Chapter 378: Last-Minute Cramming
It was August.
The whole city is filled with the fragrance of osmanthus.
The autumn examination will be held tomorrow.
It is the time when thousands of students are winning the first prize.
Miaomiao gets up very early, even earlier than A Niang.
Today I am going to burn incense outside the city and pray for my second brother.
It’s a pity that I couldn’t see my second brother enter the examination room in person.
But when she thought that her second brother would return to the capital after the exam, she became very excited.
Maybe grandparents will come back with us.
Miaomiao dressed up a little today and wore a scarlet dress.
A Niang and Aunt Xiuxiu also dressed up and wore brighter clothes.
For good luck.
Miaomiao washed and dressed, and after having breakfast, she wanted to go next door to call her princess mother to go with her.
While they were worshipping Buddha, the princess could enjoy the chrysanthemums and relax.
Miaomiao was about to go out when her mother called her back, "The princess is not at home. She left for the palace early in the morning."
Xiuxiu was also curious, "Sister, how come you know the princess has entered the palace just now?"
While Lu Qingyao was packing up the food and daily necessities in her daughter's carriage, she said, "Princess Yuqing came to see Miaomiao last night and talked to me, but you were all asleep at that time."
"Has the prince's illness relapsed?" Miaomiao asked.
The princess mother also has a hard time.
Although she is a princess, she will not become a victim of the fight for the throne like the prince.
But I still have a lot of worries.
I heard that the prince's uncle has almost given up drugs, but he has been poisoned so many times that his body has been seriously damaged.
It's no wonder. Even a strong body wouldn't be able to withstand such torture.
You need to rest well.
I feel like there's nothing good about being the heir to the throne, especially being the crown prince.
It's like being surrounded by wolves.
Sometimes it was murder, sometimes it was framed, and sometimes it was poisoned.
It’s scary to think about it.
Lu Qingyao looked at her daughter. Although she had no feelings for the nobles in the palace, they were blood relatives after all, so there was no reason to hide it from Miaomiao.
"Your grandmother, the queen, is ill, and your mother has gone to tend to her."
Xiuxiu came over and said, "I know what's going on. I heard that the Emperor has appointed a new beauty. She looks very similar to the Emperor's late favorite concubine, Concubine Dong. The Empress and Concubine Dong were sworn enemies in the past. But this beauty Zhen has become arrogant because of her favor. She always likes to provoke the Empress for no reason. This has made the Empress sick."
Lu Qingyao seemed to be lost in thought. "I'm afraid it's not that simple. A mere beauty with no children, even if she were favored, probably wouldn't have the guts to provoke the Queen. Have you found out her background?"
For that beauty to behave like this, she must be either really stupid or she was forced and exploited.
Ever since the day Miaomiao recognized her mother, Lu Qingyao has been keeping a close eye on the goings-on in the palace.
There's nothing she can do about it, since her daughter's biological parents are a princess and a prime minister respectively.
The higher you stand, the more dangerous it is.
If you fall down accidentally, you will be smashed to pieces.
She couldn't stay out of it, even though her power was as weak as a candle.
But a single spark can start a prairie fire.
"I found out, sister. I was just about to tell you about this. The beautiful Zhen was originally an ordinary farm girl. Three months ago, she was bought at a high price and trained before being sent to the palace. But the Fang family insisted that she was the distant cousin of Concubine Chen and was named a beauty because the emperor took a fancy to her. It seems that Prince Chen specially prepared her for the emperor." Xiuxiu also took great pains to find out, and even asked Princess Yuqing for help.
After all, no matter how capable she was, she couldn't find out about the palace.
Of course, this was also tacitly agreed by Lu Qingyao.
"What about Zhen Meiren's family? Can they be found?"
"Ever since Zhen Meiren was bought, her parents, brother, sister-in-law, and nephew have all disappeared. The villagers said they moved to the city, but we've searched everywhere and can't find any trace of them. I suspect they've been hidden by King Chen."
Lu Qingyao said: "Perhaps finding the family of that beautiful lady Zhen is the key to breaking this situation."
"Okay, sister, I'll keep watching."
Miaomiao nestled in A Niang's arms and fell asleep while listening. She woke up too early and didn't get enough sleep.
The carriage moves slowly and it is easy to get sleepy.
Things in the palace seemed too far away from her.
As for that beautiful imperial concubine, she wanted Jiujiu to go and investigate, but it was very difficult.
The imperial palace is too big, and the palace is probably about the same length. It would be easy for Jijiu to get lost if he flew in.
Moreover, the birds in the palace are just like humans. They look down on other birds and don't want to pay attention to them.
In short, it is beyond Bird's ability, so Aunt Xiuxiu has to step in.
We have arrived at the temple.
Jiang Miaomiao also woke up.
I just felt that it was bustling and lively outside.
When I opened the curtain, I was shocked.
All of them are people.
The temple was crowded inside and outside.
Praying to gods and Buddhas before taking exams is indeed the same thing from ancient times to the present.
Even worse in ancient times.
It seems that there are quite a few people who cram at the last minute.
Second brother will definitely not go to pray to gods or Buddhas. He will definitely be meditating in the house.
Miaomiao stood on the carriage and looked up. It was full of heads, densely packed.
It's like going to the market.
Between the red walls and golden tiles, blue smoke curls up, and the fragrance of sandalwood from the temple hits your nose.
I don’t know if it was the refreshing effect of sandalwood, but Miaomiao suddenly became awake.
Looking at the temple full of people, Lu Qingyao could already imagine how many people were kneeling in front of the statue of Manjushri Bodhisattva.
She was neither up nor down.
In the end, he took Xier away and left Xiuxiu to look after Miaomiao.
"Auntie, why don't you go in?" Miaomiao asked, because she found that her auntie never went into the temple.
"As the Buddha said: If you put down your butcher knife, you will become a Buddha instantly. I am destined not to become a Buddha. Going in will only make the Buddha feel upset. So I'd better not go." Xiuxiu leaned against the carriage, looking at the kid who lifted the curtain to look around, and the people coming and going outside the car.
When I think of the blood on my hands, I can’t even count it.
Although those killed were not good people, I still felt a little guilty when entering the temple.
After returning to the capital, I have fewer opportunities to use a knife, and most of the time I use a pen.
Somewhat unbelievable.
Xiuxiu, who was in a daze, was interrupted by Miaomiao's voice, "Auntie, let's go over there for tea. There is a tea stall over there and someone is telling a story."
Jiujiu said that he was talking about the great achievements of King Chen.
Miaomiao was curious. How could a prince who only needed to watch the battle have so many great achievements to talk about?
Xiuxiu stretched her head to listen, and immediately said, "Let's go and listen."
The two found a corner to sit down and ordered a pot of tea.
The main thing is that people who don’t drink tea are not allowed to sit.
Miaomiao is not very happy to eat at street stalls, and tea is no exception.
I always feel that the cup is not clean.
I was soon attracted by the storyteller's stories.
It tells the story of Prince Chen's heroic deeds in defeating the enemy. After suppressing the rebellion, he comforted the people in Prince Su's fiefdom, treated everyone in the palace kindly, provided funds to help the people, built schools, and was an extraordinary hero...
It's almost like saying he is the chosen one.
In the middle, there is also a story about a beautiful woman saving a hero and King Chen repaying his kindness.
Jiang Miaomiao looked back at Xiuxiu, "Auntie, is what they said true?"
This is simply open flattery.
Some people actually believed it, and quite a few of them.
Xiuxiu: "It's half true and half false. Most likely someone paid money to spread it."
"Wow! How shameless! Someone actually puts gold on his own face."
…
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com