I, who disguised myself as a woman, turned out to be a queen! ?

Chapter 1192 Xia Tingyu figured out what to do.

Pear Blossom Garden is famous throughout the vast capital city, known for its winding corridors, but it is truly famous for its flowering trees.

Pear blossoms, osmanthus blossoms, sweet osmanthus blossoms, and chinaberry blossoms are all available.

All the flowering trees grow naturally. They were transported from outside and planted without any further management. They are not made into diseased or malnourished trees. Their density and shape are natural and unrestrained. Because the flowering seasons are closely linked, all the flowering trees have fragrance all year round, and each season is different.

This garden was personally built by the second prince, Xia Ruoyun, for his mother, Madam Chen, several years ago.

Rumors circulated that the Second Prince, Xia Ruoyun, sold all his valuables to make his mother happy in order to build this garden. His filial piety was known throughout the Shu region, and even other prefectures of the Great Xia Dynasty had heard of it.

The best spot to enjoy the scenery in this pear orchard is the pavilion with the plaque that reads "Not Competing for the View".

The most beautiful place is one that does not compete with other places in the world for its scenery.

Madam Chen, the second wife of the Prince of Shu, sat on a mat made of tender bamboo from Zhushan, her hands folded on her knees, her posture charming and her face smiling.

The second young lady of the Chen family in Shu was adopted out of wedlock, but the Chen family was so glorious back then that the daughter she raised would naturally be exceptional.

Madam Chen looked up at her son who had brought over the plum juice and smiled, "Why don't you go learn from Lord Shen? Why do you keep coming here?"

Xia Ruoyun placed a glass of sour plum drink with ice in front of her mother: "The weather is getting hotter and hotter, so I picked out some of the best dried plums to make sour plum drink for you."

Lady Chen pressed further, "Did you send some to your father and eldest sister?"

After a moment of silence, Xia Ruoyun said, "It was sent to Father, and also to my eldest sister."

Seeing Xia Ruoyun pause, Madam Chen immediately frowned: "Even if you don't see me, I still have to send a gift. If the courtesy is observed, outsiders won't be able to find fault."

Xia Ruoyun frowned: "Mother, you went to Fifth Brother's place, didn't you?"

Madam Chen was taken aback, not expecting her son to ask this, so she said, "I went, but I didn't see him. He said he was unwell and refused to see any visitors."

Xia Ruoyun said, "I went too, but they didn't see me."

Madam Chen looked at her son.

Xia Ruoyun looked down at the plum juice: "But he saw Xia Tingyu."

Madam Chen shook her head and said, "That's their business, don't worry about it."

But as soon as she finished speaking, Madam Chen saw Xia Ruoyun clench her fists after taking a sip of plum juice: "Father asked Xia Tingyu to go to Wang Mang to propose marriage for me."

Upon hearing this, Madam Chen frowned: "I know, but Xia Tingyu defied the Prince's orders."

Xia Ruoyun looked up at her mother and said, "Mother, I want to marry Wang Fuwei."

Upon hearing this, Madam Chen immediately looked around and snapped, "Shut up!"

After saying that, he looked at Xia Ruoyun and suddenly realized why the child was speaking so strangely today. He immediately said, "No matter how chaotic things are outside! You remember this: don't do anything. What you did before is in the past! Didn't you see what the fifth brother looked like? Even if you didn't see the fifth brother, what about the third brother? Or, you should still remember what your maternal grandfather's house looked like back then! So shut up! Don't think about anything!"

Xia Ruoyun stared intently at Madam Chen, her hand gripping the glass of plum juice tightly: "Son can't help but think about nothing!"

Madam Chen sat up, about to speak, but seeing Xia Ruoyun's expression, her expression changed. After hesitating for a moment, she asked, "Today, when you went to the Prince's mansion, were you treated coldly again?"

Xia Ruoyun didn't answer immediately, but she gripped the glass cup in her hand even tighter: "He has never treated me like his child! Apart from Xia Tingyu, he doesn't care about any of us! Neither do you, nor the other aunts! In his eyes, we are not family. He only recognizes the deceased princess and Xia Tingyu!"

