Empress Dowager Cheng sneered, mocking Consort Cheng.
“You can think of marriage alliances, but others can’t. His Majesty has few children, but the officials in the court are not indiscriminate. If Shuo’er doesn’t have his own abilities and methods, which official with a choice would choose Shuo’er?”
"His Majesty cannot allow his own son to form cliques and affect the Crown Prince. Shuo'er's good marriage should be fought for by himself."
"Shuo'er, if you can join the Xuanjia Army first, one day His Majesty will see your talent. It's not that His Majesty won't give you the opportunity to command other armies on your own, but you must learn first. Are you afraid of hardship or death?"
Jing Shuo has not yet officially taken charge of government affairs, and he has no one in the court to help him. He does want to have his own confidants, and preferably also loyal soldiers who can be called upon by many.
He said with undisguised ambition, "Grandmother, please help me connect with General Du. I will definitely learn from General Du."
It was rare for Jing Shuo not to contradict her or entertain any more fanciful ideas, which pleased Empress Dowager Cheng greatly. She waved her hand and nodded.
"I will first summon General Du's wife to the palace so that she can sound out General Du's intentions."
Empress Dowager Cheng was General Du's elder, and she believed that General Du would remember his father's friendship with the Cheng family and would help Jing Shuo with this small favor.
Little did she know that Empress Dowager Zheng had already invited Lady Du to the Longevity Palace before her.
After meeting Lady Du, Empress Dowager Zheng kept holding Jing Lu's hand and praising him, saying things like he had extraordinary talent.
After getting to the main point of the day, Empress Dowager Zheng paused for a moment, then sipped her tea and glanced at Madam Du, revealing her earnest concern.
"I don't know if Madam Du is tired of saying so much, but I just think that the Crown Prince is good in every way. As the Crown Prince's younger brother, Jinglu should at least have some decent achievements."
"If Madam Du could put in a good word for Jinglu with General Du, I would be eternally grateful."
Madam Du looked troubled, turned her head and forced a smile: "Your Majesty, I cannot make decisions about the General's affairs."
"I am but a woman. The general did not even consult me about how to resume his post after returning to the capital. He will surely fail the Empress Dowager's trust."
Madam Du made this humble statement on the surface, but in reality, Jing Yan had already been in contact with General Du for some time.
Even the fact that Jing Huaixu was able to get General Du involved in the Xuanjia Army was Jing Yan's suggestion.
General Du comes from a family of military generals with a long tradition of learning and has a wealth of experience in troop deployment. He naturally hopes to serve his country and make a name for himself.
Unfortunately, after the Anguo Disaster, the Jing Kingdom never recovered, and all its limited resources could not be fully devoted to the military.
During the time that General Du's father was alive, he was deeply mired in the shame of defeat, and the country's strength was insufficient for him to avenge his past grievances. He also had the blood of many soldiers on his hands.
He became withdrawn due to constant resentment and passed away three years ago, leaving behind regrets.
Influenced by his father's regret, General Du also hoped that one day he could personally avenge the Jing Kingdom.
So much so that when the Jing State sent troops to the Feng Clan, he wrote a letter requesting a suspension of the mourning period.
Jing Huaixu even discussed General Du's memorial with Jing Yan, but Jing Yan had already made careful arrangements and did not cause General Du any trouble.
When General Du returned, Jingyan recounted how Lady Cheng manipulated the orphan and the discord between the two empress dowagers.
He simply asked General Du to state his opinion. Although General Du's father had a past relationship with the Cheng family, he did not have a past relationship with Empress Dowager Cheng, nor did General Du himself have a past relationship with Empress Dowager Cheng.
He certainly didn't want to be a general in the power struggle between the two empress dowagers; if he were to be one, he would be a general on the battlefield.
Therefore, General Du chose Jing Yan, who could continue to give him opportunities to perform, and Madam Du certainly could not make any promises to any Empress Dowager.
When Empress Dowager Zheng heard Madam Du's excuse, her face darkened, and she lost her previous polite demeanor, her voice suddenly turning cold.
"Madam Du, I know that the Cheng family and your Du family had a past relationship. Could it be that General Du has already promised Empress Dowager Cheng something?"
Upon hearing Empress Dowager Zheng's words, Lady Du quickly rose and stood in the hall, curtsying in explanation.
"Your Majesty, the relationship between the Du family and the Cheng family is now based on my father-in-law and the head of the Cheng family. It is not what it used to be. Even if I were to visit the Cheng family today, I might not recognize many people."
"The general has not yet paid his respects to Empress Dowager Cheng, nor has he given me any instructions. Even if Empress Dowager Cheng were to summon me now, this would be all I could say."
As she spoke, Madam Du had already knelt down in the hall, her face stern and fearless.
General Du had just returned from his post, and Empress Dowager Zheng couldn't bring herself to make things difficult for a general's wife without reason, so she turned her back on him.
"Very well, since Madam Du is so frank, I will just accept your word. But if I ever hear that General Du has other intentions..."
She turned back to look at Jinglu with affection, then threatened Madam Du, "If you forget our Lu'er, I will not be happy."
“Yes,” Madam Du nodded in alarm.
Empress Dowager Zheng did not keep Lady Du any longer. After she left, she angrily swept a teacup aside.
"This is outrageous! I only asked General Du to guide you, yet you're making such a fuss. Do you look down on me?"
"Grandmother, please don't be angry. Your grandson doesn't care. Anyway, Madam Du said that General Du didn't help Second Brother either. Not helping Second Brother means not helping Grandmother Cheng. So please don't be angry."
Jinglu picked up a new teacup, poured the tea, and handed it to him.
Empress Dowager Zheng liked Jing Lu; even his unassuming and unassuming manner made her feel sorry for him, and her anger would subside instantly.
"Lu'er, you are so magnanimous. You don't know how wicked they are. Your grandmother is planning all this for your own good!"
"General Du is a tough nut to crack right now. I think the only thing we can do is talk to your father."
Jing Lu hesitated: "General Du went to the Xuanjia Army, which is the brainchild of my elder brother. I'm afraid Father will also want to hear my elder brother's opinion. Grandmother, I don't want to put my elder brother in a difficult position. Besides, I may not have the ability."
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