Chapter 28: Please, Your Highness, kill the Crown Princess!
Yunzhu's birthday is on the 23rd of April.
Originally, she planned to spend her birthday with several close friends, including Xiao Mingzhang, Yu Jingsi, and Cui Ranzhi. If Xiao Mingan was willing to come, she wouldn't mind bringing this county princess along as well.
She planned to book the best private room in a restaurant on the banks of the Yunzhou River, where a group of people would eat, drink, and chat. During the meal, she would take out her calligraphy practice book, which she had been working on for half a year, and show it off to everyone.
It's not that Yunzhu is bragging, but since she started practicing calligraphy twice a day during the New Year holidays, her handwriting has improved rapidly. In just a few months, her handwriting has become neat and tidy, and her brushstrokes have fully emerged. Her writing style has begun to develop its own, and no one who comes here can say that her handwriting is ugly anymore.
After her display of her calligraphy finished, Yunzhu knew that those who came to celebrate her birthday would bring her gifts one after another, and what she was most looking forward to was naturally the flower crown that Xiao Mingzhang had promised her...
But for now, these plans seem to remain just that – plans.
When Yunzhu was preparing all this, she never expected that Qingzhou would experience such a severe drought in April, and that the spring rainfall in Yunzhou would be far less than in the previous two years. These matters kept Xiao Mingzhang very busy, and she herself almost forgot that her birthday was just around the corner.
"Princess, are you worried about the Crown Prince?" Ayan noticed Yunzhu's hesitation and asked.
Yunzhu nodded. Her friends were all concerned about her, and they would definitely come if she invited them for her birthday. However, Xiao Mingzhang had been busy with official duties lately, and she really didn't know whether she should bother him for her birthday.
"If you ask me, Princess, you should at least ask the Crown Prince if he really wants to come and celebrate your birthday with you." Ayan's thoughts were always simple, and she disliked all those complicated things. She suggested to Yunzhu, "Princess, you think the Crown Prince is too busy with official duties to come, which is for his sake. But you didn't even ask him and just made the decision for him. What if the Crown Prince is thinking of you and is making a special effort to finish his business at the yamen so that he can make time to celebrate your birthday with you? Wouldn't that mean you haven't even given him a choice?"
It seems... that makes sense?
"If you ask me, Your Highness should agree to Miss Yu and Miss Cui's invitation first. Even if the Crown Prince doesn't come, at least Your Highness will have good friends to celebrate your birthday with!"
Ayan had seen how hard Yunzhu had been working lately. No one in the palace cared for the princess, but Ayan wanted to.
She was trained as a guard for the princess since childhood. She felt sorry for the princess and wanted her to go out and relax since it was a rare occasion for her to celebrate her birthday.
Yunzhu slowly let out a breath, finally realizing what Ayan was thinking. She gently rubbed Ayan's cheek.
Although Ayan's idea was simple, it did make some sense, so she said, "Okay, then let's do as you say."
—
Despite her busy schedule, Yunzhu still planned to celebrate her birthday. Before long, Yu Jingsi, Cui Ranzhi, and others received the news and gladly agreed to attend. At Yunzhu's personal invitation, Princess Xiao Ming'an of Qingyuan County also reluctantly nodded and agreed to attend her birthday celebration.
Only Xiao Mingzhang remains...
Since the incident in Qingzhou escalated again, Xiao Mingzhang started staying at the yamen again, returning to the palace every few days. Yunzhu originally wanted to invite him in person when he returned to the palace, but unfortunately, Xiao Mingzhang failed to return home for the next two days.
She could only book the restaurant and private room first, and then go directly to the government office to ask Xiao Mingzhang if he was willing to come on the actual day of her birthday.
Actually, Yunzhu was also a little curious because she deliberately waited until this day. She wanted to know if Xiao Mingzhang, who was so busy, would still remember her birthday and the gift she wanted...
Well, if he was too busy with official duties to remember, she wouldn't blame him, but she still held onto a small hope that Xiao Mingzhang would remember on his own initiative.
The prince's carriage stopped again in front of the Yunzhou government office.
The officials and constables of the government office were already quite adept at handling Yunzhu's arrival.
One official after another addressed her respectfully as Princess Consort. After Yunzhu randomly grabbed one of them and asked him where Xiao Mingzhang was, she no longer needed anyone to guide her and instead took Ayan directly to the study.
Meanwhile, in Xiao Mingzhang's study at the Yunzhou government office, a secret report from Jinling was quietly placed on his desk.
This is the latest news from the Ying family, the maternal family of the Ying clan, who are still in Jinling, to the Huan Prince's mansion—the emperor is preparing to send people to help with the drought in Qingzhou, Jizhou and other places, but in the meantime, the Prince Yi has been arranged to go there as well.
Prince Yi, it's Prince Yi again...
Last year, during the locust plague, the emperor had already sent Prince Yi to Qingzhou to bolster his reputation. However, due to Prince Sui's cover-up, the public sentiment, which could have been quickly appeased, took several months to finally be resolved.
Although most of the mistakes were made by the Prince of Sui, who was subsequently punished by the emperor with a year's salary deduction, the effectiveness of the Prince of Yi's actions was already evident in this incident.
If he were capable of handling these matters, why would Yunzhou have to travel thousands of miles to help him in the end?
It was him again this time.
"It seems His Majesty is determined to pave the way for Prince Yi..."
