Planning for the future
Knowing that Xu was an enemy and that it was the Prince of Xuanping, he decided to find another way to seize the mermaid pearl, starting with his uncle.
If she returns home immediately and is mistaken for a fake, her uncle will send men to detain her and search her. The mermaid pearl will definitely be stolen.
"You said that Heaven believes Prince Xuanping is the chosen one, and when you tried to investigate the system on his body, Heaven thought you were trying to harm him and struck you with lightning?"
Sui Zhixu laughed out loud. At this moment, the arguing outside the window gradually subsided, and the final result was that her uncle was punished by being confined to the courtyard for a month. Sui Zhixu rubbed her fingertips together, and a cold glint flashed in her peach blossom eyes. This was not enough.
Sui Zhixu got up, picked up a pen on the table, and then stood by the window and tapped on the frame.
A short while later, a small carrier pigeon landed by the window. Xu Zhixu stuffed the note into the bamboo tube at its feet and tossed it into the air, saying, "Go."
Fan Lingzhang owns the largest restaurant in Chang'an. Within a month, the news that the Prime Minister's wife was stopped at her own door by her uncle will spread throughout Chang'an.
Although there are quite a few people gathered at the entrance of the Prime Minister's residence today, they will not make a big fuss about it out of consideration for their parents' reputation.
As Xu watched the carrier pigeon fly away, until it became a black dot and could no longer be seen, he watched it disappear.
Sui Zhixu put down the fishing rod, keeping out the wind and snow outside the window.
A month is enough time for Chang'an to be in an uproar.
Her injuries will be almost healed.
Xu Youyou said, "From what we can see, the Xuanping Prince's system seems to be omnipotent, even the heavens are on his side. Let's try it again, see if it's so perfect that it can be used unconditionally by the Xuanping Prince. Let's use my uncle to try, since he and the Xuanping Prince have joined forces to take my life."
"We have to find a way; if we take it, we'll take it back."
She picked up a fallen petal from a plum blossom branch in the vase, crushed it gently, and said casually, "He's really unpleasant. I'm waiting to see how he'll react when he's released from confinement, like a cornered dog trying to bite off Prince Xuanping."
"I estimate that the Heavenly Dao's intimidation will dissipate in May, at which time I will be able to come out." Yueling sat next to the water mirror in the Imperial Preceptor's Hall, watching Sui Zhixu's movements.
Sui Zhixu nodded and lay down on the bed to rest. She had successfully returned home. According to Yueling, her soul was one with the original Sui Zhixu's, so to be precise, it wasn't a case of possession.
Just now, her father and mother seemed to care about her a lot, and from the argument between her uncle and mother, it was clear that her mother was intentionally grooming her to be the next head of the family.
Sui Zhixu closed her eyes, which was a good thing for her. She could take this opportunity to learn about the Prime Minister's Mansion and the situation in Chang'an, and also learn more about the Prince of Xuanping. Perhaps she could use her status to gain power and fight against the Prince of Xuanping.
—
Yunlailou
Fan Lingzhang took the carrier pigeon that flew in, took the letter, patted the little pigeon's head, and had someone take it down to feed it.
Unrolling the letter, Fan Lingzhang quickly glanced at it, raised an eyebrow and smiled, then turned and went to the table to burn the letter bit by bit.
"Someone, go find a few storytellers and place them in restaurants and teahouses to put on a good show for a few days."
Fan Lingzhang laughed out loud. The letter roughly described that his uncle's backer was the Prince of Xuanping, and instructed him to arrange for people to spread the news of what happened at the Prime Minister's residence that day. When those who were released from confinement a month later learned of the widespread rumors, they would probably go to the Prince of Xuanping.
He also wanted to see Prince Xuanping step forward. His wife's uncle was always gentle and refined, and always acted like a proper gentleman. But behind the scenes, he colluded with Sui Zhixu's uncle to deal with a young woman who was only nineteen years old.
A mocking smile curled at the corner of his mouth. He was looking forward to watching the show as his uncle and Prince Xuanping fought like dogs.
The wife died under mysterious circumstances two years ago. Prince Xuanping remained silent, only advising him to let go of the matter as soon as possible. He even tried to introduce him to the young lady of one of his subordinates so that he could continue to be tied to him. He was truly heartless.
