tallest building

Chapter 256 Determined to Fight

Ying Bai was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at his mother in disbelief.

"Why are you staring at me like that? Don't you recognize me?" Princess Chu asked him.

"Mother, didn't you always tell me to be patient? Why are you acting so differently now?" Ying Tong asked. "Why...why is that?"

"We've been patient and tolerant, but now they're baring their teeth and claws at us," Princess Chu sneered. "The Liu family's affairs from the previous dynasty are causing a ruckus, but they're actually aimed at us."

"Why are they making things so difficult for us? Is it just because I won that horse?" Ying Bai couldn't help but worry.

"Silly child, you don't know yet!" Princess Chu looked around and lowered her voice even further. "What do you think Qi Sihe is trying to do? He wants to choose a suitable husband for his daughter between you and Ying Tong, so he had you two compete at the banquet."

"Is that so? Mother, how did you find out?" Ying Bai was genuinely surprised.

“You’re still a child, what could you possibly know? If it weren’t for this, why would Prince Zhao and the others be so hostile?” Princess Chu said. “Their family isn’t short of a horse, and the Emperor and Empress won’t change their opinion of you two just because you won for a moment. So the key point is still with Prince Fenye; Prince Zhao and the others must have known this before us.”

"How did Mother know? Who told you?" Ying Bai couldn't help but ask.

“My child, this is what I want to tell you. Now that you are in the palace, you should get close to Princess Duanmin and try to please Zhuolahan.”

I noticed that the princess really likes you. Didn't she just say at the banquet that she wanted to adopt you as her godson? You mustn't let her kindness go to waste.

Furthermore, she is also Princess Zhuolahan's elder and the Grand Consort of the King of Fenye, so she has a say in the matter of choosing a husband. "The Queen Consort of Chu instructed earnestly.

“But Mother, I don’t like Zhuolahan either. She’s too willful and capricious.” Ying Tong frowned.

"Silly child, so what if she's willful and capricious? You must know that behind her are 100,000 iron cavalry from the north!" The Princess of Chu couldn't help but pinch her son. "If you don't want to suffer humiliation and be driven to a dead end by the Prince of Zhao and the others, you have to rely on the power of the Divided Frontier!"

“But…but they can’t stay in the capital permanently,” Ying Bai said. “They’ll have to go back to the north after three months to half a year.”

"You do know this," Princess Chu glanced at her son, "but you've patiently listened to me finish. Besides, you'll need to rely on Master Zhuge in the palace; he greatly admires you. With his status, even the Emperor and Empress respect him. Having him speak on your behalf is a great help!"

“How does Mother know that the Master appreciates me? He has only praised me once or twice,” Ying Bai said. “How could he be someone I can rely on?”

He felt that what his mother said was a bit of an exaggeration.

"You didn't know, did you?" Princess Chu smiled smugly. "Master Huaying is staying in our residence now! He came to our house on the orders of Master Zhuge. He even told us about the King of Fenye choosing a son-in-law. Otherwise, how would your father and I have known?"

"Mr. Hua Ying... he actually came to our house, is that really true? Could he be an imposter?" Ying Bai still couldn't believe it.

“There are quite a few people in the capital who know Mr. Hua Ying. If you are worried, you and Chang’an can go to our house to meet him one of the time,” said Princess Chu. “Otherwise, how can I let you compete for him?” “Does Mother mean that I should compete with Ying Tong for Zhuolahan?” Ying Bai asked.

"It's not just about competing for this. From now on, we must climb up step by step, until we reach the very top!" The Princess of Chu's cheeks stung from the cold wind, but her eyes shone brightly. "Ying Tong is a fool. You must find a way to provoke him in the palace and embarrass him!"

As for Princess Zhao, she had originally gone to see the Empress, but upon arriving at the door, she learned that the head of the Eighth Bureau was inside reporting to the Empress, so she could not go in. Therefore, she went to her son's residence instead.

They ran into Ying Tong's wet nurse, who quickly stepped forward to greet her.

"How have things been these past few days? Are you still angry?" Princess Zhao asked.

"Your Highness, our young master hasn't been feeling well these past few days. I just picked up some medicine from the hospital." The wet nurse was carrying two packets of medicine.

Princess Zhao was naturally anxious upon hearing this and asked, "What are the symptoms? Which imperial physician examined you? What prescription was given?"

"Your Highness, there's no need to worry too much. She just has a bit of a headache and cough. We called Physician Wu to examine her, and after taking two doses of the prescription, she's already feeling better," the wet nurse said hurriedly.

"That's good," Princess Zhao said, feeling much relieved. "When the child is sick, he doesn't like to eat. You can prepare several meals a day, even if he only eats two or three bites each time."

"The princess instructed that five or six meals be prepared every day these days, so that the prince would not be allowed to go hungry," the wet nurse said.

"Look, I'm just too worried. You're always so meticulous, otherwise I wouldn't have let you accompany Tong'er into the palace," Princess Zhao said with a laugh.

"You ask about every detail because you can't be by the prince's side," the wet nurse sighed. "The hearts of parents are always full of love and concern!"

“I think his illness is also because he is not happy. You should remind him more often not to be so impulsive and easily angered,” said Princess Zhao. “I know you are taking very good care of him, but what I am really worried about is his temper.”

"It's not that I'm being nosy, but it's also no wonder our young master is unhappy. For example, today, Princess Duanmin invited the Prince of Chu's son and the others to eat roasted mutton, but she didn't even ask our young master. She said our young master was sick, but she could at least have said something to show some courtesy. She didn't even send over a single person as small as a grasshopper, and she just ignored us." Ying Tong's wet nurse said with dissatisfaction.

In the past, the Crown Prince of Zhao was the most important person in the palace, and no one dared to neglect him. Even she, his wet nurse, was respected by everyone.

Princess Zhao was naturally distressed to hear that her son had been neglected, so she asked the wet nurse, "Does the Empress know about this?"

"This servant doesn't know if Her Majesty the Empress knows or not, but I heard that Princess Duanmin and the others have refused to give the Empress any face. There's no distinction between superiors and inferiors in the palace these days." The wet nurse pouted. "Her Majesty the Empress originally wanted to invite them to eat mutton soup, but they didn't appreciate it. Our young master is currently ill and shouldn't eat mutton, so she ordered the imperial kitchen to prepare a lighter meal and send it over. Her Majesty the Empress cares very much about our young master."

The two arrived while they were talking. The wet nurse lifted the curtain, and the palace maids inside came to greet them.

"I feel cold, so I'll sit in the outer room for a while." After Princess Zhao finished speaking, the palace maid immediately stepped forward to take off her outer clothes and brought over a charcoal brazier.