Chapter 141

Zuō Anníng had already been staying at the Qiáo residence for three days.

She worried about being too much of a bother to Mrs. Qiáo, and had tried to leave several times, but each time, Mrs. Qiáo stopped her.

The Duke of Yǎn arrived at the Qiáo residence early this morning and was currently chatting with Qiáo Zhōngguó in the study.

Qiáo Jiāojiāo sat on the Duke of Yǎn’s lap, playing with a puzzle toy similar to the Nine Linked Rings, a gift from the Prince of Xī.

In truth, she could solve it after seeing it once, but she pretended not to understand, shaking the rings noisily to avoid startling her family.

The Duke of Yǎn, with a face full of affection, said emotionally, “Jiāojiāo looks just like He Jing did when she was little.”

Qiáo Zhōngguó laughed heartily at this, “It’s good she looks like her mother. If she looked like her rough old man, it would be terrible!”

Upon hearing this, Qiáo Jiāojiāo looked up at her father with a face full of disapproval.

【Daddy shouldn’t call himself a rough old man. He’s ruggedly handsome! And he becomes more charming with age!】

Hearing his precious daughter praise him, Qiáo Zhōngguó felt very proud.

That’s right!

He was just being modest!

If he weren’t handsome, his wife wouldn’t have chosen him at first sight at the poetry gathering!

After a bit more small talk, the Duke of Yǎn’s expression turned slightly serious as he brought up the main topic.

“Zhōngguó, do you think there’s enough time for the Western Heaven matter?”

Zuǒ Héyīng and Lìniáng had already divorced in the Western Heaven, but this news had been kept secret, so no one in the capital knew about it yet.

Upon hearing this, Qiáo Jiāojiāo put down the Nine Linked Rings, her childish face taking on a serious expression.

【Grandfather is talking about the divorce between my uncle and aunt, right? It depends on whether all traces have been cleaned up.】

【To the Second Prince, Lǐ Xūshèng is different from his other subordinates. When the Second Prince successfully seized the throne, he first appointed Lǐ Xūshèng as the General of Cavalry, showing how favored he was.】

【So, with Lǐ Xūshèng dead, the Second Prince will definitely not let this go easily!】

【Once the news of my uncle and aunt’s divorce gets out, the Second Prince will surely guess that Lǐ Xūshèng was defeated at the Duke of Yǎn’s residence.】

【At that time, Grandfather will have to be very careful, as the Second Prince will definitely try to take revenge!】

Qiáo Zhōngguó nodded repeatedly upon hearing this, as this was his main concern now.

Qiáo Jiāojiāo scratched her chin with her little hand, thinking further:

【Then there’s also the matter of my aunt’s whereabouts.】

【Grandfather previously sent word that my aunt was sent out of the capital by her parents, but I really can’t trust those parents.】

【If the Second Prince traces things back and finds out where my aunt is, and brings her back to the capital…】

“Ah!”

Qiáo Jiāojiāo suddenly let out a small cry, sitting up straight immediately.

The Duke of Yǎn was startled by Qiáo Jiāojiāo’s sudden action and quickly bent down to ask, “Jiāojiāo dear, what’s wrong?”

Qiáo Zhōngguó, itching with curiosity, anxiously awaited Qiáo Jiāojiāo’s next words!

Qiáo Jiāojiāo grabbed the Duke of Yǎn’s lapel, her eyes wide as she thought urgently:

【Grandfather has lived a straightforward life with no flaws. If the Second Prince wants to retaliate against him, there are only two ways: targeting my uncle or targeting Cousin Ānníng!】

【My uncle’s life of indulgence has too many vulnerabilities, so this must be taken seriously!】

【If it’s targeting Cousin Ānníng, then the most important things for a young lady are her reputation, chastity, and marriage.】

【If the Second Prince contacts my aunt and understands the backstory, he will definitely use it to ruin Cousin Ānníng’s life!】

【No way! The Second Prince must not find my aunt, and even her parents need to be strongly warned. If this matter is leaked, it would be disastrous for Cousin Ānníng!】

Hearing this, Qiáo Zhōngguó’s expression turned extremely grave. He highlighted the key points and discussed them with the Duke of Yǎn, especially mentioning Mrs. Zuǒ’s whereabouts.

