Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Stealing Home

Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Stealing Home

Xia Fu came to Cheng Yian after leaving the east chamber. When she was in front of her daughter, she put away her cute expression that she herself hadn't noticed, and naturally showed her tenderness.

"An An."

Seeing her relaxed expression, Cheng Yian looked towards the east chamber curiously, "Mom, how did you escape Dad's questioning?"

Just by thinking about it, she guessed how awkward the room must be.

Xia Fu chuckled and said, "You're using a snake to scare your father."

Cheng Yian's smile froze on his face. He looked at his mother, stepped back suddenly, and said in horror, "Mom, you came here wearing a snake ring?"

Xia Fu shook her head quickly, "No, I knew you were scared, how could I bring him here to scare you?"

Cheng Yian patted his chest, "That's good, that's good..."

Mother is also bad!

Xia Fu put away her smile and said, "Go back to the backyard and rest. I'll go see your mother-in-law."

Cheng Yian was a little worried about his mother, "Don't you want me to accompany you?"

Xia Fu scolded her, "You are pregnant now, it's time to rest, I will be back soon."

Xia Fu had inquired and found out that this Wang was very difficult to get along with and had disliked her daughter at first, so Xia Fu naturally wanted to go and meet her.

Seeing that she insisted, Cheng Yian had to give up and signaled Sister-in-law Ming to go with them. Her mother was gentle in nature and she was worried that her mother would suffer a loss. Sister-in-law Ming was very capable and could watch from the side if anything happened.

Mrs. Ming and the people from the palace escorted Xia Fu to the main hall.

After Xia Fu left, Cheng Mingyu from the other room also came out. He withdrew his gaze from behind Xia Fu, walked up to his daughter and asked in a gentle voice, "Where is the string of beads your mother gave you?"

Cheng Yian took the bead off his left wrist and said, "Here it is."

Cheng Mingyu stretched out his hand, "Give it to Daddy."

Cheng Yian hesitated for a moment, "Dad, this is what Mom gave me as a souvenir, do you really want to take it back?"

"Give it to daddy first." Xia Fu had worn this string of beads for seventeen years, and Cheng Mingyu wanted to return it to her.

Cheng Yian could only be held in his palm.

Cheng Mingyu took the beads, told Cheng Yian to take good care of himself, and left.

After they left, Cheng Yian went back to Ningji Hall and lay down.

Wang sat in the main hall for a long time, and finally heard the voice outside saying "The Princess of Yunnan has arrived". She immediately stood up to greet her, and saw a pure and elegant woman coming in from the corridor.

When Wang saw the face clearly, she was obviously stunned.

This face looks so much like Cheng Yian.

So could this Princess Yunnan be Cheng Yian’s biological mother?

Recalling Cheng Mingyou's behavior that day, Wang felt that this possibility was very high. Seeing that she had stepped through the threshold, Wang suppressed her anger and knelt down with her, "I have met the princess."

Xia Fu looked at her carefully and bowed slightly, "Hello, Madam Lu."

Afterwards, the two of them sat down as host and guest, Xia Fu at the east seat and Wang at the west seat.

Nanny Wang beside Wang was about to ask someone to serve tea, but Sister Ming in the other room spoke first. Nanny Wang glanced at Sister Ming and said nothing.

Mrs. Ming is now in charge of the Lu family's treasury and is the most powerful housekeeper in the mansion.

If it were in someone else's house, Nanny Wang, as the maidservant beside the mistress, should have been the most respectable nanny in the mansion. However, Cheng Yian was the head of the Lu family, and the second wife could not intervene, so Nanny Wang was left idle.

During this period, Wang had taken a look at Xia Fu. Wang had always been known for her beauty and talent, and she was also very famous in Qingzhou at that time. However, the Princess of Yunnan was even more beautiful, more slender and pretty. Such women were always the most loved by men, so Wang began to treat Xia Fu with some disdain.

"The Queen Mother summoned me today, and I came back a little late. I am really ashamed to have disturbed the princess."

Xia Fu replied gently, "When I heard that An An had fainted, I, as a mother, was also frightened, so I hurried over. I just discussed the prescription with the imperial physician, so I kept Madam waiting for a long time."

