good season

Chapter 294 Princess Huixin's Thoughts (Two chapters combined)

"You said you wanted to plant fruit trees on the mountain. Did the villagers agree? I remember a few old fellows objected?" the Emperor Emeritus asked.

Zhao Guanyue: "It doesn't matter if some people object. The villagers will vote by raising their hands, and the minority will obey the majority. However, now is not the time to plant. We will have to wait until next spring."

The retired emperor lamented, "It's a pity I won't be able to see the mountains and fields laden with fruit."

Zhao Guanyue: "Why can't I see it? If my grandfather wants to see it, I will accompany you."

The Emperor Emeritus was overjoyed. He thought that his own grandson was the best, and only his own grandson would be willing to accompany him to that remote and impoverished place.

Thinking of the poverty in Dawang Village, the Emperor Emeritus pictured Zhao Guanyue wearing coarse linen clothes with her trousers rolled up.

But a discordant voice rang in his ears: "Young Master Guanyue is kind, righteous, pure, and filial. My son is about the same age as Young Master Guanyue, but he is as different as sand and gold.

Having been away from the capital for too long, the Emperor Emeritus was unaware of the great achievements of the brothers who broke the stone. He felt that the Prince of Lu's heir still had merits, for example, the Prince of Lu's heir was very self-aware now.

My grandson is like a piece of unpolished jade from Mount Jing; a single ray of clear light illuminates the nine palaces.

How can you mere mortals compare?

The Emperor Emeritus smiled and nodded, his gaze toward Prince Lu's heir softening even more.

Prince Lu's heart pounded. He seemed to know why the Emperor Emeritus had sent someone to carry him here.

At this moment, the Crown Prince of Lu didn't think of his own father, but rather of Zhao Tingluo.

He recalled Zhao Tingluo's composure when he met Zhao Guanyue earlier that day.

It seems that the Emperor Emeritus had already summoned him privately before today.

The Crown Prince of Lu sighed inwardly: "Zhao Tingluo and I represent the Lu Prince's Mansion and the Fu Prince's Mansion, respectively. The Emperor Emeritus wants to support Zhao Guanyue, which requires the support of the imperial clan, and when it comes to the imperial clan, the Lu Prince's Mansion and the Fu Prince's Mansion are unavoidable!"
Prince Lu's gaze fell on Zhao Guanyue. If it was true that the Emperor Emeritus was supporting Zhao Guanyue, then my guess was correct. Xiao Yue, no, Zhao Guanyue, was the son of Emperor Xiaokang.

Zhao Guanyue is only fourteen or fifteen years old now, so when Emperor Xiaokang passed away twelve years ago, he was only two or three years old.

I happen to remember one of the two- or three-year-old children.

That was Zhao Yuan, the eldest and only son of Emperor Xiaokang!

Xiao Yue is Zhao Yuan, and Zhao Yuan is Zhao Guanyue. The retired emperor wants Zhao Guanyue to replace the current emperor!
Upon thinking of this, the Crown Prince of Lu's legs went weak, and he knelt down on the ground. His knees hit the floor tiles, and a sharp pain shot through him. The Crown Prince of Lu's mind also cleared up.

The retired emperor is going to rebel!

No, the term "rebellion" cannot be used to describe the retired emperor; it should be "forced abdication."

No wonder Zhao Chen claimed to be ill and didn't come; that old fox must have guessed it long ago.

So what does Zhao Tingluo mean?
Look how calm that little brat is, has he sided with the Emperor Emeritus?

The current emperor favors him so much, yet he betrays the emperor and chooses the retired emperor instead. What a heartless scoundrel!

But then Prince Lu thought again, "The Emperor treats Zhao Tinglu so well, yet Zhao Tinglu still chooses the Retired Emperor. What does this mean? It means the Retired Emperor has the upper hand!"
Zhao Chen was a cunning old fox, and Prince Fu was the cunningest of the cunning old foxes. What Zhao Chen could think of, Prince Fu must have thought of as well.

Therefore, before even leaving the capital, Prince Fu and his grandson Zhao Tinglu had already weighed their options carefully and made their choice.

Sigh, his own father is even called the Crouching Dragon and the Young Phoenix by others, but he can't even think of things that the Prince of Fu can think of.

The Crown Prince of Lu was increasingly disappointed with his father. Since his father had not given him any instructions, what could he do but go with the flow?

Zhao Tingluo, representing the Prince of Fu's Mansion, has taken sides, while Zhao Chen, representing the Imperial Clan Court, has abstained. Of course, the Prince of Lu's Mansion could also choose the current emperor, but they feel that this choice is not safe.

The Crown Prince of Lu was in a state of turmoil, so much so that he didn't even hear the words "No need for formalities, rise."

The retired emperor glanced at him and said coldly, "Does the heir of Prince Lu intend to kneel here forever?"

Standing to the side, Zhao Shiqing looked at the Prince of Lu kneeling on the ground with some amusement. Fortunately, the Broken Stone Brother was not like him, otherwise they wouldn't even be able to be friends.

Out of respect for the Broken Stone Brothers, Zhao Shiqing kindly reminded them, "Young Master, Young Master!"

