Chapter 118
After a moment of stunned silence, Zhou Yushu was filled with horror.
Even though he was already aware that there must be a powerful figure in the martial arts world behind these Gu worms, he never thought it was Zhang Jinghua.
Besides their relatively good personal relationship, and the fact that he was convinced that Zhang Jinghua's unconventional personality would lead him to participate in the power struggles of the court, there was another crucial reason: Zhang Jinghua was not alone; he had the entire Southern Frontier behind him.
The southern border region south of the Tianshan Mountains is ruled by the Divine Religion. The management of the religion is entirely the responsibility of the religious leader, who is essentially the ruler of the southern border. Although the Holy Master of the Divine Religion is only a nominal position, his status is extraordinary, and it is no exaggeration to say that he can command the entire Divine Religion when necessary.
Zhang Jinghua was naturally impatient to stay in the closed-off Southern Frontier, focusing solely on Gu magic. However, this did not mean he had no sense of belonging to the Divine Sect. On the contrary, Zhang Jinghua could be as reckless and crazy as he wanted, even if he killed himself, he would not care. But once the Divine Sect and the Southern Frontier were involved, he would absolutely not act recklessly.
In other words, if Zhang Jinghua really got involved in this kind of thing, then the cult must be in trouble!
Oh no, his trip to the Southern Frontier to learn the art of disguise and bone manipulation back then is probably—
Zhou Yushu abruptly stood up, his face ashen, and walked out, his tone hurried, "There may be some strange changes in the Southern Frontier. I need to send someone to investigate."
He moved so swiftly that Xue Jin'an didn't even have time to utter "Uncle" before he could only see his departing figure.
However, Zhou Yushu quickly turned around and walked back, grabbed Xue Jin'an's hand and pulled him up, trying to take him with him. "You can't stay here. If Zhang Jinghua really has something to do with the royal family, the palace will be in danger. You have to leave."
When Zhou Yushu was still a teenager, when he was still playing with insects in Dianzhou, Zhang Jinghua's reputation as a miracle doctor who could heal the living without curing the Gu had already spread throughout the martial arts world. Zhou Yushu had no master and figured out everything from martial arts to raising Gu on his own, which was essentially a self-taught approach. It was only after meeting Zhang Jinghua that he filled in the relevant theoretical foundation and was able to truly step into the threshold of Gu art.
At that time, Zhang Jinghua was already extraordinary. He was considered the best in Gu techniques. If he hadn't retired from the martial arts world, no other Gu masters would have had a chance to rise to prominence. This shows just how powerful he was.
Zhou Yushu was not one to underestimate himself. He knew he had a great talent for Gu magic and was a renowned master in the martial arts world. He believed he could fight Zhang Jinghua, before he retired, to a standstill.
But so much time has passed, and not only has he grown, but Zhang Jinghua has also grown. No one knows how powerful Zhang Jinghua's Gu techniques have become. If Zhou Yushu were alone, he wouldn't be afraid at all; at worst, he would just lose his life. But he's not alone; he has his nephew, his sister's only child.
He wouldn't gamble on whether Zhang Jinghua's curse would silently transfer to Xue Jin'an, nor would he gamble on whether he could remove the curse from Xue Jin'an. The mere thought of such a thing making Zhou Yushu feel breathless.
He has already lost his sister, and he absolutely cannot lose his sister's only child; he cannot put him in danger.
Zhou Yushu used his brain, thinking at an unprecedented speed, rapidly searching, rejecting, and searching for people and places he could entrust with this task. Finally, he settled on one thing: "Qizhou, I'll take you to Qizhou. I have a friend there who will take good care of you..."
“If the Northwest Army goes to war with the Rongdi, Doctor Chang will be very busy as a military doctor. There’s a 74% chance he won’t be able to take care of me at all and will have to leave me to fend for myself,” Xue Jin’an analyzed calmly.
Zhou Yushu frowned, instinctively denying it, "Chang Xia is a very responsible person. He won't abandon you. Besides, he's a military doctor. Helian Cheng's fighting style is very steady and not reckless. Staying behind the army will be safe, unless the Northwest Army is wiped out..."