Wang knew that Cheng Mingyu was inside. If Xia Fu was Cheng Yian's biological mother, then she and Cheng Mingyu were old friends. No wonder the Cheng family stopped her just now, "Princess, your words are too serious. May I ask if the imperial physician has confirmed the diagnosis? Is our Xu'er going to be a father?"

Just now someone came out of the study and said that Cheng Yian was pregnant, so Wang was naturally very happy. She had been looking forward to it for a long time and finally Lu Xusheng had a child.

Seeing her happy face, Xia Fu smiled faintly. A mother-in-law is a mother-in-law. She only cares about her son becoming a father and doesn't care about the safety of her daughter-in-law.

"Two imperial doctors have checked my pulse and confirmed that it is a happy one. I would like to congratulate you, Madam. You are going to be a grandmother.

An An is weak and needs to be taken care of carefully."

Wang was also very scared. "My daughter-in-law is young and the people around her are not very sensible. She should have known that her period was delayed. Fortunately, God protected her and nothing serious happened. If she was hurt, there would be endless troubles."

This was to blame Cheng Yian for being unstable and confused while pregnant, which led to her fainting.

The so-called endless troubles also refer to the worry that Cheng Yian would have a miscarriage and affect her son's offspring.

Xia Fu's smile faded. "An An is not yet 18 years old. She is young and inexperienced, so it's not surprising that she didn't take precautions. Besides, she has been disturbed by the Prince of Nan'an these days, so she may be feeling very anxious. It's time for a mother-in-law to give her some advice. If I remember correctly, Madam has given birth to four children, so she has plenty of experience. If Madam was willing to teach her, An An wouldn't have fainted today."

Wang's smile was forced.

It turns out that this princess looks gentle and beautiful, but she is actually a thorny person.

"What the princess blames me for is my negligence."

She blamed herself first, then turned around and said, "It's just that my daughter-in-law has never been very close to me, so it's useless even if I want to teach her."

It implies that Cheng Yian is disrespectful to his mother-in-law.

Xia Fu smiled and said, "People are all made of flesh and blood. If the mother-in-law really loves her daughter-in-law as her own daughter, then the daughter-in-law is a fool if she doesn't get close to her mother-in-law."

Wang saw that Xia Fu was trying to support her daughter. If they continued to argue, both of them would lose face and it would embarrass her son.

What's more, Cheng Yian's pregnancy is a happy event, so she should be generous.

Wang laughed and said, "Your Highness, what you said makes sense. My daughter-in-law's pregnancy is a great joy. As her mother-in-law, I should take good care of her in the future. By the way, this is your first visit, and the Lu family is not well received. If your Highness doesn't mind, how about staying for dinner?"

Xia Fu put down the teacup and said, "Of course I will stay for dinner. Moreover, since Xusheng is not here, I plan to stay with An'an and take care of her."

When Wang heard that Xia Fu wanted to stay, her expression froze.

I almost couldn't control my expression.

"Is that so?" She smiled stiffly, "Thank you for your hard work, Princess."

If Xia Fu stayed, it would be like leaving behind a Buddha. Not only would she be entertained, but as her relative, she would also have to check in from time to time. Oh, God.

Wang had a terrible headache.

She has always been lazy. When her husband was alive, she was unwilling to serve her mother-in-law. Lu Chang always indulged her and protected her. After Lu Chang died, she didn't need to socialize as a widow. Now her in-laws are coming to live in her house...

Wang pressed her eyebrows.

Xia Fu saw her displeasure and smiled.

Wang didn't want to have anything to do with her, she just cared about her daughter's happiness.

"It seems like the in-laws are not welcoming?" Xia Fu asked her.

"No, no, how could that be?" Wang's smile was uglier than crying. "With you here, I feel relieved about my daughter-in-law."

Xia Fu then instructed the nanny beside her, "Send someone back to the palace to inform the prince and pack some luggage and come back."

"Yes, sir." The old lady retreated politely.

Seeing this, Wang immediately asked Sister-in-law Ming politely, "Have you arranged a place for the princess?"

Sister Ming said, "To answer Madam, Second Mistress has ordered that the mansion west of Ningji Hall, adjacent to the water, be cleared out for the princess to live in. The two rooms are close together, making it convenient for the princess to come and go."

Wang nodded.

Xia Fu said goodbye to Wang and was led by Sister Ming to Ningji Hall. Cheng Yian followed the doctor's instructions and lay on the kang bed in the east room, waiting for his mother to come in. He couldn't wait to reach out his hand, "Mom, my mother-in-law didn't say anything unpleasant, did she?"

