jdhmnovel Chapter 378 Improvisation
Chapter 378 Improvisation
It was August.
The whole city is filled with the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms.
The autumn imperial examination is tomorrow.
It is the time when countless students are striving for academic success.
Miao Miao got up very early, even earlier than her mother.
Today I'm going to offer incense outside the city to pray for my second brother.
It's still a bit of a regret that I couldn't see my second brother enter the examination room in person.
But the thought that her second brother would return to the capital after the exam made her very excited.
Maybe my grandparents will come back with me.
Miao Miao dressed up a little today, wearing a crimson dress.
Mother and Aunt Xiuxiu also dressed up, both wearing brightly colored clothes.
For good luck.
After washing up and getting ready, Miao Miao wanted to go next door to call her princess mother to go with her after breakfast.
They worship Buddha, while the princess can enjoy chrysanthemums to relax.
Miao Miao was about to go out when her mother called out to her, "The princess isn't home; she went to the palace early this morning."
Xiuxiu was also curious, "Sister, how did you know the princess had entered the palace when you just woke up?"
As Lu Qingyao tidied up the food and supplies in her daughter's carriage, she said, "Princess Yuqing came to see Miaomiao last night and also wanted to talk to me, but you were all asleep by then."
"Has the Crown Prince's uncle's illness relapsed?" Miao Miao asked.
Princess's mother also worked hard.
Although she is a princess, she will not become a victim in the struggle for the throne like the princes.
But there's always something to worry about.
I heard that the Crown Prince's uncle is almost completely cured of poisoning, having been poisoned so many times that his body has been severely damaged.
No wonder, even a body made of iron probably couldn't withstand such torment.
I need to rest and recuperate properly.
I feel that being an imperial heir isn't all that great, especially being the crown prince.
It's like being surrounded by wolves.
One minute it's murder, the next it's framing, then it's poisoning.
It’s scary to think about it.
Lu Qingyao looked at her daughter. Although she didn't have much affection for those noble ladies in the palace, they were still blood relatives, so there was no reason to hide it from Miaomiao.
"It's your maternal grandmother, the Empress, who is ill, and your mother has gone to attend to her."
Xiuxiu came closer and said, "I know what happened. I heard that the Emperor has recently bestowed a title upon a new concubine. That concubine looks very much like the Emperor's deceased favorite concubine, Consort Dong. The Empress and Consort Dong were mortal enemies in the past. But this Consort Zhen is arrogant because of the Emperor's favor. She always likes to provoke the Empress, which made the Empress sick."
Lu Qingyao pondered, "I'm afraid it's not that simple. A mere beauty with no children, no matter how favored she is, probably wouldn't dare to offend the Empress. Have you found out her background?"
That beautiful woman could only act in such a way if she was either truly stupid or had been forced and manipulated.
Ever since Miao Miao recognized her mother, Lu Qingyao has been keeping a close eye on the movements in the palace.
There's nothing that can be done; her biological parents are a princess and a prime minister, respectively.
The higher you stand, the more dangerous it is.
One wrong step and you're smashed to pieces.
She couldn't stay out of it, even though her strength was as insignificant as a firefly's light.
But a single spark can start a prairie fire.
"I found out, elder sister. I was just about to tell you about it. That Consort Zhen was originally just an ordinary peasant girl. Three months ago, she was bought at a high price, trained, and then sent to the palace. But the Fang family insists that she is Consort Chen's distant cousin and was chosen by the Emperor to be a Consort. It seems that Prince Chen specially prepared her for the Emperor." Xiuxiu also went to great lengths to find out, and even sought help from Princess Yuqing.
After all, no matter how capable she was, she couldn't find her way into the palace.
Of course, this was also with Lu Qingyao's tacit approval.
"And what about Lady Jane's family? Can they still be found?"
“After Zhen Meiren was bought, her parents, brother, sister-in-law and nephew all disappeared. The villagers said they moved to the city, but we searched everywhere and couldn’t find them. I suspect that Prince Chen hid them.”
