Chapter 188: Don’t Let Him Become the Emperor (Two Chapters in One)
The Fifth Prince's wife, who was despised by the Fifth Prince, was still feeling aggrieved at this time. Her ancestors were also military generals who followed Taizu to conquer the world. Unfortunately, her family only had titles for three generations. By the time of her father's generation, there was only a fourth-rank military position granted by imperial favor.
For this favor, several families fought each other and almost lost their lives. In the end, this military position fell on her father, and her father got a good marriage because of it, marrying the legitimate daughter of the Earl of Yan'an.
But her father was not a man of ambition, and her mother had a generous dowry, so her father simply lay low and lived out his days in that fourth-rank military position. At the beginning, Earl Yan'an had high hopes for this son-in-law and got him two jobs, but he failed to complete either one. In anger, Earl Yan'an stopped caring about him.
But Lady Yan'an still had her daughter in her heart, so she took her to attend the spring banquet at Princess Jianing's mansion.
No one was interested in her at that spring banquet. When she was feeling disappointed, the emperor actually pointed her out to the fifth prince.
When they received the imperial edict, their entire family and those relatives with whom they did not usually interact were all stunned. She was of above-average appearance, unknown in the circle of ladies in Beijing, and had a mediocre background. Although she had the Yan'an Earl's Mansion as her maternal family, she was only a granddaughter, not the legitimate granddaughter of the Yan'an Earl's Mansion.
It was not until later that she entered the palace and met the fifth prince's biological mother, Concubine Shu, that she learned something.
Shufei originally had her eyes on Deng Minmin, the niece of Duke Dingguo, who was also Deng Zheng's cousin.
However, Emperor Yongjia did not agree to the marriage, and the Duke Dingguo's Mansion hurriedly arranged a marriage for Deng Minmin.
Shufei cried and made a fuss, but in the end she had no choice but to accept it.
The reason why she was chosen was because she behaved "calmly and gently" at the Spring Banquet that day.
In fact, she just looks very well-behaved, obedient and easy to control.
Of course, she gradually realized the latter sentence after she got married, but she didn't know it at the time. She was even complacent about the four words "calm and gentle", thinking that she was really carefully selected by others.
After her wedding, she met her grandmother, Lady Yan'an, twice.
Lady Yan'an looked at her and sighed, saying, "Fortunately, it's unlikely that the Fifth Master will be able to sit on that throne. This way, your life will be better. Just like Princess Fu, you also have the blessings accumulated over several lifetimes."
Lady Yan'an's words were said to be an expression of emotion, but in fact they were meant to wake her up.
She thought about it and finally understood that as long as the fifth prince could not become the emperor, she would still be the fifth prince's consort. When the fifth prince was crowned king one day, she would be the princess. As long as the fifth prince did not commit suicide, she would be like Princess Fu and become an extremely wealthy old lady in the future.
But if the fifth prince became emperor, the position of queen would not be hers.
She is the original wife, so she cannot be divorced, but she can die.
When a new emperor ascends the throne, a powerful Yue family will be his helper. This Yue family can either be a leader in the literary world like the family of Empress Yuan, the retired emperor; or be the head of all ministers like the current Prime Minister Feng; or be like the family of Empress Gao, the mother of Emperor Taizu, who can help Emperor Taizu expand his territory and achieve great things.
Even Concubine Qiao, who was the most favored concubine in the harem, could not sit on the throne after struggling for half her life.
When the emperor was young, he needed a daughter-in-law who could help him secure his throne. Concubine Qiao was of humble origin, so he made a woman of high family as the empress.
Later, the queen died. The emperor already had several princes, and he needed a queen who could stabilize the harem and would not covet the throne. Concubine Qiao gave birth to a son, so the emperor chose the queen who had no children.
The Fifth Prince's Consort knew in her heart that her family was not qualified in terms of family background, and she herself had neither a good reputation nor a good reputation. Apart from the empty title of the Fifth Prince's Consort, she had nothing.
She was even less capable than Concubine Qiao. Concubine Qiao was favored by the emperor, but the Fifth Prince never treated her well.
The Fifth Prince's wife had no foresight, nor did she have political acumen. She kept her grandmother's words firmly in her heart. As long as the Fifth Prince could not become emperor, she would have a good life.
But if the fifth prince became the emperor, there would be only one word waiting for her - death!
She didn't want to die. She had never enjoyed any happiness in her life. Before she married into the royal family, she couldn't even afford a complete set of headwear. The only kesi dress she had came from her mother's dowry.
Now, she has five or six sets of expensive head ornaments. During festivals, the silver workshop will send new jewelry for her to choose from. Her clothes are made in batches, and she will not wear the new clothes again after attending a banquet. She never dared to imagine such a life before.
