Chapter 242 Undercurrent
"Sister Yaoyao, look, that's Brother Chunyu. Brother Chunyu looks so handsome in his guard uniform..." A Ruan pointed at Xia Chunyu and hurriedly pulled Ye Jiayao's sleeve.

Women are all vain, more or less. She is very happy that such a handsome man is her husband, and can't help feeling a little proud.

Soon Ye Jiayao saw the prince again. There were several people wearing dragon robes around the prince, who must be the princes.

Ah Ruan whispered in her ear, "Look, the one over there wearing a purple-golden python robe and with a face as icy as ice is Prince Yu. I hate it every time I see him so serious."

Prince Yu is the third prince, and this title of prince was issued together with the imperial decree granting marriage.

Hearing that it was Prince Yu, Ye Jiayao couldn't help but take a few more glances at him. Prince Yu and the Crown Prince were completely different types. The Crown Prince was as gentle as jade, with a gentle demeanor from the inside out, and was very approachable. On the other hand, Prince Yu had handsome eyebrows and bright eyes, but he was serious and full of royal majesty. He was actually more like a crown prince than the Crown Prince.

According to Chunyu, Prince Yu has accumulated a lot of military merits and has some prestige in the hearts of military officers. His civil administration is also strong and he has a group of civil officials supporting him, and his power is gradually getting closer to that of the crown prince.

Alas, the emperor's technique of checks and balances made the princes consume each other. The weak one would be supported, and the strong one would be suppressed. This made the court officials suffer. They tried their best to guess the emperor's intentions and racked their brains to make the person they supported win in the battle for the throne.

Thinking about it this way, the impartiality of the Jing'an Marquisate is simple. No matter who sits on the throne in the future, they will not suffer if they are not favored. However... it is not easy to be a pure minister. Especially Chunyu and Helian Xuan have a deep friendship. In addition, she is the adopted daughter of the Helian Palace. She is a member of the Helian family. Once the prince is weak and the Helian Palace is affected, can Chunyu sit back and do nothing? She can't do it.

Xia Chunyu seemed to notice the special gaze from upstairs. He looked up and smiled slightly, as a greeting.

Immediately, the emperor and empress got off the carriage and entered the Wanghu Tower surrounded by people. Soon, the Wanghu Tower was packed.

Xiaojing and Princess Yide arrived late, and Ye Jiayao spotted them the first time. She subconsciously wanted to call Aruan, but when she turned around, she saw Aruan looking at Xiaojing with sadness in his eyes. Ye Jiayao had to swallow back the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

Xiao Jing looked up, but saw nothing. He sent his mother to the fifth floor first, and did not come over to say hello. A Ruan was already engaged, so he had to avoid suspicion. Not to mention saying hello, even looking at her more would be a sin in the eyes of those who were interested.

Seeing that A'ruan looked even more lonely, Ye Jiayao had to coax her to divert her attention.

"Ah Ruan, there will be gambling later. You can place a bet on which team you think will win."

"Ah? But I don't understand." A Ruan's reaction was a little slow.

"Just follow me and place your bets later." Ye Jiayao said with a smile. Deng Haichuan and his team had already gone to collect intelligence, and they knew best which teams were the strongest.

Ye Jiayao couldn't help but think of Zhao Qixuan and Su Yi again. Zhao Qixuan loved this kind of excitement the most. She wondered if they also had dragon boat races to watch at the South Vietnam border.

"Aruan, how do you celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival in your hometown?"

"We also celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival over there, but it's not as grand..." As Ah Ruan introduced the customs of his hometown, his melancholy expression gradually faded away.

"Princess Aruan, Madam Xia." Suddenly, a slightly cold voice came from their ears, interrupting their conversation.

Ye Jiayao and A Ruan turned their heads and saw that the person who came was Prince Yu. Ye Jiayao hurriedly stood up and saluted: "Your Highness Prince Yu, I greet you."

This title of Prince Yu,

Prince Yu smiled slightly and said, "Madam Xia, there is no need to be so polite. I am here to invite Princess Aruan and Madam Xia by order."

"By order of the emperor?" Ye Jiayao was slightly surprised.

Prince Yu said, "The Queen tasted the cakes sent by Madam Xia and praised them highly. Knowing that Princess Aruan also contributed, she invited the two of you to go upstairs to have a chat."

Since the Queen invites me, of course I have to go.

The two of them immediately followed Prince Yu up to the fifth floor.

First, pay your respects to the Emperor and Empress, and then to Concubine Shu beside them.

The emperor also showed concern for A Ruan before saying to Ye Jia Yao with a smile, "Jin Xuan, I haven't seen you for a while, and you've made so many delicious dishes again."

Ye Jiayao smiled and said, "Your Majesty, you know that this is the only ability I have."

The emperor smiled and said, "It would be extraordinary if you could use this ability to the fullest extent."

The queen smiled and said, "This flower cake is unique, soft and refreshing, with a strong floral fragrance that is refreshing. I never knew that flower petals could be used to make food."

Ye Jiayao replied, "This is a snack from Princess Aruan's hometown. I found it interesting, so I asked Princess Aruan how to make it. I figured it out. Now is the season for roses, so rose petals are used as the filling. This flower cake is not only delicious, but also has the effects of promoting blood circulation, regulating qi, calming the liver and detoxifying. It is a great beauty product."

What women care about most is beauty and skin care. After hearing what Ye Jiayao said, everyone became more interested in this small flower cake.

