Chapter 65: The Crown Prince. Pei Sizhengjun also wants the blessing of a daughter, right? ...

The Qi family knew Qi Guan's identity, so naturally he didn't need to wear inappropriate male clothes anymore.

He was dressed in a black brocade robe, the fabric looked like the shimmering surface of a lake under the sunlight, and his hair, which was half-disheveled before, was now standing up like a man's.

Pei Ding stared at him blankly. He didn't expect that after shedding his original skin, he would be quite attractive.

"You're here so soon?" Qi Guan looked at him with a smile, his words full of jokes and teasing. As he spoke, he took Pei Ding to sit down.

Qi Guan was a little excited and took big steps. Pei Ding, who was being held by his hand, staggered again. Only then did he realize that something was wrong.

Pei Ding is an official in the court. Today is not his day off. Normally, he should be working in the palace, but he suddenly appeared in his house, which is very strange in itself.

He seemed to have thought of something, and immediately squatted down to touch his knee. The pain had not yet healed, and he was shocked by his action, and it actually softened a little.

"Kneeling as punishment?" Qi Guan didn't say anything, he just picked him up and carried him sideways, ignoring the expressions of his family members, and carried him back to the backyard.

Pei Ding's calm and composed face cracked slightly. "I can walk."

"That's because you are awesome." Qi Guan joked without hesitation.

Pei Ding suddenly felt a headache. He was afraid that there would be another Pei Ji in his family...

Qi Guan didn't give him room to refuse, and immediately ordered someone to call a doctor, who gave him medicine and asked about his health. Looking at the people standing by to serve him, they didn't even dare to breathe, and even the doctor seemed to be accustomed to his appearance.

Pei Ding is not a fool. Although he did not expect that he would really deal with the Qi family so quickly, it seemed as if all these things had been prepared long ago, just waiting for him to jump in.

These are all fine, as long as the Qi family doesn't cause any trouble.

The knee injury was not serious at this time, after all, he had applied medicine before, but Qi Guan still looked a little bad.

"You've knelt so hard, do your family agree?" Qi Guan wanted to laugh, but he couldn't.

"I agree." Pei Ding nodded and told him what his mother meant. "So you have to behave yourself after you enter the house."

Qi Guan chuckled, "When have I ever been disobedient?"

Pei Ding looked up at him, obviously not very satisfied with his attitude. Although Yun Zhou was also like this, his mother was already somewhat dissatisfied with him. If he still had this attitude, why would he enter the house? He might as well just stay outside.

"Okay, okay, when I enter your Pei family, I will be well-behaved and sensible, and will never cause you any trouble." Qi Guan said with a smile.

Weren't all these chance encounters all for the man in front of him? The Pei family had already agreed to marry a fake male lord back home, so what else could he say?

The matter between Pei Ding and Qi Guan was settled at this point. They just had to wait for Qin Yurong to find a matchmaker to set a good day, and then she would go to propose marriage. There was nothing else to do from then on.

The first month of the year soon passed, and the court was quiet without any other incidents.

Looking around the court now, only the Third Prince, who had just been released from house arrest, could still accomplish anything. However, since he was released from house arrest, he has no interest in court affairs. Not only has he become obsessed with poetry, books, and ancient paintings like the Fourth Prince, he has even opened up a piece of land in his mansion to farm.

He even refused to let his servants do the work and insisted on tilling the crops himself. His hands, which had never done farm work, were covered with blisters, but he didn't think it was a big deal. Even when he was occasionally assigned a task, he would refuse it.

He looked as if he no longer had any interest in the throne.

"You're such a good pretender!"

In Songhe Pavilion, Pei Ji reunited with Song Yu and the others after a long time. When they got together, they naturally talked about the court. When Yan Qi heard Pei Ji talking about the third prince's recent situation, he couldn't help but sneer.

Everyone knows whether he really has no intention of taking the throne, but the way he acts is still funny.

But it doesn't matter what others think. As long as Emperor An believes that he will not cause trouble again, it will naturally be useful.

Song Yu laughed and said gently, "If Your Majesty is willing to believe it, then it doesn't matter how we look at it."

"That's true." Yan Qi sighed softly. "Speaking of which, the only prince capable of shouldering this important responsibility right now is the Third Prince. If a Crown Prince is truly to be appointed, he would be the natural first choice as he is the legitimate heir and the most respected."

