Chapter 47 (Melon Seeds)
Something happened in the palace.
What happened?
The Xiao family didn't say it at the time, but to be on the safe side, they didn't let Yan Qiushu go back to her own yard to rest, but let her rest directly in the main yard, saying that there were many guards here, and if anything happened, they would be able to take care of her.
This means that something big has happened.
The only thing that could affect the officials in the court and make them so vigilant is... a palace coup.
However, this was no longer something she could get involved in, so she didn't ask any more questions and just followed the arrangements.
Or maybe Yan Qiushu was too carefree. Maybe the emperor was too far away from her, and she didn't have any real feelings at all. So when everyone was nervous, she fell asleep quickly.
It's just that some people can't sleep.
The third prince Zhou Zeqi, who was still in great glory a few hours ago, can only stay in the prison of the clan residence now.
He took off his gorgeous clothes, leaving only a white single garment soaked with cold sweat. If you look closely, you can see cuts on the white single garment, as if they were cut by a sharp blade.
His long hair, which he always kept well-groomed, was now disheveled due to the broken jade crown. His eyes were bloodshot, and the stubble around his lips had appeared in a short period of time. There was still residual fear and disbelief in his eyes.
Too fast!
From the moment he controlled his father and his brothers and sisters, the soldiers he brought had not even taken over half of the palace when reinforcements arrived quickly, as if they had been prepared and were just waiting for him to take action so that they could catch them in secret.
He was so frustrated that he looked dazed.
Zhou Zeqi couldn't understand why this happened?
Is he really anxious?
But if he didn't do this in a hurry, he would really have no hope at all!
After all, he had been planning for a long time, and his advantages had been so obvious over the years. The crown prince had been deposed, and he was the only adult prince with children. His father's health was not good either. As long as he was made crown prince, he would definitely treat his brothers well and choose a good place for them as a fiefdom.
But my father believed the sweet words of women in bed and was reluctant to appoint a crown prince, allowing the fifth and sixth sons to get more and more powerful. Now one of them is in control of the harem, and the other is a powerful relative who is forming a clique for personal gain.
However, his father-in-law was exposed because of the Xiao family, which led to him being controlled by others in every way.
How could Zhou Zeqi bear it anymore?
Just as his adviser said, his peak period has passed. Now that the Qiao family is in trouble, there is no one around him who can compare to the Qiao family to help him. At this time, the Sixth Prince and the Prince of Jin are on good terms, and the Xue family will also be with him in the future.
The fifth prince has also begun discussing a marriage with Prime Minister Jin's family.
He had lost his power. Qiao had given birth to a son for him and had done nothing wrong, so he could not divorce her. His father was still eyeing him covetously, and the court officials did not dare to approach him easily. In the past, everyone wanted to get close to him, but now when he invited people to dinner, the people who went were all small officials of the sixth rank, with no power or influence.
When the fifth and sixth brothers become fully powerful, no one will even look at him anymore, and his dream of becoming an emperor will be shattered, so he has no choice but to rebel.
But they seemed to have prepared in advance. When he controlled this group of people, his father was obviously shocked and angry and scolded him. Even the usually domineering Concubine Lu changed her face at this time, not to mention others.
It almost worked, if only...
The reinforcements didn't come so quickly!
Zhou Zeqi's mind, which had been numbed by the previous incident, suddenly had an idea. He stood up abruptly and was about to ask when he saw the tightly closed door opened. His two concubines and several concubines were sent here together. They came over crying and asked him what had happened.
Zhou Zeqi pushed the door open in annoyance, and glanced around one by one, finding that all the concubines were there, except Qiao and his son Zhou Zhaoqin.
His heart slowly sank. The unbelievable truth was coming to light. He anxiously asked, "Where's Qiao?! Let Qiao come see me!"
The guard who escorted these people here smiled strangely and made a suggestive gesture.
Zhou Zeqi's forehead was throbbing, and he wanted to slap him, but his status was different now. Even though he felt disgusted, he could only endure it and hurriedly took off a jade pendant from his neck and handed it over.
The other party took it with a satisfied smile and whispered, "When I went over just now, I happened to see the Third Prince's wife being protected by the Imperial Guards. She stayed in the mansion and was not offended. However, the little grandson of the emperor was crying non-stop, and he was anxiously sending for the imperial physician."
Zhou Zeqi's throat choked, and his ferocious expression suddenly froze. He murmured, "It must be her! It must be her!"
No one except her could know what he was going to do in such detail.
It must be her!!!