“I didn’t expect that South Vietnam would have such delicious snacks,” said the Queen.

A'ruan smiled and said, "Empress, we have a lot of delicious food over there, but not as much as in Jinling. How about I write to father and ask him to send a royal chef? But it seems that Sister Jinxuan can cook everything. She can make it as long as you tell her, and it's more authentic than the ones in South Vietnam." "How can I be that good?" Ye Jiayao said modestly with a smile.

Concubine Shu on the side glanced at Ye Jiayao quickly, and an ambiguous look flashed in her eyes.

I heard that A'ruan was on good terms with Chunyu's wife Ye Jinxuan, but I never thought they were so close that they even called her sister. The Helian family's attitude has always been clear, but the Jing'an Marquis's Mansion never expresses its position. However, Xia Chunyu and Helian Xuan are as close as brothers, and everyone in the court knows it. Ye Jinxuan was even adopted as the old princess's godson. It is hard to guarantee whether Xia Chunyu will side with the prince because of this.

But now that Prince Yu is in need of people, he must fight for a pillar of talent like Xia Chunyu. A'ruan is about to become Prince Yu's consort, and it is a good thing for her to be on good terms with Ye Jinxuan. Even if she can't win him over, it is good to keep Xia Chunyu neutral.

The queen's brows knitted slightly, and she naturally had some considerations in her mind.

She didn't mind Ye Jinxuan being on good terms with A'ruan. Ye Jinxuan was also on good terms with the Crown Princess, and she was the goddaughter of the old princess, so it was absolutely impossible for Ye Jinxuan to side with Prince Yu. Perhaps, her relationship with A'ruan could be used in the future.

The two most noble women in Song Dynasty had their own thoughts at this moment, which others were unaware of. Ye Jiayao also did not expect that in that instant, her weight in the hearts of the Queen and Concubine Shu had changed.

The emperor said happily: "You have presented so many snacks today, and everyone enjoyed them. How should I reward you?"

"Your Majesty, this is a small gift from me. As long as Your Majesty, Your Majesty, and all the ladies like it, it will be the highest reward for me." Ye Jiayao smiled.

Ye Jiayao was not being modest; this was exactly her purpose. Although she spent a lot of money today, it was nothing compared to the profits generated from it.

"I reward you for your kindness. Do you want me to eat your food for free? Wei Zhong, remember this. When you return to the palace, you will reward the Second Young Lady of the Marquis of Jing'an with a hu of pearls and three hundred taels of gold."

Ye Jiayao half-jokingly said, "Your Majesty, if you really want to reward me, just show your appreciation. I feel ashamed to receive such a generous reward. I will have to make more delicious food to honor Your Majesty."

The emperor laughed loudly: "That's exactly what I meant."

The Queen smiled and said, "The Emperor's reward is a grace from the Emperor. I really like these flower cakes you made, and I value your kindness even more."

As she spoke, the queen took off a pair of jade bracelets from her wrists and gave them to A'ruan and Ye Jiayao, one each.

The jade bracelet was moist and lustrous all over, and slightly cool to the touch. It was obviously top-grade jade and extremely precious. Ye Jiayao felt a little uneasy about such a great favor, but she did not dare to refuse it. She could only kneel down with A Ruan to express her gratitude.

Concubine Shu smiled softly and said, "Since the Queen has given you a reward, I cannot be stingy."

As she spoke, Concubine Shu also took off the two rings on her fingers, gave the ruby ​​one to A'ruan and the emerald one to Ye Jiayao.

Even with two generous gifts in hand, Ye Jiayao couldn't be happy. She felt they were too hot to handle. She felt there was something subtle going on in this show of favor, with an undercurrent surging.

A father-in-law came to ask if the dragon boat race could start?

The emperor nodded slightly and said, "Let the prince beat the drum."

Then he said to Ye Jiayao and A Ruan, "You guys should go back and watch the dragon boat race! There will be something exciting later."

The two of them bowed and took their leave. When they passed by Princess Yi De's seat, Ye Jiayao deliberately pulled A Ruan forward to greet her.

Just now, the Empress and the Imperial Concubine vied for rewards. Yide saw it all and sneered in his heart. The Third Prince was named Prince Yu, and many people began to get restless. The court officials were restless, and Imperial Concubine Shu was also restless. Jinling City had been peaceful for too long, and it was going to start to rain again.

Because Ye Jiayao is a family member, Yide is more polite to A Ruan: "A Ruan, the old ancestor always misses you, come to the mansion when you are free."

Ah Ruan's smile was a little unnatural. She really liked the eldest princess and the old ancestor. They were different from others in their kindness to her. She always felt very close to them. However, her status had changed now. She would soon become the Princess of Yu. She could no longer be as casual as before.

"Yes, I will come."

Boom, boom... the deafening sound of drums rang out, heralding the beginning of the dragon boat race.

Ye Jiayao said goodbye in a hurry, and the two returned to their seats and stared straight ahead.

A dragon boat was speeding towards the starting point as fast as an arrow.

Ah Ruan opened his eyes wide and looked again and again, pulling Ye Jiayao's sleeve: "Sister Yaoyao, am I seeing things? Is that Brother Chunyu standing at the bow of the dragon boat?"

Ye Jiayao's eyes widened even wider than A'ruan's, full of disbelief. Who else could that person standing against the wind be but Chunyu? Although she couldn't see his face clearly, she could recognize his figure at a glance.

No wonder the emperor said there will be something interesting to watch later, you stinky ass, you are really keeping it a secret!

(End of this chapter)