Long Live the Empress

The Second Prince had been hearing these words from Concubine Shu since he could remember. Now that things were urgent, Concubine Shu was still talking about these trivial matters. The Second Prince couldn't help but feel a little irritated, "Okay, mother! The Imperial Observatory was executed by my father this morning, and the Ninth Prince will also start investigating the dam!"

Concubine Shu was about to lose her temper because the Second Prince yelled at her, but when she heard that the Ninth Prince wanted to investigate the dam, she also became nervous. "My son, what should we do? Why don't you go and discuss it with your grandfather?"

"That's what I was thinking. At this critical moment, mother, please be more cautious. If we are found out..."

The second prince ordered the palace maids to put away all the gold, silver, jade, antiques, calligraphy and paintings in the palace, leaving only a few ornaments given by the old emperor.

Concubine Shu watched the palace maids carrying her treasures to the warehouse again and again, and her heart was bleeding with pain.

The second prince waited until he had almost packed everything before going to the Minister of Revenue's residence.

Minister of Revenue Fan Changyue had been waiting in the palace hall for a long time. Seeing the Second Prince coming in a hurry, he quickly knelt down and saluted. "This old minister greets the Second Prince."

The second prince quickly helped Fan Changyue up. "Grandfather, you don't have to do this in the mansion."

Fan Changyue shook his head. "The closer we are to the palace, the more we should pay attention to etiquette, so that no one will find fault with the Second Prince."

The second prince nodded. Grandfather always made plans for him, unlike his mother who was always throwing tantrums. "Grandfather, what is your plan for today's incident?"

Fan Changyue took a sip of tea and said, "I think the Second Prince doesn't need to worry. We have kept the matter very secret, and the account books are also kept in good order. But Hechang County is only a few dozen miles away from the capital. If the dam really collapses, the consequences will be disastrous. Please think of a way out and protect yourself."

The second prince looked at the heavy rain outside. "Grandfather, don't worry. County Magistrate Song Xinghuai is a smart man. Even if something goes wrong, let him die to atone for his crime."

The second prince's idea coincided with Fan Changyue's, so he immediately sent people to various river counties to notify them.

There was a jingle of bells and ornaments outside the door. The person hadn't arrived yet, but the coquettish voice floated into their ears first, "Is it my cousin who is here?"

The visitor was Fan Changyue's granddaughter Fan Ronghua. As she was the only daughter in the family, Fan Ronghua was inevitably a little domineering. Concubine Shu loved Fan Ronghua very much and even promised to let her marry the second prince as his principal wife when she came of age.

Fan Ronghua didn't care whether Fan Changyue was present or not, he stepped forward and took the Second Prince's arm, "Cousin, are you here to see Hua'er?"

The second prince blushed as he looked at Fan Changyue, but unexpectedly Fan Changyue yawned, "I am old and sleep more often. Hua'er, please accompany the second prince. I will take my leave first..."

Seeing his grandfather being so discerning, Fan Ronghua looked at the Second Prince with pride, "Hua'er, accompany your cousin to take a walk in the garden!"

The Second Prince was already in a bad mood today, and now another annoying person came. He became even more anxious, but he couldn't refuse.

Fan Ronghua was the princess chosen for him by his grandfather and mother. Although the emperor had not yet issued an edict to grant the marriage, the matter was a foregone conclusion!

"Hua'er, what are you doing recently?" The second prince forced a smile and walked on the garden path with Fan Ronghua.

"Hua'er heard from my aunt that my cousin likes landscape paintings, so I asked my grandfather to invite a painter to teach Hua'er how to paint!" Fan Ronghua looked at the second prince's face with admiration, hoping that his sweetheart would be moved.

"Hua'er, you don't have to give up yourself for this prince. If you force it on yourself, you will only feel pain..." The second prince looked at the birds flying in the distance, and there was a light in his eyes that Fan Ronghua could not understand.

Fan Ronghua hugged the second prince from behind regardless, "Hua'er is willing to do anything for my cousin! Not to mention just learning to paint, even if there are thousands of other things, Hua'er will be happy to do it~"

The second prince closed his eyes and said nothing, nor did he struggle to break free from Fan Ronghua's hand. He just stood there quietly.

The second prince suddenly felt someone coming, and he looked sideways and saw a little maid of about eleven or twelve years old standing beside him, touching the silver bracelet on her wrist with her little hand, not knowing whether to return it or keep it. In the end, he bravely reported: "Miss... Madam, please... please come over..."

The second prince felt that Fan Ronghua's hand around his waist was a little tight, "Hua'er, since your aunt has called you, it must be something important, you should go quickly!"

Fan Ronghua retracted his hands and clenched them tightly in his sleeves, his voice trembling a little, "Hua'er, listen to your cousin. If you have time, you must come to see Hua'er~"

After hearing the second prince's barely audible "hmm", Fan Ronghua followed the maid, looking back every few steps.

When the second prince was returning home and passing by the back door of the Minister of Revenue's residence, he saw two maids throwing something covered with rags onto a cart. When the second prince was about to ask, an arm covered with scars fell out of the rags, with a silver bracelet on the wrist...

The second prince tightly grasped the carriage curtain, the veins on his hands bulging. How could a woman as vicious as Fan Ronghua be worthy of being his concubine? But he needed the support of his maternal family...

Finally, the second prince lowered the curtains, and the carriage gradually moved away, and the traces left behind were soon submerged by the rain...