Chapter 77 Before Chapter 77, according to Qin Ji's words...
Based on Qin Ji's previous remarks, she had guessed that Su Jinyue might not be working in the embroidery room of the Prince's mansion as described in the novel, and now that she asked, she was right.
Where did Su Jinyue go? Was her storyline in Jiangzuo disrupted by the butterfly effect? But her father's case is related to later plot developments; could those plot points have also been disrupted by the butterfly effect?
On second thought, it's not surprising that the butterfly fell; as things have developed to this point, there are more than a few things that don't match the original novel.
The most serious deviation was the Yunzhou Rebellion. The original novel did not mention at all that Prince Cheng had any achievements in pacifying Yunzhou.
It's important to understand that quelling a rebellion is a crucial political bargaining chip. Besides the political advantage, there's also the power gained from leading troops this year—benefits that everyone is well aware of.
The emperor summoned Qin Ji back to the capital, ostensibly because of his merit in pacifying Yunzhou. If this event was in the original novel, it would be considered an important plot point, and it's impossible that it wasn't mentioned at all.
In fact, in the original novel, the reason why Prince Cheng returned to the capital was because it was the emperor's sixtieth birthday, and all the princes who were away had returned to offer their congratulations.
Instead of returning directly to Jiangzuo after his birthday celebration, he stayed there temporarily because he presented extremely precious red coral and an auspicious white tiger.
Prince Cheng was to remain in the capital to oversee the brewing of tiger bone wine.
Bah! Prince Cheng is truly inhuman. Not content with capturing that white tiger, he even has to slaughter it and soak it in wine.
Taking a moment to glare at Qin Ji beside her, Xiao Yan returned to her own thoughts, leaving Qin Ji, who had been the target of her anger, completely bewildered.
"Why did I glare at him for no reason? What did he do wrong?" Qin Ji tried hard to recall.
Xiao Yan had already figured out the two questions she had specifically asked Qin Ji that night.
A person who can say that he wants to be a wise and benevolent ruler for all ages could never be the same Ru Hui Gongzi who only stirs up trouble in secret, amasses wealth, and has no bottom line when it comes to money and suppressing his opponents.
Unless he was framed, Xiao Yan Hui found it hard to imagine that Qin Ji would touch disaster relief grain for money.
Moreover, compared to Young Master Ru Hui's apparent lack of money, Qin Ji is clearly not short of money at all. Not only is he not short of money, he is also rolling in wealth. Not only is he rolling in wealth, but Xiao Yan Hui feels that if he manages things for a few more years, he will also be rolling in wealth.
With this in mind, she relaxed. The person wasn't that person, and the plot of the novel wasn't that plot either. What would happen in the future could probably be used as a reference to a certain extent.
"Qin Ji, when is His Majesty's sixtieth birthday?" After finally arriving at the main room of the Prince's mansion and sitting down, Xiao Yan's first question was this.
“The year after next, in March.” Qin Ji reached out and gently poked her forehead: “You seem to have been thinking about things related to me that I don’t know about all day. What’s wrong? Aren’t you going to be honest?”
"Hmph, just wait and see. I'll tell you when I feel it's the right time." Xiao Yan raised her chin at him, looking smug.
She still harbors a grudge after being kept in the dark by Qin Ji for so long.
"If it's early the year after next, then all in all, it would only be a little over a year." At this point, there's only a little over a month left until the Lunar New Year.
As they calculated the time, the two suddenly exchanged a knowing glance.
What you're thinking is...
What you're thinking is...
They spoke at the same time, and then both of them laughed.
"What I'm thinking is that you're going to make a fortune," Qin Ji said.
“I think we’re going to make a fortune,” Xiao Yan replied.
They spoke at the same time again, but this time there was a slight difference in their tacit understanding.
"Liuli is indeed an excellent birthday gift. Then I thank the Princess for making me rich every day." Qin Ji shook his head and smiled.
