"The Emperor rarely visits this old woman. Now..."
Right after the Emperor left the Empress Dowager's palace, she summoned Ming Ruyi into the palace.
Ming Ruyi put away his usual carelessness and looked impatient. "Mother, do you want the Emperor to know your moves?"
The Empress Dowager now had only this one son. The Emperor had only sat for a short while, sipping a few cups of tea, and talked to her like an ordinary mother and son. However, the subtext was a warning to them.
"Ruyi, you... might as well think it over carefully and choose a prince as soon as possible," the Empress Dowager saw clearly. The Crown Prince was mediocre, while Prince Cheng, Prince Yong, and Prince Yu were all outstanding. Especially Prince Cheng had gradually won the Emperor's favor recently.
"Mother, let's not discuss this anymore. I will leave the capital soon. Please take good care of yourself!"
This silly child! The Emperor had always been wary of him. How could he act like nothing had happened! The Empress Dowager was anxious. She tightly grasped the chair and couldn't say a word.
Ming Ruyi was heart - broken. How he wished he could be close to his mother! However, the man on the throne was always eyeing him covetously. Unless he truly had the day when he could stand in the sun without any worries.
"Sorry, Mother!"
He turned around and left, preparing to stay away from the capital. Only in this way could he protect his mother.
After the King of Zhongzhou left the palace, the Empress Dowager found a trusted eunuch and sent a letter back to her natal family in Lin'nancheng, asking them to select outstanding girls and send them to the capital.
After much thought, she took a fancy to Prince Yu. She thought Zhongli Mingye was more reliable than Prince Cheng, who was currently in the limelight. Prince Yong, Zhongli Mingxi, had a humble background. He was brave and competitive, not a good partner. The other princes were still young.
The Empress Dowager was bent on seeking a better future for her son. Now that the Emperor had taken action, he would surely target Ming Ruyi. She must choose a suitable person to help them.
Zhongli Mingye, who was being targeted by her, was in a carriage with a new page boy. The page boy was good - looking and occasionally looked out of the window.
"When I came here last time, it rained every day. Now the weather is fine, but it's too hot..."
The page boy didn't show any deference to Prince Yu at all, and the guards outside the carriage were used to it. From time to time, they were even distracted by the laughter in the carriage.
Mi Cui was secretly wondering how to serve this new master.
Prince Yu had assigned her to Song Jinyu yesterday. Xing Jian and Qing Feng were both surprised. Although Mi Cui liked Miss Song, she had always been the most trusted female official of Zhongli Mingye.
"She is always clumsy and likes to cause trouble. It makes this king feel more at ease with you following her."
As soon as she heard the description of "clumsy and trouble - making", the little page boy Song Jinyu immediately got angry. "Things always come to me. When have I ever caused trouble!"
Her angry look made Qing Feng and the others want to laugh but dare not. Mi Cui understood the king's intention and readily followed Song Jinyu.
"Humph... I don't want your people..."
Did this mean he wanted to keep an eye on her?
Ignoring the poor and helpless look, Mi Cui smiled and said, "The king is trying to protect you..."
Song Jinyu was very worried about He Yi. She didn't want to go to the capital at first. But He Yi must be very sad now. Even if she went, she might not be able to solve He Yi's dilemma, but it would be good if she could make her happier.
"Sigh..."
It had been such a short time since she returned home from the capital, and now she had to go back. She almost lost her life last time. She was really afraid of the capital.
"Why are you sighing?"
Zhongli Mingye lovingly stroked her head. He was a bit unaccustomed to her dressed as a page boy.
"I don't know how He Yi is?" If it weren't for He Yi, she wouldn't go to the capital.
He handed her a handful of shelled melon seeds and said, "Everyone has their own destiny."
"He Yi is a royal princess. She was born to shoulder her mission."
Song Jinyu was unhappy. In her eyes, He Yi was so innocent and care - free, but she had to shoulder such a mission at an early age.
Seeing her unhappy, he took her hand and said, "Maybe He Yi likes that prince."
"She has no choice at all. She has to like him even if she doesn't, right?"
Was this sentence about He Yi or about him? Zhongli Mingye let go of her hand, and his eyes were wandering. Was he Song Jinyu's helpless choice?
Anyway, she couldn't escape.
However, Zhongli Mingye was worried about another thing. That was the marriage between the Prince of Duan'an's Mansion and Prince Cheng. It was obvious to everyone that there was a scheme behind it.
How could the Crown Prince tolerate this marriage? Looking at the girl in front of him, no matter what, these things had nothing to do with her. It was good that she wouldn't be involved.
After Zhongli Shuoyi left the palace, he specially went to the Eastern Palace. Looking up at the exquisite decoration in the same color as the imperial palace, he felt an infinite yearning in his heart.
"Your Highness, are you going to visit the Crown Prince?"
The attendant eunuch interrupted his train of thought. "No..."
The family of the Prince of Duan'an had just arrived in the capital and were staying in the mansion's villa. He was about to marry Princess Duan Ya. Countless people in the court were watching this marriage.
The relationship between the Crown Prince and the Grand Tutor's Mansion had been very tense recently. The Grand Tutor's Mansion always suspected that the Crown Prince was the murderer of their young master, while the Crown Prince had gradually lost trust because of the rumors from the Grand Tutor's Mansion. This gave him many opportunities. Now his father relied on him more and more.
Once the marriage of the Prince of Duan'an's Mansion was settled, his plan would be officially launched. Ji Qinglin had sent him the accounts of the Ministry of Revenue the day before. There was a lot of room for maneuver in those accounts! Thinking of this, a calculating look flashed across his chubby face. Under the scorching sun, his clothes were soaked with sweat. His somewhat fat body couldn't stand the high - temperature weather.
He wiped the sweat off and left. He was going to the villa to see Yu Duanya.
The news that Prince Cheng passed by the Eastern Palace without entering reached the Crown Prince's ears. He disdained it. "This younger brother must be crazy!"
"Miss, the Princess asks if you want to go out for a walk?" Yu Duanya was painting a landscape painting. Hearing the maid's voice, she looked up and said, "There's still time until the wedding. There's no need to rush."
Prince Cheng didn't let anyone announce his arrival. He gently approached Yu Duanya and found that she was a quite talented woman. He smiled and said, "Princess, you have good taste!"
She was disturbed out of the blue. She hid her unhappiness and saluted Prince Cheng. The latter raised his hand to help her up. "We are betrothed. There's no need for so many formalities."
Zhongli Shuoyi suddenly remembered a rumor he had heard about Yu Duanya and Zhongli Mingye. He pretended to say casually, "After our wedding, the wedding of the Fourth Prince will be coming soon."
Yu Duanya was a bit unhappy but only asked, "Which young lady is it?"
"Her status is not as high as yours, Princess, but it was also the Fourth Prince who asked for this marriage. It's Miss Song who treated you in Liuzhou City." As he said, he watched Yu Duanya's expression.
It was really her!