"Please come this way, Your Highness. The Second Prince is waiting for you in the front hall."
Several more days passed, and as agreed upon that day in the Imperial Study, Xu Nian sent a message to Jiang Yuanqing, and the response was swift.
I replied to her that afternoon, saying that I was ready to come over anytime.
The day after returning from the Duke's mansion, just after breakfast, the wife of the Prefect of Jingzhou arrived at the mansion with Chen Xuan and her birth mother.
Jiang Yuanlang was so angry at her words that he almost vomited blood. He had been promised to come and handle the situation. But in the end, it was Anqing who arrived, and the two of them knelt down and kowtowed, trembling with fear, to admit their mistake.
Xu Nian, being a modern person, couldn't stand these things, so he hurriedly accepted their compensation and wanted to send them back.
Anqing felt that the two should not be let off so easily, so he relayed the Empress's message, saying that Chen Xuan was arrogant and willful and punished them by confining them to their quarters for half a month.
The wife of the Prefect of Jingzhou was very happy and held Xu Nian's hand tightly, saying that she should visit his residence sometime in the future.
Our county magistrate of Fu'an couldn't resist the enthusiasm and awkwardly agreed with a smile, finally managing to see the person off after much persuasion. Later, when she asked Anqing, she learned that it was Su Wanting who had sent her.
Later, Madam Su became very annoyed by those who were trying to sow discord between the two families. She then dragged Xu Nian to stay at the Prime Minister's residence for several more days in a grand manner.
They made sure to create a joyful and harmonious atmosphere for both families.
This silenced the gossip, and several more days passed before she finally had time to visit the Second Prince's residence.
"It's a good thing that princes and crown princes in this era don't have to live in the palace." Xu Nian followed the steward, admiring the beautiful scenery in the courtyard and chatting with the comments section. "Otherwise, I would really be worried to death every day."
The palace does look quite frightening.
"Now that you mention it, I'm reminded of that evil spirit from the other day, and that imperial concubine! I've heard that infant spirits only haunt their parents, so could that concubine be one?"
[This child should be a prince, how could he become a demon so easily?]
Xu Nian was also very curious, but the little guy in the Soul Locking Pouch couldn't even open his eyes, let alone speak.
I wonder if any of the things she brought were food for the soul, and the restriction on it that would set it on fire if the truth was revealed also needs to be lifted.
As they chatted casually, the Second Prince, dressed in a loose robe and wide sleeves, appeared before them.
This style of dress has recently become very popular in the capital, especially among scholars. They don't wear palace sashes or belts. They simply wear a straight robe, with their hair loosely tied with ribbons.
He was truly dashing and unconventional.
It really depends on the person. Someone like Jiang Yuanqing, who has a handsome and even beautiful appearance, certainly has a unique charm when dressed like this.
Moreover, he doesn't follow trends and has great taste in clothing. The jade belt at his waist perfectly accentuates his broad shoulders and narrow waist, creating a perfect inverted triangle physique.
Compared to those disheveled people on the street who looked no different from madmen, they were worlds apart. Xu Nian's eyes lit up.
I'll let Gu Zhan try this outfit on later; it'll definitely look great on him too.
"Second Prince."
“No need for such formalities, Princess.” Just as she was about to curtsy, Jiang Yuanqing reached out and helped her up. “We are friends, so in private, you can just call me Qingming.”
Following the man's gesture, Xu Nian sat down on the chair and nodded. "Then you don't need to call me County Princess anymore, just call me Xu Nian. County Princess sounds really awkward."
She is still not quite used to the life of having servants and maids around, and occasionally she is still taken aback when she hears the emperor address her by her title.
Jiang Yuanqing noticed her embarrassment, smiled and smiled twice. Only after the maid brought out the tea and snacks did he ask everyone to leave.
"Liu Yun, you go and wait outside too."
Liu Yun lowered her brows, her eyes flickering a few times. "Yes, County Princess." She bowed and withdrew, but in her heart she was worried about whether Gu Zhan would be able to successfully marry a wife.
Does my master really know how to woo his wife? It seems the Second Prince is more charming than the County Princess!
On the other side, the Third Prince sat in his study, looking at the person kneeling below him, his expression inscrutable. "You mean, those people from the Ministry of War have also been transferred out?"
"Yes, yes," the man said, bowing. "The emperor himself issued the order, and almost everyone we have in the court has no connection to this disaster relief effort."
"A bunch of useless trash!"
The things on the desk clattered to the floor, Jiang Yuanlang's eyes were gloomy, and he was squeezing the chair under his hands so hard that it almost deformed.
Jiang Mingyun's suspicion and distrust of him could not be more obvious. If he did not want the Crown Prince's family to become too powerful, he would probably have lost all his power in the court by now!
what to do……
While he was in a hurry, Crown Prince Jiang Yuanling went directly into the palace.
He had the opportunity to pay his respects to the Empress once or twice a month. Sitting below his mother, he rose and bowed respectfully. "Mother, your son and Wan Ting are in love. I beg your help to ask Father to grant Wan Ting and me a marriage."
The Empress's expression shifted from initial confusion to complete indifference in just three seconds. She remained silent for a long time before gesturing for the Crown Prince to sit down. "I can help you, but Tingyun, are you really sure? The Prime Minister's residence is not a good choice."
The emperor was suspicious, even of his own sons. He feared someone might usurp his throne, and among his many sons, the crown prince was always a thorn in his side.
Those who are smarter understand that what needs to be done right now is not to win over factions, but to protect themselves and, incidentally, maintain the emperor's favor.
As the head of all officials, the prime minister's daughter being the crown princess would indeed be a great help.
However, this is not a good option for the crown prince.
Jiang Yuanling understood, but his expression remained unchanged. "Your Majesty, I understand everything you've said. It's just that Wan Ting and I have known each other since childhood, and we've long been in love. I don't want to let her down, or myself, because of these things."
The Empress sighed, knowing she couldn't persuade her son.
That's fine too; it's still helpful in some way. Even if the emperor is wary, he'll have to think it over first.
The Crown Prince left Chaohua Palace satisfied, and the Empress then ordered someone to dress her up and take a food box to the Imperial Study.
“Wan Ting is indeed a good girl. She and the Crown Prince were childhood sweethearts, but she has just broken off her engagement with Gu Zhan. If she were to be betrothed to the Crown Prince now, it would inevitably cause controversy.”
The emperor ultimately respected the empress; when faced with his wife's request, he did not storm off in anger as he had with the imperial concubine.
The Empress rose and brought out the soup from the food box. "Your Majesty's considerations are thorough. I was only worried about Tingyun's marriage, and thus I failed to consider Wanting's thoughts."
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