Chapter 78 A Big Tree Provides Good Shade: ? ? ! ? ! ! Yu Lang knows that Fuzhou is along...

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Yu Lang knew that the people along the coast of Fuzhou were fierce and tough, that the Shi Wenbing family had established themselves through military achievements, and that Shi Wenbing had been a powerful general with troops in his hands all these years, from Jiangnan to Fuzhou.

Even though everyone knew this, Yu Lang was still taken aback when he directly said that he wanted to be the Crown Prince's father-in-law.

No? Does he not understand the Crown Prince's current situation? Last year, the Crown Prince did nothing but still got severely punished by His Majesty. His guards were replaced or demoted one after another. This autumn, he's been running to the Imperial Study every day, neglecting the affairs of the vast country and the nation, spending his days checking the homework of several young princes and teaching them riding and archery.

You keep saying "the sooner the better" without actually saying anything. Everyone knows the道理 (principles/reason), and everyone knows how to say things, but can the Crown Prince control that?

If the Crown Prince dares to go to the Qianqing Palace tomorrow to request an imperial decree to marry the Crown Princess as soon as possible, believe it or not, this father and son could cause trouble for over a year. If the imperial father and son make a big fuss this time, it will be my turn to be the guard who gets kicked out of Yuqing Palace.

Yu Lang said nothing, yet he said everything. Just by looking into his eyes, which held a mixture of doubt and questioning, Shi Wenbing knew how much his words had impacted him.

"I fell ill on the way back to the capital. The news that came back to the capital said that I recovered after the doctor performed acupuncture and bloodletting, but I know in my heart whether I really recovered. If the Crown Prince wants to use the Shi family, it would be best to get married as soon as possible. My people can't be at ease until the Crown Princess comes to the door."

Just as 'my subordinates' subordinates are often not my subordinates,' why did His Majesty insist on waiting until Shi Wenbing's entire family arrived in the capital safely? Firstly, the Crown Prince could not have a Crown Princess who would encounter any accidents before even getting married, and secondly, he could not allow the Crown Princess's family to be ruined before the Crown Prince could even use them.

While the core of maintaining these relationships—disciples, former officials, subordinates, and servants—is undoubtedly interest, interest alone is not enough; there must also be some degree of affection involved.

Human nature is fickle, yet sometimes the human heart is so precious. The people of the Plain White Banner, Jiangnan, and Fuzhou, connected by the Shi family, all had Shi Wenbing as their true anchor.

Shi Wenbing was a general who led troops into battle, but he was not a reckless man. He had loyal generals and officials who had served in their posts for many years. These people were loyal to the court and the emperor, but this was a matter of great principle.

For example, if Shi Wenbing really died, these officials and generals certainly wouldn't rebel because of Shi Wenbing's death, but when that time came, they would all become unclaimed resources.

The ownership of this resource certainly belongs to the big boss, Emperor Kangxi, but under the ownership there is also the right to use it, and who owns this right to use it is uncertain.

At that time, high-ranking officials governing the border regions, and even various factions in the capital's court, will all get involved, offering whatever they can to win over those people. Loyalty has a price, and everyone will have their own agenda. Those who should have been controlled by the Shi family and used by the Crown Prince will find other ways to make a living based on the current situation.

If Shen Wanqing had spoken these words in a concise and to-the-point manner, Shi Wenbing would naturally not have said them to Yulang in the same way. However, there were only three people in the study who didn't need to hide anything from each other, so even if Shi Wenbing spoke in a more tactful and roundabout way, the meaning was still conveyed completely.

In short, Shi Wenbing was terrified after his serious illness. His daughter being chosen as the Crown Princess was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and if he missed this chance, there would be no next time for such a good thing.

His sons were all conservative types. They could hold onto their hereditary third-class earldom and the family property, and they could also win over the closest and most central families who depended on the Shi family. But it wasn't that Shi Wenbing underestimated his sons; it was simply that they weren't cut out for it!

