86 The Crown Prince's Position

There is no possibility between me and Sima Hong.

"Hahaha~~~" Marquis Dingyuan laughed three times, put down his sleeves and withdrew his hands: "I told you my health couldn't be better."

He stood up and looked at his niece. He saw Qi Gu withdraw her hand, and he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

Sima Xiuyuan really doesn't miss the slightest opportunity.

However, the most urgent thing was to hold back. He beckoned his son over and said, “Jun’er, now that I have examined your pulse and Doctor Ye has said that there is nothing serious, go and show your cousin around our garden. It’s Aunt Qi’s first time here, why are you standing there like a block of wood?”

Zhang Jun didn't know why his father was looking at him so displeased today; how many times had he scolded him like this?

Puzzled as to why her father was acting so strangely today, she still obeyed his words and walked up to Qi Gu and Sima Hong. Not noticing anything unusual between the two, she said, "Qi Gu, Xiu Yuan, shall I show you around my house?"

Marquis Dingyuan looked at his son with exasperation, thinking, "He's hopeless! Who told you to bring him along!"

"Xiuyuan, I have some matters concerning the court that I'd like to discuss with you. What do you think..."

As expected, he was refused. "Lord Dingyuan, it is my day off today, so let's not discuss personal matters. This is also my first time visiting your residence. General Zhang, please lead the way and let me take a look around the courtyard."

Zhang Tian looked at his father's eyes: Why are Father's eyes twitching again?

Finally, the three strolled through the garden, but Qi Gu was preoccupied with her uncle's affairs and had little interest in the activity. Zhang Jun, on the other hand, pulled Sima Hong aside to talk about the Xiongnu and Guo Lang's past role as the city's garrison commander.

"It's a good thing you had your eye on Guo Lang, Brother Xiuyuan. Otherwise, if he had continued to serve as the city garrison commander, who knows how many derelictions of duty he would have committed!" He and his father were still terrified when they returned that day! The position of city garrison commander was extremely important. Now that his father had returned, he had replaced him. Fortunately, there was Sima Xiuyuan.

Sima Hong looked at Qi Gu, who was walking absentmindedly ahead, and said, "It's nothing, it's what I should do."

What should be done? Zhang Jun saw that Sima Xiuyuan's eyes were fixed on the front, and it was Qi Gu who was walking in front.

He sensed something was wrong, but he couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was.

When the three returned from their stroll, Marquis Dingyuan was drinking tea with Physician Ye. When he looked up, he saw his silly son talking animatedly with Sima Xiuyuan, while Sima Xiuyuan's eyes kept glancing at the absent-minded Qi Gu.

Seeing that it was getting late and that she had too many things to do that day, Qi Gu said goodbye to her uncle.

Qi Gu stepped forward and said, "Uncle, it's getting late, I should go back to the palace."

"I've asked your aunt to prepare a meal. Why don't you stay and eat before you leave?" Marquis Dingyuan urged, hoping that Aunt Qi would stay so that Sima Xiuyuan could quickly return to his Sima residence.

Qi Gu had come today to check on her uncle's health, but now that Doctor Ye had confirmed that he was alright, she said, "I'll come to bother you again another day. It's getting late, and the palace gates will be locked soon."

Zhang Jun slapped his forehead: "I forgot you have to go back to the palace. Alright, then your uncle won't keep you any longer. I'll have Jun'er escort you back to the palace."

Sima Hong replied, "There's no need to trouble Yiqian. I'll escort the princess back to the palace."

They're really pushing him too hard. This kid from the Sima family is keeping a close eye on her. It's still uncertain whether Qi Gu will marry him.

Still thinking about her past life, Qi Gu said to her uncle and Sima Hong, "No need, Fu Lian will be fine. Uncle, cousin, I'll take my leave now."

Physician Ye naturally followed Sima Hong away.

Marquis Dingyuan and his son watched the three figures leave. Marquis Dingyuan had to admit that Qi Gu and Sima Xiuyuan were quite a good match standing together.

He gave his dull-witted son beside him another disdainful look. "Didn't you figure it out?"

Looking at Qi Gu's powerful and graceful walk, Zhang Jun praised her, "My cousin walks with such poise, just like a princess should."

"Fool!" Zhang Jun was slapped again by his father. He rubbed his back. Doctor Ye was truly a divine doctor of our time. His father's temper was really bad!

Qi Gu thanked Doctor Ye and watched him get into the carriage before turning to get into her own. Unexpectedly, Sima Hong followed her.

Qi Gu stopped beside the carriage and blocked Sima Hong's way. "Sima Hong, I'm going back to the palace." The implication was that he should also return to the Sima residence. They were on different paths, and it was only right that they went their separate ways.

Sima Hong simply said, "Now that I have brought the princess out, it is only right that I escort her back to the palace."

Qi Gu dared not stay in the carriage with him any longer. "You don't need to see me off. You should take Doctor Ye back quickly. It's late now, and Doctor Ye has been working hard all day."

