Chapter 132 Conspiracy? Trap?

After exchanging a few more words with Hua Wanli, Shangguan Jin returned with several trendy flower patterns.

She told Hua Wanli to just let her know after that young master entered the city.

As for other matters, she still needs to plan them carefully.

After returning to the manor with Madam Shen and Shen Qingyue, they happened to arrive just as the Seventh Prince entered the manor.

"Aunt, I brought you and the old lady some fun things."

My father let me pick out a lot of the trinkets that were brought as tribute from foreign lands, and I took them all.

My older cousin, younger cousins, and other cousins ​​all have keys.

Upon seeing Shangguan Jin, the Seventh Prince happily ran over.

Shangguan Jin patted the Seventh Prince's head and looked at him.

Good. He stayed in the palace for about ten days this time and was in good spirits. It seems that neither Emperor Xiao Jing nor the Empress urged him to study hard.

"Have you fallen behind on your studies? How are you doing?"

You must have learned a lot in these ten days or so!

"Pack your things first, and when you're done, come to my room. I'll test your homework."

The seventh prince's face immediately fell.

......

Half an hour later, the Seventh Prince reluctantly walked into Shangguan Jin's courtyard.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he glanced at the roof.

Upon seeing this, the two guards quickly jumped off the roof and onto the roof of the neighboring courtyard.

Just make sure no strangers or people behaving strangely come in.

As for what Madam Shen and the Seventh Prince said, and how she tested the Seventh Prince's studies, they didn't need to know.

Knowing too much will anger the Seventh Prince, and he will complain to the imperial family.

After all, even the Seventh Prince has his pride!

After watching the two of them walk away, the Seventh Prince carried his books into Shangguan Jin's room.

Inside the main hall, Shangguan Jin was looking at the account books with Shen Qingyue.

Dongmai, meanwhile, was pouring tea and water, and casually mentioned the recent household expenses, noting any increases compared to last month...

As soon as the Seventh Prince entered, Dongmai quickly bowed and thoughtfully poured him a cup of tea before lightly retreating and continuing to embroider her little purse in the courtyard.

"aunt......"

"Come here and take a look. Put your homework aside for now. Your aunt has something to ask you." Shangguan Jin smiled and waved to the Seventh Prince.

The seventh prince breathed a sigh of relief.

He knew that his aunt, who had never asked him about his homework in public before, would definitely not be so disrespectful.

"Aunt, I studied diligently in the palace, and I read them secretly when I returned to my own palace at night," the Seventh Prince said, looking up.

"No matter how secretly you look, others will find out." Shangguan Jin tapped the Seventh Prince's forehead.

"Yes, I definitely know. I used a storybook to cover my textbook when I read it."

"Anyone who sees this will think I'm using my textbook to hide my reading of a storybook," the Seventh Prince said earnestly.

Shangguan Jin...

This kid has a knack for understanding other people's thoughts!

If I saw both storybooks and textbooks on his bedside table, I would definitely assume he was secretly reading the storybooks.

Thinking of this, Shangguan Jin smiled and then gently patted his shoulder.

This child is much smarter than I thought.

"You complained to your father? The Earl of Ping'an couldn't get the imperial physician because you complained?" Shangguan Jin asked.

The seventh prince nodded.

"I didn't complain to my father directly. I thought about it and realized that my father might not like to hear gossip or rumors."

But the Empress Dowager will listen.

I told my mother this as a joke, and she was sure she would think something of it.

It would be better if she told Father Emperor than if I told him myself.

If I were to go and tell my father all this, he might think I don't care about my studies and just want to go out and play.

Shangguan Jin and Shen Qingyue exchanged glances.

That's right, that's how it should be.

No wonder the Empress issued an edict forbidding the imperial physicians from treating patients at the Marquis of Ping'an's residence!

Moreover, if the Empress finds out, the Crown Prince will definitely find out as well.

After fighting for so many years, how could they possibly give up such an opportunity?

Ping Anbo is indeed a small fry, but who knows, we might be able to dig up the big fish through this small fry...

"Your Highness, there's a new development in the matter of Marquis Ping'an. Would you like to hear about it again?" Shangguan Jin asked with a smile.

"Yes!" the Seventh Prince said without hesitation.

......

After a short while, the Seventh Prince also learned what had happened.

His intuition told him that the fifth young master of that weaving clerk must know a lot of things.

"Then...should I go back to the palace to file a complaint?" the Seventh Prince asked in a low voice.

Shangguan Jin shook her head.

This time, filing a complaint won't do. What could drive those people to such a desperate act must be something that concerns their careers.

If a prince were to rashly file a complaint about such a serious matter, it would certainly have the opposite effect.

"Don't rush, Your Highness. Think about it. The current problem is, now that person has come to the capital, who should we look for?"

How do I find it? And even if I find it, is it useful?

Sister Yao, why don't you and His Highness simulate it together?

"Do as I taught you before." Shangguan Jin gestured to Shen Qingyue.

Shen Qingyue nodded, then looked at the Seventh Prince.

"Your Highness..."

"Cousin, you can just call me Cousin Chen. And Aunt, you can just call me Chen'er."

"Don't keep calling me 'Your Highness,' it sounds too formal," the Seventh Prince said seriously.

Shen Qingyue simply smiled.

"I'm afraid that once I get used to calling it that, I won't be able to change it. If other people find out, there will probably be trouble."

It's just a name; we just need to know what it means.

"Your Highness, let's begin!"

Shangguan Jin did not express her opinion; she felt that Shen Qingyue was right.

If those people in the palace find out, they might dig it up one day.

The Seventh Prince looked at Shangguan Jin with a slightly aggrieved expression, but still nodded.

"Okay, let's begin!"

Shen Qingyue took a deep breath.

"Your Highness, we started the simulation after that person arrived in the capital. The first step was to find him."

Who do you think he will contact?

After a moment's thought, the Seventh Prince said, "The chances of directly approaching the Crown Prince are very slim."

The most likely scenario is that a message would be delivered to the Crown Prince through an official from his faction.

"Alright, then can we see the Crown Prince smoothly by having someone else deliver a message to him? The Crown Prince's faction consists mostly of civil officials."

Those civil officials were all cunning and scheming.

Even a casual remark can lead to thoughts that extend far beyond one's immediate surroundings.

Suddenly, someone from the other side contacted him, saying they wanted to file a complaint.

"What will they think? Will they believe it? Will they be able to let that person see the Crown Prince smoothly?" Shen Qingyue asked a series of questions.

The seventh prince was taken aback.

"Think of yourself as Prime Minister Xu and see how you would think about this," Shangguan Jin reminded her from the side.

The Seventh Prince calmed down.

If it were his own Prime Minister Xu, and such a person suddenly appeared, what would he think...?

This might be a conspiracy, a trap!