For the next month, Sui Zhixu focused on recuperating according to her plan. She was determined to take revenge and couldn't let herself die halfway through. So, while recuperating at home, she gathered information about the Prime Minister's residence.
As the rumors outside intensified, when he was discharged from the hospital after his uncle's confinement period ended, he felt strange looks from the servants, which made him feel uncomfortable. He couldn't help but grab a servant to ask him what was going on outside.
He hurriedly went to find the head of the Sui family. At this moment, Sui Zhixu was beside her. She looked up and saw her anxious uncle, then lowered her eyes and sneered.
The head of the family closed the account book and looked at his younger brother with a headache. "I can't suppress the rumors. The more I try to suppress them, the more they spread. You are no longer suitable to stay in Chang'an. You should go to Jingzhou to avoid them after the New Year."
Sui Zhixu gently massaged her mother's temples, her eyes fixed on her uncle without a trace of emotion.
Sure enough, he was furious; his hands trembled uncontrollably beneath his sleeves.
She kept repeating the same things, sometimes blaming her mother and resenting her, sometimes bursting into tears. None of it was useful, and Sui Zhixu had no interest in listening. She sat down and poured herself a cup of tea.
It seems that my uncle still hasn't found the right direction. Sui Zhixu decided to give him a push and calmly said, "It was a coincidence that my uncle found a corpse at the bottom of the cliff that looked somewhat like me. At that time, I didn't notice that there were people around, no, there was a corpse."
"you!"
Uncle Sui turned aside, unwilling to see Sui Zhixu acting like a bully.
Sui Zhixu took a sip of tea and said calmly, "Uncle is really lucky."
Yu Guangli followed his uncle's shifty gaze, his voice trembling but unable to stop itself from rising, "What do you mean! Why didn't you wait patiently at the bottom of the cliff for your family to come and get you? Why are you running around like this? How can you blame me for looking for the wrong person? You're really unreasonable. I, as an elder, am too lazy to talk to you."
After his uncle finished speaking, he turned and left, his steps unsteady.
When the head of the family opened his mouth to say something comforting, Sui Zhixu casually put down his teacup. "I'm fine. On the contrary, my uncle seems quite angry. Mother should send someone to follow him secretly, in case he does something irrational."
As Lunar New Year's Eve approached, the mansion was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations. The host was kind, and the servants were filled with laughter and joy.
After saying goodbye to her mother, Sui Zhixu bowed and left. Along the way, the servants greeted her. Over the course of a month, she often left the courtyard under the pretext of sunbathing, and basically everyone in the household became familiar with her.
Although Xu was aloof, she wasn't strict, and since she was the undisputed young master, she answered all his questions.
According to Xu, he has a basic understanding of the Prime Minister's residence. His father married into the family, and his mother has a younger brother and a younger sister. The three of them have not separated their households, but there are no grandparents or great-grandparents.
The population is relatively simple. As Xu stood at the entrance of the Prime Minister's residence, he thought to himself, "Among these people, it just so happens that my uncle is the one who colluded with the Prince of Xuanping. He is indeed quite lucky."
With the help of her maid, Sui Zhixu boarded the carriage. She planned to go to Yunlai Tower to renegotiate their cooperation with Fan Lingzhang.
As the scenery outside the window changed, Xu rubbed the jade pendant with jasmine flower patterns carved in intaglio on her hand. When she was working with Fan Lingzhang, Fan Lingzhang never mentioned that he was actually the nephew-in-law of the Prince of Xuanping.
However, instead of seeking out the Xuanping Prince's men to investigate the cause of his wife's death, Fan Lingzhang went to his father. If he had a conflict with the Xuanping Prince, he and his wife could still become good allies.
I don't know what they said when my father came to thank them a while ago.
The wind blew the carriage curtain, and Sui Zhixu used it to look at the crowds coming and going on the street. Unexpectedly, he saw his uncle, and in the distance, people from the Prime Minister's residence.
Sui Zhixu remembered those faces; she had seen them beside her mother.
The carriage stopped, and Sui Zhixu discovered that he had actually entered Yunlai Tower through the back door, looking around furtively.
She was easily frightened. She had initially suspected that the Prince of Xuanping had arranged for her uncle to find a corpse that resembled her overnight, hoping to trick him. She thought he would contact the Prince of Xuanping in a couple of days, but she hadn't expected him to be so impatient and contact the Prince of Xuanping now.
