Zhao Yao told Liang Zhaoyi the story he heard from Ling Yun vividly.
In fact, Liang Zhaoyi knew more about Si Youying's affairs than Zhao Yao had learned from Ling Yun. Of course, it was hard for her to tell Zhao Yao.
"Mother and concubine, Duke Zhen arranged for Qin Xiulian to appear in front of the father, so he wants Qin Xiulian to compete with Concubine Rong for favor." Zhao Yao touched his chin and said, "He also wants Qin Xiulian to deal with Concubine Rong."
Liang Zhaoyi nodded slightly and said, "It should be."
"Mother, do you think Qin Xiulian is more favored than Concubine Rong?" My father's favorite was Concubine Rong. Over the years, Concubine Rong has always favored the Sixth Palace, and no one can match her. Duke Zhen wants Qin Xiulian to deal with Concubine Rong, but I'm afraid it won't be that easy.
"It's hard to say." Liang Zhaoyi said this, but she knew Emperor Zhou Wu's thoughts better than anyone else.
"No matter what, there will be a good show to watch next." Zhao Yao likes to watch the fun and shows the most.
Liang Zhaoyi tapped Zhao Yao's forehead, and said helplessly and dotingly: "Didn't you say you wanted to pick wild vegetables with us? Do you want to go?"
"Go, go, of course, I want to eat dumplings filled with wild vegetables at night." Just after Zhao Yao finished speaking, he remembered something, turned to Liang Zhaoyi and asked, "Mother, aren't you going to see my father?" Queen Xie, Concubine Rong Gui, and Concubine Shu also visited Emperor Wu of Zhou.
"Your father is probably busy right now, so we won't go to visit you." Liang Zhaoyi said warmly, "We won't visit until dinner time."
"Then I will go with you." Zhao Yao was very curious about what Qin Xiulian looked like.
"Okay, now let's go pick wild vegetables."
Liang Zhaoyi, Yu Meiren, Pan Cairen, and the fifth princess took Zhao Yao to pick wild vegetables not far from the camp.
There are not only many wild vegetables here, but also many wild flowers.
Zhao Yao picked wild vegetables for a while and then began to destroy the flowers with his hands. He made a lot of garlands and gave them to Liang Zhaoyi and the others.
The fifth princess likes the garlands made by Zhao Yao very much. The garlands he made were very delicate and beautiful.
Zhao Yao also specially made an extra garland. When he returned to the camp after picking wild vegetables, he gave the wreath to Li Bin.
Li Bin did not expect that Zhao Yao would specially give her a wreath, which surprised her very much.
"Empress Li Bin, my concubine and I picked a lot of wild vegetables. Concubine and the others will make dumplings stuffed with wild vegetables later. I will bring some to you then." Zhao Yao strongly recommended to Li Bin, "Li Bin Madam, the dumplings stuffed with wild vegetables are very delicious, you must try them."
Li Bin smiled softly and said, "Then I won't be polite."
"Then I will deliver it to you later." Zhao Yao saluted Li Bin and left.
Li Bin put the wreath given by Zhao Yao on her head and asked Qiu Sang who was standing aside: "How is it? Does it look good?"
The wreath that Zhao Yao gave to Li Bin was made of red and yellow wild flowers. These wildflowers are small, cute and beautiful. In addition to the garland, Zhao Yao also gave Li Bin a bouquet of wild flowers.
Qiu Sang just put the wild flowers sent by Zhao Yao into the vase. Although the wild flowers in the forest are not as graceful and luxurious as those in the imperial garden, they have a unique flavor.
"It's good-looking." Qiu Sang said with a smile, "I didn't expect His Highness to be so thoughtful. No wonder Your Highness likes him."
"This child, Xiao Shi, has a pair of very beautiful eyes, clean and clear, like a gem." Concubine Li caressed the wild flowers on the wreath with a soft smile on her lips, "Such clean eyes are the most rare thing in this palace."
"His Royal Highness Ten is also the most innocent, cute and lovable. No wonder His Highness is so protective of him." Although Qiu Sang didn't have much contact with Zhao Yao, he also liked the innocent Zhao Yao very much.
"It's good to have Xiao Shi accompanying the child in this palace." This is why Li Bin does not object to the fourth prince's interaction with Zhao Yao.
Qiu Sang saw a lonely and sad look on Li Bin's face, and knew that Li Bin had remembered the miscarriage.
"My Lady, you have always been worried that His Highness is too lonely. Now that His Highness the Tenth Highness is with you, please don't blame yourself."
Li Bin had always been concerned about the miscarriage back then, "If the child was born successfully, Xiaosi would have a biological brother." After saying this, a look of anger appeared on her face. "If it weren't for her..."
"Empress..." Qiu Sang didn't know how to comfort Li Bin.
Li Bin's face instantly returned to calmness, as if nothing had happened just now.
"I lost my temper."
"Mother, it's been so many years, you'd better let it go."
Li Bin sighed softly and said, "How can I let go..." At that time, she not only lost a child, but also lost the opportunity to be a mother again.
"My Lady, you have always been so brooding, which will only make you..." Qiu Sang comforted Li Bin and said, "My Lady, Your Highness is getting better and better now. In two years, His Highness will be crowned king and go to the fiefdom, and then His Highness will get married. When His Highness gets married, he will give you a bunch of grandchildren. When the time comes, let His Highness send the little Highness and the little princess to you to raise them, and you will be able to enjoy the happiness of a family."
Li Bin listened to Qiu Sang's words and imagined the scene, and a smile appeared on her face.
"Yes, in two or three years, I will be a grandma."
"Your Majesty, Your Highness will be crowned king in two years. Regarding the fiefdom, we have to think of something." Qiu Sang said, "It would be best if His Highness's fiefdom is near the capital."
"I asked Xiaosi about the fiefdom, and he didn't want to be near the capital." Li Bin said with a headache, "He wanted to go somewhere far away from the capital."
"Ah?" Qiu Sang looked shocked, "Why does Your Highness want to go to a place far away from the capital?"
"He said that only by staying away from the capital can he stay away from right and wrong, so that he can concentrate on managing the fiefdom and let the people in the fiefdom live a good life."
"Your Highness, don't you want to go to Liangzhou?"
"It would be good if he can really go to Liangzhou." Li Bin said, "Liangzhou is an important place, and the emperor may not necessarily let Xiao Si go to Liangzhou."
"The Emperor doesn't want His Highness to go down, why should he let the Third Prince go?" Qiu Sang thought for a while and found it impossible. "The Third Prince has the Wang family behind him. The Emperor should not let the Third Prince take over Liangzhou. I think that His Highness will take over Liangzhou." The possibility is very high.”
"The emperor may not allow any prince to take over Liangzhou." Li Bin was also worried about the fourth prince coming of age to take over the fiefdom in two years. She once tested Emperor Zhou Wu's tone, but Emperor Zhou Wu said nothing. "I just hope that Xiaosi will not be sent to Qingzhou by the emperor."
Qingzhou is located by the sea. It is not only small but also very poor.
"Empress, it's time for you to make a decision about His Highness's marriage." Qiu Sang reminded, "If you don't make a marriage arrangement for His Highness before he comes of age, I'm afraid something will happen by then."
"My father and brother wanted Xiao Si to marry Xiao Ci." The Xiao Ci in Li Bin's mouth was her niece, her brother's daughter, named Li Houci.
Hearing what Li Bin said, Qiu Sang was a little surprised: "Mother, don't you want Your Highness to marry Miss Houci?"
"Xiao Ci is a good girl, both in temperament and talent. But..." Li Bin is very satisfied with and likes her niece. She will make a very good daughter-in-law. "It won't be helpful for Xiaosi to marry Xiaoci."
Qiu Sang heard this and instantly understood what Li Bin meant.
