Lu Jingze has already resolved the issue with the old prince and is now just waiting for Ye Lanfeng to get the money from Lord Liu before they can set off for Cangzhou.
Hearing from his subordinates that Lord Liu was showing signs of softening his stance, Lu Jingze thought to himself that with Ye Lanfeng's abilities and methods, it wouldn't be long before he could completely resolve this matter.
Thinking of this, he was quite pleased and left work early. He even went to Linglongfang to queue up and buy Wang Xiuxiu her favorite pastries.
Linglongfang is the most famous pastry shop in the capital.
Although the cooks in the Prince's Mansion could also make pastries, Linglongfang had been passed down for generations, and its pastries had some advantages that were hard to surpass.
Sometimes when Wang Xiuxiu had a craving, she would instruct Xiaoying to bribe the servants in the outer courtyard to line up and buy her some snacks to satisfy her craving.
She was somewhat surprised that Lu Jingze personally queued up to buy it today.
Why are you being so thoughtful today?
Lu Jingze smiled slightly and said gently, "I thought you like to eat this, so I bought some on the way. I've been busy these past few days and haven't had a chance to spend much time with you."
Wang Xiuxiu opened the pastry box, took out a piece of crystal-clear water chestnut cake, took a small bite, and her face was full of satisfaction.
As she ate, she didn't forget to call out to Lu Jingze, "You should try some too. This water chestnut cake is sweet but not cloying, and it melts in your mouth. It's delicious!"
Lu Jingze shook his head and smiled, "You eat it, I don't really like sweets."
Wang Xiuxiu pouted and said with feigned displeasure, "You really have no luck with food!"
Seeing her coquettish expression, Lu Jingze's heart softened, so he sat down beside her and slowly made tea for her.
His technique was skillful and his movements elegant; the aroma of tea rose with the steam and filled the air.
She picked up the teacup, took a small sip, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes: "This tea... is really delicious!"
Strangely enough, Wang Xiuxiu has always been clueless about the art of tea, not understanding its deeper meaning.
But today, the tea brewed by Lu Jingze himself seemed exceptionally fragrant and delicious, with a unique flavor.
Seeing that she liked it, Lu Jingze was also quite pleased. He said gently, "This is this year's new tea. It has a delicate aroma and a long-lasting sweet aftertaste. It goes perfectly with pastries."
Wang Xiuxiu nodded and said with a smile, "Why are you being so attentive today? Is it because you need something from me?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Jingze chuckled lightly, his tone tinged with a hint of teasing: "What? Haven't I treated you well usually?"
Wang Xiuxiu blinked, pretending to think, "Hmm... It's fine on ordinary days, but it's especially fine today."
Lu Jingze shook his head, then said seriously, "Actually, I wanted to thank you today. The plan you told me was excellent!"
"You really used it?"
"Yes, my uncle listened to my advice and even gave me the seal to control Cangzhou."
Upon hearing this, Wang Xiuxiu's eyes flashed with surprise, then she laughed and said, "Wow~~ Prince Cheng is so generous!"
Seeing the crumbs of pastry on her lips, Lu Jingze gently reached out and wiped them away, saying in a tender tone, "Yes, it's all thanks to your idea."
---
Let's turn back time to a few days ago.
When Lu Jingze returned home, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy at the thought of having to persuade his stubborn and difficult third uncle.
Although he appeared confident in front of Ye Lanfeng, he was no longer so confident when facing the Third Imperial Uncle.
Ultimately, it was indeed his father, the emperor, who was in the wrong first, so it was only natural for the third prince to harbor resentment.
After learning about this, Su Yingxue gave him an idea.
"The usual methods won't work, Your Highness. Why don't you ask Xiuxiu? She's always full of strange and wonderful ideas!"
After hearing this, Lu Jingze felt that it made a lot of sense, and without hesitation or pretension, he immediately set off to Lanyue Pavilion to humbly seek advice.
---
Wang Xiuxiu stared wide-eyed at the "apprenticeship gift" that Lu Jingze had presented.
It was an exquisite jade Pixiu, crystal clear throughout, with delicate carvings and lifelike appearance.
