After Rebirth, She Becomes the Revenge Queen
Chapter 126 - 125: Could It Be That He’s Been Egged On By Something?

Chapter 126: Chapter 125: Could It Be That He’s Been Egged On By Something?

Liang Zhi said, "So I came just to have this meal?"

"Isn’t having a meal good enough?" Fu Zhen released her grip, took a tea fruit to eat, and then said, "If you don’t want to have dry rice, you can do something else. For example, you could find a way to bring me a look at the ’Seven Strategies of the Military Camp’ he initially presented to the Emperor."

"Seven Strategies of the Military Camp?" Liang Zhi was stunned for a moment, "That’s the stepping stone to his imperial favor. Why do you want it?"

Fu Zhen sneered, "Half of that stepping stone’s mold was mine!"

She had to admit that Xu Yin had some true talent. Back then, the old strategist in the camp praised him for his extraordinary aptitude.

This praise of his extraordinary aptitude became one of the reasons why Liang Ning decided to help him. After all, as a lady of noble birth, she had that level of broad-mindedness. Great Zhou’s establishment had a significant contribution from the Liang Family. Naturally, she hoped to cultivate good talents for the court.

But her kindness ended up feeding a wolf. This talented orphan actually pushed her into the gutter!

He, who couldn’t even best her, had never delved deeply into the military camp. If not for following her those five years in the Northwest, he wouldn’t even be able to enter the main camp’s doors. How much could he truly understand about the camp’s situation?

No matter how talented, even a genius can’t cook without rice!

As someone born from a military family, having been around the camp for years, experiencing firsthand and being involved in the camp soldiers’ lives, following her two brothers and those uncles and elder cousins, inside and outside, handling various disputes and difficulties, it took all that to amass the thick stack of records she had. Only then did she get the idea of writing a national policy proposal!

Now she wanted to see what exactly he wrote in that piece that he used as a stepping stone for his embroidery prospects?

"Damn it!" Upon hearing this, Liang Zhi smacked the carriage shaft, "Just you wait, I’ll go now!"

Fu Zhen immediately grabbed him as he was about to get off the carriage: "Hold on!"

Liang Zhi turned his head.

Fu Zhen lifted her chin: "Return this carriage! Coming to me in such a rush and even bringing me a carriage, what are you implying? I don’t care about what others say about me, but I don’t want my mother to worry!"

Liang Zhi suddenly realized this when thinking about those guys teasing him earlier in the morning.

Fu Zhen stepped down from the carriage, then raised the pastry in her hand: "Lao Chen’s culinary skills have declined; this rose cake is too sweet!"

Liang Zhi poked his head out from the window: "Lao Chen threw out his back; it was his son who made it!"

After saying that, he smiled at Fu Zhen, his white teeth sparkling in the sunlight.

While the truth from last night came too suddenly, somewhat unreal, the moment now seemed as if the intervening six years never existed. Here, he and Liang Ning chatted casually at the Liang Family’s entrance, so real that it made one completely relax.

...

There were guests in Xu Yin’s study, so Lian Rong waited outside for a bit.

Until the talks concluded and Liu Xun, the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites, came out, Lian Rong cupped his hands in greeting, saying "Mr. Liu," before stepping inside.

The room was filled with the scent of ink. Xu Yin was writing at his desk, and Lian Rong handed him a cup of tea from the desk: "The Commandery Princess specially made soup for the master. How could you forget to drink it?"

Xu Yin didn’t lift his head: "Just leave it there."

Lian Rong said, "Wasn’t Mr. Liu supposed to go to the Eastern Palace? How come he’s here to see you? Could it be that something in the palace wasn’t handled properly?"

Xu Yin, frowning, finished writing the page he was working on, set down his brush, and said, "The Crown Prince wanted the Purple Flower Jade for his coming-of-age ceremony, but the Empress didn’t agree. According to the rules, the Purple Flower Jade can only be used by the eldest son of the first wife; the Crown Prince, being the second son of the Emperor, shouldn’t use it. Liu Xun was scolded by the Empress, and now the Crown Prince doesn’t know how to explain this."

Lian Rong said, "Though that’s the case, the Crown Prince is already the Crown Prince, so making an exception wouldn’t be unacceptable."

Xu Yin glanced at him upon hearing this, folded the finished letter, and handed it to him: "Send someone to deliver this to the palace’s Yellow Gate Keeper before nightfall."

Lian Rong glanced at the cover: "This muddy water is hard to wade through. Why must you get involved?"

Xu Yin’s brows were deep: "The Emperor has no other sons, and the Third Prince is weak and won’t likely be a threat to the Crown Prince in the future. The Empress is the Founding Empress, with merits and virtues, and she is also the birth mother of both princes. She will definitely fully support the Crown Prince in the future, giving him considerable assistance. If a single ceremonial object harms the mother-son relationship, it’s not worth it. Such a thing would also be detrimental to the recently stabilized court."

He looked at Lian Rong as he spoke: "If I can understand this reasoning, the Crown Prince certainly can too."

Lian Rong suddenly realized: "A favor that comes easily shouldn’t be rejected for nothing."

Xu Yin leaned back into his chair with a subdued air: "No so-called support is real, only the imperial power is tangible."

After saying that, he sipped his tea again and asked, "Have all the people been invited?"

"I was just about to mention that," Lian Rong bowed, "General Liang isn’t coming."

"Not coming?" Xu Yin gave him a look, "Why?"

"General Liang said General Cheng sent an invitation first, so he regrets he cannot attend."

Xu Yin frowned, "What game is he playing? I had already spoken with the Liang Family long before."

"I’m not sure. However, when General Liang refused, his expression seemed a bit off."

Xu Yin took a deep breath, pondering: "It shouldn’t be. Everything was still normal when I visited the Liang Family earlier. —Any movements from Liang Chen lately?"

"The Great General is the same as usual. He is currently still recuperating, although on paper he holds the post at the Guard Camp, the affairs are currently being handled by General Du. Daily, he just spends time with his family or occasionally goes out to socialize."

Xu Yin recalled: "Has he met with Pei Zhan?"

"Yesterday morning, General Pei went to the Liang Family and had breakfast with General Liang there."

Xu Yin got up and began pacing: "Has there been any connection between Pei Zhan and Liang Ning discovered?"

"No." Lian Rong shook his head decisively, "Miss Liang went to the Northwest when she was eight, and before that, she hardly had any interaction with General Pei.

"Later, when she was fifteen and returned to the capital with you, General Pei just happened to have gone to the Northwest, so they had no contact as adults either."

Xu Yin’s eyebrows rose slightly as he took a few steps forward: "His attitude towards me is thus intriguing. Could Liang Zhi’s sudden absence from my banquet have anything to do with him?"

Before Lian Rong could reply, someone came in from outside: "Reporting to the master, General Liang sent a message that this evening Junior General Cheng is hosting and specifically invites the master to join the banquet."

The person exchanged a look with Xu Yin and then asked the new arrival, "Who delivered this message?"

"It was Guard Xiao Si."

Lian Rong looked at Xu Yin: "In that case, there’s no issue. Xiao Si typically doesn’t leave his side. Specifically sending him to deliver the message is very formal."

Xu Yin took a deep breath: "Go and make the