"But the Ninth Prince is not bad either." Song Yu said suddenly.

Pei Ji paused slightly as he twisted the teacup in his hand, and looked at him in confusion, as if he didn't understand why he would say such a thing.

Song Yu, however, did not say much. Although the Third Prince was the most suitable heir, that was only based on his status. The Third Prince had done many things before, and it was clear that he was not a suitable candidate for the crown prince.

It would be better to deal with the Ninth Prince, who is still immature but has a bright future. He is a blank piece of paper that can be drawn with anything you want. He can do whatever you teach him.

Besides, everyone in the Pei family is smart. Although the Ninth Prince is young, if he is disciplined diligently, he will surely become a great man in the future.

Yan Qi also figured out the situation in this atmosphere, and thought about going back home to discuss it with the old man at home.

"These are all groundless things." Pei Ji chuckled.

"Indeed, then let's wait for the future." Song Yu also laughed. People like them cannot take sides easily. If they really have to take sides, they must stand with the most likely person.

That's the end of the conversation.

Yan Qi suddenly thought of something else. "You said you had something to talk to us about. What exactly is it?"

"I'm looking for someone. He's very important." Pei Ji said, "I saw him on the night of the Lantern Festival, but I lost him."

Song Yu raised his eyebrows instantly, "Even you were lost? This guy is quite capable."

Pei Ji couldn't help laughing, "There were a lot of people at the Lantern Festival, and we were quite far away. He disappeared in just a few moments."

"What does that person look like?" Song Yu asked.

"Ordinary appearance..." Pei Ji was a little speechless for a moment, "He doesn't have any special features, just an ordinary and unremarkable face. You will know it when you see it, but if I were to describe it... it would be really difficult."

Song Yu spread his hands, and Yan Qi was also a little helpless.

If there are no features, how can we find it?

Such an ordinary face, even if you see it, you will probably forget it as soon as you turn around.

But if it is true as Pei Ji said, people who look like this would be particularly convenient in doing certain things.

"The place where he disappeared was around Songhexuan, on Changning Street." Pei Ji said.

"We'll keep an eye out," Song Yu said. "But Changning Street is incredibly busy, so we still need to be prepared. After all, that person is hard to find."

Pei Ji expressed his understanding and told them that he just wanted more people and more manpower.

There is little rain and snow this winter, and time flies by. My originally thick cotton clothes gradually begin to fall off.

The ice and snow melted, and spring came in the blink of an eye.

For several months, the court has been peaceful, the harem has been harmonious, and the capital city is naturally peaceful, and the people are living and working in peace and contentment.

Naturally, the news that Pei Ding was going to marry Qi Guan from the Qi family also spread.

Everyone who learned about this was a little surprised. After all, outsiders only knew that Qi Guan was a frail and sickly man, so that was fine.

The king refused to marry the daughter of a powerful family, but chose to marry the son of a merchant. Although he was a royal merchant, he was not as noble and respectable as a noble family.

The Pei family has always been united, and Pei Xiao even came forward to ask Emperor An for permission to marry.

When Emperor An first learned that Pei Xiao was asking him for permission to marry him, he felt a little dissatisfied. After all, the Pei family was already powerful in the court. What would happen if he married someone equally powerful?

But she didn't expect that she would marry the son of an imperial merchant.

Emperor An hesitated for a moment and then agreed immediately. He even prepared some extra gifts to show his magnanimity and easy-going nature.

With His Majesty's approval of the marriage, naturally no one dared to say anything more.

The Pei family was suddenly going to have a new sister-in-law, so some gossipers began to tease He Zhile. Although they were both male princes and the one from the Qi family was a little weak, he was eloquent and could please Qin Yurong better than He Zhile, who had a silent appetite.

There were rumors everywhere, and naturally there were all kinds of rumors.

He Zhiliao just found it funny when he heard these words. It was not that he looked down on Qi Guan, but anyone who knew the inside story would probably laugh out loud. It was already a great thing that Qi Guan could enter the house.

"You don't seem worried?"

Sun Qin, who invited him out, asked in surprise. She thought that the other party would feel sad after hearing these rumors.

He Zhiliao touched his face and realized that the smile on his face was a little too much. He shook his head slightly, and there was naturally nothing to worry about.

Speaking of which, most of the daughters-in-law who were not liked were because of their husbands' inaction, but Pei Ji treated him very well, and his mother was also very sensible, so naturally she would not let him suffer any grievances.

