Jiang Shuyue's words were a revelation to everyone present.
No one bothered to calculate the total population of Wanling Kingdom, so was it an exaggeration for the woman in front of them to say that the Crown Prince had helped more than 100,000 people?
"Lord Du, what do you think of this matter?" one of the officials asked, his eyes clear and his hands clasped in respect.
Du Zhong glanced at everyone and returned to the old question, "Who do you think will win tonight?"
Jiang Shuyue: "..."
As expected of a seasoned veteran of officialdom, her words only moved everyone slightly.
When faced with their own interests, they remain indecisive and weigh the pros and cons.
Everyone shook their heads and sighed again.
An official in his fifties stood up and said, "In my opinion, since ancient times, those who win the hearts of the people win the world. The Prince of Yannan is wealthy and has a strong army. He has a greater chance of winning than the one in the palace."
Hearing the man's words, Jiang Shuyue was secretly delighted.
The person who was the first to stand up and express his opinion must have held a high official position. The fact that he no longer referred to himself as the emperor shows that the scales in his heart have been slowly tipping.
"The Censor-in-Chief is right. The rest of you, please share your opinions?"
Seeing everyone hesitant and stammering, Du Zhong tapped the armrest of the armchair. "If we haven't made a decision by dawn, then we'll just have to wait to go back to our hometown to retire."
Jiang Shuyue covered her mouth and chuckled softly.
"What is Miss Jiang laughing about?" asked the official closest to him.
Jiang Shuyue stood up and gave a slight curtsy to Du Zhong. “Uncle Du is right. You mentioned that he should retire to his hometown. I’m afraid that’s not the case. The young master is kind, but he has been through the trials and tribulations of the battlefield. He is decisive and ruthless. His kindness may not be excessive.”
The implication is that anyone present who wants to be a fence-sitter should do so as soon as possible, as it's impossible to reap the benefits without effort, otherwise none of us will have a good ending.
“It’s getting late. If no one has any more questions, I won’t keep you from your meeting any longer. Farewell.” Jiang Shuyue took a step back.
Zhen Jingxiu also quickly stood up, "It's on the way, Jingxiu will take Miss Jiang back."
"Nephew, you haven't told me what Grand Scholar Zhen thinks about this matter yet?" Du Zhong asked hurriedly as Zhen Jingxiu was about to leave.
Zhen Jingxiu cupped his hands in thanks to Du Zhong, "Thank you for your trust, Uncle Du. My grandfather is in poor health, but he has shown concern for politics over the years."
My nephew spends all his time in private school and has no lofty ambitions. In my opinion, that thing is rotten to the core and cannot shoulder the heavy responsibility of the imperial tombs. It wouldn't hurt to try someone else."
Zhen Jingxiu completely absolved his grandfather of any responsibility; he was just a scholar, so it didn't matter if he spoke boldly.
Even if the Song family manages to retain their throne, the emperor can't afford to argue with a mere scholar.
"What my dear nephew means..."
Before Du Zhong could ask any more questions, Zhen Jingxiu bowed and took his leave.
The two left the Du residence and walked back along the alley they had come from.
Jiang Shuyue saw that Zhen Jingxiu was followed by a pageboy, and only then did she realize that Zhen Jingxiu was also walking to the Du residence.
The bright moon hangs in the sky, and the seemingly tranquil night is actually rife with undercurrents.
The sounds of fighting in the distance disappeared.
"Miss, look, there's a fire in the direction of the palace."
Zhen Jingxiu turned around first and saw the firelight reddening the sky.
"It seems to be the location of the Qianqing Palace."
"Did the Crown Prince win?" Jiang Shuyue's eyes gleamed.
Gao Mu said, "Miss, have Cang Yun escort you back. I will go and find out what's going on."
Gao Mu is loyal to Jiang Shuyue and also cares about the safety of the crown prince.
"You go with Cangyun."
The Zhen family is a family of scholars, so Gao Mu naturally trusts Zhen Jingxiu's character.
The two men bowed and accepted the order, then vanished from their spot in a flash.