The eyes of the Pixiu are inlaid with two small rubies, making them exceptionally lively.
Wang Xiuxiu couldn't help but reach out and touch it; it was warm to the touch, as if it still carried a hint of warmth.
Wow! What an exquisite jade Pixiu! I love it!
Seeing how much she liked it, Lu Jingze breathed a sigh of relief. He then explained the whole story and asked her for advice.
After listening, Wang Xiuxiu blinked and said, "This is not a simple matter. You need to give me some time to think about it."
Although Lu Jingze was somewhat anxious, he knew that this matter could not be rushed, so he nodded in agreement.
---
That night, Wang Xiuxiu lay in bed, tossing and turning, deep in thought.
Although she may seem carefree on the surface, she is actually quite thoughtful.
Prince Cheng's inner conflict cannot be resolved overnight.
Therefore, we must find a reason that can both make him feel relieved and inspire his fighting spirit.
The next morning, Lu Jingze arrived as promised.
As soon as he entered, Wang Xiuxiu eagerly stretched out her hand, "Where's the jade Pixiu? Hand it over first."
Lu Jingze was both amused and exasperated, but he had no choice but to obediently hand over the jade Pixiu.
Su Yingxue had specifically instructed him not to give the items directly to Wang Xiuxiu.
At the time, Lu Jingze was still stunned and did not understand its deeper meaning.
Now I understand a bit better; it's true that "Pixiu is truly captivating!"
Wang Xiuxiu took the jade Pixiu and stroked it for a long time before slowly speaking: "The reason why Prince Cheng has always harbored resentment towards the late emperor is simply because the late emperor once cut off his promising future. But so much time has passed since then, and since it cannot be changed, there is no need to dwell on it. It would be better to change course."
How to change course?
“Tell the prince that the late emperor already knew he was wrong, which is why he entrusted Cangzhou to him for administration.”
Lu Jingze frowned, unable to grasp the deeper meaning behind it.
Xiuxiu's lips curled up slightly, revealing a mysterious smile, and she said slowly, "Back then, Cangzhou was barren. Among the officials in the court, the late emperor believed that only Prince Cheng could make earth-shattering changes here and save the people of Cangzhou from suffering!"
After hearing this, Lu Jingze suddenly realized what Wang Xiuxiu meant.
She wanted Prince Cheng to feel that the late emperor was not belittling him, but rather placing high hopes on him and entrusting him with the most difficult task.
The intention was to transform the resentment in Prince Cheng's heart into a sense of responsibility, or even a sense of honor.
Nevertheless, he still harbored a sliver of doubt: "But... will the Imperial Uncle really believe this explanation?"
Wang Xiuxiu shrugged, her tone light: "For so many years, Cangzhou's tax revenue has been the lowest among all the princes' fiefdoms. His Highness Prince Cheng has also been struggling financially. He would rather accept the lowest tribute among all the princes and be ridiculed than let Cangzhou go unattended. Isn't that just him being stubborn?"
"Since he's just being stubborn, if we can't get him to let go of his resentment, he still won't agree, no matter how much we plead with him."
Lu Jingze pondered for a while, then nodded: "So, the most important thing right now is to provide him with sufficient reasons?"
"That's right! As for the reason, no matter how well it's explained, whether you believe it or not is entirely up to him."
---
As expected, over the years, Prince Cheng had been harboring resentment, and his hatred for the late emperor and dissatisfaction with the court led him to choose a passive approach.
When Lu Jingze, following Wang Xiuxiu's advice, portrayed the important task in Cangzhou as the late emperor's trust and expectations of him, Prince Cheng's attitude also underwent a subtle change.
Despite his advanced age, Prince Cheng still harbored lofty ambitions.
Upon hearing Lu Jingze say that he would return a politically clean and honest Cangzhou to him for his jurisdiction, he could no longer sit still.
From that day on, he stopped spending his days planting flowers and playing with birds, and instead devoted himself to figuring out how to use his talents to change the fate of Cangzhou.
Looking at his Third Imperial Uncle's renewed fighting spirit, Lu Jingze was filled with emotion.
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