good season

Chapter 196 Jumping into the Lake (Two chapters combined)

Emperor Yongjia appeased Feng Ke and then ordered an investigation. However, the people he sent out didn't even need to investigate; the matter had already become the talk of the town.

When the Fifth Prince goes to Linglong Pavilion, he can prevent other guests from entering, but he will not clear the street.

He was a prince, not the crown prince, much less the emperor. In smaller places outside the capital, he would be treated like an emperor, but in the capital, there were many people above him, and when it came to status and prestige, it was not his place.

So, the people who saw him reprimanding the Third Prince's Consort outside Linglong Pavilion that day were not only from the two princes' residences and Linglong Pavilion.

There were also people from nearby shops, passersby, and even beggars who chased after the luxurious carriage to beg!

The people of the capital have very sharp eyes. They can recognize at a glance which family's carriage it is and which family's emblem it is. Even if it is a woman who rarely goes out, they can guess which mansion's lady or young lady she is based on the servants' attire.

Moreover, the princes were not only the emperor's sons, but also the dynasty's mascots. During festivals, they would light lanterns and pray for blessings on behalf of the emperor, ostensibly to share the joy with the people.

Therefore, apart from the younger ones, the other princes were all familiar faces, especially the fifth prince, who was the most fond of shopping and lively gatherings among the princes.

That day, whether they were in the open or hiding in the shadows, the onlookers watched a good show.

It's rare to see a brother-in-law scolding his sister-in-law, even in ordinary families, but they happened to witness it, and it was even happening in the imperial family.

When he got home and told his wife about it, she perked up and exclaimed, "Oh my god, is that true?"
Go tell my sister-in-law, my older sister, my sister-in-law, and my cousin!
In less than half a day, the entire capital city knew everything that it should and shouldn't know.

This speed is even faster than that of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

The emperor was the last to know.

Emperor Yongjia's face turned ashen, and he summoned the Fifth Prince and gave him a severe scolding.

They thought that after being scolded, the matter would be over, but no one expected that the news about the Feng family would spread before the Fifth Prince even entered his residence after leaving the palace.

Feng Yalan committed suicide!
Never think that suicide is a trivial matter. For wealthy and powerful families, the suicide of an unmarried girl, whether dead or alive, is a shameful thing that can affect the marriage prospects of her other sisters.

Therefore, even if a daughter were to commit suicide, it would be kept completely secret, and no one outside the household would know.

The news of Feng Yalan's suicide spread immediately, suggesting that there was a force pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Feng Ke!

Feng Yalan survived and was rescued in time.

The Empress sent a high-ranking palace maid to visit her. The maid returned and told the Empress that Miss Feng had a deep ligature mark on her neck.

Miss Feng wanted to end her life because she couldn't bear to see her family suffer the same humiliation as her.

With her death, the marriage was off. The Feng family remained the family of the Prime Minister, the family of the Third Prince's wife, not the family of the Fifth Prince's concubine.

Therefore, when Feng Ke sought an audience with Emperor Yongjia again to request the annulment of the engagement, Emperor Yongjia granted his request.

The engagement between the Fifth Prince and Miss Feng came to an end, and from then on, they would marry out of their own homes and have no further connection with each other.

Miss Feng did not continue the marriage proposal. Instead, shortly after breaking off the engagement, she went to the Purple Bamboo Temple, saying she was just staying for a short while. Who knows if she will ever be able to return?

However, Princess Jiarou was practicing at Zizhu Temple, and women from prominent families often visited the temple. Therefore, Zizhu Temple had a very good reputation. No matter how long Miss Feng stayed at Zizhu Temple, as long as she did not become a nun, her reputation would not be affected by the annulment of her engagement when she returned.

However, the fifth prince was not so lucky.

He was confined to his quarters by the Yongjia Emperor for a year!
A year of confinement is, for a fighter battling in the ever-changing arena, a withdrawal from the arena, an exit from the game!

Upon hearing this news, the Third Prince laughed heartily and presented Feng Jiahe with a luminous pearl the size of a walnut: "My beloved concubine, I'm sorry you've suffered such an injustice."

Feng Jiahe never expected that this accidental mishap would actually knock Lao Wu out of the game.

"It's good that you remember it, sir."

The Third Prince pulled her into his arms and said softly, "I know all the good things you've done for me, and I will remember them for the rest of my life."

Feng Jiahe's heart fluttered, and her eyes reddened: "I only hope that when you sit on that throne, you will not forget the grievances I suffered for you."

The Third Prince kissed her cherry lips tenderly, saying, "How could I forget? My Empress."

The phrase "Your Majesty the Empress" completely pleased Feng Jiahe. She never envied those princesses or eldest princesses. Although she was not born into the royal family, she could still be an empress or an empress dowager.

However, she remembered something.

