Xu Yunci's gaze was calm, but his eyes held a hint of scrutiny as he looked at the King of Zhao: "What are you saying all this for?"
He didn't believe that the Prince of Zhao would be so kind; the Xu family and the Prince of Zhao's residence hadn't reached the point where they could say such things.
Especially the King of Zhao, who has been quite mysterious since returning to the capital, as if he is unfathomable.
Noticing the suspicion in his eyes, King Zhao was not annoyed. He spread his hands and smiled, "Consider it doing you a favor. I'll be a wealthy and noble prince, unlike Qin Ying. You're loyal to Chonghua Palace, and I'm afraid I might end up like Qin Ying someday."
"Besides, I'd also like to know how far you'd go for your little cousin after I tell you all this. Although the Changping Marquis's mansion isn't doing so well these days, would you be willing to stand up for the Princess of Yichang and teach Fu Yunning a lesson?"
The cunning glint in King Zhao's eyes was not hidden; it seemed as if it had been deliberately revealed, but it quickly vanished.
"Grand Tutor Qin is so engrossed in poetry and books that I can't stand the aroma of the tea in his residence. Wine is much better." He stood up, dusted off non-existent dust, and walked in the other direction.
Guo Xun listened without speaking. There were some things he didn't know. Seeing the seriousness in Xu Yunci's eyes, he didn't know how to start the conversation.
"I have heard that after Qin Ying, a commoner, was imprisoned, the Changping Marquis's Mansion intended to get close to the Prince of Zhao, and I heard that they wanted Miss Fu to marry the Prince of Zhao and become his princess."
He couldn't help but feel fortunate. Some time ago, he had overheard Xu Lingzi talking with other officials' wives and concubines. He didn't expect that seeing the Prince of Zhao today would remind him of that conversation.
Speaking of the Earl of Changping, Guo Xun's eyes were filled with undisguised sarcasm. He had previously been clinging to the coattails of the commoner Qin Ying, eager to tell the world that the Princess Consort of Yan was the eldest daughter of the Earl of Changping.
During that time, I heard gossip on the street that Miss Fu was desperate to get married. In fact, it was all the fault of the Earl of Changping. As a father, he didn't care about his daughter's reputation. Even Fu Yun Ning, the person involved, lived in Pi Xiang Palace and directly cut off all contact with the Earl of Changping's mansion.
Now that Qin Ying, a commoner, has fallen from power and the Imperial Concubine has lost favor, the Changping Earl's Mansion is in even greater decline. Is this another attempt to use the old methods to elevate the daughter of the Changping Earl's Mansion to the position of a Prince's Consort, thus preserving their wealth and honor?
Another version of the story is that the Earl of Changping intended to send Fu Yunning to Chonghua Palace as a concubine. Even more absurdly, it is said that the Imperial Concubine deliberately kept Fu Yunning in Pixiang Palace, waiting for the Emperor to come so that she could use her niece to secure his favor.
There were all sorts of conflicting opinions, and they were extremely unpleasant to hear.
Xu Yunci had been helping the Duke of Rong manage flood control, and even though he was in the capital, he had never paid attention to these matters. When Guo Xun mentioned them, his eyes showed disgust.
Guo Xun sighed: "If it were my sister, and she were treated like this, I would definitely stand up for her. After hearing this, Azi sold off the servants who were gossiping in the mansion, and she also looked down on the Changping Marquis's mansion."
When Guo Xun spoke of his wife, his eyes softened with tenderness, as if he were thinking of something wonderful.
"That suits her character. Even an upright official finds it hard to settle family disputes. The Imperial Concubine has served the Emperor for many years, so there must be some affection between them. The Earl of Changping's actions will only wear down the Emperor's patience with the Fu family."
Xu Yunci rubbed the teacup with his fingertips, pondering Zhao Wang's words. If he was right, what Princess Chunhui did was inextricably linked to Fu Yunning.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, he looked up and saw a group of young men under the eaves, including the heir of the Marquis of Changping: "The people from the Marquis of Changping have come too?"
Guo Xun followed the gaze and said, "That's the heir of the Marquis of Changping. I don't know the others."
Seeing the worry on Xu Yunci's face, and thinking that Zhao Wang's words might not be entirely unreasonable, Xu Yunci was probably worried about Li Shiyue. He sighed softly, "Azi and Yan Yan should be together. I'll go with you to find them in a little while."
He went to find his wife, and Xu Yunci accompanied him. They happened to see Li Shiyue with Xu Lingzi. If word got out on their own, it wouldn't damage their reputations.
Even though they are now engaged and the imperial decree has been proclaimed to the world, it is still the Grand Tutor's residence. If the two meet in private and are seen by others, gossip will inevitably spread.
"Smack."
As Li Shiyue was talking to Qin Wanyin, suddenly the shards of a teacup beside her feet scattered, splashing water and tea leaves onto her shoes and skirt.
Before she could react, she heard a harsh, mocking voice right in front of her, with his back to her: "You still have the nerve to go out? You have the audacity to want to share a husband with your aunt."
The woman stood with her hands on her hips, and even from behind, one could almost see her arrogant expression and how cocky she was.
Across from her, Fu Yunning, with tears in her eyes and a resolute expression of holding back her tears, seemed to be driven to desperation, biting her lip and gradually losing all color: "What nonsense are you talking about!"
Upon hearing this, the woman laughed instead, crossing her arms: "What nonsense! Previously, your Changping Marquis's Mansion coveted the position of Princess of Yan and couldn't wait to tell the whole world. Now that Qin Ying is a commoner, your Changping Marquis's Mansion has high standards and naturally wants to choose a new son-in-law. How could you possibly have taken a liking to your own uncle-in-law?"
"Are you tired of living? How dare you criticize these things?" Qin Wanyin was the first to react. Although she disliked Fu Yunning, someone was causing trouble on her property.
The woman seemed to have thought of something, glared at Fu Yunning, and left, ignoring the women who had gathered to watch the show.
She probably thought that Fu Yuning's "uncle" was an official, and it wouldn't be surprising if he were executed along with his entire family for criticizing the emperor.
Fu Yunning didn't look up, feeling as if the gazes were fixed on her, as if they were trying to bore holes into her, so she turned and ran away.
Some viewers felt uncomfortable watching this scene, while others found it amusing and even made fun of it.
Qin Wanyin went back, pursed her lips, and called over a maid, instructing her: "Go and follow her. If anything happens, listen to Miss Fu's instructions and make sure nothing happens to anyone in the mansion."
The maid acknowledged and hurriedly chased after her, only then did Qin Wanyin turn her gaze away.
The group looked at each other in silence. Li Shiyue stood up and sighed, "I'd better go change my clothes first."
"I'll have someone take you there. Do you have any clothes prepared? If not, wear mine first." Qin Wanyin also got up and looked at the water stains on her skirt. Fortunately, they were only on the shoes and the hem of the skirt. Any higher and they would have burned her legs.
"Everything is here. Please sit down first. I'll be back in a bit." Li Shiyue told Chunling to go and get it first, while she followed Qin Wanyin's maid toward a courtyard.
Actually, she didn't want to watch the show, but she was used to seeing Fu Yuning's arrogant demeanor with the protection of the imperial concubine, and now she felt really sorry for her.
Changping Bo is a terrible father, just like her cheapskate father. She has her maternal grandmother's love, and Fu Yuning has her aunt's protection, but Changping Bo is now even using his own daughter, completely disregarding Fu Yuning's reputation.
A perfectly good woman from a good family was tortured like this; anyone who saw it would want to curse the Earl of Changping.
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