12dz Chapter 242 Discussion
Chapter 242 Discussion
At this moment, Batu came in from outside with his head down to report.
"Master, Miss has brought the Third Prince to visit you at the manor."
The Third Prince? Since his accident, he has tried to contact the Third Prince, but he has been avoiding him, only sending his advisors to relay messages. He has never been able to see the Third Prince in person, let alone discuss countermeasures. Why is he suddenly taking the initiative to see him now?
"Please come to the study, Third Prince. I will be there shortly."
Ah, the Third Prince has always been dissatisfied with his wavering and indecisiveness. If Xiao Yuheng hadn't shown insufficient sincerity, he wouldn't have kept testing him.
Now, Xiao Yuheng is taking advantage of the situation to demote his daughter from the principal wife to a concubine, which is a slap in the face to him.
Although Gu Hanjiao's current status prevents her from becoming a prince's consort, it is also due to Xiao Yuheng's influence.
Xiao Yuheng was delusional; he actually wanted to marry both of his daughters, and even brazenly came to his mansion to ask him to cooperate, treating them as either his principal wife or a concubine.
He was shocked when he heard this. Even if he really didn't like Gu Qingwan, she was still his legitimate daughter and his firstborn daughter, a child he had genuinely loved. How could Xiao Yuheng have the nerve to come up with such an idea?
This is nothing short of wishful thinking. Wanting both the support of the Gu family and the benefits of the Ning family? Where in the world can you find such a good deal?
Back then, the Second Master Yu of the Yu family came in person and extended an olive branch to him, saying that the Imperial Concubine in the palace also liked Jiao'er very much. Jiao'er had met Imperial Concubine Yu several times and told him that the Imperial Concubine was quite fond of her.
Therefore, if it weren't for Xiao Yuheng's hesitation, Gu Hanjiao would have become the Third Prince's wife long ago, and wouldn't have gone through so many ups and downs and scandals.
Gu Ziming attributed everything that happened to Gu Hanjiao to Xiao Yuheng's greed.
He gave Xiao Yuheng so many opportunities and resources, but what was the result? None of them were successful. Even on the disaster relief trip, with the road ahead paved, Xiao Yuheng still managed to mess it up and almost ruined himself. I really don't know if there's any future in assisting such a person.
But now the die is cast and there is no other choice. He has already offended the Crown Prince to the core, and because of Gu Hanjiao, they are all tied together. If Gu Hanjiao were the principal wife, that would be fine, but now she has become a concubine. Although they are both on the imperial register, they are ultimately different.
Fortunately, Xiao Yuheng has the wealthy and powerful Yu family behind him, so his chances of winning seem quite high.
Gu Ziming composed himself, tidied up what was in front of him, and then moved on.
With Xiao Yuheng's authorization, Gu Hanjiao also stayed in the study. The study door was closed, and Batu stood guard outside.
"Lord Gu, I was unable to visit you at your residence in time. You won't be angry about that, will you?"
"How could that be? The fact that the Third Prince isn't coming shows that you are a rational and intelligent person. At this time, the calmer you remain, the more likely you are to find a foothold in this turbulent situation."
"Jiao'er, since you've stayed, why don't you listen in? Come over there and sit down to brew tea for the Third Prince and your father. Let your father see if you've forgotten your tea skills after all this time."
"Yes, father."
Xiao Yuheng nodded in satisfaction, but still needed to explain, since he had come to show goodwill to Gu Ziming.
“What Lord Gu says is true. I also have a lot of troubles. We had everything planned out for the disaster relief last time. There was nothing wrong when I left, but after the accident on my way back, those scandals were exposed as if they had been arranged.”
Gu Ziming hadn't thought much about it at the time, focusing solely on suppressing the matter. Now, while he was unemployed at home, he only remembered it by chance, and indeed, as the Third Prince said, everything was too coincidental.
"The person originally sent to provide disaster relief was the Prince of Chu, but for some reason, the Prince of Chu stopped going and the Crown Prince took over."
"To the outside world, Uncle Chu said it was to pursue Miss Gu. He wasn't good at handling such emergencies, so he sent the Crown Prince. Could it be that Uncle Chu has already sided with the Crown Prince?"
Thinking of this, Xiao Yuheng's face stiffened. If that were really the case, his situation would be far too disadvantageous. His uncle held real military power in the Great Qing Dynasty. If the Crown Prince had such military support, what capital would he have to compete with the Crown Prince?
Gu Ziming, however, did not think so.
