Hao Shumei looked at Zhao Shu and said coldly, "Please, Princess."
"Ah," Zhao Shu glanced at her, then, supporting Xiao Guozi, asked Sun Yun, "Are you sure you can manage on your own?"
"Don't worry, I'm not confident in dealing with you. You underestimate me too much, just a mere palace concubine." Sun Yun smiled confidently, clearly dissatisfied with Zhao Shu's words.
However, these words provoked Sun Yun, who swayed in anger.
If we are backward, we will be attacked. If we had not wanted to put the crown prince to death back then, why would we be in such a sorry state and subject to others now?
In the end, it was all her own doing.
Zhao Shu turned around and left the palace shortly afterward.
At this juncture, it's not advisable to do too much, otherwise we'll lose control of the situation and have to wait for the enemy to shoot themselves in the foot.
Back at the Prince's mansion, Zhao Shu resumed her leisurely days of playing cards and snacking.
Others, however, did not have the same leisure and inclination.
Several ministers in the court received Zhao Bi's message, but since he was an important figure, he did not send a message through a servant, but went to persuade them personally.
First, there was King Hui. Zhao Bi promised King Hui very tempting benefits.
Upon seeing Zhao Bi, Prince Hui showed no surprise. He was currently plagued by bad luck, and if he did not return to the capital, he feared he would fall into obscurity.
"Fourth Prince, shouldn't you be in Chu?" King Hui pointed to the chair opposite him, gesturing for him to sit down. "To return to the capital without being summoned is to defy the imperial decree."
Zhao Bi first gave Prince Hui a junior's greeting before sitting down. He didn't beat around the bush with Prince Hui because he knew that Prince Hui harbored a deep resentment towards Emperor Mingde. Although he was still alive and had retained his title, he had lost his fiefdom.
Without the fiefdom, they would lose several thousand taels of income every year. From then on, the Hui Prince's Mansion would have to cut back on spending and increase revenue. How could the people of the Hui Prince's Mansion, who were always extravagant, tolerate this?
He chuckled lightly but did not answer. Instead, he changed the subject, saying, "Uncle Hui's residence is much more exquisite than my prince's residence. The row of clivia I saw when I came here was extremely beautiful. What I didn't expect was that Uncle Hui actually had phoenix feathers. It really surprised me."
King Hui's temples throbbed, but he did not get angry. Instead, he laughed loudly in response, "Uncle has no ambition and just likes to play with flowers and plants. Alas, the late emperor once said that Uncle was obsessed with things and wasted his life. Fourth brother, don't follow Uncle's example."
"Uncle, you are too modest. If you have no ambition, then I'm afraid no one in the world would dare to say that they have ambition. What do you say, Uncle?" Zhao Shu spoke slowly and deliberately, treating Prince Hui as an equal, and did not feel that she should lower her posture because she was young.
However, he never lacks proper manners.
Prince Hui had always known that Zhao Bi was clever, and dared not be careless when facing him. Upon hearing this, he instructed the maid to serve tea. The maid served the tea and then sensibly withdrew.
Soon, only two people remained in the hall. "The fourth brother came to see Uncle, but I'm afraid he didn't come to see Feng Yu."
Zhao Bi stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Uncle, you have a discerning eye. I beg you to help me."
After he finished speaking, he changed his previous attitude and pretended to kneel down. Prince Hui hurriedly stopped him and helped him up. "You know that among your many royal brothers, your uncle loves you the most. Just say what you want to say. There is no need for formalities."
Despite this, Zhao Bi's attitude pleased him greatly, making him feel that he was an important person and that others would not dare to ignore him easily!
Zhao Bi said earnestly and sincerely, "Uncle, there are misunderstandings about me in the palace and the court. Moreover, I am a person who hates evil and has offended many people. The Crown Prince and my eldest brother regard me as a thorn in their side. Only with your help can I get through this difficult time. I beg you to help me, considering that I am close to you. In the future, I will return your fiefdom to you twofold!"
Prince Hui was startled, but joy quickly flashed in his eyes. He then patted Zhao Bi on the shoulder and said, “Of course, Fourth Prince, don’t worry. Your uncle will never let anyone bully you. Your uncle watched you grow up and knows your character. You are definitely not the kind of person who would cause trouble. The Crown Prince and the First Prince have gone too far. As your elders, we have a duty to make them understand what brotherly love and respect mean!”
"Thank you, Uncle!" Zhao Bi thanked him again, while secretly letting out a sigh of relief. However, his contempt for Prince Hui had deepened considerably.
Having persuaded Prince Hui, he immediately moved his attention to the residence of Lin Chaoying, a university student. Now, Lin Chaoying was the chief official in the court, replacing Yang Zhong, which was a meteoric rise.
However, he wasn't as bold as Prince Hui. He dismissed everyone and led Zhao Bi to the study before asking in alarm, "Your Highness, why are you here? Does the Emperor know?"
"Lord Lin, please calm down. Ziyu has come to discuss something with you." He referred to himself by his courtesy name, which was polite and humble, immediately bridging the gap between the two.
Lin Chaoying was taken aback, then looked at him closely. "Your Highness, you didn't secretly return from Chu, did you?"
"My lord, I have no choice but to return. The court and the market are all misunderstanding me. I am afraid that my father will be deceived by villains, so I rushed back. As soon as I got back, I came to your residence to ask for your help. I would be very grateful if you would lend a hand."
He finished speaking and bowed respectfully, saying, "Please help Ziyu, sir."
Lin Chaoying knew perfectly well what he meant. She turned around, looked away, and sighed, "Your Highness, the Lin family is not like the Yang or Xie families. How can I help you?"
“As long as you are willing, I can help you. My lord, Ziyu, like you, believes that the new law will disrupt the country and destroy the foundation of Dayong. As long as you are willing to help Ziyu, I will definitely follow the old system and abolish the new law. At that time, the Lin family will surely be able to surpass the Yang and Xie families.”
Lin Chaoying turned around sharply to look at Zhao Bi. He hadn't expected Zhao Bi to offer such a condition, but he still couldn't agree. If Emperor Mingde promoted him, he could demote him. He couldn't gamble. The Lin family was different from the Xie and Yang families; they didn't have the ability to make Emperor Mingde wary.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
