Chapter 421 The Zhu Family is Planning an Opportunity
The residence of Imperial Censor Zhu.
As the weather grew colder, Zhu Yiyi and Aunt Xue whispered among themselves in the room. Aunt Xue said worriedly, "Miss knows about what's happening in the palace, doesn't she?"
Zhu Yiyi delicately drew her eyebrows with her slender fingers. "What do you think of this eyebrow shape, Aunt?"
When she met the Crown Princess that day, she was also amazed by her stunning beauty. No wonder the Crown Prince doted on her so much. Her demeanor was truly as noble as that of the Empress. She tried to draw the same eyebrow shape, but she always felt it was too flamboyant.
She thought to herself: The Crown Prince must like girls from modest families. The way he looked at her that day made her think that he would like her.
One thing she was certain of was that the Crown Prince liked intelligent women. The Crown Princess was the daughter of the Grand Tutor. She had sent people to inquire about her secretly, but they couldn't find out anything. All they knew was that Jiang Fenghua had been well-versed in poetry and literature since childhood.
Jiang Fenghua also enjoys high prestige among the people. Her display of kindness in front of the Crown Prince shows that he likes kind and simple-minded women, and she cannot appear too eager for quick success.
Aunt Xue examined it for a moment, "It's beautiful, but what are the young lady's plans now?"
Zhu Yiyi said calmly, "What else can we plan? We'll just wait for the Emperor to pass away and the Crown Prince to ascend the throne, and then we can slowly make plans later."
Aunt Xue said, "I didn't expect the Second Miss to be so clever, managing to escape this predicament so easily. It might be difficult for the Eldest Miss to enter the palace. Even if the Crown Prince ascends the throne and selects new concubines, our family won't have any more spots. There's no precedent for this in any dynasty. The Eldest Miss should have seized the opportunity back then..."
"At that time, the Empress specifically requested the eldest daughter of the Zhu family, and we couldn't get in even if we fought tooth and nail." Her status as a concubine's daughter greatly limited her.
She said, "Auntie, what I'm anxious about now isn't a spot, but the Crown Prince's favor. Even if I get a spot, what's the use if His Highness doesn't like me? Look at the other ladies in the Eastern Palace, they've all entered the palace. Does the Crown Prince truly like them?"
Aunt Xue nodded. "That's true. If a man's mind isn't on a woman, nothing he does will make a difference."
Zhu Yiyi went to the First Madam's courtyard to pay her respects. The First Madam had been ill recently and had been bedridden. Ever since she received the message that Liu Mama had secretly passed on to her, she had loathed Zhu Yiyi.
Zhu Yiyi slowly entered the house and respectfully bowed, saying, "Daughter greets Mother."
Madam Zhu glanced at her; she had a gentle demeanor, clear eyes, and was incredibly pure and lovely. "Why has Miss come here?"
"My daughter made pear syrup for her mother; the doctor said it can cure her cough," Zhu Yiyi said sincerely.
Madam Zhu, however, lost her temper and pushed the bowl away from Zhu Yiyi's hand. Whether Zhu Yiyi deliberately lost her grip or Madam Zhu really pushed too hard, the porcelain bowl fell to the ground, and the pear syrup spilled all over the floor.
Zhu Yiyi said softly, "Mother must have misunderstood me. If you don't believe me, I will go and ask Father to arrange a marriage for me. If you marry me off, I won't go to the palace to steal my sister's husband."
Her voice was soft and weak. She had long known that her father would never marry her off at this time; she was her father's most outstanding daughter.
Madam Zhu then looked at her seriously, "Fortunately, Zhenzhen was smart and didn't personally administer the medicine, otherwise the young mistress who suddenly died today would have been Zhenzhen. When you gave the medicine to Zhenzhen, didn't you think of this step?"
Zhu Yiyi knelt on the ground and swore, "Heaven and earth bear witness, the sun and moon shine upon me, if I, Yiyi, have such a heart, may I die a horrible death."
Madam Zhu was stunned, deeply moved.
Zhu Yiyi pressed on, "Yiyi really wants to help Zhen. Mother knows Father's temper. If Zhenzhen can't get pregnant, Father will be even more disappointed in her. Yiyi came up with a desperate idea, thinking that as long as Zhenzhen seizes the opportunity to be favored by the Crown Prince, she will have a chance to get pregnant. I'm doing this all for Zhen'er's sake."
Madam Zhu thought that perhaps Granny Liu was overthinking things. What Zhu Yiyi gave Zhen'er was just aphrodisiac powder to enhance the pleasure between men and women, not poison to harm the Crown Prince. If Zhen'er could succeed, wouldn't things develop in a positive direction?
"Get up!" Madam Zhu said again. "It's not your fault. I know that ever since Zhenzhen miscarried, the master has been unhappy and has been blaming Zhenzhen. That's why he wanted you to come to the palace as well."
“Yiyi doesn’t want to go to the palace.” Zhu Yiyi used a retreat as a strategy. She knew that once Madam Zhu became wary of her, she, as a concubine’s daughter, would rarely have the opportunity to attend palace banquets. However, if Madam Zhu accompanied her, she would have more opportunities in the future.
“As long as Zhenzhen can gain the Crown Prince’s favor again and conceive an heir, you won’t need to go to the palace anymore,” Madam Zhu said directly.
Zhu Yiyi clenched her fists, her hands hidden in her sleeves, thinking to herself: That's why she couldn't let Zhu Zhenzhen give birth to the imperial heir so easily and block her path.
"Sister Zhen is so smart and beautiful, she will surely be favored by the Crown Prince again," she said gently. It seemed she had to push her father to make a decision soon.
"I ask Mother to make the decision regarding Yiyi's marriage," Zhu Yiyi said again.
Madam Zhu frowned. "If my husband won't budge, I can't arrange a marriage for you on my own. Let's wait a little longer! The Emperor is seriously ill, and my husband has been serving him in the palace every day and hasn't come back. When he returns, I will talk to your father and make sure to find you a husband who is a good match for our Zhu family."
"Thank you, Mother," Zhu Yiyi said.
Unexpectedly, Censor Zhu simply returned home to change his clothes and take a bath. Upon receiving the news, Madam Zhu came looking for him.
At this moment, the newly acquired concubine of Imperial Censor Zhu was serving him while he took a bath in the room. The concubine was sensible and knew how to please her master, but Madam Zhu disturbed his enjoyment and scolded her.
Madam Zhu wasn't afraid that he would directly dismiss the concubine. She said in a deep voice, "As the mistress of the house, I should always be concerned about the marriages of the young ladies in the mansion to be befit a mistress. Zhenzhen is already married, and Yiyi is sixteen years old and should get married. When Master is not at home all day, I manage all the affairs of the mansion..."
"You think that if you marry Yiyi off as soon as possible, I won't let her enter the palace, and then no one will compete with your daughter for wealth and status, is that it?" Imperial Censor Zhu said sternly, "If she can't hold onto wealth and status, what can I do? Do you want our entire Zhu family to be disliked by the Crown Prince because of her?"
"I see you're just a short-sighted woman confined to the inner quarters, raising your daughter like this, aren't you ashamed?" Imperial Censor Zhu was merciless when he started to criticize. "You're not an official in the court, so you don't know how fierce the competition is. Minister Tang's daughter has entered the palace and has given birth to a son. Even the Song family, who aren't officials in the capital, have had their daughter enter the palace and given birth to a son. Do you know what kind of wealth awaits those two families in the future? You foolish and ignorant woman... Now Zhenzhen needs Yiyi's help, don't you even know that?"
Madam Zhu couldn't utter a single word. Even so, Zhenzhen was still her own flesh and blood. If she didn't love her, who would?
Only after Madam Zhu left did Imperial Censor Zhu realize that he should bring Yiyi into the palace as soon as possible. Zhu Zhenzhen was only fourteen years old when she entered the palace, but now two years have passed, both of her daughters are sixteen, and the Crown Princess is pregnant. Now is the time for Yiyi to seize the opportunity.
The Emperor's health is nearing its end. Once he passes away, the Great Zhou Dynasty will welcome a new emperor to the throne, and the whole country will celebrate. The new emperor will definitely hold another selection of candidates.
While Imperial Censor Zhu was scheming, Zhu Yiyi was also plotting how to see the Crown Prince again. Last time, she had only shown herself to him briefly and hadn't pursued him too much.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
