Chapter 294 Princess Huixin’s Thoughts (Two Chapters in One)
"You said you wanted to plant fruit trees on the mountain. Did the villagers agree? I remember a few old guys opposed it?" asked the emperor.
Zhao Guanyue: "It doesn't matter if some people object. The villagers voted by raising their hands, and the minority obeyed the majority. But now is not the time to plant. We have to wait until next spring."
The Emperor said with regret: "It's a pity that I can't see the scenery of mountains and fields laden with fruits."
Zhao Guanyue: "Why can't you see it? Grandfather Huang wants to see it, so your grandson will go with you."
The retired emperor was very pleased. He believed that a biological grandson was the best, and only a biological grandson would be willing to accompany him to that remote place.
Thinking of the poverty of Dawang Village, the emperor's mind appeared the image of Zhao Guanyue wearing a coarse linen shirt and rolled up his trouser legs.
But a discordant voice echoed in my ears: "Master Guanyue is a man of love, loyalty, and filial piety. My son and Master Guanyue are about the same age, but they are as different as sand and gold."
Having been away from the capital for too long, the retired emperor was unaware of the great achievements of the brothers Shudashi and felt that Prince Lu still had his strengths. For example, now Prince Lu was very self-aware.
My grandson is a rough jade in Jingshan Mountain, and a ray of his clear light can illuminate the nine palaces.
How can you ordinary mortals compare?
The retired emperor nodded with a smile, and his eyes looked at Prince Lu with a little more kindness.
Prince Lu's heart was pounding. He seemed to know why the emperor had him carried here.
At this moment, Prince Lu was not thinking of his own father, but Zhao Tingluo.
He remembered how calm Zhao Tingluo was when he met Zhao Guanyue today.
It seems that the emperor had summoned him alone before today.
Prince Lu sighed silently in his heart: Zhao Tingluo and I, one represents the Lu Palace, the other represents the Fu Palace. If the emperor wants to support Zhao Guanyue, he cannot do without the support of the royal family. Speaking of the royal family, we can't avoid the Lu Palace and the Fu Palace!
Prince Lu's gaze fell on Zhao Guanyue. If it was true that the retired emperor supported Zhao Guanyue, then my guess was correct. Xiao Yue, no, Zhao Guanyue, he was the son of Emperor Xiaokang.
Zhao Guanyue is only fourteen or fifteen years old now, so twelve years ago, when Emperor Xiaokang passed away, he was only two or three years old.
There was a child of two or three years old. This prince happened to still remember one.
That is Emperor Xiaokang’s eldest and only son, Zhao Yuan!
Xiao Yue is Zhao Yuan, Zhao Yuan is Zhao Guanyue, and the emperor wants Zhao Guanyue to replace the current emperor!
When Prince Lu thought of this, his legs went weak and he fell to his knees. His knees hit the floor tiles and he felt a sharp pain. His mind also became clear.
The emperor is going to rebel!
No, the emperor emeritus cannot be called a rebel, it should be called forcing the emperor to abdicate.
No wonder Zhao Chen claimed to be sick and didn't come. This old sly guy must have guessed it a long time ago.
So what does Zhao Tingluo mean?
Seeing that little brat is so calm, is he standing on the side of the retired emperor?
The current emperor likes him so much, but he actually betrayed him and chose the emperor emeritus. What a heartless guy.
But Prince Lu thought again, the emperor was so good to Zhao Tingluo, but Zhao Tingluo still chose the emperor, what does this mean? It means that the emperor is sure to win!
Zhao Chen is a sly old fellow, and Prince Fu is the slyest of the sly old fellows. Whatever Zhao Chen can think of, Prince Fu must have thought of as well.
Therefore, before leaving the capital, Prince Fu and Zhao Tingluo, the grandfather and grandson, had weighed the pros and cons and made their choice.
Alas, his own father is known as Crouching Dragon and Phoenix Chick together with others. He cannot think of what Prince Fu can think of.
Prince Lu became increasingly disappointed with his father. Since his father hadn't given him any explanation, what else could he do but go with the flow?
Zhao Tingluo, representing the Prince Fu's Mansion, took his side, while Zhao Chen, representing the Imperial Clan Court, abstained. Of course, the Prince Lu's Mansion could also choose the current emperor, but they felt that this choice was not very safe.
Prince Lu's heart was as full of galloping horses as if thousands of horses were galloping, and he didn't even hear the words "No need to bow, please stand up."
The Emperor glanced at him and said in a cold voice, "Prince Lu, do you want to kneel down forever?"
Zhao Shiqing, who was standing aside, looked at the Prince of Lu kneeling on the ground with some amusement. Fortunately, the brothers Sui Dashi were not like him, otherwise they would not even be friends.
For the sake of the Broken Stone brothers, Zhao Shiqing kindly reminded: "My Lord, my Lord!"
Prince Lu's thoughts, which had been wandering thousands of miles away, were finally brought back to reality. He shuddered and subconsciously looked at Zhao Shiqing.
