good season

Chapter 145 Mad Beast (Two chapters combined)

Princess Qingchuan was born into the imperial family. Her ancestors had the title of Duke of the State, but by her father's generation, they had no such title.

The reason she was granted the title of county princess before marriage was not due to her father or brothers, but to herself.

Seventeen years ago, Consort Xu gave birth to Princess Jiarou. The Emperor Emeritus was overjoyed to have a daughter in his later years. Upon learning that on the same day, Zhao Jingsong from the Imperial Clan also had a baby girl, the Emperor Emeritus was in a good mood and said, "This is also a blessed child. She shall be granted the title of County Princess. When she is a little older, she shall enter the palace to accompany the little princess in her studies."

That's how the title of Princess of Qingchuan came about.

The fact that a county princess was born into Zhao Jingsong's family is like a blessing from his ancestors. It is easy to imagine that the county princess of Qingchuan was pampered from a young age and had the final say.

She entered the palace at the age of eight to serve as a companion to Princess Jiarou. Although she was spoiled, she restrained herself in the palace. However, Princess Jiarou was influenced by the retired emperor and devoted herself to Taoism at a young age. Although she did not become a nun, she often visited the Zizhu Temple and even became a disciple of the female Taoist Master Yudan. As for Princess Qingchuan, she naturally did not need her companion.

Although Princess Qingchuan only served as a companion for a year, it was still a valuable experience. Soon after, she became close friends with Feng Ke's youngest daughter, Feng Jiahe.

Last year, Feng Jiahe transformed into the Third Prince's consort, and Zhao Jingsong's family also became the Third Prince's people.

Princes are not allowed to have close relationships with court officials, but the imperial family is different. Since the imperial family members are relatives, the Third Prince has many tasks assigned to Zhao Jingsong and his son.

This has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that Zhao Jingsong has gained the support of the Third Prince. When the Third Prince ascends the throne, his family will be both a member of the imperial clan and a trusted confidant. If he is lucky, he might even be able to reclaim his ancestor's title of Duke of the State.

The downside was that Princess Qingchuan's status in front of Feng Jiahe plummeted, from a close friend to a follower, and even showed signs of becoming a maid.

Unfortunately, Zhao Jingsong and his son had limited abilities, and the Third Prince assigned them all dirty and tiring jobs.

If her father and brothers are like this, what else could the Princess of Qingchuan be but a maid?
Princess Qingchuan was unwilling, but in the face of imperial power, her arrogance meant nothing.

She wanted to change this situation. She wanted Feng Jiahe to think highly of her. Since she couldn't rely on her father and brothers, she could only look to her future husband.

Now that the Third Prince wants to recruit talent, Princess Qingchuan knows that if she can marry into a powerful and promising family, Feng Jiahe will no longer boss her around.

Therefore, today's flower viewing party is very important to the county magistrate of Qingchuan.

She targeted Princess Huiming for two reasons: first, she had disliked Princess Huiming, who was prettier and gentler than her since childhood, when she was in the palace; and second, she wanted the two princesses to make way for her.

Unfortunately, she could only think of a limited number of underhanded tricks, and the two princesses were already prepared. In Feng Jiahe's eyes, her tricks were both foolish and laughable.

She sat there sulking, but then suddenly remembered something.

“I remember now. When I was a child in the palace, I saw Huixin secretly watching Xiao Zhen. She even gave Xiao Zhen a fan pendant, but Xiao Zhen didn’t want it. She stuffed the fan pendant into Xiao Zhen’s arms and then ran away.”

However, Xiao Zhen immediately gave it to Jia Rou; Hui Xin must like Xiao Zhen.

Upon hearing this, Feng Jiahe was taken aback: "Is that really true? Why haven't I heard you mention it before?"

Princess Qingchuan sighed: "I was only eight or nine years old at the time, Xiao Zhen was only ten, and Huixin was about the same age as us. Who would have thought she would be so shameless?"

