The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 1088 - 1088 526 Groups Pet Jiaojiao (Two Updates)_2

Chapter 1088: 526 Group’s Pet Jiaojiao (Two Updates)_2 Chapter 1088: 526 Group’s Pet Jiaojiao (Two Updates)_2 How many military officers had died, what was the price paid, how many civilians had been displaced, how many times she had narrowly escaped death—all of these were left unmentioned.

The Yao Family also knew that their daughter preferred to report good news rather than bad, so she didn’t press her any further. Smiling, she wiped away her tears and said, “It’s Lunar New Year, let’s not talk about this now. It’s good that you’re home. Is your grandfather and your two brothers all right?”

Gu Changqing was ordered to go north, a fact known throughout the Capital City. Although Gu Chengfeng sneaked out, he caused Lord Gu to suffer a caning. Once Lord Gu investigated, he understood that the boy had gone north to find the elderly Lord.

Gu Jiao nodded, “They are all doing quite well.”

All three had been injured, but they were recovering nicely.

Gu Chengfeng was the most resilient to beating and was the first to heal.

Gu Changqing’s injuries were also not serious, and now only the elderly Lord needed careful recuperation, rehabilitating in Capital City with Tang Yueshan.

The Yao Family glanced at Gu Xiaobao, who was being jostled back and forth by Gu Yan’s grip, and said to Gu Jiao in a gentle voice, “When your grandfather returns, we should still visit him at the residence.”

“Mhm.”

As sworn brothers, a visit was a must!

The Yao Family had endless topics to discuss with her daughter until Gu Xiaobao grew hungry, and then she carried Gu Xiaobao away to be fed.

The chief libationer also inquired about the frontier situation; he wasn’t as easy to deceive as the others in the family.

He had been exiled to the borders for five years due to Zhuang Jinse’s machinations and knew just how harsh the frontier could be.

“Ah, you’ve had a hard time,” the chief libationer sighed with depth of feeling, “You don’t know how much Ahen has been concerned about you; he’s been entering the palace every three days. The ministers thought he was eager to climb the ranks, but in reality, it was all to find out about the frontier situation.”

Xiao Hen had just come out from the study room and happened to hear the chief libationer’s words. By chance, Gu Jiao looked his way, leaving him uncertain whether to advance or retreat.

He cleared his throat and said, “That was me caring about military intelligence.”

Gu Jiao: “Oh.”

The chief libationer then inquired about the remnants of the former dynasty, “Did the Prince of Yi and the prince consort really die?”

Gu Jiao nodded her head.

The prince consort was killed by Gu Changqing, and the Prince of Yi died of illness.

The power of the former dynasty should be considered completely eradicated at this point.

The chief libationer asked, “What’s the situation with Zhan Country? How did Yuan Tang escape from Capital City? And he even surrendered to the Gu Family army? Their forces outnumbered the Gu Family’s, so why surrender without a fight? Could there be some sort of conspiracy?”

No wonder the chief libationer was so suspicious and cautious; everything that happened in Zhan Country was simply too inconceivable. Furthermore, Xiao Hen hadn’t told the chief libationer that he was the one who let Yuan Tang out of Capital City.

As for the friendship between Yuan Tang and Gu Jiao, the chief libationer was even less aware.

“Surrender” is the term used by Zhan Country, but in reality, it was a ceasefire between the two armies, and the fighting had stopped.

Zhan Country’s troops exceeded the Gu Family army by forty thousand, but Zhan Country’s soldiers lacked the morale of the Gu Family’s. Moreover, Zhan Country was in severe internal turmoil, and the war losses had drained their national treasury; they could not afford to continue.

The chief libationer pondered, “And what about the Rong Family? Your own aunt is the imperial consort, yet they went to support the prince of Bo?”

Gu Jiao said, “Because the monarch doesn’t plan on establishing the Noble Consort Rong as empress.”

Inside the brocaded box Yuan Tang had sent to Gu Jiao there was a letter explaining why the Rong Family had turned traitor. It appeared that the Zhan Country’s monarch’s favor for the Rong Family and his affection for Noble Consort Rong and her son were only superficial. In secret, he had long drafted a decree to establish Zhang De’s consort as empress and her son as crown prince.

Noble Consort Rong shared this information with her family, hoping her father and brother would come up with an idea for her, whether through intimidation or enticement, to reverse the sovereign’s decision and choose her as empress instead.

Little did they know that just then, Prince Bo approached them, seeking a marriage for his only son, wishing to wed Rong Yao’s legitimate daughter. Should he become the sovereign, she would become the legitimate crown princess consort.

Besides, he promised the Rong Family great power and territories, much more generous than what the monarch of Zhan offered.

But the Rong Family had had enough of living under others’ influence. Rather than always supporting someone else onto the throne, why not become the emperor themselves?

Noble Consort Rong also had a younger son, not yet five years old this year. It did not matter if Yuan Tang died; they could support the nine-year-old prince’s ascension to the throne.

Later, they could have the nine-year-old abdicate in favor of the Rong Family, thereby securing the sovereign rule for themselves.

In seeking aid from the Rong Family, Prince Bo was essentially making a deal with a tiger and ultimately died by the sword of Rong Yao.

Following this incident, the sovereign aged a decade overnight and no longer mentioned making Zhang De’s consort the empress.

Yuan Tang did not pressure the sovereign to appoint him as the crown prince. Instead, Yuan Tang firmly informed the sovereign that he was determined to claim the position of the crown prince, whether it was given to him or he would take it himself.