betrothal
Knowing about it and not stopping it is tantamount to condoning it!
This was indeed a deliberate act by the Chengde Emperor. He was not entirely without suspicion of the Prince Duan's lineage, and Xie Zhuo's defeat only amplified his distrust. Moreover, the defeat was rather inexplicable: the main general Luo Zhenhai was wounded, the city's defending general Du Zhiyun was bogged down in pursuit, and Xie Zhuo disappeared during a surprise attack... each step was too coincidental.
The coincidence was so great that Emperor Chengde dared not believe it. The outside speculation was exactly what he was worried about: Did Prince Duan really have treacherous intentions?
The Emperor's attitude was still unclear, and the other ministers dared not speak up for Prince Duan.
The position of a prince was already prone to arousing the emperor's suspicion, and this incident caused the reputation of the Prince Duan's mansion to plummet in the capital.
If you want to find fault, you can always find a pretext.
The old prince Xie Heshan had a pretty good idea of what the emperor was thinking. The emperor simply wanted to use this as an excuse to suppress the prince's mansion. After knowing that his grandson was safe and sound, he was happy to cooperate.
Soon, the old prince fell ill from anger, Xie Chi was isolated among his colleagues, and no one in the capital dared to accept the invitations sent by Zuo Murui... In just a few days, the Duan Prince's Mansion went from being fawned over and sought after by everyone to being avoided by everyone. Even Zuo Murui's family, who were related to the mansion by marriage, did not dare to stand up for the mansion rashly. Not to mention the families who originally wanted to form a marriage alliance with the mansion, they all avoided visiting to avoid suspicion.
During this period, the only person who did not outwardly distance himself from the Prince's Mansion was Guo Sulan, the wife of the Minister of Rites.
When the Prince's Mansion was suffering from rumors, only Guo Sulan was willing to visit. Although she only came to visit secretly, this gesture was enough to deeply move Zuo Murui.
"How has the old prince been lately?" Guo Sulan asked with concern. "I've heard all the rumors circulating in the capital recently, but I believe the young master isn't that kind of person! My master has already sent someone to inquire about the situation, so Murui, you can rest assured that the young master will return safely."
This is what true friendship is all about!
Yu Haoying is the Minister of Rites, so he certainly doesn't know as much about the war situation as the Prince's mansion does. But whether he can help or not, his intention is enough.
Zuo Murui leaned forward unconsciously, grasped Guo Sulan's hand, and said with gratitude in her eyes, "Once Zhuo'er returns safely, I will go to the Minister's mansion to propose marriage!"
Zuo Murui wasn't thinking too much at the moment; she was completely dominated by her emotions.
She had always known Guo Sulan's thoughts. With the Prince's Mansion facing such a predicament, the Minister's family did not choose to avoid suspicion and distance themselves from them. How could she not be moved by this?
Guo Sulan's eyes widened; she hadn't expected this trip to bring such an unexpected surprise. She suppressed her excitement and said, "Mu Rui, I didn't do this because I wanted you to propose..."
“I know.” Zuo Murui interrupted her. Now she had seen through it all. All the families who wanted to marry Xie Zhuo before were after the status of the Prince’s Mansion. Only the family of the Minister of Rites did not choose to distance themselves when the Prince’s Mansion was at a low point.
Zuo Murui smiled slightly and pulled Guo Sulan aside for a long private conversation. She only thought that the Minister of Rites' family was kind and righteous, but little did she know that Guo Sulan's plan was to show kindness to the Prince Duan's family when they were down on their luck, so that the Prince Duan's family would always remember her kindness!
Fortune favors the bold, and what could be more memorable than offering help in times of need?
Guo Sulan was not born into the family of the principal wife. She grew up in the family and had to watch the mood of the mistress of the house. Fortunately, she married an outstanding husband who climbed step by step to the position of Minister.
Now that she has become the mistress of the Minister's mansion, her daughter is the legitimate daughter. After decades of hardship, she can finally vent her anger in front of her stepmother. Her current goal is to marry her daughter, Yu Yadan, into a high-ranking noble family so that she can enjoy wealth and honor and continue the family's honor!
The current emperor is getting old, and she doesn't want her daughter to serve an emperor who is already in his forties. However, the princes are still young and not yet of marriageable age.
Looking around, Xie Zhuo was the only one in the entire capital who met her requirements, and she happened to have a good relationship with Zuo Murui, so she placed her hopes on Xie Zhuo.
Xie Zhuo is the heir of Prince Duan, a member of the royal family, and his future is limitless. If his daughter Ya Dan can marry into the royal family, then the position of future princess will surely belong to her!
Guo Sulan was gambling, gambling that Xie Zhuo hadn't died on the battlefield, and gambling that Prince Duan could weather this storm.
She made this trip secretly. Even if she lost the bet, she would not suffer any loss. But if she won, she could marry her daughter into the royal family, and her descendants would be protected by the royal family in the future.
Yu Haoying was able to rise to the position of Minister of Rites, which naturally showed his own way of dealing with people. He understood very well that the Emperor would never punish Prince Duan at this critical juncture.
Firstly, rumors about Prince Duan's alleged rebellion have been circulating for so long, why hasn't the Emperor taken action yet? It's because there's no evidence! How can the people be convinced if a prince is dealt with without solid evidence of treason? Secondly, Prince Duan's heir, Xie Zhuo, is currently fighting on the battlefield. If the Emperor were to attack his father at this time, wouldn't his image of loyalty and benevolence be completely destroyed?
Therefore, Yu Haoying took a neutral stance on his wife's visit to Princess Duan. In any case, it was common knowledge in the capital that his wife and Princess Duan were on good terms, and a private visit would not cause any loss to the Minister's Mansion.