You have no idea how shameless she is. When she saw Jia Rou holding the fan pendant she gave her, she even praised Xiao Zhen for being sensible and giving good things to her aunt.

At the time, I didn't understand either, and I thought it was really true. Just now, I finally figured out what happened. It's obvious that she liked Xiao Zhen, but Xiao Zhen didn't like her. She insisted on giving it to him, so Xiao Zhen had no choice but to pass it on to his aunt.

Although Princess Jiarou is younger than Xiao Zhen, she is his aunt.

Feng Jiahe finally smiled, but her tone carried a hint of regret: "It's a pity that Xiao Zhen died young. Alas, when the news of his death came, Third Master was heartbroken for quite some time."

Princess Qingchuan thought to herself: Who can argue with that? If Xiao Zhen were still alive, she would do everything in her power to marry into Princess Jiayi's household.

Both were sons of the eldest princess. Xiao Zhen was superior to Zhao Wenjing and his brother in appearance, talent, and background. Most importantly, Xiao Zhen's surname was Xiao, not Zhao. They did not share the same surname and could marry.

Feng Jiahe's gaze shifted from the Princess of Qingchuan to Lang Yuyu's face. The Lang family was dependent on the Feng family, and her father had high hopes for the newly appointed top scholar, Yang Shengqiu. The Lang family had been kind to Yang Shengqiu, so it would have been perfect for Lang Yuyu to marry him. Unfortunately, the Lang couple were too ambitious.

Feng Jiahe sneered inwardly, her eyes flashing as she looked at Fan Qiuyun standing to the side.

Of the three, Fan Qiuyun came from the lowest social class, but in terms of wealth, even Zhao Jingsong and Lord Lang combined couldn't match the Fan family.
The Third Prince needs to recruit talented individuals, and what he lacks most right now is money.

She waved to Fan Qiuyun: "You've just arrived in the capital, are you settling in alright?"

Meanwhile, in the garden of Princess Jianing's residence, Yang Shengqiu was chatting and laughing with a group of young men.

Just then, a servant from the Princess's residence ran over: "Gentlemen, His Highness the Crown Prince, the Third Prince, and the Fifth Prince have all arrived."

Upon hearing this, everyone quickly stood up to greet them.

As they stepped out of the corridor, they saw a group of distinguished guests walking slowly towards them.

Of the three noblemen, the prince was the most ordinary-looking. If it weren't for his hooked nose, he would have been the kind of face that was hard to remember. It was his hooked nose that saved him, adding a touch of sharpness to his plain face.

Accompanying the Crown Prince were his two brothers-in-law, the two sons of the Dong family.

The third prince was the one who looked most like the emperor among all the princes. His face was almost a carbon copy of Emperor Yongjia. No wonder Emperor Yongjia liked him. Seeing him was like seeing himself when he was young.

Accompanying the Third Prince were the Second Young Master Feng Yanxing and the Third Young Master Feng Yanbiao.

The fifth prince was only eighteen years old, with a youthful air about him. He was the most studious of all the princes and was currently observing state affairs at the Ministry of Revenue.

Accompanying the Fifth Prince were Deng Zheng, the heir of the Duke of Dingguo, Zhu Qing, the second son of the Marquis of Baoqing, and another person who, although neither a son of a noble family nor a newly appointed scholar, was familiar to the young masters present. He was none other than Zhen Gui, the young master who had only recently made a name for himself in the capital!
The crowd stepped forward to pay their respects to the three noblemen. The Crown Prince smiled and said, "I have known you all since you were children. As for the others in the back, are they the top three scholars in this year's imperial examinations?"

Everyone then made way for Yang Shengqiu, the second and third place scholars, who were standing at the back, to come forward. In fact, they had seen these three princes from afar at the Qionglin Banquet that day, but at that time, in front of the emperor, the princes adhered to the rules and it was inconvenient for them to get close to the scholars.

