Selling wife for fame? Kick out the scumbag and marry the new emperor to enjoy the harem of favors

Chapter 257

While seemingly mocking Xie Wei's inability to make friends, the message was actually a message to Zhao Xingjin: if He Anshi could truly be close to Xie Wei, then he must be the same kind of person as Xie Wei—sincere, loyal, and patriotic.

As for whether the two were actually on good terms, Xie Jiu didn't know. If you want to know, go and find out for yourself.

What Zhao Xingjin found out himself is definitely more credible than what she said.

These words dispelled much of Zhao Xingjin's already few doubts and displeasure.

"Alright, sit down and let's talk." His tone softened.

Xie Jiu responded, then suddenly asked, "Does Your Majesty know why I know about the Duke of Anguo sending gifts to the second and third place scholars?"

Zhao Xingjin was wondering why she had brought up matters of the court again, but when she looked up, she saw that Xie Jiu's eyes were shining brightly, as if she had discovered something very interesting and wanted to share it.

Zhao Xingjin found his chubby face inexplicably cute and couldn't help but laugh.

He couldn't maintain his serious expression any longer. "Tell me about it."

"Wu Que has a younger sister named Wu Qingchan. Before the Wu family was raided, she married Zhou Zhiqing, a junior official in the Hanlin Academy," Xie Jiu said. He then explained, "The Emperor knows this Lord Zhou. Last year, when the Xichi delegation came to the capital, he wrote poems and couplets that surpassed those of the Xichi envoys. The Emperor even praised him."

Zhao Xingjin recalled and nodded, "Yes, I have some impression of him. I didn't expect him to marry a woman from the Wu family. I'm afraid his career has suffered a lot."

"Indeed! I originally thought that he and Wu Qingchan were deeply in love, but I never expected that he would become a heartless man after only a little over a year of marriage. He demoted Wu to a concubine and then married the young lady of the Xuanwen Earl's mansion. This time, he came to the autumn hunt as the son-in-law of the Earl's mansion!"

Xie Jiu spoke with great enthusiasm about this gossip, and only after finishing did she add, "I was just curious about this person, so I sent someone to check him out. My person overheard him talking to his new wife about how the Duke of Anguo's mansion sent people to deliver gifts to the second and third place scholars. Later, I met Scholar He and asked him a question, only to find out that the Duke of Anguo had forgotten to send gifts to Scholar He."

When people are listening to gossip, they are always more interested in the news. Zhao Xingjin was no exception to this rule. After listening, he completely ignored the rest of the story about the Duke of Anguo's mansion and only asked questions.

"How could the young lady of the Xuanwen Earl's mansion possibly fancy such a heartless and fickle person?"

“Of course they kept it a secret! The Wu family has a long history of sins, and the two of them got married just to help the Wu family escape. It was all very rushed. There was no wedding banquet, and the Zhou family elders never even met her. Although there was a marriage certificate and the documents were officially issued, in common marriages, the wedding ceremony is still more important. That’s why the Zhou family elders didn’t acknowledge the Wu family. Zhou Zhiqing also kept it a secret from outsiders, afraid that others would know his wife’s identity. Therefore, most people don’t know that he has been married.” Xie Jiu explained.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xingjin frowned. "This is really going too far. This person is too cunning and heartless, only caring about his own interests. Such a person cannot be entrusted with important responsibilities. Otherwise, if he gains power in the future, he may become a treacherous minister."

"Your Majesty is right," Xie Jiu silently echoed.

She genuinely disliked Wu Qingchan, but she despised Zhou Zhiqing, that scoundrel, even more.

With this interruption, Zhao Xingjin's thoughts had already drifted off track, and he no longer remembered He Anshi.

After a long day of work, feeling exhausted, he drank a cup of digestive tea and then lay down for a nap, with Xie Jiu naturally accompanying him.

He was not woken up by the servants until half an hour later.

In the afternoon, the emperor and his subjects should also enjoy themselves together.