"If you're still worried, Changxia wrote to me before asking how to cure the Soul-Separating Gu. It seems one of his juniors has been infected. Once the Soul-Separating Gu has parasitized someone, there's basically no cure. But I can develop other Gu worms to help suppress and alleviate the symptoms, and try my best to prolong that person's life. If Changxia has the courage, he can cut open his chest to remove the Gu, which might save his life. If not, it's alright. I've done what I should have done. He owes me a favor, and I'm entrusting you to him. He'll definitely take it to heart—"
Zhou Yushu rattled off his thoughts at lightning speed, his mind slowly processing the information from the outside world. Finally, he understood the meaning behind Xue Jin'an's words, and his body suddenly stopped. He turned to look at Xue Jin'an in disbelief: "You know Chang Xia?"
“I know him.” Xue Jin’an nodded and added, “There’s no need to cure the Soul-Separating Gu. Helian Yong brought it upon himself, and Doctor Chang is already disheartened and won’t save him.”
More accurately, Doctor Chang knew very well that if he softened his heart and saved Helian Yong, there would inevitably be another person who couldn't bear to do the same. Helian Yong had crossed the bottom line of the entire Northwest Army. He had no way out. Waiting for the court's judgment and execution in the autumn was too unpredictable. It would be better for him to simply exhaust his life force and die of illness.
This was the path that Helian Yong himself chose.
Zhou Yushu raised an eyebrow upon hearing the unfamiliar name: "What is the relationship between Helian Yong and Helian Cheng? He doesn't sound like a good person."
Doctor Chang's letter would never touch upon the military affairs of the Northwest Army. When he mentioned Helian Yong, he only referred to him as a junior. After all, Helian Yong was originally groomed as Helian Cheng's successor, but the grooming was not satisfactory. Given his sensitive status, it was inconvenient to say more, so Doctor Chang did not mention it either.
As for Long Aotian, they had mentioned him in their correspondence. To be more precise, Zhou Yushu had only seen the name once. The rest of the content should be called "a collection of jokes about the Northwest Army General being under too much pressure, which made him mentally unclear and suspected of having visual and auditory hallucinations."
The humor abruptly ends after Doctor Chang discovers that he may also be ill. It is in a letter before the new year that the name Long Aotian is mentioned again, asking if there is such a person in the capital, as well as information about the Ten Perfections Gentleman.
That said, Dr. Chang was a close friend of Zhou Yushu, and Zhou Yushu was naturally aware of his friend's aspirations to save the world and dedicate himself to the border army, even at the cost of a promising future. Such a person is usually very kind-hearted and would not abandon any patient who could be saved. Under these circumstances, the fact that Helian Yong could still be criticized for not being able to save anyone can only mean that he must have done something extraordinary.
Zhou Yushu wouldn't care about an ordinary person, but Helian Yong had an extraordinary surname; there weren't many people with the surname Helian in Daqi.
Xue Jin'an briefly explained Helian Yong's identity, but didn't say anything else.
Zhou Yushu had already guessed it, "Is this Helian Yong related to Helian Cheng's previous apology letter? Tsk, Helian Cheng has such poor judgment."
After all that picking and choosing, they ended up with such a terrible person as their successor. It's a good thing that it was exposed early on, otherwise, if they had nurtured him for a few more years... it would have been questionable whether Helian Cheng could have died of old age and retired from the front lines. He might have been tricked and killed.
"Helian Cheng has an old problem: he unconditionally trusts anyone close to him. Even if they make a small mistake, he doesn't correct them immediately. Instead, he does the right thing in front of them, hoping they'll figure it out and realize their mistake on their own. However, the other person only makes more mistakes with this kind of unspoken indulgence until it's irreparable." Zhou Yushu said this with a slightly sarcastic tone, clearly having a lot of complaints about Helian Cheng's approach.
"No one is perfect. Putting that aside, Helian Cheng is indeed very capable militarily." Zhou Yushu also affirmed Helian Cheng's abilities.
Xue Jin'an remained noncommittal, only looking at him and asking, "Have you calmed down?"
Zhou Yushu paused, then helplessly reached out and pinched his brow. He used considerable force, leaving two small red marks. He took a deep breath, and when he looked at Xue Jin'an again, there was no more anxiety in his eyes.
The two sat down to talk again, and Xue Jin'an casually knocked Batu Na, who was showing signs of waking up, unconscious again.
Zhou Yushu couldn't help but twitch his lips as he watched. "He's not smart to begin with. Won't he turn into an idiot if he keeps knocking like this?"
