The palace examination presided over by the Seventh Prince was successfully concluded, which also refreshed the understanding of this prince among the court officials and the people.
In the imperial court, the seventh prince officially began to show his talent.
He attended court with the Fifth Prince and the Second Prince after the ban was lifted, and listened to their duties.
The Dragon Boat Festival will follow the imperial examination.
Because Consort Xi was pregnant, His Majesty was overjoyed and full of anticipation for the unborn child. Therefore, he decided to hold a grand celebration for the Dragon Boat Festival.
This year's Dragon Boat Festival celebration will be jointly hosted by the Second Prince, the Fifth Prince, and the Seventh Prince.
Even more exciting is that His Majesty has even issued a decree to bestow additional titles upon the princes during the Dragon Boat Festival, which foreshadows an even fiercer competition for the position of Crown Prince.
This Dragon Boat Festival has become unusual.
They had just stepped out of the palace gate.
The second prince stopped the seventh prince and sneered, "You're quite pleased with yourself, aren't you?"
"I was just careless and fell for your trick, and I'll definitely get my revenge!"
"I advise you not to be too happy yet!"
The Fifth Prince noticed the gazes of the court officials and spoke gently, “Second Brother, don’t be angry. Father entrusted you with this important task because he saw that Seventh Brother’s health was improving. We are all brothers and should share Father’s burdens.”
"Shut up--"
The Second Prince, still seething with anger, retorted, "Take care of your own household before you try to control me! What good does it do you to him that he's favored by Father? Heh, I heard that Thirteenth Brother hangs out with those Jin family brats every day. What? Are you brothers planning to side with Seventh Brother and treat him as your superior?"
The Fifth Prince's face showed an uncontrollable chill, but he forced a brotherly smile and said, "Second Brother is joking. What do children know about taking sides? It's just playing around."
"Playing around?"
The Second Prince sneered, staring at the indifferent Seventh Prince, "You were so fierce in catching adulterers in the court, while the Consort pretended to be innocent and clever in the harem. Do you really think that with the Consort protecting you, you can be my equal? Dream on!"
How dare a lowly child born to a country woman compare himself to him?
"You wait! I won't let you get away with this!"
The second prince uttered harsh words and stormed off.
Seeing that the seventh prince had remained silent, the fifth prince assumed he was heartbroken and comforted him, "Second brother has been imprisoned for so long, he must be upset. Don't hold it against him, and don't be angry or sad..."
"Um?"
The Seventh Prince finally looked up, gave a soft "hmm," looked up at the sky, and cupped his hands to the Fifth Prince, saying, "Fifth Prince, please make yourself at home. I've arranged to go horseback riding with Jiaojiao, so I'll take my leave first."
Having said that, he walked away quickly.
Zi Xing hurried along, her face showing a gentle expression as if she were thinking of something. She ignored all the glances and whispers around her, showing no sign of being angry at the Second Prince's harsh words.
The Fifth Prince's face stiffened.
It took him a while to come to his senses. He forced a gentle demeanor and bowed to the courtiers to take his leave.
Before he even left, he could hear the court officials behind him gossiping.
"I didn't realize that the Seventh Prince was such a romantic."
"Hahaha, I heard that Miss Jiang is not as stupid and ugly as rumored. Her medical skills are so good that even the imperial physicians in the palace are ashamed of themselves. The Seventh Prince has really struck gold."
"Yes! Ever since the incident with Jin Youfang, Miss Jiang and the Jin family have become great benefactors in the eyes of the people. As a result, the Seventh Prince has also gained considerable prestige among the people. It's truly a case of finding a treasure by sheer chance."
"His Majesty originally favored Miss Jiang for the Seventh Prince, but unexpectedly, Miss Jiang became the Fifth Prince's concubine and even caused a scene about faking a pregnancy to compete for favor. Now, the Fifth Prince's harem is in complete chaos, and he has even offended the Eldest Princess. Hehe..."
