"This... I don't know!" Zhang Wei, the leader of the Imperial Guards, thought for a moment and said, "There are two large warehouses in the backyard, but there is nothing inside except some empty boxes."
Shangnian went to the backyard storehouse and found it was exactly as Zhang Wei had described.
There was a box in the first warehouse that Shangnian was very familiar with. There was a huge word "Shang" engraved on it.
That was the box containing Shang Ruoyi's dowry.
In the other warehouse, there wasn't even a box.
Originally, he wanted to show the world how much wealth the Dingwang Palace had accumulated over the years, to let them know that the Dingwang Palace was not as clean as they thought, and had done many things to enrich themselves. But now, the entire palace was moved by someone, and it was cleaner than a house raided.
How can they implement their plan?
"What?" In the imperial study, the emperor was shocked to hear the news: "Nothing?"
"Your Majesty, right now the Ding Palace is an empty palace."
"How is this possible? Is there a secret room or something like that?"
Shangnian shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, Zhang Da and I took the blueprint of the Dingwang Palace and checked it inside and out. There is nothing. Even the dowry of my unfilial daughter is only an empty box. Everything inside has disappeared."
Zhang Wei also hurriedly said: "I have checked around the Dingding Palace, and there are no signs of outsiders breaking in."
Everything in Prince Ding's palace seemed to have disappeared overnight.
"I understand. Please step down." The emperor sat on the dragon throne and rubbed his temples.
Shangnian hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice: "When Zhang Daji and I left, many people saw that we got nothing. Now people in the capital are crying out for justice for the Dingguo Palace, saying... saying..."
"What did you say?" The emperor slammed the table and shouted angrily, "Hurry up and tell me!"
"They say that the Dingwang Palace is innocent, and that the emperor has wronged a loyal and good person." Shangnian's voice became smaller and smaller as the emperor's expression became more and more ugly.
“Bold!”
Everyone in the imperial study room knelt down with a plop, "Your Majesty, calm down."
"Your Majesty, there must be someone spreading these words to seduce people." Shangnian said in a deep voice: "The ones who did these things must be the remnants of the Dingguo Palace, or the ministers who strongly supported the Dingguo Palace in the court before."
When Emperor Shun heard this, his face darkened. What Shangnian said was exactly what he was thinking.
Who knows, these people might have also taken away the money of Prince Ding's palace.
"If you hear this kind of talk again, no matter who it is, arrest them and punish them severely to serve as a warning to others."
"I obey the order."
When Shangnian and Zhang Wei walked out of the imperial study, they happened to meet Concubine Zhao and Crown Prince He Lingsheng coming to pay their respects to the emperor.
"Your humble servant greets His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and His Royal Highness the Imperial Concubine."
"No need to be polite."
"I heard that the Dingguo Palace was emptied." He Lingsheng said in a deep voice: "Is it true?"
Shangnian nodded: "That's right. Not only that, there are many bad rumors circulating among the people. Your Majesty is worried about this."
Upon hearing this, Concubine Zhao whispered to He Lingsheng, "As the crown prince, you should share your father's worries."
"I understand, son." He Lingsheng nodded and walked towards the imperial study.
Just as Shangnian was about to take her leave, she heard Concubine Zhao say with a smile, "I've always heard that Shang Xiangye's daughter is both talented and beautiful, gentle and virtuous. My wife has been living in the deep palace for a long time and is very bored. It would be great if she could come to this palace to accompany my wife when she is free."
Shangnian was overjoyed when he heard this.
What Concubine Zhao said was nothing more than asking her daughter to learn palace etiquette in advance.
In this way, the marriage between his daughter and the prince would be a piece of cake.
"It is my daughter's blessing to be able to accompany the queen." Shangnian said hurriedly: "When I return home, I will let my daughter pack her luggage and go to the palace."
When Shangnian returned to the Xiangfu, he urged his subordinates to pack Shang Yufu's luggage.
"Master, what's going on?" The doctor came hurriedly from the backyard, watching the servants busy packing things, and asked in confusion: "Why are you packing Yu Fu's luggage?"
"My dear, great joy, great joy!" Shangnian repeated Concubine Zhao's words: "Our Fu'er's good days are coming."
The doctor said excitedly, "Really?"
After getting Shangnian's affirmation again, the doctor trotted to the backyard: "Fuer! Fuer!"
Shang Yufu was embroidering in the backyard at this time.
Hearing the doctor's call, she put down the embroidery and was about to go out to take a look when the doctor rushed in in a hurry.
"Mother, what's wrong? What happened?"
The doctor dismissed the servants in the room and closed the door.
"Fuer, Fuer, your blessing has come."
"What blessing?"
"Prince!"
Shang Yufu's eyes lit up when she heard that.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince is going to choose a concubine?"
"No, but this is more important than choosing a concubine." The doctor pulled Shang Yufu's hand and said excitedly: "Concubine Zhao, she asked you to come to the palace to accompany her."
"Concubine Zhao? The Crown Prince's biological mother."
"That's right." The doctor smiled and said, "If you can please Concubine Zhao, the position of the Crown Prince's principal wife will belong to you! When the Crown Prince ascends the throne in the future, you will be the Queen under the mother. Our Shang family will finally have a Queen."
Shang Yufu's face lit up with joy, since the Crown Prince was so talented, she naturally liked him.
She had always thought that her engagement with the Ding Palace could not be cancelled, and she would definitely marry the prince of the Ding Palace, He Jingheng. If He Jingheng was not disabled, he would be a first-class husband, superior to the prince in both appearance and talent, and a young general whom she admired. In the future, he would definitely inherit the throne of Prince Ding, and she would be a high-ranking princess consort.
But his luck was against him, he became disabled, and his whole family was exiled from the Dingguo Palace. She was extremely grateful that Shang Ruoyi, that little bitch, married her instead, otherwise she would be the one to suffer now.
She is the legitimate daughter of the prime minister's mansion, and only the crown prince can be her match.
"Mother, don't worry! When my daughter goes to the palace, I will definitely do everything I can to please the Imperial Concubine."
"Mother knew that our Yu Fu is very lucky."
The Shang Mansion was happily preparing to send Shang Yufu to the palace, and He Jingheng heard that the Dingguo Palace had been looted.
He couldn't help but frown. He didn't know who could have emptied the entire Dingguo Palace without anyone noticing.
Just then, a potato was delivered to him.
He thanked them. Potatoes were often eaten during marches and battles. After all, they were cheap and could resist hunger. However, they only cooked them at most. They never knew that there were so many ways to cook potatoes.
“Why are baked potatoes different today than they were in the past?”
Shang Ruoyi smiled and said, "It's my own secret recipe."
He Jingheng said this every time and just smiled and said nothing more.
At this moment, dark clouds rolled over the sky and a storm was about to hit.
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