Zhao Shiqing whispered, "The Emperor asked you to stand up."
Prince Lu suddenly realized: "Thank you for your great grace, thank you for your great grace!"
The Supreme Emperor: I just want you to stand up.
Prince Lu got up from the ground and patted his chest loudly: "Uncle Emperor, I am a rough man with nothing but my unwavering loyalty to you."
The Emperor felt a little annoyed and asked patiently, "I heard you have two sons. How old are they?"
Prince Lu's heart moved. That little rascal Zhao Tingluo stood in line so happily. The emperor must have stuffed candied dates into his mouth. What kind of candied dates were they?
Although Zhao Tingluo is four or five years younger than Zhao Guanyue, they are about the same age.
Four big words emerged in Prince Lu's mind:
The merit of following the dragon!
Damn it!
Does Prince Fu’s Mansion have the merit of following the dragon?
Isn’t he just a naughty kid about the same age as Zhao Guanyue?
It's not just Prince Fu's Mansion that has such problems, Prince Lu's Mansion also has them. When it comes to naughty kids, Prince Lu's Mansion can claim to be second to none, and no one in the entire capital dares to claim to be first.
"Reporting to the Emperor, Uncle Huang, those two brats of my nephew's, one eighteen and the other sixteen, are both restless. There's no place in the capital they don't know well."
The Emperor nodded and said, "When we return to the capital, let them get closer to Guanyue. They are both young people, so I think they can play together."
Prince Lu's mouth was grinning from ear to ear: "We can definitely play together, for sure!"
The Emperor smiled and said, "You are a smart man, much better than your father. I think your two sons are also good people."
Prince Lu was overjoyed. The secret that he was stronger than his father was finally discovered!
This time, Prince Lu walked out of the yard in a daze again. As the saying goes, everything will turn around when it reaches its extreme. Once or twice, it will never happen again. Their Prince Lu's Mansion has been full of waste for two generations, and now it is the third generation, and they are finally going to be able to hold their heads high.
The merit of following the dragon!
The merit of following the dragon!
Although Prince Lu was carried back, he was no longer afraid. Instead, he enjoyed the feeling of flying in the clouds.
Today I have seized such a good opportunity. If those two unfilial sons dare to be unfilial in the future, I will skin them alive!
The Seventh Prince, who was sleeping at this moment, never dreamed that an alliance had been formed without his knowledge!
Two days later, the news of the emperor's return to Beijing reached the capital. Emperor Yongjia, along with the third, sixth and eighth princes, led the royal family, civil and military officials out of the city to welcome him.
Upon learning that her son was still alive, Princess Jiayi was said to have fainted three times with excitement. Prince Consort Xiao knelt before Lord Tianzun for a whole night, thanking him for appearing and bringing their precious son back to life.
Of course, the couple did this for others to see. They knew better than anyone whether their son was alive or dead.
At this moment, there was another person who was truly crying with joy.
That is Princess Huixin.
She took refuge with Concubine Qiao. Since Lin Sen died, she didn't have to marry down. However, this was only temporary. Princess Huixin knew that in Concubine Qiao's eyes, she was only useful for one thing, and that was to win people's hearts.
She will have to get married sooner or later, the difference is that before her marriage was decided by the emperor and the empress, but now it is Concubine Qiao who decides her fate.
But no matter what, she didn't need to give it to that bitch Lin Sen anymore. Princess Huixin felt that she had made the right move.
Especially now, Xiao Zhen is still alive!
Princess Huixin tried hard to hide her excitement and pretended that she had never known anything.
Ever since she saw that figure, she was certain that it was Xiao Zhen, and that Xiao Zhen was still alive.
But later that figure never appeared again, so she had no choice but to give up.
And now Xiao Zhen is coming back, and he is going to appear in front of the world openly.
An idea came to Princess Huixin's mind: this was her chance and she must seize it.
Before the retired emperor arrived in the capital, she went to the palace to meet Concubine Qiao.
Concubine Qiao was feeling upset. She had just received news that the retired emperor had given Chen Guanyue a surname, which was not only recorded in the clan genealogy, but also under the name of Emperor Xiaokang!
Although Zhao Guanyue was only an adopted son and could only be given the title of prince for the sake of Emperor Xiaokang's face, for some reason, Concubine Qiao felt uneasy.
She originally wanted Fan Qiujun to stay in the palace for a few more days, but now she felt uneasy, so she asked Fan Qiujun to leave the palace early and sent a letter to her parents' home to advance the marriage.
As long as Fan Qiujun marries into the Qiao family, the child in her belly will be safe. Whether it is a boy or a girl, it will not affect the third prince.
Fan Qiujun naturally refused. She wanted to marry into the Third Prince's mansion, become a concubine, and in the future even a noble concubine.
But she had no choice. Although she was extremely unwilling, she was still stuffed into a sedan chair and carried into the Qiao family villa.