Xia Fu would not cause trouble for her daughter and smiled, "It's good."

Cheng Yian glanced at Mrs. Ming beside the curtain. Mrs. Ming nodded at her, and Cheng Yian knew that her mother had not suffered any loss.

She moved in and Xia Fu sat on top. Her eyes suddenly fell on her wrist and she asked in a lost voice, "Where's your bracelet?"

I clearly saw it on my wrist just now, but how come it disappeared in the blink of an eye?

Cheng Yian saw that his mother was very interested in the beads and whispered, "Daddy asked for it."

Xia Fu's heart suddenly felt stabbed, and a surge of pain surged in her heart for no reason.

She was willing to give it to her daughter, but when Cheng Mingyu wanted it back, she couldn't accept it.

The authorities are confused, but the bystanders are clear. Cheng Yian saw that she still had feelings for her father, so he winked, sent the servants out, and gently hugged her and asked,

"If you can't bear to part with it, why give it to me?"

Xia Fu turned her head to look at her daughter, her eyes slightly reddened.

"An An, you know, I can't go back to the Cheng family, and I don't want to go back, so it's impossible for me and your father to be together."

Cheng Yian could understand that not everyone was worthy of living with his mother's more than one hundred snakes, and not everyone was capable of being his father's wife.

That was the wife of the head of the Cheng family. It was difficult to deal with just a few dozen family members, not to mention the social etiquette outside.

Lu Xusheng was right, the Cheng family was indeed not suitable for my mother.

But then again, not going back to the Cheng family doesn’t mean I can’t live. Just as I was thinking this, I heard my mother say,

"It's okay, just take it, that's it."

Cheng Yian didn't dare to agree, "I guess Daddy is either unhappy that you gave the bead to me, or he wants to keep it for himself as a keepsake."

"Let's not talk about this anymore. Let me give you a recipe."

Xia Fu had prepared pregnancy diet recipes for some pregnant women in Yunnan, which were very effective in preventing morning sickness and alleviating discomfort. She wanted to try it on her daughter.

At three quarters after 3 p.m., Cheng Mingyu also returned to the Cheng family.

The old doctor came back earlier and congratulated the old ancestor. Cheng Yiqiao and her sister both knew that Cheng Yian was pregnant.

The family gathered in the ancestral room and discussed going to visit Cheng Yian.

"Don't worry, she has just been conceived and the fetus is not yet stable, don't disturb her." said the old ancestor.

Cheng Yiqiao said, "We can't just not say anything at all. How about I go with my elder sister?"

Cheng Yixin also agreed, "We should prepare some gifts to send over. After all, I have given birth and raised children before, so I can give my sister some experience."

Cheng Mingyu, who had been silent the whole time, stopped him and said,

"Don't go yet. Princess Yunnan will be looking after it over there for the next few days."

When Cheng Yiqiao mentioned the Princess of Yunnan, her first thought was the snake. She shuddered and said, "Then I won't go."

After all, Cheng Yixin was more perceptive than Cheng Yiqiao. She intuitively felt that the Princess of Yunnan was very strange. An An was obviously too close to her. Cheng Yixin had some guesses, but she didn't dare to think too much about it.

When the old ancestor heard that Xia Fu went to Lu's house, his eyes instantly widened.

Without saying a word, he sent the younger generation away and quickly grabbed his son and asked,

"Have you seen Fu'er?"

Cheng Mingyu nodded silently.

The old man was so excited, "Did you talk? She is so nice to you..."

Cheng Mingyu knew what his mother was thinking, but he could only interrupt her.

"She doesn't want to go back to Cheng's house."

The old ancestor paused and blinked, "If you separate her from King Yunnan, won't she be able to marry you again?"

Cheng Mingyu smiled bitterly and said, "She didn't marry the King of Yunnan. They were just a fake couple. She helped him take care of his son under the name of the princess. Fu'er meant that she would never marry again in this life."

Our ancestors were such great men that they immediately understood the reason behind this statement.

Xia Fu has a simple personality, and it would be difficult for her to be the wife of the Cheng family. "Actually, when she married me, I didn't plan to let her be the head of the family. I just wanted her to be your companion and live a loving life with you."

