Crown Prince
Therefore, she couldn't help but write more in the letter. By the time she finished, it was already three long pages.
Zhu Ling, who was grinding ink for her, couldn't help but smile slightly.
"Madam is just worried about Princess Kunrou. I'm sure the princess will be much more relieved after receiving this letter."
Lin Xu carefully sealed and put away the letters she had written, finally letting out a sigh of relief. She rubbed her slightly sore wrists, noticing that the sun had already set outside the window, casting golden light across the sky.
After finishing these tasks, Lin Xu gazed at the brilliant sunset filtering through the latticed window and slowly narrowed her eyes. She thought for a moment, then finally whispered an instruction to Zhu Ling:
"...Send a letter to Yuancao Residence as well, saying that you want some of the fashionable snow petal jasmine and some hollyhocks. Laining doesn't have such vibrant colors, and after seeing the delicate lotus for so long, I really miss it."
Zhu Ling stopped smiling and nodded seriously.
Whenever Lin Xu and Yuancaoju needed something, it usually meant they needed Zhao Qi and Zhi Yuan to keep an eye out for them. Sure enough, Lin Xu said softly:
"The teahouse next to Yuancao Residence... I vaguely remember that besides a few slanting bamboos, there were also some light purple hollyhocks planted in front of the door."
Zhu Ling has been trained to be very clever and can be considered Lin Xu's most trusted confidante. Usually, she can understand Lin Xu's intentions instantly with just a few coded words. She is cautious and intelligent, and even though she is still young, she is already highly valued by Lin Xu.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Ling understood that the lady had finally made up her mind to have Zhao Qi secretly investigate Zhou Weikan's background.
In fact, ever since Lin Xu learned about Fang Xing's background, he had become more interested in the Zhou family and the business behind the silk weaving.
Even in the dead of night, Lin Xu had thought about it carefully. The Zhou family had been imperial merchants for generations, and their business of making brocade could last for a long time. Even if the old lady of the Zhou family was good at managing the household and the family business was solid, it would have been impossible for them to have achieved their current status without the help and protection of the officials.
Speaking of the silk shops that initially competed with the Zhou family in my previous life, some went bankrupt, some engaged in collusion, and the Zhao family silk weaving was involved in a scandal of selling inferior goods as superior ones. Their originally huge foundations were gone in an instant... In the end, only the Zhou family was left.
Only the Zhou family has been able to stand firm for many years amidst the changing of emperors and even the turbulent times of upheaval.
Officials and businessmen colluded, conspiring for personal gain.
Such an obvious truth, yet she had never thought of it in her past life when she was so close to Zhou Weikan.
Lin Xu couldn't help but let out a bitter smile.
She was truly foolish in her past life, which is why she wasted such a precious time and ended up with such a tragic fate.
But then I thought, if the Zhou family really had powerful backers, it probably wouldn't be someone as lowly as a minor official who could support them.
Only powerful figures who wield immense influence and can single-handedly protect the entire industry can nurture the Zhou family into an unshakeable force...
Lin Xu's first suspicion was about Yao Su'an, who had always been very close to Zhou Weikan and even had a deep affection for him.
The image of Yao Su'an blushing as she secretly glanced at Zhou Weikan during their boat trip on the Shangsi Festival flashed through her mind.
Although it was later learned that Zhou Weikan had no romantic feelings for Yao Su'an, the intimacy and interactions between the two went beyond a typical acquaintance.
However, if it really is the Yao family... the former Duke's Mansion naturally had such strength, but now the Yao family has been out of power for a long time and is already in dire straits, so would they still have the ability to take care of the Zhou family?
In the year or so since the Yao family first had a scandal and Mingfei was demoted, the Zhou family's silk weaving business has remained completely unaffected and has instead flourished even more.
Lin Xu tapped the tabletop lightly with his fingertips.
However, if it's not the Yao family, then the person hiding behind the Zhou family is probably even more prominent and powerful than the Yao family...
A chill ran through her heart.
.
The afterglow of the sunset was like a beautiful tapestry, the last rays of the setting sun lingering on the upturned eaves, seemingly about to take flight. As dusk deepened, the setting sun cast a blood-red hue upon the vermilion gates of Xingqing Palace.
Inside the east side hall, layers of gauze curtains hung low, swaying in the wind.
