good season

The next day, Zhao Shiqing got up early, changed into men's clothing, and went to wait for people outside the Imperial College.

Yan Jiu, Yan Shi, Yan Shiyi, and Yan Shier, along with Zhao Tingluo, were all students in the junior class of the Imperial Academy.

The students in Zhongyi Hall were inconsistent in their attendance, but the younger students were different. They were young and always had stewards from their families who were influential, making it difficult for them to skip school. So they were easily caught.

Sure enough, as soon as Zhao Shiqing arrived outside the Imperial Academy, he saw Zhao Tinglu get off the carriage with a yawn. An elderly steward handed him a small book box, which he took, and walked forward listlessly with his head down.

This was the first time Zhao Shiqing had seen Zhao Tingluo like this. The child had always been radiant and intelligent when she first met him, but now he looked like a wilted fruit that had been hit by frost.

Zhao Shiqing sighed, thankfully she didn't have to go to school anymore.

"Little Luoluo!"

With just that one sound, Zhao Tingluo was as if he had been injected with chicken blood and was fully revived. Although Zhao Shiqing had changed into men's clothing, her face was still his own, and Zhao Tingluo recognized her at a glance.

"Brother!" He ran over quickly, and Zhao Shiqing handed him an oil paper package. "Chess piece sesame seed cakes from Fengrun Old Shop, I bought them for you."

Zhao Tinglu smiled so broadly her eyes disappeared: "Sister, how did you know I like to eat this? You're so good to me."

Zhao Shiqing was just guessing. Although she didn't know what Zhao Tinglu liked to eat, she knew that most children who grew up in the Prince's Mansion, unless they were particularly awkward, would be interested in the snacks sold on the street.

why?

Because from childhood, the nannies around them never let them eat food from outside. Children are rebellious; the more they are forbidden to eat, the more they want to eat.

That's how she is, and so is her second brother. When they were little, their older sister would often sneak them out of the palace to eat at street stalls.

Seeing Zhao Tingluo's appearance, she knew she had guessed correctly.

"Sister, what brings you here to see me today?" Zhao Tinglu asked in a low voice.

Zhao Shiqing said, "You must have heard about the marriage arranged by His Majesty for my second brother, right? What kind of person is that Lady of Changling County? Do you know her?"

So that’s what happened.

Zhao Tinglu looked around and whispered, "I only recently learned about this person. She hasn't come to the capital yet. These days, when Old Madam Wei is staying in the palace, Consort Li sends one or two young girls from her relatives to the palace every few days, saying that her old friends want to see their children."

Later I learned that they wanted to choose girls for the princes, but none of these girls caught their eye. So, Old Madam Wei suggested bringing her brother's granddaughter into the palace. Consort Li initially disagreed, but later, for some reason, she agreed and even called the Emperor over to discuss the matter.

However, the Emperor rejected the idea, saying that since the Crown Prince was not yet decided, marrying Lady Wei to any prince would cause unnecessary trouble.

However, Consort Li refused to comply and went on a hunger strike for several days. Later, the Emperor went to Consort Qiao's place and, upon his return, bestowed upon Wei Ya'er the title of Princess of Changling County. He also promised Consort Li that when Wei Ya'er got married, she would be further granted the title of Princess of the County.

"By the way, sister, you don't know yet, Wei Ya'er is only a county princess now, but her fiefdom is already at the level of a county princess. I heard that her fiefdom is very large, twice the size of that of the Qingchuan county princess. I've never left the capital, so I don't know where this Changling is."

Zhao Shiqing looked solemn and said, "Changling is only fifty li away from Furong County in Liangdi. I have been there."

Zhao Tingluo took a deep breath. So it was so close to Liang. He wondered if the emperor had given Changling to Wei Ya'er as her fiefdom so that it would be easier for her to manage after she married into Liang, or if there was another purpose.

Zhao Shiqing asked, "Do you know when Wei Ya'er will come to the capital? Or will she wait until before her wedding?"

Although Zhao Yunnuan and Zhao Tingxuan are engaged now, they can only get married after the mourning period is over, which is after June next year.

There is still a year and a half to go, and it is in accordance with the rules for Wei Ya'er to stay in the Wei clan and come to the capital when she is about to get married.

Zhao Tingluo actually knew about this.

"She should be on her way now. By the way, Consort Li and Madam Wei are not satisfied with this marriage. Although Consort Li has stopped starving herself, she is always feeling unwell. I have inquired and found that she is in good health and has no illnesses. The Imperial Hospital has only prescribed some digestive or sleep aids for her."

Wei Ya'er did not enter the palace alone; she brought two sisters from her clan with her. News from Cining Palace indicated that these two sisters were a gift for the Emperor.

Zhao Shiqing nodded. It must have been the work of Old Madam Wei that Consort Li was causing trouble. Old Madam Wei had no good intentions when she entered the palace. She forced Consort Li to select a woman from the Wei family to come to the capital. Whether she gave her to the emperor or a prince, it would surely cause a huge uproar.

Although Consort Li did not hold the title of Empress, she was the Emperor's birth mother, and her maternal family was the Yongjia Emperor's maternal family.