But what if you know it’s her?
He has failed!
When Yan Qiushu woke up the next day, everything was done.
Some of the more vigilant citizens of Kyoto who lived closer to the prince's palace could hear the noise over there. In addition, there were always gossipers who were well-informed, so this matter had spread throughout the streets and alleys of Kyoto before the royal family had time to deal with it thoroughly.
I heard that the third prince launched a palace coup on the thirteenth day, trying to threaten the emperor to ascend the throne directly!
Everyone was shocked, but soon someone said, "But he failed!"
Although the incident happened suddenly, the palace seemed to be prepared. Although they arrived a little late, they still managed to suppress everything with great vigor and decisiveness.
And all this is thanks to the former Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Chang!
The people exclaimed: "As expected of His Royal Highness Prince Chang, he is so amazing!"
"The first palace coup was resolved so quickly. My grandfather said he also experienced a palace coup when he was a child. During those days, the blood at the palace gate couldn't be washed away for a long time!"
"It's all thanks to His Royal Highness Prince Chang. It's a pity that he was clearly the Crown Prince before. Why did His Majesty depose him and imprison him five years ago? If not, the situation would have been even more serious in five years!"
"Who knows about the royal family's affairs? Even between father and son, there are so many conflicts..."
Yan Qiushu bought a sweet white sugar pancake and heard many scholars talking about it while drinking tea in a teahouse with Shui Yu and two servants.
As mentioned before, nowadays, people value literature over military affairs. No one will say anything if a scholar talks about political affairs or even the secrets of the imperial palace. As long as the tone is not insulting, he cannot be convicted.
Such rules led to scholars in teahouses talking freely without restraint, even drowning out the storyteller's voice.
Yan Qiushu was eating a sesame seed bun. The bun was hot. When she bit into it, she could taste the melted sugar inside. It was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and the taste was very good. When she got tired of it, she took a sip of tea, and her mouth felt better. She listened with even more relish.
The Third Prince...
The plot doesn't involve much about the Xiao family, but Yan Qiushu still remembers the third prince clearly, because he played a very important role and contributed control of the imperial guards to the male protagonist, Prince Jin, Zhou Zejing.
What was supposed to be revealed a year later has now happened a year earlier, and the third prince has embarked on the old path of rebellion.
The only difference is...
He chose the 13th as the day for the family dinner.
The Lantern Festival falls on the 13th and 15th. The 13th is the emperor's family banquet with no outsiders present, and the 15th is a state banquet, at which all civil and military officials of the fifth rank and above can attend.
A year later, the third prince chose a state banquet.
There were many people that time, and he had many soldiers. Moreover, the heroine Yan Qiuyuan had already married Zhou Zejing. When the Third Prince controlled the female relatives, he controlled her as well.
It was at this moment that she desperately rushed to the emperor to protect him and win his favor, which made the emperor relax his vigilance and reuse Zhou Zejing.
Zhou Zejing just couldn't get in at the family dinner this time, and the third prince started a fight. It was Prince Chang who solved the matter. Prince Chang, who had been forgotten and even if he came out, was so low-key that it seemed as if he had never come out, did this.
If nothing unexpected happens, the relationship between the royal father and son will improve, and Prince Chang may gain some real power.
But the greater advantage is that those who once supported the deposed crown prince five years ago are now likely to turn around and support Prince Chang!
Yan Qiushu was just thinking about this when someone came into the teahouse selling melon seeds.
She perked up, but before she could wave, someone spoke first: "Here, here."
"Boss, give me half a pound!"
The middle-aged man selling melon seeds came forward cheerfully and took out the quantities they requested. After selling them one by one, Yan Qiushu quickly said, "I want two pounds too."
"Two kilograms is a bit too much. Melon seeds can easily cause internal heat, so it's better to eat less." The middle-aged man smiled and reminded.
Yan Qiushu said, "It's okay, I can take it home and eat it."
Seeing this, the man said nothing more and did the business with a smile.
Yan Qiushu paid the money, and a figure appeared beside her. Xue Jiahe's somewhat surprised voice rang out, "Miss Xiao? It's you!"
Yan Qiushu raised her eyes and smiled: "Mr. Xue."
Xue Jiahe smiled shyly and said, "What a coincidence, you're here too, but did you hear what I said last time?"
"Master Xue, please take a seat." Yan Qiushu nodded. "I happened to have some free time, so I went out for a walk. I came here when I got there. You said before that around 3 p.m. every day, there would be a shop selling delicious melon seeds. I'll be waiting here."