“We can stock up on some goods first, release a small quantity before the Emperor’s birthday to hype up the market, and then launch a top-tier item, such as a Glazed Treasure Tree or a Nine-Story Glazed Pagoda. After the Emperor’s birthday celebration, we can take advantage of the hype to release a batch of mid-to-high-end items…” Xiao Yan’s eyes grew brighter and brighter as she spoke, and gradually they were practically gleaming with gold.
Qin Ji rested his chin on his hand and looked at her quietly, a smile he couldn't hide on his face.
The servants, who were waiting in inconspicuous spots in the room for the prince and princess's orders, were all horrified when they saw this scene.
Since they were able to serve in the main room, they could all be considered Prince Cheng's confidants. But when had their own Prince Cheng ever shown such an expression before?
Although this princess has not yet been included in the imperial family genealogy, her status is probably already a foregone conclusion.
......
Beneath the majestic city gates of Jiangzuo City, dust was gently stirred by the early spring breeze. Anping, the eunuch who had come once again to deliver an imperial decree, looked at the pair of pearls and jade-like beauties before him, but felt only bitterness in his heart.
In her heart, she secretly complained a thousand times about the unpredictable and cunning Prince Cheng.
The imperial edict summoning Prince Cheng to the capital was issued a few days ago, and today is an auspicious day for Prince Cheng to depart for the capital.
But when he saw the maids so naturally moving all the belongings of the princess... ptooey, ptooey, the concubine into the vermilion-canopied carriage that belonged to Prince Cheng, Eunuch Anping felt a throbbing pain in his head.
Anyone with discerning eyes could see that the merchant's daughter had completely adopted the demeanor of a princess, and this was by no means an empty act. Judging from the respectful expressions of the officials, eunuchs, servants, and maids of the Prince's mansion before and after the carriage, it was clear that they recognized her as the mistress of the Prince's mansion.
Moreover, during his several days in Jiangzuo City, he had heard many stories of the deep affection between the Prince and the Princess. In fact, he had already heard some of these stories even before he arrived in Jiangzuo City.
Eunuch Anping was a shrewd man who had cultivated himself in the palace for many years; how could he not know what this represented?
His Majesty intended to grant her the position of a concubine, but Prince Cheng had his own ideas. He had already used various means to almost secure the position of princess.
What if Prince Cheng arrives at the palace and the imperial father and son clash again?
Are His Majesty and His Highness wrong? They are certainly not wrong.
If the emperor and his son had a dispute, it would naturally be because he, as the eunuch relaying the imperial decree, had not done a good job.
Anping felt a chill in his heart; he could almost foresee the miserable state of being crushed into mud by the two giant rocks on either side of him, father and son.
Now, all we can do is hope that after Prince Cheng returns, he will back down on the choice of his princess consort, out of consideration for his princely title.
After all, His Majesty didn't want to separate them, only...
It simply refers to another princess.
Moreover, she is a princess from a prominent family. In Anping's opinion, this is the best thing ever. Why does Your Highness insist on being stubborn about this?
While Anping was lost in thought, the carriage of Prince Cheng was fully prepared ahead. Qin Ji stood by the carriage and reached out his hand. Xiao Yan nimbly used the leverage to climb into the exceptionally large prince's carriage.
Then, those in and out of the carriage exchanged a natural smile, their eyes displaying the same gentle expression. After seeing Xiao Yan back onto the carriage, Qin Ji turned to greet the officials who had come to see him off.
Meanwhile, Eunuch Anping overheard the little eunuch behind him muttering, "The Prince and Princess have such a good relationship."
Yes, the person who was so distant and indifferent before now has an undisguised tenderness in their eyes and brows. The two of them are so intimate and natural in their expressions and postures that anyone with eyes can tell they are a loving couple.
This scene was like a needle piercing Eunuch Anping's heart. The more His Highness cherished this merchant girl, the more his head swayed precariously!