Sima Hongdao said, "Indeed, Doctor Ye has been exhausted all day." He called over A Xiang and said, "A Xiang, escort Doctor Ye back to his residence."

Ah Xiang cupped his hands in greeting, "Yes."

Qi Gu watched as Doctor Ye's carriage drove away. Since that was the case, she said to Fu Lian behind her, "Fu Lian, after I get into the carriage, no one is allowed to enter, understand?"

Fu Lian glanced at Sima Hong and forced herself to say, "Hiss~ Yes~ Princess."

Qi Gu looked at Sima Hong triumphantly: Let's see if you dare to follow us again.

As it turned out, Sima Hong not only dared to do it, but he did it openly. When Fu Lian reached out to stop him from getting into the carriage, he defeated her with just a glance.

Atai shook his head inwardly, his eyes revealing: Aunt Fulian, why bother? We'll all be family in the future anyway. It's better for both of us to become family sooner rather than later.

Fu Lian rolled her eyes at A Tai. It seemed that our princess didn't want to become family with your husbands. She looked worriedly into the carriage, fearing that the princess would be angry. Although the princess had never been angry with them, even when Hong Hu betrayed the princess, the princess only handed him over to the empress, saying that he would be dealt with according to palace rules.

Sima Hong, like a persistent ghost, boarded the carriage once again, and it seemed that even Fu Lian couldn't stop him.

Qi Gu understood that Sima Hong was someone who wouldn't even listen to her, the princess, so how could Fu Lian stop him?

She was terrified that Sima Hong might do something even more shocking, so she unconsciously pulled her legs back and clenched her hands tightly on her knees. "What are you planning to do now?"

Seeing Qi Gu's wary look and her grimacing expression, Sima Hong disliked her defensiveness. "I'll escort the princess back to her residence," he said, sitting down beside her.

"Let's set off," Sima Hong said to the coachman outside, as if he were the master of the carriage.

The carriage slowly began to move. Sima Hong, as if soothing a ruffled kitten, said softly, "I know you are worried about Marquis Dingyuan. I will find out who is behind this. Don't worry."

Hearing her words, Qi Gu lowered her guard slightly and asked, "Really? Do you know who wants to harm Uncle?"

Sima Hong nodded: "It's easy to guess. Whoever profited after the death of the Marquis of Dingyuan is the mastermind behind it all."

"You mean the Guo family?"

Sima Hong did not answer, but instead advised, "His Majesty will soon decide on the Crown Prince. You must be careful in the palace, but don't worry too much. The Guo family can't cause too much trouble." He would not allow the Guo family and... Prince Yi to cause any more trouble.

Seemingly unaccustomed to explaining his entire plan to someone, Sima Hong hesitated for a moment, but quickly added, "What happened last time was my fault for not informing you beforehand. From now on, I'll tell you everything..."

Qi Gu knew that Sima Hong was referring to the scheme set up by the Second Princess.

She turned to look at the other side, saying, "You don't have to tell me everything about yourself." Her words were still the kind of rejection that Sima Hong disliked.

After a moment of silence, she asked again, "Will my younger brother's position as crown prince remain unchanged?"

Sima Hong nodded, "No one is more suitable for the position of Crown Prince than you, the eldest prince."

"As for the matter concerning the Guo family and Prince Yi, you and the Empress Dowager have already made arrangements." Qi Gu already had the answer in her heart. With Sima Hong's unparalleled foresight, knowing those things in advance, he would naturally find ways to deal with them in advance.

"I will never let what happened in my past life happen again." Especially the death of Qi Gu in front of him again, it will never happen again!

With Sima Hong's words, Qi Gu finally felt at ease. That would be good, as it would greatly shorten the time she and her father could return to their fiefdom to farm.

The thought that she was now a princess with two prefectures and two counties as her fiefdom, and that even the previous dynasty did not have as many fiefdoms as her, made her want to go to her fiefdom immediately.

Whether it was a deliberate choice or a coincidence, the land in these two prefectures and counties is fertile and very suitable for growing crops. She and her father can then cultivate many different experimental fields to conduct experiments and surely grow millet and wheat seeds with higher yields.

Qi Gu was very happy to think about how she could freely farm and cultivate new crops with her father in her own fiefdom in the future, and her body naturally relaxed.

Her resentment towards Sima Hong lessened. Her mother and younger brother still needed his support, and the long-term stability of the Jin Dynasty also depended on him. She wanted to go to her fiefdom as soon as possible to farm peacefully, and she needed him to stabilize the court situation as soon as possible.

It was already late autumn, and the sky was getting dark earlier than usual. Before we even reached the palace gate, it was already dark.

The light inside the carriage grew even dimmer. Qi Gu couldn't bear Sima Hong's astonishing words and actions, but he remained silent, just staring intently at her like a wolf in winter, its eyes gleaming green as it stared at a piece of meat. In the dim light, those eyes seemed to have a sinister green tinge, making Qi Gu feel extremely uncomfortable.

