Princess Zhi Ya ordered her palace maids to gather information. It was rumored that this academy was proposed by Sheng Lengshuang, who was once the consort of Prince Ming Rui and deeply favored by Emperor Wenzong and Prince Ming Rui himself. She was a formidable opponent.
When the palace maids returned, they reported that they had learned nothing: "Your Highness, the people at the academy are very tight-lipped. They won't say anything, even when offered money."
"Useless!" Princess Zhi Ya cursed, then conceived a wicked plan. An academy, was it...
...
The conversation among the three princesses was relayed to Sheng Lengshuang by a maid.
Sheng Lengshuang gained a deeper understanding of the three princesses. She said to Mo Lingxi, "The Northern Yuan Dynasty has not made any moves yet, but the Southern Jin and Western Yue Dynasties have already taken action."
Mo Lingxi handed her a peeled orange. "That's good. With these countries making moves, we can catch bigger fish."
Sheng Lengshuang shook her head, refusing the orange. "From the current situation, perhaps we can do something through Princess Zhi Ya. She is so proud; she is most likely aiming for the position of Empress."
Mo Lingxi placed the orange on a fruit plate. "Let them stir up trouble."
Sheng Lengshuang felt the same. If they could resolve the issues with these countries now, at least for several years, these countries would not dare to do anything to the Eastern Jin Dynasty.
After a few years, when the Eastern Jin Dynasty had recovered, even if these countries wanted to do something, they wouldn't dare.
However, now and in the coming years were precisely the most crucial.
...
The next day.
Sheng Lengshuang received gifts from several princesses, some chosen for her, and others for her parents and Xiao Feng. This made her exclaim.
"It's thoughtful of these princesses to be so considerate."
"Lengshuang." Madam Sheng's face showed a hint of anger. "These people are simply outrageous! They propose marriage, but they call you a 'noble concubine'? What do they think they are?"
Sheng Lengshuang felt something was amiss. "Mother, which families are these?"
It wasn't that no one proposed marriage to her, but they were all from prominent families, and the proposals were for the eldest son's principal wife. This time, however, it was different.
"They are from humble and minor families." Madam Sheng became more indignant as she spoke. "Your father and I have discussed this. We suspect someone is plotting behind the scenes, doing something that emboldens these people."
Her only child had been married before and had a child, but so what? With the Sheng family as her backing, even if Lengshuang never remarried, no one would dare look down on her.
Sheng Lengshuang pondered for a moment and then asked a maid to investigate. "Mother, there's no need to be angry. We can simply refuse them in the future..."
"Indeed, we must refuse them." Mo Lingxi strode in, his face stern. "These people really think too highly of themselves."
Sheng Lengshuang asked, "Weren't you busy in the palace? Why are you back?"
Mo Lingxi said he had learned that someone was causing trouble for Sheng Lengshuang. "I have already ordered an investigation into this matter. Don't worry, I will handle it."
Sheng Lengshuang didn't care about these matters. "I never intended to remarry anyway, and I don't care about gossip. Let them say what they will."
Mo Lingxi didn't know whether to be happy or angry. "It's not that you don't intend to remarry, it's that you can only marry..."
The rest of his words, under Sheng Lengshuang's half-smile, took a turn. "His Majesty has decided how to arrange the marriage princesses."
Sheng Lengshuang knew he was deliberately changing the subject and followed his lead. "How does His Majesty plan to arrange for these marriage princesses?"
Madam Sheng was also very interested. "These marriage princesses all have ulterior motives. More importantly, if they are not handled properly, it will provoke dissatisfaction from several countries."
Mo Lingxi replied, "His Majesty has accepted three princesses into the harem. Princess Anning has the highest rank, and Princess Zhi Ya has the lowest."
Sheng Lengshuang and Madam Sheng exchanged a look. His Majesty's move was truly brilliant. Princess Zhi Ya was proud by nature, yet she was given the lowest rank. How could Princess Zhi Ya tolerate this? It was bound to cause some trouble.
"You two, I'll go accompany Xiao Feng. This child is becoming more cunning lately." Madam Sheng walked out.
Mo Lingxi took Sheng Lengshuang's hand. "Look, the marriage princesses..."
"Hmm?" Sheng Lengshuang interrupted him.
Mo Lingxi truly detested these countries. If they wanted to marry, they should just marry; why involve him and make his wife dislike him so much?
"Alright, alright, let's talk about it after things are resolved."
As Sheng Lengshuang was about to say more, she saw a maid entering from the corner of her eye and asked, "What is it?"
The maid bowed. "Reporting to Miss, a steward from the academy is here. He says there's something important."
Sheng Lengshuang asked the maid to bring the steward in.
A moment later, the maid led the steward in.
"Miss!" The steward knelt on the ground and bowed. "Miss, something has happened at the academy. I felt something was amiss, so I came to report to you."
Sheng Lengshuang wasn't particularly concerned about the steward reporting academy matters. "What happened at the academy?"
The steward explained, "There was a problem with the academy's ingredients today. The quantity and weight were correct, but the ingredients were not very good. I didn't let the kitchen prepare them, but some greedy individuals brought them themselves to eat. They are now lying in the pharmacy."
Sheng Lengshuang's first thought was food poisoning, but she felt something was off. This was an academy established by His Majesty; food poisoning was unlikely.
Was it poisoning?
"Who delivered these ingredients?"
The steward replied, "They were delivered by merchants selected by the court. Nothing like this has ever happened before. I asked, and the merchants said they did not deliver these ingredients, but for some reason, they turned into these ingredients."
Sheng Lengshuang and Mo Lingxi exchanged a look, and Mo Lingxi ordered someone to investigate the matter.
"Is there anything else unusual?" Sheng Lengshuang asked the steward.
The steward continued, "Also, there are a few people acting suspiciously at the academy. Two of them are newly hired tutors who wander around the academy all day, and we don't know what they are doing."
Sheng Lengshuang had a premonition that it was not good. Too many people were paying attention to the academy, and many wanted to gain benefits through it.
"You continue to monitor them and see if you can discover anything. Pay close attention to the academy recently."
The steward replied with a "Yes" and withdrew.
Sheng Lengshuang thought for a moment and asked Mo Lingxi, "Do you think someone is plotting, or is the steward overreacting?"
Mo Lingxi responded, "It's likely someone is plotting. As for who it is, it's hard to say for now. Let's wait and see."
Sheng Lengshuang agreed, "We can only wait. In fact, in the long run, the academy is of great benefit to the entire Eastern Jin Dynasty, but there are always those who are unwilling."
In the eyes of the noble families, learning knowledge was something only they were worthy of.
Mo Lingxi reassured Sheng Lengshuang, promising that he would not let anything happen to the academy.
Sheng Lengshuang suddenly said, "Perhaps I should go to the academy for a few days. I am supposed to teach medicine there anyway, so it can be considered early adaptation."
Mo Lingxi looked at her. "Wife, aren't you perhaps trying to avoid me?"