Chapter 258: Chapter 257: Sandalwood

After leaving Wen Qiming’s place, Zhu Cheng headed straight to the West Wing to find Right Chief Historian Yang Chengxuan.

Yang Chengxuan was not there, and Zhu Cheng found himself disappointed.

On a regular day, it wouldn’t have been a big deal to find no one there, as everyone has their own tasks to attend to. However, today, Zhu Cheng had a heavy load on his mind, filled with a burning rage, and not finding Yang Chengxuan at the West Wing only fueled his anger further.

Since Yang Chengxuan wasn’t there, waiting around wasn’t going to accomplish anything. As Zhu Cheng and his two companions turned to leave the West Wing, they suddenly saw Yang Chengxuan hurriedly returning from outside. He was so focused on his steps that he only noticed Zhu Cheng standing right in front of him at the last moment, startling him. He quickly bowed and stepped forward, saying, “Prince! What are you doing here? Is there something you need from me?”

“Hmph! In broad daylight, would I be looking for you if I had no reason, unless I wanted to invite you to drink and play chess?!” Zhu Cheng shot him a glance. “Get inside to talk!”

Yang Chengxuan quickly straightened up, respectfully leading Zhu Cheng inside.

Zhu Yu followed behind, and as Yang Chengxuan rushed past her like a gust of wind, a faint scent of sandalwood wafted into her nose.

The scent was very subtle, and if someone less observant had been around, they might not have noticed it.

Zhu Yu glanced at Yang Chengxuan’s back and confirmed that when they had been searching the West Wing earlier, there had been no trace of incense aroma in the room, nor was there any sign of an incense burner.

In Shuo Country, they didn’t naturally produce incense, and the people of Shuo were generally straightforward and did not have a penchant for such elegance. Even for ordinary folks, and even Prince Shuo himself, it wasn’t a habit to burn incense regularly.

Therefore, the faint sandalwood scent on him suggested that he must have just returned from somewhere where incense was burnt, and the scent clung to him during his journey back.

Zhu Yu contemplated this silently while she and Lu Qing entered the West Wing, closing the door behind them.

“Prince, you seemed urgent in seeking me out. Is there something you wish to instruct?” Yang Chengxuan asked while courteously offering Zhu Cheng a seat.

Zhu Cheng waved his hand, indicating that he didn’t intend to sit down and discuss at leisure: “I was at the Weapon Supervision today, and on a whim, I opened a box of swords intended as tribute to the court to inspect them. To my surprise, I found many of them to be shoddy and counterfeit, mixed in deceptively.”

“What?! How can such a thing happen? This is truly audacious!” Yang Chengxuan frowned upon hearing this. “Prince, don’t worry, leave this matter to me!

I will thoroughly investigate each and every layer, each and every item, to find out who has the audacity to engage in such deceit with the weapons intended for the court!”

“No need.” Zhu Cheng waved his hand, “I want to investigate this personally.”

“Prince, it’s merely laziness and opportunism from the subordinates. It’s undoubtedly a significant mistake, but it isn’t worth your personal oversight; there’s no need to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut!” Yang Chengxuan said earnestly, “Let me relieve your worries!”

“No need, I am determined on this matter, and it needs no further discussion.” Zhu Cheng refused him once more.

Yang Chengxuan appeared more confused: “Prince… then why bring this up to me today…”

“Haven’t I been forging a sword lately?” Zhu Cheng said, maintaining his usual demeanor following the lines Zhu Yu had taught him earlier, “I wasn’t quite satisfied before, but recently, I received a hint from a master, and suddenly everything clicked in the forging process.

So, in the coming days, I’ll be dealing with that. All you need to know is that once I return, I’ll be launching a thorough investigation into the weapons matter. Luckily, there’s still some time before these weapons are sent to the Capital, so there’s not too much pressure.

Once I return, discreetly gather craftsmen for me to make up for the shortfall. Don’t alert anyone.”

“Yes, I can surely manage that,” Yang Chengxuan nodded repeatedly.

“Hmph, the audacity of these people. When I return, I will investigate thoroughly; no one who plays tricks with me will get away,” Zhu Cheng said, gritting his teeth, and he reminded again, “Before I return, keep this to yourself, and do not let word get out, or alert anyone!”

“Yes!” Yang Chengxuan clasped his fists, responding crisply.

On that day, Zhu Cheng did not remain busy with anything else. He returned early to the inner residence and spent quite some time in Zhu Garden chatting with Pang Yuzhen, unusually concerned for her well-being, mood, and daily life.

Zhu Cheng was not usually a considerate husband, focusing his thoughts on weapon crafting. With Zhu Yu and Lu Qing’s recent return involving various projects, like canal repairs and whatnot, his already limited energy was further divided, making Pang Yuzhen feel somewhat neglected.

Pang Yuzhen often grumbled internally over these days but dared not show it.

She never imagined that Zhu Yu, the concubine’s daughter who was supposed to “bear the brunt of misfortune” for her daughter, would end up so fortunate in marriage. Prince Xiaoyao not only had a towering stature and unparalleled handsomeness but also carried himself with extraordinary presence, not to mention how he dotes on Zhu Yu.

In private, she couldn’t help but harbor a twinge of envy, thinking that had she known Lu Qing was so exceptional, contrary to rumors, she would have proposed marrying Zhu Ning to him. Her daughter could now be the Secondary First Rank Princess of Da Jin!

Even though this might still fall slightly short compared to the Second Prince, who was a highly regarded biological prince, it would still outshine the current situation, which was neither high nor low.

But such thoughts she could only entertain privately, not daring to express them openly half a bit.

On one hand, when the royal decree arrived, it didn’t specifically mention marrying Zhu Ning off; it was their own decision to choose Zhu Yu. Now that the decision is final, there’s no room for regret.

On the other hand, regardless, Zhu Yu is still a daughter of the Zhu Family, she and Zhu Ning are sisters, and now that she is a legitimate princess, Zhu Ning’s status as the legitimate sister of a Princess is likely to be elevated, far better than merely being a County Princess.

So today, when Zhu Cheng made a special trip to spend time talking with her, Pang Yuzhen perked up and didn’t show any sign of displeasure, cheerfully discussing family matters with Zhu Cheng. Once the groundwork was laid, she tentatively suggested asking Zhu Yu to request Lu Qing to find a good marriage match for Zhu Ning in Jin Country.

It would be best if they could find an imperial relative. If it proved difficult to reach imperial rank, a marriage within a noble family would be ideal.

And if the counterpart’s appearance could match or even surpass Lu Qing’s, all the better!

Zhu Cheng readily agreed to Pang Yuzhen’s request without hesitation.

This made Pang Yuzhen even happier, her spirits lifting, complexion brightening, almost as if she had taken some miraculous elixir, so effective was her elation.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep