"Your Majesty, what are you saying? The Prince and the Princess are both filial children. Why do you need to interfere?" Zhang Chu quickly reassured them.
"I have already paid the price for Yide's matter, but the Emperor still refuses to let it go. How could I have given birth to such a romantic?" She finished speaking with a hint of anger on her face.
Zhang Chu lowered his head and held the Empress Dowager's hand even more carefully, saying, "Your Majesty, please calm down."
"I can no longer be angry about this matter." After saying that, she raised her hand to stop Zhang Chu and went into the Crown Prince's bedroom alone. A short while later, Li Zhuo jumped out of the window and stood guard outside.
No one knows what the Empress Dowager and the Crown Prince said. The Empress Dowager did not stay long, and came out after only a quarter of an hour. After coming out, she went directly to the small Buddhist hall in Fengxin Palace.
After leaving Fengxin Palace, Zhao Shu went straight to the embroidery tower, with Xiao Zhu Zi and Xiao Guo Zi following behind her. She found a chair, sat down, and opened the letter in her bosom. There were seven or eight sheets of paper, quite a lot. She slowly read through them, her brows furrowing more and more as she read.
Xiao Guozi and Xiao Zhuzi exchanged a glance, both knowing in their hearts that this was definitely going to be very disadvantageous for them.
It took me the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to finish reading everything. Huo Baichuan's interest in Jiang Yue was actually for Song Tianhe's sake, but Song Tianhe had no connection with the Huo family. This didn't make sense. Why would the Huo family pay attention to a young master from an ordinary, well-off family? Song Tianhe was neither a famous scholar nor a genius, and he wasn't related to the Huo family. I just couldn't understand it.
As for the other piece of news, Xiao Xingyuan's infatuation with Huo Danlan, she didn't find it too strange. She just thought Xiao Xingyuan was a strange person, having Jiu Niang but not wanting to wait for Huo Danlan.
As for Hao Shumei's story, it is much more legendary. First of all, she had a painful first love, which was her cousin, the Crown Prince. The two had a secret affair, but the Empress did not want Hao Shumei to be the Crown Princess. She wanted to marry a noblewoman to the Crown Prince. Later, the Crown Prince left the capital, and Hao Shumei learned that the Crown Prince probably would not return. Just then, she met the dashing and comforting Fourth Prince Zhao Bi.
Zhao Bi honed his skills in flirting with women, and Hao Shumei fell for him. However, Zhao Bi only wanted to flirt and had no intention of marrying her. In order to suppress the Crown Prince, Consort De and Consort Ning conspired to send Hao Shumei to the Emperor's bed through the Empress.
So the question arises: who does Hao Shumei love at this moment? The Crown Prince, Zhao Bi, or even the Emperor Mingde? Hao Shumei herself is somewhat confused. On one hand, she reminisces about her first love with the Crown Prince, feeling melancholic and wistful. On the other hand, she is heartbroken because she loves Zhao Bi but cannot be with him. Yet, she has given her body to the Emperor Mingde, who dotes on her immensely.
At this time, the Crown Prince was not around, and Zhao Bi would occasionally run into him. His restrained and painful gaze deeply affected her, and she finally realized that she loved the Fourth Prince.
Instigated by Consort De and Consort Ning, she grew to hate the Empress, believing that the Empress had tricked her into going to the Emperor's bed in order to prevent her from being with the Crown Prince. The Empress, on the other hand, was extremely wronged, as her son's fate was uncertain and the person her son loved had entered the palace to compete with her for the Emperor's favor. Thus, the two women instantly split into two camps.
Just then, the Empress and the Emperor had a falling out. Consort De and Consort Ning seized the opportunity and, together with Hao Shumei, quickly stripped the Empress of her power and confined her to her quarters.
Hao Shumei became the Empress's complete adversary, and under the multi-pronged attack from Consort De and Consort Ning, Zhao Bi, she plunged headlong into a dead end and never came out again.
In addition, external factors such as Prince Hui, the Wei family, and the Shen family, coupled with the fact that both sides are allies and political parties in balancing their interests, led the Hao family to side with the Crown Prince's adversary.
The engagement between Liuli and the eldest son of the Marquis of Zhongyong is a symbol of an alliance. The harem is involved in court politics, but given the current power struggle in Dayong, the harem's influence is not significant.
After reading the information about Hao Shumei, Zhao Shu sighed for a long time. What a stupid woman, being used by her family to move between several men, and not even knowing how to protect herself. She is truly brainless.
The remaining information is about Song Tianhe. Song Tianhe is from Hangu Pass, 27 years old, has been missing for ten years, and is in the jade business. He was once known as a legend in the jade industry, and was most skilled at gambling on stones, never losing.
At a young age, he had already opened dozens of jade shops, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that he was richer than a country. However, he mysteriously disappeared ten years ago and has never been seen since. All his businesses quickly declined after he left, the Song family of Hangu Pass also moved away from Hangu Pass, and Song Tian and his parents died mysteriously.
The intelligence report also mentioned Jiang Yue briefly, mentioning that she always gave whatever she got to her younger siblings and would voluntarily give up anything.
"How is Jiang Yue now?" Zhao Shu asked.
Xiao Zhu Zi said, "She stays in Jiahan Hall and never comes out. She does needlework all day long. To this servant, it looks like she's embroidering a veil."
"Hmph." Zhao Shu snorted coldly, "She's still hoping my father will marry her."
She had barely finished speaking when Chu Chun's voice came from outside, "Your Highness, I saw Aunt Bi Qiao go to invite Miss Jiang."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Shu slammed her hand on the table. "Go and see!"
Tucked the intelligence Xia Guang had sent into her bosom, Zhao Shu hurriedly left the embroidered tower. Just then, Xing'er led people to set out the meal. "Your Highness..." Before she could finish speaking, Zhao Shu walked past her and left Jinlan Palace.
She didn't even respond when Sun Yun called after her.
As she stepped out of Jinlan Palace, a gust of cold wind blew by, calming her chaotic thoughts. Her rapid steps gradually came to a stop. "If you two take me there quietly, can you avoid Uncle Fu?"
Xiao Zhu and Xiao Guo exchanged a glance, then shook their heads with bitter faces, "We are incompetent and no match for Steward Fu."
She stamped her foot, "Why hasn't Zhihai come back yet?"
The two lowered their heads, realizing that Zhihai and his group were no match for them.
Suddenly, Zhao Shu felt a gust of wind rushing towards her. In the blink of an eye, she found herself airborne. When she came to her senses, she realized that she had been carried away from gravity and flown to Hanzhang Palace.
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