Fu Zhi Qiao was unaware that Zuo Murui and Guo Su Lan had already secretly arranged Xie Zhuo's marriage, and she was currently worried about Xie Zhuo's situation.
Perhaps because it was only shortly after the New Year, people had plenty of free time, and the rumors intensified, pushing Xie Zhuo into the eye of the storm.
Fu Zhiqiao frowned. She didn't understand the power struggles in the court, but she knew that public opinion was currently very unfavorable to Xie Zhuo, and she couldn't let Xie Zhuo be slandered.
At this point, there's no point in arguing. It would be better to think of another way to get out of this predicament. Perhaps she could do something for him.
Fu Zhiqiao sought out Sheng An again, asking what the Prince's Mansion's plans were. Were they just going to let the outside world slander them like this?
Sheng An looked at Fu Zhi Qiao in surprise. The Prince's mansion had many secret guards, and he had already been assigned to the young master. Even if the old prince had any arrangements, he would not let him carry them out.
“Miss Fu, this is not something we can interfere with.”
Whether or not I can intervene is not up to you, but up to me.
Sheng An hesitated for a moment before replying, "As far as I know, the old prince has not made any other arrangements. For now, the best plan is to remain unchanged and deal with all changes as they may."
This matter cannot be rushed; we can only proceed step by step. At this critical juncture, every move of the Prince's Mansion will be watched closely. It would be bad if we lost our composure and gave others a handle to use against us.
"You don't need to fob me off!" Fu Zhi Qiao sneered, "The only way to remain unchanged is to stay still when the enemy doesn't move. Now that the label of treason is about to be pinned on your young master's head, are you still going to remain indifferent in this situation?"
Fu Zhi Qiao didn't bother with any more words and made the decision directly, "No need to say more. Since Xie Zhuo has given you to me, you should now obey my orders!"
Sheng An looked up and met her gaze for a few seconds. Fu Zhi Qiao's aura suddenly opened up, carrying an unquestionable authority. After meeting her firm gaze, he slowly lowered his head: "Yes!"
Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. If you don't occupy the high ground of public opinion, someone else will. Now that things have come to this, she can't just sit and wait for her doom!
When it comes to waging a war of public opinion, absolutely no one here can compare to her!
The online troll scheme has resurfaced.
Fu Zhiqiao showed Sheng An the plan she had written herself.
"You've written it down?"
Sheng An quickly memorized Fu Zhi Qiao's plan, then threw the paper into the brazier and burned it completely.
Sheng An, as expected of someone carefully cultivated by the Prince's Mansion, was incredibly efficient, quickly finding a master of disguise.
The master of disguise was a thin, hunchbacked old woman, known in the martial arts world as Granny Xin.
Grandma Xin held a piece of clay-like substance in her hand, kneaded and rubbed it, and then stuck it onto Fu Zhi Qiao's nose bridge and nostrils, instantly turning her delicate upturned nose into a bulbous nose.
Is this the legendary art of disguise? It's amazing!
Fu Zhiqiao touched the realistic Adam's apple stuck to her throat. Without advanced tools, the ability to transform someone's appearance with just a few pieces of clay was truly eye-opening for her.
Granny Xin was stern and her gaunt face was covered with wrinkles. She continued to work on Fu Zhi Qiao's face with her hands, and in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, she had transformed a beautiful young girl into a frail scholar.
Looking at her somewhat unfamiliar reflection in the mirror, Fu Zhiqiao couldn't help but sigh. Professional tasks should be left to professionals. This is what real disguise looks like. Her previous attempts at dressing as a man were just child's play.
At noon, Taibai Tower was as lively as ever.
Fu Zhiqiao, dressed as a scholar, sat in the lobby on the first floor for a meal.
Sheng An, dressed in a brocade robe, swaggered in through the door and went straight to Fu Zhiqiao's seat. "Brother Liu, what are you doing here? There are no seats available at Taibai Tower today. How about we share a table?"
Sheng An has a handsome appearance, so his appearance as a rich young master doesn't seem out of place.
Fu Zhi Qiao gave him a look that said it was time to start.
Sheng An took the initiative to speak: "Brother Liu, how is your essay preparation going? Perhaps next year's imperial examination will include an essay question about the war in the northern frontier. What are your thoughts on our army's defeat?"
"I dare not presume to offer such a high opinion. I believe that victory and defeat are common occurrences in warfare, and losing a battle is perfectly normal."
"That being said, don't you find this defeat rather strange?"
What does this mean?
Sheng An put on a profound expression: "Think about it, the northern border is full of small countries, and our Great Wei is even stronger and more powerful. How did we end up in this stalemate with those barbarian Western Jurchen small countries? Unless there are some other hidden reasons."
Fu Zhiqiao and Sheng An chatted back and forth, discussing the hottest topic of the moment, which quickly aroused everyone's curiosity. If you looked closely, you could see that quite a few people around them were listening intently to their conversation.
"What's the hidden story?"
Sheng looked around in feigned panic and lowered his voice: "I dare not say that."
"Tell me quietly if there's anything you're afraid to say, and I promise I won't tell anyone!"
Fu Zhiqiao and Sheng An were whispering to each other with their heads down. Their conversation was so captivating that everyone else, unable to hear them or see their lip movements, was getting anxious, especially the man in the long robe who had Fu Zhiqiao's back to. He was so anxious that he was scratching his head and ears.
"Hey! Are you talking about his defeat in battle?" The man in the long robe didn't say Xie Zhuo's name, but used "he" instead. As he spoke, he pointed to the east, which was the direction where the Prince Duan's mansion was located.
The fish has taken the bait!
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