Since receiving this secret report, Xiao Mingzhang's ashen face has not softened. Yan Qian recently acquired a feather fan, which, when placed in front of him, gradually creates a gentle breeze.
"Sigh..." Lou Kongcheng also sighed, "Your Highness, it's not that we look down on Prince Yi, it's just that..."
“I know,” Xiao Mingzhang said calmly.
He had already been fully aware of the Prince Yi's absurdity and incompetence during those few months in Jinling.
But he still held onto a sliver of hope that he might be able to act like a normal prince and take on all the responsibilities he was supposed to bear in important matters.
The locust plague had thoroughly proven his abilities, and the reason why Xiao Mingzhang remained indifferent after the locust plague was that he was still waiting for the reaction of his imperial grandfather.
Seeing his ability to handle affairs, would his grandfather really still choose such a person as the successor to his empire?
It seems the answer has finally come to light.
Yes, his imperial grandfather was determined to pave the way for this incompetent son. He placed him in various important events, ensuring that even the slightest achievement would lead to his name being openly included in the rewards and honors bestowed upon him. And when it came time to appoint him crown prince, everything would be perfectly legitimate. Even if the court officials voiced their opposition, so what? His actions were flawless.
Xiao Mingzhang's silence prompted Yan Qian and Lou Kongcheng to exchange a quiet glance.
The two of them stared intently at Xiao Mingzhang, not daring to miss a single expression on his face.
Xiao Mingzhang is currently angry about the matter of Prince Yi. Yan Qian and Lou Kongcheng know this, but they don't really care about this matter today. What they care about is the opportunity that this matter brings them.
Now that Qingzhou is suffering from drought, and Prince Yi is incompetent yet repeatedly entrusted with important responsibilities, there is no better opportunity to persuade Xiao Mingzhang to get rid of that Crown Princess and to cheer up again...
What if Prince Yi gains the emperor's favor again? They have troops in Yunzhou, and what they lack now is a good deployment. As long as Xiao Mingzhang is ruthless enough to recruit talented people from all over the country, given time, he can go directly to Jinling and force the emperor to change the crown prince. What's wrong with that?
There couldn't be a better time...
There couldn't be a better time...
The silence in the study was restless. Seeing that Xiao Mingzhang had no intention of speaking, Yan Qian finally said, "Your Highness, we know what you are thinking, but there are some treasonous things that we have to say since we came here today."
“Prince Yi is incompetent. If the throne is truly handed over to him in the future, not only the people, but the entire state of Great Yu will be threatened. We cannot change His Majesty's decision now, but that does not mean we have no chance in the future. His Majesty is old, and he is constantly paving the way for Prince Yi because he knows how many more years he can endure. Without sufficient prestige, even if the throne is handed over to Prince Yi and he insists on making him the crown prince, it will be useless. No minister will be willing to accept it!”
"Your Highness, if you wish to contend for the throne, these next few years will be crucial. Before we came today, His Highness Prince Huan had already instructed us to tell you, if necessary: Your Highness cares deeply for the world and possesses the talent to govern, but your only weakness is your soft heart. However, the world is currently suffering from a severe drought, famine, and displacement. The people need a wise ruler, a capable monarch to lead them out of their misery. Prince Huan's mansion is currently insufficient; only by ascending to the supreme throne can we truly protect all those we wish to protect. The world is vast, and the nation depends on its people. One must be willing to sacrifice to gain!"
After Yan Qian finished speaking, he and Lou Kongcheng exchanged a glance. Instantly, without waiting for Xiao Mingzhang's reaction, the two knelt down in unison, raised their hands, and said in unison, "We beg the Prince to get rid of the Princess Consort! Now the Huan Prince's Mansion is not favored by the Emperor and has no one to support it in the court. Only if the Princess Consort is gone and the Prince marries another will the Huan Prince's Mansion have a chance to seize the throne!"
"..."
Yunzhu was walking to the door of the study.
The conversation in the study made her hands and feet cold, and she was unable to move any further for a moment.
What did she hear? Was Yan Qian and Lou Kongcheng persuading Xiao Mingzhang to get rid of her?
But... get rid of her? Why? Why get rid of her? Because she's a woman from the Western Regions? Because with her around, the Huan Prince's Mansion will never gain more support?
Ha, Yunzhu found it absurd. She knew that many of Huan Wang's advisors disliked her, but she never took it to heart. So what if they disliked her? She was the Crown Princess of Huan Wang's mansion, and no one could change that.
Little did she know, they were plotting to harm her behind her back.
If they were appealing to Prince Huan today, Yunzhu might be nervous or even afraid, since her father-in-law seems to genuinely despise her.
But when such a question appears before Xiao Mingzhang, don't they find it ridiculous? Xiao Mingzhang is a man of conscience. Although he has not yet personally admitted his feelings for her, as long as he is a man of conscience, he will not indiscriminately kill innocent people.
Besides, although they couldn't be called a loving couple, they had lived quite well for the past three years; he and Xiao Mingzhang...
Yunzhu held onto Ayan's hand tightly, preventing her from rushing in and interrupting everyone's reaction in the room.
She waited outside the door, waiting and waiting, waiting for Xiao Mingzhang's reply.
He'll refuse, won't he? He'll refuse, won't he? Yunzhu thought, he definitely won't agree to kill her. She didn't do anything wrong, she didn't do anything wrong...
"Let me think about it some more."
But a casual remark from inside the room sent a chill down Yunzhu's spine, and finally, her last glimmer of hope was shattered.
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