From the shopkeeper, Shen Huaixu learned that the newly appointed Emperor of Southern Xia was only fourteen years old and the court was controlled by Prime Minister Qin Xiao.
Before the death of the late emperor, Qin Xiao was the teacher of the young emperor. He had been teaching and answering questions for him since the young emperor could remember. The young emperor trusted the prime minister very much. When he first ascended the throne, he ignored the opposition and promoted Qin Xiao, who was only 36 years old, to the position of prime minister, and granted him the title of Taifu. For a time, Qin Xiao was extremely powerful and became a veritable regent.
However, in the past one or two years, this unbreakable trust seems to have shown signs of collapse.
It all started when the young emperor's elder sister, Wei Nishang, was brought back to the palace from the royal villa.
Wei Nishang, the elder sister of the current emperor, was predicted since she was a child that she would not live past the age of eighteen. Not only that, she was born with a tough life, and her presence would hinder the luck and lifespan of those around her.
The late emperor could not bring himself to kill his own child, who had just been born not long ago, but he also did not want to keep such a disaster around him for a long time. So he sent Wei Nishang, who was not even a month old, to another courtyard and ordered those around her to take good care of her.
For a young child, such an arrangement was tantamount to letting her fend for herself. Carrying such a prophecy, the palace maids and nannies serving Wei Nishang did not dare to get too close to her. They took care of her like they would treat a stray kitten or puppy on the street, just barely keeping her alive.
Sixteen years passed like this, and Wei Nishang somehow got in touch with Qin Xiao, returned to the palace from the royal villa, and became a legitimate eldest princess.
Wei Nishang is about to turn eighteen this year. There is no news in the palace about her life being in danger. Because she acts low-key and mysterious, the only two people she is on good terms with in the court are the witch Wu Li and Prime Minister Qin Xiao. The witch is popular with the people, and Qin Xiao controls the government. For a while, speculation about whether Wei Nishang has ambitions became a question in everyone's mind.
Over the past two years, there have been many speculations among the people about the relationship between the eldest princess and Qin Xiao, and various romantic rumors have been rampant.
The young emperor had a childish nature and was taught from childhood that he should not have too much contact with his biological sister. The early deaths of his mother and father made him believe that his sister was the cause. In addition, the palace servants around him made slanderous remarks, so he hated his sister who returned to the palace.
He couldn't accept that Qin Xiao and Wei Nishang were too close, so the teacher and student gradually became distant.
"This young emperor is still immature. Alienating the regent will do more harm than good. Now the entire Southern Xia court has become almost entirely ruled by Qin Xiao," said the shopkeeper, Yuan. He stroked his goatee and sighed. "Although Qin Xiao is young, he is decisive and knows how to use people. Who knows when the Southern Xia Kingdom will change its ruler!"
Shen Huaixu had a smile on his face, and looked as if he was thinking about something.
"I wonder what this princess looks like?"
The shopkeeper thought for a moment and said, "I've never seen her in person, but I've heard people say that the eldest princess is aloof and detached, like a fairy descended to earth, untainted by dust."
Chen Huaixu raised an eyebrow, "Compared to the witch Wu Li?"
"If Wu Li is compared to peony, the eldest princess is the snow lotus in the sky. People often compare the two together, but in the end, beauty is in the eye of the beholder." The shopkeeper said this, feeling strange in his heart.
The person in front of you is clearly a young lady, why do you care so much about the appearance of the eldest princess and the witch?
He didn't know that Chen Huaixu was choosing between the eldest princess and the witch. After hearing this, he almost made up his mind.
"By the way, there is one more thing I want to ask the shopkeeper."
The shopkeeper said hurriedly, "No, no, just speak up, young lady."
Chen Huaixu took out a jade pendant and stepped forward so the shopkeeper could see it more clearly. "Shopkeeper, do you know the origin of this jade pendant?"
The shopkeeper looked up at the jade pendant, then at Shen Huaixu, and asked, "Miss, could you allow me to take a closer look?"
"certainly."
After receiving the jade pendant, the shopkeeper examined it carefully for a moment and said, "May I tell you something, young lady. I know who made this jade pendant and what it means, but..."
The shopkeeper stroked his goatee, his eyes flashing with the shrewdness of a businessman. He smiled meaningfully and said, "This is another deal."
Shen Huaixu said without hesitation, "Shopkeeper, please name a price."
Once again feeling the generosity of the young lady in front of him, the shopkeeper immediately reported the amount. When Xiaoman handed over the silver, the smile on his face became even brighter. "If Yuan is not mistaken, this jade pendant must have been made by Qiu Ye, the head of the Qiu family. To be able to obtain his personal ornaments from him, the girl is really extraordinary."
Shen Huaixu ignored his probing and just looked at him quietly, signaling him to continue.
The shopkeeper tutted inwardly and spoke again, "I wonder if the young lady has heard of how the Southern Xia Kingdom was founded?"
"I don't know much." Shen Huaixu knew everything that Shen Su told her.
The shopkeeper nodded in understanding. "Everyone knows that the Wei family broke with the previous dynasty's royal family, the Shen family, and declared themselves kings, but few know the true story behind it. After years of searching, I can only confirm that such secrets of the previous dynasty can only be found in the Nanxia Imperial Palace... I'm getting off topic. Young lady, you should know that the previous dynasty revered the crane, right?"
Shen Huaixu nodded, "I know."
"Back then, there were three major families that followed the Wei clan and settled in Southern Xia: the Qiu, He, and Yan clans. The Qiu and He clans have preserved this belief and passed it down to this day. This crane form is undoubtedly owned by the Qiu clan. The He clan still holds a significant position in the court, while the Qiu clan's descendants rarely hold official positions and are more active among the people."
"What about the Wei family? Does the Wei family believe in the crane god?" Shen Huaixu asked.
The shopkeeper shook his head. "There are many crane totems in the Nanxia Imperial Palace. However, when Nanxia was first established, the local people believed in wizards. The importance of witches was precisely because the royal family wanted to win over the people. After the young emperor fell out with Qin Xiao, he no longer had a close relationship with the Wu family and was instead wooed by the He family. No one can predict what will happen in the future."
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