"Do you have any other ideas?" Xue Jin'an asked.
Zhou Yushu frowned, but did not immediately shake his head. Instead, he said, "The Gu poison of a Gu person is difficult to cure. Seeing how out of control he is and how he hasn't regained consciousness yet, the mother Gu that he was controlling must be dead. In that case, we can only use another type of Gu poison to suppress the Gu poison in his body, which should be able to bring him back to his senses."
“More than that won’t work. If a Gu person loses its mother Gu, it will die quickly, just like the other offspring Gu,” Zhou Yushu said calmly.
The pairing of mother and child Gu worms is generally used to manipulate people. The mother Gu has absolute control over the child Gu; it's not an exaggeration to say that she can make it live or die at will. If the child Gu is injured, the mother Gu may not necessarily be affected, but if the mother Gu is injured, the child Gu will definitely die as well.
Gu people were originally designed to resemble humanoid weapons, and in order to control them from committing crimes, they naturally used the mother-child Gu breeding method.
Zhou Yushu said, "If you need him to be sober, you'll have to give me a day. I need to prepare some things—"
Zhou Yushu's words came to an abrupt halt. His eyes widened in shock as he watched Xue Jin'an swiftly and decisively snap Batu's neck.
Zhou Yushu could no longer hear his breathing, but he could hear his own heart pounding and the sound of his blood flowing.
Xue Jin'an's tone was calm yet cruel: "The Rongdi people raised him like a poisonous insect, so he doesn't know any more than we do."
Zhou Yushu's gaze slowly fell on Xue Jin'an's face. In a daze, he felt that this familiar face was so unfamiliar. The parts that resembled his sister were blurred and seemed to have someone else's shadow. His fingers unconsciously clenched into a ball, but he could not feel anything. He only felt cold, a bone-chilling cold.
Zhou Yushu could understand Xue Jin'an's decision, but at this moment, for some reason, a strange emotion arose in his heart, forcing him to open his mouth, "Because he was not worth interrogating, so you killed him?"
Xue Jin'an couldn't sense Zhou Yushu's gradually sinking into a crossroads. Hearing this, he looked up, and those dark, seemingly impenetrable eyes stared straight at him, like a still, silent lake, or an abyss with no bottom. Staring at him for too long made him feel as if his soul was being squeezed in, and a suffocating feeling surged like a tidal wave.
Xue Jin'an refuted Zhou Yushu's statement: "It's not the value of interrogation, it's the value of living."
“Batu is a Gu poison user. The Gu poison has already penetrated deep into his lungs and internal organs. Even if other Gu poisons are used to suppress it, he can only regain consciousness for a moment. And the only thing he can do after regaining consciousness is to personally experience the collapse of his body and death,” Xue Jin’an said. “A choice with no value.”
Xue Jin'an didn't know whether it was more cruel to let him die without knowing anything or to let him clearly feel his own death. His data analysis told him that killing Batu now was the best option.
So Xue Jin'an acted without hesitation.
Zhou Yushu's expression was complex. Looking at Xue Jin'an's calm and composed face, he finally separated him from his identity as his sister's nephew. The similar yet different features were faded. At this moment, the way he looked at Xue Jin'an was the way he truly looked at a prince.
Zhou Yushu recalled what Xi Yun had reported: whenever people in the palace mentioned the Seventh Prince, they would associate him with the "Living Yama." At first, he just scoffed at it, believing that it was a trick by those officials, noble families, or concubines and princes, and that the eunuchs and palace maids were just repeating what others said.
He thought to himself that the title of "Living Yama" was only fitting for someone like the Third Prince who treated human life as worthless. His nephew never killed innocent people indiscriminately and answered all questions. He was just a bit more skilled in combat and got such a reputation for killing a few people who deserved to die. It was extremely unfair.
Now, Zhou Yushu feels that the nickname "Living Yama" is very fitting for Xue Jin'an.
Zhou Yushu lowered his eyelids, restrained his somewhat unrestrained demeanor, and adopted the manners befitting a subject.
Batu Na is dead, but the Rongdi envoy who carried out the attack is still alive, as are the people he colluded with.
"The Rongdi and their backers want to start a war, but the Daqi court is not prepared for it. However, it is really unwilling to give up. What does Your Highness think?" Zhou Yushu frowned slightly, and he almost gritted his teeth when he spoke of the Rongdi.