Prince Lu's wandering thoughts were finally pulled back to reality. He shuddered and subconsciously looked at Zhao Shiqing.

Zhao Shiqing said softly, "The Emperor Emeritus asks you to rise."

Prince Lu suddenly realized: "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty!"

The Emperor Emeritus: I'm just telling you to stand up.

The Crown Prince of Lu got up from the ground and thumped his chest loudly: "Uncle, I am a rough man and have nothing but my unwavering loyalty to you."

The retired emperor, somewhat unable to bear it any longer, patiently asked, "I've heard you have two sons. How old are they?"

Prince Lu's heart skipped a beat. Zhao Tingluo, that little rascal, was so quick to choose sides. It must be because the Emperor Emeritus had given him a sweet treat. What kind of sweet treat?

Although Zhao Tingluo was four or five years younger than Zhao Guanyue, they were about the same age.

Four large characters flashed through the mind of the Crown Prince of Lu—

The merit of following the dragon!

Damn it!
Did the Prince of Fu's Mansion have merit in supporting the emperor?

Isn't he just a brat about the same age as Zhao Guanyue?

It's not just the Prince Fu's Mansion that has them; the Prince Lu's Mansion has them too. When it comes to unruly children, the Prince Lu's Mansion dares to claim second place, and no one in the entire capital dares to claim first.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, my two rascals, one eighteen and the other sixteen, are both restless and know every corner of the capital well."

The Emperor Emeritus nodded: "When we return to the capital, let them get closer to Guanyue. They are all young people, and I think they will be able to play together."

The Crown Prince of Lu grinned from ear to ear: "We'll definitely get along, we definitely will!"

The retired emperor smiled and said, "You are a smart man, much better than your father. I imagine your two sons are good too."

Prince Lu was overjoyed; his secret of being better than his father had finally been discovered!
This time, the Prince of Lu walked out of the courtyard in a daze again. As the saying goes, things will turn around when they reach their extreme, and once is enough, twice is not enough. Their Prince of Lu family has been useless for two generations. Now, with the third generation, they are finally going to be able to hold their heads high.

From the power of the dragon!
From the power of the dragon!
Although the Crown Prince of Lu was still carried back, he was no longer afraid; instead, he thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of soaring through the clouds.

Today I've secured such a great opportunity. If those two unfilial sons dare to be disobedient in the future, I'll skin them alive!

The seventh prince, who was fast asleep at the moment, never dreamed that an alliance had been formed without his knowledge!
Two days later, news of the retired emperor's return to the capital reached the city. Emperor Yongjia, along with his third, sixth, and eighth princes, and members of the imperial family, as well as civil and military officials, went out of the city to welcome him.

Upon learning that her son was still alive, Princess Jiayi was said to have fainted three times from excitement. Prince Consort Xiao knelt before the Heavenly Venerable for an entire night, thanking him for his miraculous intervention that brought their beloved son back to life.

Of course, this was all an act for the couple to put on for others; they knew better than anyone whether their son was alive or dead. Meanwhile, there was another person who was genuinely weeping with joy.

That was Princess Huixin.

She pledged her allegiance to Consort Qiao. With Lin Sen dead, she no longer needed to marry into the family. However, this was only temporary. Princess Huixin knew that in Consort Qiao's eyes, she had only one use: to win people's hearts.

She was going to get married sooner or later. The difference was that before, her marriage was decided by the emperor and empress, but now, it was Consort Qiao who decided her fate.

However, in any case, she no longer needed to give the money to that slut Lin Sen, and Princess Huixin felt that she had made the right move.

Especially now, Xiao Zhen is indeed still alive!

Princess Huixin tried to hide her excitement and pretended not to know anything.

Ever since she saw that figure from behind, she was convinced that it was Xiao Zhen, and that Xiao Zhen was still alive.

But that figure never appeared again, so she had no choice but to give up.

Now Xiao Zhen is coming back, and he will appear before the world openly and honestly.

A thought surged in Princess Huixin's mind: this was her chance, and she had to seize it.

Before the Emperor Emeritus arrived in the capital, she went to the palace to see Consort Qiao.

Consort Qiao was feeling troubled. She had just received news that the Emperor Emeritus had bestowed a surname upon Shen Guanyue, not only recording her in the imperial clan genealogy but also placing her under the name of Emperor Xiaokang!

Although Zhao Guanyue was merely an adopted son, and out of respect for Emperor Xiaokang, he could at most be granted the title of prince, for some reason, Consort Qiao felt uneasy.

Originally, she wanted Fan Qiuyun to stay in the palace for a few more days, but now that she felt uneasy, she asked Fan Qiuyun to leave the palace ahead of schedule and sent a letter to her family to move the marriage forward.

Once Fan Qiuyun marries into the Qiao family, the baby in her womb will be safe, and whether it's a boy or a girl, it won't affect the Third Prince.

Fan Qiuyun naturally refused. She wanted to marry into the Third Prince's household, to become a concubine, and eventually, a Noble Consort.