"My Lady, do you want Your Highness to marry the daughter of a military commander as your princess?"
Li Bin nodded slightly: "Yes, what Xiaosi lacks most now is the support of the generals." If Xiaosi does not marry Xiaoci as the princess, the Li family will still support Xiaosi.
"But, Madam, most of the generals in the court support the king." Qiu Sang said, "The remaining generals do not have much influence."
"I know."
"Then you still want the fourth prince to marry the daughter of a military general as a princess?" Qiu Sang suddenly thought of something and said with a shocked face, "My queen, you don't want your highness to marry the daughter of the four generals, right?"
"I would like to, but the emperor will definitely not agree."
"What about you?"
"I want Xiaosi to marry the daughter of the four generals as the princess."
"Mother, this is impossible." Qiu Sang said, "The four generals' subordinates are only loyal to the emperor, and the emperor will not agree."
Li Bin also knew about this, but she didn't give up.
"I want to try."
"Your Majesty, aren't you afraid of angering the Emperor?" Qiu Sang felt that if Li Bin really asked the Emperor for such a marriage, she would definitely anger the Emperor.
"No matter what, I want to give it a try." Li Bin said nonchalantly, "Even if it angers the emperor." For the future of her son, she, a mother, is willing to do anything.
"My Lady, aren't you afraid of angering the Emperor and His Highness?" Qiu Sang said, "Aren't you afraid that the Emperor will think His Highness is ambitious? Aren't you afraid that the Emperor won't like His Highness because of this?"
"The Emperor will not doubt Xiaosi." Li Bin said very firmly.
"Empress..."
Li Bin interrupted Qiu Sang and said without any doubt: "I have made up my mind about this matter, so please stop trying to persuade me."
Seeing Li Bin's insistence, Qiu Sang couldn't persuade her any more. She decided to tell the fourth prince about this.
The fourth prince was reading a book in his tent.
Wei Mian walked in with hot tea, "Your Highness, please drink some tea and rest for a while."
The fourth prince put down the book in his hand and took the tea brought by Wei Mian.
"Your Highness, Qin Xiulian just woke up."
The Fourth Prince paused for a moment while drinking tea, and then continued to drink tea with his head down. After he took a few sips of tea, he said, "Did Father let her leave?"
"The Emperor asked someone to set up a tent next to his sleeping quarters and let Qin Xiulian live in it." Wei Mian said, "Your Highness, it seems that the Emperor is going to let Qin Xiulian enter the palace."
"Not surprisingly."
"Your Highness, do you think Qin Xiulian is really more favored than Concubine Rong?"
The fourth prince said in an indifferent tone: "This is not something we should be concerned about." To the fourth prince, whether Concubine Rong Gui continued to be favored or Qin Xiulian was favored, it had nothing to do with him.
"Yes, the ones we are most worried about right now are Concubine Rong and Prince Dai."
Ever since he learned that Qin Xiulian looked like Si Youying, Marquis Xuanping couldn't sit still.
Back then, Marquis Xuanping knew that Emperor Wu of Zhou wanted to marry Si Youying. At that time, he was still a little angry and felt that Emperor Zhou Wu was sorry for his sister.
King Dai didn't know about Si Youying, but after hearing what Marquis Xuanping said, he became worried.
"Damn it, where did Duke Zhen Guo find someone who looks exactly like Si Youying?" Marquis Xuanping said angrily, "Duke Zhen Guo actually hid it for so long and waited until today to let this Qin Xiulian appear. He’s really good at it.”
"Uncle, is Si Youying that important to my father, more important than my mother and concubine?"
"If Si Youying had not died back then, she would have married the emperor before your mother and concubine, maybe..." Marquis Xuanping did not continue.
"Uncle, do you mean that my father likes that Si Youying more?"
"Si Youying is the emperor's favorite woman."
The king could not accept this. He said in disbelief: "How is it possible?"
True to my word, here comes the second update.
(End of chapter)
