Princess Menglang is hard to change, the whole capital is embarrassed for her

Many days have passed since their last unpleasant parting, and the two have not met again.

When Xiao Chenze heard that his father was ill, he put down his work and went to the palace to visit him. The imperial guards guarding outside said that Fang Yao had ordered that no one except the empress dowager was allowed to enter. He then told the imperial guards to come in and look for Miss Shen Li.

The imperial guards also heard the rumors outside and knew that the eldest prince and Miss Shen were discussing marriage, so they teased him a few times and let him go.

The air in early autumn is crisp, the sky is blue and the clouds are white, and even the wind is sweet.

As the two looked at each other, the emperor also noticed Xiao Chenze and raised his hand to signal Fang Yao, "Let him in."

Eunuch Chang took the old prime minister and Xiao Zhao downstairs, and then brought Xiao Chenze up to the hall.

Xiao Chenze bowed to his father and asked about his health with concern. The emperor looked at his son, then at Shen Li, and raised his eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

He asked silently, "How is it? Are they a good match? Didn't you say that you would ask your niece's opinion before I grant her the marriage? Did you ask her?"

Fang Yao could understand what he meant without him saying anything.

So Fang Yao responded to the emperor with his expression, closing his eyes and nodding his head slightly to show that he had asked for his opinion.

Then he curled his lips and shook his head slightly, "My niece is not happy about it, so I'm afraid this matter is a bit uncertain."

The emperor's brows instantly rose high, and he was still a little dissatisfied. "Disagree? Why don't you agree? My son, a dignified prince, has everything he wants. Are you still nitpicking?"

Fang Yao took one look and snorted. Fearing that the emperor couldn't see, he snorted again, feeling smug. "What's wrong with the prince? My niece is not bad either. A daughter from one family is sought after by hundreds of families."

The emperor rolled his eyes upwards, not wanting to look at Fang Yao's ugly face anymore. He turned around and saw his son and Shen Li standing together. The more he looked at them, the more beautiful they looked and the more they seemed to be a perfect match.

"What has Chen'er been busy with these days?"

"Your Majesty, I'm currently renovating the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. My grandmother, aunt, and cousin are about to return to the capital. I'm worried that they've been in the frontier for so many years and haven't adapted to the affairs of the capital. I want to take care of everything before they return."

These words drew the emperor's attention to the Chu family.

That was Queen Chu's family. After Queen Chu passed away, her family moved to the border and never returned to the capital.

If Chu Hengsheng knew that there was another hidden story behind Queen Chu's death, given his temper, no one involved would be able to live in peace.

"If you're too busy to handle it yourself, go to the Ministry of Works and ask them to help you. Also, don't rush out of the palace. Have Eunuch Chang take you to my small private treasury to get some gold ingots. Take 10,000 taels, and use them to renovate the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion. Especially the boudoir where your mother once lived. It must be carefully renovated to the way it looked before she got married. If you have any questions, you can refer to the blueprints. A copy of the blueprints is kept at the Ministry of Works. Go ask them for it. After the repairs are completed, your father will personally inspect it..."

He paused for a moment.

Thinking of the small courtyard near the main courtyard of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion, he found an excuse to go to the Mansion to seek advice. There was always laughter coming from that small courtyard.

He stayed at the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion, but took advantage of the night to climb up the tree outside the courtyard, wanting to see the person he missed day and night.

Unexpectedly, she was caught by Chu Hengsheng. Because his face was covered, it was difficult to recognize him, so the two of them started fighting outside her yard.

Finally, the old Duke and his wife were alarmed, and everyone learned that the current Crown Prince had actually fallen in love with the Duke's daughter...

The emperor recalled the past vividly, and his eyes gradually became moist.

"Chu Hengsheng, every year I send letters to allow him to return to the capital to visit his family, but he always replies that he has no relatives in the capital except Chen'er and there is no need to visit. This time the old lady of the Duke's Mansion has returned. I will send another decree to allow him to visit his family in the capital. I will see what he says next."

The emperor said to the other side from a distance, "My dear minister, if you have time, please write him a letter and tell him about the changes in the capital. Also, tell him... I am old and frail. I don't know how many years I can live. If possible, please let him come back to see me."

Fang Yao felt a lump in his throat when he heard this. He quickly bowed and agreed, but his eyes became moist unconsciously.

It turned out that the emperor wrote to his family every year saying that he would come back to visit his family because he was hoping that Chu Hengsheng would come back to visit him. In his heart, he was a relative of the Chu family, and the Chu family was also his relative.

Alas, what a cruel fate!

Xiao Chenze stood silently beside Shen Li. When he heard his father's words, his eyes turned red. He turned his eyes to the steps outside the palace, where the imperial physician was busy and several eunuchs were walking non-stop.

Shen Li had her head lowered, but now she raised it and looked at Xiao Chenze. Suddenly, she felt that her action was a bit abrupt, so she pretended to have discomfort in her neck and twisted it twice, then lowered her head again to look at her toes.

……

The old prime minister brought little Zhao back to the mansion and immediately sent someone to call Shen Zhaojiang over.

He sat in the hall, drove everyone out, and remained silent for a long time with a cold face.

This was the first time Shen Zhaojiang and Xiao Zhaoshi had met each other since the last adultery incident. So many things had happened in just a few days that the two of them didn't even have time to process their mixed feelings. They just stared at each other blankly, looking like they wanted to cry but couldn't.

Finally, after an incense stick of time, the old prime minister spoke, "I called you here for nothing else. Shen Zhaojiang..."

"Yes, my son-in-law is here."

"Since you call me father-in-law, I'll speak frankly. The scoundrel thing that happened in your house last time, I believe you know it was Miss Shen who did it without me having to say much..."

What does he know? He doesn't know.

Shen Zhaojiang wanted to deny it and say it wasn't Shen Li.

However, if it wasn't Shen Li, how to explain what happened to his son and Xiao Zhao?

The two people did not give contradictory statements, but their experiences were exactly the same. Even if he did not want to believe it, he had to admit that the matter was too strange. They did not lie this time. His daughter Shen Li, who grew up in the countryside, had abilities beyond his expectations.

Seeing Shen Zhaojiang remained silent, the old prime minister ignored him and continued, "I don't blame your child. If I have to blame anyone, I can only blame myself for not raising my daughter well. It's useless to say this now. Everyone's temperament has already been formed, and it's beyond my control."

There was melancholy in his tone, perhaps thinking of how well-behaved and sensible his daughter was when she was little, and now looking at her as a vicious stepmother in a deep house, he felt powerless and just wanted to cut off ties with her.

"You're too self-righteous when it comes to Miss Shen. You look down on her and give her a hard time, but have you ever gained any advantage?"

Little Zhao shifted uncomfortably and said nothing.

"Not only did you fail to gain her, but you kept stumbling. It's a pity that you didn't wake up and continued to scheme against her. What's the result? Each stumble was bigger and more severe. Even after all this, you still haven't realized that you chose the wrong person."

"That girl is quiet, yet possesses extraordinary abilities. I've always felt she wasn't an ordinary child, and I've warned you, but you ignored her. How are you now? Did I come true?"