Chapter 66 Shura Field
Zhu Yuhuan went back and washed up briefly, changing into a clean dress. She walked out of the room and turned towards Zhu Youtong's yard, but she was still thinking about the slightly strange scene in the main hall.
To be honest, she always had a bad feeling in her heart.
After all, Zhu Youtong is still young and needs to be educated well. He cannot always run around with Zhu Yuhuan.
Seeing his sister coming, Zhu Youtong immediately dropped the book in his hand, skipped to Zhu Yuhuan, hugged her and said, "Sister is back!"
Zhu Yuhuan reached out and touched the top of his sister's head, then asked, "What happened at home today? Why do mother and the concubine look unhappy?"
Zhu Youtong immediately spilled the beans, saying, "The Emperor sent an order this afternoon, saying that earthquakes have been frequent in Yingtian, and that Daddy should set out south in April. Not only will he pay homage to the Great Ancestor, but he'll also be in charge of the defense of Nanjing."
Zhu Yuhuan raised his eyebrows slightly, but he was not surprised. He just said, "I see..."
However, this wasn't the first time Zhu Zhanji had gone on a long journey. Hu Shanxiang and Sun Mengqiu had never been like this when they were on the battlefield before. Why did they look so serious this time...
Zhu Youtong seemed to recall something and suddenly spoke, "Grandma was worried about Daddy, so she issued an imperial decree, saying that Daddy should bring someone with him to the south to serve him, so that there would be someone to take care of Daddy's daily life. The one who came to announce the decree was the beautiful sister who often brought books to Mom. She should know her."
Zhu Yuhuan then realized that his grandmother was planning to arrange for Wu Miaosu to take care of Zhu Zhanji's daily life.
Speaking of taking care of daily life, Zhu Zhanji was such a big man, and he had eunuchs serving him, so why did he need to appoint a female official to take care of him? The hidden meaning was that Zhu Zhanji should take Wu Miaosu as his concubine.
Not long after Zhu Yuhuan and the female official talked about Wu Miaosu, Wu Miaosu was really introduced to Zhu Zhanji by Empress Zhang. It was really "no coincidence in the world".
However, compared to this, Zhu Yuhuan was more concerned about another thing, that is Wu Miaosu's identity.
Although it was just speculation, Wu Miaosu's identity was indeed not very secure. If she really became Zhu Zhanji's concubine, wouldn't it add to the trouble? After all, the Prince of Han, Zhu Gaoxu, was still waiting in Shandong with a covetous eye.
Although Zhu Gaoxu failed in his attempt to kill her, if Wu Miaosu had leaked the secret, it would have caused huge trouble...
Zhu Zhanji had no children. If he really died, the position of crown prince or even the throne would have to be passed on to his younger brother. At that time, there would be no good results for the three of them, mother and daughter.
Huai En, who was standing next to him, obviously realized that Wu Miaosu might be taken into Zhu Zhanji's backyard. However, her identity was not secure. He said worriedly, "Princess..."
Zhu Yuhuan frowned, thinking about what Empress Zhang meant, and said nothing.
Zhu Youtong noticed what his sister was thinking about, and said, "Tongtong just said what grandma said... I seem to have missed a sentence, but I can't remember it clearly."
Zhu Yuhuan was slightly stunned. He didn't expect that Zhu Youtong still knew to remember the original text.
After all, she was able to memorize even the "holy book" like gongche notation, so Zhu Yuhuan did not doubt his sister's memory.
Could it be that Empress Zhang already knew Wu Miaosu's identity? Was she playing a trick on her?
After all, Zhu Zhanji has always been clear about political affairs. Even a little girl like Zhu Yuhuan was required to behave herself, not to mention Wu Miaosu, a female official. After all, the Silijian was created by Zhu Zhanji himself, and the gradual transfer of power of female officials to eunuchs was closely related to this move. This shows his sensitivity to women interfering in politics.
In this way, no matter who sent Wu Miaosu, there would be no need to worry about leaking any important information.
After all, this was just a guess, and Zhu Yuhuan was still a little worried. He said to Zhu Youtong, "Come on, Tongtong, let's go have dinner first."
Even if Zhu Yuhuan wanted to report to Empress Zhang, that would be tomorrow's matter. It was more important to find out the current situation first.
Zhu Youtong didn't know what Zhu Yuhuan was thinking, so he just responded happily, "Okay."
Zhu Zhanji was often busy with government affairs. He either had dinner alone in his study or at Sun Mengqiu's place. When there were banquets, they ate at separate tables. Zhu Yuhuan could not recall many times when the whole family sat together at the table like today.
Zhu Zhanji sat at the head of the table, with Hu Shanxiang and Sun Mengqiu flanking him. One had a blank expression, while the other had slightly red eyes. Zhu Hanjia, the only child at the table, sat obediently in her chair, gazing longingly at the sumptuous meal. Had her wet nurse not been there to urge her, she would have reached for the delicious treats. The only person who seemed out of place was Wu Miaosu, the waitress. She stood behind Zhu Zhanji, her head bowed, her thoughts uncertain.
