Chapter 101 A Terrible Background (Not Guaranteed to be True...)

After clarifying his stance in the restaurant, Shen Shuzhi felt he had properly handled this crucial matter concerning his position and was relieved of a major worry.

Unlike others, he couldn't pledge allegiance to the new ruler without any burden. Given his past status, even if he spoke, the new ruler wouldn't dare believe him. But now it's different!

These past few days, Shen Shuzhi seized the opportunity and quickly arranged for himself to be appointed as an official on patrol of waterways, and happily prepared to leave the capital.

I don't know what's going on... Business trips that are usually so hard to avoid are now in high demand. If Shen Shuzhi didn't have some real skills, he wouldn't have been able to get one.

"...Hmph, there are more people than I thought." Shen Shuzhi was suspicious for a long time, but he was convinced that this was definitely related to his group of colleagues who had had extraordinary encounters.

No, it's hard to say.

Market prices are becoming more and more chaotic, and the fierce infighting among the princes is almost out in the open. His Majesty has remained silent with an ambiguous attitude. The capital city is like a multi-layered firecracker, ready to explode at any moment.

Any perceptive official would probably be itching to get away from this mess, right?

Before leaving, Shen Shuzhi waited until the day her son returned from his vacation and instructed her simple-minded and scheming son: "I will be back as late as possible after I leave. You stay home and take care of things. Don't get involved in anything that happens."

The eldest son of the Shen family first answered honestly, then raised his eyelids to carefully look at his father's face, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Our family... are we waiting for the Sixth Prince to return?"

Faced with his father's long absence and the precarious situation in the capital, the eldest son of the Shen family felt he was already a capable pillar of the household. Even so... shouldn't his father have a heart-to-heart talk? So that when he's in the capital in the future, he'll know what kind of incense the Shen family burns for.

Shen Shuzhi immediately took a deep breath: "What sixth prince! We won't side with either of them!"

"Impossible!" The eldest son of the Shen family blurted out without thinking. He covered his head and tried to run away, but his body instinctively knelt down. He asked for confirmation, still confused. "Father, you're not even going to Master's mansion anymore, and I've changed jobs here. Aren't we waiting for the Sixth Prince... Could it be, could it be that the Seventh Prince has something good about him?"

He pondered and speculated.

Shen Shuzhi felt as if his head was about to explode.

This son... this son, sometimes I hate that he's so much like me!

It's a lie to say the Shen family was wholeheartedly loyal and didn't want to get involved in the princes' struggle for the throne. The princes were getting older, and it was common for them to have their own ambitions. But how could this fool have such poor judgment? Couldn't he see the second prince, who was already quite grown up?! He even included the young seventh prince who was still studying! He counted them all and still couldn't get it right?!

Shen Shuzhi was disappointed in his son's lack of progress, and knowing that he had to talk about this matter, he decided to.

He took a deep breath: "Get up first."

The father and son sat down together in the study. Shen Shuzhi watched coldly as his eldest son settled in before he began to coax him:

"Do you know... that our Emperor has a secret from his early years? It is said that he truly loved and respected a concubine named Hua."

"...??" The eldest son of the Shen family immediately straightened his back, his mind racing, his eyes shining brightly: "Consort Hua... Hiss! Father, isn't that His Highness the Second Prince! Could it be that we—"

Shen Shuzhi ignored him and blurted out, "It's a pity that the Empress's family is powerful, and Consort Shu's family also has military power. However, Consort Hua's family, the Marquis of Weiyong's mansion, suffered a defeat that year, losing three male members, father and son, and never recovered. Consort Hua died in childbirth after hearing the news. Only the Second Prince, who has been neglected to this day, was left behind."

"Do you really think the Second Prince is out of favor? Although he was enfeoffed in a remote place like Liuzhou, the turmoil in the capital doesn't affect him at all. And look around, in the capital, there's the Empress Dowager Li family, and all sorts of military and military relatives by marriage from the Marquis of Weiyong's mansion. In Liuzhou, there's the Grand Secretary Mu family, and in Jiangnan, there's the Lu family. His path as a scholar is also fully paved..."

As Shen Shuzhi spoke slowly and deliberately, the eldest son of the Shen family could hardly sit still, his face gradually turning red and sweating with excitement.

Memories of the past come flooding back.

Those who are always ready to place their bets are most adept at scrutinizing details. Last year, rumors circulated in the palace that the Second Prince was discussing his fiefdom (in retrospect, it was probably the two older princes who did it). The Second Prince was immediately reprimanded and sent to Liuzhou. But what was the result?

At that time, the eldest son of the Shen family was still working in the palace. He clearly remembered that a few days later, both the eldest prince and the third prince were reprimanded and punished.

Furthermore, before the Second Prince set off, he was actually granted the right to continue secretly communicating with the palace.

Doesn't this mean that His Majesty actually values ​​the Second Prince very much?

And then there was the matter of Father's last mission, the one involving the hurricane and floods in the south, which implicated the Second Prince. The efficiency of the court was astounding! This was the first time the eldest son of the Shen family had ever witnessed such a feat.

These events, which I wouldn't normally think about, now seem strange after being brought to my senses. It all seems to stem from His Majesty's deep affection for the Second Prince! So subtle... It's just that His Majesty has to balance the court and has indeed become much weaker in terms of military power.

The eldest son of the Shen family came to his senses and asked worriedly, "Now we're protecting the Second Prince, but it sounds like... how are we supposed to officially support his return in the future?"

