Dugu Jingyao is reborn as Li Chu's beloved

Chapter 389: Fixing the Family Tradition

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, the sun was setting. Li Chu finished his government affairs and was about to stretch and relax, but he saw Dugu Jingyao reading a medical book with great interest.

Li Chu wanted to scare her intentionally, so he made no noise. Suddenly, he let out a "wow" and really scared Dugu Jingyao.

Dugu Jingyao rolled her eyes at him, patted her chest and said, "Li Chu, are you going to murder your own wife?"

Li Chu smiled and said, "How could I bear to do that?"

Dugu Jingyao said, "Don't you know that scaring others can kill them?"

Li Chu then touched his nose awkwardly and apologized: "It's all my fault. I saw you were so engrossed in watching me that I wanted to tease you..."

Dugu Jingyao pretended to ignore him, and Li Chu leaned forward and said, "Okay, okay, don't be angry, Yao."

Dugu Jingyao couldn't stand his seemingly coquettish tone, so she said, "My dear prince, how dare I be angry with you?" Then she got up and was about to leave.

Li Chu saw that Dugu Jingyao hadn't completely forgiven him, so he pulled Dugu Jingyao's hand and said, "Ayao, don't be angry. How about this, you can pick any book I have here, or if you have anything you want, tell me and I'll find it for you?"

Dugu Jingyao saw that Li Chu was still somewhat sincere, so she said, "Alright, alright. Since you are so sincere, I will reluctantly forgive you. It's getting late, you should pack up and get ready to go find Cui Caiping for dinner."

When Li Chu heard what Dugu Jingyao said, he felt a little overwhelmed. He even suspected that Dugu Jingyao brought up this matter on purpose to make him angry.

But before he could think about it, Dugu Jingyao had already walked to the door of the study. She turned around and saw Li Chu standing there in a daze, and said with a smile: "Donglang, what are you thinking about? Let's go..." Only then did Li Chu go to the door with a bitter face.

Dugu Jingyao reached out for Li Chu's hand. Li Chu obediently extended his hand. Dugu Jingyao took his hand before walking out.

Li Chu sent Dugu Jingyao to Wangyuexuan. He wanted to stay here for a while longer, but Dugu Jingyao urged him: "Donglang, you can stay here for a while longer, but the longer you stay here, the harder it will be to complete the mission."

Li Chu looked at the clock on the table and saw that it was indeed late, so he reluctantly got up and left. After leaving Wangyuexuan, Li Chu told Feng Shengyi, "Go and prepare some more wine."

Although Feng Shengyi didn't understand why, he still agreed and went to prepare. Li Chu walked towards Linglong Pavilion with heavy steps.

After "driving" Li Chu away, Dugu Jingyao instructed Shi Jian and Si Jian: "Si Jian, tell Liu Lian to cook some Yunnan specialties tonight. Shi Jian, go to Biluo Courtyard and Luting Pavilion and tell Li Liangdi and Zheng Ruren that I invite them to dine at Wangyue Pavilion tonight."

Both of them agreed and went out to do their own things.

On the other side, when Li Chu was about to reach the door of Linglong Pavilion, he hesitated, as if waiting for something.

When Feng Shengyi showed up and saw Li Chu still standing at the Linglong Pavilion door, he realized how much he disliked Consort Cui. He walked towards Li Chu, bowed, and asked, "Your Highness, why haven't you gone in yet?"

Li Chu cleared his throat and asked, "Is the wine ready?"

Feng Shengyi said confidently, "Don't worry, Your Highness, I'll take care of it."

Li Chu nodded, took a deep breath, and then went to Linglong Pavilion. The maid in the courtyard was cleaning perfunctorily, and Feng Shengyi's words startled her.

Li Chu walked into the courtyard. Feng Shengyi saw that no one came to greet him, so he asked, "What's going on? Where are all the people? Why don't they come to greet His Highness?"

Upon hearing this, the maid knelt down and saluted, saying, "This servant pays respects to His Highness."

Li Chu frowned and asked, "Why are you alone? Where are the others? Where is Cui Liangdi?"

The maid hesitated, and Feng Shengyi shouted directly, "Your Highness is asking you a question, why are you hesitating? Didn't anyone teach you the rules?"

The maid then said, "The others have finished their work and are resting. Concubine Cui is in her bedroom. I will go and call her right away."

Li Chu nodded and didn't bother to say anything, so he went to the flower hall to wait alone. The maid was also fast, and Cui Caiping came soon. The maid, Mo Xin and Lian Xin quickly prepared tea and snacks.

Cui Caiping had never expected Li Chu to come to her place. She was so excited that she was a little overwhelmed and asked, "Your Highness, how come you have time to come to me?"

