The daily life of a cold and aloof general raising his wife

Jiang Shuwan had no choice but to sit down.

When Xie Youwei wanted to leave with Yan Jingxuan in the afternoon, Xie Mingyu refused to let her go, as she did not want Xie Youwei to leave the General's Mansion.

It took Jiang Shuwan a long time to coax her back to calm down.

The next day, after washing up, Xie Mingyu went to Xie Youwei's courtyard. She searched the courtyard but couldn't find Xie Youwei, and Xie Mingyu was unhappy.

When Jiang Shuwan found out, she had someone bring her back.

Where are my aunt and maternal aunt?

Xie Mingyu still had Xie Youwei on her mind.

"Your aunt is at the Marquis of Xuanping's residence."

"I'm going to the Marquis of Xuanping's residence to find my aunt!"

"Originally, I wanted to take you to the palace, but since you're going to the Marquis of Xuanping's residence to find your aunt, I'll go to the palace to find the Empress by myself."

Upon hearing that he could go to the palace, Xie Mingyu's face lit up with joy.

"I'm going!"

Jiang Shuwan looked at her, "Didn't you say you were looking for your aunt?"

Xie Mingyu thought for a moment and said, "I'll go see my aunt again tomorrow."

She just saw her aunt yesterday. She hasn't seen the Empress for a long time, and she misses her dearly.

Xie Mingyu's inner thoughts were written all over her face, and Jiang Shuwan chuckled and shook her head helplessly.

"Alright, go eat quickly, we'll be going to the palace soon."

Xie Mingyu smiled and said, "Okay."

After finishing breakfast and getting ready, Jiang Shuwan took Xie Mingyu to the palace.

The Empress was overjoyed to see Xie Mingyu, and the table was covered with all of Xie Mingyu's favorite foods and toys.

"Your Majesty, Yu'er misses you so much."

Xie Mingyu hugged the Empress and acted coquettishly.

"I miss Xiaoyu'er very much too."

The Empress was usually solemn and unsmiling in the palace, but she would only smile when she saw Xie Mingyu.

Children's attention shifts quickly, and Xie Mingyu was soon attracted by the novel gadgets.

"Recently, His Majesty has been unwell, and Prince Xian and Prince Ning have been visiting the palace very frequently."

The Empress waved her round fan and talked to Jiang Shuwan about the latest developments in the palace.

Emperor Mingde fell ill, and his condition persisted for more than half a month without any improvement. During the morning court session, some people stood up and urged Emperor Mingde to establish a crown prince.

Emperor Mingde was less opposed to the matter after hearing this, but he remained silent on the selection of the crown prince.

Jiang Shuwan had heard some of these rumors.

The Third Prince was young before, but now he is nineteen years old and will be twenty next year. Both Prince Xian and Prince Ning are getting restless.

The Empress suddenly asked, "What do you think of the eldest son?"

"The wise prince is kind and honest, and he has a very good reputation among officials," Jiang Shuwan objectively analyzed.

"What about the third brother?"

"The Third Prince is lively and cheerful, and he loves to play, just like a child who hasn't grown up."

Of the three princes, Jiang Shuwan had the most contact with the third prince.

"The third child is indeed a bit impulsive and lacks composure, but he is a smart kid."

The Empress's tone was full of satisfaction.

Jiang Shuwan remained silent, simply listening attentively.

Yangxindian

Emperor Mingde sat on the dragon throne, but his complexion was not as rosy as usual.

The Prince Xian, the Prince Ning, and the Third Prince stood aside waiting.

Emperor Mingde put down the memorial in his hand and looked at them.

"Recently, many ministers have submitted memorials urging me to establish a crown prince as soon as possible. Which of the three of you do you think is capable of this task?"

The three brothers all knelt down.

Emperor Mingde said, "Get up, all of you. Why are you kneeling for no reason? I just wanted to discuss something with you three brothers."

"Father is in his prime, and I am still young and have not thought about this matter."

