"Shao'er, I want to talk to you about something. Try to keep a calm mind."
Feng Shao's heart skipped a beat, and even Zhou Qing put down his chopsticks.
“Mother, just say it. As long as you and the entire General’s Mansion are safe, I can bear it.”
"It's nothing major, it's just that your engagement, I want to break it off for you." Song Xia said with a sigh, "I know you had feelings for Miss Xu before, but during the two years you were away on the battlefield, I overheard some rumors."
"What rumors?"
Song Xia looked troubled: "Perhaps it's not necessarily true."
“There’s no smoke without fire. Although this is my first time meeting my godmother, I don’t think she’s the type to make things up. Shaodi, why don’t you listen to what she has to say? To put it bluntly, if your future wife has a conflict with your godmother, not only will you and your godmother suffer, but your future wife will also suffer, won’t she?” Zhou Qing’s voice was calm and inexplicably convincing.
Feng Shao nodded. Although he treated Miss Xu differently from other women because of their childhood betrothal, he would never force her if his mother was dissatisfied or if Miss Xu had someone else in her heart.
"Mother, please tell me, I'm fine."
"It's just that I've run into Miss Xu and Prince Si Hengnian at the teahouse and jewelry store several times before. There seems to be something... um... ambiguous between them. I felt awkward at the time, so I didn't show myself. That's why I think she's not good enough for you. If she weren't engaged, it would be fine. Nowadays, the court is quite open-minded, and it's rare for women in the capital to be married off without consent. But it's not good for her to be entangled with another man while still engaged, especially since there's a connection between Prince Si Hengnian and our General's Mansion... sigh. That's why I want you to seriously consider this."
"Prince Xun?" Zhou Qing raised his voice, then expressed his doubts before Feng Shao could speak, "Since Miss Xu is the daughter of the Prime Minister's family, she should know a lot about the situation in the capital. Knowing that our General's Mansion is being made difficult by Prince Xun at every turn, why is she getting close to him? It can't be that she deliberately sacrifices herself for Brother Shao, can it? What about the reputation of the Prime Minister's Mansion?"
"That's why I think Miss Xu might genuinely care about Prince Xun."
Feng Shao, seething with anger, said, "If that's the case, why doesn't the Prime Minister's residence come to annul the engagement?"
"Perhaps it's because the matter between Miss Xu and Prince Xun hasn't been officially confirmed yet? After all, the Prime Minister and Prince Xun often disagree on political matters. But if they did agree, it would be even worse. Prince Xun's power is so great that even His Majesty wouldn't dare to touch him, and the Prime Minister is the head of the civil officials. If these two powerful ministers, one civil and one military, were to marry, His Majesty's throne would probably be in jeopardy."
As Zhou Qing drank the lily soup, he analyzed the situation with great clarity, while Feng Shao's face grew increasingly dark.
Although he admired Xu Huixin, he was also a loyal subject. Moreover, the conflict between their General's Mansion and Prince Xun had been deepening in the past two years. If Prince Xun were to take control of the government, their General's Mansion would be in grave danger.
"But if I break off the engagement, wouldn't it be easier for Hsu Hui-hsin to be with Prince Hsun?"
"Do you really want to marry her into the family and annoy yourself and your adoptive mother?" Zhou Qing asked in surprise. "A powerful man like Prince Xun won't let go of Xu Huixin easily, even if she's already married. Wouldn't the General's Mansion become the laughingstock of the entire capital? It would be better to expose their affair first and let His Majesty figure out how to deal with them. The royal family should be the most worried about these two being together."
Zhou Qing put down the soup bowl and squinted comfortably: "Godmother, Shaodi, it's not appropriate for you to handle this matter. Why don't you leave it to me? Anyway, I've just arrived in the capital and not many people know me. Prince Xun and Xu Huixin won't be too wary of me when they're having their secret rendezvous."
Song Xia remained silent. How could her adopted son, Zhou Qing, have said everything she wanted to say before she had even begun? And she didn't have to do anything at all.
"Godmother and Shaodi, please rest assured, I will handle this matter beautifully and cleanly. I will make the Prime Minister's family break off the engagement, and I will also make the whole capital despise that Prince Xun for being unethical and seducing your fiancée while you are away fighting."
"Qing'er, then I'll trouble you." Song Xia smiled and nodded.
Zhou Qing's smile became even brighter: "Godmother, my courtesy name is Yuqing, you can just call me Yuqing from now on."
"Yes, Yuqing."
Feng Shao felt he couldn't get a word in edgewise, and it seemed he had nothing else to say, so he could only nod in agreement.
And so the matter was settled. From the day after the family reunion, Zhou Qing went out early and returned late. No one knew what he was doing, but soon, the news of Prince Xun Si Hengnian and Xu Huixin's secret rendezvous and heartfelt conversation became the talk of the entire capital.
"Is it true that Prince Xun and the Prime Minister's daughter, Xu Huixin, are dating?" At a banquet for noblewomen in the capital, several ladies whispered among themselves.
"Of course it's true. That day at Wanfo Temple, Madam Liu and I saw it with our own eyes. Prince Xun was holding Miss Xu! Miss Xu even hung her purse on Prince Xun's waist with a shy expression."
"That's a temple! How could the two of them not be able to restrain themselves like that?"
“Young men and women are naturally unable to control their feelings and cannot care about anything else. No wonder Prince Xun refused the Emperor’s bestowal of marriage again and again at the age of twenty-five. It turns out that he had his eye on the Prime Minister’s daughter.”
"Since Prince Ke Xun likes the Prime Minister's daughter, why doesn't he marry her?"
"Have you forgotten? This Prime Minister's daughter, Miss Xu, is already engaged! Didn't Madam Song from the General's Mansion send lavish gifts to the Prime Minister's Mansion just a couple of days ago? I heard she wanted to take advantage of General Feng Shao's return to the capital to report on his duties and hold the wedding."
"Huh? Then... then isn't General Feng Shao now a great victim of injustice?"
“Who can argue with that? Since Miss Xu is involved with Prince Xun, it must not be the first time. Surely no one in the Prime Minister’s residence knows about it. But since they know, she still accepted a generous gift from the General’s residence. It’s really hard to judge.”
"The Prime Minister's residence is so lacking in etiquette that it is hardly worthy of being the head of the civil officials."
In Beijing, even the slightest disturbance becomes common knowledge. Soon, insiders revealed that they had seen the two people in a certain restaurant, theater, or horse farm, describing the details so vividly that people believed them without a doubt.
"How could they be so reckless!" If Feng Shao still had some affection for Xu Huixin before, after learning that these things were true and that everyone in the capital was laughing at him, it turned into deep disgust.
Song Xia hadn't expected Zhou Qing to handle the matter so well. Zhou Qing chuckled and said, "Although I played a major role in it, quite a few people also contributed to the current situation. It's clear that we're not the only ones who want to bring misfortune to Prince Xun and the Prime Minister's Mansion."
"Do you know who else was involved and fueled this?"
"I can confirm that there are members of the Qi family, the imperial merchants, and members of the royal family, but I don't know exactly who in the royal family they are. Moreover, I suspect that Prince Xun and the Qi family, the imperial merchants, have an unusual relationship."
Feng Shao was bewildered: "Since the relationship between Prince Xun and the Qi family is unusual, why didn't the Qi family help us hide it this time, but instead lent us a hand?"
"So if we can investigate the relationship between them, it might be more helpful for us to deal with Prince Xun."
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