Li Chu was even more annoyed by her question, but in order to complete the task, he held back and said, "Why, you don't welcome me? Then I'll leave."

Li Chu had come all this way, so how could Cui Caiping let him go so easily? So she said, "It's all my fault. I can't speak. Isn't it because this is the second time you've stepped into my yard since entering the mansion, so I'm excited?"

Not long after, Mo Xin, Lian Xin and the maid brought up the tea and snacks.

Li Chu recalled the scene he had just witnessed in the courtyard and asked, "Cui Caiping, I've heard that you've always been spoiled and willful at home. How come you can't even keep an eye on these servants in the palace?"

Cui Caiping's eyes reddened when she heard this, and she said somewhat aggrievedly: "It's not that I don't care, it's just that the others are servants in the palace, and I'm just an unfavored concubine, not like the princess, so I really can't do anything!" She originally wanted to play the victim and put the blame on Dugu Jingyao.

But who would have thought that Li Chu would not accept this at all, but defended Dugu Jingyao and said: "You are not capable enough, so don't blame it on the princess. The princess didn't specifically order anyone to treat you badly."

Seeing her mistress being criticized by Li Chu, Lian Xin naturally had to speak up. She bowed and said, "Your Highness, our Consort has no intention of blaming the Princess. It's just that they really treat people differently based on their status. Only a few of the lowest-ranking maids can be ordered around by our Consort, and we might even have to pay them some money..."

Li Chu looked at Lian Xin and drank a sip of tea. "You are quite articulate. In that case, go and call all the servants in the courtyard over."

Lianxin was delighted, thinking that His Highness would personally make the decision for their Concubine Liang, so she readily agreed and went. Not long after, when they heard that His Highness was coming, all the maids rushed over... and knelt on the floor in the flower hall.

Li Chu looked down at his subordinates unhappily and asked, "Who arranged for you to come in?"

Faced with Li Chu's question, they were all confused. Among them, Chaolu answered first: "Your Highness, it was Manager Zhang who arranged for us to come here."

Li Chu then turned to ask other questions: "Where did you all go just now? Why did I only see her working in the yard when I came here?" He pointed at the maid just now.

Everyone else knelt on the ground, trembling. Chaolu replied, "Your Highness, the servants have finished their work, so... they are not in the courtyard. She is still working because she is slow."

Seeing this as an opportunity, the maid kowtowed and said, "Your Highness, that's not the case. I'm the lowest-ranking maid and I'm young, so they threw all the work to me." As she spoke, she was about to cry.

Zhaolu also argued: "You are lying, it is obviously you who works slowly..."

Li Chu didn't want to listen to them arguing, so he slammed the table and said, "Stop arguing!" The two of them immediately fell silent.

Later, Li Chu asked Feng Shengyi to call Zhang Deyu. Zhang Deyu didn't know why, but he felt uneasy. When he arrived, he saw the maids kneeling on the ground, and he felt even more uneasy.

He first saluted Li Chu and Cui Caiping. Li Chu pointed at the maids below and asked, "Did you arrange for these people to be in Linglong Pavilion?"

Zhang Deyu replied, "Your Highness, this was arranged by me, but is there anything wrong with it?"

Li Chu asked again: "Does the princess know about this?"

Zhang Deyu replied, "The princess has given this matter full authority to me." Li Chu got the answer he wanted and prepared to start rectifying this group of stubborn slaves, but not for Cui Caiping...

Li Chu slammed the table and said, "How did they get into the mansion? Why did you choose so many people who flatter the powerful and look down on the weak? If I hadn't come, I wouldn't have known about it!"

Zhang Deyu was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat and said, "Your Highness, please forgive me. I really didn't know that they were all screened before entering the palace... This..."

Li Chu said directly, "Stop this and that, Zhang Deyu. You failed to discipline your servants. You will be punished for three months. Except for the maid who was just in the courtyard, the other maids will be punished for one month and demoted to low-ranking maids. We will select a few more and send them to Linglong Pavilion."

Zhang Deyu agreed without hesitation. The other maids were about to say something, but Li Chu directly ordered, "Take them away quickly!"

Zhang Deyu and Feng Shengyi took all the maids out.

Cui Caiping was somewhat touched, and felt that Li Chu was supporting her, so she straightened her back a little.

Then someone came in from outside and said, "Greetings to His Highness and Concubine Cui Liang. Dinner is ready. Shall we serve it?"

Li Chu said expressionlessly, "Serve the meal."

After Feng Shengyi sent the maids away and came back, Li Chu ordered again: "Feng Shengyi, go prepare some wine."

Cui Caiping was a little curious, but it didn’t matter. Since Li Chu was willing to come, she had to find a way to keep him!