Chapter 20 Casual Chat
The four wives that General Wu married were all of different social statuses.
He had the daughter of a county magistrate in the north, the younger sister of a subordinate, the older sister of a merchant, and the last one was the daughter of an official who had committed a crime, whom he took a fancy to and bought.
In any case, the four wives left behind a son and a daughter, but outsiders rarely know who the fathers were.
However, the fifth wife will soon be entering the mansion.
I wonder if Song Zhiqing can endure the ordeal longer than the other four ladies...
"Song Zhimian, there are so many regulations in the Imperial Household Department, why don't we help you copy some?" The little round-faced girl felt quite embarrassed seeing Song Zhimian copying the regulations while listening to their conversation.
Song Zhimian hurriedly waved her hand.
"It's alright. I'm just bored anyway, so practicing my calligraphy is a good idea!"
You can continue talking, it's alright!
The round-faced girl then continued chatting with everyone.
This is not teaching time, so everyone can talk freely, as long as they don't get into trouble.
Song Zhimian also listened attentively to what everyone was saying.
In the past, Song Zhimian rarely went out, and the things she knew were mostly told by the maids or mothers in the mansion.
Now that it's such a good time to gather information, Song Zhimian is not willing to let it slip by.
Song Zhimian, a consultant by training, listened attentively to every word and every matter that everyone said.
She knew that perhaps one day, this casual remark would help her accomplish something...
"Wasn't the military situation in the north supposed to be urgent? How come that Lieutenant General Wu is back now?"
"I heard that one reason is to explain some things to the Ministry of War, and the other is to escort the newly collected grain and fodder from the capital away."
Previously, a lot of the grain supplies in the north were burned by people bribed by foreign tribes.
The north is bitterly cold, and to ensure that the soldiers there would not go hungry or cold during the winter, General Shen petitioned His Majesty to request that the capital procure some provisions.
"Yes! Didn't we all donate money?"
"Yes, anyone General Shen can arrange to return must be someone he values highly..."
"Furthermore, I've heard that when General Wu returns, the Ministry of War will arrange for a junior general to accompany him."
He should currently be the young marquis of the Marquis of Wu'an's mansion!
"No wonder the old lady of the Marquis of Wu'an's mansion has been going to the palace so frequently lately!"
"The old lady of the Marquis of Wu'an's visit to the palace was not simply for the young marquis to go to the northern lands."
Princess Shou Kang is not young anymore, and the Imperial Concubine intends to arrange a marriage between Princess Shou Kang and the young marquis!
If the young marquis's journey to the north to deliver grain goes smoothly, General Shen will surely recommend him for merit.
At that time, the young marquis, having earned military merit, assumed the position of Marquis of Wu'an and then married Princess Shou Kang...
"That's the most sought-after young general in the capital!" the round-faced boy exclaimed excitedly.
Everyone thought that the young master of the Marquis of Wu'an's mansion was really lucky.
With military merits, one can even marry a princess. Who knows, His Majesty might even promote him to the rank of Marquis of Wu'an because of his affection for the princess!
"Is the young marquis capable of shouldering such an important responsibility? He's only in his early twenties after all!"
"Otherwise, why would they have sent General Wu back?"
However, this young marquis has always been a free spirit, and it is said that he loves to play in the wild and lives in the mountains.
They also like to hunt and roast their own prey.
His Majesty once remarked that the young marquis possessed a similar air of refinement to the old marquis!
"No wonder the Imperial Concubine wanted to marry Princess Shou Kang to her..."
"Who can argue with that! His Majesty only has one daughter, so he will definitely give her the best."
"Born of the Imperial Concubine, with her elder brother being the Prince of Zhao, and her husband being the most renowned young general in the capital, Princess Shou Kang truly had a life of smooth sailing."
"Yes, the Imperial Concubine is highly favored, and the Prince of Zhao is also valued by His Majesty."
Many times even the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qi…
"Don't say that anymore, or you'll get a beating!"
"Oh! Never mind that! Let's talk about tonight's meal..."
...
Song Zhimian wrote all of these things down; these were things that her aunts would never teach her.
It might be inappropriate for ordinary palace servants to discuss these matters.
But these potential female officials could…
...
Meanwhile, in the Crown Prince's residence, Xiao Huaijin was reclining on a grand chair, holding an empty teacup in his hand, looking at the candlelight on the table.
A short while later, a tall, handsome man in his thirties, but with a somewhat pale face, walked in.
This person was none other than the Crown Prince Xiao Huaizhan.
"Sit properly! You are a prince, mind your manners!" The man who had just entered gently tapped Xiao Huaijin's arm.
Xiao Huaijin almost dropped the empty teacup in his hand.
"It's made of white jade, so precious! And the Crown Prince is so scary!" Xiao Huaijin hurriedly put the teacup down and then quickly sat down.
The Crown Prince coughed lightly twice before looking at Xiao Huaijin.
"What is it?"
Xiao Huaijin leaned over to check the Crown Prince's complexion.
“Brother Crown Prince, you seem to be looking better lately.”
"I won't die for now! Speak if you have something to say! I still need to read two more memorials later."
"My father sent someone with a memorial from the Ministry of Rites today, so I can take a look," the Crown Prince said, rubbing his brow.
"What happened in the North...you don't know?"
The Ministry of War has already submitted a memorial today, saying that Cai Boju from the Marquis of Wu'an's residence and Wu Jiande should escort the grain to the north.
Brother Crown Prince, if we let that guy go, he'll definitely stay in the North and never come back.
Back then...
Fifth Brother has quite a few people in the North.
General Shen is getting on in years and is certainly considering leaving more young people in the north.
Cai Boju and Fifth Brother are on good terms, and now some people are saying that Consort Wu wants to marry Lan Qian to him.
His status has risen dramatically; he'll definitely be one of Fifth Brother's top lieutenants in the future.
"Brother Crown Prince, aren't you worried?" Xiao Huaijin asked with a smile.
The crown prince sneered and picked up a teacup from the table to play with.
"Cai Boju?"
"What can he do?" the prince suddenly asked.
"He knows how to... frequent brothels, how to flatter, and how to cater to their tastes."
He also knows how to make women happy!
"Anyway, he knows it, but you, Crown Prince, don't!" Xiao Huaijin said with a wicked smile.
The crown prince glared at him and put the teacup he was holding on the table.
"He knows a lot! But he's terrible at military campaigns! Sending someone like that to the north will only bring trouble."
"Has he been to the North before?" the Crown Prince suddenly asked.
"Yes, half a year ago, I went to deliver winter clothes to his so-called two uncles and stayed in the north for quite a while."
"Brother Crown Prince, what are you thinking about?" Xiao Huaijin asked immediately.
The crown prince's face immediately darkened, but he did not answer the question.
"Find an opportunity to prevent him from going to the north before he leaves the capital."
"Remember, make it clean!" the prince said softly.
Xiao Huaijin was taken aback.
This was the first time the Crown Prince had asked him to deal with someone...
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