Qiáo Jiāojiāo listened intently, nodding continuously, her eyes shining brightly!

【Fortunately, Daddy is smart and thought similarly to me. This will remind Grandfather!】

The Duke of Yǎn listened, then looked steadily at Qiáo Zhōngguó, suddenly showing a profound expression.

“Zhōngguó…”

Qiáo Zhōngguó felt a slight shiver. It had been a very long time since he had heard his father-in-law speak in this tone.

He recalled the days when he was courting his wife, seizing opportunities to visit his father-in-law to win his favor. At those times, his father-in-law would look at him the same way and say, “Zhōngguó…”

Remembering this, Qiáo Zhōngguó immediately stood up straight, responding seriously, “Please, Father-in-law, give me your guidance!”

Qiáo Jiāojiāo looked on curiously.

【Why is Daddy reacting so strongly?】

She turned to look at the Duke of Yǎn, who maintained a calm expression and said mildly:

“I’ve lived a long life. If I didn’t have this bit of cunning, how could I have gotten this far?”

“Back then, the Chén couple was willing to ruthlessly kill Lǐ Xūshèng’s family to attach themselves to the Duke’s manor, showing they were also vain and vicious.”

“That’s why I’ve never trusted them in the slightest!”

“Lìniáng was indeed sent out of the capital by them, but I had already arranged for someone to intercept her midway and take her elsewhere.”

“She is, after all, Ānníng’s biological mother. I won’t take her life, but she will never be able to contact anyone in the capital for the rest of her days!”

“So, it’s not just the Second Prince who won’t know where Lìniáng went, even the Chén couple will never know.”

Upon hearing this, Qiáo Jiāojiāo was both shocked and delighted!

【Wow! Grandfather is impressive!】

“Not only that…”

The Duke of Yǎn smiled faintly.

“The Second Prince also won’t get any information from the Chén couple because Chén Qí has already resigned and left the capital, his whereabouts unknown.”

Qiáo Jiāojiāo was stunned by this revelation!

【Oh my, I was overthinking it. I’m surrounded by geniuses!】

“On the night Héyīng and Lìniáng divorced, I was lying in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. I felt there were too many loose ends, and it was only a matter of time before something went wrong. After much deliberation, I came up with this plan.”

“Chén Qí was initially unwilling, so I had to be ruthless for once, using power and the old murder case to pressure him, threatening the lives of his entire household!”

“Chén Qí had the intent but not the courage to act. My stance was extremely firm, and seeing no way out, he reluctantly submitted his resignation. I then smoothed things over and had it approved that very day.”

“Yesterday, Chén Qí packed up his gold and silver, took his beloved wife and concubines, and left the capital.”

“He was quite slippery, fearing I might harm them midway, so he split up with his servants into three groups and escaped undetected!”

“In this way, although the divorce and the Chén family’s departure will stir up some rumors, they will eventually dissipate without any foundation.”

The Duke of Yǎn narrated the events calmly. After he finished, he saw Qiáo Zhōngguó and Qiáo Jiāojiāo, one big and one small, staring at him.

He slightly curled his lips, “What’s wrong? Is there anything else that isn’t thorough enough?”

Qiáo Jiāojiāo thought: 【Wow! Grandfather, you are amazing!】

Qiáo Zhōngguó gazed at the Duke of Yǎn with deep meaning, thinking even more profoundly.

His father-in-law was a seasoned veteran who had fought many battles with the late emperor, and his methods of dealing with enemies were unfathomable.

Although his father-in-law said he would spare his sister-in-law’s life and that the Chén family had disappeared, only he knew their true fate.

As someone who had also spent half his life in the military, Qiáo Zhōngguó had a good idea of what his father-in-law might actually do.

With this realization, Qiáo Zhōngguó felt a surge of emotions:

Finally, he understood where all the smart people in the family came from!

It turns out his father-in-law passed it on to his wife, who then passed it on to their eldest and Jiāojiāo, leaving only him and the second child as the naive ones!