"I am looking forward to her coming to enjoy the good life and to make up for her."

Cheng Mingyu certainly thought so. He would not let Xia Fu suffer any rumors or do housework. Even if Xia Fu did not want to show up in public, he would admit it. He just wanted her to have a decent status and live a stable life. He also wanted to give An An a home to make up for the child's grievance of being without a father or a mother for so many years.

How he wished he could lift her red veil, make up for the regret of not getting married 19 years ago, hold her hand, and grow old with her.

"Have you explained it to her clearly? With our mother and I protecting her, she is the most honorable lady in every sense of the word. No one dares to look at her in disrespect. She has to worry about the clan affairs."

Cheng Mingyu shook his head in a deep voice, "She doesn't want to."

The old ancestor took a deep breath and looked helpless.

Seeing that Cheng Mingyu remained silent, he asked him, "Are you planning to let go?"

"Impossible." Cheng Mingyu lowered his eyes and stroked his collar, his tone without hesitation.

It was the first time that the old man saw his son speak out his true feelings so frankly, and he laughed.

"That's it. If the mountain doesn't come to you, it's you who will go. You are not young anymore. It's a pity to have missed so many years. If you delay any longer, your whole life will be gone. How can your life be perfect? ​​Don't you still have the reputation of being a wife-killer? If she doesn't want to enter the Cheng family, you can just live with her outside. As long as both of you are willing, nothing else matters."

*

Cheng Yian had just become pregnant and was still a little sleepy. She fell asleep shortly after dinner.

Before going to bed, Xia Fu sat beside her bed and fanned her. Cheng Yian closed her eyes and smiled.

With a smile on her face, she said, "Mom, you should go and have a rest. Your daughter is not a child anymore. Let the maids take care of her."

Xia Fu was reluctant to leave her, "Just go to sleep. You don't know how beautiful you look when you sleep. Mother loves to see you."

You can still vaguely see the shadow of her birth from her outline.

Cheng Yian curled his lips and closed his eyes, resting his head on her palm.

She didn't know how long she had slept. She vaguely heard someone brushing her hair. The fingertips seemed a little rough and made her feel itchy. Cheng Yian subconsciously raised her hand to brush it, but bumped into a strong arm. She suddenly opened her eyes and saw Lu Xusheng lying beside her, fanning her with a palm-leaf fan in his hand.

Cheng Yian blinked, "Xusheng, why are you back?" He leaned on the bed and was about to sit up.

Seeing her large movements, Lu Xusheng hurriedly held her arm.

"Slow down, you are a double body, you can't be careless."

Lu Xusheng helped her to steady herself before letting go of her hand and continuing to give her the breeze.

He looked at his wife in front of him, an eighteen-year-old girl with bright eyes, skin as tender as water, and as delicate and bright as the morning flowers in early spring, and she became pregnant with his child.

She had forgotten how Cheng Yian felt when she was pregnant in her previous life. After two lives, she finally had a child. Lu Xusheng, the tough guy, had become a softie at this moment. He didn't even dare to speak loudly to her.

"I received a pigeon message and learned that you fainted, so I rushed back immediately."

Cheng Yian frowned, "Didn't I tell Qiu Qing not to tell you?" Something happened on her side right after Lu Xusheng left, and she was worried that he would be worried at the border.

Lu Xusheng said, "He can't afford not to tell me."

Whether Lu Xusheng comes back or not is Lu Xusheng's business, but if he doesn't tell him, it's Qiu Qing's fault.

Cheng Yian was actually very happy. She pulled his sleeve and said coquettishly, "When I heard the good news, the first person I wanted to tell was you."

"I also feel that at such an important moment, I should be by your side." So he dropped everything and rushed back to Beijing.

This sentence contains so much.

Both rooms fell silent.

It was past midnight and the night had turned cool. Lu Xusheng threw the palm-leaf fan aside and leaned on the pillow with Cheng Yian.

Cheng Yian leaned on his shoulder, and Lu Xusheng placed a thin mattress on her lower abdomen, then raised his hands to pull her into his arms. Cheng Yian wanted to be closer to him, but she felt that this position was squeezing her lower abdomen, so she finally just lay flat on her back with her head resting on his chest.

"By the way, you didn't have children in your previous life, right?" Cheng Yian asked him.

"no."

"Neither have I."