Zhou Yushu calmly analyzed, "This matter cannot be left unresolved. Otherwise, other countries will inevitably harbor resentment if they see that Daqi can tolerate even this. However, we cannot be too aggressive either. If war really breaks out, Daqi will inevitably be put on the defensive."
Xue Jin'an shook his head: "Since the Rongdi dared to provoke us like this, they must have made some preparations."
"Could something be amiss in Qizhou?!" Zhou Yushu's expression changed drastically, but he quickly regained his composure. "No, that shouldn't be the case. If something were amiss in Qizhou, how could Helian Cheng dare to return to the capital?"
Xue Jin'an said, "The Northwest Army today is different from the Northwest Army of the past."
The Northwest Army used to be very brave in battle, but only Helian Cheng could command the entire army. This meant that Helian Cheng couldn't let go of the Northwest Army, fearing that if he left, the entire army would fall apart.
But the Northwest Army is different now, ever since that detachment training exercise. The emergence of Long Aotian as the successor has made him a backup reassurance for the Northwest Army. The Northwest Army knows that even if Helian Cheng is gone, there will still be a capable commander.
Besides, that exercise gave Helian Cheng a lot of ideas. He gave the mid-to-high-level generals a thorough training session. Those mid-to-high-level generals had witnessed Xue Jin'an's series of psychological warfare tactics. They could say nothing of other things, but they deeply understood the meaning of the phrase "disrupting their own formation".
With Helian Yong as a precedent, they all became much more cautious, and their minds gradually began to develop. They learned to maintain morale no matter what the situation.
If it were the Northwest Army of the past, spreading the news of Helian Cheng's death in the military camp would surely cause chaos in the army in no time. If it were said that Helian Cheng was killed by the emperor because his merits were too great, the Northwest Army would definitely raise the banner of rebellion within a year. As for why it was a year instead of immediately, it was because of the internal power struggle that led to unification.
Whether they believe it or not, their first thought when such news is spread now is to hold their ground and not let anyone in, for fear that it is a repeat of Long Aotian's scheme.
The results of that exercise are still gradually taking effect. Helian Cheng is very satisfied with it and has already planned to normalize the exercise. He doesn't expect to train every general, but at least after getting used to all kinds of dirty tactics of deception and trickery, he can avoid being slaughtered like a fat pig.
Zhou Yushu was quite curious upon hearing this. He was curious about what the Northwest Army had become, and even more curious about how Xue Jin'an knew about the Northwest Army's movements. After all, even he, who maintained contact with Doctor Chang, obtained information about the Northwest Army from the imperial military reports.
—Wait a minute, Doctor Chang asked him about the Ten Perfections Master before, and it is widely rumored that Nine Add One is the Ten Perfections Master's property. But when Xue Jin'an met him at Nine Add One, he had thoroughly investigated it. He even reviewed the official documents. Nine Add One is currently under Cui Zui's name, but most of the profits have been transferred by Cui Zui to the name of the Seventh Master Xue.
Judging from his appearance and other aspects, Xue Qi is undoubtedly the Seventh Prince Xue Jin'an, and Jiu Tian Yi is indeed his business.
If the rumors and documents are correct, then the "Perfect Prince" must refer to either Cui Zui or the Seventh Prince. However, he had also investigated Cui Zui and had retrieved and reviewed his past examination papers.
Well, Cui Zui is talented, though not as much as his cousin Cui Zhuo. But he should have no problem getting a government position through the imperial examinations. He can easily become the top scholar in the first or second class, and it wouldn't be difficult for him to get a second-class Jinshi degree. He really shouldn't have been stuck at the provincial examination.
However, Cui Zui's talent was absolutely not worthy of the title of "perfect gentleman". It can be seen from those test papers that Cui Zui did have some insights into the landscapes and culture of various places, but that was all he had. He did not have a thorough understanding of them. Moreover, from his perspective, it was more like the superficial prosperity he saw when he followed a caravan through the streets and alleys. The reality was rather empty.
Zhou Yushu guessed that Cui Zui must have been a镖师 (bodyguard/escort), traveling with merchant caravans year-round, which limited his horizons.
As for the mathematics that the "Perfect Young Master" is most admired for, Cui Zui is not too bad, but he is definitely not very good either. Last time, there was a question about grain tax in the autumn examination of Jiangnan Prefecture, and he got it wrong.
