Although there were many people gathered around the table, the atmosphere was lively but not noisy.
Jingrou buried her head in her bowl, letting the wet nurse beside her serve her food, but in her mind she was thinking about how to put the pills into her grandfather's bowl. This was a golden opportunity!
With so many people around and everyone eating, isn't this the perfect opportunity to make a move?
Moreover, since this medicine is so miraculous, wouldn't its potency be diminished if it stayed outside for a long time? Jingrou herself wasn't sure.
During the meal, the family naturally had plenty to talk about, and they casually mentioned recent events, including those concerning Jingrou.
"Did you have a good time in the Ice Drinking Room today?" Although there was no wet nurse with her, Jingrou had other maids by her side, so she knew what happened in the Ice Drinking Room.
However, Hesheli wanted her granddaughter to tell the story herself.
Jingrou nodded, her eyes crinkling with joy as her long eyelashes cast a beautiful shadow beneath them.
The people who were just talking suddenly turned their attention to her.
"What did Zhuzhu do...?"
“Cen Cen, Wen Ying and I…” Jing Rou then recounted how the three girls mustered up the courage to strike up a conversation with strangers, were well-liked, and even managed to get several meals of pastries and several bowls of tea.
Of course, the most noteworthy thing is that she met a girl who looked to be around ten years old, and they even made plans to visit each other at her home sometime. Since they had already made plans, Jingrou naturally wanted to inform her grandmother and the others.
Princess An frowned, instinctively feeling that it wasn't safe outside. Her two uncles shared the same reaction.
However, the aunts were quite interested.
Hesheli was very interested. "Do you remember which family's young lady she is? Don't forget to come looking for her later."
“Chen Yanjing! Miss’s father!” Jingrou shook her head. Of course, she had to remember this name clearly, because on the way back, she had been thinking about it and felt that the name sounded familiar, even though she was still so young. Familiar names were either ones that her maternal grandfather had mentioned in the mansion, or ones that were very famous in history, even she, a history ignoramus, had heard of them.
When she thought of that lady's extraordinary demeanor, Jingrou always felt that it was the latter.
Prince An had certainly heard of it.
Not only the group of people sitting with Prince An, but also the few younger ones, all of them were very familiar with this name!
“We are quite familiar with each other…” Hesheli smiled.
Chen Yanjing was the emperor's confidant. This confidantship wasn't something outsiders assumed or something bestowed upon him by someone; it was a genuine position, one that the emperor had granted him real power.
It was precisely because of this that Chen Yanjing was neither close to nor able to get close to the vast majority of officials in the court.
As the emperor's trusted minister, he was prepared to be isolated and alone.
Prince An and Chen Yanjing had always maintained a distant relationship, one being a high-ranking and powerful prince who had wielded authority for many years, and the other a trusted minister of the emperor, considered a rising star in the court. Their relationship was like that of the old guard and the new; while they didn't engage in fierce infighting, their relationship was far from amicable.
Prince An shook his head. It was just a friendship between children. What did it have to do with the imperial court?
After saying this, Jingrou blinked and looked at her grandfather, asking if she could go to play with him later.
Prince An nodded with amusement, "But you must never abandon your wet nurse again. You must consult with her before doing anything." He squeezed Jingrou's small hand, but didn't use much force before letting go.
He spends all day wielding knives and spears, and his hands are covered in rough calluses. He's afraid of hurting Jingrou even if he just touches her, let alone squeezing her hard.
"I heard that Chen Yanjing recently led two princes back home, and the eldest prince threw a tantrum afterward..."
"Why are you being so gossipy? It's because the Emperor wanted to send him to deliver festival gifts the other day." Jingrou's maternal uncle paused and glanced at his mother.
Hesheli frowned slightly. It was quite a coincidence that the time she went to Dajue Temple to deliver the festival gifts coincided with their past visits to Dajue Temple, but she did not run into Chen Yanjing.
Dajue Temple occupies a vast area. It is not uncommon for several distinguished families to visit together, and the people of Dajue Temple always manage to accommodate them properly, ensuring that they do not clash. Therefore, even though Chen Yanjing also went there, Hesheli did not encounter anyone.
"It would be best if we didn't run into each other. These are turbulent times, so we should keep a low profile," Prince An said.
Jingrou's two uncles both nodded.
When people in the court thought about attacking the Dzungar Khanate, most of them would associate him with Prince An, because they were old rivals who had been entangled for more than ten years.
Prince An was wounded countless times during the campaign against the Dzungar Khanate. His own younger brother was among those who perished. Even now, Prince An's second son remains stationed at the border, demonstrating a bond that is one of unwavering loyalty.
Even so, Prince An decisively relinquished his power and handed over the military tally symbolizing the attack on the Dzungar Khanate, much to the astonishment of the court officials.
Next, Prince Yu was appointed by the Emperor and preparations began in earnest. A new round of preparations was about to begin, and at this time, Prince An seemed to have vanished into thin air.
These are indeed turbulent times!
At this point, any move he makes could be interpreted as coveting the military seal.
Despite the scrutiny of outsiders, even those slightly close to him who would come to probe his intentions, Prince An remained unmoved. A true man knows when to yield and when to stand firm; when he relinquished power, he wasn't using any manipulative tactics, but genuinely wanted to relinquish his responsibilities!
Since they are wary of him and feel that his achievements are too great for their master, then he should just shirk his responsibilities and accept this mess.
If it weren't for the lack of capable officials in the court and the young age of the emperor, and if he hadn't been a regent, he wouldn't have led troops into battle, and it would have lasted for more than a decade!
Even if it's a case of discarding a donkey after it has served its purpose, it wouldn't be done this brilliantly!
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