The Third Prince spoke first.

Emperor Mingde nodded slightly, then looked at his other two sons.

"What do you think?"

"I never even considered that."

The Wise Prince and the Prince of Ning spoke in unison.

It's a joke; even if they really wanted it, they wouldn't dare to reveal their ambitions in front of Emperor Mingde.

Emperor Mingde was somewhat disappointed by their answers.

"Logically, the eldest son should be chosen as the heir. Since I have no legitimate son, the eldest son should be the wise prince."

Upon hearing this, Prince Ning felt a pang of anxiety, but when he learned that the man cared more about ability, his heart relaxed.

In the end, no decision was made on who to appoint. Emperor Mingde assigned tasks to the three of them and then let them leave.

The three walked out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and Prince Ning bid farewell to the other two first.

"Eldest brother, I must go to my mother's palace first, so I'll be going now."

The wise king nodded.

The Third Prince bowed respectfully and said, "Second Brother, please take care."

Prince Ning glanced at the Third Prince and then turned and left.

The wise prince and the third prince traveled together for a while before parting ways.

Consort He's Palace

"What does your father mean by this?" Consort He couldn't figure out Emperor Mingde's thoughts for a moment.

"What could it mean? I think Father wants to establish a crown prince, but he doesn't want to establish the eldest son, so he pulled this stunt."

Prince Ning knew that Emperor Mingde had assigned them the task of testing the three of them.

"What about the third brother?"

The Third Prince is no longer a little boy.

"That's the tricky part. The son thinks that the Emperor thinks highly of the third son."

Prince Ning disregarded Prince Xian, but was wary of the third prince.

"What should we do then?" Consort He asked, her face filled with panic.

"Mother, don't panic. The third son is just a young boy with no connections in the court."

For the past two years, Prince Ning has been keeping an eye on the Third Prince, knowing that he has no good relations with the ministers in the court, and that his only close relationship is with the Xie family.

Prince Ning and Consort He were discussing the matter.

After leaving the palace, Prince Xian went directly to his residence.

He told Pei Yurong everything that Emperor Mingde had said to him.

After hearing this, Pei Yurong asked, "Your Highness, what are your thoughts?"

The wise prince in the past never thought about the throne, but things have changed in the last two years, especially after he had a son. If the second son ascends to the throne, will he let himself and his family off the hook?

“My father is right. The eldest son should be the heir. Since there is no legitimate son, I should be the one to inherit the throne.”

Seeing the ambition in the Prince's eyes, Pei Yurong was very satisfied; all her efforts over the years had finally paid off.

"The Pei family is willing to stand with the Prince through thick and thin."

**

After having lunch with the Empress, Jiang Shuwan left the palace with Xie Mingyu. They did not return to the General's Mansion but went to the Grand Princess's Mansion first.

When they arrived, the Grand Princess was taking a midday nap, and Xie Mingyu was also a little sleepy, so Jiang Shuwan took her to rest next door.

When the Grand Princess woke up, she was overjoyed to learn that her granddaughter and great-granddaughter had arrived.

When Jiang Shuwan learned that her grandmother had woken up, she got up, tidied herself up, and went to find her grandmother.

"Where is Xiaoyu'er?"

The Grand Princess saw that she was all alone.

Jiang Shuwan sat down next to her and said with a smile, "She's still asleep."

"I haven't seen that rascal for several days, I miss her terribly."

"Grandmother, you've forgotten me now that you have Yu'er."

The Grand Princess laughed and said, "He's really becoming more and more like a child as he grows up, even jealous of his own daughter."

After acting coquettishly towards her grandmother for a while, Jiang Shuwan began to get down to business.

"I went to the palace today and heard from the Empress that the Emperor has been unwell recently. Some people in the court have suggested establishing a Crown Prince, but this time the Emperor's attitude is not as firm as before."

"His Majesty is fifty-seven years old this year, and his health is indeed not as robust as it was a few years ago."