Madam Chen looked at Xia Ruoyun with a hint of fear on her face: "Ruoyun!"

Xia Ruoyun looked up at her mother: "Mother, I had already asked everyone to leave before I came in, so it doesn't matter!"

Madam Chen's expression changed, and she immediately stood up: "How could you let them leave? If they hadn't sent a message to the Prince's residence, your father..."

Xia Ruoyun stood up and grabbed her mother's shoulders with both hands: "He's old! It doesn't matter anymore! Even if he knows I sent the person away, it doesn't matter! He's been old ever since the day he was sent here with the war in Mobei! I knelt there for seven days and he didn't see me. After Xia Tingyu came, he saw me immediately, and he listened to whatever Xia Tingyu said. Whatever I said was wrong! Even if it was right, it was wrong!"

Madam Chen looked at Xia Ruoyun and could tell that something must have happened at the Prince's Mansion today, otherwise her son, who was always so tolerant, would not have been able to hold back. She pursed her lips and looked at her son, saying, "Don't talk nonsense. He treats you very well and even had Shen Yue teach you."

Xia Ruoyun immediately said, "Mother! That was to make me a scapegoat, a bait, to find Lushan for him, and to make me the target of everyone's hatred. But this position originally belonged to Xia Tingyu, and he didn't want Xia Tingyu to get hurt."

Madam Chen's expression froze.

Xia Ruoyun took out a letter from her bosom and looked at Madam Chen: "Previously, he asked Yao Zhi'en and Yan Yan to kill those Western Region people, and even asked Shen Yue and me to assist them. Those people knew the news in advance and hid. But last night I received this letter. It was written in Western Region script, but I have been learning Western Region script since I was a child, so I can understand some of it. It said that most of the officials in Shu have contacted the Western Region people and have all submitted to Lushan."

Madam Chen didn't look at the letter, but looked at her son: "You haven't broken off contact with Guo Fu and the others yet!"

Xia Ruoyun didn't hide anything and nodded directly: "My son lied to you before. I've been in contact with them privately all along."

Madam Chen looked at Xia Ruoyun, hesitated for a moment, swallowed hard, her eyes darting around before finally looking at Xia Ruoyun and saying, "Do you know the consequences?"

Xia Ruoyun supported her mother: "Today, the brave and resolute Colonel Pei Dongqing defied Father's decree."

Madam Chen looked at Xia Ruoyun with a horrified expression.

Has someone rebelled against the prince?

In this land of Shu, someone actually defied the prince's orders?

Xia Ruoyun continued, "After the news of the war in the northern deserts was sent back, Father's every move disappointed many people and made many others tremble with fear. For so many years, everyone said they were officials of the Great Xia, but they were all loyal to Father. As a result, Father is old and we don't know what he is thinking, but he has not made that decision. Everyone is panicked. Not to mention Guo Fu and his group, even the minor officials have started to consult with Guo Fu and others for solutions. The emperor has exterminated and confiscated the property of those powerful families. The heads could be piled up into a small mountain! Everyone can see it!"

Xia Ruoyun continued, "But Father only listens to Xia Tingyu! He only listens to Xia Tingyu in everything! I originally wanted to give this letter to Father, but seeing him today, I took it back. He's old; he's no longer the powerful and influential King of Shu who commands respect. Even his subordinates, Wang Mang and Dian Junming, have begun to disregard him." Madam Chen looked at Xia Ruoyun, her face hesitant, but finally asked, "Has Wang Mang contacted you?"

Xia Ruoyun shook her head, "But I heard from the people arranged by Wang Mang's mansion that Wang Fuwei is not eating or drinking at home and just wants to see me. Wang Mang loves his daughter the most. If I go to propose marriage, he will definitely agree! Even if Xia Tingyu does not agree, it doesn't matter. As long as Wang Mang agrees, no one can say anything."

After Madam Chen's breathing became heavy, she looked at Xia Ruoyun and said, "The reason why the fifth son's mother doesn't want to see me is because she doesn't want to get involved in these things outside, including the fourth son and his mother. They must not get involved. I moved out of the Prince's Mansion and into this garden because I thought you should be like me and not get involved."