So if there really is a person named Shi Quan Gong Zi, he is definitely not Cui Zui.
So who else could it be but Cui Zui?
Zhou Yushu was startled and looked at Xue Jin'an, speechless.
He found it somewhat absurd. Xue Jin'an was only this age, and shouldn't be the legendary perfect gentleman. But now that the title of perfect gentleman had actually been attached to him, he subtly felt that it was indeed true.
Zhou Yushu: "..."
Zhou Yushu rubbed his temples again and said in a somewhat strange tone, "Young Master Shiquan, you have indeed given your uncle a pleasant surprise."
Xue Jin'an had already guessed that Doctor Chang must have asked about the Ten Perfections Prince when he learned that he had been corresponding with Doctor Chang, so he was not surprised by what Doctor Chang said.
Zhou Yushu composed himself, racking his brains to recall Xue Jin'an's earlier words, and asked uncertainly, "You advocate for war?"
“Hmm.” Xue Jin’an not only nodded, but also gave Zhou Yushu a scare, “I’ll do it myself.”
Zhou Yushu nearly collapsed to the ground, his knees buckling. He grabbed Xue Jin'an's arm and said sternly, "You want to go to Qizhou? To the battlefield? No way! I won't allow it!"
At this moment, Zhou Yushu had no recollection of his earlier mission to send Xue Jin'an to Qizhou. His mind was filled with thoughts of how that place would become a battlefield, too dangerous for him to go.
“I’m not going to Qizhou. I’ll be in charge of commanding the Northwest Army in battle,” Xue Jin’an said. “Qizhou is still waiting for news from the capital. Now is the best time to strike first by surprise.”
Xue Jin'an's saying that it's better to strike first refers not only to the Rongdi side, but also to the Northwest Army.
Helian Cheng recognized his identity today. He couldn't prove that Long Aotian and Xue Jin'an were the same person, so he wouldn't tell the emperor. But he would definitely write a letter to Doctor Chang, saying that they had an absolutely trusting relationship and that there was no need to provide evidence for these things.
Once Doctor Chang receives the news, he will immediately strip him of his authority and prevent him from contacting the Northwest Army again.
Even with the urgent message traveling 800 li from the capital to Qizhou, it would take two or three days. Xue Jin'an must launch an attack on the Rongdi during this time to seize control of the Northwest Army. By then, even if Doctor Chang knew his identity, he would definitely not say anything due to the wartime situation.
Zhou Yushu noticed many oddities in Xue Jin'an's words and realized that the other party had not revealed much information. However, before he could ask, his mind was already subconsciously working along with Xue Jin'an's words.
He pondered for a moment and said, "I can stall the Rongdi envoys for now. Helian Cheng is also here, so the Rongdi will not suspect anything. Once the border war report reaches the capital, we can turn the tables and take the initiative. At that time, it will be the Rongdi envoys who will be humble and subservient."
"Not only that, it can also be used to deter the restless Russian Empire." Xue Jin'an knew that the Great Empire was definitely watching. Once the Rongdi really made a move on Qizhou and gained benefits, the Great Empire would really agree to cooperate with the Rongdi, break the alliance with Daqi, and nibble away at Daqi.
In the original story, Helian Town guarded the border, making the border relatively stable. It wasn't until several years later that the Rongdi found Helian Yong as a breakthrough point. Not long after, Cui Zui took over the Northwest Army and stabilized the situation, which stopped the Rongdi's southward advance.
So what happened after Cui Zui was killed and the Eighth Prince took over the Northwest Army? Could the border remain stable? When the Eighth Prince first took over the Northwest Army and his military power was unstable, why didn't the Rong and Di tribes take the opportunity to march south and conquer cities?
For the first time, Xue Jin'an gained a clear understanding of the human-created phrase "terrifying upon closer inspection," and at the same time, he began to have some doubts about the Eighth Prince, the victor in the struggle for the throne, wondering if there were other hidden forces behind his ascension to the throne.
The seemingly prosperous Great Qi Dynasty was riddled with problems inside.
—So the emperor was really useless. Why didn't the Empress Dowager ascend the throne herself? If there had been a stronger-willed ruler, none of this mess would have happened.