"I really hope the situation will stabilize as soon as possible, so that my father and I can..." Qi Gu glanced at Sima Hong before finishing her sentence.

But who was Sima Hong? With just this one sentence, Sima Hong understood the unspoken meaning of Qi Gu.

I still want to escape, but Aunt Qi, where can you escape to now?

But he knew he couldn't disturb the already frightened fawn, or she would run away.

Inside the carriage, a moment of silence fell. Qi Gu knew that Sima Hong's eyes were fixed on her, with a gaze she didn't want to understand.

She had no choice but to close her eyes and pretend to be asleep, though she was actually sitting up straight...

At this moment, Hongyan said, "Princess, Lord Sima, we have arrived."

Sima Hong looked at the person with his eyes closed, said nothing, and got off the carriage.

When Qi Gu heard the person get off the carriage, she opened her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't want to see Sima Hong again anytime soon; how terrifying!

After the autumn harvest, the depths of winter were approaching, and the capital's first snow was brought in by the howling north wind.

The Changyang Palace became solemn and oppressive, and the high walls on all four sides appeared even more rigid and cold, making it hard to breathe.

Snowflakes drifted down from the gloomy sky. The snowflakes fell to the ground and melted into a sticky, damp liquid before they could accumulate, making one feel uneasy.

In particular, recently, the emperor has often summoned his ministers to the Xuanzheng Hall, which is a common occurrence. However, it is quite strange that he has frequently summoned Sima Hong, Wei Xin, and the founding heroes such as the Marquis of Yongkang who do not concern himself with state affairs.

The servants of Yuhua Palace have been on high alert lately. Everyone in the palace has heard rumors that His Majesty is preparing to appoint a crown prince, and the most popular candidates are the eldest prince and the second prince.

As palace servants of the eldest princess, who was born of the same mother as the eldest prince, they naturally knew how critical this moment was. Therefore, without the princess mentioning it, they all became even more cautious.

Lately, the princess has been standing in the corridor for half an hour every day, as if she is also waiting anxiously for some result.

Hongyan saw Princess standing under the corridor and draped a bright red fox fur cloak over her shoulders. The direction Princess was looking was towards Xuanzheng Hall.

Though the princess didn't say it outwardly, she was very worried about the Empress and the Crown Prince. She said, "Why don't you go to the Sima residence to see Lord Sima?"

Hongyan thought that given how much Lord Sima valued the princess, if there were any rumors circulating in the court, and the princess asked him, Lord Sima would not refuse to tell her.

Qi Gu glanced at Hongyan strangely. In this life, Hongyan seemed more enthusiastic about the matter between Sima Hong and her than in the previous life.

Unfortunately, she will have no further connection with Sima Hong in this life. As for the position of Crown Prince, she knows in her heart that it will inevitably belong to her younger brother. She already knew the outcome, and she was just waiting for things to settle down.

"Hongyan, there is no possibility between me and Sima Hong." The wispy white mist rose, just like Qi Gu's words, drifting away in the wind.

Hongyan didn't understand why His Highness looked so sad. Was it because he was worried that the position of Crown Prince would fall into the hands of the Second Prince?

She thought that possibility was relatively small. If it weren't for the Second Princess's scheme, she thought the Guo family would still have hope. Now, Madam Guo was already Consort Guo.

With the help of Lord Sima, even she felt that the position of Crown Prince should be the eldest prince's for the taking. She just didn't know what the princess was worried about.

Huang Bing led an unfamiliar young eunuch from afar. When they reached Qi Gu, Huang Bing said, "Your Highness, this young eunuch said he was sent by Lord Sima to deliver a message and insists on seeing you in person. I was afraid it was something important, so I brought him to see you in person."

Qi Gu looked at the unfamiliar eunuch and, upon hearing that he was sent by Sima Hong, waved her hand dismissively, "Send him away. I don't want to hear it!"

Sima Hong became increasingly audacious, actually bribing a palace eunuch to relay his messages. Humph! She couldn't do anything about Sima Hong, but surely she could ignore a mere eunuch.

The young eunuch immediately kowtowed, "Your Highness, please spare my life! If I don't pass on this message, I'll... die!"

"Hmph, does Sima Hong really dare to kill you?"

The eunuch looked miserable. "It's a thousand times worse than death! Lord Sima said it's about Mr. Li! He said that hearing this will calm you down."

Qi Gu's expression changed drastically: "What! What happened to my master?!"

The eunuch breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said, "Mr. Li is ill, but Your Highness, please rest assured, Physician Ye has already treated Mr. Li. It's just that he can be heard sighing and groaning during his illness..." The eunuch looked at the eldest princess and saw that she was worried and no longer wanted to send him away. What Lord Sima said was indeed true.

Before she could finish speaking, Qi Gu said, "Hongyan, Fulian, prepare the carriage. I'm going to the Sima residence outside the palace."

[Author's Note]

Sima Hong: I have plenty of strength and means.

Marquis of Dingyuan: This kid looks like an empress, but he has all the mannerisms of a brothel owner!