Wind and Rain 1
A few days later, news suddenly spread from the palace that the prince was seriously ill, and the old emperor was so angry that he was bedridden.
With the Eastern Palace on the brink of collapse and the Emperor bedridden, several of the princes took action. Even Prince Ning, known as a "virtuous prince," could no longer contain himself and began to perform the "kneeling every day to beg for care" trick in Qianyuan Hall.
"Sister, tell me, among my royal brothers, who really cares about father's holy body and hopes that father will get better soon?" Xiao Yuanxi pinched a black dot, his eyes dark and unfathomable.
How could she know this? Even if she did, she would lose her head if she told him.
Ling Wan cleared her throat awkwardly: "I don't know."
"Well, it's just a casual chat. I'll forgive you no matter what you say." Xiao Yuanxi made a move, his almond-shaped eyes curved, and his tone was still soft and sweet, "If you don't say it, it will be the crime of deceiving the emperor."
Chen Yuanyuan let out an "oh".
The longer I've been with the little prince these days, the more I've discovered he's a moody little monster. No, he doesn't show his mood on the outside, but his inner mood is very volatile. He has an angelic face that makes people love him, but his temperament is actually very cold and deep.
"I know very little about His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's brothers. I really don't know. But I think, as a child, we all hope that our parents are in good health." Ling Wan thought of how she had treated the little crown prince as an ordinary child and spoke to him without any scruples. She just wanted to slap herself in the face.
"Sister, you can't lie to me." Xiao Yuanxi still smiled.
"What should I say then?" Ling Wan decided to throw in the towel. How could she communicate with a precocious eight-year-old prince? Her CPU was already burned out, so she could let him do whatever he wanted.
"Just like I said just now." Xiao Yuanxi ordered domineeringly.
"If it's true as it was just now, I don't want to talk to you right now." Chen Yuanyuan covered her face with the account book and wailed, "Your sister is just a woman. Aren't you making things difficult for me?"
As expected, the young prince fell for her show of weakness and laughed. After a moment, he changed the subject: "I see the ladies in the palace embroidering and arranging flowers, playing the zither, or reading when they're bored. Why do you keep your account books with you all day, sister?"
"Because my family is not big and my business is not big, I need to scheme all the time." Ling Wan gave him a blank look.
"The Shen family is very poor?" Xiao Yuanxi seemed to have heard a joke.
Ling Wan was annoyed: "I don't know. The Shen family's money belongs to the Shen family. It has nothing to do with me. I'm trying to get my money."
Xiao Yuanxi was surprised: "Why?"
Ling Wan didn't want to say anything frivolous in front of the kid, so after a moment's thought, she said, "Maybe I'm just a bit vulgar. As the saying goes, even a penny can make a hero fall. I don't want to be trapped in this predicament."
Xiao Yuanxi smiled even more: "Sister is thinking about herself, that's great." He hinted at something.
Chen Yuanyuan choked. Could this kid be a shrewd person?
"But you don't have to worry about money, sister. You still have me." Xiao Yuanxi came over and took away her account book. "Sister, you are pregnant. Mother at home told me that you need to rest well."
The little prince's biological mother, the unknown noblewoman in the palace, made the little prince considerate of the minister's wife? Oh, that's right, Shen Cong and even the entire Shen family are working hard for the prince.
Although she was polite and respectful, Chen Yuanyuan still felt something strange inside. Especially the little prince's attitude towards her, which could only be described as strange.
If she was trying to win over the Shen family through her, Ling Wan felt that her eldest sister-in-law and Old Madam Shen were much more important than her. Even if Shen Cong was powerful, he could not surpass his family and eldest brother in terms of etiquette and law.
If it is said that the young prince is respectful to the wise and humble and treats the families of his followers well, he only does this to Xu Lingwan.
In ancient times, the king was the king and the ministers were the ministers, and the class attributes were clearly defined. The superiors' courtesy to the wise and humble was just a matter of occasional politeness in words and actions. Xiao Yuanxi treated Shen Cong with the full standard of a prince, but to her, he could be more described as close and intimate.
Moreover, he paid much more attention to the Lu and Xu families than to the official families in the court, such as the Shen and Cui families.
What was even more strange was that when she told Chen Cong about her confusion that night, her all-knowing husband didn't seem surprised at all. He simply said, "When His Highness asks these questions, Madam, just answer truthfully. Don't worry about saying anything wrong."
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince still calls me 'Sister' every day?" Ling Wan's scalp tingled at the thought.
"Then agree." Chen Cong smiled, "Just treat his younger brother like you do at home."
Respond. Cherish. How can it hurt? He is the future ruler of the world.
"Your Highness, is His Majesty doing well in the palace?" Although Ling Wan didn't know the reason, she knew that Xiao Yuanxi was kind to her from the bottom of his heart, so she still wanted to confirm before going back to her room to sleep.
"Everything is fine." Xiao Yuanxi was stunned for a moment, then smiled, "Sister, don't worry about the affairs of the court. Don't worry, nothing will go wrong with Shen Xulu."
With the prince's words, Ling Wan's heart instantly settled back into her stomach.
Speaking of her maternal family, the Lu family, that's even stranger.
