Ye Zhen cooked the porridge and brought over a bowl.
The Marquis of Zhongyong is still asleep; this porridge is for Xie Tingzhou.
Ye Zhen had previously promised to make vegetarian crab roe for Xie Tingzhou, but couldn't because Zhongyong Hou was sick. Ye Zhen thought that he would be hungry if he stayed by his bedside all night.
They also brought ointment and some pickled vegetables.
Xie Tingzhou took a bite and tasted the mushroom oil in the side dish, indicating a southern flavor. "Did you make this yourself?"
Ye Zhen gave a soft hum. Having just arrived in the capital, she couldn't get used to the local food, and with Madam Liu deliberately treating her poorly, she and Wanxing had no choice but to find a way to cook some southern dishes themselves.
"The porridge is keeping warm on the stove. You can eat some when you wake up. There are also some side dishes on the stove. If you like them, you can send someone to my courtyard to get them from Wanxing."
Without specifying who it was, Ye Zhen wouldn't be stingy with a little something if Xie Tingzhou wanted it.
Sensing her intention to leave, Xie Tingzhou asked, "Have you heard about Princess Kangle and Consort Han?"
Ye Zhen nodded.
Although she had been confined to the backyard, she often went out at night and had heard about the story of Princess Kang Le and her husband.
"Brother, have you found out about Fu Jiang?"
Xie Tingzhou really enjoyed talking to Ye Zhen; he had barely peeked out when she guessed what he was going to say.
Like lovers who have been in sync for a long time, this feeling made even the porridge in his mouth taste sweet.
Swallowing the honey in his mouth, he said unhurriedly, "The prince consort was found by Fu Jiang."
Ye Zhen was slightly taken aback. "I've heard that the princess is deeply in love with her husband and puts him first in everything she does."
Fu Jiang had done Kang Le this favor, no wonder the head steward of the princess's residence personally saw him off.
At this juncture, is his intention to seek out the princess to avenge the Liu family, or to obtain an official position?
Kang Le is a royal princess and possesses the integrity of royalty; she would not easily meddle in other people's private affairs.
Besides, how could Fu Jiang dare to easily reveal his relationship with Liu Shi? That would be the latter.
"He wants to stay in the capital."
Xie Tingzhou put down his spoon and told her what Xing Ze had found out.
"He must be trying to kill me at the banquet, probably by poisoning or assassination."
"The Marquis's heir is dead; the old man will surely hold a grudge against you, the one who organized the banquet."
In this way, Ye Zhen's stewardship rights would be lost. In Fu Jiang's eyes, Ye Zhen, without stewardship rights and the protection of the Marquis of Zhongyong, was like an ant.
Xie Tingzhou shared his guess.
Ye Zhen agreed with his speculation and sat down as well.
"Since this banquet is for my brother to find a match, I suppose they will also need to select a candidate for him."
They themselves can't get close, so they might let that person do it.
To get someone to do something so important, that person must either be one of their own or someone who can be manipulated.
Xie Tingzhou smiled, "That's right."
They only needed to keep an eye on Fu Jiang and the old lady to find out who this person was.
Xie Tingzhou remained calm and composed.
"Looking for a partner for me is just a pretense; our real purpose is to set up a stage for them, so you don't need to worry too much."
He took the opportunity to explain to Ye Zhen.
"If any problems arise during the banquet, send someone to find me immediately."
Marquis Zhongyong also said this to Ye Zhen.
But Ye Zhen could tell that the Marquis of Zhongyong genuinely wanted to choose a wife for Xie Tingzhou.
Ye Zhen dared not be perfunctory.
Seeing her serious expression, Xie Tingzhou felt helpless and had no choice but to bring up the matter of Kang Le and his wife again.
"There are always two sides to everything in this world. Fu Jiang found the prince consort and gained Kang Le's gratitude, which he then used to benefit himself."
But this also offended those who didn't want the prince consort to return, such as the prince consort himself.
Ye Zhen's eyes brightened slightly as she waited for Xie Tingzhou to continue.
Xie Tingzhou granted her wish: "Han Fuma is the youngest son of the Duke of Lu, and his talent far surpasses that of his elder brother."
In the case of powerful and wealthy families, without exception, the eldest son of the legitimate wife usually inherits the family business, while the other sons become stepping stones for the family.
Marrying into the royal family would have been an excellent choice, but for Han Zijin himself, it meant the end of his future.
In the Dayuan Dynasty, the imperial son-in-law did not hold real power. Once Han Zijin married a princess, all his ambitions would be in vain.
Ye Zhen understood the implication: "He doesn't want to be the prince consort, so he deliberately disappeared?"
Whether it was intentional at first is unknown, but he was unwilling to marry Kangle after returning to Beijing.
After Han Zijin was found, the Duke of Lu's mansion claimed that he had amnesia and did not remember his identity, which is why he had been wandering for many years.
He had personally heard Han Zijin admit to Kang Le that he had not lost his memory and that he did not return to the capital after recovering from his injuries because he was unwilling to let his fate be controlled.
He probably thought that if he hid away for a few years and Kang Le got married, he could marry as usual and pursue his future. But he didn't expect that Kang Le would keep waiting.
Xie Tingzhou knew even better that the Kang Le Society and others were not only still thinking about Han Zijin, but also because the late emperor had already passed away at that time.
The emperor on the dragon throne, out of respect for the empress, allowed Kang Le to live and retain her status as a princess, but he would never allow her to gain power behind her.
The emperor would only feel at ease if his princess was someone whose mind was filled with love but who couldn't get married and had no ties with court officials.
When Han Zijin was found, the old Duke of Lu, who was originally loyal to the late emperor, passed away, and the succeeding Duke of Lu was the emperor's man.
He was naturally happy to have a good name that would benefit his younger sister, and he could also have the Han family keep an eye on Kang Le for him.
If Ye Zhen were told these things, with her intelligence, she would probably guess his identity.
Xie Tingzhou composed himself and said, "Leave Han Zijin's side to me."
Ye Zhen keenly sensed the change in his emotions, and recalling Xing Ze's words from that day, she covered her mouth and yawned.
Seeing her teary eyes, Xie Tingzhou assumed she was sleepy and softened, saying, "You should go and get some rest."
Having roughly learned about the Marquis of Zhongyong's situation, Ye Zhen wasn't too worried. She took the opportunity to leave, unwilling to investigate Xie Tingzhou's identity.
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