Chapter 32: Is it because of me?

Cao Secretary's face was deathly pale, large beads of sweat rolling down from his forehead, yet he seemed not to feel it.

It's over.

The Cao family, it's over!

"I receive the edict," he said, summoning all his strength to utter three words, his whole body seeming like someone fished out of water, leaving a wet mark on the ground.

"The silver owed to the Regent Prince's Manor must be delivered to the Regent Prince's Manor within a month."

"Right, after injuring someone's young master, I don't want to hear the petition drum again."

The emperor's words came haltingly, his posture of backing the Regent Prince's Manor left the ministers below bewildered.

The Regent Prince's Manor hasn't always been a thorn in the emperor's side, has it?

Over these many years, if it weren't for the Imperial Noble Consort's support, the Regent Prince's Manor would have ceased to exist long ago.

What's going on now? Didn't the emperor sleep well last night, making him a bit bewitched today?

Only the maternal uncle of the Kang clan wore a thoughtful gaze, looking at the exalted Nine-Five Supreme above, thinking of his elder sister and the portrait of her, Yun chu, this matter seemed to grow ever more complicated.

The petition drum sounds, the name remains in the capital for half a month.

For a full half month, the capital is filled with discussion.

"Ning Hanmo, if you move again, I'll break your leg outright!" Jiang Yun Chu said through gritted teeth.

This brat never stays still for a day; the leg we fixed has become dislocated again—if this continues, he won't be able to keep that leg.

"I..." Ning Hanmo muttered, then lowered his head, saying no more.

After Jiang Yun Chu set his bones, she told Xiao Shunzi and Xiao Dengzi, "Watch over your master; if he moves again, grab a stick and break his leg."

Xiao Dengzi and Xiao Shunzi's faces turned red with strain; they dared not obey, hadn't they seen the young master's tiger-like glare?

If they did obey, the young master would cause trouble again later.

The young master no longer quarrels with the princess consort, but he picks on them instead!

"Hey, Jiang Yun Chu, don't push your luck," the little brat said, his face flushed, looking unhappy.

Jiang Yun Chu glanced at him, snorted coldly, "If you don't behave, you won't heal that leg without me breaking it."

"It's just your luck to have met me—look at the physicians in our manor; which one would willingly come to your courtyard?"

Those physicians came every day for a few days, but later this brat simply wouldn't listen; they reported to the princess consort that the patient was noncompliant, and they really could do nothing.

Moreover, the young master's leg worsens day by day; before it was just a minor ailment, now it truly cannot be cured.

"I understand." Ning Hanmo looked at his leg, nodding helplessly.

"Zhang Xiao San came by today and said you went to beat the petition drum."

Ning Hanmo looked at her with some worry; the petition drum had sounded a few days ago, and he had cursed twice for disturbing his sleep.

The people in the manor naturally wouldn't tell him these things; if it weren't for Xiao San coming over today, shouting that his birth mother had some kind of...

He had no idea that the person who struck the petition drum would be her!

Jiang Yun Chu looked at Ning Hanmo; after a short time, he could already think independently, no longer instinctively opening his mouth when faced with a problem.

"Do you have anything you want to say?" Jiang Yun Chu asked.

Her educational philosophy differs; she won't hide everything from the child, nor will she keep things secret and let the child guess.

In the manor, she is merely a manager; she will later hand the manor over to him, watching him make his choices step by step.

He is not her biological son, but... having come to this other world, after so long together, she has come to regard this little monkey as her own child.

"Is it because of me?" Ning Hanmo asked slowly, but he knew that even if it weren't, there would surely be his own reason.

"Half and half." Jiang Yun Chu nodded.

"Can you tell me about it?" Ning Hanmo said.

Jiang Yun Chu lifted her gaze to the two servants attending in the room; Xiao Shunzi and Xiao Dengzi immediately understood, hurried out of the room, then went far from the door to guard the gate.

"At the West Village racetrack, do you know why the Cao family is causing trouble?" She looked at the six-year-old child and asked seriously.

Such a scene is rare even in modern times, let alone in ancient times—few households could manage it.

"The Cao family can't take anything from our shop anymore." Ning Hanmo nodded; before the fight, that Cao elder had tried to sow discord unsuccessfully, which only made him angry enough to hurl insults, leading to the later brawl.

Jiang Yun Chu raised an eyebrow, "Then you don't blame me?"

She had previously thought he didn't know, but she hadn't expected this brat to be clear-minded inside, yet he kept his questions to himself.

"You're doing it for the manor's good—what do I have to resent you for? Am I someone who can't tell right from wrong?" the boy asked with extreme confidence, his whole expression saying, "You look down on me."

Jiang Yun Chu fell silent for a moment, thinking, "Weren't you like that before?"

It even left her no time to update her ingrained thinking; this question came so suddenly.

"Since you know the reason, let me share my thoughts with you." Jiang Yun Chu said gently, regardless of whether this child would later pursue an official career, join the barracks, or take up commerce.

Before he makes a choice, she still hopes the child will be exposed to more things, rather than her simply pouring knowledge into him.

His future—she wants him to choose it himself.

Scholar, farmer, artisan, merchant, soldier—those who excel in learning become officials.

But that is for ordinary families; the Regent Prince's Manor can let Ning Hanmo choose freely, as long as he truly likes it and can accept all the consequences that come with that liking.

She will support it all.

"May I listen?" Ning Hanmo exclaimed in surprise; Zhang Xiao San and the others always said that when there were family matters, they were merely notified.

Why is it different in their household?

"Aren't you a member of the household?" Jiang Yun Chu looked at him, and without waiting for his reply, she immediately said, "Why can't you listen?"

"Wait another two years, when Yue Yue grows a bit older, we'll also start letting her participate in small matters."

These two children's changes are seen by everyone; especially Shunzi beside Ning Hanmo, the young master used to be such a headache that anyone mentioning him would feel troubled.

But now…

Many things have already changed; it's just that the young master himself hasn't noticed.

The Cao residence is the natal home of the Imperial Consort.

Since the Regent Prince entered the Barracks, everything in the Wang Fu began to be managed by the Imperial Consort, and the Cao residence gradually began to annex.

"Why doesn't that grandmother take care of it?" Ning Hanmo asked.

Jiang Yun Chu shook his/her head, "I also don't know; maybe there are things we don't know, or maybe the Imperial Consort feels she owes the Cao family something."

"These are my guesses; I don't know which is more likely."

Ning Hanmo frowned, "Grandmother and the Cao family have had no contact; over these many years, the Cao family only comes to the door when they need money; I've seen it once, the Cao family's steward has a bad temper, and even when seeing grandmother, shows no respect at all."

"I was very angry back then, but grandmother seemed not to care."

That was last year's matter; he still remembers it vividly.