The big red oil-paper umbrella turned around in the biting wind and snow, like a red plum blossom blooming in the wind and snow.

In front, the doorman saluted respectfully: "Your Majesty."

Chu Qianhuang looked at Prince Jing on the horse with a smile, and turned the oil-paper umbrella in her hand.

Prince Jing was a well-known dandy in the capital when he was young. After inheriting the title, he no longer acted as recklessly as before, but his temperament was still a little frivolous and not stable enough.

He has a bit of Mengchangjun's hospitality and love for scholars. He loves making friends in the capital. After marriage, he and Shen Wan are in love and have no concubines. The only flaw in him is his only daughter, Gu Zhiyan.

Chu Qianhuang also knew something about Gu Zhiyan's so-called absence disorder, and could roughly guess that if Gu Zhiyan's illness happened in modern times, he would probably suffer from autism and mania at the same time.

Some children are born with autism, but Gu Zhiyan was stimulated later in life. Judging from the fact that Gu Zhiyan can still communicate with others, her condition is not serious.

If it were in modern times, Gu Zhiyan's illness would have been under control long ago, but in this ancient time when there was no Western medicine, Shen Wan could only rely on the likes of Taoist Master Xuan Jing.

This is the limitation of this era, but it also becomes her opportunity.

Chu Qianhuang's gaze was fixed on Prince Jing's back, and she watched him disappear into the corner gate.

Her eyes were leisurely, as if they could see through time, calm and indifferent.

She had started sending "talisman paper" soaked in sedatives to Gu Zhiyan in August, and it was just a way out when she was planning all this.

She didn't want to do anything to Gu Zhiyan, nor did she want to hurt her. The sedative was actually helpful for her illness.

In the past few months, Gu Zhiyan's symptoms have been alleviated and her condition has stabilized.

She hoped that Gu Zhiyan would get better, but Chu Qianchen refused to let her go, causing her to lose her position as the princess's tutor.

Chu Qianhuang still feels pain on her cheeks when she thinks of the scenes that happened at the flower viewing banquet.

The pain was deeply engraved in her memory. To this day, she would dream of that scene from time to time in the middle of the night, reminding her again and again that if she did nothing, if she could not go to Nanhao, her future would only be worse.

She is already fourteen years old. In another nine months, when she reaches the age of marriage, Shen Zhi, as her legal mother, can marry her off to a family far away. At this time, the lady-in-waiting and Chu Yunyi can't help her either.

She had no other choice!

Chu Qianhuang's eyes became extremely determined. She took one last look at the plaque of Junmen Mansion and turned around resolutely.

She said to Baoqin, "Let's go back."

Chu Qianhuang did not stop and quickened his pace towards the Yongding Marquis Mansion.

She had to rush back to the Marquis' Mansion as soon as possible.

She believed that Shen Wan would definitely compromise.

When Shen Wan discovered that Gu Zhiyan's illness was getting worse, she had no choice and no way out and could only compromise.

The most important things to Prince Jing are his wife and daughter, and he will find a way.

It is not that difficult to add one more person to the Third Princess' wedding procession. It just depends on whether they are willing to find a way.

“Squeak!”

There was a sound of a door closing from behind, and the corner gate of the Prince's Mansion was closed again.

After entering the house, Prince Jing dismounted from his horse at the ceremonial gate and walked towards the main courtyard anxiously, taking two steps at a time.

Unlike Shen Wan, Prince Jing and other court officials stayed in the palace for another hour before the emperor showed mercy and released them.

Prince Jing was worried about his daughter, so he rode back in a hurry despite the wind and snow. Just now, he didn't notice Chu Qianhuang at all.

By the time he arrived under the eaves of the main hall in the main courtyard, he was already breathing slightly.

A maid guarding the main hall hurried forward to greet them, and reported in shock: "My Lord, the princess is with the county lady. The county lady has a worse fever today, and she is vomiting and convulsing..."

"lead the way!"

At Prince Jing's order, the maid took him to the green gauze cabinet in the main room. Along the way, servants came and went in a hurry, all with unhappy faces, and called out "Prince" in various ways.

As soon as I entered the green gauze cabinet, I felt a suffocating breath coming towards me.

The smell inside was really not pleasant, a mixture of incense, medicine, sourness and other indescribable smells. In addition, there was a charcoal brazier in the room, so it was hot and stuffy.

Madam Rong sat beside the couch and held Gu Zhiyan in her arms, letting her back lean against her, holding her head with one hand and pressing her shoulder with the other.

The wet nurse was holding a blue and white porcelain bowl and was bending over to feed Gu Zhiyan some water. Occasionally, some liquid overflowed from the corners of her mouth, and the head maid wiped the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief.

Shen Wan stood in front with her back to Prince Jing, looking distraught and motionless, as if she had been frozen.

As if he was afraid of scaring Shen Wan, Prince Jing walked lightly to her side, put his arm around her slender shoulders, and let her lean on him.

Shen Wan's face was full of tears. She stared at Prince Jing in a daze, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.

Her eyes were red and swollen, and her body was tense, like a fully stretched string that would break if subjected to the slightest force. She was on the verge of collapse.