After waiting for a while and confirming that her uncle had not seen her, Sui Zhixu got off the carriage and went upstairs to find Fan Lingzhang.
—
Upstairs, Fan Lingzhang kept turning the folding fan in his hand, his mind filled with countless speculations.
A month has passed since Sui Zhixu returned home, and Fan Lingzhang recalls her expression before she left every night, pondering it repeatedly.
They look so alike.
He braced his hands against the window, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.
A bitter feeling churned and spread in his heart, suffocating him.
"Knock knock—"
The sudden knocking broke Fan Lingzhang's thoughts; he remembered telling Afu not to disturb him.
Fan Lingzhang straightened his clothes and opened the door. Just as he was about to speak, he met Sui Zhixu's indifferent peach blossom eyes, his dark eyelashes fluttering. "Talking business?"
Fan Lingzhang's droopy ears perked up instantly, and his voice boomed, "Talk!"
The delicate jasmine fragrance lingered around Sui Zhixu's nose. The fragrance was strong, yet Sui Zhixu surprisingly didn't find it offensive.
Before Sui Zhixu could speak, Fan Lingzhang hurriedly spoke first, "I have already sent people to guard Uncle Sui's door. Prince Xuanping will be here soon."
Xu Mo paused for a moment, then nodded slightly.
As she sat there, sipping her tea, she listened to the entanglement between Fan Lingzhang and the Prince of Xuanping. Steam rose before her eyes, and she felt a burning gaze. She opened her eyes to look at Fan Lingzhang.
"Why are you staring at me..."
Before he could finish speaking, a commotion suddenly arose downstairs. Fan Lingzhang quickly walked to the window, opened a crack, and looked down: "The Prince of Xuanping has arrived."
A moment later, the servant came in, whispered a few words to Fan Lingzhang, and then left.
“My men have cleared out the private room that Prince Xuanping frequents.” Fan Lingzhang lowered his voice and tapped his folding fan in his palm. “There are hidden holes in the wall; you can hear everything clearly.”
Sui Zhixu looked up at him, a hint of surprise flashing in her peach blossom eyes: "You've prepared very thoroughly."
Fan Lingzhang's lips curled slightly, but there was no smile in his eyes: "To deal with the enemy, one must know oneself and the enemy."
The two quietly moved one after the other to the private room next to Prince Xuanping's. Fan Lingzhang skillfully got onto the bed, removed the hidden panel on the wall, and gently placed it aside, exposing the hidden hole.
As Sui Zhixu watched his movements, she thought to herself that his understanding of the Prince of Xuanping was probably far greater than she had imagined.
The bed wasn't wide, so Sui Zhixu lifted her skirt and sat at the other end. The jasmine scent emanating from her husband was so close that it made her feel a little uncomfortable. She secretly concentrated and pressed her ear against the wall.
Through the wall, Sui Zhixu heard his uncle pacing anxiously back and forth, "My confinement was lifted today, but I learned that there's already a huge uproar outside. What should we do?"
The moment Prince Xuanping spoke, Sui Zhixu felt a chill run down his spine. A deep-seated unease swept through his body, and he couldn't help but tremble.
She gritted her teeth, trying to dispel the chill.
Seeing this, Fan Lingzhang took out a hot water bottle and stuffed it into Sui Zhixu's arms, silently saying, "Sorry, I forgot to give it to you at first."
The warmth emanating from his palms dispelled the chill on his back, and he silently expressed his gratitude.
After listening for a while, it was as she had guessed. The Prince of Xuanping had used the position of head of the Sui family to tempt his uncle to prevent her from returning home, and now that it was useless, he was going to kick him while he was down.
"When Wang arranged the body and funeral hall for me, he didn't say he would leave any evidence! Now that Sui Zhixu has returned alive, the first person he wants to get rid of is me!"
"What's the panic? I have my own plan."
"Plan? What plan?" Su Zhixu wondered, while his uncle in the private room also asked.
"You will know in time."
“My reputation in Chang’an is now ruined. You think you can seize power according to your plan? Ha, absolutely not. Prince Xuanping, don’t forget that I also have dirt on you. At worst, we’ll fight to the death.”
"Calm down. With the head of the family holding all the power, you are simply not capable of dealing with her now. So, find a way to cut off her left and right arms."
As Xu clenched his fist, he realized that the Prince of Xuanping's plan was related to his mother.
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