So this is their first child.

Cheng Yian hoped that the baby would be born safely.

Because it was so rare and precious, I breathed lightly and moved cautiously both times.

The two of them looked at the curtains in front of them at the same time, feeling as dazed as if they were hit by a pancake.

"Lu Xusheng, are you happy?"

“I’m so happy.”

"I didn't notice that you didn't even have a smile on your face."

Cheng Yian started to become picky.

Lu Xusheng laughed, and after a moment of silence, he said, "They are so happy that they hardly talk."

It was the first time that Cheng Yian saw him at a loss. He was delighted and began to imagine having a child.

"Lu Xusheng, do you want a son or a daughter?"

This is something every pregnant couple can't help but think about.

Lu Xusheng frowned seriously when he heard this.

"Don't imagine or have wild expectations. Whatever you give birth to is what it is. What if you thought it was a son but it turned out to be a daughter? Wouldn't the daughter feel wronged? And vice versa."

Cheng Yian panicked when he heard this and quickly cleared his mind of any thoughts about gender.

"You are right. I once met a merchant woman in Yizhou. She had given birth to two sons before and hoped for a daughter for the third child. However, she miscarried the child and gave birth to a fully formed boy. Who knows if it was not because the child was wronged and did not want to be born?"

Then Cheng Yian stroked her belly and comforted the baby in her belly, "Baby, baby, no matter whether you are a boy or a girl, your father and mother love you very much. You must come into this world happily and safely..."

Lu Xusheng was amused by her appearance, and his eyes fell on her flat belly. He reached out his hand to touch it, but was worried that his palm would hurt the child.

"Are you really pregnant?"

There was no movement at all.

Recalling the scene of Cheng Yian's bulging belly in his previous life, Lu Xusheng suddenly felt guilty.

"An'an, don't think about anything else in this life. Just focus on having a peaceful baby. Don't worry about anything in the mansion or outside. I will take care of everything. Do you understand?"

Cheng Yian rubbed his chin and said aggrievedly, "Aren't you going to leave?"

Lu Xusheng gently stroked her cheek, hugged her tightly in his arms, and said in a hoarse voice,

"Give me a few days and I'll be back soon."

"Are you going to ignore the border issue?"

"No one and nothing is bigger than you and your children."

This was the thought in his mind. After saying this, he realized that he was the commander of the border and could not really abandon the affairs of the court. He added, "Chehan and Northern Qi have had a conflict. I will just sit on the mountain and watch the fight. I only need to go to Baiyin Mountain and help the fake Prince of Nan'an to gain a firm foothold and then come back."

"It just so happens that my mother is staying with me at the Lu Mansion before you come back."

Lu Xusheng said with relief, "I ran into my mother-in-law when I came back just now. I feel relieved to have her around."

"I'm thirsty."

"I'll get you some water."

"I'm hungry."

"Then I'll have someone cook you a bowl of bird's nest porridge."

Cheng Yian leaned against the pillow, watching Lu Xusheng being ordered around and laughing.

"Oh, my child, if it weren't for you, how could your mother be able to defeat your father?"

Lu Xusheng brought tea over, and he was not happy.

"Haven't I taken good enough care of you in the past?"

Cheng Yian twisted a strand of hair with his fingertips and said slowly, "Have you ever been in the kitchen to make trivets? Or have you ever asked the chef to make different snacks for me? Or have you ever massaged my shoulders or back?"

Look, his father-in-law and brother-in-law are so nice that they make him look overshadowed.

Lu Xusheng rubbed his brows and said resignedly,

"From today on, I will serve you tea and water, and rub your shoulders and back. Are you satisfied?"

"Is it like this even after giving birth?"

"He's still like this even at his age!"

"Who knows if I still want you when you are already seventy or eighty years old?"

Lu Xusheng: “…”

Gritting his teeth, he came to sit behind her and put his hands on her shoulders, "Give you a massage?"

Cheng Yian leaned comfortably in his arms and said, "Let's give it a try."

Lu Xusheng had never done such a waiter's job before, so his skills were very unfamiliar. Cheng Yian said disapprovingly,

"Learn from my second brother!"

Lu Xusheng laughed and said, "I should ask my brother-in-law for advice."

After kneading for a while, Cheng Yian felt a headache.