If he really had such evil intentions, he wouldn't be able to enter the Pei family.

Seeing that he was indeed very calm, Sun Qin said no more. Although they were closer than others, they did not have the blessing of years of friendship after all, so they should not say anything that should not be said.

The window of the private room was open and a breeze blew in.

He Zhiliao stood up and walked to the window, his eyes involuntarily looking towards the street. From this vantage point, he could see everything below, and he also saw that familiar figure.

It’s He Yao.

After he lost his temper last time, he didn't know how Yanhua and Xixin handled it. He hadn't seen He Yao for a while, so today was particularly rare.

He stared at the direction the other person left, and squinted his eyes as if he was blown by the wind.

If a man indulges in sexual desires too much, he will become an evil ghost.

"Is there anything down there?" Sun Qin also came quietly, followed his line of sight, and reminded him a little embarrassedly, "The spring breeze is still a little chilly, don't get burned."

He Zhiliao smiled at her and half-closed the window.

Several people in the Hanlin Academy were also implicated in the previous imperial examination cheating case, and Sun Qin's father was promoted because of this. Although this was not Pei Ji's intention, the Sun family benefited from it after all, so they should express their gratitude.

【It is because of your father's integrity that you are where you are today.】

He Zhiliao smiled brightly at her. What was there to thank her for such a thing?

Sun Qin's breathing stagnated, and she looked at him blankly, her eyes wandering and her cheeks flushed.

[There's been a lot going on at home lately, so I have to go home early. We'll get together again when we have some free time.]

"Okay, then you can go back home first." Sun Qin quickly responded, and then said anxiously: "I'll take you there, I'll take you there..."

He Zhiliao felt a little uncomfortable with her enthusiasm, so he raised his hand to refuse. They got together because of their similar personalities. If they were like the others, what was the point?

Sun Qin stopped and watched him leave.

The Pei Mansion has indeed been very busy recently. Although Qi Guan is a fake male king, the procedures for proposing marriage cannot be omitted. The date for the betrothal has been set, and these days they have been counting the items.

"You're back just in time. The warehouse counted out several sets of headgear, and there's one set left. I'll ask someone to get it for you." Qin Yurong said.

There are three sons in the family, so as a mother, she naturally cannot be inconvenienced. She has been particularly considerate of her future daughters-in-law. But now she is going to marry a man, and she is not willing to leave any jewelry to him!

He Zhiliao accepted it all without laughing.

Pei Ji said that his mother had been in a bad mood recently, and she told him to just bear with it, but unexpectedly, it turned out to be a good thing!

The other side.

Pei Ji's days in the Censorate were also particularly comfortable. He had a lot of free time during this period and no one was causing trouble secretly, so he naturally would not complain easily.

"Master Pei."

"Eunuch Peng is here?" Pei Ji looked up at him, "But does Your Majesty have something important to tell you?"

Peng Tongmin nodded slightly, "Your Majesty orders you to go, please follow me."

Pei Ji didn't think much about it and followed him directly to the council hall. As soon as he stepped in, he realized something was wrong. There were many old and important ministers standing in the hall.

This doesn't look like a simple meeting.

He hurried forward to pay his respects, then stood aside to continue listening to their discussion. He then learned that Emperor An wanted to appoint a crown prince, and was anxiously looking for a candidate.

"Lord Pei, you've arrived at the right time. Could you please tell me if you have a suitable candidate?" Emperor An asked in a deep voice.

The question is about the right person, but what does it mean to be suitable?

Pei Ji bowed and acted embarrassed, "Your Majesty, the Ninth Prince is still alive, so I cannot speak rashly on this matter."

"That's all right, just keep talking."

"If we talk about suitability, the third prince must be the first choice. As the legitimate son of the Empress, his status is extremely noble, and he has already given birth to a grandson for Your Majesty, so he is particularly stable." Pei Ji told his thoughts.

If we talk about the right person, it must be the third prince.

"As the Crown Prince, how can you have bad deeds? Wouldn't that make the people laugh at you? In my humble opinion, the Ninth Prince is more suitable!"

"The Ninth Prince is still young, so when it comes to achievements, the Third Prince is naturally the best! Everyone has bad deeds, so why dwell on the past?"

“…”

The old ministers started arguing right in the hall, without even looking at Emperor An's expression.

