Chapter 97: Royal Secrets, Prying the Master's Mouth
Shen Qingtan knew that this man was asking knowingly, so she pursed her red lips and said, "Help me find a backer for the Bo Mansion?"
After a pause, she continued, "The Bo Mansion has done a lot for the Hou Mansion, so they should have some leverage over them. When the time comes, let's give the Bo Mansion some sweet treats first, and then ask them to show some sincerity."
She couldn't personally deliver the backer to the Earl's Mansion, but instead had to let Liu Ruojiao "accidentally" learn of this opportunity and then pass it on to Earl Yongyi's ears.
Zhao Yi understood that Shen Qingtan wanted the Earl's Mansion to use leverage over the Marquis' Mansion in exchange for benefits.
He was about to answer when he caught a glimpse of her staring at him without blinking. Her dark pupils were filled with his image, as if there was no room for anything else in her eyes except him.
When Zhao Yi thought of this, his heart seemed to be gently bumped by something, his Adam's apple slid slightly, and he turned his eyes away.
The next moment, his sleeve was gently tugged.
"Second Master?"
A soft voice rang in my ears.
Zhao Yi tilted his head slightly, his eyes fixed on his sleeves.
She was wearing a wide-sleeved shirt today, and the light sleeves hung on the hem of her skirt. The cold blue and the warm red were intertwined together, which was surprisingly harmonious.
She stretched out her index finger and scratched his sleeve again and again.
"Erlang?"
She called out softly again, as if she was going to keep asking him until he responded.
Zhao Yi tightened his fingers in his sleeves. He had never encountered such a situation before, and he felt a little at a loss... or perhaps he couldn't handle it, and for a moment he lost his usual composure.
He turned his head awkwardly and said "hmm" softly.
Shen Qingtan saw that he was facing sideways towards her and was always facing the car window. He seemed unable to get used to her calling him "Erlang".
This was the first time she called him Erlang. It was a little difficult for her to say it at first, but seeing his reaction, she felt relieved.
There was a glint of cunning in Shen Qingtan's eyes, as if he had a hold on him.
Because she had won back a victory with Zhao Yi, she was in a good mood all the way.
Zhao Yi, who was standing by, was also infected by her good mood and raised his hand to straighten her crooked hairpin.
Shen Qingtan reached out and touched the hairpin on her temples and smiled at him.
Zhao Yi felt that this atmosphere was very good, so good that he inexplicably wished he could stay with her longer.
——
When the couple returned to Lanxue Garden, Tingxue and Liuyue had already arrived.
Liu Yue gave her the eldest princess's post.
Shen Qingtan rubbed his eyebrows and finally remembered what he had forgotten to say to Zhao Yi.
She trotted into the inner room and saw Zhao Yi taking off his coat and changing into casual clothes.
"Second Master." Shen Qingtan stuffed the invitation into Zhao Yi's hand and tied his belt naturally. "The eldest princess gave me an invitation today, inviting me to the princess's mansion tomorrow."
"Since you mentioned this, I have something to tell you, too." Zhao Yi had been about to say something in the carriage, but was interrupted by her little gesture and had forgotten it for a moment. "The play the troupe performed today did inadvertently reveal a secret of the imperial family. The reason the late emperor was able to inherit the throne was because he married Empress Xiao'en."
Shen Qingtan was stunned.
"The late emperor's mother was of low status. She was originally a talented woman selected from the local area to enter the harem. He was the least favored prince."
Zhao Yi said slowly, "The mothers of the late emperor's two brothers were very favored, and the families behind them held real power. Compared to them, the late emperor had no chance of winning the battle for the throne."
Shen Qingtan asked: "And then?"
"At that time, the Duke of Zhuguo commanded a large army and had only one daughter, Empress Xiaoen. Unlike other ladies from prominent families, Empress Xiaoen was well-versed in military tactics and possessed exceptional martial arts skills. The late emperor was very ambitious and deliberately sought to contact Empress Xiaoen, ultimately fulfilling his wish and marrying her."
Zhao Yi said slowly, "After that, Empress Xiao'en accompanied the late emperor on his campaigns, helping him ascend the throne, eradicating treacherous ministers, and reclaiming imperial power. Her methods were ruthless and decisive, surpassing even the men in their ability. Everyone praised her as the daughter of a military family."
