When Shen Zhixiu returned home at night, he walked in quietly, undressed, and lay down beside the bed.
As if she had sensed a familiar breath, Su Qingyu naturally leaned against him, but there was no sign of waking up.
Shen Zhixiu hugged her tightly, kissed her between the eyebrows, and fell asleep contentedly.
*
In the early morning hours of Hanshui Courtyard, the servants were extremely cautious in everything they did. The princess had been having trouble sleeping at night lately, and if they disturbed her in the morning, they would inevitably be punished.
The maids Danqing and Danju heard some noise coming from inside before they dared to bring people in and help the princess get up.
After getting dressed, Li Chaoyun went to the side hall to eat.
Today's breakfast is white porridge with some snacks and a few refreshing side dishes.
Li Chaoyun took a bite and put down the spoon. He wiped the corner of his mouth and said, "Go tell Madam Xiang that even if it's a vegetarian meal, it should be richer. How can we eat something so plain?"
She secretly cursed Xiangdong for being ungrateful and told him to hand over the warehouse and property earlier. She wouldn't have to suffer like this.
Danqing hesitated for a moment before saying, "Princess, from now on, Hanshuiyuan's food, clothing, and other expenses will be taken care of by the stewards of the palace. The Third Madam said that if Hanshuiyuan has any opinions on these matters in the future, they can go directly to her."
Li Chaoyun paused, gritted his teeth and said, "Su Qingyu did it on purpose. She's siding with that bitch Xiangdong."
Su Qingyu is different from Xiangdong, and she is not someone she can find fault with or cause trouble for.
Since I didn't find any trouble, I naturally had to continue eating breakfast.
Li Chaoyun was used to taking a nap after breakfast, but today, as soon as he lay down, Danju came in to report.
"Princess, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince wants to see you."
Upon hearing this, Li Chaoyun was helped by Danju to sit up.
"Prepare the car. If anyone asks, just say I'm going back to the Marquis' Mansion to visit my mother."
After leaving the house, Li Chaoyun first returned to the Li family, then quietly left the house through the side door of the Li family and went to a villa owned by the prince in the west of the city.
The prince's personal attendant led Li Chaoyun to the study. When they entered, the prince was sitting by the window, brewing tea.
Seeing her coming, the prince pointed to the seat opposite and said, "Sit down and try my new tea."
After saying this, he suddenly remembered that Li Chaoyun was pregnant, and took back the tea he had handed out.
"Come here, bring the princess a bowl of hot milk."
Li Chaoyun did not perform any formal greetings and sat down casually opposite the prince.
"My cousin is anxious to see me, but what's the matter?"
The prince stroked the white jade ring on his finger and asked in a deep voice, "Didn't you say that all the property of the Su family's eldest branch could be taken? How is it going?"
Li Chaoyun guessed that the prince might be anxious, and explained: "I'm still thinking of a solution, it will take some time."
The Crown Prince's brows showed a hint of impatience. "The Emperor intends to reorganize the Fujian Navy. I have already arranged the person in charge, and the Emperor has agreed."
"I didn't expect Song Hongshen and Shen Zhixiu to suddenly enter the palace last night. Father has changed his mind again and plans to hand over the Fujian navy to Song Hongshen."
Li Chaoyun had been staying in the inner chamber to take care of her pregnancy, so she wasn't as well-informed as before. Hearing the Crown Prince's words, she was somewhat surprised. "The Song family is so powerful, why did the Emperor agree to let Song Hongshen take power?"
The title that the Ministry of Rites had proposed for Song Hongshen was rejected by the Emperor. Wasn’t it because they didn’t dare to hand Liaodong over to him?
The prince explained, "The Fujian navy was established to defend against the invasion of Japanese pirates. They are not good at land warfare, so it is even less likely that they would rebel."
Putting aside the power and political struggles, the prince also felt that Song Hongshen was actually the best candidate.
The prince continued, "I had already planned that if the court wanted to rebuild the navy, it would have to allocate silver. This silver would be just enough to make firearms. I didn't expect it to be intercepted by Song Hongshen. We have to find another way to get the silver."
Li Chaoyun heard the urging tone in the prince's voice and promised firmly that she would seize the property of the Shen family's eldest branch as soon as possible.
After pacifying the prince, Li Chaoyun returned to the Li family of Shanning Marquis Mansion from the villa.
After entering the mansion, she did not go to the main courtyard to see her mother, Princess Yongjia, but returned to her own courtyard.
As soon as I entered the inner room, someone hugged me tightly from behind.
Chen Ping buried his head in Li Chaoyun's neck, greedily feeling her unique scent.
"I miss you so much."
After saying that, he began to kiss Li Chaoyun's ear hard.
Li Chaoyun raised her neck slightly and let him kiss her. She didn't push him away until Chen Ping's breathing became short. "Don't make trouble. Be careful not to hurt the child."
Chen Ping took two deep breaths when he heard this. Although he was reluctant, he still let her go and helped her sit down.
Li Chaoyun sat on the edge of the bed, while Chen Ping half-knelt beside her, reaching out and gently stroking her lower abdomen.
"How are you, kid? You two were so cruel to leave me here in the mansion. I don't know how I've managed to survive."
His tone and expression of pretending to be aggrieved pleased Li Chaoyun.
Li Chaoyun sat down on the bed, and Chen Ping put two soft pillows for her to lean on.
He sat beside her and gently massaged her legs. "What does His Royal Highness the Crown Prince want to see you about?"
Li Chaoyun enjoyed Chen Ping's service and told him what the prince meant.
Chen Ping naturally hoped that the prince could ascend to the throne. When the Shen family fell, he would be able to be with Li Chaoyun legitimately.
So when Li Chaoyun mentioned trying to seize power from Xiangdong, Chen Ping's eyes flashed with coldness. He said, "My lord, your actions aren't ruthless enough. If you were to ask me, just get rid of them and it would be much easier."
Li Chaoyun frowned and pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "No, do you think Shen Zhixiu is a vegetarian?"
"He appears gentle and respectful on the surface, but in reality he is meticulous and ruthless. If Xiangdong were to die suddenly, there's no guarantee that Shen Zhixiu wouldn't find out about us."
By then, Shen Zhixiu and Su Qingyu would be able to guess that it was her who did it with just a little thought.
Chen Ping thought for a moment and said, "If we can't kill her, we can just pour a basin of dirty water over her that can't be washed away."
"How can a woman who is not a faithful wife be worthy of being the second wife of the Shen family's eldest wife?"
In an instant, Li Chaoyun's eyes lit up.
"That's a good idea. Let's do as you say. Let everyone in the Shen family see what kind of person Madam Xiang is."
Chen Ping nodded in agreement, "When the time comes, the princess will take over the Shen family's main house, and it will be legitimate. You can't promote a concubine, right? Besides, the princess is pregnant, even Old Madam Shen will probably not be able to say anything."
Li Chaoyun nodded with satisfaction, and the two then discussed the specific details.
After everything was settled, Li Chaoyun finally relaxed. According to Chen Ping's plan, Xiangdong, that bitch, would be badly wounded if not dead.
Seeing that Li Chaoyun's expression had relaxed considerably, Chen Ping began massaging her arms again. As he leaned over, his cool lips touched her fair collarbone.
Chen Ping lowered the heavy bed curtains.
"My Lord, I will wait for your lunch break..."
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