"My lord, I have been married into this family for so long, yet I have not been able to bear you a son or daughter. However, I have taken a fancy to two young ladies from noble families. When you have some free time, I would like to invite them over so that you may take a look at them."

The Third Prince frowned slightly, his smile vanished, and he pushed Feng Jiahe away, saying unhappily, "You've been husband and wife with me for so long, don't you know that I don't like this kind of thing? Besides, we're still young, and we're not in a hurry. Father and Mother haven't said anything, but you can't sit still. What, you think I'm in your way, so you're trying to force someone into my life?"

Feng Jiahe had no intention of placing someone in the Third Prince's service; she was just testing the waters.

If she wanted to force someone into the household, she would have brought Lang Yuyu into the mansion long ago, and none of the mess that followed would have happened.

She shook the Third Prince's arm coquettishly: "How could I find you an eyesore, Your Highness? I wish Your Highness would stay in my room every day. I just hate that my belly is not cooperating."

The Third Prince embraced her again: "Why are you so disappointing? In my heart, you are so wonderful. Not to mention those pretentious young ladies from noble families, even if you were a fairy from the heavens, I wouldn't be interested. In this world, I only want two things. Do you know what those two things are?"

Feng Jiahe shook her head.

The Third Prince said softly, "You and the world."

The two embraced tightly, and after an unknown amount of time, the voice of a palace attendant rang out from outside the door: "Third Master, Scholar Yang has arrived."

The Third Prince shouted, "Get out!"

Feng Jiahe quickly broke free from his embrace: "Sir, important matters are at hand."

The Third Prince sighed helplessly: "When will all these troublesome things and people be gone? I just want to stay by your side."

As she spoke, she buried her head in Feng Jiahe's arms.

Feng Jiahe smiled and pushed him away: "Sir, there's still plenty of time. There will be many opportunities in the future. Go and get busy with your business."

The Third Prince said reluctantly, "Yes, Your Majesty the Empress."

Feng Jiahe smiled and covered her mouth with her handkerchief, watching the Third Prince leave.

Stepping out of the courtyard, the reluctance in the Third Prince's eyes vanished. He exhaled a breath of stale air, annoyed to no end. That wretched woman dared to test him, worried that his mother would ask his father to arrange a marriage for him with another concubine, so she wanted to strike first.

If it weren't for your Feng family, I would have already made my beloved woman my concubine.

That bitch Feng Jiahe, if it weren't for her good father, she wouldn't even be as good as a hair on Qiu Jun's head!
You can't have children, haha, of course you can't have children, I just don't want to have children with you!
The Third Prince received Yang Shengqiu in a pavilion by the lake.

The weather has turned cool, and the waterside pavilion is drafty on all sides, making it chilly to stand inside.

However, the Third Prince felt this was the safest place in the entire prince's residence, because it was impossible to hide anyone here, there was no need to worry about eavesdroppers, and Feng Jiahe's influence couldn't reach this place. An eagle landed on the railing, its gaze majestic.

The eunuch wanted to scare the eagle away, but dared not approach. Yang Shengqiu saw this and said, "When will we strike down ordinary birds and scatter their feathers and blood across the plains? This bird has the power to soar into the sky, and it is also good at taking advantage of the situation to launch a surprise attack. It is the king of birds. Today, this bird has landed alone in the Third Master's mansion, which is an auspicious sign."

Upon hearing this, the eunuch's mind raced, and he immediately knelt down: "The divine bird has descended, a great blessing! This servant congratulates Your Highness!"

The third prince was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter.

With the fifth brother defeated and only the fourth brother, that good-for-nothing, left, what is there to fear?
He walked over, patted Yang Shengqiu on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "Thank you for your kind words, hahaha!"

The eunuch, being observant, quickly went to the kitchen to fetch chicken, duck, fish, and meat. The eagle, far from being restrained, acted as if it were in its own home, feasting heartily. It flapped its wings, circled the lake once, and then landed back on the railing. As if it could understand human speech, it intently watched the Third Prince and Yang Shengqiu discuss matters. Even after Yang Shengqiu left, the eagle remained. When the Third Prince approached it and tried to touch it, it finally took flight, circling above the Third Prince's head once before flying away into the distance.

The eunuch hurriedly said, "Third Master, that eagle just flew around your head, as if it were taking your measurements to make a crown."

Crown?

The prince's crown?
A crown to be made for the prince?

crown!

The Third Prince was deeply moved and could not calm down for a long time.

Where he couldn't see, the eagle landed by the window, watching the people eating at the table.

Zhao Shiqing: "Did you come back full? Did you find new meal tickets again?"

Little Guai ate his round belly. No, he should fly around again. If he keeps going like this, he'll get fat like that orange cat. Have you ever seen a fat eagle? No, right? So he needs to digest his food.