If the prince marries a woman from the Wei family, it means that the Wei family is likely to produce a true empress.

If Lady Wei were to enter the harem, with Consort Li backing her up, Emperor Yongjia would have no choice but to favor her. Over the years, apart from the Empress, Consort Qiao has been the only one who holds power in the harem. As for the other concubines, Emperor Yongjia has not shown any particular favor to any of them. Consort Qiao is also adept at handling interpersonal relationships. She is very respectful to the Empress, and even if the other concubines give birth to princes, they cannot surpass her. Therefore, over the years, the harem has maintained a superficial peace.

However, although Consort Qiao was favored, she was no longer young and beautiful. She was a few years older than Emperor Yongjia, and no matter how well she took care of herself, she lacked the vitality of a young woman.

The fact that Emperor Yongjia liked mature and charming women when he was young does not mean that he would like women older than him now. Otherwise, why would he have favored younger concubines so frequently in recent years?
If a young concubine of the Wei family were to conceive and become pregnant with the emperor's child, it would mean that the status and interests of the concubines with princes, led by Consort Qiao, would be impacted.

Consort Qiao's disadvantage lay in her low birth, as the Third Prince lacked the support of maternal relatives.

The empress came from a high social class, but she had no children.

Consort Shu has a good family background and a son, but her fifth prince has lost the emperor's favor.

As for Consort You, the birth mother of the Fourth Prince, she was a fool.

However, Lady Wei was different. She had a powerful family outside and Consort Li supporting her inside. Her son was already stronger than the other princes even when he was still in his mother's womb, and the only difference between him and his brothers was his age.

However, Emperor Yongjia was only forty years old. If he could reign for another fifteen years, the son of Lady Wei would be fourteen or fifteen years old. With the help of his maternal family, he would be able to compete with his brothers.

Therefore, there is no need to wait fifteen years. As long as Lady Wei enters the palace, the current harmony will be broken, and there will never be a peaceful day in the palace again.

What Madam Wei wants most now is to turn the palace into chaos. She wants Consort Li's adopted grandsons to kill each other, she wants Consort Li to become the target of everyone's hatred, and she wants Consort Li to experience everything she went through. Since she has no grandson to see her off in her old age, Consort Li will have to pay an even greater price.

Zhao Shiqing understood the whole thing almost instantly.

Zhao Tingxuan was an unlucky fellow; he was merely a last resort for Emperor Yongjia when he could not refuse Consort Li's unreasonable demands.

Consort Li wanted Wei Ya'er to enter the prince's residence, but Emperor Yongjia did not want to agree. However, Consort Li threatened to commit suicide, leaving him helpless.

Consort Qiao, a woman who understood others' feelings, had been corresponding with Lady Nie. It's very likely that Lady Nie had once asked her to request the Emperor to arrange a marriage between Zhao Tingxuan and a noblewoman. Lady Nie's desire to arrange a marriage for Zhao Tingxuan wasn't for Zhao Tingxuan's own sake, but rather to use this second daughter-in-law to put pressure on Princess Liang.

Although Princess Liang came from a noble family, she could not compare to a princess with a title and fiefdom. Since Lady Nie could not compete with her daughter Zhao Yunnuan, she asked Consort Qiao for help to marry Zhao Yunnuan off to the capital.

Now that the Nie family could not defeat Princess Meng Xiaotang of Liang, they asked Consort Qiao for help to find Zhao Tingxuan a wife of noble birth in order to suppress Princess Meng Xiaotang.

Just then, with Wei Ya'er being a hot potato, Consort Qiao mentioned Zhao Tingxuan, and Emperor Yongjia immediately saw an opportunity in it.

The more chaotic the Liang Prince's mansion becomes, the more advantageous it is for him.

Wei Ya'er's fiefdom is in Changling, which is so close to Liang. If Emperor Yongjia were to do something secretly in Changling, it would be like a tiger lurking at Liang's side, posing a great threat to the border.

Thinking of this, Zhao Shiqing broke out in a cold sweat. Although Zhao Tingluo was intelligent, he was still just a ten-year-old child. When he noticed that Zhao Shiqing's expression was different, he was stunned for a moment. Suddenly, he remembered that Zhao Shiqing said that Changling was only fifty miles away from Fuchun County in Liangdi. He seemed to understand something.

Zhao Shiqing suddenly remembered the Second Prince. Yan Xia had said that the news of the Second Prince's death would not be released until after the first month of the lunar calendar. Now that the first month of the lunar calendar had passed, the capital was likely to witness a funeral.

"The Second Prince's Affairs"

Before she could even open her mouth, Zhao Tingluo asked, "Is he dead?"

Zhao Shiqing believed that Yan Xia wouldn't reveal such an important matter to him, so she asked, "How do you know?"

Zhao Tinglu: "He was in very good health, but this time he fell so seriously ill. He was sick, but he refused to see any guests. When I accompanied the Seventh Prince to visit him, the Second Prince's residence only accepted gifts but turned us away, saying that they were worried about passing on their illness to us. There was also the Second Prince's birth mother, Consort Xian. Before she entered the palace, she was a famous talented woman. Although she never received the Emperor's favor, the Emperor would visit her palace every few days to talk about poetry and songs or play a few games of chess with her."

