Chapter 324 Recruiting More Underlings
Because of the effort to save Qiuqiu, the tension between the Crown Prince and Old Madam Qiao dissipated, which could be considered a contribution from Qiuqiu.
Red marks were left on the soft flesh of Qiuqiu's belly from being squeezed, and a small abrasion was caused near her waist when she was being dug out.
The little one was so upset that tears streamed down his face, and no one could comfort him.
The crown prince had a headache and pinched his brow. "Don't cry. I'll grant you anything."
How did the Wenyang Marquis's family manage to refrain from poisoning her and making her mute?
His younger sister is much better; she never utters a sound all day long, a quiet little black girl.
Unlike Chuchu... a noisy little chubby girl!
Actually, Qiuqiu was just wailing. If the prince had pried her hands open, he would have found that she didn't have a single tear.
"Waaaaah, Sheng Sheng... Sheng Sheng, this is so tragic!"
The little guy closed his eyes and pounded his chest hard with his hands, saying, "My heart hurts."
The Crown Prince understood her meaning, and he stared at Qiuqiu without moving. Noticing no movement, Qiuqiu cautiously opened one eye, only to meet the Crown Prince's cold face. Startled, she quickly closed her eyes again.
The crown prince tapped her forehead, "You're practically a spirit!"
Chirp: Become a spirit? I became a spirit fifty years ago!
The Crown Prince continued, "I promise you, I will find a way to exonerate Qiao Ping, but..."
He looked at Madam Qiao: "Qiao Ping's act of secretly setting up a chamber and hiding military tallies for Princess Fufeng is a heinous crime punishable by confiscation of property and extermination of the entire clan. His death alone spares you from the punishment of confiscation of property, which can be considered a clean break. If you insist on pursuing the matter against His Majesty, you may find yourselves in danger. Madam Qiao is a wise woman; you should know what to choose, right?"
Old Mrs. Qiao won the bet.
She harbored resentment for twenty years, but as Qiao Sheng and her grandson grew up, that hatred transformed into worry for them. What would become of these two children if their grandfather carried the burden of a lifetime of infamy?
Her husband has been dead for so many years, she still has to think about her children's future.
She bet that the Crown Prince would agree to exonerate the Qiao family, and that her two children would not be destined for mediocrity!
With Qiuqiu intervening, this matter was resolved much more easily.
Madam Qiao cast a grateful glance at Qiuqiu, then pressed Qiao Sheng to thank the Crown Prince and Qiuqiu together: "This old lady and her grandson Qiao Sheng thank the Crown Prince for his great kindness, and thank the County Princess for her help!"
Qiao Sheng was no longer an ignorant child; she knew what this meant. Her eyes, gleaming as she looked at Qiu Qiu, seemed to sparkle. "Qiu Qiu, you can eat as much candy as you want from now on!"
Chiu Chiu smacked her lips twice, her mouth watering. She didn't lack candy, but the candy given to her by others just tasted better!
Madam Qiao's face stiffened, and she slapped Qiao Sheng, "What nonsense are you talking about, child? The county magistrate wouldn't want your two candies!"
Chiu Chiu nervously said: [To be honest, I'm quite short on...]
Qiao Sheng immediately realized how shabby her "thank you gift" was, but she wasn't very successful yet and couldn't thank Qiu Qiu properly!
Her eyes lit up as she thought of something, "I have a younger brother named Aman. From now on, Aman can be Qiuqiu's slave!"
Aman is three years old, which is perfect for running errands for Chiu Chiu!
Chiu Chiu was shocked: 【What would I need your little brother for! I think we can talk this over again. I'm just greedy, I don't want a little brother, I want candy!】
Chiu Chiu struggled to sit up, no longer feeling the pain in her flesh. She felt that this kind of thing could still be salvaged!
Qiao Sheng misunderstood Qiu Qiu's meaning and immediately pressed her back down: "You rest. From now on, I'll take care of things like serving tea and water. Um... have you weaned yet?"
【Um... should I just call her Xiao Qiao from now on?】
The Crown Prince was shocked by how quickly Qiuqiu had recruited followers. He was the one who was supposed to help the Qiao family clear their name, so how come all the credit went to Qiuqiu?
He wasn't jealous, not at all!
This little brat's luck is truly extraordinary; today has certainly opened his eyes.