Xue Jiahe sat down and Yan Qiushu poured him a cup of tea.
After pouring the tea, she began to taste the melon seeds.
I found that the fried melon seeds were really good. The quality was very good. Each seed was plump and fried just right. As soon as I applied force with my fingers, the melon seeds broke open, revealing the fragrant kernels inside.
The melon seeds have a slightly salty taste and a pleasant aroma, and you can taste a hint of sweetness when chewing them.
She was very satisfied with the meal.
The rather restless young man stole a glance at her expression, and seeing that she had not taken off her veil outside, revealing only her beautiful eyes, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief, as long as it tasted good.
His eyes rolled around, and suddenly he heard someone calling him, but the voice was too soft and unrecognizable.
Xue Jiahe turned around and realized that he had just come here with a friend and had forgotten about Zhao Qi's existence.
He apologized with an apologetic smile, and the other party shook his head helplessly, said nothing more, and started eating.
Xue Jiahe took a sip of tea and racked his brains to find a topic: "Miss, have you been to the other places I mentioned?"
Yan Qiushu kept her hands busy and shook her head, "No, what's wrong?"
Xue Jiahe straightened his back and said, "I was thinking that if you have nothing to do these days, I would like to review those old shops and take you there. I wonder if you can use me?"
Yan Qiushu was speechless and shook her head: "No, I can go by myself."
When she was a corporate slave, she was so busy with overtime that she had no time to hang out with friends. She had long been accustomed to going out alone, not to mention that she now had Shui Yu to accompany her. There was no need to find someone she didn't know well and make things awkward for each other.
The last time she was willing to go together, it was because she happened to want to eat at that restaurant, and it would be bad to reject the other party and go there alone.
However, her refusal dimmed the young man's eyes, but he still said, "Then I won't bother you, young lady. If you are bored one day, you can ask me to accompany you."
After these words were spoken, Yan Qiushu's face stiffened slightly, and the melon seed shells in her hand jumped a little far away because of the force.
The people of Da Zhou were open-minded, and it was common for unmarried men and women to go out together, but they were only men and women who were interested in each other or were on blind dates.
So what is he doing?
She tilted her head and was about to politely refuse the other party, but just as she showed a polite smile, Xue Jiahe's expression changed, and his handsome face showed a forced smile. He even stood up and bowed, saying: "Miss Xiao, I have something else to do, so I won't disturb you for now."
Yan Qiushu: "..."
This person ran away, and ran quite fast.
Yan Qiushu shrugged, picked up the melon seeds, and said to Shui Yu, "Let's go too. We've been out for so long, it's time to go back."
"yes."
The two left.
Just before leaving, Yan Qiushu felt two pairs of eyes looking at her, as if they were real.
She instinctively followed her feelings and looked.
On the second floor of the teahouse, by the window facing the hall, there were two women looking down at her.
And these two people...
Yan Qiushu happened to know one of them, and that was her half-sister Yan Qiuyuan. She didn't know the other one, but she looked pretty without a veil, and her beautiful clothes exuded nobility. Moreover, the hairpins on her head, judging from the grade, were only for the royal family to use.
Looking at the expression on their faces, they are definitely not from an ordinary family.
The two men looked at her with unfriendly eyes.
But Yan Qiushu shouldn't have recognized them in her current status, so why did it happen like this? It was inexplicable.
She took a quick glance, confirmed her feeling was correct, and continued walking out.
At this moment, a woman's angry snort rang out from the second-floor window: "What does she mean? She doesn't even come to pay her respects to this county lady when she sees her?!"
Yan Qiuyuan hurriedly comforted him, "She might not recognize us."
"Is this county lady so hard to recognize?" The woman was still angry and frowned, but the person had already gone far away, and she couldn't pull him back to salute her.
The Xiao family still has to be cautious.
Yan Qiuyuan sneered in her heart, she really thought everyone knew her. If Zhou Zejing had not risen in recent years and gained some face in front of the emperor, who would care about a prince with an empty title?
However, she also hated the Xiao family, and she clearly remembered the time when the Xiao family held a birthday party for their grandson. She had met this woman, and she was very rude. So, she said softly, "You know, the Xiao family has always been like this. Don't bother with them."
"Oh, this county lady has noticed that the Xiao family really has no manners. The third lady of the Xiao family whipped her fiancé in the street and then broke off the engagement to find a husband, which set a good example!" The woman, Zhou Zejing's sister Zhou Lanyi sneered, and with her other hand on the window, she exerted force, and with a "click", the window was closed.
