Real Empress from a Noble Family

Chapter 34 Prince of Zhou

When Qiu Yelan rushed to Renqing Pharmacy the entire store, including the two-story small building which was used as accommodation place and storeroom behind the store, had been smashed beyond recognition. Fortunately, because it is the first lunar month and almost all shops on the street were close for the New Year, there were few people surrounded and watched. There were just so few onlookers, and they even dispersed after seeing her.

This relieved Qiu Yelan, who was ready to face thousands of people’s judgements in a jampacked place.

But when she just got out of the carriage, she heard He Zifu’s sigh, and he looked distressed, seeing the place not very far and saying, “Your Grace! Look there!”

It was a plaque that was made by famous artists who were hired by Renqing Pharmacy when it started business dozens of years ago.

This shiny plaque which had always been rubbed to almost like a mirror, was now smashed to few parts, and it was deliberately discarded on the street in front of the store. People were coming and going. Intentionally or unintentionally, the plaque was trampled into the mud.

Turning around, the place where the plaque was originally hung was now replaced with a bloody and startling banner “a life for a life!”

“Go in first.” Qiu Yelan narrowed her eyes. Instead of asking some people to clean up the broken plaque, she walked directly into Renqing Pharmacy. She paused on the threshold, looking up and appreciating the plaque, and said with somewhat surprising relief, “The calligraphy was not as good as mine.”

He Zifu and other people behind her were all silently speechless and thought, “Was it time to care about this?”

After entering the door, it was a broken hall with all wall being smashed, and people could even feel the wind in the hall. However, even though it was like a ruin, there was a simple spiritual hall in the middle, but the atmosphere was surprisingly harmonious.

“Your Highness’s high morality reached up to the clouds! We vulgar people have nothing to pay back!” The middle-aged couple who wore mourning habiliments and dragged their children were weeping bitterly.

“As the Prince of Darui, also known as Prince of Zhou, I received benefits from the whole country. So, how can I ignore innocent common citizens being bullied by bigwigs?” Prince of Zhou, Chu Weizhou, who was in luxurious sable fur and had handsome eyes and eyebrows, said with obvious compassion on his face. He spared no effort to display his style of being close to the people. Without knowing whether he knew Qiu Yelan was coming in or not, but he even leaned down to personally lift the husband of the couple up.

Chu Weizhou was so warm as if in spring and said, “Get up! Get up! These are what I should do as a prince.”

“Prince of Zhou is such a great man!” One of the oldest children suddenly said, who was ignorantly kneeling over and over with parents.

“Prince of Zhou is so approachable!” The other two children froze for a second, and one of them said subconsciously.

“Your Highness is the best!” The youngest child was just 4 or 5 years old, and he finally dully remembered what he should say after being pinched by his brothers and sisters.

Chu Weizhou looked at them kindly, with his gaze, his expression, pretty much like looking at his illegitimate son. A son that cannot be given birth by his true love, apart far away for a dozen of years, and then was difficultly recognized after suffering a lot. He was so kind, full of paternal love!

Turning to Qiu Yelan in front of him, Chu Weizhou immediately changed to a ruthless attitude, just like the autumn wind to wipe out leaves, “Commandery Princess Ningyi! What can you say?”

“Ningyi greets Your Highness. Wish Prince of Zhou all happiness!” Qiu Yelan politely saluted.

Chu Weizhou sneered and waved, “No more words! Renqing Pharmacy carelessly prescribe medicine and led to the death of innocent people. Don’t try to let this pass relying on your Commandery Princess status and the influence of General Ruan! I come across this matter today, and as a Prince, I must uphold justice for them! I won’t tolerate any noble to bully the poor and ignore the law of the country!”

Qiu Yelan glanced at him with a smile, with mythical creatures running about wildly in her heart, “If General Ruan and I are powerful, how dare you come to the door?”

“Since Your Highness mentioned national law, I dare to ask Your Highness, which rule of Darui national law enables princes to casually smash others’ shops?” Qiu Yelan said several times in heart, “I am now a lady and a Commandery Princess,” and asked with a light smile.

Chu Weizhou froze for a moment and seemed to be very surprised by her actions that she didn’t admit mistakes and ask for punishment, but instead, dare to turn around and ask back.