Xue Jin'an expressed his incomprehension of human behavior logic and suspected that this was a logical loophole created by the creators to rationalize the succession struggle plot. The world automatically filled in the loophole, thus giving the former emperor an unsolvable love-struck mind and the current emperor an unsolvable weakness.
Yes, that's right. It must be because the world has been patched up that such an incompetent emperor has appeared. Xue Jin'an decided to firmly believe this.
Zhou Yushu agreed with Xue Jin'an's idea, but at the same time had some concerns, "Are you sure the Northwest Army can fight a decisive battle without Helian Cheng?"
To deter the Rong and Di tribes and the great empire, this battle cannot be a minor victory; it must be an indisputable major victory.
Xue Jin'an nodded steadily to indicate his agreement, without elaborating on his tactics.
Zhou Yushu didn't ask any further questions, but instead said, "Then the only remaining question is how to persuade His Majesty and the officials to send troops?"
War is no small matter. The Northwest Army could naturally launch a surprise attack on its own, but the Emperor disagreed and directly withheld the supplies and provisions. The Northwest Army could only hold out for a maximum of three months. Furthermore, if this matter escalated too much, it would inevitably reach the ears of the Rong and Di envoys. Don't forget, the Rong and Di envoys have inside contacts in the court.
"Speed is of the essence in war; there's no time to wait for the court to reach a conclusion." Xue Jin'an didn't take the emperor seriously at all, and he was impatient to wait for the drawn-out discussions. By the time the results were in, it would be too late.
Xue Jin'an said almost without hesitation, "The emperor is useless."
Zhou Yushu choked: "..." Although what you said is correct, is this something that can be said?
He struggled to pull his thoughts away from that comment and slowly said, "In any case, the great battle is not just a matter for the Northwest Army or Qizhou. If there is no movement in the capital, things will be very difficult there as well."
Xue Jin'an replied matter-of-factly, "The Empress Dowager gave me a token, which allows me to command a portion of the Blood-Clad Guards."
Zhou Yushu was not convinced; instead, his brows furrowed even more: "Although the Empress Dowager still holds considerable influence, she does not have much real power in her hands. Ultimately, the Emperor still has the final say in the Great Qi Dynasty."
There was one more thing Zhou Yushu didn't mention: the Empress Dowager had been retired for too long, and she was too old. The officials in the court had long been used to the current emperor's leniency and would not want to return to the era of the Empress Dowager's high-pressure rule. Once the Empress Dowager showed any intention to seize power, they would definitely do everything in their power to stop her, and the emperor would directly peel off that hypocritical mask.
The only option left for the Empress Dowager was to "die of illness" in Cining Palace.
“There’s no need to fight for power.” Xue Jin’an shook his head and said something that shocked Zhou Yushu for a long time: “Power does not lie in the hands of the emperor, but in the hands of the strong.”
"Power... I see." Zhou Yushu suppressed all his doubts and suspicions, and completely forgot about the questions he hadn't asked. He looked deeply at Xue Jin'an and asked only one question, "Can I trust you?"
“Uncle,” Xue Jin’an said with a less-than-perfect smile, “I’m determined to have it.”
Zhou Yushu smiled and nodded, saying, "Very good."
Zhou Yushu arrived anxiously but left lightly. When he encountered the imperial carriage of the Eldest Princess and Consort Min in the palace, his mood was not disturbed at all when he performed the kneeling ceremony.
However, he still remembered how similar his face was to his sister's. He lowered his head, covering all his features, and only looked up at her when he got up to leave.
"Uncle." Little Taylor, whose head was resting on his mother's shoulder and who was nestled in her arms, suddenly called out.
Xue Jin'an? The princess thought Xiao Taile was calling for Xue Jin'an. She turned around, but only saw the palace maid's departing figure, without a trace of Xue Jin'an.
"What did Chaoyang see?" The princess looked down at her daughter in her arms, only to see little Tai Le blinking her sleepy eyes, staring blankly at her.
"What's wrong?" Consort Min's voice came from the side.
The eldest princess embraced her daughter again, preventing her from facing Consort Min's gaze. When she looked up, she revealed a gentle and graceful smile, "It's nothing, just talking in my sleep."
