Powerful Minister Buddha-like Sweet Wife
Chapter 92: discuss
Fuyao and Shulan settled into the mansion, enjoying a day off every five days. On these days, Liu Tangxi would take them into the capital for treats and fun, much to the sisters' delight.
After about half a month, when the fieldwork was finished, Li shi came to the capital to visit Liu Tangxi. Seeing that her daughter-in-law was well, she was relieved. She did ask if Fuyao and Shulan were bothering her, but seeing that Liu Tangxi genuinely enjoyed their company, she left her two granddaughters there. When her son had initially suggested these two girls to come, she had disagreed, thinking her five or six months pregnant daughter-in-law, with her large belly, would be inconvenienced by two more children. But her son had insisted that Liu Tangxi was lonely and wanted companionship. Now, seeing how well they all got along, she gradually believed him.
That same day, Li shi took the two sisters home with her when she left, as they hadn't been home for half a month and it was time for a family reunion. However, the very next day, they were back with Liu Tangxi. The fruit on the manor had indeed been harvested with Yin shi's help, and the orchard was open to the public for a fee, just like last year.
During their rest days, Liu Tangxi took Fuyao and Shulan to the orchard. She also wanted to check how many apples were left and how many more days they could be sold this year. Knowing the capital's complicated situation and being pregnant, Liu Tangxi avoided crowded places. She waited until the crowds had thinned before entering. She stuck to the area open to commoners, avoiding the section where a few noble families were still lingering, as she didn't want to engage with them.
"Wow, Auntie, you're so amazing! You came up with such a clever idea," Fuyao praised.
Shulan looked at the apples on the trees, swallowing. "The apples are so big and red. They look even better than the ones grown at home."
Liu Tangxi glanced at the nearby maid, who understood immediately, picking a few of the reddest apples and taking them to be washed. Then, the three of them each munched on an apple as they walked further in.
"It's delicious! Everything Third Aunt grows is delicious," Fuyao exclaimed while eating.
"Yes, everything you cook is delicious too," Shulan added.
Liu Tangxi smiled and patted their heads, thinking how wonderful it would be if the baby in her womb was a daughter. Daughters were so cute and caring, always attentive. If, by some bad luck, she gave birth to a son with Wei Hanzhou's reserved temperament, wouldn't it be depressing? Having one person who rarely spoke at home was enough; adding another cold, silent face would make things very uncomfortable. Thinking of the men in the Wei family, from the taciturn Wei Lao San down to the quiet Zhongxing, Liu Tangxi touched her stomach and secretly prayed for a daughter first. When her daughter was older, then she could have a son.
After finishing their apples, the three turned to leave. As she turned, Liu Tangxi spotted a figure sitting under a tree. From her vantage point, he appeared to be asleep. Noticing the setting sun, Liu Tangxi told Momo Cheng, "Momo, please go and wake him up. The sun is setting, and it's getting cold. I don't want him to catch a cold."
"Yes, Madam."
Momo Cheng walked over, about to speak to the man, but then saw that he wasn't asleep, but rather reading a book. Momo Cheng paused, then said, "Son, it's getting late. Our garden is about to close, you—" Before she could finish, the young man under the tree looked up. Momo Cheng, having come from the Marquis Mansion, recognized most of the noble families of Grade 3 or above in the capital. Seeing the familiar young man, her eyes widened in panic. "Second... Second Prince, I have seen the Second Prince." She truly hadn't expected to see the Second Prince here.
The Second Prince was no less shocked than Momo Cheng. He had hidden himself here so well; how could anyone recognize him? Was he really that famous now? If anyone knew he paid ten cents every day to come in and eat for a whole day... he wondered if his father would scold him again for being Shameless.
"Ah? He's the Second Prince? How is this possible?" a little servant who was cleaning nearby exclaimed. How could a prince be so frugal, paying ten cents to eat all day? Not only that, he had even tried to steal food from their house before.
The Second Prince looked at the servant's inquisitive eyes, his heart pounding.[Read More Here]
This little boy had scolded him, and he had encountered him when he tried to steal food that day. "I... I... I am not the Second Prince, you have mistaken me," the Second Prince said, picking up his book to cover his face, standing up in a panic, and trying to run.
However, he bumped right into Liu Tangxi. Liu Tangxi had heard Momo Cheng's voice and had walked over. Although her impression of the Second Prince wasn't great, she still respectfully saluted him. "I have seen the Second Prince."
The Second Prince pursed his lips, flustered and embarrassed. He could fool Momo Cheng, but he couldn't fool Liu Tangxi, as they had known each other since childhood. "Yeah," the Second Prince managed, trying to compose himself.
Their relationship wasn't particularly good, so Liu Tangxi didn't speak further. The Second Prince felt a complicated mix of emotions. He now relied on Liu Tangxi's produce to keep a clear head, and Liu Tangxi was like a panacea to him. Yet, as a child, she had beaten him, and he had hated her, even slandering her behind her back. However, since Liu Tangxi's return to the capital, she had changed, becoming much gentler, which made it difficult for him to speak ill of her.
"The apples here is delicious, thank you," the Second Prince whispered.
Liu Tangxi was surprised, raising her eyebrows slightly. Seeing that Liu Tangxi was about to speak, the Second Prince feared she might say something awkward, so he turned and quickly ran away.
Fuyao watched the Second Prince's retreating back and asked softly, "Auntie, is that really the prince? Why doesn't he look like one at all?"
Liu Tangxi carefully recalled the Second Prince's demeanor and said, "He is a prince, but his temperament is a little strange."
"Oh."
Liu Tangxi pondered the situation for a moment and told Momo Cheng, "Have someone pick a basket of apples and send them to the Second Prince's Mansion."
"Yes, Madam." Liu Tangxi thought, it's better to have more friends than enemies. Even if the Second Prince had no access to general affairs, he knew the current situation. Therefore, he didn't go to the King Jin's Mansion again that night but returned to his own Prince's Mansion. On the way back, he worried whether Liu Tangxi's discovery meant he wouldn't be able to visit the orchard again tomorrow. He knew he could buy apples and eat them in his mansion, but for some reason, his mind always felt clearer in the apple orchard. Moreover, as soon as he was in his mansion, many people came to him – his elder brother, his third brother, and unrelated officials. Especially recently, more and more people came, which was annoying. He didn't understand what was so appealing about the throne that everyone was fighting over it. And even if they were fighting, he didn't want to argue; couldn't they just leave him in peace for a while?
In the evening, looking at the basket of apples from Liu Tangxi, the Second Prince suddenly felt that he had truly misjudged her, and his opinion of Liu Tangxi gradually changed.
That night, Wei Hanzhou still returned very late. Liu Tangxi wasn't sleepy since she had napped until almost dark that afternoon. Thinking about it, she and Wei Hanzhou hadn't had a proper chat in a long time. Every time Wei Hanzhou came back, she was already asleep, and when she woke up in the morning, he had already left. Taking advantage of not being sleepy, Liu Tangxi wanted to talk to Wei Hanzhou.
When Wei Hanzhou got into bed, he found Liu Tangxi looking at him with her eyes open. "Did I wake you? I'm sorry," Wei Hanzhou said.
"No, I slept a lot this afternoon, so I'm not sleepy now," Liu Tangxi replied.
Hearing his wife's awake voice, Wei Hanzhou asked, "What did you do today?" In truth, he had already asked his subordinates before entering the door, as he always did when he came home. The mansion's affairs were all overseen by Liu Tangxi, so she knew he would ask. When Wei Hanzhou inquired, she blinked and teased, "Did'nt you ask momo what I did?"
Wei Hanzhou was not at all embarrassed. Lying on his side, he reached out to touch Liu Tangxi's slightly flushed face. "Well, I asked. But your husband still wants to hear his lady say it herself."
Liu Tangxi smiled and recounted her day to Wei Hanzhou: what she ate for breakfast, what she did, what she ate for lunch, and when she took her nap. After listening, Wei Hanzhou understood why she wasn't sleepy.
"You saw the Second Prince today?"
"Yes, in the orchard."
"What did he say?" Wei Hanzhou asked. He remembered that the Second Prince hadn't said anything pleasant when he first met his wife, and later spoke ill of her behind her back.
"That's not the case. After he saw me, he seemed terrified, so he ran away after a few words."
"Hmm."
"The temperament of the Second Prince, the Crown Prince, and the Third Prince are truly different."
Wei Hanzhou said, "Indeed. The Second Prince loves to read books; he can hardly put down paper."
Liu Tangxi recalled hearing someone say that the Second Prince would go to the orchard to read almost every day, spending the whole day there. seems like a "Librarian' in moderen times.What is a librarian ? Hearing LiuTangxi's mumble Wei Hanzhou asked, puzzled.
