Chapter 206: An Unexpected Candidate

Xiao Kun was helpless: "You are so rational that you are ruthless. I don't believe that someone like you would fall in love with anyone. Does Xiao Shu know that you are such a person?"

Zhao Shen really didn't like him calling Ji Yunshu like that, but he also knew that Xiao Kun did it on purpose.

He said lightly: "We are husband and wife. She knows me better than you do."

Xiao Kun shrugged noncommittally, obviously not believing it.

Zhao Shen didn't care either. He played chess with him nonchalantly and asked, "Did you come here just to tell me this?"

Xiao Kun leaned back and said lazily, "I've already said that I'm alone and bored."

Zhao Shen looked him up and down and said, "You are not young anymore. Otherwise, talk to the emperor and arrange a marriage for you."

"My life is already an eyesore enough, why bother involving a nice girl?"

He spoke as if he didn't care, but Zhao Shen had also felt this way before, so he didn't say anything else.

The two of them played a game of chess quietly. The endgame was not so easy to solve, and there was still no result in the end.

Seeing that it was getting late, Xiao Kun stretched and stood up, saying, "Let me tell you something. Although I have selfish motives regarding the Yao family's affairs, it's not to trick you. Now that Lu Ningshuang is gone, who do you think is most trusted by my father in the capital?"

"Are you sure?"

Zhao Shen was thinking about this question after he knew that Lu Ningshuang had left, but he didn't expect Xiao Kun to tell him the answer directly.

Yao is such a surprising choice.

"She won't make any moves in the short term. She might arrange for someone to confuse the audience and attract attention, but believe me, there's no one in the capital that he trusts more than Yao."

Zhao Shen felt very strange: "Prince Yong seems to trust women particularly?"

Of course, he can always find powerful women to work for him, which is also a skill.

Xiao Kun had already walked to the door. Upon hearing his words, he curled his lips and turned back to say, "Maybe it's because he thinks women are easier to control, especially those who are deeply in love with him."

Zhao Shen was surprised: "Lu Ningshuang..."

Would a teenage girl fall deeply in love with a man who could be her father?

Xiao Kun: "...I thought we were talking about the Yao family."

Zhao Shen nodded: "So according to the status, she can be considered your concubine mother."

Xiao Kun realized that Zhao Shen was disgusting, and he said without hesitation: "Now she is your legitimate stepmother."

After saying that, he stepped out of the door and left without looking back.

When Jingzhe saw him jump over the wall and disappear, he asked curiously, "What on earth does this Prince Yong want to do?"

I would reveal some information to them from time to time, but sometimes it would also cause trouble, which was really confusing.

Zhao Shen looked at the endgame between the two and pondered for a moment before saying, "Let's just watch the fun."

Dongzhi's eyes widened: "Busy, what's so exciting?"

Zhao Shen pondered Xiao Kun for a long moment before he smiled and said, "In his eyes, the capital and the world are all like a chessboard. There's excitement to be seen everywhere. If there isn't, he'll create some himself."

Jingzhe understood, is this crazy?

He didn't know why his own son thought this way, so he asked cautiously, "Then can you believe what he said?"

"It must be true. This lady in our house is really a character."

Zhao Shen knew before that Yao was not simple, but he didn't expect that the other party could surprise him even more.

New year, new surprises.

When Ji Yunshu woke up, it was still early, but the sky was gloomy and it looked like it was going to snow.

Lu Ru brought her a bowl of soup to feed her. Ji Yunshu took it with her uninjured hand and drank it.

"Whatever happens next, don't make me look like a cripple."

Maybe the force had passed, and when Ji Yunshu was still, he no longer felt any pain.

Lu Ru complained, "You are still injured. The doctor said you need to rest well, but the prince is still doing this in broad daylight."

Ji Yunshu: “…”

She didn't have the nerve to explain that it wasn't Zhao Shen who wanted to do anything wrong, but she was the one who dragged him here.

She coughed twice before saying, "I'm free anyway. By the way, is there anything going on in the mansion today?"

Lan Yin said, "We were supposed to offer ancestral worship today, but the Marquis canceled it, citing illness, and he didn't even show up. Madam Yao didn't have time to worry about it. It's said that the Second Young Master was in Miss Yao's room last night. Although Princess Huimin didn't say anything, Madam summoned the Second Young Master to the main courtyard early this morning and gave him a lecture."

As soon as Ji Yunshu heard it, he knew what Lord Zhao was thinking. If the Crown Prince Zhao Shen didn't participate in ancestor worship, would he let Zhao Heng participate?

It would have been fine if he didn't know before, but now that he knows clearly that Zhao Heng is not his son, and still lets him into the Zhao family's ancestral hall, Lord Zhao might not even be able to get over it in his heart.

As for the Yao family, I'm afraid they have never cared about these false reputations.

Rather than the useless ancestor worship, she was more worried that if Zhao Heng continued like this, she would not be able to explain to the Princess's Mansion.

Tomorrow is the second day of the Chinese New Year, and Wei Yuanmin is going back to her parents' home.

Unless Zhao Heng has made up his mind to give up on any future in this life and just hang out with Yao Ruolan in the backyard, it will be easy for the princess to control him.

She smiled and said, "There's something exciting going on at the Second Young Master's place."

Now that Yao Ruolan is trapped in the backyard, will Zhao Heng still sacrifice his future for her?

If you want to get something from Wei Yuanmin, don’t you have to pay a price?

Lan Yin said, "Isn't it? Miss Cen just sent a letter. Last night, when Mr. Cen should have recorded Cen Yi in the family tree, he produced evidence in front of everyone in the Cen family that Cen Zhang had deceived him into marriage despite having a wife and children, and that he had murdered him for the Cen family's wealth. Cen Zhang and Cen Yi, father and son, have been locked up and are waiting to be reported to the authorities after the New Year."

Ji Yunshu nodded. "The old man is quite courageous. No wonder he has a granddaughter like Cen Xi. With the old man stepping in, things will be much easier to resolve. But how is his health?"

Lan Yin said, "The previous doctors did tamper with the patient, but they also knew they were not legitimate. Even if Cen Yi entered the Cen family, they couldn't let anything happen to the old man right away. The imperial physician has examined him and said there's nothing serious. He just changed the prescription and said he should just take the medicine and take care of himself."

"That's good. Is there no movement from Zhao Heng?"

A day has passed, and Zhao Heng should have received news from the Cen family.

Lan Yin smiled and said, "Of course the Second Young Master got the news, but the evidence presented by Old Master Cen is all true. What can the Second Young Master do? Originally, the Cen family was worried that if he informed the Crown Prince, the Jingzhao Yin would side with Cen Yi. They were also worried that he would attack the Cen family's business in the future, but does he have the ability to do so?"

Ji Yunshu had to admit that even if the relationship between Zhao Shen and Zhao Heng was no different from that of strangers, it was even worse than strangers.

But in the eyes of outsiders, they are brothers.

Zhao Heng can represent the entire marquisate outside.

Not to mention a merchant, even an ordinary dignitary would not dare to offend him easily.

Unfortunately, despite having such good resources and a good environment, he still achieved nothing. He was like a paper tiger that would break at the slightest poke.

"Isn't Cen Yi Yao Ruolan's adopted brother? And she didn't react?"

Not to mention in the book, even now, Cen Yi has helped Yao Ruolan several times.

Lan Yin smiled and said, "Even the Second Young Master can't do anything about it, what can she do? Besides, have you forgotten the excitement you just mentioned? The Second Young Master has to accompany the Princess back to the Princess's Mansion tomorrow, and she can't take care of herself right now."