Then she sat back in her chair and taunted, "You're so close to the Xue family's young master today. I'm afraid there have been some signs for a long time. The Xue family doesn't take this county lady seriously!"
Yan Qiuyuan's eyes sparkled, and she said casually, "Young Master Xue has been away for three years training and is now back for this year's imperial examination. He's highly sought after. Naturally, some people would want a son-in-law like him. This is normal. However, it doesn't look like the two of them have any deeper entanglements. It's just a greeting between two acquaintances. If you're interested, why not seize the opportunity, second sister?"
Zhou Lanyi pursed her lips, somewhat understanding what she had heard. However, she puffed out her cheeks with a bit of embarrassment and said angrily, "Why? You want me to beg him?"
"Of course not!" Yan Qiuyuan denied with a smile, and said tactfully: "But it would be a pity to miss this marriage. I heard that the eldest son of the Xue family will be taking office in Jinzhou soon. The Xue family is already very popular, and now it has reached a new level. With such an elder brother, Master Xue's future achievements will definitely be great. By then, he can even earn an imperial decree for his wife..."
Zhou Lanyi, with a look of disgust on her face, felt a slight movement in her heart, twisted her handkerchief and did not refute anymore.
Yan Qiuyuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but couldn't help but complain in her heart, "Idiot!"
The two of them just came out for a walk today. After all, Zhou Lanyi was Zhou Zejing's biological sister and her future sister-in-law, so it was not easy to offend her, so she had to risk her life to accompany her. It was really a coincidence that they met the woman from the Xiao family and Xue Jiahe, the son of the Xue family.
It's just that this coincidence is quite good for her.
The eldest son of the Xue family is now thirty years old. There happens to be a vacancy in Jinzhou, and the Xue family is keeping an eye on him. Others don’t know, but as a reborn person, Yan Qiuyuan knows it.
The Xue family naturally became successful, and although Jinzhou was prosperous, due to the evil deeds of the Qiao family, everything was in ruins. The eldest son of the Xue family had a lot to do, and later he gained credit for the Mengyin family. It was also this year that Xue Jiahe became the top scorer in the imperial examination.
The two families were originally discussing an engagement, but it ultimately didn't happen because Miss Zhou Lanyi was spoiled and believed everything she heard. She thought he had a confidante and looked down on a nerd. She went to the nerd and spoke nonsense in front of him, causing the two families to break up.
Who would have thought that when he passed the imperial examination, he was immediately favored by the Eighth Princess, and that confidante disappeared without a trace, and the Xue family became the Sixth Prince's helper.
You know, the Fifth Prince and the Sixth Prince are now evenly matched in strength, and there's also Prince Chang who seems to be on the rise. She's afraid that if the Sixth Prince becomes even more powerful, she'll be the one to reap the benefits.
After all, many things in this life have to happen in advance, and Yan Qiuyuan is also very anxious. She doesn't want to miss the attention of the Xue family, so she made such persuasion.
Besides, she was just a confidante who had no results, and she wasn't threatening either. She was doing this entirely for Zhou Lanyi's good.
Yan Qiuyuan remembered that this girl was not a real member of the Xiao family, but a relative who was begging for money. In order to please the Xiao family, she worked as a cook there.
As for Madam Xue, what she cared about most was her family background. No wonder after she got engaged to the Eighth Princess in her previous life, she had no news of her confidante at all.
She sneered, full of sympathy for the girl who worked as a 'cook' in the Xiao family, but soon she frowned in annoyance.
According to the plan, the Third Prince will definitely rebel when there are the most people around, and all his accumulated manpower will be used. By then, the Emperor will be in danger and will need protection.
However, due to Thirteen's rebellion and the emperor's family banquet, they were unable to intervene at all. By the time Zhou Zejing led his troops over, the situation had been settled, and the credit for saving the emperor was taken away by Prince Chang!
It’s not in the plan again!
The situation is really tricky now. Without accumulating enough power, if one of the princes does not participate in these struggles and preserves his strength, Zhou Zejing cannot become the emperor.
Can I only be a prince?
Yan Qiuyuan was unwilling to accept this. She had been scheming all along, not to become a prince's consort, especially since it was possible that when Zhou Zejing inherited the throne, his title would have to be lowered, and her status would be greatly reduced.
Now we can only hope that this fool is smarter. The Xue family is in charge of the Ministry of Revenue. If they can be won over, there will be a greater possibility of dragging all the princes into the water.
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