He had originally thought that he might be able to find an opportunity to reason with her and persuade the woman of the Xiao family to back down, so that His Highness might also be able to back down gracefully.
But now, in this situation, who with a brain would be willing to back down? Even if she were willing, His Highness probably wouldn't.
However, it wasn't just Eunuch Anping who felt heartbroken at this moment.
Mixed in with the farewell crowd, Xiao Quexian found the scene before her eyes incredibly jarring. So this was how Qin Ji and Xiao Yanhui actually interacted? Why did he seem like a completely different person when it was Xiao Yanhui's turn? His status had changed, and so had his attitude.
What made Xiao Quexian even more embarrassed was that, no matter how unwilling and resentful she was, she still had to come and see them off with a smile. Not only her, but also her husband and even her father-in-law, Prefect Liang, who was usually the one who had the final say at home, were all there.
At this moment, the prefect was bowing and smiling obsequiously at Qin Ji, his tone more polite than ever before, even bordering on ingratiating:
"Your Highness and the Princess are indeed deeply in love; their affection is truly the envy of all. Your Highness's journey to the capital is long; please take good care of yourself."
Prefect Liang laughed so hard that wrinkles appeared at the corners of his eyes, and he was completely devoid of his usual official demeanor.
"Prefect, please take care as well." Qin Ji smiled faintly.
"Your Highness, I actually have another request to make." Prefect Liang bowed again.
"Please speak."
“My good-for-nothing son has no hope of passing the imperial examinations. I have donated money to obtain an official status for him, so that he can be responsible for his own family in the future. He will be going to the capital in the fall. I am shameless and would like to ask Your Highness to take care of him then.”
Prefect Liang's words were an extremely humble gesture. At his father's prompting, Liang Zhao quickly stepped forward and bowed.
"In a way, I'm related to you by marriage, so there's no need for such formalities." Qin Ji's words implied that he agreed to take care of him.
"That's right, that's right, they are indeed brothers-in-law. This is truly my son's good fortune." Upon hearing this, Prefect Liang and Qin Ji exchanged a glance and then burst into laughter.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Quexian suddenly realized that the reason the Liang family finally agreed to marry her was not because they valued the Xiao family's wealth or her reputation as a talented woman, nor because of her various manipulative tactics.
Rather... it's because Prefect Liang may have known Qin Ji's true identity earlier?
He wanted to establish a connection with Prince Cheng by marrying her, Qin Ji's sister-in-law, as his daughter-in-law.
This guess was like a bucket of ice water poured over Xiao Quexian's head, making even her smile seem forced.
She always believed that she had won this enviable marriage because of her superior skills.
But now she discovers that she may very well have benefited from Xiao Yan Hui and Qin Ji's influence, a realization that is far more unbearable than simple jealousy.
At this moment, she felt like a complete joke. All her efforts and calculations were like picking up a broken bowl and losing a jade, and she only got the broken bowl by chance because of a favor!
She wanted to turn around and leave immediately, but her father-in-law was standing there, so she didn't dare.
Finally, the magnificent carriage of the Prince's mansion gradually disappeared into the distance, leaving only the fine dust it kicked up dancing in the sunlight.
Xiao Quexian gave a few perfunctory words to her parents and aunts who had come to see her off, and hurriedly boarded the Liang family's carriage. Only when she leaned against the side of the carriage did she finally relax a little. The forced smile on her face instantly collapsed.
His eyes were filled with gloom and resentment.
Just then, her trusted maidservant cautiously approached and whispered in her ear, "Second Madam, I just caught a glimpse of the Third Miss, and she seems to be still a virgin! I'm afraid she and the Prince haven't consummated their marriage."
"Really?" Xiao Quexian suddenly raised her head, her eyes flashing with disbelief mixed with ecstatic joy!
"It's pretty close, this old servant has a good eye." The aunt nodded. Actually, she thought it was only 40 or 50 percent, but such things can't be verified until the baby is pregnant. The third young lady went to the capital again. She said she came to curry favor with the second young lady and get some reward money. What's wrong with that?
