The princess was ordained by Heaven.

Chapter 169 Meeting

"Oh? Which two?"

"First, follow the old precedent and either imprison or execute them; second, make use of their waste resources and reform them through labor."

The emperor first glanced at the crown prince, as if to say: Look at him.

Then, he leaned out with great interest: "Let me explain the second point in detail."

"Although the Fifth Prince often has mental lapses, he is still capable. It's better to make good use of him than to kill him. However... such a person can be a good weapon if used well, but will definitely backfire if used poorly. Whether he can be used well depends on the skill of the person wielding the weapon."

After hearing this, the emperor seemed to think of something, and a smile crept onto his lips.

"And what about Yuan Jia? What would you choose?"

Zheng Xun wrote a comment on the memorial, saying casually, "My daughter will choose to eliminate the root of the problem."

She has always been cautious and naturally prefers to eliminate any future troubles.

The emperor exclaimed with delight, "She truly is my daughter!"

He made no attempt to hide the pride in his tone. Zheng Xun had only said a few words, but in his eyes, it was as if he had done something extraordinary.

Hearing his loud laughter, Zheng Xun looked up helplessly: "Father, don't be lazy. I won't help you if you don't finish reviewing the memorials soon."

emperor:……

He's only thirty-six, and his daughter is already starting to dislike him.

Being a parent is tough...

Seeing him clutching his heart, wallowing in self-pity, the Crown Prince couldn't bear to look and looked away.

How did his wise and mighty father become like this?

After a while, the three of them quieted down completely.

The candlelight in Fengqin Hall remained as bright as ever. The autumn wind was fading, and as I left, it also ushered in the door to winter.

The emperor acted swiftly. A few days later, on an ordinary night, the fifth prince died a dignified "sudden death," and his affairs were handed over to other officials.

This news had no effect, because the winter solstice had arrived.

According to the tradition of Dayong, on this day, people would offer sacrifices to the Goddess of Winter and pray that the heavy snow of the year would not collapse the roofs of the people or freeze the hungry and cold to death.

Early in the morning, both the master and the palace servants would drink a bowl of sweet fermented rice soup and then put on thicker clothes to prepare for the coming winter.

Starting from this day, the court of Dayong will have a three-day rest period.

With Zheng Xun and the Crown Prince sharing the burden, the emperor, who worked year-round without rest, finally gave himself a day off. The ministers, who were supposed to be resting, no longer had to worry that the emperor would suddenly go crazy and drag them into the palace for a meeting.

Zheng Jin put on a white-collar purple cloak early in the morning and prepared to leave the palace.

The color itself is a bit heavy and makes her look older, which she should have been unable to pull off at her age. However, her calm and composed demeanor, like a silent green mountain, actually complemented the cloak perfectly.

Not long after leaving the palace gate, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from behind the carriage.

The carriage slowed down, and the sound of bowing could be heard outside.

Zheng Jin's personal maid, Yan Hong, lifted the window curtain, and a gust of cold wind blew in. Zheng Jin frowned and looked over, only to see Zheng Xun sitting on a tall horse, smiling at her.

Seeing her thin clothes, Zheng Jin's face darkened: "Come in."

Zheng Xun handed the horse to the guards and nimbly jumped into the carriage.

The carriage moved slowly, and Zheng Jin reached out and held Zheng Xun's hand. Feeling the warmth of her hand, her tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed.

Zheng Xun shook his head smugly: "Hehe, we martial artists aren't afraid of the cold. Internal energy is a good thing. It's a pity that Second Sister didn't have the chance to experience it."

Zheng Jin glared at her, annoyed: "What are you doing here?"

"I just want to go out of the palace for a stroll."

Zheng Jincai didn't believe her: "Weren't you going on a tour?"

"What's the rush? We need to take care of the things at hand first and hand them over smoothly."

She has a lot of things to do right now, so she can't just leave whenever she wants.

"Do you need my help?"

"We don't need you at all; the court has so many people."

Zheng Jin nodded: "So you came with me today to see my gigolo?"

Zheng Xun: ...

The topic changed so quickly.

She didn't deny it, nodding with a smile on her face.

Now she doesn't seem so out of place with this teenage-looking persona anymore, and she even looks a bit like a young girl when she smiles.

Zheng Jin looked at the four small red pom-poms hanging from her head and couldn't help but reach out and rub them.

Zheng Xun didn't dodge; instead, he moved even closer to her.

At that moment, Zheng Jin suddenly understood his father's thoughts.

Even her well-behaved and adorable younger sister wouldn't want to be taken away by some random man.

So she lowered her head and said gently, "Then watch carefully."

The two sisters arrived at Zheng Xun's empty courtyard.

The courtyard used to have only an old woman guarding the gate, but now that someone who is considered the master of the house has moved in, it seems to have been injected with a bit of life, making the whole courtyard come alive.

A cluster of plum branches peeks out from the top of the wall by the gate, resting on the white wall and green tiles, making one feel as if there is a painting on the other side of the wall, and the plum branches quietly peek out from the painting.

Upon seeing this, Zheng Xun couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth: "This is an interesting person."

Zheng Jin did not respond, so Yan Hong went up and knocked on the door.

Soon, the gate opened, and a handsome young servant opened it.

Upon seeing their faces clearly, the servant knelt down and said, "Greetings to the two princesses."