Liu Tangxi realized she had misspoken and vaguely explained, "Just, like, going to the library to do things. He can do things and read books."
Wei Hanzhou agreed.[Read More Here]
"Well, that's sounds exactly like second prince
."
The Second Prince was just a little better than a stranger to Liu Tangxi. After a few words, she didn't want to continue discussing such an irrelevant person with Wei Hanzhou and turned to other topics. It just so happened that Wei Hanzhou didn't like discussing other men with his wife in bed also`, so he followed Liu Tangxi's lead and talked about other things.
As they spoke, Liu Tangxi thought of a question she'd pondered that day and asked, "Do you like a son or a daughter?" Liu Tangxi had asked this before, and Wei Hanzhou had replied that he liked them both. This time, Liu Tangxi added, "You can't say you like them all, you have to choose one!"
Wei Hanzhou pondered for a moment. "If it's the first child, I hope my lady will give birth to a son for her husband."
"Why?" Liu Tangxi was slightly surprised. She wondered if it was her imagination, but she always felt that Wei Hanzhou would prefer a daughter. She clearly felt that among her nephews and nieces, Wei Hanzhou liked Shulan the most. Unexpectedly, he said he wanted a son. Is he a typical patriarchal man? That seemed unlikely. There was no patriarchal sentiment in the entire Wei family. In their home, the men didn't speak much and lacked a strong presence, while the two girls grew up spoiled. Especially Shulan, who was cute and well-behaved, was the most loved by her family.
"Because, when your husband is not at home, your son can protect you on my behalf."
Liu Tangxi didn't expect Wei Hanzhou to suddenly utter such a romantic line. If someone else had said it, she would have been so embarrassed she'd that she can dug the ground with her toes. But at this moment, hearing it from Wei Hanzhou's mouth, although she felt shy, her heart swelled with warmth. "Really, you think so," Liu Tangxi smiled and said, "Then you can't be at home every day? Your son hasn't even been born yet, and you're already making him shoulder the responsibility of housekeeping. You're truly a cruel father!"
Although accused by his wife, Wei Hanzhou felt no guilt or that he had done anything wrong.
"But what should I do if I want a daughter?"
Wei Hanzhou thought for a while and said, "I will work hard in the future."
Liu Tangxi burst out laughing, raising her hand and lightly hitting Wei Hanzhou. "It's as if you can give birth to whatever you want!"
"Well, we can always try twice if it doesn't work once, and try three times if it doesn't work twice."
Although Wei Hanzhou was talking about having a baby, Liu Tangxi's mind suddenly wandered to a different thought. Realizing they hadn't been intimate for months, Liu Tangxi's face flushed. "You treat me like a pig! I'm not having that many children."
Wei Hanzhou continued solemnly, "If the lady wants to give birth to a few, she will give birth to a few. If you don't have a daughter, let Fuyao and Shulan stay with you."
"I won't talk to you; I'm going to sleep."
"Well, go to sleep, it's late."
Due to the large number of fruit trees planted this year, several manor and houses had purchased their produce, and a significant portion of their produce had been exported to the capital for sale in their own shops . By the time the fruit was almost sold out, Liu Tangxi had already received nearly 20,000 taels. She exchanged all the money for bank notes. She kept some with her and added the rest to the tens of thousands of taels she had already accumulated. Looking at these sums, amounts she couldn't even have imagined before, Liu Tangxi secretly prayed that she would survive.
In mid-November, the first snow of the capital fell. This snowfall fell heavier than in previous years. Wei Hanzhou had recently started coming back for dinner, but he often disappeared afterward, and Liu Tangxi didn't even know when he would return. If it weren't for the familiar scent of Wei Hanzhou's body that still lingers in her bed after waking up, Liu Tangxi would have suspected he hadn't come back at all.
On this day, Wei Hanzhou returned braving the wind and snow again. Seeing the snow on his body and hair, Liu Tangxi frowned. "Why didn't you ride in the carriage?" Wei Hanzhou had learned to ride a horse and now rode to court. As it had snowed today, Liu Tangxi had already asked Dongsheng to prepare a carriage for him.
"Well, seeing that the snow wasn't heavy, I rode my horse."
"Don't do this again next time. It's cold Nowadays; it wouldn't be good if you caught a cold."
