Chapter 1553 Peace of Mind

Zhulan met the Fourth Prince first. The Fourth Prince looked four times like the Crown Prince. The Fourth Prince was short and chubby. Although he had a bit of a temper, he was a prince after all, so it was best for him to follow the proper rules.

Zhulan spoke a few words to the Fourth Prince, and then had someone take him to her youngest son's courtyard.

The fourth prince arrived at the courtyard, no longer wearing a smile on his face, and spoke before he even entered the house, "Changzhong, this prince is here."

Changzhong quickly put on his shoes, waited for the Fourth Prince to come in, and greeted him, "Hello, Fourth Prince."

The fourth prince waved his hands, "My mother said that we are relatives, so there is no need for us to be polite."

Changzhong smiled and did not answer. The Zhou family and the royal family were very close relatives, so he was really stupid.

The fourth prince scanned the room with a curious look in his eyes. "You have a lot of new things here. I have never seen this boat ornament on the market. Where did you buy it?"

Chang Zhongxin said with sharp eyes, "My second elder brother was stationed abroad for a few years. He bought this abroad. It is said that it was obtained from a pirate ship."

It was carved from a whole piece of ivory, which he found very rare.

The Fourth Prince also liked it and forcibly shifted his gaze. This was not his maternal grandparents' home. He seldom went there. At his maternal grandparents' home, a single glance would send anger to him. This was the Zhou Marquis Mansion. His mother had repeatedly told him to make friends with the Zhou family, all for the sake of his elder brother, the Crown Prince, and for him to become a free and easy king in the future. So he held back.

Chang Zhong didn't notice the reluctant look in the Fourth Prince's eyes. He was his own baby. "Fourth Prince, please take a seat."

The fourth prince looked at the table on the small kang and said, "You have so many kinds of fruits here."

Changzhong started showing off his brother's style, "My second brother is a man who is willing to spend money. Most of these were purchased by my second brother from foreign merchants. My mother prepared them specially because she knew His Highness was coming."

It doesn't mean that you eat it often, but you only take it out when distinguished guests come.

The fourth prince was a prince, and he was very thoughtful. He naturally understood what was said, and said enviously, "Your second brother is really generous."

Unlike his elder brother who is the crown prince, he is also very picky about his younger brother!

"Your Highness, taste it."

The Fourth Prince was not polite. After the eunuch beside him had tasted the fruit, he started to eat it himself. Although he was the eldest son, his share was limited. Fruits were expensive in winter, and the palace was frugal, so his share was reduced. It was not convenient for him to eat his mother's fruit, so he had not enjoyed fruit so much for a long time.

Changzhong saw that the fourth prince liked the fruit, so he stopped touching it and ate the nuts instead. He felt sad that the fourth prince sometimes did not live as comfortably as he did. As the youngest son in the family, he was spoiled by his brothers and had no shortage of good food.

In the main courtyard, Zhulan was talking to Mrs. Tao, who said, "I have eaten a lot of food from the Marquis' Mansion this year. Wang Wei got a lot of venison. He just arrived in Beijing yesterday, so I personally sent one over. Eat it well in the winter. Don't be reluctant to eat it. I will send more when it's gone."

Zhulan, "Don't worry, I won't be polite, but did Wang Wei say when he would be back?"

"They said they are ready to return. They said that all the jobs they were responsible for have been stopped. I don't know the details, but it's good that Wang Wei is back. Yu Lu is still pregnant, so it's a good opportunity for me to spend more time with her."

Zhulan's heart moved. It seemed that there was an unusual movement on the northeastern border, so the construction project was stopped. It would be better to withdraw first to avoid any unsafe situation at that time.

Zhulan thought of her granddaughter, "I heard from my eldest daughter-in-law that Yulu has gained a lot of weight recently?"

"She has gained weight, and the child is no longer noisy. My old lady said that the bad thing is that she is an obedient daughter."

Zhulan raised her eyebrows, "You also think she is a lady?"

