"No." Unexpectedly, Changyan shook his head. "It's still the He family."
However, it wasn't the current He family, but a member of the He family who had been away for three years and was about to return after stepping down.
Compared to the current unpredictable head of the He family, He Chengzhang, with whom I had dealt several times in Anshui County, was much more reassuring.
It wasn't that he was of noble character, nor that he had any dealings with the six siblings, but rather that he was inherently upright. He cared for the people, he was willing to be a champion of justice, and he joined forces with Dou Weiming to create peace and tranquility in Anshui County.
Truly good people who are dedicated to the country and its people can be persuaded.
"What if we can't persuade them? Will they turn around and bite us back?" The guard looked worried.
Chang Yan smiled and shook his head, "No."
He Chengzhang had made an agreement with the Fang family that he would harm Fang Heng in exchange for it, but instead of harming him, he protected them and helped them leave Anshui County.
These frictions alone make it difficult for the two sides to become allies.
However, Xu Mo needs to inquire about the specifics himself.
After a long banquet, the brush fell to the ground, the ink characters appearing on the envelope, eventually returning to the small courtyard.
“He Chengzhang…” Xu Mo murmured softly, “After three years apart, Prefect He is coming back.”
Despite being from a first-rate aristocratic family, the He family, whose current head is a brother, is being exchanged with the Fang family and sent to Anshui County as its governor. There must be a hidden reason behind this.
He remembered the dark-skinned boy who seemed hesitant to speak, and after much deliberation, he requested an audience in his own name.
The current situation in Fengjing is quite chaotic.
While Xu Mo and Chang Yan joined forces to scheme against the Fang family, they also severely tricked the Second Prince.
Now that his marriage proposal to Jiang Sheng has exposed his ambitions and angered the Jiang family, his relationship with the Fang family is also in jeopardy. If Consort Ju finds out, it is not impossible for the Fang family to completely abandon him in order to save their own lives.
The Ju family has not found any evidence of collusion between the Fang family and the Second Prince, but they have become suspicious of this down-on-his-luck prince and are trying to find ways to suppress him.
Whenever the Second Prince took a fancy to a noblewoman, his plans would be thwarted, and whenever he became friends with her, he would distance himself from her for various reasons.
Consort Ju's domineering methods were astonishing and made people turn pale at the mere mention of them.
The second prince was devastated and became completely despondent. Now he hides in his princely residence in silence, no longer caring about even the selection of a concubine.
The scales seem to have completely tipped in favor of Consort Ju's faction.
As the dark-skinned boy responded to the invitation, the First Prince's reputation was gradually recovering, and he revealed his determination to have the Jiang family's daughter.
Xu Mo opened the envelope, and the messy handwriting on it revealed the owner's complicated emotions. It seemed that he had been struggling with this for a long time before responding: "We'll talk about it another day."
There is no place, no time, and not even a person.
The sentence, which seemed to have no beginning or end, left Jiang Sheng and Zheng Ruqian completely bewildered.
Only Xu Mo understood it, and silently closed the envelope.
The day after tomorrow happens to be the day the emperor, who was claiming to be ill, announced the day for selecting his concubines.
The He family clearly doesn't want to be associated with them; they'd rather exchange a few words at the banquet than meet in private.
"But what does the selection of concubines have to do with my elder brother?" Jiang Sheng asked, puzzled.
Zheng Ruqian's eyes widened, clearly having grasped the key point.
This time it's not just about choosing a concubine, but also about choosing a husband for the Third Princess, so the number of people invited is quite large, about 30% more than the last flower viewing banquet.
"Brother, you're not going to become a prince consort, are you?" he teased, suppressing a laugh. "Then you'd better be careful. A prince consort in the current dynasty can't take concubines, and he can't even hold an official position."
Becoming a prince consort can be said to cut off one's entire future, leaving one with no choice but to live by clinging to the princess for the rest of one's life.
Xu Mo himself had no interest in such banquets, but with the He family's invitation first and the First Prince's covetousness of the Jiang family's daughter second, he really couldn't avoid this palace banquet.
"You mean, the First Prince has his eye on Xiao Yu?" Jiang Sheng realized the crucial point and suddenly stood up. "Wouldn't that put Xiao Yu in great danger?"
It is common knowledge that neither the Jiang family daughter nor the Dou family daughter wanted to marry into the royal family.
Consort Ju was ruthless, but she could only bully the Second Prince because of his weak status; she dared not force the Dou and Jiang families.
However, when entering a palace banquet, aristocratic families are not allowed to bring maids or guards. They are served by palace maids and eunuchs throughout the event. Wouldn't that be tantamount to lambs to the slaughter?
When the time comes, once the deed is done, Jiang Chengyu will have no choice but to agree, whether he wants to or not.
The Jiang family's musket can only be tied to the First Prince and the Ju family's boat.
"Can Xiaoyu not go?" Jiang Sheng asked, her eyes brimming with tears, unwilling to let her only sister suffer such a terrible fate.
Xu Mo gently shook his head.
The selection of concubines is a matter of absolute authority; one can politely decline, but one cannot be absent without a valid reason.
Its importance is second only to the talent show. Pretending to be sick to avoid it is tantamount to slapping the face of the imperial family. If it is exposed, it is equivalent to giving the enemy a handle to use against you.
Fortunately, Jiang Chengfeng will also be there this time. With him there, Jiang Chengyu's safety can always be protected.
“Then, I’ll go too.” Jiang Sheng remembered something, “Men and women shouldn’t sit together, and it will be difficult for Brother Chengfeng to protect me closely.”
Fearing her brothers would worry, she added self-deprecatingly, "In their eyes, a Jiang family daughter raised outside the family is no different from a bastard. Don't worry, I'm safe."
It's harsh to hear, but it's the truth.
Xu Mo sighed, "I won't stop you. Go find Old Madam Jiang. As long as she agrees, that's fine."
The Jiang family's daughter will ultimately enter the palace under the Jiang family's name.
Jiang Sheng suddenly stood up, her impulsive nature making her unable to contain herself, and she went straight to the Jiang family.
"Big brother, are you really okay with her going?" Zheng Ruqian muttered to himself. "I don't care if other people get into trouble, but I can't let my sister get into trouble."
Forget about kindness, forget about justice; when it comes to matters of the heart, many people only choose the one they love most.
Jiang Sheng undoubtedly holds a special place in the hearts of her brothers.
Xu Mo brought up Old Madam Jiang because he was certain that she would be rejected and leave disappointed.
Unexpectedly, Jiang San brought news that the Jiang family had actually agreed.
Madam Jiang personally led two daughters of the Jiang family into the palace, seemingly to give face to the imperial family, but in reality to protect her granddaughters.
"Brother, it's still some time before Fang Yuan is beheaded, and there's no rush to bring down the Fang family. The most important thing is to protect yourself." While happy, Jiang Sheng didn't forget to come back and remind her, "With Grandmother's protection and my companionship, Xiao Yu will definitely not become some damned prince's consort."
Xu Mo chuckled. It's still uncertain who's in danger right now.
The entire situation in Fengjing is in complete chaos. Some are eager to try, some are determined to succeed, and some are pretending to be reserved. They can pretend however they want in ordinary times, but they will definitely show their fangs when it matters.
Who would be willing to give up such a powerful in-law family?
The eldest prince wouldn't, the second prince wouldn't, and the fourth prince wouldn't either.
With the prominent families of Fengjing gathered together, this palace banquet was destined to be very interesting.
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