"Yes, I will remember it next time ." As he spoke, Wei Hanzhou took Liu Tangxi's hand. "Let's go back inside, it's cold out here." Although Wei Hanzhou had come on horseback, his palms were inexplicably warm.
"Okay," Liu Tangxi said with a smile.
" Third Uncle ."
"Third Uncle." Fuyao and Shulan saluted Wei Hanzhou.
"Well, how was your reading today?"
Shulan smiled. "Big Sister reads well, and our teacher praised her, saying she has unique ideas."
Fuyao was very happy, but she also praised Shulan, "My sister is not bad at reading, and she writes better than me."
Wei Hanzhou glanced at Fuyao. He knew his niece very well. She was truly intelligent, but also a little impatient and restless. "If you can calm down, you won't be surpassed by Shulan, and you must avoid impatience. Write one more page tonight."
The smile on Fuyao's face gradually faded. "Yes, thank you, Third Uncle, for your teaching."
Liu Tangxi said, "I heard from my mother. you said previously that Fuyao is very smart and can learn everything very quickly, especially reading and playing chess. Shulan is quiet, writes well, and plays the piano well."
Fuyao and Shulan both laughed again.
Wei Hanzhou glanced at Liu Tangxi and said nothing more about his two nieces.
Liu Tangxi smiled and said, "Okay, dinner is ready early, let's eat quickly, Let's not talk about reading anymore ."
"Understood."
After eating, Wei Hanzhou spent a little over half an hour with Liu Tangxi, then walked out into the snow, leaving the house. After he left, Liu Tangxi could clearly feel that Fuyao and Shulan were relieved.
Currently, there were frequent disturbances outside the capital, and neighboring countries to the south seemed to be stirring. Wei Lao San also knew what was happening in the north. He knew because he met a wealthy businessman from the north, a diner of Wei Erhu's, who had quickly come to the capital for refuge when he saw something was wrong. The area was very close to Weijia Village, so after Wei Erhu learned about it, he immediately asked for leave and rushed home to tell Wei Lao San. Wei Lao San quickly hitched the cart and went to the capital to find Wei Hanzhou.
When it got dark, Wei Hanzhou returned. He maintained his calm demeanor and told Wei Lao San not to worry. But how could one not worry about such matters? Despite Wei Hanzhou's assurances, Wei Lao San remained terrified. However, after half a month, as the twelfth lunar month began, Wei Lao San no longer feel worried. There was no other reason than discovering that people around him weren't taking the unrest seriously. The capital was like a paradise, and people's faces were still full of smiles. Everyone felt that no matter how chaotic things became, it wouldn't reach the capital, and their hearts were at ease. [Read More Here]
In this atmosphere, the mood of Wei Lao San's family gradually calmed down.
When passersby spoke of Weijia Village being in chaos due to last year's increased taxes and reduced land production, Wei Lao San and the others were frightened, but also a little grateful that he had brought his family to the capital. Otherwise, if there was chaos, their family truly didn't know what their fate would be.
"The tax is too high, it's no wonder those people will rebel," Li shi whispered. Although these words came from Li shi's heart, when Wei Lao San heard her, he quickly said, "Keep your voice down. Now the third son is an official. If this thing said by you leaked , it will certainly cause trouble for him." Li shi was so frightened that she quickly shut her mouth. It wasn't just Wei Lao San who shared Li shi's thoughts, but most people wouldn't say it aloud.
Liu Tangxi was also not optimistic as the people in Capital. Although the plot had changed, the throne was about to be replaced, and things would become even more chaotic then now . Therefore, in addition to always carrying money, she also stockpiled a lot of food, putting it in the house, in various villages, and giving a good amount to the Li shi in case of an emergency.
In the blink of an eye, the Chinese New Year was almost here, and Liu Tangxi's belly was getting bigger and bigger. Fuyao and Shulan were already on vacation and going home. Liu Tangxi thought that once the baby was born, she wouldn't be able to go out for a month, so before giving birth, she wanted to go out one last time and take them both to buy some New Year's goods.
When they were about to finish shopping, Liu Tangxi finally went to the dried fruit shop. There were many dry goods there, including melon seeds and preserved fruits, perfect for the New Year. As she was choosing, a voice rang out.
"Mrs. Wei."
Turning her head, Liu Tangxi saw Princess Fuping. "Fuyao, Shulan, long time no see," Princess Fuping greeted the two little girls.
"We have seen the Princess," Fuyao and Shulan replied.
"Why has the Princess come here?" Liu Tangxi asked.
