17
Consort Li nodded slightly and turned another page of the book in her hand.
Mo Yanzhou's eyes, however, were bloodshot, filled with resentment, dissatisfaction, and grievance.
"The Emperor didn't go?"
Consort Li asked softly, and the little eunuch replied with his head down, "His Majesty is still summoning the Celestial Master in the Imperial Study. Eunuch Fu'an went there by himself."
Consort Li took a deep breath, closed the book in her hand, and placed it on the table.
She turned to look at her son and said, "Some things cannot be obtained or fought for, but some things can be fought for."
"If you indulge in love, you are giving away what you can fight for to others."
Mo Yanzhou pulled himself out of the emotions that were about to drown him, his eyes still a little red.
Consort Li beckoned to him, and he got up and sat down next to her.
Consort Li gently stroked his hair: "My son, you will surely be the most honored person in the Great Xing Dynasty in the future. Your mother is powerless to win that person's favor for you, but other things..."
Consort Li's expression was fierce: "Your mother will definitely fight for it for you."
Mo Yanzhou buried his head in Consort Li's arms, closed his eyes tightly, and gradually suppressed the longing in his heart.
His father disliked him, and he also disliked his mother.
He shouldn't have such high hopes, lest he only add to his mother's sorrow.
——
In the Crown Prince's palace.
Since being imprisoned, the imperial kitchen has not sent any meals.
When Fu'an arrived, the Crown Prince was already kneeling in front of the Buddhist hall, on the verge of fainting.
"How did you serve him? If anything happens to the Second Prince, you'll be in for a world of trouble!"
"Hurry up and serve the Second Prince his food!"
The crown prince had been kneeling for several hours, and when the servants helped him up, his legs were still trembling slightly and he couldn't straighten them.
"Eunuch Fu'an, you don't know, the Crown Prince... ptooey!" The little eunuch slapped his own mouth. "Look at my mouth, please forgive me, sir."
Fu'an glared at him and warned in a low voice, "Be careful."
The man chuckled like a scoundrel and continued, "No matter how we servants tried to persuade our master, he wouldn't listen. He knelt there for hours. Luckily, Your Excellency came, otherwise we really wouldn't know what to do!"
The Crown Prince sat shakily on the stool. Fu'an looked at him and whispered, "Second Prince, you must take care of yourself. His Majesty sent me here because he was worried that you would act rashly. You should always put your own health first. If something happens to you, what will His Majesty think?"
Mo Tingyu shook his head, then nodded, his expression filled with guilt, tears welling in his eyes: "Your subject is incompetent, unable to share your father's burdens, and instead causing you worry and trouble..."
"Second Prince, please don't say such things again," Fu'an said gently. "Seeing you enjoying your meal makes me feel at ease. I'll return to the Imperial Study now."
After Eunuch Fu'an left the East Palace, Mo Tingyu ate bite by bite with tears still streaming down his face. All the dishes that were brought to him were his favorites.
He's useless...
I have failed the Emperor's grace.
After taking a couple of bites, he went to the Buddhist hall with red eyes. He wanted to copy scriptures for those poor children and pray for their peace and well-being in the next life.
perhaps……
This crown prince should never have been his.
The imperial court was rife with intrigue and treachery, and the emperor, standing on the throne, silently sneered as he looked at the memorials submitted by his ministers.
Besides the Grand Tutor's suggestion that the Crown Prince redeem himself by going to Jiangnan, a small number of officials also tried to evade the issue.
The rest of the people, without exception, all recommended the eldest prince.
"Your Majesty, the First Prince is benevolent and righteous. Sending him to Jiangnan will surely appease the people's emotions. Moreover, the First Prince is the rightful heir of the royal family, which further demonstrates the importance the imperial family attaches to him."
"Your Majesty, I believe that the eldest prince is the most suitable candidate."
"The most suitable?"
The emperor chuckled and pointed at the eldest prince with the memorial in his hand.