After exchanging a few words, the Third Prince asked, "Oh, why isn't Yan Xia here?"

Someone laughed and said, "Yan Xia would never come to this kind of occasion. He's a great hero, and he's here to punish evil and uphold justice."

The Crown Prince and the Third Prince both laughed, and the others joined in. The Fifth Prince, however, did not laugh. He coughed lightly and said, "Is this funny?"

The Third Prince's heart skipped a beat. Damn it, how could he forget that the Fifth Prince had brought Zhu Qing with him? Zhu Qing was Zhu Yu's younger brother. That man had just said that the heroes of Yan punished the wicked and promoted good, wasn't that practically an insult to Zhu Yu, calling him a villain?
Everyone in the capital knows that Yan Xia is investigating Zhu Yu's case.

The third prince immediately said, "Brother was wrong, you shouldn't have laughed."

As he spoke, he walked up to Deng Zheng and Zhu Qing, and said to them with a smile, "I've heard that you two have made quite a bit of money recently."

The two were taken aback and quickly said, "No, no, we're just trying to earn some pocket money."

After the two finished speaking, they both looked at Young Master Zhen standing to the side. The Third Prince smiled and said, "I heard that Young Master Zhen bought the Ruyi Pavilion?"

Young Master Zhen: "I'm new here and have only found a place to stay. I hope Your Highness will forgive my inconvenience."

The Third Prince laughed heartily: "The scenery at Ruyi Pavilion is delightful. I also have a garden with nice scenery. Young Master Zhen can go and take a look when you have time."

Young Master Zhen: "It would be my great honor."

The Third Prince was clearly satisfied with his answer. He smiled and said, "Then it's settled. I will host a banquet in three days, and Young Master Zhen must attend."

Young Master Zhen thanked him again.

The Crown Prince and the other two princes did not linger. Soon, accompanied by the brothers Zhao Wenjing and Zhao Wenting, they went to see Princess Jianing. However, before leaving, they called Yang Shengqiu along.

When others saw this, some of the more interested people followed suit.

Deng Zheng, Zhu Qing, and Young Master Zhen did not go with them. Those who went with them were all looking to take this opportunity to get married. Of the three, Deng Zheng was already married, Zhu Qing was not engaged, but he had Zhu Yu above him, so it was not his turn for the time being. As for Young Master Zhen, he was even less likely to be considered for marriage.

So the three of them were just there to make up the numbers. They didn't even have invitations. If it weren't for the Fifth Prince bringing them, they wouldn't have been able to get in at all.

Seeing that no one was paying attention to them, Deng Zheng said to Young Master Zhen, "The Third Prince must have found out that the Fifth Prince is making money with us, and he wants to invest as well."

Young Master Zhen said, "It should be."

Deng Zheng sensed his predicament and comforted him, "Actually, the Third Prince is quite fair in his dealings. With him involved, your business in the capital will only be more successful."

Young Master Zhen smiled wryly: "I just don't want to be too ostentatious; I prefer to make my fortune quietly."

Deng Zheng and Zhu Qing both laughed. They also liked to make money quietly, but unfortunately, the Fifth Prince loved to show off. After earning tens of thousands of taels of silver with them, he couldn't hide it anymore and spent money like water. Even the Third Prince could guess where his money came from.

Young Master Zhen watched the Third Prince's departing figure with a sense of pleasure.

After a year of planning, he was finally about to enter the Third Prince's circle.

Amidst the envious gazes of the crowd, Yang Shengqiu followed the three noblemen toward the women.

Princess Jianing hadn't expected that the Crown Prince and the Third Prince would both come in person. Although she was their aunt, she was a smart woman and wouldn't put on airs of an elder in front of them.

The Crown Prince and the two princes also liked this aunt very much. The three of them chatted with Princess Jianing for a while, and then Princess Jiarou came with Princess Huixin and Princess Huiming.