Xia Ruoyun clenched her fists: "But I want you to be the Princess Consort! The principal wife! You also come from the Chen family. When the late Princess Consort died, you could have become the Princess Consort, but he publicly said that he had never said such a thing, and that the Princess Consort was only the late Princess Consort! I was ten years old at the time, but I still remember how many people laughed at you! A concubine's daughter! A concubine's daughter! I am also a concubine's daughter! Why should I be the one to do this!"

"All these years, he has never treated you and your other aunts as wives, but only as tools! Me too, the third brother too, the fourth brother too, and the fifth brother too! The third brother only wanted to become Shen Yue's disciple, and only stole one of Xia Tingyu's horses, and he had both legs broken. He's still lying in bed now, and she's a girl! The fourth brother is so scared that he doesn't dare to take anything, only things given to him by Xia Tingyu. The fifth brother lost an arm, Mother. What did he do? He took some farmers' land, destroyed a disobedient sect, cultivated some strength, and beat up a stubborn old man. He had his arm cut off by Xia Tingyu in front of Father!"

"So many things have happened, and Father hasn't said a word to her, not even a scolding. Why is that! We do wrong, yet we are severely punished. I was slapped eighty times by Kunling just because I ordered someone to arrest Yao Yuanzai. It was Father who wanted to arrest him! So many servants from the Prince's mansion were watching me. Mother, and I won't even mention the other aunts, but you are also a member of the Chen family, and I am also a descendant of the Chen family. Why is Xia Tingyu considered more noble than us? Moreover, my maternal grandfather, uncle, aunt, eldest uncle, and third uncle all died at Xia Tingyu's hands! She killed so many people, and she's still alive and well."

Mrs. Chen looked at her hysterical son: "What if... what if Xia Tingyu had thought of all of this?"

Xia Ruoyun looked at her mother.

Madam Chen reached out and stroked her son's cheek: "Listen to your mother, don't think about these things. It's okay if you don't want to give this letter to your father. Why don't you take it to Xia Tingyu?"

As she spoke, Madam Chen saw the resolute look on Xia Ruoyun's face, who was always the most obedient. She immediately said, "You've always listened to your mother the most. Listen to your mother this time too, okay? Or think about it, why is Xia Tingyu able to get so much support from officials in Shu? Why is everything Xia Tingyu does so perfectly? Why is she able to..."

Xia Ruoyun interrupted Madam Chen: "Because she is the eldest daughter! Everyone sees her as the heir apparent, the next King of Shu! So everyone supports her, and everyone will tacitly approve of whatever she does!"

Madam Chen immediately retorted, "Because of her abilities!"

"You think that back then, he killed the Chen family, my mother's parents, your maternal grandparents, uncles and aunts, and even her own maternal grandparents, just to avenge my mother? That's because she knew the Chen family planned to kill her, and she discovered my mother's intention to kill her! You think my mother never thought about becoming a princess? My sister had everything the best, and my mother could only watch her. Even the men we married were the same people, but she became a princess, while I could only be a concubine! Her daughter was born as the heir apparent, while my son was born out of wedlock!? You think my mother never struggled?"

"Mother wanted to kill her. From the moment she returned, Mother wanted to kill her. Because if she didn't die, you would never become the heir apparent. And the Chen family also wanted her dead. Only when she was dead could the Chen family force the Prince to make me the Princess Consort and make you the heir apparent. But she found out."

"How did she know? She just went to the Chen family. In this Shu region, she was all alone. She just went to the Chen family and saw your maternal grandfather asking, 'Do you want to kill her?' Your mother was there too, along with many members of the Chen family. She was just a thirteen-year-old child, and she just asked that question."

"After that, she started making her plans. We all knew she was becoming wary of the Chen family and we all knew what she was going to do, but we just watched her finish everything. Then one day, she came to me and said, 'Green, Xinghan Road, Sijia, Hai Shi (9-11 PM), Auntie, don't be scared.' I still can't forget what she said."

"But I later learned that what she meant was, 'Mother will dress you in green clothes, and then we'll travel along Xinghan Road in a four-horse carriage. We'll arrive at the Duke's mansion at 9 PM and see her standing among the corpses, covered in blood.' Don't be frightened; I'm not saying seeing her like that will frighten you, but rather after I understand all this..."