Prince Jing's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

His Awan is a very strong person. Last year, when her daughter was lost, she did not cry. She did not cry until they found her daughter and held her daughter in her arms. Then she burst into tears.

This was the second time he saw her cry like this.

"Awan, Qi Niang..."

Prince Jing wanted to ask her how Gu Zhiyan was doing, but was interrupted by Shen Wan halfway through his words: "Let's get a divorce."

She took two steps forward and avoided his embrace.

"..." Prince Jing was stunned and confused, not understanding why Shen Wan suddenly proposed a divorce.

Madam Rong and the others in the green gauze cabinet also heard it. They all looked towards their masters, their eyes widened in disbelief.

For a moment, the surroundings were so quiet that you could hear a pin drop, and the atmosphere was even colder than the windy and snowy day outside.

Rong Mama's lips moved, but then she closed her mouth. The wet nurse quickly looked away and continued to feed Gu Zhiyan the talisman water.

Shen Wan looked into Prince Jing's eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks again, and she said again, "Let's get a divorce."

She smiled miserably, giving him a sad smile, her voice calm but firm.

Knowing Shen Wanru, Prince Jing panicked.

Even when the Mei family incident happened, Shen Wan never asked him for a divorce, although he knew in his heart that if his daughter had not been found, he didn't know what would have happened to them. Fortunately, his daughter was found.

Over the past year, Prince Jing has been telling himself that his family will be fine, and that they will finally see the light of day...

Unexpectedly, his wife asked for a divorce from him.

Prince Jing took two steps forward, and Shen Wan took two steps back.

Her action seemed to irritate Prince Jing.

Prince Jing raised his arms and hugged her, his arms holding her like iron clamps, tightly and firmly.

He said to Shen Wan in his arms in a hoarse voice: "No divorce, we absolutely won't divorce!"

He was a little panicked, at a loss, and a little childish.

Shen Wan lowered her head and remained silent.

The atmosphere became even more depressing. Madam Rong, the head maid and the wet nurse didn't even dare to breathe. Their eyes were all on Gu Zhiyan lying on the couch.

The talisman water seemed to start taking effect in her body. Gu Zhiyan gradually calmed down and closed her eyes...

The biting cold wind was still howling outside the window, like the roar of a wild beast or the roar of a dragon.

That night, the snow stopped in the middle of the night, but the wind continued.

The next morning, the court session resumed. Before other court officials had a chance to report, Prince Jing Gu Jin was the first to step out of the queue and submit a memorial to the court, saying that he was incompetent and unlearned, unable to take on the heavy responsibility, and unfit to be a prince, and requested an imperial decree to resign his title and resign his office.

It was like a loud thunder exploding in the sky, and all the civil and military officials in the court were silent at first.

“…”

“…”

“…”

Then, there was an uproar in the Golden Palace.

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

The Prince of Jing's Mansion is an old royal family. Its ancestor was the legitimate son of Taizu. Even though it has gone through several generations, it is still quite noble among the royal families of the Great Qi Dynasty. It is precisely because of this that Gu Jin, who should have been demoted in this generation, received extra grace from the late emperor and did not lose his title, but still inherited the title of Prince.

The current Prince Jing, Gu Jin, did not make any great achievements after inheriting the title, but he also did no faults. He had done his job smoothly for the past ten years. Now, he is only less than 30 years old, in the prime of his life with the best energy, but he suddenly resigned from the title in the middle of the court. It is inevitable that people wonder if there is some unknown or unspeakable secret in this.

At this moment, all the civil and military officials in the court forgot the important matters they were supposed to discuss, and their gossipy souls were burning fiercely.

The familiar royal family members, nobles and officials looked at each other in twos and threes, and they couldn't help but suspect that the emperor wanted to reduce the titles of the royal family, so they secretly took action against Prince Jing and forced him to go to the court to resign.

Otherwise, how could the Prince of Jing, who had neither killed anyone nor set fire to anything, nor had he raped women or accepted bribes, push his title away for no apparent reason? It wasn't as if he had hit his head.

Everyone felt that they were in the truth.

The ministers in the hall became even more agitated and split into two factions.

Those court officials who sought official positions through the imperial examinations thought this was a good idea. In their eyes, the royal family and nobles were like leeches sucking the blood of the Great Qi, and most of them were unworthy of their positions.

The hearts of those royal nobles who held titles were lifted.

They all thought that this precedent should not be set.

If Prince Jing resigned first, then the emperor would have to take action against other members of the royal family next, right? ! After the royal family, would it be the nobles' turn? ! Those royal family members all turned their attention to Prince Zong Lingli, and he stood up as they wished.

"Gu Jin, what nonsense are you talking about!" Prince Li immediately expressed his disapproval and shouted at Prince Jing, "The title is of great importance, how can it be treated as a joke!"

Then, Prince Li solemnly said to the emperor on the throne: "This matter is of great importance. Your Majesty, please think twice."

Prince Li actually just wanted to put the matter aside for the time being, but when the ministers heard it, they felt more and more that it was the emperor's intention for Prince Jing to resign his title.

