Rebirth: The General's Illegitimate Daughter

Chapter 11 Prince Ling (Part 2)

Prince Ling coughed lightly and then smiled mysteriously. "So that's how it is."

Chu Lianruo stood and curtsied, "I apologize if I misspoke and overstepped my bounds."

Leaning back, he replied, "Not at all. It seems my concubine has been wronged." He clapped his hands, and a guard dressed in blue entered, kneeling on one knee. "Your Highness."

"Xiayang, go summon Steward Li here to apologize to my concubine." The guard, Xiayang, swiftly stood and left to carry out the order.

Once Xiayang was gone, Chu Lianruo said, "Upon reflection, I think there may have been some misunderstandings between Steward Li and me. It might not have been his intention."

Prince Ling chuckled, "We'll see if it's a misunderstanding when Li An arrives."

Since it was the prince’s personal guard who summoned him, Li An quickly arrived at Yanxiao Pavilion, bringing along the servant with the swollen face. Both of them approached and knelt respectfully, "Your servant greets Your Highness and Concubine Chu." They then started to rise.

But from above came the command, "Stay kneeling." They obediently knelt back down.

"Li An, do you know your crime?"

Prince Ling's tone was calm, but Li An felt a chill. He had thought the prince was summoning him for a confrontation and had brought along Li Shan, the servant Chu Lianruo had punished, expecting to win. Until now, the prince had always let him handle minor matters. He assumed it would be the same this time.

Li An had grown accustomed to his authority in the prince’s mansion. Even the prince’s favored concubines showed him some respect. He believed that the new concubine, despite her title, was merely a figurehead and that he could control her. Hence, he dared to act so brazenly.

Caught off guard by the prince’s question, Li An panicked and prostrated himself on the ground. "Your Highness, please calm down. I don’t know what crime I have committed. Even if I must die, I need to understand my crime."

Prince Ling, or Xu Che, had not paid much attention to the mansion’s affairs in recent years. Though aware of some issues, he had turned a blind eye. But now, Li An’s arrogance needed to be addressed. Though incompetent and conceited, Li An was efficient in managing household affairs, and Xu Che preferred not to replace him if possible. He glanced at Chu Lianruo, curious about how she would handle Li An. He decided to pass the decision to her. "Li An, I leave your fate to Concubine Chu."

Chu Lianruo met Xu Che’s deep, enigmatic gaze. Having just arrived, her position in the mansion was not yet secure. Li An had some influence among the servants, and if she dealt with him too harshly, it might cause further complications. She was not afraid of minor troubles but had no patience for unnecessary conflicts. Moreover, it was clear that Prince Ling did not intend to remove Li An from his position.

Before she could speak, Li An, losing his composure, turned to her and begged for mercy, blaming his actions on the deceitful words of Li Shan. Li Shan, in turn, protested that he had acted on Li An’s orders. Both men bickered, shamelessly shifting blame.

Chu Lianruo thought to herself, I overestimated Li An. She looked to Prince Ling, hoping he would control the situation.

The guard Xiayang, standing beside the prince, intervened coldly, "Silence." His command, carrying the weight of the prince’s authority, immediately silenced the two men, who dared not speak further.