"Are you here to serve me, or do you have a grudge against me? Be gentle, or you're about to break my shoulder bone."

Lu Xusheng was so tall that it was already very uncomfortable for him to sit cross-legged beside her. After she said so, he didn't know where to put his hands. He was reminded of the past when he "served" Cheng Yian. He held her butterfly bones with one hand and pinched the cervical vertebrae at the back of her neck with the other hand, moving up and down like this.

"How is it?"

“Not bad.”

Cheng Yian was only wearing a thin nightgown, and Lu Xusheng's fingertips were full of softness, and occasionally his fingertips could touch her earlobes. After a while, Cheng Yian felt uncomfortable and looked at him with a weak look.

"Let go, I can't bear it."

Lu Xusheng met her watery eyes and immediately understood. If he lowered his head, he would see a beautiful spring scene. Lu Xusheng looked away and sighed helplessly.

“Being a father is not an easy thing.”

Cheng Yian was so angry that she punched him. Lu Xusheng hurriedly caught her fist and said anxiously,

"Ancestor, if you want to teach me a lesson, just tell me and I will come by myself without your help."

Lu Xusheng slept with her for two hours, and then went back to Xuanfu.

Over the next two days, Cheng Yian began to vomit. Fortunately, Xia Fu was by her side, adjusting her diet from time to time. Her symptoms were not obvious, but she did not sleep well at night.

Somehow, she always dreamed of her child from her previous life and woke up repeatedly at night.

Seeing this, Xia Fu worriedly asked, "Why don't you go to Xiangshan Temple and ask the master to make you a lucky charm?"

Cheng Yian thought the same thing. "Then I'll leave it to my mother. I wonder if Xiangshan Temple will be there.

A bit far?" Xiangshan Temple is on the outskirts of the city.

Xia Fu replied, "The Buddha at Xiangshan Temple is efficacious."

She fell from such a high cliff and still survived. If not the blessing of Buddha, then what else could it be?

She went to get a lucky charm for her grandson and came back hoping that the baby would be born safely.

Cheng Yian had nothing to say.

Seeing Cheng Yian's anxious look, Xia Fu was afraid that if she didn't go, she would not be able to sleep well tonight. After breakfast, she led people to Xiangshan Temple.

There was still morning sunshine when we got up early, but after we left the city, the sun was covered by a layer of blue clouds. Xia Fu was worried that the weather was going to change, so she lifted the curtain and told the guards,

"Go to the palace and tell the prince to pick me up at Xiangshan Temple after court."

The Prince of Yunnan had finally made a trip to the capital, and all the government offices had to coordinate with him on official business under the jurisdiction of the prince's palace, such as population taxation, improving laws and case review procedures, etc. Therefore, officials from various departments would look for him every few days, and the Prince of Yunnan had to report to the government office every day.

It was difficult for guards from other families to enter the government office area, but the Palace of Prince of Yunnan was special. The emperor knew that Prince of Yunnan was unfamiliar with the capital, had limited manpower, and was blocked from many connections, so he made things convenient for him. The guards handed in their business cards at Zhengyang Gate and entered the government office area. When they learned that the prince was in the Ministry of Rites, they went to the Ministry of Rites.

Today, officials from various ministries and several bureaucrats from Yunnan sat together in the Ministry of Rites to discuss matters. The Chief of the Censorate, Cheng Mingyu, the Minister of Rites, Kong Yunjie, the Minister of Revenue, Zheng Shanghe, the Minister of Personnel, Chen Huairen, and others were all present. The Yunnan Palace also had many offices, such as the Personnel Office and the Rites Office, which corresponded to the six ministries and nine officials in the government office area. The Censorate was in charge of inspections and trials, and had to verify the Yunnan Judicial Court's case judgment regulations and the hierarchical complaint process, and rectify the past judicial injustice and lawlessness in the jurisdiction. The Ministry of Revenue needed to thoroughly understand the population, land, and mineral resources in the jurisdiction.

The Minister of Revenue Zheng Shanghe discussed with the King of Yunnan.

"Yunnan is a mountainous area, so it must be rich in mineral resources. Why don't we send some people from the court to Yunnan to help mine and open up the mountains?"

The King of Yunnan raised his hand to refuse. "The people of Yunnan believe in mountain gods. The mountains there cannot be easily moved. As for the population, we really need to conduct a thorough investigation. I will cooperate with you."

