Blossom in Adversity

C56. Mr. Lu Takes Office.

Chapter 56: Mr. Lu Takes Office

"There's one more thing," Hua Zhi said softly, "Fourth Aunt's due date is approaching. The midwife and everything needed for childbirth should be prepared. We wouldn't want to be caught off guard if she goes into labor early."

The old lady slapped her forehead, "Oh my, I forgot about such an important matter. Cui Xiang, go find Liu Pozi. Give her plenty of silver and invite her to the residence."

"Yes, I will go right away."

Before the family's downfall, these preparations were always made well in advance. It wasn't that the grandmother had forgotten; it was just that she had only just remembered.

Thinking that Shao Yao should be awake by now, Hua Zhi took her leave.

On the corridor, Bao Xia whispered to her, "Is the old lady trying to bring in other miss to challenge you?"

"Grandmother isn't being selfish." She knew that her own health was poor and that she might not live for much longer. While she still held the position of the family's matriarch, she wanted to find a few more people in the Hua family who could help her. She should appreciate this sentiment.

"Find a suitable time to go and tell them what they need to prepare."

"Yes."

*

In the study, Gu Yanxi fiddled with a wooden box containing silver hairpins and a few ounces of loose silver while listening to Chen Qing report the news.

"All the arrangements have been made. We just need them to take the bait."

"Put someone beside the Second Prince."

Chen Qing's heart skipped a beat, "Master, that is the prince. Placing someone near the prince, regardless of the outcome, if the Emperor finds out, it will not end well for you..."

"So it must not be known to the Emperor. Send Qu Qi to do it."

"Master..."

Gu Yanxi finally looked at him, "Do my decisions still need your approval before they can be carried out?"

Chen Qing knelt down but still refused to yield, "Your subordinate has overstepped. But this is a matter of the royal family. Even if you have the Emperor's trust, it's not comparable to the bond between a father and son. Your subordinate is worried that you will be implicated like Lord Hua."

Chen Qing was not an ordinary subordinate; he was the same age as Gu Yanxi. His mother had been a maid by Gu Yanxi's mother's side, and they had grown up together serving the Shizi.

After the princess consort passed away, they had suffered together and almost lost their lives. Later, when the Shizi turned things around and gained the favor of the Emperor, Chen Qing, despite being too old to learn martial arts, toughened himself and became a skilled fighter with his own abilities, eventually becoming a major figure in the household.

Naturally, Gu Yanxi treated him differently. Out of all his people, he could trust Chen Qing the most, even more than Shao Yao.

The wooden box snapped shut, and Gu Yanxi finally explained, "From April until now, five Southern Border spies have been captured in the capital, and their confessions are all consistent. When pieced together, they reveal a clear trail. I suspect they are here to meet with someone, but the mastermind is very cautious. Even the Southern Border spies don't know who they are meeting. It wasn't until the He family was attacked a few days ago that I confirmed my suspicions."

Chen Qing exclaimed in disbelief, "You suspect the Second Prince of treason?"

"He's the most likely suspect. But by attacking the He family, we've alerted the snake. In the near future, tell everyone to lie low. Qu Qi is not to take any action without my orders."