Chapter 597: Chapter 597: Making the Decision

Madam You said, "Yes, yes, it’s all because of the children from both families fighting and creating such a fuss. Whose child doesn’t act rashly when they’re young, causing adults worry? I just didn’t expect that even a girl like Gu Laoqi would be so troublesome."

Old Madam Gu ignored her.

Gu Baoshu had already publicly spoken about sitting on the ground to attract a husband, no matter how much it might ruin her reputation, it was already that bad.

Indeed, the more lice there are, the less one worries.

Miss You angrily added fuel to the fire, "Isn’t it true? Gu Baoshu foolishly insisted on fighting my third brother. He initially didn’t want to, but was finally provoked into action. She fought him despicably and used some unknown strange things, causing injuries to both me and the Crown Prince."

"What?" Empress Lin and the Ninth Princess couldn’t stay seated.

Miss You pointed at her own swollen eye, tears streaming like a fountain, "Gu Qi’s victory is disgraceful; she threw a bag of powder that made my eyes water, feeling dizzy and unable to see anything clearly, even the Crown Prince..."

Empress Lin glared, "Old Madam Gu, your daughter has indeed gone too far, how could she injure the Crown Prince?"

"Exactly, how could she injure the Crown Prince? The Crown Prince is vital to the nation, we respect him yet your daughter is too reckless," Madam You hurriedly added.

Old Madam Gu still hadn’t spoken.

Qin Yuan stepped forward and said, "Miss You, although Treasure Bead is forthright, she knows her place and wouldn’t offend the Crown Prince."

Seeing her rise up again, the Ninth Princess was annoyed, "What does this matter have to do with you? Can’t you see my mother is questioning here?"

Qin Yuan hurriedly said, "Calm down, Ninth Princess. I just thought, given Treasure Bead’s temperament, she probably just wanted to compete with Third Young Master You. That’s a child’s way, whether she wins or loses, she wouldn’t harm the Crown Prince. I’m afraid the Empress might overthink out of concern."

Empress Lin was furious, "You girl, what exactly happened to the Crown Prince?"

Miss You dared not embellish further, "The Crown Prince was knocked into the pond, and his attendants hastily pulled him out and took him to change clothes."

Empress Lin was beside herself with anger, standing up quickly, ready to act.

Qin Yuan swiftly asked, "Please explain clearly, Miss You, who knocked the Crown Prince into the pond?"

Miss You fumed, "It was Treasure Bead who scattered the powder, leaving my third brother teary-eyed and unable to see clearly, thus knocking the Crown Prince into the pond."

Qin Yuan said, "I see, the Crown Prince was watching Treasure Bead and Third Young Master You compete, and Third Young Master You accidentally knocked the Crown Prince into the pond. How is he now?"

Miss You: ...

Empress Lin no longer wanted to listen to their argument and left her seat, "Quickly take me to see the Crown Prince."

Madam You also became anxious, and soon everyone hurried to the courtyard where the Crown Prince was resting. Inside, a crowd of male guests who had come upon hearing were already gathered. The female guests had to stay away and stopped at a distance.

Empress Lin disregarded all this, rushed into the courtyard, frightening the male guests away.

Empress Lin dashed into the room unheedingly, "My son, are you trying to scare your mother to death?"

"Greetings to the Empress," everyone in the room was startled, quickly kneeling.

The Crown Prince lay on the bed, his face pale with a slight bluish tinge.

Empress Lin tremblingly touched the Crown Prince’s forehead, he opened his eyes weakly, "Mother, it’s nothing, I’ve already had ginger soup, it’s just the water was a bit cold, and the Duke worried the household doctor’s skills were lacking, so they’ve sent for an Imperial Physician."

Soon, the Director of Imperial Hospital arrived.

The pulse wasn’t fully checked when the Empress Dowager arrived with the imperial carriage.

The small courtyard was packed tightly.

The crowd wisely stayed far away, only the You Family and Gu Family remained in the courtyard awaiting news.

Old Madam Gu said to Qin Yuan, "That mischievous child has quite the nerve. If anything happens to the Crown Prince, even though Treasure Bead didn’t actually push him, the Empress will likely blame us regardless. The third child never created such trouble while in the palace before; it’s really worrying." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Qin Yuan thought, whether there is blame or not, Empress Lin won’t spare the Marquis Mansion.

But, that couldn’t be said aloud, Qin Yuan thought and said, "I wonder how Treasure Bead is."

Old Madam Gu sighed.

Not noticing that the You Family was preoccupied with Miss You and Third Young Master You at all, who would even care about Gu Baoshu right now?

The Crown Prince was like a fragile porcelain bottle.

But it’s good this way; the Royal Family likely won’t think of Gu Baoshu anymore.

At this moment, the Director of Imperial Hospital finished checking the pulse and pondered a moment before saying to the Empress Dowager and Empress Lin, "The Crown Prince’s body is still weak, having drank a bit, his body was warm, then fell into the cold pool water. Autumn dryness needs specialized care, and now with both cold and heat interacting, he’ll require a period of proper conditioning."

This meant no life was in danger.

Everyone exhaled a sigh of relief.

Empress Lin wept, "My son, how pitiful you are, standing by the pool? What were those attending you doing? Not dedicated enough, wanting to lose their heads?"

The Empress Dowager said, "The director has prescribed a remedy, proper care is needed now. It’s best to return to the palace for recovery, better than here."

The Director of Imperial Hospital went to the side room to write the prescription.

The Empress Dowager turned to Empress Lin, angry, "Coming here to celebrate and ending up like this."

Outside.

Hong Ye whispered, "That little maid Ning Hong is here again, says she has urgent news for Madam, concerning Seventh Miss."

Qin Yuan thought a moment and said to Old Madam Gu, "Mother, I’ll go check."

Old Madam Gu said, "Take several people with you. I’ll send Nanny Rong later to inquire from the third boy whether he knows anything about Treasure Bead."

Qin Yuan nodded, Hehua and Yang’er and the others hurried along, and just outside the courtyard, they saw Ning Hong glancing in nervously.

Seeing them arrive, she sighed in relief, smiled to welcome them, saluted, "Dingbei Marquis’s wife, Seventh Miss is demanding to see you."

Qin Yuan was puzzled, "Now that the Crown Prince is resting in this courtyard, why haven’t she and Third Young Master You come to apologize?"

Ning Hong stammered, "This servant doesn’t know, the master instructed this servant to ask the marquis’s wife to see Seventh Miss."

Hong Ye said, "Could the You Family have confined Seventh Miss, intending to force a confession?"

Qin Yuan then had Hong Ye give Ning Hong a golden peanut.

Ning Hong accepted it, holding it in her palm, hesitating for a moment, "Thank you, Madam, this servant is merely following orders. I only heard others say Third Young Master was seriously injured by Gu Qi, the lady fainted multiple times in tears, waking said she wants to hold Dingbei Marquis Mansion accountable. The lady’s eye is extremely swollen, the household doctor applied medicine and still needs the director to see... The eldest young master ordered me to ask Madam... in fact, this servant hasn’t seen Seventh Miss."