Therefore, she dreamed of living like this for the rest of her life.
She did not have a powerful family, nor did she have the ability to help the Fifth Prince ascend the throne. However, she firmly believed that as long as she was cautious enough and worked hard enough, she would be able to prevent the Fifth Prince from sitting on the throne!
The unfamiliar servant that Changming brought today attracted the attention of the Fifth Prince's wife.
Although she had a maid who climbed into her bed, there were several others who were loyal to her. These were all prepared for her by her grandmother. Even the maid who climbed into her bed was carefully trained by her grandmother to secure her favor.
Rather than letting the Fifth Prince sleep with those vixens, it is better for him to sleep with his own maid. She cannot control the vixens, but she has the control over the maid's family.
The Fifth Prince's wife returned to her own courtyard and was not idle for a moment. She immediately sent someone to inquire about the unfamiliar servant.
The servant's name was soon found out. After all, although the servant came in from the back door, the Fifth Prince's Mansion was not a place where anyone could enter.
The servant's name was Fan Shuner, and he was from the Fan family in the west of the city.
The Fifth Prince's wife quickly asked the maid to inform her concubines outside the palace. Her dowry was not generous, but she still had three concubines, and all three families had young, strong and smart men.
The information obtained by the accompanying room was quickly delivered to her.
The Fan family, the Fan family from Wu.
The Fifth Prince's wife thought of someone. Among the ladies who followed the Third Prince's wife during the Spring Banquet, there was one whose surname was Fan.
Fan Qiuyun!
The Fifth Prince's wife was pacing around the room. Damn it, besides Feng Yalan, she even hooked up with Fan Qiujun!
These two people are close to the Third Prince's wife Feng Jiahe.
What was this bastard thinking? Although she was not smart, she could figure it out with her toes.
No, we can't let him succeed!
She had heard that the Fan family was rich and had a noble relative in the Prince Liang's Mansion.
The eldest princess of the Liang Palace is about to marry in the capital. Who is her husband's family? It's the Duke of Wei's Mansion!
The status of the Duke of Weiguo's Mansion in front of the emperor is many times higher than that of her in-laws' Mansion of the Earl of Yan'an.
Zhao Yunnuan had only one younger sister, who was said to be a Taoist nun and had been a nun since childhood. She lived far away in Liang. When Zhao Yunnuan became the Crown Prince's Consort of the Duke of Weiguo's Mansion, she had no relatives, and the closest person to her was her distant cousin Fan Qiujun.
Then Fan Qiujun not only has a wealthy family, she also has a brother-in-law, Yan Xia!
In this way, Yan Xia and the Duke of Weiguo's Mansion became the Fifth Prince's people.
The simple head of the Fifth Prince's wife suddenly had a few more wrinkles.
She understood one thing, Feng Yalan becoming a concubine was a fact. If Fan Qiujun also became the fifth prince's concubine, then the fifth prince would not only have Feng Shoufu as his cheap father-in-law, but also Yan Xia as his cheap brother-in-law. Not only Yan Xia, but also the Weiguo Mansion and the Liang Wang Mansion!
Oh my God, even the Third Prince can’t compare to him!
The Fifth Prince's wife trembled with fear when she thought of this.
Then can she still eat dumplings during the Chinese New Year?
No way, she is close to death.
No, we must stop him, we must!
The Fifth Prince's wife sobbed for a while, and then she wiped away her tears. She had no time to cry anymore. She had to think of a way to make that damn bastard's dream come true!
What kind of prince is it to be? Which of the two previous princes had a good ending?
The grass on one grave is already very tall, and the other has become Prince Jing and will never be able to return to the capital in this lifetime.
It is better for him to be a prince honestly and become a rich and idle king in the future. The last time she saw Princess Fu, she was white and plump, and the emerald pendant on her neck was so big that it could kill someone.
Oh, this is the life she wants!
The fifth prince was swinging his feet, feeling extremely happy, completely unaware that someone under the same roof was worrying about his future.
At this time, the Feng Mansion was in a solemn atmosphere. The maids walked carefully, fearing that any noise would upset their master.
The two cats jumped onto the roof one after the other and dug in the gaps between the tiles. After a while, they dug out a hole as wide as a finger.
"How did you fall into the water?" This was a bearded man, his voice was neither hurried nor slow, but full of majesty.
After a long silence, the pale young woman said softly, "There's no doubt it was Lang Yuyu who bumped into my daughter, and the one who pushed her must have been Fan Qiujun. After thinking carefully, my daughter knows it must have been her."
The man stood up. All he wanted was an answer. Now that he had the answer, nothing else mattered.