When Princess Huixin entered the palace, Fan Qiuyun had just left.
The two happened to meet outside the palace gate. Princess Huixin was a little surprised, but Fan Qiujun looked at her with a half-smile. As they passed by her, she heard Fan Qiujun's mocking voice: "Golden branches and jade leaves are just like this."
Princess Huixin stood there in a daze. Could it be that Fan Qiujun had guessed the purpose of her entering the palace?
So Fan Qiujun was despising her?
What qualifications does Fan Qiujun have to despise her?
The Fan family is said to be a family of scholars, but in fact they are engaged in business. Fan Qiujun is said to be a lady-in-waiting in the palace, but in fact she has an unclear relationship with the third prince. Now she is going to marry into the Qiao family, so there is no guarantee that there will be something dirty going on.
And she is a princess.
Princess Huixin calmed herself down, held her head high, and walked into the palace.
She held her head high the whole time, as if she was afraid that if she lowered it even a little, she would never be able to lift it up again.
She met Concubine Qiao and expressed her thoughts.
"I want to marry Xiao Zhen."
Concubine Qiao glanced at her and said, "Xiao Zhen? He and you are cousins, and you can be considered childhood sweethearts. If Jiayi liked you, you would have gotten married long ago. Why wait until now? Don't forget, you are Jiayi's niece. She has never treated you well. I advise you not to dream on. With your status, your best future is to marry a scholar from a poor family."
Princess Huixin guessed that Concubine Qiao would say this. If it were a year ago, she would not dare to refute it, but now, she just smiled slightly.
"Your Highness, what a coincidence! I just ran into Lady Fan in front of the palace gate. It's been a while since we last met. Lady Fan has become much plumper, and even her belly looks a little rounder."
A cold glint flashed in Concubine Qiao's eyes.
She had just met Fan Qiujun today. Fan Qiujun was not pregnant yet, so if you didn't pay special attention, you would definitely not be able to tell.
Huixin definitely didn’t realize it. Did she know something, or was she cheating?
Concubine Qiao didn't want to gamble.
She forced a pregnant female official to marry her own nephew, which was not only a scandal but also a punishable crime. If the news got out, both she and her family would lose face.
What's more, the child in Fan Qiujun's belly is the third prince's.
Of course, in this situation, it would be wise to have Fan Qiuyun abort the baby.
But this is the third prince's first child, and he is reluctant to let him go, and Concubine Qiao is also reluctant to let him go.
Therefore, under the current circumstances, the easiest thing Concubine Qiao could think of was to let Fan Qiuyun marry into the Qiao family.
Seeing that Concubine Qiao remained silent, Princess Huixin continued, "Your Highness, Xiao Zhen has been found by the Retired Emperor, and he has made great contributions in Tongzhou. This means that His Majesty will definitely entrust him with important tasks.
You also said that Xiao Zhen and I are cousins, but have you forgotten that Xiao Zhen and the Third Prince are also cousins who are closely connected even if their bones are broken.
But I remember that Xiao Zhen and the Third Prince didn't seem to be close.
Alas, what a pity that such a talent cannot be used by the Third Prince."
Concubine Qiao was startled. She had guessed that Xiao Zhen's accident was caused by Emperor Yongjia who ordered the Fourth Prince to do it, but now it seems that it is not the case.
Xiao Zhen is not close to the third prince, and the problem lies with Jiayi.
Jiayi looked down on her as the imperial concubine, so she would rather let Xiao Zhen interact with the fourth prince than let him play with the third prince.
But at that time, Xiao Zhen was still a half-grown child, but now, Xiao Zhen has not only grown up, but after experiencing life and death, he also has the emperor.
As a noble concubine, Concubine Qiao knew too well the retired emperor's attitude towards his grandsons.
To put it nicely, it is negligence, to put it bluntly, it means that they just don’t look down on it at all!
But now it’s different. The emperor obviously wants to promote Xiao Zhen.
Seeing her expression soften, Princess Huixin continued, "As long as the Imperial Concubine can lend me a hand, after I marry Xiao Zhen, I'll be able to bring him closer to the Third Prince."
Concubine Qiao looked at her and said, "Just you? What virtue and ability do you have? What means do you have to make Xiao Zhen listen to you?"
Princess Huixin clenched her fists in her sleeves. "I, I, I grew up with him. I know he's proud of the Xiao family, but the Xiao family has been suppressed for years. As long as the Third Prince is willing to get close to the Xiao family, I can convince him to serve the Third Prince."
Concubine Qiao chuckled twice, obviously not taking what she said seriously.
"Forget it. I'll give you a chance. Jiayi and her son will be reunited. Given her personality, she'll definitely host a grand banquet. I'll have someone accompany you. As for whether you can pull it off, that depends on your own ability."
Princess Jiayi never took her two nieces seriously, and she would not send an invitation to Princess Huixin for her own banquet, but it was not difficult for Concubine Qiao to send an invitation.
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