Zheng Jin walked past him and into the courtyard: "Get up."

The servant got up and followed behind them.

Zheng Xun asked him with a smile, "How did you know our identities?"

The servant dared not look at Zheng Xun, keeping his head extremely low: "This servant has seen the Second Princess's portrait beforehand."

Knowing that Zheng Jin was the second princess, and seeing Zheng Xun's age, her identity was obvious.

Yan Hong noticed he was limping and asked curiously, "What's wrong with your leg...?"

It was rather impolite to mention someone's flaws in front of them, but Yan Hong knew that her master's purpose today was to see this legendary male concubine, so it was also Yan Hong's task to find out everything around him.

The servant showed no displeasure, but instead gave a shy smile: "When I was a child, I was kidnapped by a kidnapper. I tried to escape and had my leg broken. Later, I was picked up by an old beggar and started begging with him. After the old beggar passed away, I was lucky enough to meet you, young master, and that's how I got the good life I have today."

Zheng Jin listened and snorted coldly: "Trying to gain fame and reputation."

Her voice wasn't loud, and only Zheng Xun, who was slightly in front of her, heard it. He turned around to look at her and said, "Second sister, prejudice is unacceptable."

Yan Hong continued to ask, "How many people are here?"

"Besides the young master and his servant, there was only a young couple doing chores."

"Oh? Your young master is..."

The servant, perhaps having received prior instructions, offered no resistance to her questions, speaking frankly and without reservation: "My young master's father is Lord Yu, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices."

Zheng Jin took a deep breath: "As expected of my father, such a generous gesture."

Lord Yu is, after all, an official of the imperial court. How could she not make a fuss if he just sent someone's son to her as a male concubine with no official title or status?

She turned around and asked, "Does your master, Lord Yu, know about this?"

The servant nodded obediently: "I know, Master is very happy."

Zheng Jin: ?

ill!

She was seething with anger and rushed into the yard with brisk steps.

Then, all his anger vanished the moment he saw the young man in blue sitting in the courtyard.

It wasn't that the young master Yu was so handsome that he dazzled her, but rather that he suffered from an eye ailment, and his beautiful, glassy eyes vaguely "looked" at them: "Xiao Zhou, have we received some distinguished guests?"

The servant boy named Xiaozhou quickly replied, "Young master, it is Princess Yuanjia and Princess Yuanjia."

Yu Xiu was stunned for a moment, then prepared to get up and bow.

The master and servant were blind and lame, so Zheng Jin couldn't possibly get angry at them. Before they could even make a gesture of greeting, she quickly told them to stop.

Zheng Xun had immense respect for his father, the emperor.

He knew that Zheng Xun was against male concubines, so even if a peerless gentleman stood in front of Zheng Jin, she could still find fault with him.

But Yu Xiu is different; he's blind.

Although Zheng Jin is ruthless towards enemies, she can't bring herself to be cruel to ordinary people.

Therefore, upon seeing Yu Xiu, she could only swallow her anger and instead felt guilt and pity.

Once her prejudice is eliminated, the rest will depend on Yu Xiu's abilities.

Zheng Xun held Yan Hong with his left hand and Xiao Zhou with his right: "Don't go over there, just look around here."

In fact, Zheng Jin and Yu Xiu have very similar temperaments; both are scholarly and gentle.

Zheng Xun rested his chin on his hand and asked Yan Hong, "Do you think they have a chance?"

Yan Hong shook her head: "The mistress is an introverted person. She prefers someone like Nie... who is more energetic. However, the princess should be able to become good friends with Young Master Yu."

Yu Xiu is actually somewhat similar to Xu Zhen, but he doesn't have Xu Zhen's aggressiveness. He is like a gentle and clear stream in the forest.

Perhaps he can get along well with anyone, not just Zheng Jin.

Zheng Xun stroked his chin, then suddenly squinted at Yan Hong: "See, see, you also said that Second Sister likes someone like Young Master Nie, but she just won't admit it."

Yan Hong realized she had said the wrong thing and felt a little annoyed, but then she thought of Princess Yuanjia's ability to predict the future and felt relieved.

"Xiao Zhou?" Zheng Xun asked, then looked at Xiao Zhou, who seemed lost in thought. "Do you want your young master to be with my second sister?"

Xiao Zhou nodded.

Yan Hong also became interested: "Don't you think it's shameful to be a gigolo?"

"The young master prefers tranquility and has no great ambitions, so he is content with a peaceful corner of the world."

What Xiao Zhou actually wanted to say was that his young master was easygoing and didn't care what happened.

Perhaps this is why the emperor chose him; given his character, he would never do anything to harm Zheng Jin.

On the other side, Zheng Jin was somewhat at a loss for words.

Yu Xiu said softly, "Would the princess like to try my tea?"

Zheng Jin saw the tea set on the table and sat down opposite her.

Yu Xiu couldn't see, but he seemed to make tea often, so he could remember the location of the teapot.

As he picked up the teapot and fumbled to pour her tea, some tea accidentally splashed onto his slender, white fingers, leaving a red mark.

Zheng Jin couldn't bear to watch any longer, so she took the teapot and filled everyone's cups.

She still remembered Zheng Xun, but when she saw her whispering with others not far away, she decisively took back the cup she had prepared for her.