family."

In the tea room, a pot of tea was brewing on a small clay stove on the dining table.

The man sitting at the desk pinched his eyebrows.

"Zheng'er is soft-hearted after all, so she should go back and reconnect her brother's hand."

"With Chu Zheng's ability, her brother's hand will be restored to its original state soon."

"But why doesn't she go back to the Chu family?"

"Chu Zheng has always wanted to gain the Chu family's recognition. This is a good opportunity for her to return to the Chu family and show herself."

After a while, the man behind the screen asked again,

"Is there any news from the Ministry of Internal Affairs?"

The whispered reply from those kneeling outside,

"Ms. Chu Zheng's name is not on the list of candidates for the Crown Princess."

The only sound in the quiet tea room was the sound of boiling tea.

After a long time, the man behind the screen whispered,

"It doesn't matter. I never had that in my previous life."