tallest building

When the Princess Consort of Chu returned to the mansion, it was already dusk; the King of Chu was not there.

He had left the palace earlier than the princess.

The Queen Consort of Chu was exhausted after a long day in the palace, and with worries on her mind, she had her clothes undressed and washed before going to bed.

Then the new trusted old woman came in, holding a letter in her hand.

"My lady, the gatekeeper just handed us a letter from our uncle." The old woman said, handing the letter to the Princess of Chu.

Princess Chu knew that her brother's post was only three hundred li away from the capital. If there was any news to be sent, he could send his men on fast horses to get there in half a day.

The fact that a letter arrived at this time today clearly indicates that something urgent has happened.

So he opened the letter and read it under the lamp. Just as he finished reading it, the King of Chu returned.

The servants hurriedly attended to them, and when everything was tidied up and only the two of them remained in the room, the princess said, "My brother sent a letter saying that he has an old friend named Yu Fengshan. A few days ago, Yu Fengshan's son accidentally killed someone, and because the incident happened in Danyang, he was arrested by the governor of Danyang."

He begged my brother, hoping to get his son released no matter what. My brother was only half a rank below the Prefect of Danyang, so he couldn't just write to him directly.

So they wanted to ask the prince to intervene and at least bring the person out. This man surnamed Yu also said that as long as his son was safe and sound, he was willing to offer up his entire fortune.

"Speaking of which, the Yu family has given us quite a bit of support in the past, so I'm thinking it wouldn't be right to just walk away from this matter."

The King of Chu didn't mind and said, "What's the big deal? The Liu family is an expert at handling these kinds of things. We can just hand it over to Liu Yuchun. We'll get four or six cents of the silver, and we won't have to get our hands dirty."

The Liu family of the Prince of Shoushan's mansion and the Chu family have always been close, mainly due to their interactions with the Prince.

As for King Zhao and Queen Zhao, Queen Zhao was unhappy after returning to the mansion.

The King of Zhao asked her, "What's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?"

"You know me, even if I'm not feeling well, I won't show it on my face. Today, I'm feeling unwell because I'm not feeling well in my heart," said Princess Zhao.

Upon hearing this, the King of Zhao said, "Is it because of what happened at today's banquet? In my opinion, we don't need to care too much. What does it matter who wins or loses? It was just for fun."

"Both you and Tong'er should be more understanding and not take this to heart. Otherwise, people will say we can't accept defeat."

“If it were just about winning or losing at the banquet, that would be one thing. I wouldn’t be so short-sighted as to make such a fuss over a horse,” said Princess Zhao. “You didn’t even ask about the whole story. It’s not just this one thing.”

She then recounted everything she had heard from Wen Mingqian, as well as what Ying Tong had told her.

Then he asked the King of Zhao, "Now tell me, have I been overthinking things?"

“If Qisihe really intends to arrange a marriage for his daughter, this matter is of utmost importance.” King Zhao frowned upon hearing this. “The northern frontier has always been unstable, and the court is powerless to launch expeditions. It relies entirely on the Prince of Fenye to guard it, and his position is extremely important. If he takes a liking to someone as his son-in-law, that means that person will gain his support.”

"Who says otherwise? That's why I'm so anxious about this. But Tong'er is such a naive child, she even looks down on the princess." Princess Zhao sighed all night.

“He’s young and immature, but we can persuade him slowly. He’s already thirteen. If we explain the pros and cons to him clearly, I don’t think he’ll be too stubborn.” King Zhao thought for a moment and said, “The important thing is what King Fenye thinks. We can’t let him lean towards Yingbai.”

“I’ve noticed that the King of Chu’s side is gradually gaining prominence. Do you think they’re content to be subservient? They just had no choice before. Now that Princess Duanmin has returned, if they gain the favor of the King of Fenye, all our previous efforts will have been in vain. Unfortunately, my father and brother aren’t home, so I have no one to discuss this with.”

"Don't panic," King Zhao laughed. "As the saying goes, to catch a thief, first catch the king." "If the King of Chu and his ilk really have any improper ideas, we just need to give them a warning. Not everything they do is respectable. Find their faults and impeach them. I don't believe they won't be alarmed."

"In that case, it's good to give them a warning," said Princess Zhao. "I'll go to the palace again in a couple of days to find out some information."

“This Wen Mingqian is quite capable,” said King Zhao. “We do have spies in the palace, but none like her who can know news from the Empress, the Emperor, and the Princess at the same time.”

“Who says otherwise! I made the right decision to send her to the palace in the first place. Master Zhuge is in the palace now, and it would be even better if he could speak on our behalf. But from what I’ve heard, he seems to admire Ying Bai more.” Princess Zhao said, then became somewhat worried again.

"Master Zhuge has always been a reclusive sage. I think he was just offering a few words of praise, and he probably won't interfere in anything else. If we try to curry favor with him, it won't be good. Let's just let things take their course for now." King Zhao and his group had tried to befriend Master Zhuge before, but he had always remained aloof and unresponsive, so they didn't want to push their luck too hard.

"In my opinion, why don't we also host a banquet at our residence and invite Prince Fenye and Princess to sit here?" Princess Zhao suggested. "In any case, we should show our sincerity first and let them know that we are willing to get closer. Even if there are some things that cannot be said openly at the banquet, it is still much more convenient to talk at home than in the palace."

“Your idea is good. I’ll have the people in the palace prepare it first. When I go to court tomorrow, I’ll make the request in front of the Emperor. I think His Majesty won’t refuse me.” Prince Zhao also felt that he should take the initiative.

“I think that even if Ying Bai is a little smarter than Tong’er, that’s only part of the story. The King of Fenye doesn’t just look at the person; he also considers their family background. In any case, if Princess Zhuolahan doesn’t choose her spouse, that’s fine! But if she does choose her spouse, we must win.” Princess Zhao gritted her teeth and said, “No matter what the outcome, we must do our best.”

"Alright, alright, you've had a long day. Tell them to help you with your washing and grooming." King Zhao stood up, stretched, and said, "Recharge your energy, then get back to what you need to do."

"What, are you leaving again?" Princess Zhao was clearly displeased.

"I've only felt tired these days. Have them give me a massage, and I'll come to your room again tomorrow," said King Zhao as he left.

Princess Zhao was displeased and called over the old woman beside her: "Go and see whose room the prince will stay in tonight. Tomorrow, send that person to the family temple for three months of quiet contemplation, so he can return just in time for the New Year."

The fact that Prince Zhao had many concubines in his mansion was enough to show that he was a womanizer.

However, they were still afraid of Princess Zhao, so these concubines who entered the household were given contraceptive soup from the very first day they arrived.

Only a few of the princesses' personal maids who became concubines of the Prince of Zhao were allowed to have children.

Furthermore, only daughters should be kept; if a son is born, he should not be kept either. (End of Chapter)