As they were talking, Chen Yueru was led in by a maid. She politely curtsied to Zhou Laoda and Zhao Guihua, and then bowed to Fu Gemen.
Zhao Guihua found it fascinating and clicked her tongue twice, "After staying in the palace for a while, things are really different. They've got all sorts of etiquette now."
"Auntie, please don't laugh at me. It's exhausting, so I ran out quickly and dared not stay in the palace any longer." Chen Yueru used to be Zhao Guizhi's adopted daughter, so she always called Zhao Guihua "Auntie." Even after reuniting with her family, she didn't change her address.
"That's true. The day the Emperor and Empress said they wanted to see me and your uncle, we were terrified. We didn't dare to look around the whole way, we were so tense we didn't even dare to breathe. It scared us to death. Luckily, the Empress is easygoing, so we relaxed a bit." Zhao Guihua patted her chest with lingering fear.
On the third day after they arrived in the capital, the emperor sent someone to fetch her and Zhou Laoda to the palace. The two dared not disobey and followed the person with trepidation. Although Xingxing and Chen Yueru were there later, the empress was also kind.
But the emperor's aura was too strong. Although the emperor tried his best to lower himself and speak to them, Zhou Laoda and his wife still felt a lot of pressure. The emperor's aura of having been in a high position for a long time was extraordinary. He was imposing without being angry, and it was not something that farmers like them could withstand.
The Emperor and Empress noticed their unease and did not linger. After speaking for less than a quarter of an hour, they were allowed to leave the palace. However, they were given many gifts and sent back to the Zhou residence. After that, the palace never summoned them again.
“Xingxing, are you really sure? Marrying a prince consort is no child’s play; it’s a lifelong commitment…” Zhao Guihua hesitated, wanting to say that Xingxing was young and could consider marriage in a few years, but with Zhu Lin present, she couldn’t be too blunt.
“I have thought this through carefully. Mother and Father, you don’t need to worry about me. I know what I’m doing,” Xingxing said calmly.
Zhao Guihua and Zhou Laoda exchanged a glance and sighed softly. Well, even the Emperor and Empress couldn't do anything about this little girl, so why should they try to persuade her? The Emperor was already using the "selection of a consort" competition to make things difficult for Lin Ge'er, so they shouldn't get involved.
Zhu Lin remained calm, as if nothing anyone was saying affected him.
A group of people were talking in the main hall when Zhu Changge and Zhu Qingruo jumped in from the wall. Zhao Guihua exclaimed in surprise when she saw them.
"Why don't you all come in through the main gate? Why do you all like to climb over the wall?" Zhu Lin and Xingxing had just flown in by climbing over the wall, and now the two senior sisters are doing the same. These people with good lightness skills just don't like to take the usual route.
"Why did you two senior sisters suddenly come over?" Zhu Lin asked, slightly surprised.
Zhu Changge sat down on the chair next to him with a smile and said mysteriously, "My junior sister and I were having drinks at the restaurant when we found that the Crown Prince and his group were next door. That kid and a few spoiled brats were doing something outrageous. They actually wanted to find a beggar to pretend to be the eldest son of a noble family to participate in a marriage contest, intending to humiliate the princess."
"Damn it, this eldest prince actually sneaked out of the palace to do such a despicable and insidious thing," Zhou Erfu cursed.
Zhu Qingruo said indignantly, "That's right, he's supposed to be the eldest prince! If you ask me, this guy is a bastard from the Zheng family. Only Consort Duan could have given birth to such a scoundrel. He ordered someone to find a beggar to impersonate a noble family's eldest son; he's bound to be a complete scoundrel. This matter has already caused a huge uproar at the marriage contest."
It's not just the royal family that's being disgraced; if this is investigated, everyone will be held accountable, and no one will benefit. The eldest prince, if found to be the mastermind behind this, will definitely suffer the consequences. I really don't understand why his donkey-headed brain would come up with such a stupid plan.
“The eldest prince shouldn’t be that stupid. It might be possible if the third prince did something like this, but could he be trying to pin the blame on the third prince?” Xingxing was puzzled. “Perhaps it’s just a smokescreen. He has other plans, but whatever he wants to do, I won’t let him succeed.”
"Hmph, I haven't even settled the score with them for framing my parents and brothers yet, and now they're trying to cause trouble again. No way, I have to teach them a lesson and let them know how powerful this princess is." After saying this, Xingxing suddenly looked at Wufu.
Zhou Wufu met her gaze, paused for a moment, and tentatively asked, "Sister, do you want to get medicine from your fifth brother to deal with the First Prince and his mother?"
Xingxing smiled and said frankly, "I do have this plan. Fifth Brother, do you have a kind of medicine that makes people fall seriously ill immediately after taking it, and it takes ten days to a month to recover?"
"Yes, there are some, but will they cause any trouble and make things difficult to handle?" Wu Fu had some concerns. He wasn't a simple-minded person; the longer he stayed in the capital, the more he learned.
He had heard about the secrets of wealthy families and the ruthless methods of imperial concubines. The families of those concubines were complex and intertwined.
For example, Consort Duan's father was the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, a second-rank official, and her brother was the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards. With such a network of connections, all sorts of officials and powerful figures could build relationships with each other, and none of them were easy to mess with.
Even the Emperor himself had to give way to these powerful officials. If Xingxing were to rashly make a move against the Consort, and it were discovered, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"What's there to be afraid of? I'll be careful so no one can find out. The Crown Prince and the Imperial Concubine dared to target you, so why can't I target them?" Xingxing didn't want to endure it any longer, but she was afraid that her parents and brothers would be frightened. After all, they were powerless and could only rely on her for support. If something happened to her, her parents and the whole family would really suffer.
“It’s different. We are just ordinary farmers. The eldest prince and the imperial concubine are of noble status and cannot be compared. Daughter, you must not act rashly against the imperial concubine and her son because of us. You should think twice before you act.” Old Zhou said with a simple and honest face.
Xingxing wanted to say something more to reassure Zhou Laoda and the others, but Zhu Lin suddenly grabbed her hand and squeezed it. Having known each other for so long, they could understand each other's actions and expressions. Xingxing understood what Zhu Lin meant and didn't say anything more.
He casually dismissed the matter, saying, "Alright then, I'll let the Crown Prince and his mother go for now, and I'll find another opportunity to deal with them when the time is right."
But in her heart, she was thinking that she couldn't let her parents know about her plan to deal with the eldest prince, so as not to worry them. She and her brother Lin could handle it in private. She wasn't afraid. Her brother Lin was even bolder than her. The eldest prince and Consort Duan wouldn't have an easy time this time.
Xingxing stayed at the Zhou residence until noon the next day before returning to the palace. As soon as she arrived, she found the palace in chaos. The palace servants were hurrying around, and everyone's face showed shock and fear. It was clear that something terrible had happened.
Seeing a young eunuch walk past with his head down, Xingxing grabbed him and asked, "What happened?"
The young eunuch looked up in alarm and recognized the eldest princess. He immediately stammered, "Your Highness, the eldest prince and Consort Duan were both assassinated early this morning. The assassin was incredibly skilled; even the imperial guards couldn't spot him. The assassin entered the palace undetected and left without a sound. The imperial guards were practically useless." Realizing his slip of the tongue, the young eunuch quickly covered his mouth, looking utterly apprehensive.
"Step back." Xingxing waved away the little eunuch, her dark eyes gleaming, a slight smile playing on her lips that she couldn't suppress.
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