The emperor's face was as gloomy as water. After Prince Jing and Prince Li finished speaking, they said to the emperor again: "Your Majesty, I have thought it over carefully. Please allow me to resign my title."

His voice was clearly heard in every corner of the Golden Throne Hall, and his attitude was firm.

Under the scorching gazes of the crowd, he stood firmly in the Golden Throne Hall, maintaining a bowing posture, as if he was a towering mountain in the wind and snow, and nothing could shake him in the slightest.

“…”

“…”

“…”

Chaoshang was silent again.

The emperor sitting at the highest point looked down at the people below, just like the emperor in the ninth heaven looking down on all living beings from above.

Someone secretly raised his head to peek at the emperor, only to see that the emperor's lips were tightly pursed and his face showed no emotion.

The emperor did not speak for a long time. As the silence in the hall continued, anyone could guess that the emperor was definitely not in a happy mood.

The first morning court after the winter hunt began in this strange atmosphere, and everyone had a feeling that a storm was about to come.

The sky above the capital was filled with dark clouds, layer upon layer, as if another snowstorm would come at any time.

As a result, there were not many people walking on the streets, and business in teahouses and restaurants was rather bleak. Only the shops selling charcoal, firewood and the like were crowded with people.

Prince Jing has not returned home yet, but Shen Wan has already returned to Duke Mu's Mansion with her daughter Gu Zhiyan early in the morning.

The court had not yet ended, and it was only half past noon.

She did not send anyone to deliver a message in advance before returning to her parents' home. Lady Mu was a little surprised to see the third daughter suddenly come back.

The third daughter hasn't been back to her parents' home for a long time. Lady Mu, Duke of Mu, knows her concerns and difficulties and can only feel distressed. Over the past few months, she has sent people to the Prince's Mansion from time to time to deliver some specialties or something, as a way of comforting her daughter.

"Awan, you...why do you look so haggard!" Lady Mu, Duke of Mu's wife, saw that Shen Wan's face was sallow and she had lost a lot of weight. She pulled her to sit beside her with concern. Her heart sank and she felt something was wrong.

During this winter hunt, Duke Mu stayed in the capital and did not accompany the emperor, so Duke Mu's wife did not go either. She only saw Shen Wan again today.

"I'm fine." Shen Wan held her mother's hand and said in a hoarse voice.

Gu Zhiyan was brought in by her wet nurse. Her body was wrapped in a large cloak and her face could not be seen, so at first Lady Mu just thought it was cold and her granddaughter was still asleep.

Lady Mu waved to the wet nurse and said, "You just returned to the capital yesterday, right? Qi Niang, you must be tired after the long journey. Let me take a look..."

When the wet nurse brought the little girl closer, Lady Mu, the Duke of Mu, saw Gu Zhiyan's flushed face and realized that something was wrong with her. She quickly touched her forehead and her complexion changed.

"Qiniang has a fever!" Lady Mu, Duke of Mu, blurted out, her heart sinking with anxiety.

Everyone knows that Gu Zhiyan is Shen Wan's life. Even though she had a fever and it was such a cold day, Shen Wan still took her back to her parents' home regardless of anything. Something big must have happened in the Prince's Mansion.

Lady Mu, the Duke's wife, wanted to ask more carefully, but Shen Wan had already taken the initiative to say, "Mother, can you call my eldest sister first?" After Gu Zhiyan drank the talisman water last night, her fever was not so severe.

Lady Mu was startled, and quickly told the housekeeper beside her, "Madame Han, go to the Yongding Marquis's residence and invite Ah Zhi over."

"Yes, Madam." Nanny Han took the order and left.

Before she left the West Warm Pavilion, she heard the voice of Lady Mu, the Duke of Mu, instructing the maidservant from behind: "Banxia, ​​take the invitation from the Duke's Mansion to invite the imperial physician..."

"Mom, don't!" Shen Wan quickly interrupted the wife of Duke Mu with a complicated expression.

Nanny Han went out, so naturally she didn't hear what the mother and daughter said afterwards.

Lady Mu, Duke of Mu, was filled with suspicion and stared at Shen Wan closely. She watched the wet nurse carry Gu Zhiyan to Shen Wan's arms, and watched Shen Wan hold Gu Zhiyan carefully, as if she was holding a fragile treasure.

Lady Mu also lowered her eyes to look at Gu Zhiyan, lowered her voice, and asked worriedly, "Awan, what happened to Qi Niang?"

"What happened between you and your son-in-law? Did he make you angry?"

However, no matter how Lady Mu asked, Shen Wan remained silent and acted as if she was deaf to all questions. Her expression was somewhat distracted.

Lady Mu, the Duke's wife, sighed quietly in her heart, and seeing this, she stopped asking questions.

Shen Wan hugged Gu Zhiyan and gently stroked her hair with one hand. Gu Zhiyan, who was sleeping with her eyes closed, moved her cherry lips and let out a soft moan.

Looking at her daughter and granddaughter, Lady Mu, the Duke's wife, felt a little uneasy.

My daughter's condition seemed to be even worse than last year. The less she spoke, the more Madam Mu felt that something troublesome had happened that she didn't know about...

(End of this chapter)