The Crown Prince in the Jade Pendant

Chapter 1: The Daughter Returns (Part 2)

Marquis Chang Xing flew into a rage when he heard about the news that he did not have the mood to celebrate the New Year. In his anger, Marquis Chang Xin sent people to rigorously interrogate the servant who leaked the information. Later, she admitted that she had a drink with Furen’s dowry maid years ago and it was Zhang Mama that accidentally spoke of it. Zhang Mama held suspicions all those years ago but it was difficult to be clarified, thus, she could only bury it deep in her heart. Afterwards, when she was drunk, she revealed it to this servant, and many years after, Marquis Chang Xing heard about it.

Marquis Chang Xing mulled over it for several days without alarming Madam Zhao or his Mother, Old Chu Furen. Instead, he secretly sent people to search for the midwife that helped deliver that year. Marquis Chang Xing sat in the room for a long time before making his mind up to search for his flesh and blood.

Even if it were just a daughter, his bloodline cannot be in disorder.

Just after the New Year, Marquis Chang Xing casually used an excuse to leave the house. At that time, Madam Zhao complained about it. Why the need to go out in the first lunar month? Marquis Chang Xing ignored it and headed all the way South and found Chu Jin Yao in a small village, on the western side of ShanXi.

At that time, Chu Jin Yao was still called Su Yao.

Su Yao got up early that day and as usual, went out to collect firewood for the house. When she returned while carrying the firewood, she sensed something and turned her head. She saw a man with a majestic air standing not far away, silently staring at her.

“This uncle, who are you looking for?”

Marquis Chang Xing was silent and stared for a long time before he looked up to the skies to sigh.

The little girl in front was thirteen years old. Due to the constant farm work, she was taller than the Young Ladies in the residence of Marquis Chang Xing but was extremely thin, also her complexion was dark due to the sun. Her face was slim and sharp and did not look healthy but that pair of eyes was surprisingly good-looking. They looked so good that it made others think they should not appear in this kind of village but instead on an exceptional beauty and raised in the Palace, beloved by tens of thousands and served by hundreds of people.

There was no mistake. This young lady’s eyes and nose looked almost exactly the same as his Younger Sister, Chu Zhu. On the contrary, Fourth Young Lady, Chu Jin Miao, looked plainer as she grew up and nothing like him.

Marquis Chang Xing slowly approached and asked, “What is your name?

Su Yao felt that it was strange but replied with a sweet smile, “I am Su Yao. You must not be from around here. Are you lost?”

Marquis Chang Xin did not answer to Su Yao’s question but asked, “Yao? It does not sound like a name that villagers would use as a name.”

“It is because my mother said that a Taoist priest gave me a piece of jade when I was born and also the name ‘Yao’. Thus, everyone in the family calls me that.”

Marquis Chang Xing looked at Su Yao’s jade. It was a piece of clear white jade with red flakes floating inside. From the quality of it, it was very valuable. The red flakes were very exquisite, like the blood that dripped into clear water and imprisoned in the white jade. Marquis Chang Xin thought back to the stories of discovering families through blood coagulation.

In the year when Su Yao, or accurately Chu Jin Yao, was born, a Taoist priest came to Tai Yuan Province. It was said that he was filled with treasures and was carrying a jade that was worth an entire city, could bring the dead alive and it was on earth looking for its master. Marquis Chang Xing did not believe in such rumours but thinking about his soon-to-be-born child, regardless of the gender, it was always rare to have a Di-born bloodline. Thus, he wanted to search for a good jade so as to make a jade pendant for the child. As such, he personally approached the Taoist priest. However, the latter took a look and said, “The jade has a fate with your daughter but one cannot give it to you.”