allonlinenovel Chapter 255 Both Sides Take Action
Chapter 255 Both Sides Take Action
"Zhao Jue is concerned about his reputation and has a strong sense of self-esteem. He is not someone who is content with mediocrity. Now that he has fallen from grace, he must be unable to accept the change and is eager to get out of his predicament and regain power."
Shen Qingtan said softly, "He has always been unscrupulous in his pursuit of success. In his heart, he doesn't think relying on women is a shameful thing, but rather a mutually beneficial relationship."
Zhao Yi instantly understood Shen Qingtan's meaning: "You want to send him a powerful in-law family?"
"Is that not allowed?" Shen Qingtan said coldly, "Whether it's Zhao Jue or Shen Mingzhu, once they gain power, they will continue to provoke us. In order to eliminate future troubles, we must strike first and dismantle their internal relationships."
In order to keep Zhao Jue, Shen Mingzhu humbled herself, swallowed her pride, and even abandoned her dignity.
If Zhao Jue abandons her for power...
What will she do?
Shen Qingtan couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.
Zhao Yi's heart skipped a beat; Shen Qingtan intended to use Shen Mingzhu as a tool to kill Zhao Jue.
"Am I heartless?" Shen Qingtan sat on a stool by the bed, her elbows propped on the edge, and asked, resting her chin on her hand, "Are you afraid?"
Zhao Yi gazed into her dark, bright eyes, staring at him intently, as if anticipating his answer, or perhaps asking a casual question.
He pondered, "Should I hear the truth?"
"Is it that the truth is unpleasant to hear, and you want to use lies to cover it up?" Shen Qingtan raised an eyebrow: "You can also tell lies."
Zhao Yi raised his hand and touched her head.
His sudden action startled Shen Qingtan.
"Don't be afraid." Zhao Yi slid his fingertips down and gently pinched her fair cheek. "You have a soft heart. If I coax you a little, you won't hold it against me."
Shen Qingtan blinked, and realized that she had actually been coaxed by him.
Zhao Yi asked, "Aren't you angry anymore?"
Shen Qingtan snorted softly, wanting to deliberately contradict him, and pretended to be angry.
But when she met his gaze, she couldn't help but laugh.
“I am a magnanimous person and will not hold it against you.” Shen Qingtan held his hand and lifted Zhao Wan up: “Grandmother is choosing a husband for Wan’er. There are several candidates. One is the heir of the Marquis of Wenxuan, one is the second son of the Vice Prefect, and one is the son of the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy.”
"Grandmother favored the son of the chief priest, but because the chief priest had received favors from the Ling family, she had reservations."
At this point, Shen Qingtan asked, "Second Master, are there any suitable candidates among them?"
"The heir of Marquis Wenxuan is an upright and courteous man, a trustworthy person. It's a pity he has two children. Stepmothers have always had a hard time. Wan'er is just a young girl. How can she be a good mother? Her personality is more or less like her third uncle's. She is a bit sensitive and not suitable for such a complicated family."
"The prefect's family is lenient in disciplining their second son, not expecting him to bring glory to the family. The prefect's wife dotes on him, and he is simple and kind-hearted. It seems that Wan'er will not suffer any grievances if she marries him. However, in the long run, if he cannot stand on his own and cannot be independent, the couple will have to make a living under the care of his elder brother and sister-in-law."
"His Majesty attaches great importance to the position of Chancellor. No one has ever served in this position for two consecutive years except for Chancellor Wang, who served for eight years. Chancellor Wang is a member of the Hanlin Academy and is an upright man who distinguishes between public and private matters. Even though the Ling family has been kind to him, he cannot be allowed to show favoritism in official matters."
"Chancellor Wang values morality and etiquette, and his family has strict traditions. His only son has inherited his father's character and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, will follow in his footsteps. Wang Shenzhi's birth mother has passed away, and he now only has a stepmother. She is kind and treats him as her own son."
Zhao Yi said gently, "Wang Shenzhi is a bit rigid and only believes in reason. He is not a blindly filial person. The fact that Madam Wang is respected by the Chief Minister of the Imperial Academy is enough to show that she is very wise. How could she not understand the son she raised herself? With her intelligence, she would not make things difficult for her daughter-in-law."
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingtan understood Zhao Yi's intentions; he had his eye on Wang Shenzhi.