Behind the curtain, the Third Prince, dressed in a deep purple robe, sat upright beside a table. The white tea beside him had long since gone cold, and his expression was as calm as a mountain as he listened intently to his trusted advisors discussing recent political affairs. His handsome face remained expressionless.
After his sixteenth birthday, the Third Prince moved out of the palace with the Fifth Prince. Although he was not granted the title of prince, he lived in a separate residence in the inner city of Mujing.
However, now that he is married and will soon be crowned crown prince, he often stays in the imperial city.
Emperor Su had always doted on him and turned a blind eye to this, even setting aside a side hall of Xingqing Palace, which was closest to his own palace, for him to live in.
The Crown Prince's investiture was actually scheduled for mid-August, but with frequent wars and the rebellion in the Western Regions, pirates from several island nations in the east were also repeatedly attacking. For several morning court sessions in a row, Emperor Su had already lost his temper over this.
At that time, he stood at the lower end of the table alongside civil and military officials. Although he kept his head down, he naturally knew that Emperor Su was dissatisfied with the lack of military generals and the inability to appoint capable people.
My father has been wise for half his life, but now he is over fifty and his health is not as good as before...
In the past, given my father's energy, he might have even personally gone to the battlefield to wipe out those bandits.
The Third Prince glanced discreetly at Prime Minister Zhao, who was boasting about the war.
"...Speed is of the essence in war, but hasty action is also unwise. Years of poor harvests and frequent forced labor have unsettled the people. I believe this is not the time to wage war..."
Although Zhao Xiang is now quite old, he has always believed that he is the most important civil official in the court. In his early years, he and Prince Mao personally assisted their father in ascending the throne, which is naturally the greatest achievement.
But he could clearly see that his father was already very dissatisfied with Zhao Lianlian's years of opposition to war and his complacency.
Sure enough, as soon as Zhao Xiang opened his mouth, ministers with worried expressions submitted one after another to offer their advice.
Attendant-in-Ordinary Qi Lingyan, Remonstrance Official Wang Jiu'an, and even Governor of Liaozhou Fu Zhengxu...
These people presented their memorials one after another. At that time, the Third Prince simply stood at the head of the ministers' ranks, remaining silent and not uttering a single word. He lowered his eyes imperceptibly, but inwardly he only let out a cold laugh.
These old men really think their father is too old now; they've stopped pretending about forming factions altogether...
However, for him now, the most important thing is to be successfully appointed as the crown prince. The newly appointed Grand Astrologer also succinctly hinted to him that if a war broke out at a critical moment, it might be seen as an ominous sign.
He can't afford it—
The position of Crown Prince had been hanging over his head for far too long; it was like a piece of meat within easy reach—he had to hold onto it tightly and make sure there were no obstacles in his way until the day he ascended to the throne.
Therefore, even though he had long disliked that group of old fogies led by Prime Minister Zhao, he could only swallow his anger now. After all, Prime Minister Zhao had spoken highly of him before Emperor Su...
It's not the right time yet.
Thinking of this, the Third Prince slowly raised his eyes and scanned the group of advisors standing in front of him in the hall.
An advisor who had just been boasting about the importance of this military expedition immediately fell silent when he saw the Third Prince looking at him with eyes as sharp as knives.
When the Third Prince wasn't smiling, his usually sharp eyes became even more stern, even revealing a hint of murderous intent, which made him tremble involuntarily.
He hadn't expected that the Third Prince, who had always disliked Zhao Xiang's proposals, would now show displeasure... He then realized that he had misspoke...
The Third Prince raised his hand slightly, glanced at the silent crowd, a half-smile playing on his lips, and after a long while, spoke in a loud voice:
"Thank you all for your help today, so please take your leave now."
The others were so frightened they didn't dare to breathe. Royal dignity meant they were never one to show their emotions.
They felt as if they had been granted a pardon, bowed and took their leave one by one, and only after walking outside the hall for a long time did they dare to breathe a sigh of relief and gently wipe the cold sweat that had just seeped from their foreheads.
With the Third Prince about to ascend to the throne and become incomparably noble, naturally no one dared to offend him...
After the advisors had all left, the hall returned to silence. A court eunuch, holding a whisk, carefully observed the Third Prince's expression and whispered:
"Your Highness, will you be staying in the palace tonight?"
