"Your Imperial Brother still keeps an eye on me in the palace. What are you doing this for?"
Zi Cheng thought, "I want you to take over my position, so I need to cultivate you into talent as soon as possible." He said, "Your Imperial Brother is thinking of you. Don't you want to be lectured by your mother again?"
Xiao Feng looked unconvinced, "Imperial Brother, you're tricking a child."
Zi Cheng chuckled, "I don't trick children, and I certainly wouldn't trick a child like you."
Xiao Feng still didn't believe him, "Imperial Brother, I know for a fact that you want to abdicate the throne to my father, or else to me."
Zi Cheng's thoughts were exposed, but he showed no emotional change, "Look at what you're saying. Is the throne something that can be abdicated just like that?"
Xiao Feng snorted, "With one imperial decree from you, it's abdicated, isn't it? I don't believe your sweet talk. I'll go play over there."
He trotted to the side and played alone under the watchful eyes of the palace attendants.
Zi Cheng: "... Uncle, do you know how smart your son is?"
Mo Lingxi looked at him as if he were an idiot, "Your Majesty, I suggest you use your brain more."
Zi Cheng felt that this matter could not continue any longer, otherwise, he didn't know when he would lose the throne.
He could only hope that Xiao Feng would mature sooner, so he could also relax sooner.
...
Sheng Lengshuang, who had gone to the streets to buy supplies, heard several customers talking as soon as she entered the cloth shop, which piqued her interest.
"Did you hear? His Majesty issued an imperial decree, not only compensating for the losses caused by Sima Min but also reducing taxes for one year. His Majesty is so good, unlike the late emperor who only knew how to enjoy himself."
"You're absolutely right. His Majesty thinks of us common people in everything, and our lives are getting better and better. Like when the late emperor was in power, it was already great if we could live a stable life."
"It's just that those people like Sima Min are too vicious, always causing trouble."
"Hey, hey, hey, have you heard? It's said that the Southern Jin Dynasty has sent people again."
"What's going on? Didn't they say before that the Southern Jin Dynasty wanted to go to war? I have a relative of a relative... a very distant relative said that our border has already stationed troops, and war could break out at any moment."
"No one knows the specific situation, but it is said that the Southern Jin Dynasty does not want war. The Southern Jin Dynasty has very serious internal strife, and the old emperor is a coward. It is estimated that they want to seek peace."
"What is the Southern Jin Dynasty? They talk about seeking peace, and they seek peace. We cannot let the Southern Jin Dynasty have its way, considering how much trouble the Southern Jin Dynasty has caused in our Eastern Capital."
Sheng Lengshuang listened as the topic shifted to the Southern Jin Dynasty sending people. She guessed that the current emperor and Mo Lingxi had deliberately spread the news to incite the people's anger towards the Southern Jin Dynasty, so that they could deal with the Southern Jin Dynasty.
With the support of the people, it would be much easier for the current emperor and Mo Lingxi to deal with the Southern Jin Dynasty.
She bought the fabric she needed and got into the carriage to return to the Sheng family.
"Miss, why did you have to come and buy them yourself? You could have just told a maid or spoken to His Highness Prince Mingrui." The maid said with a smile.
Sheng Lengshuang smiled, "Consider it a walk around. I'm not someone who can stay put."
The maid tidied up the items, "His Highness Prince Mingrui should have accompanied you. That would have been safer."
Upon hearing this, Sheng Lengshuang said, "Do you think His Highness Prince Mingrui is very good?"
The maid mistakenly thought Sheng Lengshuang believed she had improper thoughts and waved her hands repeatedly, "Miss, your maid absolutely has no improper thoughts."
Sheng Lengshuang raised her hand to comfort her, "I'm not saying you have improper thoughts. I'm just asking for your opinion."
Sheng Lengshuang was a very easy-going person in the mansion. She rarely punished her servants or spoke harshly. She was not the type of young lady who put on airs.
The maid was relieved and patted her chest, "Your maid thinks that His Highness Prince Mingrui is truly good to Miss. It's not the kind of goodness for some purpose, but goodness from the heart."
"Someone of His Highness Prince Mingrui's status and position, what kind of woman doesn't he want? Yet, to appease Miss, he lowered himself."
Sheng Lengshuang knew these things best. Her eyelashes trembled, "In his position, there are many troubles and dangers."
The maid didn't quite understand, "But Miss, like us servants, we also have a lot of troubles and dangers. For example, if we encounter a steward or someone we can't offend, and they force us to marry someone, or try to harm us, we have nowhere to seek justice."
A word to awaken the dreamer!
Sheng Lengshuang's heart relaxed, and she showed a smile, "You're right. I was overthinking."
The maid still didn't quite understand, "What does Miss mean by that? Or is Miss worried about those troubles? In my opinion, no matter who it is, they can't escape trouble in this life."
"Ordinary people have ordinary troubles, and those in power have their troubles. Even His Majesty has troubles, troubles that cannot be solved."
Sheng Lengshuang gave her a two-tael silver ingot, "This is a reward for you. You're right, I was wrong. Even if I were an ordinary person, I would have many troubles."
Just like when she was in Shilipo Village, she also had many troubles.
It was impossible for a person's life to be without trouble.
The maid thanked her with great joy and happily put away the silver ingot.
Seeing her happiness, Sheng Lengshuang felt a sense of emotion. Happiness was actually very simple, and she didn't need to think so complicatedly.
When she returned home, she saw Madam Sheng busy and asked curiously, "Mother, what are you busy with?"
"Preparing your dowry." Madam Sheng's words left Sheng Lengshuang speechless, "Mother, it's not necessary, is it? I haven't figured things out yet, and you're already preparing my dowry. Do you have to marry me off so anxiously?"
Madam Sheng waved her hand for the servants to continue their work. She chided, "How could I bear to marry you off? But you will get married eventually, and I can't keep you forever."
"Besides, if I really kept you forever, wouldn't you resent me?"
Sheng Lengshuang linked her arm around her mother's and said affectionately, "I wish I could stay by Father and Mother's side, so how could I resent Mother? I think Mother is annoyed with me and wants to marry me off sooner."
Madam Sheng patted her hand and sighed, "If only you could stay by me and your father's side all the time. I often wonder if things would be different if you had grown up by our side."
Sheng Lengshuang knew that her parents still felt some guilt, "Mother, I will accompany Father from now on. The past is not important."
Madam Sheng hummed and changed the subject, "Take a look and see if there's anything else you need to add to your dowry. I originally thought of preparing more, but your father asked us to be low-key, so as not to attract envy from some people."
Sheng Lengshuang put her forehead in her hands, not knowing what to say, "Mother, the marriage hasn't even been set yet, why are you preparing the dowry so early?"
She had a feeling that her parents were trying to push her out.