He was even more afraid of things going wrong than the Crown Prince, so he wanted to marry off his daughter as soon as possible while he was still alive. As long as his daughter married the Crown Prince while he was still alive, all the resources belonging to the Shi family could be smoothly transferred to the Crown Prince.

The Shi family's generations of hard work and many years of business cannot just fall apart like this. If the Crown Prince and Crown Princess are of one mind and the sons are honest and dutiful, the Shi family's good days can continue for several more decades.

What about later? The changing times and circumstances beyond that are beyond what an old man like me can foresee, and naturally, it won't be my concern anymore. If the Shi family doesn't produce a single capable descendant in the next few decades, then their gradual decline wouldn't be such a pity.

Yu Lang listened attentively. His first thought was that Shi Wenbing was afraid of the imperial concubine selection next spring. Although everyone knew that the Shi family's daughter was a sure thing to become the crown princess, who could say for sure?

The Hesheli family has enjoyed immense prestige in recent years, but compared to the Niohuru family of Empress Xiaozhao and the Tong family of Empress Xiaoyi, they do not have such a commanding advantage.

So what if your family produced an Empress Yuan? The Niohuru family also had a tenth prince born to a concubine who was a sister of Empress Xiaozhao.

The Tong family was unlucky. Empress Xiaoyi had been in the palace for many years and had a good relationship with the Emperor, but she never gave birth to a prince. However, the Fourth Prince was raised by the Consort from infancy. Apart from not changing his imperial genealogy, he was no different from her own son.

The saying "Ironclad families, ever-changing emperors" may not be entirely accurate in the context of this dynasty, but it holds some truth. Even if these families, like the Hesheli family, supported the crown prince, they would still be no match for the Hesheli family once the prince ascended the throne.

Since they couldn't win against any other prince, they might as well support another one. Mingzhu was the first to understand this and take action. He had the eldest prince, the First Prince, who was the banner of his Yehenara family.

The reason other aristocratic families haven't made any major moves is simply because their young princes haven't grown up yet, and they won't easily place bets. What if he really is an incompetent fool? Ups and downs and temporarily admitting defeat are not a big deal for these aristocratic families, but blindly betting and losing the entire family and their lives would be a greater loss than gain.

Therefore, these aristocratic families all had two plans: on the one hand, they waited for the princes in the palace to grow up, and on the other hand, they tried every means to get their daughters into Yuqing Palace.

If one could become the Crown Princess or the Crown Prince's concubine, the princes born would still have their own bloodline. Even if one couldn't compete in this generation, there would still be endless possibilities in twenty or thirty years.

After all, with the family's wealth accumulated to this point, it's no longer meaningful to pursue money and luxury. What's more alluring and what people yearn for is always just one thing: power, even supreme power!

Why hadn't the Crown Prince's wife been chosen by the time he was seventeen or eighteen? One reason was that Emperor Kangxi was indeed wary of his grown-up son, and the other was, ultimately, the power struggle and checks and balances with those aristocratic families.

Even before the New Year, Yu Lang had already heard that several families were making preparations, and two others were secretly building momentum, each eager to elevate their daughters to the highest rank. Each one was exceptionally talented and beautiful, dignified and virtuous, and quite capable of managing a household. In short, it would be a pity if they entered the palace as concubines; it would be best if they could enter Yu Qing Palace to fulfill their wishes.

The existence of powerful clans is both necessary and undesirable. Yinreng certainly understood this principle. Even though he was in a dilemma, he could not use the powerful Manchu clans to counterbalance Kangxi. If he did that, it wouldn't be considered driving a wolf into swallowing a tiger; it would be called courting death.

Therefore, the Shi family was truly the best support that Kangxi could select for the Crown Prince after careful consideration. Shi Wenbing's decision to hold a plum blossom appreciation banquet today without sending invitations to the families of Suo'etu and Mingzhu was also a way of reassuring Kangxi and the Crown Prince from afar, reiterating that the Shi family was loyal only to His Majesty and the Crown Prince.