"That night, my son, that night, she could kill whomever she wanted, because we were surrounded by her people. She had planned our entire journey. She was only thirteen then, and she came to Shu alone. Before I knew it, everyone around me was hers. And over the years, I've seen everything she's done, you."

But just as Madam Chen got to this point...

A white figure appeared in the pavilion and chuckled softly, "Madam, you're exaggerating a bit."

Mrs. Chen looked up and immediately said, "Mr. Zhang."

Zhang Zi bowed to Madam Chen and then said, "Back then, even if the eldest princess didn't make a move, the prince would have, and if the prince didn't make a move, the late emperor would have. They were too ostentatious; how could they survive? So the eldest princess was definitely not alone. And what you've mentioned must have involved someone else, perhaps even the prince. You must have thought about that too."

Madam Chen looked at Zhang Zi, seemingly realizing something, and immediately asked, "Did you instigate my son to do these things?"

Xia Ruoyun immediately said, "Mother, I asked Mr. Zhang to help me."

Zhang Zi bowed to Madam Chen again.

Madam Chen paused, glancing at her son and then at Zhang Zi, but immediately shook her head: "No! No matter how chaotic things get, it has nothing to do with us, Mother won't."

Xia Ruoyun reached out and grabbed Madam Chen's shoulder: "Mother! If it were before, I might have given up the idea after seeing Fifth Prince like that, but Father is really old! I have many people supporting me! 'Tingyu is too good, you should encourage him.' When I first heard those words, I thought Father was talking nonsense and didn't listen at all, but Fifth Prince listened to them and ended up being used as a tool. I'm not that fool! Besides, Shu is not the Shu it used to be. Zhu Huang's army is right outside Jiange. If we don't do something, we're all doomed!"

Madam Chen looked at Xia Ruoyun and shook her head again: "No, no! You can't!"

As she spoke, she looked at Zhang Zi and said, "Get out! Get out of here! I know about your conflict with Fang Wenhe! She's on Xia Tingyu's side, and I can tell that he's on Xia Tingyu's side too. You have nowhere else to go, so you come here to encourage my son to do something stupid. Get out of here! Leave my son and get out of my place!"

In the end, Madam Chen picked up the glass cup on the table and was about to throw it at Zhang Zi.

But Xia Ruoyun stopped her: "Mother!"

Snapped!
Xia Ruoyun knelt directly in front of Madam Chen.

Madam Chen looked down at Xia Ruoyun.
Xia Ruoyun said, "If I don't do it, what will happen to those who mock you? If I don't do it, I'll be under Xia Tingyu's thumb for the rest of my life. I have to do it! The outside world is in chaos right now, and Sichuan is even more chaotic than you imagine. Now is the best time to do this!"

Looking at her pleading son, Madam Chen took two steps back: "What if..."

Madam Chen looked at Xia Ruoyun and said, "Xia Tingyu, your father, Fang Wenhe, and the others all expected you to take this step."

Zhang Zi said, "Don't worry, Madam. As long as you go to General Wang Mang to propose marriage and the marriage is successful, even if Xia Tingyu finds out, so what?"

Xia Ruoyun continued, "Guo Fu and the others are all planning to recommend me, so Mother, it's really time to do this. If we don't do it now, we'll regret it for the rest of our lives!"

Mrs. Chen plopped down on the cushion, staring blankly at her son. "Where's Zhu Huang?"

Zhang Zi said, "Capture the King of Shu and those former traitors and take them directly to Zhu Huang's location. This will ensure Your Highness's safety."

Madam Chen swallowed hard upon hearing this: "They all have to die, only then can you be the King of Shu. The third, fourth, and fifth sons must all die."

Xia Ruoyun remained silent, but she already knew that her mother had agreed.

Zhang Zi glanced at Madam Chen, said nothing more, and simply smiled: "I will do it myself."

Madam Chen reluctantly stood up: "Take me to change my clothes. I'll go to Wang Mang's residence to propose marriage right now."

(End of this chapter)