Chapter 143: This King Will Help You You Pull the Tooth First

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

After finishing his conversation with Su Yingxue, Chu Jinling hastily returned to his seat and began organizing the materials she had provided.

He had a cheerful smile on his face. With all this material, he could easily write another two volumes!

He was so engrossed in his sorting that he didn’t even notice someone shouting about the arrival of the Ninth Prince.

When he finally snapped out of it, the others had already paid their respects to Chu Yihan.

Chu Yihan’s behavior over the years had been consistent. He would nod to Chu Mingyuan and then, under his disapproving gaze, calmly take his seat.

Apart from Chu Mingyuan, Chu Yihan commanded the utmost respect. This fact even left the empress no choice but to acknowledge it.

Considering the hierarchy of their seats, the empress’s position was lower than that of Chu Yihan.

Just as Chu Jinling was about to jubilantly approach Chu Yihan to showcase his saved manuscript and outline, he suddenly felt Su Yingxue’s gaze upon him.

She lifted her cup in a toast from a distance.

Did she have something important to discuss with him?

Was she regretting their collaboration?

Chu Jinling promptly concealed the manuscript securely within his robe and walked over to Su Yingxue. He crouched down and inquired, “Auntie, is there something you need?”

With his imperial uncle present, shouldn’t Su Yingxue’s attention be on him?

Su Yingxue gave him an exasperated look. “If you call me ‘Auntie’ again, I won’t cooperate!”

Chu Jinling swiftly corrected himself. “Aunt Su, what’s the matter?”

Su Yingxue facepalmed and decided to ask the question first before giving Chu Jinling a beating.

She raised her cup, obscuring their view from others, and asked, “Who was responsible for organizing today’s banquet at the Upper Forest Court?”

Chu Jinling pondered for a moment. “It should have been arranged by the Ministry of Rites. They handle the ceremonial events and feasts within the palace.”

“The Ministry of Rites?” Su Yingxue furrowed her brows. She was unfamiliar with the officials of the Ministry of Rites, and she had no connections with their families. But then, why did her tea carry the fragrance of ylang-ylang?

Ylang-ylang flowers were precious spices and could be used to produce fragrant oils. They had excellent medicinal properties, promoting relaxation and an overall sense of well-being. The entire Upper Forest Court was filled with its aroma today. It would be hard to detect unless one paid close attention.

“Aunt Su, is there something specific you’d like to know?” Chu Jinling, like a curious student, behaved obediently by her side.

To onlookers, his demeanor only intensified their mockery.

Chu Xiuwen had never held a high opinion of Chu Jinling, and he retorted icily, “Ninth Brother has truly disgraced us. As a dignified prince, he’s indulging himself in the company of women, seemingly indifferent to his reputation. If this were to become known to other nations, they might ridicule our Great Cheng Dynasty’s princes to no end.”

“You find it amusing?” Chu Yihan’s voice suddenly cut through the air.

The weight of an iceberg seemed to press down upon Chu Xiuwen.

Chu Xiuwen let out a disdainful snort. A significant portion of his resentment toward Chu Jinling stemmed from Chu Yihan.

Given that both were ‘nine’ in their rankings, Chu Jinling had become Chu Yihan’s shadow.

Chu Yihan’s relationship with his father was strained. He disregarded all the princes except for Chu Jinling. Despite Chu Jinling’s lack of prowess in both literature and martial arts, a few words of praise from Chu Yihan each year garnered him a salary and rewards far surpassing those of his Imperial Brother.

Chu Xiuwen had even heard that Chu Yihan was planning to petition for a title on Chu Jinling’s behalf.

With both Chu Mingyuan and the empress present today, Chu Xiuwen’s audacity grew. “Indeed, 1 find it amusing. Imperial Uncle, what course of action do you intend to take?”

Chu Yihan raised an eyebrow, a trace of mischief dancing at the corner of his eyes. “Then I shall help you extract that tooth first, and we’ll let the civil officials decide whether their laughter is warranted..”

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