The borders are fraught with danger, and the internal situation of the Great Qi is not stable either. The princes have all grown up and are becoming more and more active.
The most outstanding princes now are the eldest prince, the third prince born to the empress, and the fifth prince.
The Third Prince was born of the Empress, and with the Empress's help and planning, as well as the support of his maternal family, his position remained unshakeable.
The eldest prince is humble and polite, and has done a good job in several tasks. He is currently gaining experience in the Ministry of Revenue, has good interpersonal relationships, and performs admirably, showing the demeanor of an elder brother.
On the surface, Emperor Qingyuan was quite satisfied with this son.
Then there's the fifth prince, who was favored by Emperor Qingyuan.
Back when Consort Chu was the Noble Consort Chu, the Fifth Prince wasn't very old. He was clever and charming, and his studies were also good. With the added bias of favoritism, Emperor Qingyuan's affection for him surpassed that for the Third Prince.
However, in the past two years, Consort Chu was placed under house arrest, which cut off his escape route. Without the help of his maternal grandparents, he lost his composure and made a few bad moves, which earned him several reprimands from Emperor Qingyuan.
Like him, the eldest prince was generally good at getting things done.
The third prince focused on strategies for governing the country, while the fifth prince was solely focused on winning over several important officials in the court. His intentions were too obvious, and his methods were too clumsy, which narrowed his own path.
The three of them had clashed openly and secretly several times. Sometimes the east wind prevailed over the west wind, sometimes the snipe and the clam fought and the fisherman benefited, and from time to time they even staged a scene of framing someone else.
If it weren't for Emperor Qingyuan's deliberate protection, he would probably be in a similar situation to Consort Chu.
Emperor Qingyuan truly loved this son, after all, he was born to his true love. However, as the fifth prince grew older, he became more and more restless and impetuous, lacking even half the composure of his older brothers.
With a personality like that, let alone whether he can shoulder great responsibilities, it's questionable whether he can even live a peaceful life!
So Emperor Qingyuan's original intention in reprimanding him was to make him calm down and learn skills, but in the Fifth Prince's ears, it meant that he was not as good as his older brothers.
From a young age, Consort Chu repeatedly instructed him to fight for that position so that he and his mother could live a peaceful life in their later years and restore his grandfather's reputation.
Therefore, the desire to compete for that position has been deeply ingrained in his mind, and the slightest fluctuation makes him anxious and uneasy.
He was thinking of doing something to please Emperor Qingyuan, or grabbing onto something to put his mind at ease.
Currently, the Han family and Xie Yushu are undoubtedly the most favored by the Emperor.
Winning over the Han family or Xie Yushu was undoubtedly the best option. After thinking it over, the Fifth Prince decided that he had to start with these two.
He had Xiao Yi as a military general, Zhou Taishi as a civil official, and the Han family as well. These families were all influential figures in the court.
With Xie Yushu's money, he'll be pretty much set.
However, despite his repeated attempts to curry favor, the Han family only offered a few polite but meaningless words, and didn't mention anything else.
Xie Yushu, let's not even mention her, we can't even see her anymore. Now, it's harder to see Xie Yushu than to see him, the prince.
The Fifth Prince was just wondering where to start when he heard from his servants that the Third Princess was requesting an audience.
What is she doing here?
"They said they had something important to discuss with you."
The Fifth Prince didn't really want to see her. He originally wanted to cooperate with her, but she had lost a front tooth, which was really—a complicated situation!
When she was in good health, Han Zhongyu never gave her a second glance. Now that she looks like this, unless the Emperor issues a decree to force a marriage, who would be out of their mind to marry her!
But since everyone was already there, it wouldn't be good to refuse to see them, as it would seem like he didn't like his sister. So, he had no choice but to let the Third Princess in.
Almost two months have passed since her tooth was knocked out, and surprisingly, the third princess's teeth are now white and straight, without any gaps or missing teeth.
He just became a bit gloomy.
The Fifth Prince was also somewhat surprised.
"Is Third Sister's tooth all healed?"
"Hmph! It's just an ivory-carved false tooth!"
I'm here today to discuss cooperation again. Does what we agreed on before still stand?
"Of course it counts!"
But Father has already dissolved your engagement with Han Zhongyu. What can I do?
"Or do you have a way to make Han Zhongyu dump Xie Yushu and marry you?"
Speaking of Han Zhongyu and Xie Yushu, a hint of hatred flashed in the Third Princess's eyes, and she said coldly.
"Who said I was going to marry Han Zhongyu?"
Fifth Brother just needs money, doesn't he?
"Once Xie Yushu is dead, I'll take over Wuquan Manor, and the money will naturally be yours. Han Zhongyu, hmph! You don't respect me? I'll make you taste the bitterness of humiliation!"
The Fifth Prince looked at her as if she were a fool.
"You want to take over Yuquan Manor? You're dreaming!"
"Xie Yushu's manor is like Tie Tong; you can't even get in. And even if you did, it's full of Xie Yushu's people. It's not like you can just take over like that."
"Man proposes, God disposes!"
Since she's surrounded Yuquan Villa like an iron barrel, I'll just go in openly and honestly. She's so capable, I admire her, so it's alright to go and learn from her, right?
"When the money is paid in time, her people will become my people too. They'll all be doing the work for money. Aren't there plenty of cases of people secretly switching sides in the palace?"
The Fifth Prince listened and realized it was indeed true—internal disintegration, a brilliant move!
His eyes lit up, and he said admiringly.
"Third sister is so clever!"
What do you need Fifth Brother for?
"I don't have enough manpower. Give me a group of people who will be under my command."
The Fifth Prince readily agreed.
"Okay, I'll assign you ten top-notch men, each one incredibly capable. You can use them as you see fit."
"I need two more assassins!"
The Fifth Prince felt a pang of heartache, but thinking of the money at Jade Spring Manor, he gritted his teeth and said...
"Can!
When are you going? I've told them to wait for you outside the city!
"I will go back and ask my father for permission to ask my fifth brother to prepare a dose of arsenic for me."
"I will have the assassin carry it with him."
After the brother and sister discussed it, the third princess went straight back to the palace.
When the Third Princess learned that Emperor Qingyuan had finished reviewing the memorials and was going to the Empress's palace, she also went to pay her respects to the Empress right on time.
Emperor Qingyuan was somewhat surprised to see her.
"Why are you coming to your mother's palace to pay your respects at this time?"
"Are your teeth fixed?"
The Third Princess respectfully greeted Emperor Qingyuan and the Empress, and then returned Emperor Qingyuan's message.
"Thank you for your concern, Father. I have already had a false tooth carved from ivory and installed it. It does not affect the appearance, so please rest assured, Father!"
"That's good!"
Emperor Qingyuan felt somewhat guilty towards her because of this incident, and spoke to her in a gentle and kind manner.
The third princess understood this as well, and pretended to be generous, saying...
"After this incident, my daughter was upset and sad for a few days, but she came to terms with it. Forced relationships are never sweet, and everyone has their own destiny. My daughter has let it go."
However, her daughter had just broken off her engagement and didn't want to rush into marriage again. She had heard that Xie Yushu was a remarkable woman with extensive knowledge and skills that rivaled any man, and she felt both admiration and respect for her.
It must be wonderful for a woman to be able to be compared to a man. My daughter wants to make friends with Xie Yushu and go to Yuquan Villa to learn from her. Even if she can only imitate her a little, it would be a joyful thing!
"It would also be a way for me to go out and see the beautiful landscapes of my father's land. I would like to ask my father for permission."
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