Selling wife for fame? Kick out the scumbag and marry the new emperor to enjoy the harem of favors

Chapter 73: Save your face

Xie Jiu stayed in Chengming Palace for about an hour.

The pipa was played and the words were spoken. Zhao Xingjin still had some memorials to review, so he let her leave.

It was hot outside, and Xie Jiu didn't feel like wandering around, so he went straight back to Ninghua Palace.

Unexpectedly, I met Princess Lingyi and the young lady from the Zhou family, Zhou Mingyu, on the way.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Princess Lingyi bowed.

Zhou Mingyu followed suit, "Your servant greets Concubine Xie."

"No need to be polite." Xie Jiu looked calm and waved his hand. "Where are you going, Third Prince and Miss Zhou? It's hot outside, be careful not to get sunburned."

Princess Lingyi was about to speak when Zhou Mingyu beside her spoke first.

"The princess felt bored staying in the house, so she asked me to accompany her out for some fresh air. Now, let's go to the Imperial Garden and sit in the pavilion. It won't be a problem."

After she finished speaking, Princess Lingyi turned her head and looked at her, seeming a little strange, but the princess did not refute.

Xie Jiu took in these reactions and thought to himself that it was definitely not as simple as going to the Imperial Garden for fun.

Seeing that Zhou Mingyu was obviously dressed up carefully, I was probably going to show her presence in front of Zhao Xingjin.

Smiling inwardly, Xie Jiu pretended not to know, chatted with them for a few more minutes, and then left.

After they walked away, Qingfang whispered, "This little Zhou girl is really kidding. She dressed up all fancy and said she was accompanying Princess Lingyi to the Imperial Garden. Who would believe that? But the princess is so young, yet she knows how to act. Just now, the princess was clearly trying to tell the truth, but was interrupted by Miss Zhou, so she didn't reveal the truth."

"Children from wealthy families are more thoughtful than those from ordinary families, not to mention the children in the palace. The two princesses under the queen's knees are both smart." Xie Jiu said lightly.

Their thoughts are deeper than Princess Wenxi's.

This may be taught by the Queen, or it may be her nature. To be honest, it is a good thing to have such thoughts in the palace. Princess Wenxi is too simple, which may be related to the fact that her mother died early and she was never taught.

The royal family was indifferent to each other and fratricide was common. The princess did not have to fight for the throne, which was slightly better, but she had no scheming at all and her life was still difficult.

Qingfang sighed, "This palace is so depressing. The children's liveliness seems unreal, and I don't know what else is real. Sun Baolin is pregnant with a dragon baby, but we don't know if it's a boy or a girl, and we don't know what will happen when it's born."

Speaking of this, Qingfang seemed to remember something and asked in a low voice.

"Can the Concubine tell me if Sun Baolin gave birth to a prince, would the Empress take him away to raise him?"

Only concubines of lower ranks could raise their own children. Other concubines of lower ranks were not allowed to raise their own children. They had to either send the children to Fangyi Hall to be cared for by palace maids, or choose a concubine of higher rank to raise them.

Sun Baolin's position was low, and even if she gave birth to a child, she would not be able to become a concubine or imperial consort. This meant that she was destined not to be able to take care of her child personally.

Of course, there are exceptions. If Zhao Xingjin gives her special grace, she can also raise the child by herself, but the hope is obviously not great.

"If the Queen intended to raise Sun Baolin's child, she wouldn't have made a fuss about Sun Baolin's belly. It's very likely that Sun Baolin lost the child because of pregnancy." Xie Jiu said in a deep voice.

He narrowed his eyes and suddenly thought of Zhou Mingyu.

"But the queen herself can't have children, so she must still want a prince, but obviously she wants a woman from the Zhou family to give birth."

"Jieyu, are you talking about the person just now?" Qingfang frowned.

"Who else could we have except her? Unless the emperor is adamant and refuses to accept Zhou Mingyu, I guess the queen has done things this far, the emperor should at least give her some face." Earlier at the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet, Zhao Xingjin claimed to be his brother-in-law, and it was obvious that he did not want to accept Zhou Mingyu. But the queen used Princess Lingyi to keep her in the palace temporarily, which meant that the queen was not giving up.

Zhao Xingjin would not fail to see it.

Today, the Queen dressed up Zhou Mingyu again, took her out of Weiyang Palace, and put her in front of Zhao Xingjin, which was almost like speaking frankly to her.

The Zhou family did a lot to help Zhao Xingjin secure his throne, and their contribution was not small. The queen's father used to be the commander of Anlu Prefecture and had military power. When Zhao Xingjin started the uprising, he sent troops and made great efforts. Now that he has been granted the title of Duke, he still has military power.

The queen's mother's family should not be underestimated.

The last time Xie Jiu was able to move the Queen and cause her to suffer, it was probably because the Queen's fault was that she attacked the royal heir, which was something Zhao Xingjin and the Queen Mother could not tolerate.

Even if she couldn't tolerate it, the queen didn't actually receive much punishment. A trusted palace maid died, and she was only asked to reflect on her mistakes, not even put under house arrest. How long could the queen mother hold the power to manage the six palaces? Sooner or later, it would have to be returned to her.

If the power of the six palaces was given to Concubine Zhuang, it would be a greater blow to the Queen.

From this we can see that the queen still has weight in Zhao Xingjin's eyes.

"Jieyi, do you think that the emperor will accept this young lady from the Zhou family?" Qingfang asked.

Xie Jiu smiled and said, "In fact, it would be best for the Queen to hope that the Emperor does not accept her. This way, the friendship between her and the Emperor can be less damaged. If he accepts her, this person is forced upon her by the Queen. Face is something that you give a little and lose a little."

If Zhou Mingyu entered the palace, Zhao Xingjin would probably have an extra barrier with the queen in the future.

Qingfang pondered this for a moment, then understood and whispered.

"Yes, but the Queen might not have thought of this. She is still so persistent in wanting another daughter of the Zhou family to enter the palace. I'm afraid the Emperor should have seen clearly that she wants a prince of Zhou family blood. This makes her look like she is coveting the position of Crown Prince. I wonder if the Emperor will dislike the Queen because of this."

"These are not things we should worry about." Xie Jiu took a deep breath. "My situation isn't much better. The emperor wants to transfer my brother back to the capital from Lizhou. He wants to keep our entire Xie family under his watch."

It is not easy to get rid of Xie Mingshen while protecting other people and things.

After all, this idea is somewhat contrary to Zhao Xingjin's, and it must not be discovered at the moment.

When Qingfang heard this, she looked worried again and didn't know what to say.

But Xie Jiu didn't need any comfort. He calmed himself down, continued walking forward, and didn't say anything else.

If there is no way, make one. It will never be worse than death.

On this side, Xie Jiu was walking towards Ninghua Palace, while on the other side, Zhou Mingyu and Princess Lingyi were already outside Chengming Palace.

"The Emperor is reviewing memorials. Could I take His Highness's snacks in for him?" Yang Zhian bent his waist and discussed in a low voice.

Princess Lingyi refused, "I want to take it in to my father myself. Today, my sister came and saw my father. Why can't I see him?"

As he spoke, he took Zhou Mingyu's hand and raised his little face.

"Since the emperor is busy, my aunt and I will wait here."

After she said that, Yang Zhian had no choice but to go in and pass on the message.

It's very hot outside, and we can't ask the princess to wait in the corridor forever.

(End of this chapter)