Pei Ji secretly glanced at Emperor An's expression, which was extremely calm. He didn't even look displeased when he saw the court officials arguing.

There was naturally no problem for Emperor An to appoint a crown prince, but which king at the pinnacle of power could be so calm and allow his court officials to discuss the appointment of a crown prince?

What's more, the princes are really not good enough at this time. Only the third prince and the ninth prince can fight back and forth. In addition, the third prince has been performing very steadily recently, and the ninth prince is also favored by His Majesty. How can he choose?

Pei Ji soon realized that Emperor An might want to appoint a crown prince, but it would depend more on the positions of these court officials.

Is he testing the waters... or is he really going to do this?

"Forget it, I will think about this matter again. You all can leave, and Pei Aiqing stay." Emperor An said.

The other court officials all looked at Pei Ji in a particularly obscure way, especially Grand Tutor Jin. Whether the third prince could become the crown prince was also related to the future development of the Jin family. He was more nervous than anyone else.

Pei Ji still stood there, "What are your orders, Your Majesty?"

Emperor An looked up at him and asked, "Do you really think the Third Prince is the most suitable?"

"I dare not make rash comments on this matter." Pei Ji immediately bowed. "Your Majesty is in good health and in the prime of life. It is indeed premature to make such a move."

Pei Ji is not a treacherous villain who disrupts the government, but he is not a loyal minister who is loyal to the emperor. He just wants to protect the Pei Mansion while maintaining the stability of the government.

Therefore, he could speak without scruples those seemingly righteous words, and he could even fool Emperor An around without any dignity.

Emperor An seemed a little confused and asked in a deep voice, "The Third Prince is so useless, yet you still think he can be of great use? The old ministers are right. The Ninth Prince would be even better."

Pei Ji said, "The Empress has done nothing wrong, and His Majesty can continue to teach the Third Prince. You are still in your prime, so why worry about this?"

The Empress is still alive, but she ignores the legitimate son and establishes another one. I can’t imagine how chaotic the court will be.

Pei Ji didn't care how turbulent the court was. He just wanted to save the Ninth Prince's life at this moment.

"Well, you can step back first."

"I will take my leave."

Pei Ji's eyes were filled with calmness as he considered the interests of His Majesty and the court, and he left the conference hall with a serious expression.

After he had been out for a long time, the seriousness faded and a smile appeared on his face.

Afternoon.

The decree to appoint the third prince An Huan as the crown prince was issued.

For a moment, all the court officials were shocked. Even they had never thought that His Majesty could appoint a crown prince so easily.

After they realized what was happening, the Third Prince's party was secretly delighted. If this continued, the Third Prince would be able to directly ascend the throne in the future, and they, the court officials who had made great contributions to his success, would surely be given high titles!

The third prince, contrary to his usual behavior, went to Emperor An several times to resign. After being rejected, he obediently became the crown prince. His expression and demeanor were much more stable than before.

At night, in Pei Mansion's study.

"It's something that was expected, so it's not surprising." Pei Su said softly, "I just didn't expect it to be done so early."

Pei Ji said, "Your Majesty kept me in the council hall today. Judging from his expression, it seems like he did it on purpose. Perhaps appointing a crown prince is a risky move?"

Pei Su's gaze fell on him. His fourth brother had the most contact with Emperor An on a daily basis. He must have discovered something to have such an idea. To say that it was just intuition would be a bit reckless.

"Tell me in detail." Pei Su raised his chin towards him.

Pei Ji was afraid of his appearance, which made him look like a scholar studying, so he immediately told him all his guesses and thoughts.

Emperors are often suspicious, and their obsession with the throne borders on paranoia. How could anyone be allowed to sleep soundly on the emperor's bed? And why would they decide to appoint a crown prince at this moment?

No matter how you think about it, it feels particularly inappropriate.

"If the third prince ascends the throne in the future, the Pei family will become victims. We should wait and see on this matter and not act rashly." Pei Su said thoughtfully.

Everyone agreed with this. The Third Prince had long held a grudge against the Pei family, and the two sides had long since fallen out after the drugging incident. Even though he had become the Crown Prince now, there was no need to reconcile.

But if the Crown Princess wanted to bully He Zhiliao, it would be much easier.

As the tide rises, the Third Prince's Mansion has now completely become the Crown Prince's Mansion. In the past few days, many people have come to and from the Mansion, all of whom want to make friends with him.