"Then tell me what you plan to do now that you're in Jiangnan?"
The eldest prince seemed not to have considered this question, and after a moment of stunned silence, he knelt down.
"When I first heard about the events in Jiangnan, I was filled with shock and dread. I had never heard of such a horrifying thing before. I couldn't sleep at night, and I still haven't..."
Before he could finish speaking, the emperor suddenly smiled and glanced at the assembled officials: "Is this the best candidate you all recommended in your joint memorial to me, the most suitable one?"
At this point, the emperor's face darkened, and his tone became authoritative: "Where is it appropriate? How is it appropriate!"
All the officials knelt down, but some still crawled out and whispered their defense of the eldest prince.
"This is a matter of great importance, and it's understandable that the Crown Prince didn't think of it at the time..."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a memorial was thrown at his face.
"How could the Third Prince have come up with a solution overnight?" the Emperor rebuked. "Do you have the world in your hearts, or are you only concerned with my throne?!"
"Your humble servant would not dare!"
"Your subject wouldn't dare!"
The emperor was furious, and a large number of his sons knelt down. He then ordered the third prince to go to Jiangnan.
The eldest prince stared intently at his retreating figure, his hand clenching into a fist inside his sleeve.
When the Third Prince, Mo Yanzhou, received the imperial decree and expressed his gratitude, he made a small request.
"Your subject wishes to go with your second elder brother, and hopes that Your Majesty will grant your permission."
The emperor narrowed his eyes, staring at the third prince with a hint of surprise and danger, as if this was the first time he had looked at his son so seriously.
Then the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor also stepped forward.
"I believe it would be excellent if the Second Prince and the Third Prince went together. The Second Prince could also redeem himself and gain some valuable experience."
When the emperor saw the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor, he unconsciously rubbed his temples and looked away, not wanting to meet his gaze.
"What are you doing here? The Second Prince has committed such a grave mistake, and I haven't even punished you yet, but you dare to mention him in front of me!"
Grand Tutor Zhou, his temples now completely white, immediately removed the black veil from his neck: "Your Majesty may punish me, but this old minister still recommends that the Second Prince go with me!"
Enraged, the emperor pointed directly at Grand Tutor Zhou: "Drag him away and make him..."
He paused, then said, "Make him eat cucumbers for a whole month! Only cucumbers!"
Grand Tutor Zhou was dragged out, and the emperor also became serious. However, the third prince, who was kneeling below, spoke up again.
“Father, my second brother is already filled with remorse for what happened in Jiangnan. I heard that he stayed up all night copying scriptures to help the wronged souls.”
"Furthermore, I have heard that Your Majesty has already gained some understanding of Jiangnan during this time. Compared to my own ignorance and mere theoretical knowledge, I believe it would be better for Your Majesty to go to Jiangnan with you."
His words were sincere, neither humble nor arrogant.
The emperor gave him a long, thoughtful look, and finally nodded.
——
After the Jiang family was cleared of suspicion, their business resumed as normal.
Jiang Yunshu could no longer remain calm.
The Third Prince and the Crown Prince are coming to Jiangnan together.
In his previous life, the Third Prince also came to Jiangnan, but after the dike was washed away by the rain, it was never like this again.
She panicked and felt completely disoriented.
Chu Shuangfeng ultimately failed to sleep in the same room as Baili Chuan that day, but they still developed a deep bond.
Ling Jingchu returned to the monotonous routine of teaching every day.
The news that the Third Prince and the Crown Prince were coming to Jiangnan caused quite a stir. On the one hand, everyone was full of resentment towards the Crown Prince, and on the other hand, everyone heard that the Third Prince was speaking up for the people and had offended many court officials as a result.
The scales in everyone's hearts naturally tipped.
Jiang Yunshu didn't have time to think about any of this; she only had one thought in mind: to hide Ayao away.
Where is it hidden?
