Proud Feather

Chapter 126 Message
When Xiao Yu woke up early in the morning, she felt a familiar scent in the air, damp and cold.

The servant boy ran over excitedly, shouting, "Young master, it's snowing!"

So this is the smell of snow. Xiao Yu imagined a white expanse in the courtyard and smiled, "Are you homesick?"

The servant nodded: "We've been away from home for almost three months now."

Gongsun Hong walked over with a sigh: "The kids are always thinking about home. Snow is not a good thing for us. In recent years, whenever the rivers freeze over, the Northern Hu come to harass us. I didn't know things had been so turbulent lately."

The servant boy said nonchalantly, "Sir, don't take advantage of my young age! The weather in the capital is different from that in the north. According to the seasons, the river froze over last month. We haven't received any intelligence, so we're fine. Young master, don't you think so?"

Xiao Yu chuckled: "Sir, you can't fool a child."

Gongsun Hong laughed heartily: "Not bad, you've made progress."

As he spoke, Wu Zhiyong returned from outside, took off his straw hat, shook off the snowflakes, and said, "The snow in the capital is so light, it's really boring!"

"Of course, it can't compare to our northern lands," Gongsun Hong replied casually, then asked him, "Any new news from outside?"

Wu Zhiyong grunted, "Does the princess count as staying at Jinshui Garden these past few days?"

Jinshui Garden was a royal garden, housing rare birds and animals brought as tribute, and also featuring a huge horse racing track. Chu Ling was lively and active from a young age, and Jinshui Garden was her favorite place to visit.

Gongsun Hong curled his lip: "What's so new about this?"

Wu Zhiyong chuckled and said, "I thought you wanted to know, young master."

So the two of them looked at Xiao Yu together.

Although Xiao Yu was blind, he still felt a sense of unease and said, "Whether you want to know or not depends on whether this information is useful. Is the princess alone, or is His Majesty with her?"

"One person." Wu Zhiyong smiled. "If you wish to see him, young master, I will find a way to send a message."

"..." Xiao Yu remained calm and composed. "There's no need to disturb her. It seems the princess handled this matter perfectly, putting His Majesty at ease so quickly."

Wu Zhiyong and Gongsun Hong simultaneously hissed, one saying, "Young master, why are you pretending to be so serious! Wanting to be a prince consort isn't a bad thing."

Another response was: "That's right, how about we meet and ask the princess? What's the big deal?"

Xiao Yu said helplessly, "Don't overthink it, there's nothing between me and the princess..."

“We all saw it that night.”

"A lone man and woman embracing and hugging..."

"Nobody would believe me if I said nothing happened!"

The two of them sang together, and it went so smoothly.

The servant boy also popped out: "Young master, have you seen the princess before?"

"Ok?"

"Otherwise, why would she say it was you? It's like she knows you."

Xiao Yu remained silent. In fact, he was also puzzled. After returning that day, he had been thinking about it over and over again, feeling that the princess's behavior was a bit strange, but no matter how hard he racked his brains, he couldn't recall any connection with the princess.

He grew up in the north, while the princess had never left the capital. If it weren't for the crown prince's accident, he might only have had the chance to meet her when he was summoned to the capital. Gongsun Hong sided with him this time: "The princess couldn't possibly have met you, otherwise how could she not know his identity?"

"That's true..."

Wu Zhiyong then steered the conversation back to the main topic: "Young Master, have you decided whether you want to become the princess's husband? I think it's a really good idea. First, the princess is beautiful and intelligent, a perfect match for you. Second, marrying the princess will give us a powerful backer. Third, she shares your interests, which is quite rare!"

"Old Wu makes a good point." After praising her, Gongsun Hong changed the subject, "But have you thought about it? The princess made it very clear that night that her goal is... If this succeeds, she will naturally rise to the top and become incredibly wealthy, but if it fails, the Xiao family will become traitors and rebels along with her."

The servant chimed in, "What Xiao family? The second master and the young master aren't on the same page. Who knows, he might arrest the young master first!"

"..." Although children don't understand profound principles, they hit the nail on the head.

Gongsun Hong chuckled, "That's right. Even if you really want to help the princess, there's still a roadblock ahead! We need to take back the military power first before we can talk about what comes next."

Relieved that he wasn't being pressed for answers, Xiao Yu nodded and said, "Let's deal with the immediate problem first."

So Gongsun Hong pondered, "The Taoist priest said that the young master's eyes have been delayed, and a full recovery can't be rushed. We'll probably have to stay until March next year. As for the princess, I don't think there will be any progress in the short term. How about we move to the Sanqing Temple?"

Wu Zhiyong didn't object, but the servant was reluctant to leave. There were so many delicious and fun things to do in the capital, but if he went to the Sanqing Temple, he would have to eat vegetarian food.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Yu refused outright: "No need. My senior brother has already given me the medicine and will come to check on me regularly, so it won't interfere with my recovery. Although the Crown Prince's case is temporarily closed, there is still an important matter to attend to."

"what?"

"The Crown Princess should move to another palace," Xiao Yu said softly. "Before His Majesty establishes a new Crown Prince, the Eastern Palace must be vacated."

The subordinates remained silent, their hearts filled with sorrow.

Although they had never met the Crown Prince, he had received considerable help from him during the young master's difficult years. The Crown Princess's move to another palace signified that everything that once belonged to the Crown Prince was being handed over. From now on, the title of Crown Prince would be held by someone else, and would have no further connection with Chu Yi.

"Isn't there any other way?" Wu Zhiyong asked. "The young prince is still alive. If we don't move the palace, is it possible to try and persuade him?"

Xiao Yu shook his head: "Why do you think the princess was sad that day? Because she glimpsed the Emperor's intentions. If His Majesty intended to establish the youngest grandson as heir, he wouldn't have let the Crown Prince case end so muddily."

“Yes!” Gongsun Hong sighed. “His Majesty will not establish a grandson as heir. He has other sons, born to his favorite concubine. A son’s status depends on his mother, and this has always been the case. From this perspective, perhaps only the princess can compete for the throne.”

He laughed again as he spoke: "Thinking about it this way, the princess isn't just daydreaming!"

Xiao Yu's face showed no smile, for he knew there was another layer of imperial intent. His Majesty's previous coldness was a deliberate attempt to tame the princess.

Therefore, the princess's idea was truly bold and crazy.

But for some reason, it made him feel excited.

"Old Wu, send a message to Jinshui Garden: invite Princess to dinner tonight or tomorrow night, the time is up to her."

After Xiao Yu finished speaking, his three subordinates chuckled.

Wu Zhiyong said, "Young master, just say so if you want to send a message. There's no need to go through all that trouble."

Gongsun Hong smiled and waved his fan: "Even if we don't become the prince consort, we can still enjoy some romance and poetry."

The servant nodded vigorously: "A beautiful night with flowers in bloom, a perfect time to meet under the lamp. Although you can't see the beauty, you can be the one being looked at!"

I'll be busy these next couple of days visiting the hospital to take care of someone, but I'll try to update as soon as possible.