The only one who needs to show sincerity now is the Crown Prince. Yinreng needs to make a decision. No matter if he uses tricks, cheating, or fatherly affection, he has to find a way to marry Shi Qionghua back to Yuqing Palace as soon as possible.

This was to show the Shi family and those who wanted to be loyal to the Crown Prince but did not intend to curry favor with the Hesheli family and Suo'etu that the Crown Prince could stand on his own two feet, that loyalty to the Crown Prince did not mean being Suo'etu's slave, and that following the Crown Prince had a future.

"I understand what General Shi means. I will report the general's meaning to the Crown Prince in full when I enter the palace tomorrow."

Yu Lang looked up and carefully scanned Shi Wenbing and Shen Hongshi's faces. Just a moment ago, he thought of something absurd: was it really his second uncle who approached Shen Hongshi back then, or had the Shen family already set their sights on this connection?

However, Yu Lang quickly shook his head again. Even though they had long wanted to separate a branch from the Hesheli family and join forces to suppress Suo'etu in front of the Crown Prince, every step he and Shen Wanqing had taken since their marriage was done by himself.

Or perhaps it is precisely because he and his grandmother have made every step so swiftly and accurately that the three of them are now sitting in the study together, planning for the future.

What do you call this? This is destiny. It's destined that he and his grandmother are a perfect match; neither of them can do without the other. At least, if it weren't for his grandmother on the Shi family's return to Beijing, Shi Wenbing might really have died on the way.

Or perhaps she'd barely make it back to the capital, and then desperately hope that the Emperor would issue an edict to make her daughter the Crown Princess. If that were the case, it would be hard to say whether the Crown Princess would actually be Lady Shi.

Even if he were still a member of the Shi family, it was uncertain whether Shi Wenbing would live to see the Crown Princess's wedding. If he could hold on, that would be better, but if he couldn't, it would be a real disaster. The Shi family's mourning period and wedding would have to be postponed. If this was delayed, not only would the Shi family, without its leader, fall apart, but even the Crown Prince would suffer greatly.

Even if the Crown Princess is chosen, she cannot officially marry into the family. The Crown Prince wouldn't have easy access to the Shi family's extensive connections and influence. Without the Crown Princess's marriage, Yuqing Palace cannot produce a legitimate son. Without a legitimate son, the Crown Prince, no matter how noble, is not considered secure in the eyes of the world.

One thing leads to another. In short, Shi Wenbing was right. They had to hurry up and settle things with the Crown Prince's bride. Ideally, they should issue an imperial decree before the end of the year and have the wedding completed before the end of next year. This was the fastest and most efficient way. After all, there were many things to prepare for the Crown Prince's wedding, and shortening the timeline would be too rushed and unreasonable.

“General Shi, we all know you’re thinking about this for the Crown Prince’s own good. But don’t worry too much about it. Health needs to be nurtured to ensure longevity and good health. In a couple of days, I’ll find a reliable, discreet doctor to come and treat him.”

The matter between the Crown Prince and the Shi family is easy to talk about but difficult to handle, but it will move forward step by step no matter what. On the other hand, Yu Lang carefully observed Shi Wenbing's complexion. It was not good, but it was definitely not bad either. He didn't look like he was going to live for long.

"I'm sorry to trouble you, Lord Yu. The doctor has already been summoned." Yu Lang's words were so sincere that they amused Shi Wenbing. "Don't worry, my lord. Your father-in-law and I are just planning ahead. It would be better if I could live longer. Ultimately, what I'm saying today is to express my loyalty to the Crown Prince through your words."

Whether she was loyal or not, Shen Wanqing didn't know that how long Shi Wenbing lived was not up to her.

She was unaware of what Shi Wenbing was saying to Yu Lang in the study. At that moment, she was being chatted with by Shi Qionghua. The first formal meeting between the time-traveling outsider and the other outsider who had just returned from Fuzhou, thousands of miles away, went quite well.

