Chapter 219: I’m Skilled in This Matter

Chapter 219: I'm Skilled in This Matter

After much deliberation, Prince Duan decided to detain Lin Yuquan, Zhao Shirou, and Li Jingxian temporarily. He would deal with the three once he had clarity.

Princess Jianing, on the other hand, hoped that Prince Duan would personally inform the Emperor about the cuckoldry. That way, she wouldn't have to make a trip to the palace herself.

It was justifiable for them to seek the Emperor's intervention once, but informing him about their father's cuckoldry would appear as if they were making a mountain out of a molehill.

They could afford to appear weak and incompetent in the Emperor's eyes, but not troublesome and annoying.

As members of the royal clan, the last thing they could afford was the Emperor's disdain.

But if their esteemed father didn't speak up, she would have to devise another plan.

……

Prince Duan left his mansion in a whirlwind, and the news of him capturing a man with much fanfare quickly spread throughout the capital. Notably, Prince Duan made no attempt to conceal the incident.

However, as Prince Duan had been stationed in his fief for years, having little to no contact with the officials in the capital and being unaffiliated with any faction, the matter was treated merely as a topic of gossip, with no one inclined to delve deeper into it.

After all, Prince Duan's affairs had not harmed the interests of any party.

Tang Shuyi soon learned of this as well, but she always felt that this story sounded familiar, as if it were a plot from a book. It seemed to involve the Prince Duan's consort having an affair, and in his fury, Prince Duan sought to kill the adulterer.

However, she had almost completely forgotten the specifics. Pondering, she asked Zhao, the steward who came to report, "What's the name of the man taken away by Prince Duan?"

Steward Zhao answered, "Lin Yuquan, who once served as the Deputy Director of the Ministry of War's Armament Department, but was ordered to reflect at home after offending someone recently."

"Lin Yuquan." Tang Shuyi mulled over this name; it seemed that the adulterer in the book bore the same name. Yet, this matter appeared to be more complex than it seemed.

How did Prince Duan capture the adulterer within a few days of arriving in the capital? Was there a hand of Princess Jianing in this?

She didn't think it was wrong if Princess Jianing had acted; on the contrary, she felt it was justified. Having been oppressed to the point of traveling miles to the capital to seek justice, one would be foolish not to seize the opportunity for retribution.

This matter might, however, be exploitable. To have the seventh prince adopted by Empress Dowager Jia Shu, the emperor needed to be reminded of his existence, and not favorably. Wasn't this affair an excellent opportunity?

The seventh prince's mother had been punished for being caught in an adulterous affair with a guard. Regardless of the truth, the emperor felt cuckolded. Now that Prince Duan was similarly cuckolded, would the emperor be reminded of his seventh son?

Even if he didn't remember, there were ways to make him recall through this affair. Nevertheless, it was someone else's family scandal, and an inglorious one at that. Spreading it wasn't ideal, especially since Prince Duan's household bore her no grudges. Moreover, Princess Jianing had a certain connection with her eldest son.

But upon further reflection, Princess Jianing likely wanted the emperor to know of Prince Duan's cuckoldry; after all, once the emperor was aware, the current consort of Prince Duan, no matter how crafty, could never recover her position.

Leaning on the brocade couch, she instructed Steward Zhao, "Send an invitation to Princess Jianing, asking her to join me at Lakeview Pavilion tomorrow."

Steward Zhao acknowledged and left. Tang Shuyi turned and smiled at Xiao Yuzhu, "We can also consider a prospective bride for your elder brother tomorrow."

Xiao Yuzhu was startled, "Do you intend to match Elder Brother with Princess Jianing?"

"Just to observe her character," Tang Shuyi said, "but no matter how satisfied I am, it's futile if your elder brother disagrees."

Xiao Yuzhu pondered, "I find Princess Jianing more agreeable than Miss Liu Biquin and Miss Wu."

Tang Shuyi nodded, "Naturally."

If she were not better than those two, she wouldn't have caught Tang Shuyi's attention.

At that moment, Cuilin entered, holding a visiting card, "A messenger from the Xie residence delivered this."

Tang Shuyi glanced at it; it was from Madam Xie the Second, indicating a visit tomorrow. Placing the card aside, she instructed, "Tell the messenger from the Xie residence that I have an engagement with Princess Jianing tomorrow, so we'll have to reschedule."

As Cuiyun left, Tang Shuyi gazed at the calling card on her desk, musing for a moment before saying, "What exactly is the Xie family aiming for? Last time, it was the senior Mrs. Xie who attended the gathering, and this time it's the second Mrs. Xie."

By her side, peeling walnuts, Xiao Yuzhu commented, "We'll find out when we see them."

Tang Shuyi looked at her with a satisfied smile, "Yes, we'll know when we meet."

On the other hand, the Princess of Jianing was puzzled upon receiving an invitation from the Marquis of Yongning's residence. She wondered why the Marquess suddenly wanted her company. After some thought and coming up with no clear reason, she instructed her maid, "Inquire if there's been any recent happenings at the Marquis of Yongning's estate."

She didn't believe that the Marquess had invited her merely for leisure. Being informed about the Marquis’s household would at least give her some peace of mind.

At the Xie residence, the second Mrs. Xie, upon hearing the servant's report, waved her hand dismissively. Then, turning to her daughter, she said, "Your grandaunt believes the Marquis of Yongning's residence to be a good match and wants to engage your elder sister in marriage with them. But I'm uncertain."

Xie Xihua, fiddling with a doll, asked, "What’s causing your uncertainty?"

The second Mrs. Xie looked at her helplessly, "Why has your grandfather suddenly decided on a marriage alliance with the Marquis of Yongning's residence? Without understanding his motives, how can I be assured? If your grandfather has grand schemes in mind, what will be your fate?"

Xie Xihua, far from anxious, shrugged and said, "It's my grandfather and their side getting all excited. Didn’t the Marquess’s lady say it has to be a mutual affection? If that Xiaolong and I don't get along, that'll be the end of it."

The second Mrs. Xie sighed, "It's not as simple as you make it sound. If they have made this move, they must be fairly confident. Certainly, there are things we don’t know."

Xie Xihua paused in her play, "Meet force with force, and flood with earth. Don’t worry, mother, I won’t let myself be at a disadvantage."

After some thought, the second Mrs. Xie said, "Be shrewd, and if things don’t look right, spoil the plan."

Xie Xihua placed the doll on the table and reassured her mother with a cheery smile, "Don’t worry, mother, I know how to handle this."

The second Mrs. Xie chuckled and tapped her forehead, sighing, "The Marquis of Yongning's residence is indeed a good match. Their inner court is simple and free of strife, and it’s said the Marquess is a reasonable woman. Although Xiaolong has a bad reputation, now that he is under General Xiang, he should be fine. But we just don't know what your grandfather is plotting. I can’t let you enter a betrothal blindly."

Xie Xihua leaned on the table, toying with the doll, "Don’t worry, mother. I’m on my toes."

Hearing her daughter's words, the second Mrs. Xie couldn’t help but laugh. Then, taking a deep breath, she reflected that although marriage alliances were commonplace among the nobility, her daughter was not a mere chess piece to be moved at the family's whim.

PS: I took a day off yesterday due to family matters. I'll make up for the missing update later.