It was not until 5:15 in the afternoon that the people in the teahouse dispersed, leaving everyone with Qingyao's wonderful performance today.
The prince also returned to the prince's mansion with his confidants. They wanted to discuss how to treat Qingyao next and how to truly control the prime minister's family.
The Taifu and others went back to think about it and felt that they had new ideas for this year's imperial examination. They gained a lot of inspiration from Qingyao and understood the principle that everything remains unchanged but the laws change, so they prepared to discuss adding some new examination methods to this year's imperial examination.
After everyone dispersed, Qing Yao ordered the teahouse to be closed immediately. She then called everyone back and said, "Today is just the beginning. The first seven days of opening will definitely be packed with people, but after a few days, the flow of people will naturally decrease. That's why I update the exam questions in the teahouse every week to attract those scholars and literati."
When the shopkeeper heard Qingyao's words, he clapped his hands happily and praised, "Master, this is a great idea! I really admire you."
Qingyao casually raised her head, signaling the shopkeeper to stop his flattery. Then, she addressed the crowd in a serious tone, "As long as this teahouse becomes famous, it will rake in a fortune from today onwards, and naturally, it will attract scoundrels. Those responsible for security must be extremely vigilant. Starting today, we'll implement a two-shift system, with daytime and nighttime staff alternating. Most importantly, the safety of the teahouse must be ensured. All incoming tea must be inspected and tested. I'll send in a few people who understand poisons, and they'll be responsible for testing the tea daily to see if it's poisonous. The shopkeeper is responsible for maintaining order within the teahouse, and the twelve guards below must ensure its safety. The rest of you will be responsible for serving everyone well. Remember, no mistakes are allowed. If you all perform well, you'll receive a monthly bonus."
Everyone leaned forward slightly and said to Qingyao, "Yes, Master, we will remember this."
Qingyao then asked the servants to clean the teahouse and left. She wanted to see what the prince would do tonight.
The night was like a huge piece of black silk, slowly descending from the sky, tightly wrapping the entire city. Shadows spread wantonly in every corner, as if they had life, silently gathering and twisting.
In the darkness, the secret guards sent by the Emperor were like ghosts hidden in the abyss. They were agile and nimble, their black clothes blending into the night, leaving only a pair of cold eyes flashing with a cold light in the darkness.
They held their breath, gripped their blades tightly, and quietly approached their target - the Prince's Mansion.
Each step was as light as a feather, for fear of disturbing the seemingly quiet but actually turbulent night. The wind seemed to sense the tense atmosphere and stopped blowing. Everything around was silent for the upcoming assassination. Only the heartbeats of the secret guards, which accelerated slightly due to excitement, beat dully in their chests, as if sounding the prelude to death.
At this moment, in the dark, the Emperor gently put his arm around Qingyao's waist and watched the Prince's Mansion in the dark, with murderous intent flashing in both of their eyes.
Dongzhu and the other four maids were wearing night clothes and watching the emperor's secret guards from a distance. If the emperor's secret guards were not able to act properly, they would help.
At this moment, in the study of the Prince's Mansion, the Prince was discussing strategies against Qingyao and the Prime Minister's Mansion with his confidants.
The Crown Prince said casually and nonchalantly, "Since Qingyao has been chosen as my Crown Princess, even if I can control half of the Prime Minister's Mansion, it won't be easy for that old fox Prime Minister to control him. Do you have any ideas?"
A confidant said, "It is said that the Prime Minister's wife and the Prime Minister's wife are not particularly fond of Qingyao. They favor another legitimate daughter. Moreover, in order to consolidate your future power, the Crown Prince not only wants to marry Qingyao, a great helper, but also consider Xu Qingqing, the daughter of Minister Xu. She is deeply favored by the Xu family, and the Xu family also controls half of the connections in the court. If Your Highness marries both women, he will control most of the power in the court. Now it depends on who will become the Crown Princess and who will become the concubine."
The other confidants also stepped forward, bowed and said, "We second the motion!"
The Crown Prince's expression was difficult to discern in the candlelight. He stroked the ring on his thumb and said slowly, "So, who do you think would be suitable as the Crown Princess? And who would be suitable as a concubine?"
One of his confidants suggested, "Why not marry Qingyao as a concubine and the young lady of the Xu family as his principal wife? After all, the Xu family is well-known for doting on their daughters, and Xu Qingqing, the eldest daughter of the Xu family, also admires the prince. If His Highness marries a daughter of the Xu family, he can control the Xu family. The Prime Minister's family doesn't favor Qingyao nearly as much as the second eldest daughter. The prince could marry the second eldest daughter of the Prime Minister as a concubine, and take Qingyao as a concubine as well. In this way, perhaps he can control the Prime Minister's family. What do you think?"
The others all looked up at the Crown Prince, and after a long pause, they heard him say, "But the Emperor has issued a decree, appointing Qingyao as the Crown Princess, while the concubines are still undecided. Now, if I ask the Emperor for permission to marry Xu Qingqing, the legitimate daughter of the Xu family, as the Crown Princess, would that be inappropriate?"
One of his confidants stepped forward and leaned over to the Crown Prince, saying, "Your Highness, please ask His Majesty to marry Xu Qingqing, the legitimate daughter of the Xu family, as your co-wife, and the second legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister's family as your concubine. This way, you can gain the support of both the Prime Minister's family and the Xu family."
Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince looked up at his confidant, then lowered his eyes and said, "If we use this method to marry these two legitimate daughters, will it arouse the Emperor's suspicion?"
One of his confidants said, "The Crown Prince could first privately tell Minister Xu that he wants his daughter, Xu Qingqing, to be his concubine, and then discuss it privately with the Prime Minister. That way, he can marry her later."
The prince fell into deep thought. The study fell silent for a moment, the only sound being the occasional crackling of the candlelight. After a moment, the prince finally raised his head, a flicker of determination in his eyes. He said, "Let's follow this plan, but be very careful not to let any word leak out."
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