So that's how it is! So that's how it is! Xiao Quexian clenched the embroidered handkerchief in her hand, almost bursting into laughter. She knew it! How could it be different? Why was Qin Ji so good to Xiao Yan Hui? It turns out it's because Xiao Yan Hui is patient and good at putting on a show.
Sigh, she just can't do it. Her pride won't bend, which is why Qin Ji was so cold to her in her past life.
Even if her father-in-law was strict and her mother-in-law and sister-in-law were difficult to get along with, at least she and Erlang were very close. The thought that Xiao Yanhui's seemingly glamorous life was actually so unbearable made Xiao Quexian feel a surge of pleasure.
She could even picture Xiao Yanhui alone in her empty room, looking at herself in the mirror with self-pity.
"Back to the manor. Oh, and when we pass Old Yang's pastry shop, buy some pastries." Xiao Quexian instructed the coachman as she pulled out a gold bracelet and stuffed it into the aunt's hand.
Meanwhile, inside the Prince's carriage, which was traveling smoothly on the pipeline, the scene was completely different.
Xiao Yan Hui was not dwelling on her sorrow at parting. A simple map of the capital was spread out in front of her, and she held a fine brush in her hand, concentrating on marking and tracing on it. "Sigh, this time I have to rebuild all my businesses in the capital. They were just starting to look promising in Jiangzuo City, and now I have to start from scratch again."
"The shop rents in the East Market are expensive, but it's the most popular. I've heard that there are quite a few foreign merchants coming and going from the capital?" she asked Qin Ji while gesturing.
"No need to rent. I have a few shops in the East Market. You can decide how to use them when the time comes." Qin Ji simply took the map in front of her and the pen from her hand.
"Hey, what's wrong with you..." Just as she was about to complain, Xiao Yan Hui noticed that Qin Ji's expression was extremely serious.
"What's wrong?" She also became serious and tense.
"Our journey may not be safe, so let me give you a brief overview first." Qin Ji pulled out a hidden compartment in the carriage, took out another map, and unfolded it. This was the route map from Jiangzuo to the capital.
The Second Prince's Residence in the Capital, a Secret Room
In the flickering candlelight, the Second Prince Li Fang's handsome face was distorted and appeared shadowy. He looked at the long secret report in his hand and revealed a knowing smile.
"This little bastard has never been any good. I originally thought he only knew some low-down business tricks, but I never expected... he's gotten so cocky."
“Now that he’s coming back, tell me, what should we do? Father has been thinking about him all these years. I heard that the decree to confer the title of Prince has been written for months, just waiting for his return.”
"Hasn't His Highness already made a decision on what to do?" A middle-aged scholar with a goatee sitting at the lower seat said with a smile.
“The Prince of Cheng’s return with his merits is indeed a great threat. So, as long as we prevent him from returning, everything will be fine. Although His Majesty has not said it outright over the years, he may feel guilty about what happened back then. We still need Your Highness’s help to persuade His Majesty to make a decisive decision, otherwise, there may be unforeseen circumstances.”
“That’s right, we absolutely cannot let him show his face in front of the Emperor!” Li Fang drew a line on the map in front of him, determined to deal with him on the way.
"The capital is entirely under Father's control. It's much more convenient to operate outside. Otherwise, the Imperial Guards, the Patrol Battalion, and the Imperial City Guard are all Father's spies; we'd have no way to make a move!"
The strategist leaned closer to the map, pointing out several key points: "Your Highness is absolutely right. Returning to the capital from Jiangzuo, we must pass through this waterway. The terrain here is complex and easy to ambush. We could perhaps disguise ourselves as river bandits and plunder."
Or perhaps here, with bandits and outlaws causing trouble, as long as it's done cleanly and efficiently, leaving no evidence, even if His Majesty is furious, he won't be able to trace it back to His Highness. Besides... His Highness might not be the only one who wants to take action.”
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