Chapter 236: The Statement is Powerful
"What, the third prince proposed to me? Why did he suddenly have this idea?" Xiao Jing felt very surprised.

Xia Chunyu smiled coldly, "What's so strange about this? The Third Prince is of marriageable age and has not yet married. Princess Aruan is of good character and appearance, and she is also a princess of South Vietnam. Marrying her means having the support of South Vietnam. I didn't mention it before, perhaps because I guessed the emperor's original intention and didn't dare to mention it. Now that the South Vietnamese envoys have left and Aruan's marriage has not yet been decided, those who are interested naturally don't want to miss such an opportunity."

"But the most important thing is the attitude of the Queen Mother and the Empress. Why do they both strongly support it? Don't they know that once the Third Prince marries A'ruan, it will be like having an extra bargaining chip in their hands?"

"Yes, so I can't figure it out!" Xiao Jing has been in the Ministry of War for a long time now, and naturally knows some of the mysteries of the power struggle in the court. The third prince is very sharp and has the potential to be the latecomer. His mother, Concubine Shu, is steady and dignified. She seems to be indifferent to the world, but in fact she is very hidden. She has been promoted from a concubine to a concubine step by step. If she didn't have some tricks, how could she do it. The queen and the queen mother did not stop it, but instead agreed to let it grow, which was not good for the prince. I really don't understand what they are thinking.

Xia Chunyu smiled faintly and said, "The Queen and the Queen Mother naturally stand on the side of the Crown Prince, but they cannot object. Not only can they not object, they have to agree. This shows that they are selfless and open-minded. This will not only make them appear generous and reasonable in front of the Emperor, but also avoid offending the Third Prince and Concubine Shu. They are playing the good cop role, but they are asking someone to play the bad cop role."

Xiao Jing felt dizzy and confused: "Who will play the villain?"

Xia Chunyu continued, "The emperor gave you the task of entertaining Princess Aruan. He did have the intention of bringing you and Aruan together, but the Third Prince's request was legitimate, and the emperor couldn't refuse. The game has come to this point, and the key piece falls on your Helian Palace."

Xiao Jing's heart was shocked.

"Only if your Helian Palace stands up, or to be more precise, your mother stands up, as long as she tells the emperor that you and A'ruan have been in love for a long time, the emperor will not have to make things difficult for her. Xiaojing, do you really want to see A'ruan become a pawn in the power struggle in the court? Aren't you afraid that A'ruan will not be happy after marrying the third prince?" Xia Chunyu's eyes were clear and compelling.

Xiao Jing whispered guiltily: "Maybe the Third Prince really likes A'ruan!"

Xia Chunyu lowered his eyebrows and sneered, his smile was somewhat mocking: "Really like her? Xiaojing, you are not from another place. Jinling City is so small, the palace is so small, what can be hidden from everyone's eyes and ears? Who exactly is the third prince interested in? You can't be completely unaware of it!"

Xiao Jing's face turned slightly pale. Yes, he knew that if it weren't for A'ruan, the third prince would marry the niece of Rong Guogong Shu Xiaozhi, that is, the third prince's cousin Lin Wanyin. It was said that they had already fallen in love.

Xia Chunyu sighed and said, "At this point, even if you don't want to, the Helian Palace must stand up. You and A'ruan can't escape the marriage. However, I really don't want you to be reluctant about this marriage. A'ruan is a good girl who deserves to be cherished. I wanted to wait for you to figure it out slowly, but some people can't wait."

Seeing Xiao Jing in a daze, Xia Chunyu said, "You go in and comfort him first. A'ruan is pinning all his hopes on you. Even if you can't answer him now, say something else to comfort him. Then, go back and ask your mother to see if what I said is right."

That's all I can say, and Xiao Jing has no other choice. Whether the prince's position is stable or not has little to do with the Jing'an Marquis's Mansion, but it has a lot to do with the Helian Palace. He knows very well that Princess Yide and Helian Xuan are both supporters of the prince, and they will never let it go and stand idly by.

Even though Aruan is even worse than Liuli was back then, Xiaojing has no choice but to accept it.

The rest of the matter was left to Xiaojing, while Xia Chunyu and Ye Jiayao stood next to a canna tree in the yard.

After listening to Xia Chunyu's analysis, Ye Jiayao was no longer worried. A'ruan was so good, Xiaojing would figure it out one day. Now she was worried about another thing.

Ah Ruan first sent someone to Jing'an Marquis's Mansion to look for them, and then she found out that they had gone to the manor, so Jing'an Marquis's Mansion naturally knew that they were back. But she didn't want to go back yet, what should she do?
"Chun Yu...can I stay here with A Ruan for a few days?"

Xia Chunyu laughed, "They are all in the city. It will take less than an incense stick of time to get there by carriage. If you are worried about A'ruan and want to accompany her, just come over during the day. You don't have to stay here. If the Third Prince knew that you have been accompanying A'ruan these days, he would blame you and me if the marriage changes. It's better to avoid suspicion."

Ye Jiayao was speechless. Chunyu's words made sense. The position of the Jing'an Marquis' Mansion was impartial and loyal only to the man sitting on the throne. They did not want to be involved in the struggle for the throne. It was fine for her to be friends with A'ruan. If she really stayed here with A'ruan all the time, it would inevitably arouse suspicion.

Not long after, Xiao Jing came out and said, "I'm going back home now, and I'll get back to you later."