In fact, there is no way to check. The extent of the investigation is ultimately decided by the King of Yunnan.

Zheng Shanghe returned home with nothing.

Minister of Rites Kong Yunjie continued, "Your Highness, last time His Majesty asked about the Crown Prince's marriage and was very concerned about it. Your Majesty has already selected several noble ladies from the royal family for the Crown Prince. I will show them their portraits later. They are all good girls with good character and appearance. Your Highness, please look at the portraits and choose a beautiful lady for the Crown Prince."

Upon hearing this, the King of Yunnan sighed, "Minister Kong, I am also very willing to marry into the imperial court, but my first wife left a will before her death, saying that she wanted to marry her niece to the prince. She passed away early, and this was her long-cherished wish, so how could I not agree to her request? So I am afraid that I will disappoint the imperial court's kindness."

Kong Yunjie suddenly had a headache, "Then choose two people to be concubines, and when the prince inherits the throne in the future, they will be made concubines."

King Yunnan smiled bitterly, "I did think so, but I didn't expect that the two children grew up together as childhood sweethearts and were so close to each other that they couldn't tolerate anyone else. Besides, the girl has a very strong temper and wouldn't allow my son to take a concubine."

In the final analysis, he just doesn't want the imperial court to place people in the Yunnan Palace.

At this time Cheng Mingyu spoke up, "Since the prince's marriage has been decided, then let's decide the second young master's marriage."

When King Yunnan heard this, he looked at Cheng Mingyu deeply.

Cheng Mingyu's move has a profound meaning.

Once the Second Young Master marries a daughter of a noble family in the capital, the imperial court will certainly support him strongly, and will even help the youngest son compete with the eldest son for the right of succession. By then, disputes will arise within the Yunnan Palace, and the imperial court will be able to sit back and fish. This move can be said to be both ruthless and accurate. In addition, once the Second Young Master has a backer in the capital, Xia Fu will not have to worry about anything. As long as Xia Fu is willing, Cheng Mingyu can let her leave the Yunnan Palace at any time.

This old fox.

The King of Yunnan could taste the flavor as he chewed it, and his brows furrowed.

Cheng Mingyu expected that the King of Yunnan would reject the Crown Prince's marriage proposal, and it would be difficult for him to reject the Second Young Master's marriage proposal, so he privately presented a plan to the Emperor. The Emperor praised the plan and wrote an edict on the spot to grant the Second Young Master the marriage proposal. Cheng Mingyu slowly took out the edict from his sleeve and handed it to the King of Yunnan.

"Your Majesty has chosen the young lady from Marquis Chen's mansion as the second young master's wife. The prince should be grateful for Your Majesty's kindness."

Marquis Chen is the Minister of Personnel Chen Huairen, the biological brother of the current empress. In order to gain control of the Yunnan Palace, the emperor betrothed an eight-year-old girl from Marquis Chen's palace to the second young master Mu Xun.

King Yunan was so angry that he laughed, "Mr. Cheng is so calculating."

Cheng Mingyu smiled and handed him the imperial edict. "I thought that Your Majesty had chosen a marriage partner for the Second Young Master, and Your Highness should be happy for the Second Young Master. Parents who love their children will plan for them in the long run. With Marquis Chen as your in-law, Your Highness has nothing to worry about."

The King of Yunnan really had to think about the safety of his youngest son. Now that his son had become the nephew-in-law of Queen Chen, he could sleep soundly in Yunnan. Even though he knew that the court had far-reaching intentions, he really couldn't refuse this marriage.

So he stood up, took the imperial edict, and looked at the Minister of Personnel Chen Huairen, who also put down his teacup and bowed to him.

"Please Mr. Chen take care of my child from now on."

"Please, Your Majesty, take good care of my daughter in the future."

It was almost noon when a eunuch came in and said that the guards of the Prince of Yunnan's palace had something to report. The Prince of Yunnan and the others came out to apologize. The guards stood at the bottom of the steps and bowed to him.

"Your Highness, the princess went to Xiangshan Temple to pray today. The weather is not good, so she said that if you are free, please pick her up in the afternoon."

The King of Yunnan glanced at the darkening sky and said "OK".

"Wait outside the tower. I will go pick up the princess when I am done with my work."