Today, Shi Qionghua wore a light purple satin shirt embroidered with phoenixes and peonies, with a piping trim on the collar and cuffs, embroidered with simple and elegant intertwined floral patterns.

Beyond the piping, there was a thin, dark blue brocade trim, which tempered the magnolia and peony patterns with a sense of grandeur and composure. Over the shirt, she wore a vest with a magnolia and butterfly pattern. The patterns and designs of the entire dress perfectly matched her current situation and state of mind.

The woman who is about to become the Crown Princess is truly the queen of flowers, with a bright and promising future ahead.

This same person was remarkably approachable and friendly in front of Shen Wanqing. As soon as Shi Qionghua came out of the side room, before Shen Wanqing could even bow and greet her, Shi Qionghua grabbed her arm and pulled her to sit down on the daybed in the side room in a friendly and natural manner.

They asked mostly casual questions, like how the lady of the house was doing, and whether she was adjusting to being away from her parents' home after marrying into the Hesheli family this year. They also asked if the family had enough supplies for the New Year and if she needed help if needed.

"My eldest daughter should have heard about my family's affairs from Steward Shi, right? If you had asked me this three months earlier, I might have had to ask for her help. Now everything is fine. After we finish preparing for the New Year, I can finally focus on preparing things for my aunt's wedding."

"I heard about it the day after I got back, and it was all about your competence, like a story."

"What ability do I have? The young lady must have heard the rumors from one person to another and they all went wrong. I'm just being forced into this situation. I have no choice but to bite the bullet and move forward."

The entire Shi family lived in Fuzhou. Butler Shi and a small group of people stayed in the capital, but most of the time they had nothing to do. Over time, their greatest pleasure was to inquire about all sorts of gossip from various families in the capital.

Some were from the imperial court, but most were from the inner quarters, because seven or eight out of ten things in the inner quarters were related to love affairs. It was either that the lady of the house dealt with the concubine, or that the concubine of another family was favored and more glamorous than the principal wife.

Or, like the Hesheli family, several branches of the family fight over inheritance, often resulting in fierce brawls. Compared to that, the Hesheli family's dispute is nothing.

After returning to the capital, Shi Qionghua had heard quite a bit about the matter, which she considered as a refresher course. After all, once she entered the palace as the Crown Princess, she might not be able to interfere in the affairs of the court ladies and female relatives of the imperial family, but she definitely needed to know about them, otherwise she would make a fool of herself.

“A person who is forced into this task cannot manage to tidy up such a large house. You have a good eye. The day I walked in, I felt like I was finally home. You have tidied up the house so neatly and brightly. I can ask the maids to add anything without it looking out of place or ugly.”

Shi Qionghua wasn't just saying nice things to comfort Shen Wanqing. Those months on the road were truly exhausting, not only physically but also mentally.

Upon entering the house, she didn't notice anything particularly special at first glance. However, after changing her clothes and sitting down, once her hands and feet warmed up, she realized that the house suited her perfectly. If there were any changes to be made, she could simply add what she liked; there was nothing that needed to be replaced.

A person who can handle things like this is definitely not stupid; on the contrary, they are very intelligent. Just like the room she cleaned, the masters may need other people sometimes, but they will never want to replace her.

When Shen Wanqing first met Shi, she felt that the future Crown Princess was dignified and poised, and that she was definitely cut out to be the Crown Princess.

This time when I saw her again, I found Shi Qionghua quite interesting. She dropped her pretentious airs and was just like any other unmarried girl, even with an exceptionally easygoing personality.

Shen Wanqing never expected that the future Crown Princess would be like this when she was hiding something, or rather, she never expected that she would show her this side of herself. Such a thick and conspicuous olive branch was being offered to her, and if she didn't seize it, she would really be a fool.

"As long as you like it, my efforts won't have been in vain."