Lu Qingyao said, "Perhaps finding that beautiful woman's family is the key to breaking this deadlock."
"Okay, sister, I'll keep an eye on it."
Miaomiao nestled in her mother's arms and fell asleep while listening; she had gotten up too early and hadn't had enough sleep.
The carriage moved slowly, making it easy to fall asleep.
The affairs of the palace seemed too far removed from her.
It wasn't easy for her to get Qiuqiu to investigate that so-called beautiful concubine.
The palace is too big, and the palaces are probably all about the same length. It would be easy for Chirp to get lost if it flew in.
Moreover, the birds in the palace are just like people; they look down on birds and don't want to bother with them.
In short, it's beyond the bird's capabilities, so only Aunt Xiuxiu can handle it.
We've arrived at the temple.
Jiang Miaomiao also woke up.
I could only feel that it was bustling and lively outside.
When I lifted the curtain, I was startled.
It was full of people.
The temple was packed with people, both inside and out.
The practice of praying to gods and Buddhas before exams is indeed the same throughout history.
This was even more pronounced in ancient times.
It seems that quite a few people are resorting to last-minute cramming.
My second brother would never pray to gods or Buddhas; he's probably meditating inside the house right now.
Miao Miao stood on the carriage and looked up. All she could see were heads, densely packed together.
It's like going to a market.
Amidst the red walls and golden tiles, wisps of smoke curled upwards, and the sandalwood fragrance wafting from the temple filled the air.
Whether it was the invigorating effect of the sandalwood or not, Miao Miao suddenly became fully awake.
Looking at the temple full of people, Lu Qingyao could already imagine how many people were kneeling in front of the Manjushri Bodhisattva statue.
She was caught in a dilemma, unable to move forward or backward.
In the end, she took Xi'er away, leaving Xiuxiu to look after Miaomiao.
"Auntie, why don't you go in?" Miao Miao asked, because she noticed that her aunt never went into the temple.
“As the Buddhist saying goes, ‘Put down the butcher’s knife and you will become a Buddha on the spot.’ I am destined not to become a Buddha. Going in would only upset the Buddha. I’d better not go.” Xiuxiu leaned against the carriage, watching the little boy peeking around through the curtain, and the people coming and going outside.
Thinking about the countless drops of blood on his hands, he realized he couldn't count them all.
Although none of the people I killed were good people, I still felt a little guilty going into the temple.
After returning to the capital, I had far fewer opportunities to use a knife; most of the time I actually used a pen.
Somewhat incredible.
Xiuxiu, who was lost in thought, was interrupted by Miaomiao's voice, "Auntie, let's go over there for tea. There's a tea stall there, and someone is telling stories."
Chiu Chiu said she was talking about the great achievements of the Prince of Chen.
Miao Miao was curious: how could a prince who only needed to watch battles have so many great achievements to tell?
Xiuxiu craned her neck to listen for a bit, and immediately said, "Let's go listen."
The two found a corner to sit down and ordered a pot of tea.
The main issue is that people who don't drink tea aren't allowed to sit down.
Miaomiao wasn't very keen on eating at roadside stalls, and tea was no exception.
I always feel like the cup isn't clean.
They were quickly drawn in by the storyteller's tales.
It tells the story of Prince Chen's heroic battles, how he pacified the people of Prince Su's fiefdom after suppressing the rebellion, how he treated the people of the royal palace kindly, how he funded relief for the people, how he built schools, and how he was exceptionally brave and valiant...
They're practically calling him the chosen one.
Interspersed throughout is a story of a beautiful woman rescuing a hero, and Prince Chen repaying the kindness shown to him.
Jiang Miaomiao turned to look at Xiuxiu, "Auntie, is what they said true?"
This is blatant flattery.
Surprisingly, quite a few people believed it.
Xiuxiu: "It's half true and half false. Most of the time, someone paid to spread it around."
"Wow! How shameless! Someone actually put gold on their own face."
……