“Well, since she’s sleepy, when we get to Yongchun Palace, we’ll have the Prince Consort come and take her back to sleep.” The color of Consort Min’s palace dress was very heavy, which made her look older for no reason. She propped her head up and half-closed her eyes and said, “You’re not young anymore, it’s time to have another one, so that the Princess’s residence will be more lively.”
The eldest princess lowered her eyes, her face showing no sign of abnormality. She said, "It still depends on fate. Whether it happens or not is not important. The consort also likes Chaoyang very much."
“If he were clever, that would be fine, but this child is too dull.” Consort Min did not hide the fact that she did not like Xiao Tai Le. She said, “I don’t expect him to be like Jiang Wen from the lineage of the Marquis of Huaiyin, but there must be someone who can support the family business.”
The eldest princess spoke softly, like a night breeze, ethereal yet seemingly carrying a hint of coldness: "What family fortune do I have? It was all bestowed upon me by my father. I can't possibly inherit a title."
Consort Min came from the Marquis of Annan’s family. Her twin brother, the current Marquis of Annan, was demoted to the Earl of Annan. He and Jiang Wen, the son of the Grand Secretary Kangtai, both came from the Jiang family.
The princess's words sounded as if she were asking for the title of Earl of Annam.
Consort Min opened her eyes and looked over, her gaze sharp: "What did you say?"
“Father has no shortage of offspring. So far, I am the only princess with a title. Even if I were to give birth to a boy, it would be difficult to grant him the title of Prince. It would be better to have only Chaoyang. It would be easy to grant her the title of Princess.” The eldest princess seemed unaware of Consort Min’s gaze as she gently wiped her daughter’s face, her voice still gentle and soft.
"I will ask His Majesty for the title when the time comes." Consort Min withdrew her gaze. "Even if the title is not granted, she can still inherit the Du family business."
Is it so easy to take over the family fortune of the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel? Yes, now the Minister of Personnel has the title but no real power. Minister Du is already a sure thing to become the next Minister of Personnel. There are no outstanding figures among the Du family's descendants. The most promising one is actually the Imperial Son-in-Law, who is a compiler in the Hanlin Academy.
My mother's plan was very good, but unfortunately, someone like Lord Du would never let the family business fall into the wrong hands.
The eldest princess's eyes flickered slightly, and she smiled but did not respond. Instead, she changed the subject, saying, "My second brother will be fifteen years old soon, and it's time for him to settle down and start a family. A few days ago, the Marquis of Dinghai sent an invitation, and from what the Marquis's wife said, it seems that they want to arrange a marriage."
Consort Min frowned upon hearing this: "I have never heard of the Lady of the Marquis having a daughter."
"Although she was born to a concubine in the manor, she is still the only daughter of the Marquis of Dinghai," the Princess said.
The concept of legitimate and illegitimate children existed in the Great Qi Dynasty, but it was not very serious. There were explicit legal regulations regarding officials taking concubines. Only officials of the fifth rank and above could take concubines, and officials of the third rank and above could take two concubines. Common people at the bottom of society were monogamous, and only those who were forty years old and had no children could take concubines.
Although concubines could be bought and sold, those brought into the household through normal channels could not be sold off at will. In addition, favoring a concubine over the wife was explicitly forbidden and punishable by three years of penal servitude. In most cases, concubines were well aware of their status and would not really take advantage of the favor.
However, this was the treatment of a formal concubine. Most officials' residences also kept concubines without official status, who were truly neglected.
If this is the case even among powerful families, it is even more so in the royal family. Although the primogeniture system has continued to this day, giving the eldest son of the legitimate wife a special status, it is only a special status and does not prevent officials from choosing sides. Throughout history, there have been very few crown princes who have been able to ascend the throne smoothly, let alone the eldest son of the legitimate wife.
"The Marquis of Dinghai's family is of Bohai blood after all. Although their background is not good, they can be assigned the position of Liangdi (a concubine's daughter)." Compared to the status of a concubine's daughter, Consort Min really cared more about the Bohai bloodline.
Afterwards, the eldest princess announced several more names, but Consort Min only mentioned the position of concubine. The eldest princess then knew that Consort Min already had someone in mind for the position of the second prince's principal wife.
Sure enough, Consort Min said, "I heard that Jiang Wen has a little niece, who seems to be a relative of the Prince Consort. She should be about the same age as Wuxia."