Little Guai flapped its wings and flew away. Zhen Wuduo asked, "We haven't seen Little Guai all day. Where did you send it?"

Zhao Shiqing held up three fingers: "Looks like the food is pretty good."

Lingbo snorted: "He's very picky about food now; ordinary families can't afford to feed him."

The little demon was unconvinced and slapped Xiao Ye across the face to show her dissatisfaction.

Why is it that everyone else is just visiting each other's homes, but no one treats me to a big feast? Of course, I don't even look down on those things.

For the next two days, Xiao Guai went to the Third Prince's residence almost every day, eating and drinking to her heart's content before leaving.

The first thing the Third Prince did every day when he had free time was to ask the eunuch beside him, "Has that eagle come by?"

When the eunuch answered "He came," the Third Prince breathed a sigh of relief. If the eunuch said "He didn't come," the Third Prince's heart would be in his throat. He would order a grand feast to be prepared by the lake, and only after the eagle had a good meal and flew around the mansion once more would the Third Prince feel at ease.

I am still favored by the divine eagle. When I soar through the sky like an eagle, that will be the day I am crowned.

The news about the Third Prince's residence reached Zhao Shiqing's ears intermittently from Xiao Guai's mouth.

The Third Prince has now begun to bypass Feng Ke and meet with Yang Shengqiu alone.

In other words, Yang Shengqiu's status in front of the Third Prince has risen.

He actually walked up to the Third Prince, not just followed behind Feng Ke.

Zhao Shiqing also learned something else: the Third Prince didn't like Feng Jiahe.

Of course, Xiao Guai didn't say it, and Xiao Guai didn't understand it either; this was Zhao Shiqing's own analysis.

She had met Feng Jiahe, who, even if not a stunning beauty, was definitely a gorgeous woman.

Such a great beauty, yet the Third Prince did not like her.

Zhao Shiqing sighed. Her grandfather said that a woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea, but she felt that men were the same.

Before she returned to the Liang Prince's Mansion for the funeral, she thought that singing with the birds and snatching wild fruit from the monkeys on the mountain was the happiest thing.

When she was little, she admired her master. Her master was very beautiful, and she thought that if she could be as beautiful as her master when she grew up, she would be the happiest person.

Later, she and Lingbo read storybooks and both agreed that if a handsome man married a beautiful woman, they would be happy for the rest of their lives.

Zhao Shiqing sighed, ignoring the unsightly nose. The Third Prince was a handsome man, and Feng Jiahe was so beautiful, but they were neither happy nor joyful together. More importantly, the Third Prince clearly did not want to spend his life with Feng Jiahe.

Zhao Shiqing felt that growing up also had its downsides, namely that many wonderful things were lost.

When Zhao Shiqing saw Xiao Zhen again, she told him about the Third Prince and Feng Jiahe.

"If Feng Jiahe were not Feng Ke's daughter, would the Third Prince treat her with sincerity?"

Xiao Zhen said calmly, "If Feng Jiahe weren't Feng Ke's daughter, she wouldn't be able to marry into the Third Prince's household."

Zhao Shiqing was stunned for a moment: "So they were a willing buyer and a willing seller."

Xiao Zhen: "Before Feng Jiahe became the Third Prince's wife, she had already made preparations. The bond that connected her with the Third Prince was never affection, but power."

Zhao Shiqing blinked: "Xiao Zhen, you are so mature. When I am your age, I will definitely not be as mature as you. The way you talk is just like my uncle."

Xiao Zhen's lips twitched. He and she were only three years apart, but it felt like they were a whole generation apart.

It's because he lived one more lifetime than her.

Seeing that Xiao Zhen didn't respond, Zhao Shiqing continued, "Actually, you're fine the way you are. You don't need to change. I like it."

Before Xiao Zhen could react, Zhao Shiqing walked towards the door: "Grandpa, wait for me to come home for dinner. I'm leaving now. See you another day."

After saying that, she ran off in a flash.

Watching the figure disappear into the distance, it took Xiao Zhen a long time to calm down.

She said: I quite like it.

Xiao Zhen smiled. This little girl was even more frank, generous, and adorable than he had imagined.

How could there be such a wonderful girl in this world? And yet, he happened to meet such a wonderful girl.

Xiao Zhen stood by the window and looked out at the calm, still lake.

He suddenly leaped up, like an arrow released from a bow, and plunged straight into the lake.

Dazhuang was sitting by the lake watching the wild ducks when he suddenly saw a figure fall into the lake. He stood up in astonishment, looked at the empty window, and then at the ripples on the lake. Had the young master jumped in?
When Xiao Zhen's head appeared, it was already a shot away. Da Zhuang breathed a sigh of relief, turned around and ran back to get a thick cloak.

Sigh, I only found out today that the young master has a habit of jumping into the lake at the drop of a hat.