However, ever since the news of the Second Prince's illness spread, the Emperor has never visited Consort Xian's palace again, and the people in Consort Xian's palace say that Consort Xian is in tears every day.

With so many suspicious points, I can't help but suspect that the Second Prince is dead.

Zhao Shiqing patted his head with a smile: "How did your little head grow? I don't know what you ate to grow up like this."

Zhao Tinglu grinned, her expression innocent and naive.

Zhao Shiqing looked up at the sun and said to Zhao Tingluo, "Alright, it's almost time for class, you should go in now. When you have your vacation, I'll treat you to a whole roasted lamb."

"Sister, don't worry. I'll keep an eye on Wei Ya'er's situation for you. I'll tell you as soon as she arrives in the capital."

Zhao Shiqing watched the small figure enter the Imperial Academy and then turned to go home. Unexpectedly, as soon as she turned around, she saw a horse galloping towards her. Zhao Shiqing was startled. Who was this person riding a horse in front of the Imperial Academy?

The rider pulled on the reins just in time, and Zhao Shiqing was able to see the face of the person who had just arrived.

He was a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy in brocade robes, with phoenix eyes, red lips and white teeth, a red tear mole at the corner of his eye, a purple-gold crown on his head, and a purple robe with floral patterns on the sleeves, but he was wearing a bright red cloak.

Zhao Shiqing felt like her eyes couldn't take it all in. Who was this person?

Well, she's not bad looking. It's all thanks to her face; otherwise, she really wouldn't be able to pull off this bright red and purple outfit.

The boy looked down at Zhao Shiqing and exclaimed in surprise.

"Whose servant are you?"

Zhao Shiqing ignored him and turned to leave.

The boy turned his horse around and chased after her. No matter how fast Zhao Shiqing walked, she couldn't outrun him. She was stopped after only a few steps. The boy, still on his horse, looked at her curiously.

"You're a woman, right?"

Zhao Shiqing. If she had known she would encounter such a troublesome person, she would have disguised herself before leaving home.

Zhao Shiqing rolled her eyes, turned around again, and ran in the opposite direction. The boy caught up again, and just as he was about to catch up, Zhao Shiqing was thinking about how to get rid of him when she saw her savior.

"sister"

Before he could even call her "brother-in-law," Yan Xia saw her.

He was also riding a horse, followed by seven or eight attendants. He recognized Zhao Shiqing and also saw the boy who was chasing after her.

"Wei Wubing, is this your first day at the Imperial Academy, and you're already looking to cause trouble?"

Wei Wubing was taken aback. Who was this person? How did he know his name? Was he that famous in the capital?

"Who do you think you are? It's none of your business to meddle. I can do whatever I want! Hey, don't run away! Don't run away!"

Zhao Shiqing wouldn't listen to him. While Yan Xia was talking to this Wei Wubing, she turned and ran.

Wei Wubing spurred his horse to give chase, but Yan Xia rode ahead to block his horse's head.

"This is the Imperial Academy, not a place where you can run wild!" Yan Xia said coldly. He had been in the Ministry of Justice for a long time and now he exuded a sharp aura. Wei Wubing was taken aback. Just who was this person?

He was the grand-nephew of Old Madam Wei, and Wei Ya'er was his twin sister. Originally, the clan wanted him to go to the capital with Wei Ya'er, but because there were two other sisters from the clan coming with him, he thought these sisters were pretentious and that the carriage was too slow. So he led a group of followers and rode horses all the way to the capital. Now Wei Ya'er and her party are still on the way, but he arrived in the capital the night before last.

Fearing that he would be idle and follow in Zhu Yu's footsteps, Madam Wei sent him to study at the Imperial Academy. Today is his first day at the Imperial Academy.

Wei Wubing didn't know Yan Xia, but Yan Xia, working in the Ministry of Justice, already knew most about him.

I've even seen his portrait, especially that red mole, which I remember vividly.

This Wei Wubing was frail and sickly as a child. Fearing he wouldn't survive, the Wei family consulted numerous renowned doctors, and his life was saved. However, he was spoiled and, although not as wicked as Zhu Yu, he still caused quite a bit of trouble.

But he was born with a good-looking face and knew how to please his elders. Old Madam Wei had seven or eight grand-nephews, and Wei Wubing was her favorite. Even Wei Ya'er benefited from his fame.

Wei Wubing was a little tyrant at home, but as a newcomer to the capital, he knew that the capital was full of hidden talents. Seeing Yan Xia surrounded by followers, and how young he was but had the air of a superior, he could only suppress his dissatisfaction. He glanced at Yan Xia, then dismounted, threw the reins to his attendant, and without even taking his book box, strode into the Imperial Academy.

His eyesight has always been excellent. That little brat was a girl disguised as a boy—a beautiful and spirited young girl. The capital city is indeed fascinating; he's sure he can find her. (End of Chapter)