CHAPTER 543: CHAPTER 543: BEWILDERED

Su Jin had this intention.

Lady Chi was brought to the Daqi by the Nanliang envoy.

Being able to become an envoy and even able to place someone with the Prince, her identity must be exceptional.

Perhaps Lady Chi might truly know the person in the painting.

Even if she doesn’t, asking wouldn’t take much effort.

It’s just that Xie Jingchen couldn’t conveniently visit Qingqiu Garden, so Su Jin and Xingxing went.

It was evening, and the weather was no longer so hot.

Inside Qingqiu Garden.

Lu Qiao was watering the flowers.

Caiju was cooking swallow’s nest on the veranda.

Seeing Su Jin and Xingxing walk in, Caiju happily shouted towards the inner room, "Madam, the Heir’s wife has arrived."

Xique soon came out to greet them.

Inside the room, Lady Chi leaned against a large pillow, looking much healthier.

Su Jin stepped forward, and Lady Chi attempted to get out of bed, but Su Jin said, "You just lie there comfortably."

Lady Chi didn’t move.

Su Jin sat by the bedside and took Lady Chi’s pulse.

After retracting her hand, Su Jin smiled and said, "The pulse has stabilized after taking the medicine. You only need to take the fetus-preserving medicine for three days."

"Keep the rest safely. Take one if you feel unwell."

Lady Chi nodded slightly.

In the morning, Princess Nanzhang had ordered the maid to call for a doctor to take Lady Chi’s pulse, which Su Jin knew.

The fact that Lady Chi’s pregnancy hadn’t been revealed truly surprised Su Jin.

"Where’s the medicine prescribed by the doctor?" Su Jin asked.

She was worried the doctor might not have mentioned it on purpose and could have tampered with the medicine.

Xique showed the medicine to Su Jin. Although the prescription was ordinary, it wasn’t harmful.

This was perplexing.

Xique quickly explained how they had tricked the doctor in the morning, and Su Jin understood what had happened.

It was a needless worry.

The prescription was based on Caiju’s pulse signs; Lady Chi wouldn’t take it regardless of any issues.

However, since Su Jin said the medicine was okay, Caiju thought it over and decided to decoct and take it after the Heir’s wife left.

Although she didn’t feel any discomfort, after all, the medicine was prescribed by a doctor and paid for, so she treated it as a tonic.

Su Jin looked at Xique and the others, "Please step out. I have a few words to say to your Madam privately."

Xique was startled, then quickly bowed and retreated.

Lady Chi looked at Su Jin, probably not understanding why Su Jin wanted to avoid Xique and the others.

After all, few in Prince Zhenbei Mansion knew Su Jin had medical skills, and Xique and the others all knew.

If it was trust, why ask them to leave?

Xingxing stood beside Su Jin.

Su Jin glanced at her.

Xingxing took the painting from the brocade box and slowly unfolded it.

Seeing the painting, Lady Chi’s heart trembled.

Su Jin watched her unblinkingly, not missing the surprise in Lady Chi’s eyes.

Clearly—

She recognized the person in the painting.

Lady Chi composed herself and moved her gaze from the painting to Su Jin’s face.

Su Jin said, "Could you tell me who the person in the painting is?"

Lady Chi shook her head.

Xingxing was anxious, "Can’t you say?"

Lady Chi still shook her head.

Xingxing handed the painting to Su Jin and then went to fetch brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.

Lady Chi wrote on the paper: I don’t know.

"You’re lying."

"You clearly know!" Xingxing said impatiently.

For an honest yet gossip-loving maid.

Keeping secrets is like teasing her with a feather, it’s bothersome for her.

Lady Chi lowered her eyes.

There was no embarrassment on her face from Xingxing exposing her lie, just an indescribable loneliness.

Su Jin stared at her and said, "This painting was found in the Prince’s study, drawn by my husband from memory."

"The woman in the painting is no longer in this world, but my husband wants to know who his birth mother truly was."