"You should take good care of yourself and wait to be admitted to the Fifth Prince's palace as a concubine. Don't be depressed. This position of concubine is not an insult to you."
The young woman's voice was calm and indifferent, as if she was not talking about her own business.
"My daughter knows, and she's not upset."
Feng Ke walked out of Feng Yalan's yard with an expressionless face. The autumn wind brought a bit of chill, and Feng Ke let out a long breath.
Things have developed to this point and are out of his control, but it doesn't matter. It's just a pity for his daughter Feng Yalan.
He still liked this daughter very much. Although she was born out of wedlock, she was gentle, generous and sensible. If she married Yang Shengqiu, she would definitely contribute to the family in the future.
But now...
It would be fine if the Fifth Prince gave up and stopped making any progress from now on, but if he had that intention, his daughter would become a useless child.
In fact, it would only take him a word to kill Feng Yalan right now, but Feng Yalan cannot die or be deposed now, otherwise what will the emperor think?
"Master, Yang Zhuangyuan is here." A servant of seven or eight years old ran into the backyard.
Feng Ke was not surprised. He said calmly, "It's time for him to come."
The two pieces of news, Feng Yalan falling into the water and Feng Yalan becoming the fifth prince's concubine, reached Yang Shengqiu's ears at the same time.
He was shocked at first, and then, endless hatred surged in his heart.
He would not think that falling into the water was an accident, nor would he think that Feng Yalan fell into the water on purpose.
Someone is plotting this!
The one who plotted this was definitely not him, but the third prince.
But this calculation also planted grass on his head.
He was the top scholar, he was the flawless top scholar, but now, he had a flaw, Feng Yalan, was his flaw!
After being shocked and angry, Yang Shengqiu calmed down. He straightened his clothes, walked to the mirror, thought for a while, dipped his finger in the inkstone to pick up a little ink, dotted it under his eyes, and then spread it out carefully.
The person in the mirror looked a little more haggard, and even his eyes were filled with helplessness and melancholy.
Yang Shengqiu was very satisfied with himself in the mirror. Western mirrors are really great. They can reflect people in every detail.
He bought this mirror at a high price. He has very high demands on himself, from the inside out.
At this moment, Yang Shengqiu, standing in front of Feng Ke, no longer had the gentleness of the past. He looked haggard and embarrassed, with an inextricable sorrow in his eyes.
Feng Ke sighed. He didn't believe that Yang Shengqiu really had feelings for Feng Yalan, but he believed that Yang Shengqiu must feel uncomfortable. It would be the same for anyone else. A woman who was engaged to be married suddenly became someone else's concubine. This was not only a blow, but also a humiliation for a man.
Unfortunately, the person who stole his wife was someone he couldn't afford to offend, so the humiliation was magnified tenfold or a hundredfold.
Feng Ke: "Have you heard?"
After a while, Yang Shengqiu squeezed out three words: "I heard about it."
His voice was as soft as a mosquito's, completely different from his usual gentle and polite self.
Feng Ke shook his head. He was still too young and became like this after just a little blow.
However, this kind of Yang Shengqiu made him feel more at ease.
If the twenty-year-old Yang Shengqiu showed the composure of a thirty-year-old and the sophistication of a forty-year-old, he would not dare to use him with confidence.
"After the New Year, you can go to the Ministry of Revenue. I've made a vacancy for you there. It will be hard work, but you'll learn a lot."
Yang Shengqiu was delighted because he had just received news two days ago that after the New Year, the third prince would go to the Ministry of Revenue to observe government affairs.
Don't underestimate the Ministry of Revenue. It's indeed hard work there, but it is the emperor's purse. The emperor would not easily allow someone to observe government affairs in the Ministry of Revenue unless he trusted the prince.
The former crown prince, now Prince Jing, only stayed in the Ministry of Revenue for one month. As for the third prince, he went to the Ministry of Revenue but was sent to other places in less than ten days. This time, the emperor asked the third prince to stay in the Ministry of Revenue for at least half a year.
And now, Prime Minister Feng wants to send him to the Ministry of Revenue, which means that he will be with the third prince.
But Yang Shengqiu knew that this vacancy in the Ministry of Revenue must not have been created in the past two days. Feng Ke had originally decided to let him go to the Ministry of Revenue to follow the Third Prince. Even if Feng Yalan had not fallen into the water, this position would still be his.
Now that he had lost a marriage, all he got in return was this opportunity. Yang Shengqiu found it a little ridiculous.
He bowed to the ground and said: "I will do my job conscientiously and live up to the kindness of my teacher."
Feng Ke smiled and said, "As for your marriage, don't worry about it for now. I'll keep it in mind."
Yang Shengqiu thanked him again, but Feng Ke stopped him and said, "I will speak well of you in front of His Majesty."
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