The expressions of the four people were indescribably strange in such an atmosphere, which made Zhu Yuhuan inexplicably think of the world-famous painting "The Last Supper".
When Zhu Zhanji saw the two sisters come in, he coughed to clear his throat and asked, "Why are you here so late?"
As soon as he spoke, Wu Miaosu, who had originally lowered her head, couldn't help but look up at Zhu Yuhuan, her eyes sparkling, as if filled with tears.
Zhu Yuhuan said sweetly, "I've been too busy lately and came back a little late. I couldn't see my father and mother in a sweaty state, so I changed my clothes before coming here."
When she met Wu Miaosu's eyes, she felt really sorry for her. Regardless of whether she was an informant or not, she lost her freedom inexplicably. How could one not feel sorry for her?
With her sister's explanation, Zhu Youtong naturally didn't need to say anything. She had never been very close to her father Zhu Zhanji. Instead, she looked at Wu Miaosu behind Zhu Zhanji and smiled sweetly.
When Wu Miaosu saw her smile and saw Zhu Yuhuan raise his hand to rub his eyes, she realized that there were tears in her eyes. She hurriedly wiped the corners of her eyes when no one else was paying attention.
Seeing that Zhu Zhanji seemed to have nothing to say, Hu Shanxiang asked her two daughters to sit down.
Zhu Zhanji looked at Wu Miaosu and said, "You can sit down and eat with us."
He usually switched between Hu Shanxiang and Sun Mengqiu with ease and had never shown such an embarrassed expression. If the occasion was not inappropriate, Zhu Yuhuan would really like to gossip about it.
Wu Miaosu had already stopped crying, and upon hearing what Zhu Zhanji said, she simply said, "I was appointed by the Empress to serve Your Highness. I am not like the Crown Princess or the Second Consort. It is not proper for me to sit down and eat with you."
As soon as she finished speaking, Sun Mengqiu put the chopsticks in her hand on the table. The sound was not loud, but it was particularly harsh in such an atmosphere.
Zhu Yuhuan blinked and subconsciously looked at Sun Mengqiu, only to see that she had already stood up and said respectfully, "I don't have a good appetite today, so I'll go back first." After that, without waiting for Zhu Zhanji's response, she asked the wet nurse next to her to pick up Zhu Hanjia, and the mother and daughter left leisurely.
Zhu Yuhuan couldn't help but say "oh" in his heart, it turned out that Sun Mengqiu was jealous.
Although Zhu Yuhuan knew that the two were childhood sweethearts and grew up together, and he also knew that Sun Mengqiu's personality was much more lively than Hu Shanxiang's, he still had to admire Sun Mengqiu's courage for walking away in front of Zhu Zhanji like that. Could this be what it means to be "fearless when favored"?
Zhu Zhanji was completely embarrassed at this moment. He slammed down his chopsticks and said to the eunuch who was waiting nearby: "Concubine Sun is not feeling well. Don't you know how to ask an imperial physician to check her pulse?"
Upon hearing this, the eunuch hurriedly responded with a "yes", then stood aside with his eyes and nose in his eyes, pretending that he had not heard what Zhu Zhanji had just said.
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Second Concubine are childhood sweethearts, and they will naturally reconcile later. How dare these palace servants go up and ask for trouble?
Zhu Yuhuan naturally understood this and couldn't help but sympathize with these palace maids who were often caught in the middle. As for herself, she mainly just watched the fun of the matter between Zhu Zhanji and Sun Mengqiu.
What is Shura Field? This is Shura Field! If it were a romance novel, it would have to be at least 500,000 to 600,000 words long!
Compared to Zhu Yuhuan's indifferent and nonchalant attitude, Wu Miaosu was obviously more embarrassed. Seeing this, Hu Shanxiang was about to smooth things over, but Zhu Yuhuan had already moved a seat to the side. She raised her hand and patted the stool between herself and her sister, saying, "Just sit between Tongtong and me. There's someone to take care of Tongtong while he eats."
It just so happened that Sun Mengqiu was leaving with her daughter, and the seat was very spacious, so it would be a shame not to sit there.
Although Zhu Youtong was a little confused, he still said obediently after hearing his sister say this: "Madam Sister, please take care of me while I eat."
Hearing his daughter call Wu Miaosu sister, Zhu Zhanji couldn't help but cough hard again and said, "You can't call me sister anymore."
Zhu Youtong looked confused and asked, "If not Sister, what should I call her? Sister often brings books to Mom and smiles when she sees me and me. Shouldn't I call her Tongtong?"
Zhu Zhanji now looked even more embarrassed. If Zhu Yuhuan was not involved in the situation, he would probably have laughed out loud.
Therefore, Zhu Yuhuan snorted lightly and said in a long voice: "Tongtong - don't talk while eating and don't talk while sleeping."
Zhu Youtong, who was originally a little confused, immediately ate his meal obediently and didn't intend to ask any more questions.
