Even though it felt somewhat rebellious, late at night when it was quiet, he would also wonder who had a greater chance of ascending the throne.
He guessed it might be the First Prince, or perhaps the Second Prince, but he had never considered the Third Prince.
The reason was that the First Prince was born to the Empress, holding the prestigious title of the legitimate eldest son. The Second Prince's birth mother was the Emperor's most beloved Imperial Noble Consort, who had enjoyed his favor for twenty years without decline. Moreover, he had an uncle who commanded twenty thousand troops. By any measure, the Third Prince held no advantage. Although his birth mother came from a noble background, she had long fallen out of favor. She had been quite active recently, forming factions, but no one dared to respond. He hadn't expected his foolish daughter to fall right into it.
Thus, Zhou Hanxiao, who had just returned to her room, was summoned by her father. Before she even entered, she knew the reason.
"Wicked daughter, kneel down!" Zhou Xiangyu roared.
Zhou Hanxiao's mind hadn't even registered what was happening before her body was already kneeling. This was the first time in her life she had seen her father look so stern and his expression so grave.
"Do you know you're wrong??" he stared blankly at his daughter.
"Today was my first outing, Father. I don't know what I did wrong. If Consort Xia is complaining that I am too close to the Third Prince, I don't believe I've done anything wrong. Given my current reputation, he is the best man I can reach, in all aspects." Although Zhou Hanxiao felt a little guilty facing her father, she still wanted to defend herself.
"I know you appear delicate and weak, but you are actually very strong-willed and wish to marry into a prominent family. However, sometimes the heights are too cold, and a simple life can also be a blessing. You don't understand the Third Prince's extremely difficult situation in court, and his very slim chance of ascension. If you were to truly enter the Third Prince's household, what would your fate be?" Zhou Xiangyu looked at his daughter earnestly and asked with deep concern.
"Regardless, he is still a prince. At worst, I would be sent to a fief." Zhou Hanxiao thought about the fates of failed contenders for the throne she had heard about and read in books.
"You are after all a sheltered young lady with limited insight. I do not blame you, but you must remember every word I say today and not speak of it to anyone." Zhou Xiangyu regretted not having educated his daughter enough, making her shortsighted.
Zhou Hanxiao's heart skipped a beat, and she felt a sense of foreboding. She nodded involuntarily.
"Since ancient times, the victor becomes king and the vanquished becomes a bandit. How can one tolerate another sleeping beside one's pillow? Those who fail in the succession struggle may seem to be sent to a barren fief, but in reality, some never even leave the gates of the capital. Even if they do, the journey is long and arduous. Accidents can happen at any time. Upon reaching the fief, the Emperor's people are everywhere. Poisoning, assassination – how many can truly have a good outcome?" Zhou Xiangyu saw that his daughter seemed frightened and knew the situation was cruel, but he had to let her grow, fearing she would take the wrong path.
Her father's words made her lose all strength, and she slumped onto the chair, her desire to ascend through marriage completely shattered. She knew her father would not lie to her.
"Don't worry. Although your reputation is bad now, in time, new gossip will emerge, and everyone will forget about you. We can move to another prosperous place, far from the capital. Who will know about the little things that happened to you?" Zhou Xiangyu spoke his thoughts.
Zhou Hanxiao nodded powerlessly. Although she was a hundred percent unwilling, she had no choice. After her father's persuasion, she decided to cease contact with the Third Prince. Wealth and status were important, but only if one had a life. Sudan Novel Network.
The Third Prince contacted her several times but could not reach her. His face was full of gloom, knowing she, like others, had abandoned him. He harbored resentment and secretly vowed to trample them all underfoot and seek revenge.
Business was good. Wu Caiwei earned money and opened two more shops, which were not particularly conspicuous in the prosperous areas of the capital.
The Prime Minister's wife had not forgotten how she had been humiliated by Wu Caiwei and how her youngest son had been forced to leave alone. However, she also knew that the Prime Minister's mansion was under scrutiny, so it was not appropriate to act rashly.
But this did not stop her from sending people to keep an eye on Wu Caiwei's every move and report to her daily, waiting for the right moment to retaliate and let her know that their Lin family was not to be trifled with.
In fact, the astute Wu Caiwei had long noticed that she was being followed. Upon learning they were from the Lin residence, she knew they hadn't given up. However, she didn't care. Her actions were upright and honest, and she wasn't afraid of investigation.
If they wanted to cause trouble for her, Wu Caiwei also didn't want to let them off. The original owner had never left the Lin residence after entering its gates. She intended to settle this score properly, but she lacked the capability for now.
She planned to take it slow. However, if they came to her doorstep, she would respond in kind, believing they would eventually reveal their flaws.
After all, there wasn't a single good person in the Prime Minister's mansion. None of them were innocent. It would be best to round them all up.
Zhou Hanxiao behaved herself for a considerable period, feeling restless. She decided to go out for a stroll. After a brief inquiry about Wu Caiwei's recent activities, she learned that she had opened several more shops. Jealousy contorted her face, and she decided to teach her a lesson.
A few days later, a woman appeared at Wu Caiwei's spice shop, shouting hysterically. Behind her followed several burly men with angry expressions.
The shopkeeper, seeing this group of ill-intentioned people, broke out in a cold sweat. He tried his best to remain calm and collected: "Please don't be anxious, dear sister. While some of our spices are indeed not suitable for pregnant women, we inform everyone when they purchase them, specifying which can be used and which cannot. If you did not use them incorrectly, the problem must be elsewhere. There can be no issue with our products."
"I knew you wouldn't admit it after harming my child. The doctor clearly said this spice was problematic. If your compensation doesn't satisfy me, I will seek justice from the magistrate," the woman said, sobbing.
The shopkeeper was at a loss. Doing business, the most dreaded thing was dealing with officials. Seeing that the area outside the shop was crowded with onlookers, and no one dared to enter and buy anything, he was in a difficult position.
"Let her go. A clear conscience fears no accusation. Our spices are fine. Your disturbance will affect my business. We also need the magistrate to prove our goods are good, so if you don't report me today, I will report you!" Wu Caiwei, hearing the commotion downstairs from her private room on the second floor, came to see what was happening.
As soon as she reached the bottom of the stairs, she heard their conversation. Seeing the shopkeeper in distress, she descended and spoke.
Seeing her firm stance, the crowd's wavering hearts and doubts slowly receded. It seemed someone had deliberately come to cause trouble and disrupt business today, rather than the products being inferior. Otherwise, why had she been using them for so long without any issues?