"You flatter me, Madam!" Tang's mother humbly bowed to Madam Yang, together with Lin Zao.
Lin Zao vaguely sensed that this Old Madam Yang seemed somewhat cold towards her, but the doubt in her heart vanished in an instant.
After the two sides had exchanged greetings, Princess Cheng helped Tang's mother sit down. The maidservants waiting by the table immediately stepped forward to wash Tang's mother Lin Zao's hands and serve her tea.
Seeing that Lin Zao and the others were not uncomfortable, Princess Cheng sat back down next to Old Madam Yang and continued chatting with everyone.
From the conversations of the ladies, and combined with the various rumors Lin Zao heard in the marketplace, Lin Zao learned that the old lady Yang was the principal wife of the Duke of Yang.
Duke Yang had made great contributions during the reign of the previous emperor and was directly granted the title of Duke Yang with the surname Yang. He was favored for a time, and his favor only gradually subsided after the current emperor ascended the throne.
The ancestral home of Duke Yang is in Ganzhou. It is said that a few months ago, Old Madam Yang brought her grandchildren back to worship their ancestors, which is why she appeared here this time.
Although the ladies present didn't say much, Lin Zao sensitively analyzed from everyone's attitudes and words that this old lady Yang's return was not a simple ancestral worship ceremony.
The current emperor is incompetent and decadent, and has fathered a total of nine princes and six princesses, yet he has not yet appointed a crown prince.
The first five princes were all married and in their prime, which made the emperor quite wary. Except for the third prince, who was favored and remained in the capital, the emperor sent the remaining princes to distant fiefdoms.
The remaining four princes are all too young to pose any threat.
King Cheng, Wei Qi, was the emperor's fifth son. Unlike the other princes, King Cheng was not favored by the emperor. Therefore, when he was enfeoffed, he was given Ganzhou, the northernmost prefecture. Ganzhou had a harsh climate, and it was common for people to freeze to death in winter. Moreover, it was located on the border and was frequently invaded by foreign enemies.
Giving King Cheng this fiefdom meant that the king had already abandoned this son.
Who could have imagined that in just a few years, King Cheng would govern Ganzhou so well that the border enemies were driven back to regroup, and all the bandits within Ganzhou were wiped out.
While not everyone could have enough to eat, at least no one starved to death. When refugees from other places came to settle in Ganzhou, Prince Cheng would give alms, thus earning him a reputation for loving his people like his own children.
Unlike other places where people starve to death and refugees are everywhere due to natural disasters, this place is different.
As Prince Cheng's reputation grew, undercurrents began to stir within the court, as the emperor's health deteriorated and his temper became increasingly unpredictable.
The officials also began to have their own ulterior motives, all wanting to gain merit for supporting the emperor, and secretly began to make contact with the princes.
Clearly, this Duke Yang had a high opinion of King Cheng, which is why he used the ancestral worship ceremony as an excuse to send his wife and grandchildren to Ganzhou to show goodwill to King Cheng.
Having figured out the crux of the matter, Lin Zao frowned slightly. She hadn't expected that who became emperor would be related to her, but now her family was clearly deeply involved.
Tang Jian, as the General of Anbei, had saved the life of Prince Cheng and was one of his trusted generals. She had also saved the Crown Prince and had run a condiment business with the Princess. They couldn't sever their ties no matter what. If Prince Cheng didn't fare well in the future, their family wouldn't have a good outcome either.
A sense of urgency instantly overwhelmed Lin Zao. Her family was now firmly aligned with Cheng Wang's faction, all in the same boat, and they had to plan for the future.
Having made up her mind, Lin Zao slowly withdrew her attention and continued listening to their casual conversation.
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