When discussing political affairs, the Third Prince would usually stay at Xingqing Palace until this time.
But then he saw a hint of impatience creep into the Third Prince's eyes. He picked up his teacup, drank the remaining tea, and then said coldly, "Return to the manor."
The eunuch was puzzled, but dared not ask any more questions, and could only hurriedly agree.
.
As night deepened, the candlelight flickered in the bedchamber, casting a soft, pale yellow glow on the finely carved, vermilion-lacquered nanmu dressing table, reflecting the woman's slender silhouette.
The bronze mirror was clear and bright, reflecting a beautiful, jade-like face.
Miao Yiyun sat upright in front of the dressing table, the makeup on her forehead as exquisite as when she first did her makeup in the morning, the carefully drawn distant mountain eyebrows were long and sharp, but there was a hint of weariness in her eyes.
She let her personal maid remove her makeup. Looking at the sky, she knew that the Third Prince would be staying in the palace as usual today.
As the makeup faded from the person in the mirror, one by one, the magnificent and dazzling jewelry on their hair was removed, revealing their original, snow-white skin.
It lacks the solemnity and splendor of the daytime, but it adds a touch of gentleness to the solitude of the night.
The maid gently combed her hair and then lightly massaged her head.
You must be tired today.
A hint of weariness flickered in Miao Yiyun's eyes. She smiled faintly, but her voice was like a broken breeze:
"Not tired."
She picked up a handkerchief and slowly wiped away the rouge from her lips. The red faded little by little, revealing an exceptionally soft pale color. Without her usual sharp makeup, Miao Yiyun couldn't help but feel a little dazed—
Although they had been married for more than two months, she was only seventeen years old.
...yet it seems that there's a hint of vicissitude in those gentle eyes.
A sudden sense of panic rose in Miao Yiyun's heart.
She looked at herself in the mirror and felt increasingly haggard. She was only seventeen, how could she look so much older…?
Filled with fear, she gently rubbed her cheek with her fingertips, only to find that the familiar face in the mirror was so strange.
For the past two months since their marriage, to outsiders she has been the future Crown Princess, a woman of unparalleled glory and unmatched prestige. But only she knows that every night, in the stillness of the night, she silently sheds tears, alone in her empty room.
Aside from spending the night in her room after getting drunk on their wedding night, the Third Prince never shared a room with her again, nor did he ever touch her.
This was something that she, who had always been proud, simply could not accept... Miao Yiyun forced back the tears that were about to spill from her eyes and sighed deeply.
Marrying the Third Prince was something she had painstakingly planned to achieve. She originally thought that even if the Third Prince didn't favor her after the marriage, she could endure it.
After all, she had grown up by the side of the eldest princess since childhood, and was used to a life of luxury and privilege. How could she accept marrying a mediocre and down-on-his-luck man?
She obtained this position as a county princess only because she acted coquettishly and charmingly by the side of the eldest princess and also gained the empress's pity.
She always felt that she was in no way inferior to Princess Kunrou.
Both of them were raised by the Eldest Princess. Princess Kunrou had royal blood, and so did I. Princess Kunrou had the Eldest Princess's favor and care, and I was certainly not without the Eldest Princess's affection...
Even in terms of beauty and talent, she herself was not inferior to the princess. After all, although Liao Yan possessed both beauty and talent, she was perhaps too arrogant and too spirited…
Only I am worthy of being the most noble man in Dayu...
Even when Miao Yiyun was still a young woman waiting to be married, she secretly made up her mind that she would definitely become the future empress of the harem.
She is willing to give up everything, or rather, sacrifice everything, for this path.
Even her past sisterly bond with Princess Kunrou—
From the moment she used the pretext of helping the princess escape from the princess's mansion to blackmail the princess into supporting her marriage to the third prince, she was prepared to become enemies with the princess in the future.
Looking up, the pine shadows swayed outside the hall, and dark clouds hung in the air, obscuring all the hazy moonlight, leaving only darkness. Everything was so much like that night…
That night, she whispered in Liao Yan's ear, recounting Lin Xu's crimes word by word, though of course, she exaggerated them herself.
After speaking, Miao Yiyun tried her best to hide her anxiety, drinking tea while quietly observing Liao Yan's expression.
Having grown up together, she naturally understood Liao Yan better than anyone else—
She has always hated being used and betrayed.
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