Zhu Yuhuan then raised his chin towards Wu Miaosu and motioned her to sit next to him.
Seeing Zhu Yuhuan's dignified manner, Zhu Zhanji's expression relaxed a lot. He said jokingly, "It seems that he has made great progress in his studies during this time. Even Huanhuan, who is usually the most mischievous, has become like an older sister."
Wu Miaosu subconsciously looked at Hu Shanxiang on the other side. Seeing that she still had a gentle expression and nodded slightly, she walked between the two sisters.
Zhu Zhanji caught a glimpse of her little movement out of the corner of his eye, then glanced at Hu Shanxiang, and the smile on his face faded a little.
Zhu Yuhuan pretended not to notice the two people's unpredictable gazes and expressions, and just pretended to be humble: "No, no, no—"
She looked so humorous and amusing that even Hu Shanxiang was amused and said, "You, if I praise you a few words, your tail will be up in the air."
Wu Miaosu walked to the seat between the two sisters and sat down, but her body was tense, showing that she was still uneasy.
Zhu Yuhuan, however, seemed unaware. He extended his hand and put his arm around Wu Miaosu to show his closeness, saying, "If I didn't do something right, how could Daddy praise me? Right?"
Zhu Zhanji's expression also relaxed a lot, and he said to Wu Miaosu, "She has always been like this, you'll just get used to it in the future." As he spoke, his tone had softened a lot. It was obvious that he felt a lot more relaxed because Sun Mengqiu was not there, as there was one less person who was so cold to him.
Wu Miaosu did not respond to Zhu Zhanji's words, but subconsciously looked at Zhu Yuhuan. She saw that she was also looking up at her, with a bright smile on her face, which made people forget their worries.
Unfortunately, she felt guilty, and seeing Zhu Yuhuan and Hu Shanxiang's smiles made her feel even more guilty. First, her reasons for entering the palace were completely different from those of the others, and second, this was a "favor" she had sought, but the Crown Princess was her aunt Hu Shanwei's sister. Although this was an act of desperation, she could not deceive herself about the guilt she felt towards the Shang Gong, the Crown Princess, and the princess.
Zhu Yuhuan didn't know what Wu Miaosu was thinking, but when he heard Zhu Zhanji mention "later", he knew that he had no intention of letting her go.
After all, Tongtong's meaning was that Empress Zhang had only assigned Wu Miaosu to accompany Zhu Zhanji south. Although this was not her duty as a court lady, it was still plausible. Wu Miaosu did not necessarily have to be confined to Zhu Zhanji's backyard. And now, Zhu Zhanji's implicit meaning was that he intended to keep Wu Miaosu by his side, probably as a "second concubine" like Sun Mengqiu.
Zhu Yuhuan glanced at Wu Miaosu, who was meticulously taking care of Zhu Youtong's meal. Her every move was meticulous and proper, showing her dedication. Zhu Yuhuan glanced at her and saw Zhu Zhanji's eyes fixed on Wu Miaosu. He felt goosebumps all over his body and began to eat the rice in his bowl wholeheartedly.
She doesn't like watching middle-aged love idol dramas with male protagonists...
This meal was not appetizing at all. Even though Zhu Yuhuan had a cheerful personality, he still found it difficult to swallow.
After dinner, Zhu Zhanji went to the study to handle some matters, and Wu Miaosu had to be relocated in the East Palace. Naturally, only Hu Shanxiang, mother and daughter were left. Zhu Yuhuan and Zhu Youtong followed Hu Shanxiang out of the main hall, one on each side. Zhu Youtong sniffed the faint fragrance of flowers and plants in the air and couldn't help sneezing. Suddenly remembering something, Zhu Youtong turned to look at Zhu Yuhuan with a look of sudden enlightenment.
"Sister, I remember now!"
Zhu Yuhuan was puzzled and asked, "What did you remember?"
"Grandma wants Sister Miaosu to continue the royal family line... I've never heard of this term before, so I didn't remember it..."
Zhu Yuhuan almost vomited out the entire dinner she had just had. She coughed violently a few times, and Huai En beside her hurriedly handed her a handkerchief. Zhu Yuhuan covered it up by wiping the corner of her mouth and said with a dry laugh, "Don't think about it next time."
Although Zhu Youtong didn't understand why her sister said that, she still said obediently: "Oh...Okay, Tongtong understands."
Zhu Yuhuan leaned forward slightly to look at his mother, and was relieved to see that her expression was as calm as ever.
Although Empress Zhang did not say anything explicitly, she was undoubtedly putting pressure on Hu Shanxiang.
As the Crown Princess, it was her duty to give birth to children for her husband. Hu Shanxiang could choose not to have children herself, but Zhu Zhanji, as the Crown Prince, could not be without a male heir, so he sent Wu Miaosu, who had a good relationship with the sisters Hu Shanwei and Hu Shanxiang.
Perhaps this could barely be considered as a bit of tenderness from Empress Zhang towards her daughter-in-law Hu Shanxiang, but it was also a clear warning to Hu Shanxiang.
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