Chapter 666: The Deposed Princess Strikes Back at the Female General 113
Prince Rui's residence was naturally the best. Su Ziyan had suggested living together, but Prince Rui refused on the grounds that it was against the rules.
If they lived together all the time, how could he find other women? And there were some things he had to hide from Su Ziyan. When Su Ziyan came to his yard, he had to let the servants inform her.
Su Ziyan found a set of clean clothes for Prince Rui. There were also clothes for her in the closet, but she was dirty and she didn't feel comfortable even after changing her clothes.
Although they did not live together, she was the only one who could stay overnight at King Rui's place. Ji Yunhuan had never lived here before. Her clothes were also here. They were no different from an ordinary couple.
"Why are you in such a hurry? The most important thing has been done. Why don't we go take a dip in the Half Moon Pool? No one else will serve you. I'll rub Brother Rui's back. Do you remember when you were injured and couldn't move easily in the southwest? I was the one who took care of you."
Only in Prince Rui's courtyard was there a bathing pool. The courtyard where she lived was already very good, but she could only take a bath in a wooden barrel.
Prince Rui was a little annoyed. "It will be the same if you go back and wash it. I have servants to serve me. You are the princess, so you don't need to do these rough jobs."
Su Ziyan smiled and said, "We are husband and wife. I can lead troops to fight for you, and I can also cook for you. I am happy to take care of you. I am much more considerate than those clumsy servants."
King Rui said impatiently: "I didn't marry you to let you do this."
Su Ziyan thought that King Rui was worried about her, so she stuck to him even more, "Brother Rui, I'm willing to do anything for you."
Prince Rui dodged the hand that Su Ziyan extended and said indifferently, "Then you should handle the celebration well and stop clinging to me all day. You used to be straightforward and not so fussy."
"Now the Northern Border Army is already in the hands of Prince Yi. Famous generals such as Xue Qing and Geng Wei turned a deaf ear to my attempts to win them over, but submitted to Yuwen Yi. Ji Yunhuan must have contributed to this."
"In the capital, there are my people in all six tribes, but I used all my tricks and the alliance was successfully finalized. Yuwen Yi, that reckless man, has always fallen into my traps, but this time he was very cautious. It must be Ji Yunhuan who was behind this."
"The daughter raised by the Duke's Mansion is extraordinary after all. I underestimated her in the past. More importantly, Ji Yunhuan and Yuwen Yi each brought 5,000 soldiers to escort envoys from various countries to the capital. The number of people is not large, but they are actually stationed in the capital."
"This makes me feel uneasy. If Yuwen Yi has evil intentions, I don't have any troops in the capital! Yan'er, if you can make great contributions like Ji Yunhuan and bring the Southwest Army's envoys to the capital, I won't be so passive!"
"If it was back then... that's it. It's useless to say these things now. Yan'er, please don't let this king down."
The favorability level kept dropping and had already reached the critical point of 80%.
Su Ziyan was shocked and angry. Everything was fine just now, how could it suddenly become like this?
It shouldn't be like this, Prince Rui should be devoted to her. They are a perfect match, destined to reach the top together.
"Brother Rui, do you regret choosing me? You promised me that we would be together forever, but you are still thinking about Ji Yunhuan in your heart!"
"Have you met her in private? She told you all these things, right? She deliberately raised her own status to make you waver and confuse your heart."
Prince Rui did look for Ji Yunhuan in private, but Ji Yunhuan still refused to see him.
He asked his followers to write many love poems and sent them to the Duke's Mansion, but Ji Yunhuan burned them without even looking at them.
He fought openly and secretly with Prince Yi, and he was at a disadvantage every time. Gradually, he realized Ji Yunhuan's role in it, and he did regret it a little.
However, the dignified King Rui would naturally not admit that he regretted it. She was just a woman.
"Why are you making such a fuss? How could I possibly regret for a woman? This is ridiculous!"
"Someone, send the princess back."
Several eunuchs came in and respectfully asked the princess to leave. Su Ziyan didn't dare to argue anymore. She was afraid that her favorability would drop further, so she could only leave angrily.
It was all Ji Yunhuan's fault! She haunted the couple and even though they had divorced, she still deliberately tried to sow discord between Prince Rui and her.
She will not let Ji Yunhuan succeed. She will completely defeat Ji Yunhuan and let King Rui know that she is the best and the most special!
In the blink of an eye, it was the day of celebration.
The dragon flags fluttered, the palace music played, the emperor and empress's procession came out of the Ziyang Gate, with the patrol battalion leading the way and the imperial guards escorting them as they headed towards the altar in the capital.
The road paved with bluestone slabs was spotless. In order to welcome the emperor and empress, the patrol camp had already cleared the area and swept it over and over again.
The roadside teahouses, taverns, shops and houses have all been cleared out, leaving no hidden dangers, and it is even more impossible for small vendors to linger on the road.
Wherever the dragon sedan chair went, the people knelt on the ground and shouted in unison, "Long live the emperor! Long live the queen!"
The emperor's face was flushed, and he shouted, "No need to be polite!"
The eunuchs passed on the emperor's message one after another, and the people stood up in an orderly manner, very well aware of the rules.
The emperor was very satisfied. "The people live and work in peace and contentment, Chen State expands its territory, and other countries submit to it. I have lived up to the earnest instructions of the empress dowager and my ancestors."
"Those censors like to exaggerate. The capital is under the feet of the emperor. How can there be so many evil things? The people are well fed and well clothed, and they are all praising my merits."
The queen knew at a glance that the people on the roadside were not ordinary people, but either from minor officials or wealthy people who took this opportunity to catch a glimpse of the emperor.
These people were all arranged in advance. The miserable conditions of selling children, beggars begging on the streets, poor people with patched clothes, these dishonorable people naturally could not appear in front of the emperor.
The Empress Dowager always advised the Emperor to understand the people's sentiments. The Emperor did go to the south of the Yangtze River, but his secret visit was known to the whole of Jiangnan, so it had no effect at all.
The emperor's travels always cost a lot of money and labor, and he never sent his confidants to investigate the local conditions. The empress had long understood that the emperor had limited abilities and was pushed to the throne by the empress dowager. As long as no one threatened the imperial power, the emperor would just muddle along and enjoy power and wealth.
The Queen agreed perfunctorily: "Your Majesty is right."
When the imperial carriage reached Hongfu Street, more people gathered on both sides of the carriage. They knelt on the ground and shouted "Long live the emperor".
There was a sudden commotion in the crowd on the left. Dozens of men in black came out of the shops nearby, weapons drawn, killing people to clear their way, and headed straight for the emperor!
"Protect the emperor! There is an assassin!" the eunuch's sharp voice rang out.
The emperor subconsciously hid behind and pushed the queen forward.
The queen sneered in her heart, thinking that the emperor was scared like this by just a few dozen assassins, what a waste!
The queen did not move. She stood in front of the emperor and said sternly, "Archers, prepare your weapons and protect the emperor! Do not hurt innocent people!"
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