But she had no choice. Although she was extremely unwilling, she was stuffed into a small sedan chair and carried into the Qiao family's villa.

Princess Huixin entered the palace just as Fan Qiuyun left.

The two happened to meet outside the palace gate. Princess Huixin was somewhat surprised, but Fan Qiuyun looked at her with a half-smile. As they brushed past each other, she heard Fan Qiuyun's mocking voice: "So this is what a princess is like."

Princess Huixin stood there stunned. Had Fan Qiuyun guessed her purpose in entering the palace?
So Fan Qiuyun despises her?

What right does Fan Qiuyun have to look down on her?

The Fan family claims to be a scholarly family, but they are actually engaged in business. Fan Qiuyun claims to be a female official in the palace, but she has an ambiguous relationship with the Third Prince. Now she is going to marry into the Qiao family. There is no guarantee that there will be some dirty secrets involved.

And she was a princess.

Princess Huixin composed herself, raised her head, and stepped into the palace gate.

Her head was held high the whole way, as if she was afraid that if she lowered it even slightly, she would never be able to lift it again.

She met with Consort Qiao and shared her thoughts.

"I want to marry Xiao Zhen."

Consort Qiao glanced at her: "Xiao Zhen? He and you are cousins, and you can be considered childhood sweethearts. If Jiayi had taken a liking to you, you would have been together long ago. Why wait until now? Don't forget, you are Jiayi's own niece. She has never given you a kind look. I advise you to stop dreaming. With your status, the best way out is to marry a poor scholar."

Princess Huixin had guessed that Consort Qiao would say this. If it were a year ago, she would not have dared to refute it, but now, she could only smile slightly.

"Your Highness, it's quite a coincidence that I just ran into Lady Fan at the palace gate. It's been many days since I last saw her. Lady Fan has become much plumper, and even her lower abdomen is a bit rounder."

A cold glint flashed in Consort Qiao's eyes.

She had just met Fan Qiuyun today. Fan Qiuyun wasn't showing any signs of pregnancy yet, so unless you paid close attention, you definitely wouldn't be able to tell.

Huixin certainly didn't realize that she knew something, or that she was playing a trick.
Consort Qiao did not want to gamble.

Her decision to marry her pregnant female official to her own nephew was not only a scandal, but also a crime punishable by death. If word got out, she and her family would lose all face.

Moreover, the child in Fan Qiuyun's belly is the Third Prince's.

Of course, in this situation, it would be wise to have Fan Qiuyun abort her pregnancy.

But this was the Third Prince's first child, and he was reluctant to part with him, as was Consort Qiao.

Therefore, under the current circumstances, the easiest thing for Consort Qiao to think of and do is to have Fan Qiuyun marry into the Qiao family.

Seeing that Consort Qiao remained silent, Princess Huixin continued, "Your Highness, Xiao Zhen was found by the Emperor Emeritus and has made great contributions in Tongzhou. This means that His Majesty will surely entrust him with important responsibilities."

You said that Xiao Zhen and I are cousins, but have you forgotten that Xiao Zhen and the Third Prince are also cousins ​​who are blood relatives?

But I remember that Xiao Zhen and the Third Prince didn't seem to be close.

"Alas, what a pity! Such talent cannot be used by the Third Prince."

Consort Qiao felt a chill run down her spine. She had suspected that Emperor Yongjia had instructed the Fourth Prince to do Xiao Zhen's accident, but now it seemed unlikely.

Xiao Zhen and the Third Prince are not close, and the problem lies with Jia Yi.

Jiayi looked down on her as a Noble Consort, so she preferred to let Xiao Zhen associate with the Fourth Prince rather than let him play with the Third Prince.

Back then, Xiao Zhen was just a teenager. Now, however, he has not only grown up but has also gotten involved with the retired emperor after experiencing life and death.

As a Noble Consort, Consort Qiao was all too aware of the Emperor Emeritus's attitude towards his grandsons.

To put it nicely, it was an oversight; to put it bluntly, it was simply that they didn't care about it at all!
But things are different now; the retired emperor clearly intends to elevate Xiao Zhen.

Seeing that her expression had softened, Princess Huixin continued, "As long as Your Highness can lend me a hand, I will have a way to bring him closer to the Third Prince after I marry Xiao Zhen."

Consort Qiao looked at her and said, "You? What makes you think you can do this? What means do you have to make Xiao Zhen listen to you?"

Princess Huixin clenched her fists tightly inside her sleeves: "I, I, I grew up with him. I know he is proud of the Xiao family, but the Xiao family has been suppressed all these years. As long as the Third Prince is willing to get close to the Xiao family, I can persuade him to serve the Third Prince."

Consort Qiao chuckled twice, clearly not taking what she said seriously.

"Fine, I'll give you a chance. Jiayi and her son will be reunited. Knowing her personality, she'll definitely want to hold a grand banquet. I'll have someone accompany you then. As for whether it will work out, that depends on your own abilities."

Princess Jiayi never paid any attention to her two nieces, and she would never send an invitation to Princess Huixin's banquet. However, it was not difficult for Consort Qiao to get an invitation.

(End of this chapter)