Yue Jiang said, "A scholar should be viewed with new eyes after three days of separation. If Sister Jingyi hears that Your Highness looks down on her like this, she will definitely not stand for it and will come to the East Palace making a scene."
Jing Yan was not afraid: "Jing Yi would not dare to be willful and capricious in front of me."
“But she dares to complain to me. When Sister Jingyi complains, even the child in my womb is afraid.”
Yue Jiang looked at Jing Yan's fearless appearance and gently stroked her abdomen. Jing Yan's confident expression slowly turned a little awkward, as if his weakness had been exploited.
Yue Jiang is right. Jing Yi doesn't dare to act aggressively in front of her, but she rarely interacts with people outside the palace. After falling out with Yongshou Palace, Jing Yi became warm and friendly towards Yue Jiang.
Jing Yan didn't need to think too much to know how obedient his younger sister was in front of him, but how arrogant and complaining she would be behind his back.
"Alright, go ahead, but don't bother her too much next time," Jing Yan said, not stopping Yue Jiang any further and letting her go.
Yue Jiang pondered Jing Yan's last sentence and smiled, "Why should you spend less time playing with Jing Yi?"
“It’s too noisy and makes it difficult for the children to recognize our voices,” Jing Yan said seriously.
Yue Jiang: "..."
He really kept Shang Yu's words in mind.
"How is Your Highness's reading going? Have you learned it?" Yue Jiang leaned forward and asked softly.
Jing Yan was immediately embarrassed: "Jiang'er, you..."
Before he could finish speaking, Yue Jiang had already walked past him toward the palace gate.
Jing Yan watched Yue Jiang's departing figure and sighed to himself, "She always teases me at the worst possible time, making me feel shy and confused."
He understood this principle, and the shyness on his face slowly faded. After thinking for a moment, he did not return to the East Palace. Instead, after watching Yue Jiang walk away, he also quietly went to the inner palace.
...
Yue Jiang used the excuse of going to the inner palace to find Jing Yi, heading towards Jiaofang Palace, but Xiange gave her a hint without telling her exactly where to meet her.
Yue Jiang guessed that Xiange would come to find her first, so on her way to Jiaofang Palace, she deliberately did not take a sedan chair, but walked along the roadside garden towards Jiaofang Palace.
Sure enough, they found Xiange under a corridor by the water. Xiange curtsied to her, and Yuejiang, along with Qingke and Qingfei, went up to meet Xiange.
"Your Highness, how have you been lately?" After the meeting, Xiange first inquired about Yuejiang's condition with concern.
"Everything is fine," Yue Jiang understood that she was concerned about the baby in her womb, and then chuckled, "By the way, what important thing did you want to talk to me about?"
Xian Ge immediately got back to the point: "It was about the banquet. The Crown Princess should have noticed that there were many unmarried daughters of officials at the banquet today. It must have been arranged by the palace for the two unmarried princes."
"Among them, the daughter of Prime Minister Zhao has already won the favor of Empress Dowager Zheng."
"Prime Minister Zhao is half the backbone of the civil officials of Jing Kingdom. If he becomes the father-in-law of the Third Prince, it is hard to guarantee that he will not favor the Third Prince, which could easily pose a threat to you and His Highness the Crown Prince."
Yue Jiang: "Father has no intention of betrothing Zhao Nianfu to Jing Lu. On the contrary, he wants to bestow a marriage between Jing Shuo and Zhao Nianfu."
Yue Jiang had considered this marriage alliance. In Jing State, there were left and right prime ministers. The one who had always been both a teacher and friend to Jing Yan was the right prime minister, Pei Yuanchang, who was a student of Jing Yan's maternal grandfather.
Left Chancellor Zhao has always been close to the Zheng family, and has served as Left Chancellor for six years. It is said that he was recommended by the Zheng family in official circles.
It's not hard to guess that Changshou Palace wanted to hire Zhao Nianfu, but Jing Huaixu clearly disagreed.
If Zheng Yutong hadn't fainted during the incident, Jing Huaixu would have already issued the imperial decree of marriage to the Zhao family and Jing Shuo.
Yue Jiang knew Jing Yan well; he would not be bothered by the marriage alliance between the Zhao family and the Changshou Palace. Moreover, Jing Yan's destruction of the traitorous Feng clan was already an unparalleled achievement in the Jing Kingdom, which could not be shaken by a small marriage alliance.