Tao hoped from the bottom of her heart that it was a boy, but she couldn't say it, so she smiled and said, "Boys are rare among young ladies, and our Wang family is also in need of a legitimate daughter!"

Zhulan smiled. The old lady and Mrs. Tao were speaking in a sarcastic way. "You'll know after the baby is born."

Tao, "Our whole family treasures Yu Lu. My daughter-in-law has been sending good things back to the capital every month since Yu Lu became pregnant. If she could leave, she would have come back to accompany Yu Lu in person."

Zhulan, "......"

But don't, there will be a lot of conflicts if you really come back.

Tao sat for a while and then went back, taking away some fresh vegetables. Tao was reluctant to part with her great-grandson, as they were of a different generation, and the Wang family had few descendants, so Yu Lu's eldest son was the most favored.

We got venison, and because the Fourth Prince was coming, we asked the kitchen to prepare some. However, venison is too nutritious, so we didn't prepare too much, and instead prepared more vegetables.

When Zhou Shuren came back in the afternoon, Zhulan smiled and said, "If the palace hadn't sent someone to urge him, the Fourth Prince wouldn't have planned to leave."

Zhou Shuren, "The Fourth Prince stayed too long this time. I think it will be difficult to come next time."

Zhu Lan smiled and said, "I just realized that the Fourth Prince also loves to eat. Everything in our house is good."

"The Emperor is a man who sets an example by himself. He has been frugal in the palace and has reduced the allowances for the princes. The Fourth Prince can eat as much as he wants in our house, so he won't want to leave."

Zhulan, "In the future, when the fourth prince is able to leave the palace, he will definitely look for Changzhong."

Zhou Shuren smiled and said, "Our son knows what he is doing and will not suffer any loss."

"I'm just afraid that the emperor will try to get Changzhong to marry me."

Zhou Shuren hesitated for a moment, "Probably not. Changzhong was given the name by the Emperor, and that's enough."

Zhulan's face lightened up, "That's good."

The next day, at Pinggang, Changyi was the official who welcomed the envoys. Only when he arrived at Pinggang did he realize that there would be a wave of military intimidation. He looked at the navy in front of him and clicked his tongue twice. The navy's actions were big enough.

Officials from the Ministry of Rites brought envoys from various countries to watch the stage. When the order was given, the cannons were fired. The abandoned fishing boats that had been prepared in the distance were within range and sank in a short while.

Chang Yi's eyes widened. He took the telescope from the guard and raised his eyebrows. Why did he feel that the range was longer?

The puzzle was soon solved. The artillery was improved, with a longer range, greater power, and greater accuracy.

Chang Yi and other officials of the Ministry of Rites were excited and proud, as this represented the power of the imperial court.

The envoys from various countries turned green in the face, and the envoys with ulterior motives had stiff faces. This was intentional. What made them even more angry was that the spies did not send back any news at all.

If Zhou Shuren was there, he would smile meaningfully, because the artillery was not the most advanced, and it was obvious that Wei Yan had a trick up his sleeve.

The journey back to Beijing was quiet. The envoys from various countries were nervous, thinking that the journey would not be smooth.

Chang Yi felt relaxed, and he sat in the carriage drinking tea, looking extremely relaxed. He had thought that he would have to deal with the inquiries of envoys from various countries, but after being shocked, he became as quiet as a chicken.

At Zhou Mansion in the capital, Zhulan looked at Jiang Ping worriedly, "Your injury has just improved, but it's not healed yet. Can't you wait until you're healed before leaving?"

Jiang Ping felt guilty but had to leave. "Grandma, the court needs information from both countries, and I'm also worried about Jiang An."

If he had not lost too much weight after escaping and was afraid of exposing his body if he returned, he would not have gone home even if he was injured. Now that he has recovered enough, it is time to set off.

Zhulan felt distressed. She couldn't accept that either of her grandsons had an accident, but she had no other choice but to say, "Bring more medicines with you, pay more attention to safety, and be careful in everything you do. Your family is waiting for you to come back."

Jiang Ping's eyes were sore, and in the end, between country and family, he chose country.