Even if the Second Prince is His Majesty's true beloved son, and was secretly protected and sent away for safety, how can the Second Prince's ascension be ensured if the princes eventually fight amongst themselves and the Emperor remains weak? Liuzhou is too remote; no wonder everyone assumes the Second Prince is unqualified. Forcing him back to the capital in the future would only draw him into the open vortex of conflict, which would be dangerous.”

At this moment, the eldest son of the Shen family had quickly changed his stance and was now wholeheartedly worried about his new master.

“You don’t need to worry about that,” Shen Shuzhi said calmly, his tone mysterious. “Just wait and see. His Highness the Second Prince will have an immense contribution that he can’t possibly conceal.”

His eldest son nodded in sudden realization, no longer asking any more questions, and lowered his head to ponder, seemingly having truly understood what a wonderful powerful patron this was.

Indeed, this can't be considered disloyalty to the emperor, can it? This is the one His Majesty loves most—his beloved son!

The eldest son of the Shen family was so excited that his whole body was trembling. He was burning with passion and felt like he had been injected with chicken blood.

Shen Shuzhi...

Shen Shuzhi was obviously just spouting nonsense to fool him.

The retired emperor did indeed appoint the new emperor as crown prince, and then the new emperor ascended the throne, taking the safest path. Consort Hua thus became the late empress and then the late empress dowager. But was this because the retired emperor still harbored deep feelings for Consort Hua...? Well, anyway, the new emperor's struggles were quite arduous.

Many people in the court have secretly submitted to the Second Prince, and there are officials everywhere in Liuzhou who have volunteered to go there. This is because they have had a miraculous rebirth and are now loyal to their sovereign. It has nothing to do with Emperor Hongren's secret protection.

But how can Shen Shuzhi persuade her stubborn son if she doesn't want to reveal all about her extraordinary encounter? After all, what she's saying is the final result; it's obvious that when the Second Prince is born, he will surely become the Crown Prince with great merit.

By then, the foolish son will only be more convinced.

Let him believe it for now... at least we've managed to win him over.

As for the fact that his reborn colleagues in the court are subtly trying to win over people for the Second Prince... the silly son doesn't need to do that; he's one of those people who's been lured in by this rhetoric.

...

In Liuzhou, Qi Chengming was still inwardly criticizing Shen Shuzhi.

Unable to understand what this opportunist was planning, he wisely stopped thinking about it.

After delivering the news, Prefect Lu seemed to have other matters to attend to, having come in a hurry and now taking his leave in a hurry.

Qi Chengming refocused his attention.

"Is that courtyard I mentioned ready?" he asked Xiao Dezi to confirm.

This matter should have been handled by Steward Song, but he's been busy somewhere and hasn't been seen since early this morning.

Xiao Dezi adopted the demeanor of a composed eunuch, with a touch of arrogance: "Your Highness, everything is prepared. Most of the residents in the vicinity are servants of our Prince's Mansion. If they go to inquire in the vicinity, they will only hear one version of the story."

Qi Chengming nodded in satisfaction.

He was preparing to forge his identity. After becoming sworn brothers with that student named Hu Hong, who actually asked him where he lived, Qi Chengming, thinking that he still planned to keep an eye on the old woman from the Ma family, hurriedly opened the infrastructure system to check his assets and randomly reported a courtyard under his name.

Now that Xiao Dezi has taken care of everything, no matter who asks afterward, he will always be Qi Er of the merchant family, and his real name... well, his real name can simply be Qi Zhong.

Thinking of this, Qi Chengming opened the infrastructure system again and took a look, but no new tasks popped up yet.

He took the initiative and said, "Judging by the time, today is a day off, so Mr. Qin should still be at the county government office. Xiao Chengzi, invite him and Commander Mao over for dinner. Xiao Dezi, go to the kitchen and tell Aunt Fang that I'd like to have roasted whole lamb in the courtyard today."

The two personal eunuchs responded in unison.

Qi Chengming planned to ask about the establishment of the militia. After so much time, he had a good understanding of his system. Once he had a clue, the system might just assign him a new mission.

Qi Chengming wanted grain seeds, the more the better.

Let's think about what other tasks in the city can be considered infrastructure projects.

Qi Chengming was deep in thought when a short while later, a young eunuch came running back, panting: "Your Highness! Eunuch De said... Lord Qin and Lord Mao are not here. They are neither in the county office nor on the street they usually frequent."

Qi Chengming: "?"

He belatedly went out to check: "How strange, Steward Song has also been missing since this morning..."

Not to mention Song Gu, wasn't Lu Yu the same? I wonder if Qi Chengming is overthinking it. After Prefect Lu came running over excitedly to tell us about the latest political affairs and official changes in the capital, he left in a hurry, without staying to plead his loyalty as he usually does.

What are they doing behind his back? Did they attend an event without his knowledge?

Qi Chengming was completely bewildered.

—Why didn't you invite me to your team-building activities?

“Your Highness, perhaps…everyone has something to do today?” Nanny Liu was making clothes with the palace maids in the main courtyard today. Seeing that Qi Chengming did not have any resistance, she stood up as if she wanted to say something and said tactfully, “A sister-in-law I know who sells silk thread also finished work today. She said that a temple is going to be built on the mountain…it’s quite a big commotion, and many people have gone to see the excitement.”

Qi Chengming strode over the threshold and rushed out, not caring whether to wait for his two personal eunuchs to return: "I'm going to take a look!"

He had a bad feeling.

This isn't going to be building a temple for him, is it?! You're telling the county government to control things? Is this how you plan to control him?

—Could it be that all those people went??

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The author's note: The scene was packed with people.

Qin Liusong was in high spirits, Song Gu was almost choked with emotion, and Lu Yu praised him highly.

Qi Chengming was bewildered and annoyed: "...Why is there such a commotion??"

[First update!]