Fortunately, he did not respond slowly. He immediately sneered, looking around and said, “Who said this place was smashed by me?”

“Yeah, yeah, how noble our Prince is! It’s your little Renqing Pharmacy’s great honor to welcome the Prince and let the Prince sit for a while. Do you think you are qualified for being smashed by the Prince?!”

“No one of Renqing Pharmacy has come out and hosted, and they haven’t served Prince even some water or tea when Prince came here. And now they are querying Your Highness. How unreasonable!”

Entourages of Prince of Zhou’s Mansion spoke in support of Prince one after another.

“So, you did it?” Qiu Yelan ignored the others and turned her gaze, staring sharply at the couple who wore mourning habiliments.

The couple was stared to shrink their heads. However, hearing Chu Weizhou’s cough, they immediately realized that they had a backer, which was more powerful than Qiu Yelan. Hence, they suddenly inflated arrogance again and said, “Yes, it’s us! Your Renqing Pharmacy murdered our father! A life for a life is justified! What about smashing your drugstore?”

Qiu Yelan smiled coldly, with knives in her meaningful glance, “First, whether your dad died because of Renqing Pharmacy or not is not a matter that you could determine, so did I. As to Prince of Zhou...” She glanced at Chu Weizhou, who gradually frowned, smirking, “So did Prince of Zhou!”

“Your Grace!” The servant from Prince of Zhou’s Mansion was about to speak, but Qiu Yelan ignored them again. She stretched out her slender white and tender fingers, pointing in the direction of the Governor’s office and said, “You should go to the Governor’s office to report! Governor would check the corpse and investigate. At last, he would make a sentence, officially telling you what led to the death, and this would really count!”

Putting down her hands, Qiu Yelan said coldly, “What qualifications do you have to say that your dad died of Renqing Pharmacy before Governor decided the case?! Just bringing a corpse casually in the hall and laying it here enabled you to smash the store and the plaque reasonably at ease? According to you, who dare to open the door to do business in the future?”

“Second, even if Governor decided Renqing Pharmacy should take some responsibility, the following punishment and penalty should be decided by Governor, too, instead of being decided by you! Otherwise, everyone who believed he is reasonable could do whatever he wants, and what about the decency of the national law!”

Qiu Yelan pointed at them wrathfully, “You are nothing but lawless! You are frenzied!”

The couple were both dumbfounded after her questions, but their oldest child was smart and reminded them, “Dad, mom, grandpa just died after taking their pharmacy’s medicine!”

“Yes, yes, yes!” The couple were reminded, and the wife immediately opened her throat and cried loudly, “Daddy! You’re so wronged! This damned Renqing Pharmacy murdered you!”

“Manager He, go out and ask someone to Governor’s office to beat the drum at court to lodge a complaint!” Qiu Yelan raised her voice and sternly said, “Go and sue this couple for monstrous crime! After killing their old father, they framed and imputed Renqing Pharmacy to swindle money!”

The wife’s cry came to a halt, and she almost jumped up in shock, “You, you, nonsense!”

He Zifu was also stunned by Qiu Yelan sudden instruction, wondering whether to go or not?

“I am talking nonsense?” Qiu Yelan glanced scornfully at the wife and said, “Let me ask you, why don’t you report and complain to the Governor and ask for the justice when you suspected Renqing Pharmacy after your father’s death! Instead, you came to Renqing Pharmacy to smash and make troubles. You want nothing but extorting money! After your father’s death, without planning a revenge, you extorted money the first time. Isn’t it swindling money?! This is unfilial! You unfilial people, who knows how your father died? Maybe it was for blackmailing ‘Renqing Pharmacy’, so ....”

Chu Weizhou finally couldn’t help stopping it, and sternly said, “It’s nonsense!”

As soon as he spoke, the whole family of the couple was relieved!

“It’s still in the first lunar month, how could the Governor’s office be open?!” Chu Weizhou was Prince of Zhou indeed, and he started to counterattack once he entered the battle, “Further, maybe they came here first instead of the Governor’s office, because they bitterly hated Renqing Pharmacy and can’t wait for the official justice. They came here to smash the hurtful store and vent their anger. Even though they didn’t follow the rules, they are pardonable!”