"Not necessarily. The King of Chu has always been a rather aloof person. If the circumstances hadn't prevented it, he wouldn't have donned his armor and gone to the battlefield. As far as I can see, the only people he cares about right now are the two in the palace. There's no reason for him to help his nephew go against his own brother."
"Father has probably forgotten that the Prince of Chu now has another person he cares about, and that is my sister, Gu Qingwan."
Gu Hanjiao didn't stop what she was doing, but her words successfully silenced the two of them for a while.
Xiao Yuheng was very annoyed. Last time, he had met with Lord Gu to discuss how to get Gu Qingwan to marry him, but now Gu Qingwan's status had become that of his imperial aunt.
Gu Ziming ignored the frustration in Xiao Yuheng's eyes and calmly analyzed the situation with the two of them.
“What Jiao’er said is both right and wrong.”
"Why?" Gu Hanjiao was a little confused. How could she not see clearly when things were already like this?
"As I have said, the King of Chu cares most about the two people in the palace, especially the Emperor. So this time, the King of Chu may be marrying Gu Qingwan for the Ning family's military power."
Xiao Yuheng's eyes lit up. "You mean, Father doesn't want the military to lean towards any faction, but only to remain neutral or keep it under his own control?"
"I believe that is indeed the case. This is the emperor's method of checks and balances. He allows his sons to compete with each other, but he will never allow a sharp sword to hang over his own head."
Xiao Yuheng subconsciously said, "So, does that mean Gu Qingwan really can't move?"
Gu Hanjiao's hand trembled upon hearing this, spilling some of the tea she had just brewed. Something seemed off about the conversation. Could it be that Xiao Yuheng was still thinking about her dear sister at this point?
Gu Ziming glanced at Gu Hanjiao and said, “I would like to advise the Third Prince to treat my daughter well. As for the Princess Consort of Chu, she is the Third Prince’s aunt. Since she is his aunt, he should treat her as an elder.”
Gu Hanjiao gave a bitter smile. "We used to be sisters in the same household, but now we've become elders, fathers. How am I supposed to live like this?"
As she spoke, Gu Hanjiao couldn't help but tear up.
"Jiao'er, don't be sad. Lord Gu, you don't need to worry either. I will definitely treat you well in the future. Moreover, in my heart, you are my principal wife. I plan to plead with my father in a few days."
"What are you begging for?" Gu Ziming frowned. He had a feeling that this Third Prince was about to go crazy again after a while.
"Naturally, I implore Father Emperor to make my beloved daughter my principal wife."
Gu Hanjiao's eyes lit up with joy; Heng-gege really did have feelings for her. However, Gu Ziming's words poured cold water on her feelings.
"No! Third Prince, do you know that doing this will not only displease the Emperor, but also Minister of Revenue Li? He was already unwilling to marry his daughter to you, and this would be like handing the Ministry of Revenue over to the Crown Prince."
"With my beloved daughter, I don't care about these things. Even if Li Xinhan is unwilling, so what? I have plenty of ways to make Li Xinhan get out of office. Then we can support one of our own to take the throne, wouldn't that be a permanent solution?"
Hearing Xiao Yuheng's arrogant words, Gu Ziming couldn't help but pace back and forth in the study with his hands behind his back.
Seeing that the atmosphere was not quite right, Gu Hanjiao quickly served the tea she had just brewed to Gu Ziming and the Third Prince.
"Father, don't be impatient. Have a cup of tea and calm down."
Gu Ziming picked up the cup, took a sip, and his eyes lit up. "It's been so long since I've had such good tea."
Gu Hanjiao smiled and explained, "It's Snow Peak Cloud Mist that the Third Prince specially brought for Father, so of course it's delicious."
"Your Highness is very kind."
Gu Ziming naturally realized that Xiao Yuheng had come to curry favor with him and wanted him to give him some advice. Although he was angry with Wang Ruyan, he genuinely loved Gu Hanjiao, so he would help the Third Prince for his daughter's sake.
“Li Xinhan is a rare good official. His work ability is outstanding. At present, no one here can replace him. Even if not for the sake of the people, the Third Prince should think of Consort Yu.”
"My mother?"
"Offending the Emperor will not only bring misfortune to the Third Prince, but even Consort Yu and the Second Princess may not have a good life in the palace."
Xiao Yuheng remained silent for a while, his eyes filled with painful struggle as he looked at Gu Hanjiao.
"Then I don't want my beloved child to suffer either. At worst, I, the prince, will take a step back and make both of them my principal wives, regardless of rank. Isn't there a saying among the common people about equal wives?"
