In this lifetime, the emperor is only forty - six years old, and his dragon body is still in good health. Currently, among the princes, the Second Prince has the most supporters and the loudest voice in the court. Among his backers are many powerful court officials with real power and the emperor's close attendants.
As for Xiao Hanzhi, his current supporters are still the honest and upright civil officials led by Grand Tutor Chen. At present, he is not yet capable of competing with the Second Prince.
However, there are also many neutral officials in the court. They haven't clearly chosen to support any of the princes yet. But their current neutrality doesn't mean they will remain so in the future.
In the officialdom, if one wants to make a smooth career and have good luck in getting promoted, they must judge the situation.
The Second Prince is hot - tempered, stubborn, and arbitrary. There have long been officials in the court who are dissatisfied with him.
On the contrary, Xiao Hanzhi is deep - minded and good at disguising. He often presents himself as a kind and approachable person.
Over time, those officials will make their own judgments. In the previous life, Xiao Hanzhi was just like this. He won the support of many formerly neutral officials and gradually paved his way to the throne.
Among those neutral officials, Shen Li is most worried about the Prince Li!
The Prince Li is a non - royal prince of the current dynasty. When the previous emperor was alive, he guarded the border for twenty years. He defeated the Xiongnu several times and recovered lost lands. After returning to the capital, he saved the previous emperor from danger twice, so he was granted the title of prince.
Even though he has handed over his military power, there are countless generals and disciples under his command, and his influence in the court is still not to be underestimated.
Xuan Yuanjue is his only son, born when he was middle - aged, so he values him especially. Shen Li still hasn't figured out the mystery of the Xuan Yuan Pavilion.
So, when she saw Xuan Yuanjue and Xiao Hanzhi together during the assassination at the Pufa Temple that day, she was extremely worried, afraid that the Prince Li would also support Xiao Hanzhi.
Although in the previous life, the entire family of the Prince Li was killed when the Second Prince and the Fourth Prince were competing for power, Shen Li still remains on guard against the Prince Li.
She just doesn't know if her rebirth in this lifetime can change Xuan Yuanjue's fate in the previous life.
The fifteen - day deadline has arrived. Shen Li, together with Jiaoyue and Hanyue, goes to meet the mysterious person. The mutton - fat jade has always been in Shen Li's purse and has never left her.
The Greenery Alley in the west of the city is nothing special. No officials or gentry live here. It's home to ordinary people.
The alley is not big, with only a dozen families. But as soon as Shen Li enters the alley, she immediately understands why it's named Greenery. Because every household has fruit trees in their yards, and the long branches stretch out over the courtyard walls, as if they were planted this way specifically for others to pick the fruits.
Counting to the third house, Hanyue steps forward and knocks on the door.
"Knock! Knock! Knock!"
"Coming! Coming!" An old lame man opens the door. He's not surprised to see three young ladies standing at the door.
"Uncle, we made an appointment with someone. We're here to pick up the peony flowers today!" Jiaoyue steps forward and says.
The old man grins and laughs, "I know, I know. I've been waiting for you. The flowers are in the yard. You can carry them away by yourselves!"
After saying that, the old man opens the courtyard door, revealing three pots of peony flowers full of greenery in the yard.
Jiaoyue exclaims in surprise, "Have they really come back to life?"
Shen Li can hardly believe it. She walks into the yard and sees that the originally yellow and withered peony flowers now have new leaves, with only a few yellowing leaves mixed in.
The flowers that were in full bloom on the day of the Spring Banquet have withered. It's probably because the flowering period is over. But at least the peonies are still alive, and they can bloom again next year.
"Uncle, these flowers are very important to me. May I ask who cured them? We'd like to express our gratitude in person!" Shen Li says respectfully to the old man.
"Alas, miss, you don't have to be so polite. Our young master is kind - hearted and doesn't seek any reward. He's already told me that you can just take the flowers away!"
Shen Li frowns slightly and takes out the jade in her purse. "Uncle, we made an appointment with someone and used this jade as collateral. Now that the peony flowers have recovered, we should return this item."
"However, it's not that we don't trust you, uncle, but we still need to see the person who gave the jade to us last time with our own eyes to feel at ease!"
The old man is not angry. He still says cheerfully, "It's okay. It's easy to handle. I'll go in and find Shizhu. Ladies, please wait here for a while!"
"Then, we'll trouble you, uncle!"
The old man waves his hand, saying there's no need to be polite, and then limps towards the back yard.
Shen Li and her two maids stand in the yard waiting.
"Miss, look, there's an apricot tree in the yard. The flowers smell so nice!" Jiaoyue looks at a tree as thick as a bowl mouth not far from the courtyard wall with a look of novelty.
"Looking at all these flowers on the tree, I bet it will bear a lot of fruits in summer!" Shen Li smells the fragrance of the flowers in the yard and thinks of the sour and sweet apricots.
"Miss is right. Although this apricot tree is not big, it can bear two full baskets of fruits every year!" The one who speaks is Shizhu, whom Shen Li met last time.
"Miss, our young master is busy and can't meet you. Please give this jade to me!"
Shen Li nods and asks Jiaoyue to hand over the jade.
Unexpectedly, just as Jiaoyue walks up to Shizhu and stretches out her hand halfway, they hear the courtyard door "bang" and be kicked open.
They hear a stout and strong - built woman shout, "The eldest miss is here!"
Then, more than a dozen servants rush in, followed by four strong - built women.
"Who are you! How dare you break into a private house!" Shizhu glares angrily at these intruders.
Shen Li and the other two don't say a word because they recognize that the clothes these people are wearing are those of the servants of the Shen Mansion.
"Eldest miss, the whole mansion has been looking for you for more than an hour. Why are you here? And you're alone with a man?" The first woman who rushes in looks at Shen Li with a smug look on her face.
"Bold! Don't slander the miss's innocence with your nonsense!"
Shizhu is also shocked when he hears this. "Who are you? Don't talk nonsense here!"
The woman obviously doesn't take Shen Li, the eldest miss of the Shen Mansion, seriously at all. "Humph! What slander? This servant is stupid and doesn't understand. But now so many people have seen it. The eldest miss is alone with a man here. How do you explain this?"
"You... Bold! If you keep talking nonsense, I'll sell you off!" Jiaoyue is so angry that her face turns red, and she scolds the woman loudly.
The woman disdainfully turns her head and sneers, "The eldest miss is really powerful! After managing the mansion for just a few days, she's like this! But this servant is the dowry nanny of the Second Lady and is not under the management of the Shen Mansion! The eldest miss may not be able to fulfill her wish!"
Facing the woman's sarcastic words, Shen Li's face remains unchanged. She just says coldly, "Hanyue! Slap her in the face!"
Hanyue takes the order, steps forward, and presses the struggling woman's body. With two "slaps", the woman has two bright red palm prints on her face, and the corner of her mouth is bleeding.
As for the other four servant women who want to step forward to help, Hanyue kicks them down one by one.