King Yunnan's voice was not low, and everyone in the hall could hear it clearly. Cheng Mingyu felt the hall was stuffy, so he went out to get some fresh air.

The King of Yunnan noticed him and walked over to talk to him in the corner of the corridor.

"Cheng Mingyu, what a trick, are you trying to force Afu to leave me?"

Cheng Mingyu looked at him coldly, "We are just a fake couple, how can we force each other? Your Majesty, don't flatter yourself!"

King Yunnan's eyes flickered. It turned out that this fellow had found out something and knew that he and A-Fu were a fake couple. No wonder he dared to play the piano openly in the palace.

"So what? She is my princess now."

Cheng Mingyu said unhappily, "She is just trying to repay the old princess's kindness. If you are a man, you should not seek to repay her kindness. Take away her title of Princess Yunnan as soon as possible and give her freedom."

King Yunnan glared at him, "What do you mean by repaying a favor? I am the first to get the moon because I am close to the water. Ah Fu really doesn't want to marry me, but it's not that she doesn't want to live with me. She just doesn't want to be bound by the marriage certificate. As long as I am willing to ignore the status, she is willing to be with me until the end of my life."

I am willing to be a partner for life regardless of status...

These words kept lingering in Cheng Mingyu's mind, and Cheng Mingyu's face turned slightly bluer.

King Yunnan was relieved to see that he finally changed color, and laughed, "Cheng Mingyu, she is free as my princess, much more comfortable than being a concubine of your Cheng family. Do you think playing a broken piano will be useful? Hey, I'm going to have a drink now, you guys quickly decide on the list of people, I have to go outside the city to pick up the princess this afternoon."

Cheng Mingyu looked at the King of Yunnan going away, and the emotions on his face disappeared completely. After a moment of silence, he turned and walked into the meeting room, calling Zheng Shanghe aside.

"The tax and population lists of the Yunnan Palace have never been clear, and the records of the various tax collection offices are not complete. Don't listen to his lies. Lu Xusheng has already set an example in Jiangnan. It is imperative for the court to survey the population. If he tries to evade the question, you can shut him up with the wood issue."

Yunnan's biggest source of tax revenue was timber. Once the imperial court closed his stall, Yunnan's timber would have nowhere to be sold, and the people under his command would have a hard time making ends meet.

"I want you to sort out all of this matter today. The Ministry of Revenue will send at least five officials to Yunnan to accompany the army."

Zheng Shanghe complained bitterly when he heard this, "We have to sort it out today? Why are you in such a hurry? He can't leave in the next two days."

"Can't you sort it out as soon as possible and get rid of this plague god?" Cheng Mingyu said coldly, "If you can't do it, I will report you for being lazy in government affairs tomorrow morning."

Cheng Mingyu and others don't report on others when they have nothing to do. Once he does, he will become the target of public criticism.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Shanghe was so angry that he lifted his robe and pointed at him and cursed, "Cheng Mingyu, you idiot, I am the father of Princess Ning, and you accuse me of being lazy, where can my daughter put her face!"

When the Minister of Justice Chao Ke saw Zheng Shanghe dared to point at Cheng Mingyu's nose and curse him, he hurriedly pulled him aside.

"Master Zheng, have you forgotten what happened to the last official who pointed at Mr. Cheng and scolded him?"

Zheng Shanghe didn't care. "What are you afraid of? I tell you, the princess doesn't miss him anymore."

Chao Ke smiled bitterly, "Even if the princess doesn't care, you can't offend Lord Cheng. I heard that His Majesty intends to disband the Eight Seats and establish an inner cabinet. The head of this inner cabinet must be Lord Cheng. For the sake of Prince Ning, you can't offend the future Prime Minister."

Looking at the entire court, in terms of reputation, ability, means, and vision, who can match Cheng Mingyu?

This position of chief assistant must be filled by Cheng Mingyu.

Zheng Shanghe suddenly lost his temper, and with a stern face, he howled at the crowd.

"Don't rest, hurry up, retrieve all the files. Today, let's keep the King of Yunnan.

Hold on, no one can leave until the rules are clearly defined!"

Seeing this, Cheng Mingyu lightly brushed off the dust on his collar and walked to the back corridor with his hands behind his back.

Zheng Shanghe immediately stopped him when he found him, "Hey, where are you going?"

Cheng Mingyu threw down two words without even turning his head, "Something happened."