Princess Fuping said, "I want to buy candied haws to eat." After speaking, she glanced at Liu Tangxi's belly and said in surprise, "I haven't seen you in a few months; your belly is so big."
Liu Tangxi touched her stomach and said with a smile, "Well, the child is about to be born, " After a few pleasantries, Princess Fuping went to chat with Fuyao in the side room. Both had carefree temperaments and were congenial. Liu Tangxi glanced at them and continued to select dry goods for Li shi's New Year celebration.
At this time, a carriage drove onto the street. "Unexpectedly, General Hou turned out to be an idiot; he can't even handle a group of unarmed people," the Third Prince said angrily. Although the girl from General Hou's Mansion became the Third Prince's Concubine, Liu Yunan still objectively analyzed, "I'm afraid it's not that General Hou can't deal with it, but because King Jin is involved behind this matter. I fear some of King Jin's people have mixed in among the commoners."
The Third Prince narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Fortunately, the Crown Prince is even more useless. Liu Shen was hacked to death with a knife, and General still managed to return alive. In the Emperor's eyes, you are more useful than the Crown Prince," Liu Yunan said. This was probably the best news among many bad ones, and the Third Prince breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he was stronger than the Crown Prince, his father's throne would still pass to him. However, he feared the Emperor's throne itself might not be kept.
Liu Yunan saw the obvious anxiety on the Third Prince's face and reminded him, "You need to calm down; you can't allow yourself to become agitated."
"Yes," the Third Prince nodded. However, his mood was still unsettled. Listening to the lively cries outside, the Third Prince lifted the curtain of the car and looked out. When he saw a familiar carriage, a sudden idea struck him.
"Stop the carriage!"
The carriage stopped immediately. Liu Yunan was a little surprised and looked at the Third Prince. The Third Prince looked at the carriage outside, and Liu Yunan followed his gaze. She saw the insignia—it was the carriage of the King Jin's Palace, and judging by its specifications, it belonged to Princess Fuping.
"I heard that King Jin is very fond of Princess Fuping. What do you think King Jin will do if I threaten him with Princess Fuping? Does he dare to confront the Crown Prince for me ?"
Hearing this, Liu Yunan felt as if she were seeing the Third Prince for the first time. She truly hadn't expected him to say such a thing. Immediately, she wanted to object. But after carefully considering the situation, she calmed down and changed her mind.
"This is a good method. If you capture Princess Fuping alive, King Jin will definitely make some compromises. But how do you plan to capture the Princess? It looks like the few guards outside are all masters."
The Third Prince looked at Liu Yunan, his eyes full of meaning. "This shop belongs to Liu Tangxi, right?"
Liu Yunan understood his implication. "Well, this is my eldest sister's shop. I won't be suspected if I go in.[Read More Here]
I heard that the Princess has a very good relationship with my eldest sister. I think she will come out with me if I just give an excuse."
"An'an, everything is up to you," the Third Prince said with a smile. Today was truly a coincidence. If he could really catch Princess Fuping, everything would be twice as effective with half the effort.
"But what if my eldest sister is there?" Liu Yunan asked.
The Third Prince snorted, saying disdainfully, "Then catch her too! Wei Hanzhou is secretly favoring the Crown Prince anyway. Besides, she has never done anything good before; she's always bullied you. She deserves a lesson."
Liu Yunan pondered for a while and felt that this method was feasible. Her eldest sister was naive, and Princess Fuping was young. It would be simple to trick these two out. But...
"Big Sister is pregnant with a child now, and Princess Fuping is still a child. You promised me that after arresting them, you will only threaten them and not harm them," Liu Yunan said.
"That's natural. After all, Princess Fuping is my cousin. How could I harm a little girl? If you don't care about Liu Tangxi, then naturally I won't either."
"Understood."
"You go in and scout first. I'll deploy troops, just in case."
"Good."
Then, Liu Yunan got out of the carriage and went into the shop. She remembered that when she first met the Third Prince, he was still a relatively insignificant figure in the palace, and his heart was gentle. But later, in his struggle with the Crown Prince, his heart became harder and harder. Although it was hard, he hadn't crossed the line of being cruel to the innocent; he only dealt with the wicked. But now, with the situation almost irretrievable, he had begun to target children and pregnant women. However, she also had to admit that this was the best way for now. If this succeeded, perhaps they could reverse the situation. After decades of hard work, she didn't want to lose.
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