A concubine! Gu Ziming really wanted to crack open Xiao Yuheng's head to see if there was any water inside. Suddenly, he thought of something. Could it be that this idea was designed for Gu Qingwan? Because only in this way could he avoid offending the Ning family and himself, Gu Ziming.
She really made a clever plan, but on another level, it's quite remarkable that Jiao'er can make the Third Prince so unforgettable.
"I know the Third Prince's feelings, but as Father said, the price is too high if we really do this. I'll be a concubine then. As long as I can be with the Third Prince, that's good enough. Besides, the Third Prince won't forget me when he succeeds, will he?"
Gu Hanjiao winked playfully, trying to comfort the person in front of her, but also trying to comfort herself.
“Jiao’er is right, Third Prince…”
"Lord Gu, there's no need to persuade me any further. No matter what, this prince wants to give it a try, but I still need Lord Gu's assistance. So, when does the Prime Minister plan to return to the court?"
Such an inquiry seemed to indicate that Xiao Yuheng had long been certain that he would be able to return to the court, which was a recognition of his abilities. Gu Ziming straightened his back happily.
"I have my own way of going back. I originally planned to continue recuperating at home for a while, but now it seems I have no choice but to make arrangements ahead of schedule for you and our daughter."
"Father!" Gu Hanjiao exclaimed in surprise.
Gu Ziming gestured for her to be quiet.
"There should be some activity in the next couple of days, but the Third Prince will need to pull some strings."
"Of course. When the time comes, the Prime Minister can simply give instructions on how I need to cooperate."
The atmosphere in the study was incredibly warm and cozy. It seemed as if the previous gloom had been blown away by a gust of wind. The three of them sat in the study, enjoying tea and chatting.
But in reality, everyone had their own ulterior motives, and Gu Hanjiao began to make her own plans.
The Third Prince was willing to find a way to make her the principal wife, which was the position she most wanted. However, her father did not agree. It seems that the old man Gu Ziming still cared about the fact that his mother had cheated on him. Gu Changfeng was not his biological daughter, and she was also suspected as a result.
What, now that Gu Qingwan has become the Princess Consort of Chu, does she start to look down on her, the second daughter? Back then, she asked him to find a way to register her under the name of the legitimate mother. Originally, this matter did not require the Ning family's approval; as the head of the family, he could have simply gone to the ancestral hall to complete it.
But he kept delaying and even went to inform the Ning family, so how could the Ning family possibly agree?
According to Gu Hanjiao, Gu Ziming's ancient mind was definitely intentional; otherwise, he wouldn't have gone from being the principal wife to a concubine.
Gu Hanjiao touched her belly, a hint of determination in her eyes. Even if Gu Ziming was right, the chances of the Third Prince succeeding in pleading with the Emperor were slim. She would still enter the Prince's residence before Li Qianyu, take control of the household affairs as soon as possible, and then proceed slowly.
But how should I tell them about this?
Just as Gu Hanjiao was feeling troubled, the person who brought her a pillow unexpectedly arrived.
Batu heard laughter coming from the study, which meant that the important matters must have been discussed. He looked at Aunt Rou, who had been waiting for a long time. The woman had a smile on her face and was stroking her round belly.
Actually, Aunt Rou had arrived long ago, but at that time, the master was inside talking with the third prince and the young lady, so Batu didn't let her get close.
The gentle woman did not make things difficult for him; she simply nodded and stood quietly in the courtyard without approaching, quietly admiring the flowers and waiting.
Batu thought for a moment and figured there was nothing wrong with it. There was no harm in reporting it. Whether or not he could get in depended entirely on Aunt Rou's luck.
"Master." Batu knocked on the study door.
"What's wrong?" Gu Ziming asked from inside.
"It's Aunt Rou who's here. It seems she's bringing the medicinal meal to the master."
When Gu Ziming heard that it was Aunt Rou who had come, a hint of tenderness couldn't help but show in his eyes.
She was, after all, his childhood sweetheart and cousin. Even when he was down on his luck, she never abandoned him. When everyone else left, she was pregnant and helped take care of him and his mother with Aunt Li.
Furthermore, his only son, Gu Changqing, was also a promising young man. Through the Ning family's connections, Gu Qingwan arranged for Gu Changqing to study at the Shanlu Academy, which was one of the things that made him most gratified. He believed that studying at such an academy would ensure his success in the imperial examinations in the future.
"Let her in."
Gu Hanjiao's eyes lit up and she said, "With the Third Prince here, it would be impolite for an aunt to enter. It would be bad if I offended the Third Prince."
"Your father was confused. The Third Prince is of noble status; how could a mere concubine possibly meet him?"
"Then let me go out and tell your aunt."
"That's the only way."