The Third Prince's Consort, Feng Jiahe, also arrived with a group of noble ladies.

After exchanging greetings, Yang Shengqiu stood before Princess Jianing. At that moment, he suddenly felt like something that could be chosen by anyone.

But he wasn't embarrassed and maintained a good demeanor.

Next, Princess Jianing, the Crown Prince, and the two princes all performed their talents, and the noble ladies and young talents all showcased their skills.

Feng Yanxing painted on the spot, Yang Shengqiu composed a poem for him, the Princess of Qingchuan played the zither, Lang Yuyu danced a rainbow dance, and even Fan Qiuyun, who had just arrived in the capital, showed off her beautiful calligraphy.
Amidst laughter and cheerful chatter, Deng Zheng, Zhu Qing, and Young Master Zhen had already left without anyone noticing.

As they were leaving Princess Jianing's residence, Young Master Zhen suddenly remembered something and said to Zhu Qing, "The capital is in turmoil lately. Why don't you and your brother go out of the city for a few days?"

Zhu Qing was taken aback, but he didn't ask any further questions. Young Master Zhen was never one to talk nonsense.

Since he kindly reminded them, there must be a reason why they, as brothers, had to leave the city.

“That’s true. My maternal family sent a letter a while ago. My uncle just had a big, healthy grandson. He has always treated us brothers as his own children. Now that he has such a happy occasion, of course we should congratulate him in person. Brother Deng, Brother Zhen, I have to leave the city, so I’ll be going ahead!”

Zhu Qing took his leave without even returning to the Baoqing Marquis's residence. He sent a servant back to inform the Second Master Zhu, and then left the residence with Zhu Xin. The two brothers met up outside the city and went to their uncle's house, which was two hundred miles away.

Seeing that Young Master Zhen had Zhu Qing leave the city, Deng Zheng guessed something and whispered, "Could it be that there's some progress in that case?"

Young Master Zhen nodded without saying anything more.

That very night, Yan Xia and his men suddenly knocked on the gate of the Baoqing Marquis's residence. This was the second time he had come to the Baoqing Marquis's residence to arrest someone, and this time, the person he wanted to arrest was still Zhu Yu, the heir of the Baoqing Marquis!
Zhu Yu has not yet fully recovered and is still recuperating at Chunhui Hall. How could Old Madam Wei allow anyone to take him away?
But Lord Zhu wasn't in the manor, and Yan Xia was determined to arrest him. Old Madam Wei couldn't stop him last time, and she couldn't this time either.

Zhu Yu was not as arrogant as last time. He kept smiling and was very cooperative. He had someone help him up and said, "I will go with you. You don't need to put on the shackles."

Lady Ma, upon hearing the news, rushed over and grabbed his sleeve; "My son, don't be foolish, they won't dare to arrest you, don't go with them!"

Zhu Yu looked at Madam Ma and suddenly smiled. Since he was injured, he had only seen this woman twice: once when he was first sent back to the manor, and the other time was now.

When this woman wasn't visiting him, she was taking care of another woman's unborn child. When that child was gone, the woman cried her heart out.

What a joke, what a joke!
As he laughed, he suddenly said to Madam Ma, "Come closer, I'll tell you a secret."

Ma was startled and subconsciously moved closer to Zhu Yu, but the next moment, Zhu Yu opened her mouth and bit Ma's face!
This happened so fast that no one had time to react.

Ma cried out in pain, and everyone was stunned by the scene, even Yan Xia was taken aback.

He had handled many cases and arrested many vicious criminals, but this was the first time he had ever met someone like Zhu Yu.

Madam Ma had already fainted from the pain, the maids were in chaos, and Old Madam Wei stared blankly at Zhu Yu, who was trembling like a leaf, as if she were a mad beast.

The flower viewing party was too cliché, an old and tired trope. I wanted to gloss over it, but I still wrote five thousand words. Finally, I finished. Princess Huiming makes her appearance.