My grandfather had retired many years ago, settling down in a corner of Jiangnan. Previously, when Shen and Xu formed an alliance, the Lu family hadn't made any moves. Recently, however, my grandfather sent my third cousin to Kyoto, leading several talented members of the clan.
It seemed that Lu Chen was also connected because of Xu Lingwan, but Chen Yuanyuan felt that the truth was far from that. After all, as soon as those particularly outstanding Lu family members arrived, they were quietly taken in as attendants by the prince.
Xu Lingwan was confused.
But now that she had received the crown prince's guarantee, she had nothing to worry about. It was just one of those stories in history books where good birds choose their own trees and the victors become kings and the losers become bandits.
She only needed to do her part every day. If she succeeded, she could continue to live her leisurely life; if she failed, she would just stretch her neck and the guillotine would fall, leaving only the words "The Shen family was executed" in the history books of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
The victory or defeat is determined by fate, it doesn’t matter.
Thinking of this, she slept soundly in the afternoon until it was almost dark. Ling Wan felt her appetite was whetted and her mood became even better.
But Tao's hasty visit interrupted Ling Wan's leisurely mood: "Second sister-in-law, there are rumors in the palace that the prince has passed away. His Majesty loves his son so much that he can't accept it, so he has kept the news a secret. Have you heard anything about this?"
What rumors could she hear? Tao Shi had come to Yanxi Residence, bypassing Master Shen Wu. She must have been asked by the Cheng'en Marquis's Mansion to test their situation.
But why did the Cheng En Marquis's Mansion send the Tao family to investigate? Ling Wan frowned and dismissed everyone, leaving only a few trusted maids to serve.
She tapped the table with her index finger, her face solemn and she asked, "Where did you hear this news?"
The Tao family controlled the defense of the capital. Although they were related to the Shen family, they had always remained neutral in the previous struggles between the princes, and were highly trusted by the old emperor.
Now that His Majesty is seriously ill and news of the death of the Crown Prince is everywhere, is the Tao family preparing to seek refuge with some "new monarch" at this time?
"That's what the advisors of Princes Zhao and Ning said. An hour ago, they each sent people to the Cheng'en Marquis's residence to threaten and bribe him, but my father refused them all, citing the 'Jingji Guard only obeys the emperor's orders.'" Tao's eyes showed a rare hint of anxiety. "I wanted to reassure my father and brothers and let them know what the Shen family thinks."
"As women, what can we say?" Ling Wan was silent and frowned.
"Second sister-in-law, if you have any accurate news, please tell me. I cannot let the Tao family down. If I hadn't insisted on marrying Wu Lang, the Cheng'en Marquis's Mansion would not be facing the predicament it is in today." Mrs. Tao pulled her sleeve, tears welling up in her eyes.
As a military commander rarely trusted by the old emperor, the Cheng'en Marquis's Mansion had always stayed out of the court's conflicts. However, due to the Tao family's marriage into the Shen family three years ago, even if the Tao family tried to stay out of the court, it would be difficult for them to stay out of the court.
Ling Wan didn't know why a woman as insightful as Tao would think that the Tao family's current situation was all due to her fault.
Marriage between two families was a joint contract. Ancient marriages were not the kind of casual divorce we see today; they were about exchanging resources and forming a covenant.
When Lord Cheng'en married his youngest daughter into the Shen family, he had reasons to love her, but she didn't believe that Lord Cheng'en, as the head of the Tao family, had not evaluated the pros and cons of marrying into the Shen family.
Ling Wan silently wiped her tears and said softly, "If you cry like this, someone who doesn't know would think that the Cheng'en Marquis' Mansion is preparing to cut ties with the Shen family."
Tao paused and said, "How could that be? Now the Shen and Tao families are tied together, and we prosper together and suffer together. My mother just wants to know the attitude of the Shen family-"
When Mrs. Tao thought of her mother, Mrs. Liao, she was even more sad. "Second sister-in-law, as a wife of the Shen family, I'm not afraid of anything! I am, I am afraid—"
As she said this, she couldn't help but lean on Ling Wan's shoulder and burst into tears.
If the Shen family and the Tao family each have their own stances, then for Tao, she has to choose between her parents' family and her husband's family, and between being a wife and being a daughter.
Ling Wan patted her back gently and comforted her in a low voice.
"There's no point in us getting anxious. We don't have the final say in court affairs."
"I understand your concerns. You are afraid that if the young prince really dies of illness as the rumors say, then the Shen family will definitely face a devastating disaster."
"You're afraid that because of the young prince's death, the Cheng'en Marquisate will no longer side with the Shen family, and might even stab them in the back for the sake of their family's future. You're also afraid that if they side with the Shen family, when the new emperor takes the throne and cracks down on the Shen family, the Tao family will naturally bear the brunt, right?"
Tao whimpered and nodded with difficulty.
Ling Wan smiled and asked, "Did you decide whether to stand on the Shen family's side or not?"
Tao sobbed and shook his head.
"That's all." Ling Wan wiped her face with a handkerchief and said softly, "Since we can't influence the government and the family's future, there's no need to worry."
Mrs. Tao shook her head, tears falling like beads from a broken string. "No, Second Sister-in-law. If it weren't for my relationship with Wu Lang, the Tao family wouldn't be involved in this struggle for imperial power today!"
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