Unfortunately, Empress Xiaoen was so outstanding that she overshadowed the late emperor. Some even secretly spread rumors that the real power was Empress Xiaoen, and the late emperor was just a puppet. The late emperor felt that this was a loss of dignity for a man and became wary of the Zhuguogong Mansion. He designed the Zhuguogong to be defeated, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of soldiers on the battlefield. He then accused the Zhuguogong of treason and gave the empress a cup of poisoned wine.
Shen Qingtan frowned, feeling that the late emperor was too heartless and disloyal.
Zhao Yi said indifferently, "That same year, the Great Zhou wanted to exchange hostages with the Northern Qi. The court officials wanted to send the prince born to Concubine De to Northern Qi, but the late emperor defied all odds and sent Emperor Jing'an to Northern Qi."
"Even people of our status have their fair share of dirty business in their homes." Shen Qingtan suppressed his shock and sighed, "Not to mention the imperial family."
"Yes." Zhao Yi said gently, "Now that you know the inside story, it will be easier for you to deal with the Princess tomorrow."
"Oh." Shen Qingtan took the post from his hand, waved it towards him, and said with a smile: "Thank you Erlang for your advice."
Zhao Yi: “…”
——
The second room is Mingde Hall.
The second wife was holding a pair of fake night pearls bought by Shen Mingzhu. After looking at them carefully, she found that they were made of fake jade and coated with something on the surface to make it emit a little fluorescence.
Shen Mingzhu lowered her head, numbly waiting for the second lady's scolding.
Unexpectedly, instead of scolding him, the Second Lady asked, "Where did you buy it?"
Shen Mingzhu answered truthfully: "I bought it at the ghost market."
The second wife frowned. If she bought it in the ghost market, she would not be able to find the seller.
At this time, the maid outside announced, "Second Madam, the shop owner is here."
Upon hearing this, the second lady dismissed Shen Mingzhu and asked the maid to invite the shopkeeper in.
Shen Mingzhu left with the night pearl.
After a while, the shopkeeper came in on tiptoe, gaiting outwards, and bowed to the Second Lady: "Madam, I am here to give you the account book."
The Second Lady took the account book and casually flipped through two pages. Seeing the generous income, her expression softened and she said, "Wang San, do you know who's selling night-shining pearls in the ghost market?"
"I sold a pair of night-shining pearls at the ghost market yesterday. I initially offered them three thousand taels of silver, but the female customer thought they were too expensive and refused to buy them."
Wang San smiled smugly. "I saw right away that this female customer cared too much about her reputation, so I had my waiter come forward and call her a few poor names, pretending to ask for a banknote to buy the night-shining pearl. Sure enough, she felt insulted and started haggling with our people. In the end, she bought it for ten thousand taels of silver."
The second wife was confused. Did her people betray her daughter-in-law?
It also made her lose face.
She said unhappily, "When did you create the fake Night Pearl? How come I didn't know?"
Wang San said, "The craftsman my uncle hired at great expense has made a pair of night-shining pearls to test the waters. If they can be sold, I will introduce them to you for your approval."
The Second Lady was so angry that her chest ached. She wanted to curse a few times to vent her anger, but then she thought that it was better for Shen Mingzhu to be cheated by her own people than by outsiders.
"Alright." The Second Madam said coldly, "The mansion has been in turmoil lately. Don't come to the mansion to find me. If I need anything, I'll return to the Luo Mansion to find you."
After receiving the order, Wang San took his leave.
——
On the second day, Shen Qingtan took Liu Yue to the Princess's Mansion.
The female official was waiting at the side door early and led Shen Qingtan to the second courtyard.
Shen Qingtan saw several halls in front of him that were taller and more magnificent than the front hall. Then he heard the female official say, "This is where His Highness receives guests."
"Thank you, aunt." Shen Qingtan said politely.
The female official smiled and said, "This is my duty. Madam Zhao, there is no need to be so polite."
Shen Qingtan nodded slightly and followed the female official into the hall. She immediately saw the graceful and elegant eldest princess sitting in the main seat and looking at her.
She withdrew her gaze and greeted him, "Long live Your Highness."
Just as the princess was about to speak, someone outside the door came to report: "Your Highness, the Jinyiwei has come with a message, saying that they have pried a lot of information from the troupe's owner."
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