"Two people can't be written with the same character 'Jiang' in the same stroke. After all, we were once from the same lineage. It's not good to be distant. It's better to strengthen our relationship through marriage." Consort Min said this, clearly targeting Jiang Wen.
Princess Eldest: "..."
The eldest princess's smile remained unchanged, but inwardly she felt that her mother was being somewhat delusional. Although Jiang Wen was also a member of the Jiang family, he didn't have much affection for the An'nan Earl's branch of the Jiang family. His occasional protection of them was only out of consideration for relatives within the five degrees of kinship, and he was worried that some absurd incident at the An'nan Earl's residence might implicate him.
The Jiang family, once known for producing three dukes and marquises, has long lost its former glory. The entire Jiang family's prestige is now upheld by Jiang Wen alone. As for the Earl of Annan? The Princess felt somewhat disgusted and nauseous just mentioning that uncle.
Jiang Wen might not be willing to tie his little niece and the second prince together, and even if they were, the eldest princess didn't think she could win Jiang Wen over.
The princess kept her thoughts to herself, knowing it would be pointless to say anything, so she simply didn't bother to waste her breath.
Consort Min, not hearing her speak, knew that she did not support her, and frowned as she said, "You should pay more attention. Wuxia is your brother. If he gets better, you won't be too bad off. Only he will be good to you."
"Be good to me?" Xue Peilan asked. The princess couldn't help but laugh and nodded in response.
As the two were talking, the sedan chair arrived at Yongchun Palace. Soon after entering the palace gate, they saw the lotus pond, which was now filled with only withered branches and leaves. She said casually, "Next year, the lotus flowers in Mother Consort's palace will surely be the best in the harem. Chaoyang likes to eat lotus seeds, so I will definitely bring her here to pick some lotus pods."
"Come more often if you like it. How could I possibly miss you?" Consort Min was also relaxed for once, with a faint smile on her face.
"Your daughter thanks Your Highness on behalf of Chaoyang." The eldest princess smiled and looked at the lotus pond, saying with emotion, "I wonder what the palace servants threw into the water to make it so fertile, which is why the lotus flowers here are growing so well. I'm quite envious."
Consort Min's expression froze for a moment, but she quickly recovered.
That night, the princess stayed in Yongchun Palace for less than a quarter of an hour before leaving the palace and returning home. On her way out of the palace, she passed by the place where Tai Le had called out "uncle" earlier.
The princess stopped the sedan chair and asked the kneeling palace maid, "Who usually passes by here?"
"This..." The palace maid who was called out was at a loss for words and did not know how to answer the question. However, her companion spoke up and said, "Your Highness, please allow me to explain. This place is a well-connected passageway between the Imperial Study and the various palaces. People from all the palaces come and go here."
The princess was not surprised by the answer. She had only asked casually, but she was quite surprised to encounter someone who remained calm in the face of danger. This person was indeed useful.
The eldest princess asked, "What is your name?"
"My name is Xiyun," the palace maid said in a low voice.
"Hmm, very good answer. Here you go." The princess casually took off the jade bracelet from her wrist and handed it over, saying meaningfully, "I will remember you, Xiyun."
What she didn't know was that Xue Jin'an had seen all of this.
Xi Yun had said that this place was the only way to get from the Imperial Study to other places, and the abandoned palace was not far from the Imperial Study. That's why Xue Jin'an saw this scene as soon as he came out of the abandoned palace.
Xue Jin'an stood far away, but he had a pair of high-definition camera eyes that could see even further, so he captured this scene, which resembled the scene of the princess recruiting palace maids.
The problem is that Xi Yun is Zhou Yushu's man.
The princess's carriage had already left. Xue Jin'an glanced at Xi Yun's expression from afar. It was neither good nor bad, but upon closer inspection, it seemed a bit strange.
This was not Xue Jin'an's misperception. In fact, Xi Yun's feelings were quite complicated. She had only come out to clear Zhou Yushu's tracks, but she never expected to encounter the Princess and even seemed to be won over.
Xi Yun was quite conflicted, feeling as if work was falling from the sky while she was on the road.
Soon, something even more complicated happened. The Seventh Prince walked past her, his gaze seemingly sweeping over her, clearly indicating that he had witnessed what had just occurred.
Xue Jin'an commented in his heart: Xi Yun, a born spy with a divine body.
Xi Yun: "..." I'd better not take this road again. I always feel the feng shui isn't very good.
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