Zhen Jingxiu was dumbfounded.
It took him a while to recover. "So the young lady has such a powerful protector by her side. I was so blind."
Zhenfu has a large population, with over a hundred servants. Some of the servants are skilled in martial arts, but compared to Gao Mu and Cang Yun, they are nothing.
The bright moonlight shone on her radiant face, making her look like a fairy from the moon palace.
Zhen Jingxiu was filled with doubts. Was she really the daughter of a merchant?
Looking around the capital, even the Prime Minister's residence couldn't find a servant with such high martial arts skills.
"Does Miss Jiang hope that the young master will win?"
“That position should be occupied by a virtuous person. Young Master Zhen must have heard a rumor that Emperor Renzong once left an imperial edict for the Xiao family, saying that the descendants of the Song family were incompetent. If the Xiao family were to come and protect Wanling Kingdom, it would be perfectly justified.”
Jiang Shuyue continued walking back as she spoke.
Zhen Jingxiu followed, “That’s not just a rumor, it’s true. I heard my grandfather mention it. My great-grandfather even participated in drafting the imperial edict back then.”
Jiang Shuyue had heard a little about the old stories of Zhen Dashi’s father, who was once a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. Emperor Renzong trusted the Zhen family very much.
Just as they were about to approach the Jiang residence, Zhen Jingxiu stopped in his tracks. "Grandfather and Jingxiu also think highly of the young master."
Jiang Shuyue smiled faintly, "A true scholar has insightful vision, which I admire greatly."
Jiang Shuyue returned through the side gate.
Zhen Jingxiu stared at the closed side gate, muttering to himself, "My judgment is quite discerning, so why doesn't Miss Jiang praise me?"
"Miss, you're finally back! I was so worried!"
As Jiang Shuyue walked into the backyard, Qiuju hurried up to greet her.
"What's the rush? With Gao Mu and Cang Yun here, I'm safe."
Qiuju looked behind Jiang Shuyue and asked, "Where are those two? Why didn't they escort Miss back?"
"I sent the two of them to find out more information. It's getting late, you should go and get some rest."
As Jiang Shuyue spoke, she looked towards the flower hall and saw that the candles inside had been extinguished.
Qiuju said, "Miss, please come inside and wash up. Young Master Nangong has already taken Suisui back to Shaohua Courtyard."
“Miss, there are some things I shouldn’t say, but I feel so suffocated if I don’t say them.” Qiuju walked to the door, lifted the curtain, and let Jiang Shuyue in.
Jiang Shuyue paused, asking curiously, "Why are you in such a panic? Gao Mu proposed to you?"
"Miss, you're making fun of me. I'm just worried about you."
Jiang Shuyue entered the room, and Qiuju put down the beaded curtain, stamped her foot, and said coquettishly in embarrassment.
Jiang Shuyue walked to the dressing table and slowly took out her hairpin.
Seeing Qiuju's anxious and embarrassed expression, Jiang Shuyue teased, "What's there for me to be anxious about? I saw Gao Mu give you the hairpin; he's probably spent almost all of his savings, hasn't he?"
Before Qiuju could defend herself, Jiang Shuyue said with a smile, "Did you make those shoes Gao Mu is wearing yourself? Don't hide them next time. You two are both unmarried and in love, and Lan'er and Mei'er have both noticed."
"I……"
"Don't rush, wait a bit. You and Gao Mu are not young anymore. We'll hold your wedding during the New Year."
Qiuju blushed as if she were a boiled shrimp. "Miss, I'm not in a hurry. I feel sorry for Young Master Nangong."
"What? Nangong Zeyue likes you too?"
Jiang Shuyue's hand trembled, and the comb slipped from her grasp.
He looked utterly astonished.
“Miss, what are you thinking? This servant sees that Young Master Nangong treats the young master exceptionally well. He picks him up and drops him off during the day, plays with him when they get home, and even sleeps with Young Master Sui Sui at night. Miss, shouldn’t you give him a proper status?”
Qiuju's words were sincere and heartfelt.
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