His voice abruptly stern, “You, Commandery Princess Ningyi! Look at you, a young age girl, but your mind is so vicious! In front of the victim’s spirit, the victim’s family, you have never thought about Renqing Pharmacy acting as if human life is not worth a straw. You even try to reverse black and white and slander the good! It’s a shame for nobilities! How could a person like you be worthy of being a Commandery Princess?! I should report this to our grandmother Emperor, to unduke you!”

“Your Highness, please respect.” Su He and the others looked hurried when heard his words, but Qiu Yelan said softly, “My title of nobility, Commandery Princess, is from my father Duke of Xihe, and Duke of Xihe’s title was from Your Highness’s great-grandfather Emperor Gaozong!” Emperor Gaozong had admitted the title of Duke of Xihe being inherited from generation to generation. All daughters born of the legal wife of the duke would be Commandery Princess, as the same status with Royal Commandery Princess! If I don’t remember it wrongly, in Darui national law, Prince would have no right to propose unduking a Commandery Princess? This is the power of Imperial Harem, and Your Highness is obviously a male, he-he!”

The essence of the word “he-he” is still so useful even after the change of life.

Chu Weizhou’s original noble and elegant complexion, with sometimes gentle sometimes stern, was gradually turning livid.

Except for his official mother, Empress Jiang who made him look like a mouse seeing a cat, he had never been repeatedly satirized and provoked by anyone else, including Empress Dowager Gu!

“Since you talked about national law with me.” Fortunately, had been taught by the top nobleman since he was young, Chu Weizhou calmed down in the shortest time: He knew that based on status, he didn’t have to talk about any national law or justice with this Commandery Princess who had no parents alive. Just crush it directly by his standing! However, this Commandery Princess Ningyi at the front, is the introduction to a new round of battle between two empresses!

At present, no matter whether it was Empress Dowager Gu, Empress Jiang, or the neutral faction, it could be said that all people in the imperial court were staring at her! At this time, utilizing his standing to oppress her... based on his experience from young until now, Chu Weizhou definitely did not want to give his official mother any chance to make troubles.

So, he suppressed his fury, and said seriously, “As a Prince, may I ask you, what is the crime of defaming a Prince?”

Qiu Yelan was surprised, “What you mean by saying this?”

“You just suspected the Prince has smashed Renqing Pharmacy!” Chu Weizhou was thinking about how to deal with this abominable Commandery Princess with this handle at one fling. However, Qiu Yelan was surprised and said, “Your highness, your words are mean. When did I suspect you? As a Commandery Princess, I was just consulting you a question! Is it because you are a Prince that you think the Commandery Princess was suspecting you then?!”

“You!!!” Chu Weizhou didn’t expect that she would not admit it on the spot!

But thought about it carefully, the original words of Qiu Yelan at the time were, “Dare to ask Your Highness, which rule of Darui national law enables Prince to casually smash others’ shops?”

She was obviously querying and asking back him then!

But now, Qiu Yelan definitely had to assure it was “doubt,” also she made it into a pleasant-to-hear word, “consult!”

“Is here a real hot spot?” When Chu Weizhou was angry to mad, here a sound was heard from the outside of the door. It’s a chuckle that he was familiar with, and then a young and elegant man slowly walked in, who was in a luxurious, cinnabar, brocade-made clothes, with four-season flower pattern and gold woven satin on it!

“Brother, the 2nd Prince!” Seeing his half-brother Prince of Yan, Chu Weize, who shared the same mother with him, was coming, Chu Weizhou was cheerful and stood up!

Qiu Yelan otherwise got her heart sank for a while. Even though she supposed those two princes dare not do something to her without any reasons, but two princes were still princes indeed. However, at this moment, another guy showed up behind Chu Weize. This guy was in pine green brocade-made clothes, with cloud pattern and dark flower satin on it, and had an emerald bamboo style hair clasp on head. Elegant and with the graceful bearing, smiling softly like spring breeze, this guy shot a glance at the room and his smile became more obvious, “How are you Commandery Princess Ningyi? Oh, Prince of Zhou, we said goodbye in a hurry yesterday, and we meet again so soon?”

“... Jiang Yashuang! You again!!!” Chu Weizhou gnashed his teeth in anger!