She remained silent, but Sun Yun continued to stare at her with a half-smile, making her break out in a cold sweat. Finally, she couldn't hold back any longer and sat up straight, protesting, "It's really nothing!"
"Tsk tsk, I never said we were related, why are you so anxious?" She tried her best to suppress her laughter, her face turning red. "My grandfather had a trusted confidant, and I originally wanted to go to great lengths to get rid of him, but he was killed beforehand. The only person willing to help me is you. You certainly didn't kill Sun Qi, did you?"
Zhao Shu immediately realized what she was going to say, and turned her head away, "Maybe it was the Crown Prince who helped you?"
"Impossible." She immediately retorted, and smiled slyly. "That day, His Highness the Crown Prince only sent Xiao Fuzi to take me from my grandmother's courtyard to my grandfather's study. It couldn't have been His Highness the Crown Prince. Besides, Sun Qi is very skilled. There aren't many people who can eliminate him silently. Moreover, at the last Hundred Flowers Banquet, General Wei went out of his way to support you."
“That’s Little Fatty. He’s quite skilled too.” Zhao Shu quickly gave a few examples. “There’s also Lord Qiu, Lord Yan, Lord Wang, and Lord Xie. They all had grudges against your grandfather and might be working for them.”
Sun Yun smiled and shook his head, looking at her without saying a word, as if to say, "Go ahead and make this up, I'm listening, but I don't believe you."
Unable to be persuaded by such stubbornness, Zhao Shu could only change her approach with disdain, "How can you be so unprincipled?" This time she was referring to the Mr. Huo she used to talk about a few years ago, and later to Wei Tingsi. Although she had said this before, she was just changing the subject this time.
"Do I need that thing?" That one question left Zhao Shu speechless.
After silencing Zhao Shu, she excitedly moved her chair to sit next to Zhao Shu, raised an eyebrow suggestively, and poked Zhao Shu's arm. "Hey, really, after this happened, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor will definitely find you a husband. Guess who it will be?"
"I feel like you're here to make a fool of me. What happened to our sisterly bond? What happened to sharing joys and sorrows? You have no conscience." She then feigned heartbreak, trying to bluff her way out of the situation.
However, Sun Yun, who had seen many storms, was not fooled by such petty tricks. She continued gossiping, her expression becoming increasingly ambiguous, "You don't understand me. Conscience isn't a standard for me. Don't change the subject. Really, by tomorrow at the latest, the Empress Dowager's decree will arrive. Xiao Xian'er is the husband the Empress Dowager has chosen for you. Although he's a bit young, he can grow up eventually. He's also quite handsome. Lord Huo is implementing reforms, and the Emperor needs a marriage alliance to bind the Huo family. You're just right."
Zhao Shu rolled her eyes at her several times, then her eyes flickered, and she said with a smile, "How about I arrange a marriage for you while we're at it? Your grandmother raised you like a granddaughter, so I'll definitely find you the best match."
“I’m observing mourning, don’t joke around. How can you talk about marriage during mourning? I’m serious. Don’t take this lightly. The elders won’t discuss with you who is suitable. They will only decide who is suitable and then issue an order. They won’t inform you in advance.” Sun Yun put away his joking expression and said seriously.
Zhao Shu also knew that this was true; marriages among royal children were not a matter of mutual consent.
"Xian'er is not bad either," Zhao Shu finally managed to say.
Sun Yun stood up speechlessly, walked to the chaise lounge and lay down, too lazy to pay attention to her. "Think about it carefully. I'm going to sleep for a while. I haven't had a good night's sleep in many days."
How could she sleep soundly in a place like the Sun family's? After several days, she lost a lot of weight, and her whole body seemed to have grown taller, with an air of vicissitude and composure.
After instructing Green Ivy and the others to clear away the bowls and chopsticks on the table, she took Sun Yun's several proposals to the small study, where Xiao Zhu Zi, Xiao Guo Zi, Su Xiu, and others were already there.
They had all heard the rumors circulating outside and were holding their breath. Upon seeing Zhao Shu, Xiao Guozi immediately said, "Princess, as long as you give the order, this servant will immediately go and kill that traitor."
"Yes, Your Highness, please give the order, and we will make sure it bleeds like a river!"
Zhao Shuyang quelled their excitement, "Those are a bunch of desperate criminals. We don't need to risk our lives for them. It's time to use the spies we've planted in various households over the years. Before 7 PM today, I need all the connections within the families."
This matter was mainly Xiao Zhu Zi's responsibility. He immediately accepted the order and stood aside, secretly vowing to make up for his mistake. He instructed Xiao Zhu Zi and then said to Luoluo, "Go find Fei Peng and have him select a few of the best sellers to come and wait for orders."
"Yes." Although he didn't quite understand what the princess was up to this time, and felt a little frustrated that he couldn't lead his people to cause trouble, he still accepted the order and went down.
"Xiao Guozi, go and make arrangements for him to enter the palace secretly." She was genuinely worried that Emperor Mingde and the Empress Dowager would issue an imperial decree to grant them a marriage without her consent.
Since this concerns the Crown Prince, this matter must be resolved quickly. Even if the Empress Dowager and Emperor Mingde want to delay, the Empress will not allow it.
Moreover, the primary target of this matter is the Crown Prince. It's obvious who did it. The Empress has regained control of the six palaces, the Crown Prince has gone to manage the floods, and Zhao Bi's faction has lost all power. If you say it wasn't him, Zhao Shu will be the first to disbelieve it!
After disguising themselves, they boarded a carriage through the back gate of the Prince's Mansion. The carriage had no insignia of the Prince's Mansion and was made of very ordinary materials. As it drove through the streets, it quickly blended into the bustling traffic.
As Zhao Shu sat in the sedan chair, she occasionally overheard people saying, "How shameless! Cousins, tsk tsk..." The words were veiled, but the meaning was clear, making people's minds wander.
"That's right. I heard there were signs of it since she was little. She's really unruly. What good can a daughter be without a mother's guidance? Since ancient times, it's been said that one shouldn't marry the eldest daughter of a widow."
“This elder sister-in-law is right. You should know that one should not marry the eldest daughter of a widow, for she has no manners. One should not marry a person with a serious illness, for he is to be abandoned by heaven. One should not marry a criminal, for he is to be abandoned by humanity. One should not marry a woman from a disorderly family, for she is not of proper character. One should not marry a woman from a rebellious family, for she violates human ethics.”
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