Wang Shenzhi was stubborn and not blindly obedient to his parents. Mrs. Wang knew this well, so she not only did not make things difficult for her daughter-in-law, but was also quite polite to her.
Shen Qingtan asked, "Is Wan'er going to discuss marriage with Young Master Wang?"
"Hmm," Zhao Yi said, "The Wang family has simple relationships, which is suitable for Wan'er."
Shen Qingtan smiled and said, "That's true, there's no need to deal with the relationship between sisters-in-law."
Another point is that once the Duke's Mansion and the Grand Master of Ceremonies form a marriage alliance, they will not help Prince Yu to deal with the Duke's Mansion.
Zhao Yi gently tapped her eyelids with his finger: "You haven't been resting well these past few days, go to sleep first."
Shen Qingtan was excited and not sleepy at all: "I need to get things settled first, otherwise I won't feel at ease and won't be able to sleep well."
As soon as she finished speaking, she left the inner room and instructed Jiang Mu, who was waiting at the door, to take care of Zhao Jue's matter.
-
Prince Yu's Mansion.
Prince Yu offered a stick of incense to the Buddha.
The Chamberlain stood behind him and said, "Your Highness, it seems that Zhao Yi's illness is about to be cured."
Prince Yu gazed at the Buddha's compassionate face, his emotions unreadable.
After Shen Qingtan and Zhao Yi moved into the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion, he felt that something was not right.
Sure enough, two days later, news came from his intelligence network.
Gu Changsheng is Zhongyuan's apprentice.
After Zhao Yi moved into the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion, Gu Changsheng stayed there with him.
Without even thinking, one could tell that Gu Changsheng was treating Zhao Yi's illness.
Prince Yu paced back and forth in the room, his hands behind his back and his face solemn.
Once Zhao Yi's illness was cured, he posed a great threat to him.
The Grand Tutor added, "Prince Rui is secretly trying to curry favor with Master Zhao."
Prince Yu's crimson lips curled slightly; his younger brother was trying to bring the Duke's mansion into his camp.
The princess from Northern Qi came to marry a prince, intending to choose one of the two princes as her marriage partner.
Once this news spread, Prince Rui could no longer remain calm.
The Imperial Chamberlain offered a suggestion: "Your Highness, would you like to take the initiative to propose a marriage alliance to the Emperor? We can take a step back to advance, and perhaps we can gain favor with the Emperor."
"Because of the Qingzhou incident, I have incurred a major grievance in Father's mind. If I were to propose a marriage alliance, Father would not only not refuse, but would also go along with it."
Prince Yu stopped and looked out the window at the bright sunshine, his eyes deep and unfathomable: "Is Zhao Jue still waiting for me?"
"They're still waiting for you at the residence," the Chamberlain replied. "They've been waiting since yesterday evening, probably because they've been pushed to their limit."
It's good that you've pushed them too far; what Prince Yu wants is for the second branch of the Zhao family to be pushed to the limit.
He beckoned the Grand Tutor to come closer, whispered a few words in his ear, and then took out a thick booklet from the drawer and handed it to the Grand Tutor.
The Grand Tutor dared not ask Prince Yu any more questions. Clutching the book in his arms, he immediately left the Prince's residence and went to his own home to deliver a message to Zhao Jue.
-
Zhao Jue came out of the house with the booklet in his hand. The blazing sun shone on him, making his skin feel hot and painful.
He recalled the words that the Grand Tutor had brought, and a chill ran down his spine.
Prince Yu said that his mother had been using the power of the Duke's mansion for more than 20 years to accept bribes and seek personal gain.
The silver he moved that night in the West Garden was not the silver left behind by the former Duke, but silver that his mother had embezzled.
The Duke and the old lady already knew the news, which is why they were so heartless towards him and unwilling to see him again.
They are even investigating his mother and gathering evidence.
Zhao Jue was shocked by his mother's audacity; she dared to embezzle and break the law, and kept him and his father in the dark.
Prince Yu cleared up the evidence of his mother's crimes and fabricated evidence to implicate his uncle and exonerate his mother.
Zhao Jue looked at the booklet in his hand and walked out of the narrow alley with a solemn expression.
"Make way! People in front, make way!"
Hearing the shouts, Zhao Jue looked up and saw a luxurious carriage speeding towards him out of control.