Many other ladies came forward, fearing that the unfamiliarity they had experienced in the past few days would lead to their failure in the future, but they were all rejected by the Crown Princess.

His appearance of being honest and upright and not having excessive contact with the ladies is really intimidating.

But soon it couldn't be held any longer.

Because He Zhiliao received another invitation from the Crown Princess.

The principle that a higher-ranking official can crush someone to death applies even in the harem. He didn't want to go, but the Crown Prince's family was in power at the moment, and he couldn't afford to offend either the Prince or the Crown Prince.

However, he also wanted to know what tricks the Prince's Mansion was up to.

"Master, do you need to bring something to protect yourself?" Chun Jian said nervously. "Who knows what ruthless tricks she'll use to bully you? It's so unfair that someone like her can get away with it!"

He Zhiliao chuckled and raised his chin to Yanhua and Xixin.

With the two of them around, his safety is naturally guaranteed. No matter how stupid the Crown Princess is, she won't use obvious means to deal with him. At most, she will secretly drug him like she did before.

Xixin smiled and said, "Don't worry, Zhengjun. We have prepared some antidote pills in advance, as well as some other medicines. You won't be in any trouble."

"We have made sufficient preparations. Instead of being so cautious, we might as well stuff a dose of poison into her mouth! So that she will no longer have the mind to harm us." Chun Jian said this excitedly but also carefully. His voice was extremely low, just for him to hear.

He Zhiliao knew that he was sensible and was just saying these words in front of him, but she was somewhat tempted by his proposal.

However, if something happens to the Crown Princess in her mansion, the guests who come and go will probably not be able to escape responsibility, so it is better to wait and see what happens.

After packing up, they headed to the Prince's Mansion.

The carriage stopped steadily, and I saw many invited ladies and... children in front.

Since there are children in the mansion, I think the kind of things that happened before should not happen again. Thinking of this, He Zhi felt a little relieved.

Even now, he is still a little afraid of being isolated and helpless.

"Mr. Pei Sizheng is here." The Crown Princess had just finished receiving the other ladies and turned around to see him. A gentle smile appeared on her face. "Please come in quickly. I haven't seen Mr. Pei Sizheng for a long time. I heard that your Third Master Pei is engaged, so I specially invited your future sister-in-law to come."

He Zhiliao smiled slightly and bowed to her to express his gratitude.

No wonder he was called "Si Zheng Jun". It was because there were constant rumors outside and people thought that he would have a quarrel with Qi Guan.

Following the Crown Princess's gesture, he looked inside and saw Qi Guan, who stood out from the crowd, wearing his favorite pink. He was standing like a small mountain. Everyone around him looked at him strangely, but he ignored them.

It was obvious that he was extremely annoyed by this kind of scene, but he had to come because of his superficial identity.

He Zhiliao walked towards him quickly. Seeing that he had come, Qi Guan laughed and said, "There are rumors everywhere outside. I thought you wouldn't come."

【I have to come.】

"Indeed." Qi Guan sneered, "Let's find a place to sit. I don't want to be stared at like a monkey anymore."

He Zhiliao laughed when he heard this. It was because he was so strong and always had to wear the inappropriate pink color, which looked particularly funny.

The two of them chatted and laughed as they sat down, which made those who were there to watch the fun hesitate to approach them rashly. After all, the rumors outside were so bad that they thought they would fight when they met.

"Hahaha……"

The cheerful laughter of the children dissipated the unbearable atmosphere, and the Crown Princess returned to the courtyard after receiving the guests.

She looked at the children in the courtyard and smiled. "Lin'er is usually lonely. If you have nothing to do, you can bring your children to visit us. I will definitely treat you well."

"You're too polite, Princess."

"Yes, I'm afraid it will cause trouble for the Crown Princess."

The Crown Princess smiled and said meaningfully, "The blessing of children is naturally not a problem. Pei Sizhengjun can also move around more in the future. I think this kind of blessing is also necessary."

here we go.

He Zhiliao was inexplicably excited.

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The author has something to say: Little Zhiliao: It’s begun, it’s begun to be sarcastic! [Let me see][Let me see]

Qi Guan: "I'm really impressed. Can't you change me to a different color? I look like a pink mountain..." [glasses][glasses]

Others: It's so lively, I feel like it's going to be a complete mess...