"Miss Jiang should be attending this Dragon Boat Festival, then we'll finally get a glimpse of her true face."
"My mother has been bedridden for a long time. If I have the chance, I would like to ask Miss Jiang for a good prescription."
"..."
I could hear the sparse chatter behind me.
The Fifth Prince clenched his fists! If she had listened to her mother and chosen Jiang Jiaojiao instead of Jiang Xue, wouldn't she have been the one who struck gold?
Thinking of Consort De...
The Fifth Prince's face darkened further. How could his mother let the Thirteenth Prince hang out with those boys from the Jin family!
What will the other princes think of him now!
His own brother, though born of the same mother, sided with the Jin family and the seventh brother.
Imperial Manor in the suburbs.
Young men and women galloped on horseback, their laughter and cheers creating a lively atmosphere. Luo Twelve came out on top, Jiang Jiaojiao came in second, and then the Jiang Jingtian brothers...
Luo Shier was overjoyed with the jade pendant he had won. As he passed Jiang Lingtian, who was panting heavily, he suddenly stopped. "I didn't expect a little... scholar like you to be able to ride a horse? Not bad. A man should practice more!"
As she spoke, she tossed the jade pendant in her hand at Jiang Lingtian, saying, "Seeing how hard you've been working! This jade pendant is for you!"
Jiang Lingtian hurriedly caught the jade pendant and clutched it tightly in his hand, as if it were a priceless treasure. We were so nervous that sweat beaded on our foreheads, fearing that the jade pendant might be damaged in any way.
Jiang Jingtian passed by and, seeing his younger brother's disheveled appearance, couldn't help but ask curiously, "Second brother, what's wrong with you? Why are you running around like a madman today? You almost fell off your horse just now! And why are you, a grown man, fighting with Jiaojiao and the others for their things?"
Her gaze fell on the jade pendant in his hand, and she asked doubtfully, "You've taken a fancy to this jade pendant? It's not anything particularly valuable, is it really worth it?"
After saying that, he shook his head and left.
Jiang Jiaojiao took the tea handed to her by the Fourth Princess, drank it all in one gulp, and said cheerfully, "Fourth Sister, you should also go and run around on the field. It's much more enjoyable than sitting and watching!"
"I am not good at riding and archery, but seeing you riding so happily makes me happy too."
The Fourth Princess's gaze fell on Jiang Jingtian in the crowd, and a blush rose to her cheeks.
With her mouth stuffed like a little hamster, Yuan Bao'er still managed to chime in, "These pastries and tea are much better than riding a horse, hehe, Jiaojiao, have the cook prepare some more for me, I want to take them with me!"
"Hahaha, you have such a big mouth! You even take the food with you after you've eaten it all! My thirteenth brother brings you food every day, and I've never seen you get tired of it."
Luo Twelve laughed loudly.
Just then, the Thirteenth Young Master strode over from a distance and exclaimed happily, "We hunted a deer in the woods and have already sent it to the kitchen. We're in for a treat today!"
"That's great!"
Yuan Bao'er almost jumped up, her little face flushed with joy.
"Haha, I knew there was no need to look for him. The Thirteenth Young Master must have come to deliver good news."
"That guy ran too fast! He disappeared in the blink of an eye! I thought something had happened!"
"This is Jiaojiao's imperial estate. The restless people have long been sent away. Only some poor tenants remain. Knowing that Jiaojiao exempted them from taxes for three years, they all treat Jiaojiao's party as a bodhisattva and are very well-behaved!"
"Hahaha, isn't our Jiaojiao a bodhisattva? I heard from the newly appointed manor lord that if it weren't for Jiaojiao, they probably wouldn't have survived this year. Many tenant farmers are already preparing to sell their children to make a living."
"Now that Jiaojiao has taken over the royal estate, they have a way out."
The Jin family boys returned from their hunt in high spirits, their laughter echoing throughout the night.
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