Ideally, it should be a place where no one can find you.
"Qing Shuang, let's go to your house. Didn't you want to see your parents?"
After much deliberation, she concluded that this was the best place to go. Other places were also possible, but they all felt somewhat strange.
Qing Shuang looked puzzled: "Miss, Qing Ye is my only lover at home, and I don't want to go back now."
How could I forget this...?
She was extremely distressed. Nothing worked, nothing worked. She couldn't just sit and wait to die!
Mo Yanzhou is a complete pervert, and she is afraid that he will take a fancy to A Yao at first sight and then force her to marry him.
What would she do if that were the case?
We can't just ignore our parents' lives and go against the imperial court, can we?
The more I think about it, the more irritable I become.
"Miss, have some chrysanthemum tea. You've been feeling a bit irritable lately, it'll help cool you down."
She tilted her head back and drank it, but the annoyance in her heart did not lessen in the slightest.
"Can't I really come to your house?"
Qing Shuang frowned and didn't say anything. She really didn't want to go back; there was no place for her in that family.
Even after they went back, the arguments continued.
"Miss, what's wrong with you?"
“If you want to go out and have fun, just tell the master. It just so happens that Master Lin has to take leave to go back to his hometown recently, and Ayao can go with him.”
Is Lin Yuliu going back to Yunzhou?
Isn't there no one at her home? Why would she go back?
How many days will you be gone?
"Half a month".
So long?
She looked at Qing Shuang with a puzzled expression.
“Mr. Lin came to see you yesterday, but you were suffering from heatstroke and it was inconvenient for you to see people while you were lying down, so she went to see Madam instead, and Madam has already given her permission.”
She really was...
Ever since she learned that the Third Prince was coming, she seemed to have lost her spirit and didn't want to get up, spending her days lying listlessly in bed.
At first, Chu Shuangfeng had Qing Shuang call her, but later she simply took Baili Chuan with her to play.
For several days, she was immersed in this unspeakable fear.
"Miss Jiang, Su Xiang Yuan has launched a new product. This time, the Guanghan Cake is exquisitely designed. Please try it!"
Su Ye called out from the courtyard, and Qing Shuang hurriedly went out.
These past few days, Ling Jingchu has been acting like a landlord who has struck it rich, going to Su Xiang Yuan every day, while she only goes to He Wei Ju next door to buy some pastries.
However, Su Xiang Yuan's pastries are indeed delicious. Every time she eats a sweet pastry, she can temporarily forget her troubles.
She got up and walked into the courtyard. Ling Jingchu was standing at the gate, his body turned to the side, arms linked with his arm, seemingly not intending to look at her at all.
She stepped forward, and Su Ye's eyes lit up with a smile: "Miss Jiang, you've finally decided to come out. Young Master has been working so hard these past few days..."
"Su Ye, stop talking!"
Ling Jingchu, who had been standing at the courtyard gate, now faced them, his cold eyes scolding them.
She smiled and walked over.
"Thank you, Ling Jingchu."
Ling Jingchu stared at her with cold eyes, seemingly lost in thought. After a long while, he parted his thin lips slightly.
"No need."
She looked at him silently. He was utterly devoid of any charm. Could someone like that really win the heart of the one he loved?
Never mind, she decided not to discourage him.
"There's no need to worry about Ayao's safety; nothing has happened yet."
She suddenly raised her eyebrows, and there really was a change in her demeanor; it seemed she truly had someone she liked.
"Ling Jingchu, who is the person you love? Although you haven't passed the imperial examinations yet, you can still settle down and start a family before focusing on your career. Why not..."
"Shall I have my father propose marriage for you?"
After she finished speaking, she felt that Ling Jingchu's expression grew increasingly somber, his aura increasingly cold, and all the concern in his eyes vanished.
It's like he's become a completely different person.
She pursed her lips; was she provoked by her words?
She gets angry too easily.
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