After saying this, he bowed and left.

Ye Jiayao went in again and talked to A'ruan for a while. Seeing that A'ruan looked much more relaxed, Ye Jiayao felt relieved and returned to Jing'an Marquis Mansion with Chunyu.

As soon as he returned home, Xia Chunyu went to the outer study to find his father. Ye Jiayao went to pay her respects to Youshi and then went back to her room to rest.

Qiao Xi asked Xiang Tao to wait outside while he came in to answer the call.

"Second Young Madam, there is something wrong with the Third House. I have inquired privately and found out that Xiaoya and Imperial Physician Li are the only ones who can enter the Third Young Madam's courtyard. The rest of the servants have to get permission before they can even enter the courtyard. In the past, the palace servants brought by the Third Young Madam herself were not restricted so strictly. In theory, they are not allowed to disturb the Third Young Madam's rest."

Ye Jiayao looked at the orchids hanging on the windowsill and asked leisurely, "Are these all?"

"The day before yesterday, the Third Young Master came back early, and a palace maid failed to stop him, so the Third Young Master went in. As a result, the man who was sent to the palace to do something has not returned yet." Qiao Xi bit her lip as she spoke, as if she was unsure of what to say next. Ye Jiayao smiled and said, "Just say whatever you want to say."

Qiao Xi said with lingering fear: "I took the courage to let Cai Lan follow secretly, but when I saw that the maid was abducted and put on a carriage, Cai Lan did not dare to follow."

Ye Jiayao was also startled. This was clearly an attempt to silence her! It seemed that what Liuli wanted to conceal was very important.

"I understand. You did a good job. But don't let anyone do such dangerous things again in the future. If they are discovered, the consequences will be disastrous. I don't want to have an accident myself, and I also don't want you to have any accidents because of me." Ye Jiayao said gently.

Qiao Xi was somewhat moved and somewhat ashamed. She was moved that the Second Young Madam was so considerate of the servants, but she was ashamed that she underestimated the risk. Cai Lan was seriously frightened this time. She was terrified just thinking about it. If Cai Lan was discovered, she might disappear like that palace maid.

Ye Jiayao waved her hand: "Go down first, let me think about it alone."

Now that she's back, she can't hide anymore, so she might as well turn passivity into initiative. However, she can't intervene in this matter, otherwise the resentment will deepen.

Before dinner, Ye Jiayao went to Qiao's place.

After taking a few prescriptions from Imperial Physician Li, Mrs. Qiao looked much better.

"I went to the farm and brought you some hens raised there to replenish your body." Ye Jiayao said with a smile.

Mrs. Qiao didn't mind the insignificance of the gifts, as her second brother's wife had given her a lot of good things last time.

"My sister-in-law is very thoughtful. I heard that you have planted a lot of things on your farm."

"Yes, there are vegetables and fruits, but it will take some time for the fruit trees to mature. When they bear fruit next year, if you want to eat some, just ask me."

Mrs. Qiao smiled and sighed, "Second brother's wife, I really envy you. You run Tianshangju so well, and you manage the farm so neatly. I am so exhausted running my embroidery workshop."

"Sister-in-law, you are too kind. Tianshangju is managed by Manager Zhao. I just make some fresh dishes from time to time and think of some new ideas. The farm is also managed by Manager Bai from the Helian Palace. How would I know anything about those things?" Ye Jiayao said modestly.

"Sister-in-law, don't be so modest. It's a skill to know how to use people. I'm pregnant now and can't take care of the affairs in the embroidery workshop. The manager of the workshop is useless. Your elder brother just fiddles with those broken stones all day and doesn't care about his work at all. It's a headache for me! If this goes on, we will lose money." Qiao was very proud and refused to admit that she was not good enough. However, the business of the embroidery workshop has been going from bad to worse recently, making her stretched to the limit and quite depressed. She really wanted to ask Ye Jiayao for advice on doing business.

When she first opened the embroidery workshop, she thought she could make money as long as it was open. Who knew there were so many tricks? She was proficient in embroidery, but she was really a layman in the ins and outs of the business.

Ye Jiayao knew what Qiao meant. If she wanted to use someone, she should give them some benefits. So she asked, "Sister-in-law, you opened a branch of Qiao's embroidery shop, right?"

"Yes, it is said to be a branch shop, but all the investment is mine, and the income is also mine. It's just named Qiao's Embroidery Workshop. There are three Qiao's Embroidery Workshops in Jinling City, and their businesses are better than mine." Qiao was unhappy and really couldn't figure out what the problem was.

Ye Jiayao smiled slightly: "The other two have been in business for many years, their reputation is there, plus they have stable old customers, so naturally their business is better."

Mrs. Qiao grabbed Ye Jiayao's hand and said, "Second sister-in-law, you have a lot of ideas. Help me think of a solution."

Ye Jiayao thought for a moment and said, "I don't know much about the silk business. Sister-in-law, please tell me your customer positioning first. Are you targeting rich people or ordinary people?"

"Of course, we are competing with the rich, but unfortunately we can't compete with the Lanyifang next door."

"Then why is her family's business so good? Do you know, sister-in-law?"

"I can't tell. My material is obviously more precious than hers, and my embroidery skills are not inferior to hers. As for the style, I think mine is also good." Mrs. Qiao was dissatisfied.

Ye Jiayao sighed after hearing this. It seemed that the Qiao family really had no business acumen.

(End of this chapter)