"You seem to have excellent connections within the Cheng family. You've found out about Zheng Shi in such a short time. Are you trying to sabotage this marriage?"
Yue Jiang was surprised; Xiange's obvious desire to clear all obstacles for her made her feel uneasy.
“My enthusiasm isn’t entirely for the Crown Princess. I just want to offer my heartfelt wishes so that she can see my sincerity,” Yue Jiang said jokingly, sensing her doubt.
"Please think of me. When I first came to Jing Kingdom, all I wanted was for you to let me into the Eastern Palace."
"Now you say that His Highness the Crown Prince only has eyes for you and in his heart. After all, we are in the same boat, and I must not harm your interests."
"But the Yue Kingdom wants me to stay in the Jing Kingdom, while the Cheng family wants me to enter the Eastern Palace. If I can't stay in the Jing Kingdom, the Cheng family will see that I have no hope of entering the Eastern Palace."
"Not only was I abandoned and disposed of at will by the Cheng family, but the Yue Kingdom saw that you only needed to keep me in the Eastern Palace, yet you were unwilling to do so. The Yue Kingdom must also have a problem with you."
"Therefore, the marriage alliance between Zheng and Zhao not only brings trouble to your Crown Prince, but also an opportunity for Xiange."
"I beg the Crown Princess to take this opportunity to help me get out of the Cheng family. Even if I don't become a concubine in the Eastern Palace, but just an ordinary female official, I will be happy to accept it."
“What you said makes sense. The Yue Kingdom definitely doesn’t want to see the people they sent slink back to me.” Since Xiange had her own agenda, helping her was helping herself, so Yue Jiang felt relieved.
What's your plan?
“Cheng Suyun, the Cheng family has been looking for a husband for her recently, but she’s not satisfied with any of them. She’s almost driven crazy. I think instead of letting her keep thinking about His Highness the Crown Prince, why don’t we help her become a daughter-in-law of the imperial family?” Xiange raised an eyebrow.
Yue Jiang asked in surprise, "You mean you want her to be with Jing Lu..."
Xian Ge nodded: "This Princess Cheng is very interesting. We are all people who have been trained for a long time to be heartless, but she is heartless, yet she is hesitant."
"I also want to see whether people like them, who are so devoted, will remain faithful to their so-called beloved or cling tightly to the wealth and status they have now."
...
"Princess Cheng, respect yourself!"
In another part of the palace, Jing Yan originally intended to enter the inner palace after Yue Jiang to find out if she really had a secret with the women of Yue Kingdom.
Unexpectedly, Cheng Suyun stopped him halfway, and almost pounced on him.
Fortunately, Jing Yan reacted quickly, and Cheng Suyun did not touch a single corner of his clothes.
Cheng Suyun and Xiange went to Yongshou Palace. During their conversation, Xiange pleased Empress Dowager Cheng and said that she wanted to visit the Empress in Jiaofang Palace. Empress Dowager Cheng then allowed Xiange to go.
Despite serving in the palace for many years, Cheng Suyun never developed a deep relationship with the Empress.
She watched as Xiange headed towards Jiaofang Palace, and feeling unwilling to give up, she secretly followed Empress Dowager Cheng to Jiaofang Palace while she was taking a nap.
But then, she ran into Jing Yan on the way. The pressure of being forced into marriage from before the New Year to after, plus the fact that Jing Yan was coming to the palace this time without many unimportant people by his side.
Upon seeing the person she had been longing for day and night, Cheng Suyun impulsively burst into tears and confessed her feelings.
“Your Highness, Suyun has liked you since childhood and hopes to become your Crown Princess. Why can’t you turn around and look at Suyun?”
"During those years, Su Yun did her best to care for the orphans. Did you really think Su Yun was as kind as a bodhisattva? No, in fact, Su Yun just wanted to gain a good reputation and be worthy of His Highness the Crown Prince."
"But ever since Yue Jiang appeared, she has easily shattered my dream of becoming the Crown Princess. I believe that I still have His Highness the Crown Prince in my heart. As long as His Highness the Crown Prince is willing to turn around and look at Su Yun, I would cherish even a concubine as a treasure."
"Your Highness, can't you have any pity on Suyun?"
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