It seems she is still very important and a key person to be protected.
According to Madam Qiao, before her marriage, Princess Fufeng approached Qiao Ping and asked him to have a secret room in her residence sealed off.
Qiao Ping overheard a conversation between Princess Fufeng and a mysterious man: the late emperor had left behind half a military tally that could mobilize half of the Great Zhou's army. However, Emperor Jingming was unaware of this; otherwise, why would he have married off a princess with military power to the Turks? Wouldn't that be like him making his throne too secure?
It's unclear why Princess Fufeng didn't take away this half of military power that could have protected her life, but instead sealed it away in this secret room.
She knew that Emperor Jingming was jealous of her and would definitely change this place beyond recognition, and this military tally would be hidden here forever, never to see the light of day!
Madam Qiao knew there was a way to melt the Netherworld Black Iron and a way to break through the red clay bricks of the North City, but it was a bit troublesome.
"Please, Your Highness, bring my good-for-nothing son and daughter-in-law here. In half a month, I will be able to open the secret chamber. At that time, everything inside will belong to Your Highness."
Qiao Sheng tugged at Old Madam Qiao's hem: "Sheng Sheng can too!"
Madam Qiao shook her head and pushed her toward the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince was taken aback, thinking that he did not have the habit of taking mute hostages. Then he heard Madam Qiao say, "No, you still have to go to the academy. I will trouble Your Highness to arrange for someone to take care of my good-for-nothing granddaughter for a while."
"What about Aman?" Qiao Sheng bit her lip, clearly dissatisfied with her grandmother's arrangement.
Old Madam Qiao affectionately patted Qiao Sheng's head, "Aman can come and run errands."
I can't tell anything else, but Qiuqiu and the prince are certain that this child named Aman probably doesn't have a high status at home.
The commotion on the Crown Prince's side was quite loud; anyone who wasn't deaf could hear it from the Third Prince's side next door.
They came knocking on our door shortly afterward.
"Hey, is anyone inside? What's all this noise about demolishing the house?" Zhang Ronghua took the lead, shouting from outside to get the people inside to open the door and check the situation.
Liang Shi: "Your Highness, it's Zhang Ronghua. Should we send an unfamiliar guard to open the door?"
The Crown Prince made too many promises, so Madam Qiao naturally had to show her sincerity as well.
"Let me go. They won't be wary of a poor old woman who's over fifty."
The Qiao family's living conditions were average. The old lady's clothes were faded from washing, and Qiao Sheng's clothes were also dirty when she dragged Qiuqiu out. The two of them didn't need to pretend that they were from a poor family, which was a good way to cover it up.
Old Madam Qiao took the lead and rushed out, tearing the door open. The Crown Prince, pulling Qiuqiu behind him, whispered, "Shh, let's watch the show."
Old Madam Qiao, a woman who has been hiding from the world for so many years with her young son, is definitely not someone to be trifled with. This Zhang Rongguang certainly won't dare to reveal his identity. He's probably going to suffer a great loss!
As expected, Madam Qiao did not disappoint the Crown Prince. The fiery old lady spat at Zhang Rongguang, shouting, "Pah! What kind of person dares to yell in front of your grandmother's door!"
"Hey, someone come quick! Who came from, you heartless bastards who won't even let this old woman live! I'm just building my own house and someone's coming to bother me!"
"I don't want to live anymore!"
Qiao Sheng understood, her eyes reddened, and she rushed forward to shove Zhang Rongguang, "Get away from me! Don't you dare bully my grandma!"
Huahua Lane is home to all sorts of people, and they all share a common hobby—watching the excitement. Moreover, any news can spread throughout the entire capital city in the shortest amount of time.
The onlookers pointed and whispered about Zhang Rongguang, clearly favoring the seemingly weaker Qiao family grandfather and grandson.
"Is it wrong for other people to build houses?"
"They take care of the old lady's food, drink, and toilet needs!"
"His clothes...are quite valuable, so why are they in our Huahua Lane?"
"Are you stupid? You must be keeping a mistress here. Pah! You think you're so great just because you have a little money!"
Zhang Rongguang was drenched in cold sweat, unable to imagine how furious the woman inside would be if she knew she was being described as her mistress.
He dared not linger with this shrew any longer and hurriedly retreated to the house next door.
"Troublemakers! Troublemakers! A bunch of troublemakers!"
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