"He originally planned to go to Nanliang to inquire personally. I thought since Lady Chi is from Nanliang, you might recognize the person in the painting, saving him a trip."

"Is Lady Chi truly unwilling to speak?" Su Jin looked into Lady Chi’s eyes.

Lady Chi’s gaze flickered, not daring to meet hers.

Su Jin looked disappointed.

She began to roll up the painting, and Lady Chi reached out to stop her.

Su Jin looked at her.

Lady Chi changed the paper.

She dipped the brush in ink, but hesitated to make a mark.

A drop of ink fell from the brush, spreading on the paper.

She clenched the pen tightly and wrote a few words:

She is the daughter of Prince Donglin of Nanliang, Princess Hengyang.

When writing the words "Prince Donglin," Lady Chi’s hands trembled.

Tears glistened in her eyes.

These words seemed to have exhausted her strength.

It seemed as if she saw that scene again—

A useless daughter.

Held hostage, standing on the city tower, watching helplessly as her parents and brothers were slandered and beheaded.

Blood splattered three feet.

Su Jin hadn’t even sorted out which Princes existed in the Daqi Dynasty, let alone the Princes of Nanliang.

Xingxing, not thinking much, said happily, "Who would’ve thought the young master’s mother was of such noble lineage, also a Commandery Princess."

Lady Chi looked at Su Jin and shook her head repeatedly.

Su Jin had no idea what her shaking head meant.

Lady Chi hurriedly wrote: Don’t tell Chenchen.

Su Jin’s eyes fell on "Chenchen."

Lady Chi actually called Xie Jingchen so intimately?

For a concubine, this was already overstepping.

"Why?" Su Jin asked.

Lady Chi was silent for a while.

Xingxing dared not rush her.

Lady Chi’s pen and ink soaked through the paper.

The reason was clear on the paper.

Xingxing’s little face turned pale.

Execution of nine generations.

There wasn’t anything heavier than these three words.

The young master’s entire maternal family was exterminated by the Emperor of Nanliang.

Su Jin’s heart sank.

No wonder the Prince refused to tell Xie Jingchen about his heritage.

Such a lineage was too heavy; not knowing was better than knowing.

It was the Emperor of Nanliang who eradicated the Donglin Prince Mansion.

If Xie Jingchen went to Nanliang to inquire about Princess Hengyang and was labeled as a remnant of the Donglin Prince, the danger would be unpredictable in enemy territory.

Xingxing looked at Lady Chi and asked, "Did Princess Hengyang give birth to two sons?"

Lady Chi looked at Xingxing, confusion in her eyes.

She wrote on the paper: Why do you ask?

Su Jin’s brows furrowed slightly.

Because Lady Chi’s hand no longer trembled.

Lady Chi looked at Su Jin, and Su Jin said truthfully, "Young Master Zhao, son of Prime Minister Zhao of Nanliang, carries a painting to our Daqi, searching for his mother. Prime Minister Zhao told him that his birth mother is still alive, located in the Capital City."

"The person he’s searching for in his painting is the same as in this one."

Su Jin had hoped Lady Chi would clarify things for her, but after she finished speaking, Lady Chi was even more at a loss.

Unable to get further answers, Su Jin prepared to take her leave.

But as she was leaving, Lady Chi clutched her hand, begging her not to tell Xie Jingchen.

Su Jin did not promise her.

"Even if I don’t say anything, my husband will find out. Instead of letting him take risks, why not tell him the truth?" Su Jin said.

Lady Chi remained silent.

She no longer obstructed, but instead asked another question: To whom does the jade pendant left in Qingqiu Garden belong?

Su Jin, "...."

Su Jin did not speak, and Lady Chi looked at Xingxing.

Xingxing shook her head repeatedly.

Don’t ask her.

She didn’t know how to answer.

Lady Chi hurriedly asked Su Jin for the jade pendant, thinking it hadn’t been found yet.

Su Jin, "...."

This was awkward.

The jade pendant had been given to Prince by Prince Zhenbei.