Madam Zheng was born into the Zheng family of Xingyang. She grew up in the capital and later married into the Cui family of Qinghe.
She had always been a member of the noble class of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and she was very clear about the affairs of the royal family.
Even though she was with her husband in Lingnan, thousands of miles away from the capital, she was still able to keep track of what was happening in the capital.
Although the Third Prince and the Deposed Crown Prince were born of the same mother, their circumstances and personalities differed.
The third prince was indifferent to fame and fortune, admired the scholars of the Wei and Jin dynasties, and had no court officials who supported him.
There was only one Xiao Zixiu, and that was because of their family relationship.
The deposed crown prince was enfeoffed as the King of Yue and went to Yuezhou to take up his fief. This King of Yue was petty and deliberately took revenge on his own, bringing the only useful person by his younger brother's side to his own palace.
Upon seeing the message from the capital, Cui Boyong mocked, "The Prince of Yue is indeed narrow-minded. And his relationship with Consort Xiao, the Third Prince, and other close relatives is indeed so indifferent!"
He is cold-hearted and vindictive; he is hardly fit to be the heir apparent.
Madam Zheng wholeheartedly agreed and even felt sorry for the Third Prince.
But now, after hearing Chen Guang's words, she suddenly had an absurd guess—
"The Third Prince is not some carefree and unambitious scholar; he's just pretending to be weak while actually being strong!"
"The Prince of Yue appointed Xiao Zixiu as the military commander of the Prince's palace, which was indeed due to his grudge and desire to vent his anger. But there should also be the Third Prince's 'playing along' strategy!"
The Third Prince, who had always wanted to disguise himself and amass wealth, found Yuezhou to be an ideal place in the remote and high-ranking Yuezhou.
With the King of Yue taking the lead, the Third Prince could actually earn a reputation for being completely innocent.
After dismissing Chen Guang, Madam Zheng excitedly ran to the study and told Cui Boyong all about her discoveries and speculations.
Cui Boyong: ...The Third Prince has been pretending all along?
His influence has even extended to Yuezhou?
And it seems that the Yue Prince's mansion has also been sidelined by the Third Prince, the Prince of Yan?
Cui Boyong stood up, rubbing his hands together and turning around. The more he thought about it, the more reasonable his wife's guess seemed.
He didn't even consider another possibility: that the King of Yue was pretending to be weak while actually being strong, and that he was deliberately using the mark of the King of Yan's residence to "frame" him.
Because Helian Jue's performance after arriving in Yuezhou was too decadent.
Princess Xie Yuan was too capable; Helian Jue ignored everything, from the big and small matters inside and outside the palace to major events like recruiting and training soldiers.
Cui Boyong found it hard to believe that Helian Jue was pretending.
Besides, even if Helian Jue was pretending, he deliberately wanted to drag the Third Prince into this mess.
There must be a reason for this—perhaps Helian Jue discovered the true nature of the Third Prince.
Even the Third Prince played a part in the dethronement of Helian Jue.
Therefore, in either case, it shows that the Third Prince is by no means as honest and dutiful as he appears!
"Madam, you're right! I'll write a letter to the Second Prince right away!"
Having figured all this out, Cui Boyong was in a great mood. He even had the inclination to joke with Madam Zheng, saying, "My dear wife! You truly are my wise and capable helpmate!"
With a wife like this, what more could a husband ask for?
Mrs. Zheng is already in her thirties. In this era of early marriage and childbirth, she is already a grandmother.
But hearing her husband's cheesy pickup lines, she couldn't help but feel overjoyed, her cheeks flushing slightly.
"My lord, you're joking with me again!"
With a playful rebuke, Madam Zheng returned to the main topic, "The Third Prince is quite shrewd; that candy shop—"
Madam Zheng was still envious.
Even a noble lady from a wealthy family couldn't resist the temptation of a money tree that brings in a fortune every day.
"Don't rush! Let's see how things react in the capital!"
The Third Prince has always been inconspicuous and has no real power.
But he was able to deceive all the princes and powerful ministers, so he must have some tricks up his sleeve.
Furthermore, unlike the King of Yue, the Third Prince was completely rejected by the sage.
As for the third prince, although he didn't receive much favor, his mother was still a concubine in the palace, and it was said that she could serve the emperor every month.
Since Consort Xiao had not fallen out of favor, the Third Prince still held some status.
Before Cui Boyong was certain of the Third Prince's power, he dared not offend him lightly.
"Very well! I understand!"
Madam Zheng was somewhat unwilling, but she still obediently agreed.
...
Xie Yuan went to the candy shop and immediately saw the three characters "Yan Wang Fu" on the signboard.
She was very clever and immediately realized that this must be Helian Jue's scheme.
Sure enough, Helian Jue was nothing like the listless, alcohol-induced man he always appeared to be!
This deposed crown prince must still harbor ambitions!
Knowing that Helian Jue was not a "resigned" good-for-nothing, Xie Yuan was relieved.
She was incredibly cooperative, continuing to bustle about in and out in a flamboyant manner.
She wanted everyone in Yuezhou to know that the Yue King's Palace was "female-dominated and male-deficient," with a hen crowing at dawn!
While the King of Yue's authority as a husband was weak, she, the Queen Consort of Yue, took charge of everything!
"Young Miss, I have finally found the kind of gypsum you requested."
That day, Xie Yuan went to the estate again, and the steward Xie Qing greeted him with great joy.
A servant followed behind him, carrying a wooden bucket filled with some white powder.
Xie Qing's eyes were full of anticipation. "Young Miss, please take a look, is it right?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Yuan lowered his head and examined it carefully. "Yes, that's right, it's the gypsum I wanted!"
"Here's what you do: get a pottery kiln and calcine this raw gypsum."
Xie Yuan knew how to process raw gypsum into calcined gypsum, but she never actually tried it herself.
She explained the detailed steps to the craftsmen and repeatedly reminded them, "Remember! Be careful! It's okay if the calcined plaster doesn't turn out properly, but please don't hurt anyone!"
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