amaotonovel Chapter 183 Awesome
Chapter 183 Awesome
"Mother, even if that boy is favored by Father, he's just good at flattering and boasting. What he wants to do is just what Father wishes for. Do you really have to treat him like a snack?" Qin Mushuo disliked being ordered around by the Empress, as if he, the Crown Prince, was utterly incompetent.
The Empress was frustrated that her own son was incompetent and even lacked vision. She and Emperor Qi Xiao were not good-for-nothings, so how could they have a son who was so lacking in intelligence?
"Just do as I say!"
"You absolutely must give a reason, otherwise it's just too absurd!"
"He..." The Empress gasped, even though she and the Crown Prince were the only two in the hall, she pulled Qin Mushuo close and whispered in his ear, "He is very likely His Majesty's bloodline..."
"Plop" sound.
Qin Mushuo's knees buckled, and he sat down on the ground.
He stared at the Empress, utterly incredulous, but the Empress quickly regained her composure. "Everyone is questioning him. If you promote him, His Majesty will treat you well. Besides, His Majesty values him. If you get close to him, you can also find out His Majesty's thoughts from him. You won't lose your composure if there's even the slightest hint of trouble."
"You shouldn't harbor any disloyal thoughts. His identity is a secret, and he has no right to compete with you. At most, he can only reach the first or second rank and be granted a title by His Majesty."
"Let him fight Qin Muyan. He can just reap the rewards. You are the Crown Prince; you don't need to get involved yourself."
……
The Empress gave Qin Mushuo a long lecture, leaving him feeling completely overwhelmed.
He never expected that his father would have an illegitimate child.
But he doesn't have a single son, so he really needs to work harder.
……
Meanwhile, Qin Muyan also wanted to promote Yuan Cuo and was discussing it with Qin Yongshang and Wei Gongming.
Qin Yongshang felt that he should try to win Yuan Cuo over, at least to prevent Yuan Cuo from siding with the Crown Prince.
Wei Gongming strongly objected upon hearing the name, saying, "He's nothing but a sycophant, and with Liu Yuechu willing to subsidize those poor scholars, he'll never amount to anything!"
“But I think he is quick-witted and courageous, and may be a useful talent.” Qin Muyan’s judgment was very sharp.
Qin Yongshang agreed wholeheartedly, "Moreover, he starts at the sixth rank, and his future prospects are immeasurable. Your Highness must be on good terms with this person. Even if you cannot make him a confidant, you should at least not offend him."
"If we can't win over this kind of person, we must eliminate him immediately, otherwise he will become an ally of that person, and Your Highness will regret it!" Wei Gongming couldn't wait to kill Yuan Cuo.
Qin Muyan considered it carefully, "Isn't it too early to bring up the recapture now? I can also take a look and discuss it further."
Wei Gongming had no intention of delaying the matter. "Your Highness cannot delay this matter. The Empress has already made her stance clear. You must not be soft-hearted at this time."
Qin Yongshang glared at him fiercely. His Majesty favors Yuan Cuo so much, yet now he's ordering the Third Prince to get rid of him?
"Brother Wei, you should focus on the marriage with the Li family first, and don't worry about other trivial matters." Only a fool would stab His Majesty in the heart at this moment!
Wei Gongming felt a pang of heartache whenever the topic of marriage came up. Just thinking about Li Shu's face made him lose all interest.
"During the Empress Dowager's funeral, the wedding should be kept simple, but Your Highness is kind enough to grace this humble subject with your presence on that day."
Qin Muyan was nonchalant and gave a perfunctory reply that she would definitely go.
After dismissing Wei Gongming, he immediately sent Qin Yongshang to meet with Yuan Cuo, saying, "He will never rise in this life because he is short-sighted. If Yuan Cuo can be won over, he will be a hundred times better than Wei Gongming."
……
When Yuan Cuo received the Third Prince's invitation, Cheng Hai had just left. He sent "Le Yuan" back to the Liu family and even personally returned it to Liu Yuechu.
"His Majesty originally did not want to return it, saying that although Lady Liu has a musical instrument, she does not know how to play it, so it would be better to leave it in the palace. However, Her Majesty the Empress is considerate and said that it is a keepsake of your mother and cannot be taken away... Her Majesty also asked me to convey that if you are interested in learning the zither, Her Majesty can ask Lady Lin to be your teacher, as long as you agree."
Cheng Hai's words sounded reasonable, but how could Liu Yuechu not sense the "disdain" in them?
This is Emperor Qi Xiao mocking her for being good for nothing except making money...
"I'm good at using an abacus, but I'm completely clueless about things like musical instruments." Liu Yuechu didn't want to agree to anything; if she agreed to one, there would be a second, third, fourth, and fifth.
Besides, he hasn't even acknowledged his own son, yet he's already starting to criticize his daughter-in-law?
Yuan Cuo, however, said with a warm smile, "My wife may not know anything, but I'll take care of her. Besides, if she wants to hear the zither, I'll play it for her."
Liu Yuechu was surprised, "You can play the piano?"
"Your husband is proficient in all the arts—music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, wine, and tea—otherwise, how could he earn enough money to make a living? Even if you just want me to do embroidery, my wife will do it." Yuan Cuo indeed had a wide range of interests, and Liu Yuechu's eyes shone with even more admiration…
Knowing he wouldn't get a reply, Cheng Hai exchanged a few pleasantries and returned to the palace.
When Emperor Qi Xiao heard that Liu Yuechu refused to learn, he immediately snorted coldly, "How can an uneducated girl be worthy of being my daughter-in-law?" Recalling Cheng Hai's retelling of Yuan Cuo's words, he became even more furious, "It wasn't that I was unwilling to support him in the first place, it was that he himself refused... He insisted on learning some strange and frivolous skills to make a living, as if it were my fault."
Cheng Hai didn't know how to persuade him, so he could only pour Emperor Qi Xiao a cup of cool tea to calm him down. "The two of them are very much in love, Your Majesty. You can't separate them."
"I hope he can get some help!"
"Have you overlooked Lady Liu's influence? Don't underestimate her just because she's a merchant's daughter; her status is quite extraordinary now."
Seeing the confusion in Emperor Qi Xiao's eyes, Cheng Hai didn't keep him in suspense and began to speak fluently.
"Not to mention how good her relationship with Yuwen Chan is, the Liu family has a stake in the cotton, hemp, grain, and medicinal herbs of Daqi. The Liu family's horse farm is also not to be underestimated. I have carefully calculated that, except for things like official salt and iron ore, the Liu family has a stake in almost all businesses."
"Now that the young master has come out of the shadows, the civil officials have been very supportive of him. Not to mention Elder Zhuang's effusive praise, the Imperial Academy, the Court of State Ceremonies, and even Censor Chen of the Censorate are all giving him their full support."
"The young master also won the praise of a group of students, who said that his talent was not limited to the eight-legged essay. And Lady Liu's reputation was also exceptionally good because of her dignity in donating grain during the disaster and working for poor students to earn food and money."
"Moreover, the Liu family also provided the army with horse breeds, and even the Chen family, the governor of the southwest, attached great importance to it."
"Each one thing is not particularly remarkable, but when these things are put together one after another, this couple is not to be underestimated."
……
It was rare for Cheng Hai to speak so much.
Emperor Qi Xiao let out a cold hiss upon hearing this.
He remained silent for a long time before sighing and leaning back on the dragon throne. "His inherent tenacity is so much like hers. It's not that I'm unwilling to admit it, but that I have no choice but to acknowledge it; I can no longer ignore him..."