nashuaworldcup Chapter 246 A nephew is like an uncle!
Chapter 246 A nephew is like an uncle!
Chapter 246 A nephew is like an uncle!
Upon hearing this, Zhou Wei looked at Jiang Yueli, while Tan Lin looked on with admiration.
"Your Highness is truly exceptionally intelligent!"
The eldest princess said calmly, "It's not that I'm clever, but since you brought out Ji Zhengyao's portrait, I know that this person is no ordinary person."
"Just by observing how you instructed the Third Prince to handle this peasant uprising, one can see that you, Tan Lin, never fight a battle you are not confident of winning."
"If Ji Zhengyao's portrait cannot persuade me to go to Zhengshan Academy, you must have another plan!"
"Mr. Tan has received the orthodox teachings of Zhengshan Academy. He is always adept at strategizing and planning. How could I possibly underestimate you?"
Upon hearing this, Tan Lin's expression changed, and cold sweat broke out on his back.
He gave an awkward smile: "My tricks have only made the princess laugh."
“How could I possibly look down on you, sir?” the princess said solemnly. “I only hope that you will be open and honest with me in the future.”
"The matter of the blessed land is dangerous. We have no other help on this journey and can only rely on ourselves. If we cannot be honest with each other, trouble may arise."
"Take the matter of Ji Zhengyao for example. I'm afraid Mr. Tan also has many unsolved mysteries in his mind. If we talk about it, we can discuss it together. It's better than being a headless fly in Zhengshan Academy."
Tan Lin looked at him with admiration and repeatedly agreed.
He never dared to underestimate this Princess Protector of the Nation, and now the Princess had completely extinguished his hopes with a series of attacks and counterattacks.
Although he knew this was a tactic used by those in power, Tan Lin did not reject it.
Intelligent people tend to be more straightforward in their speech and actions!
After leaving the princess's residence, Wang Shu was still immersed in the atmosphere of the fierce chess game he had just played in the waterside pavilion.
He stroked his beard and couldn't help but sigh, "I never expected the Princess to be so skilled in hand-to-hand combat, fighting you to a standstill!"
Wang Shu knew Tan Lin's chess skills, but he had never seen anyone who could make Tan Lin hesitate and unable to make a move for a long time.
Tan Lin smiled and said, "Those who are good at planning are good at playing chess. In your opinion, does the Princess not fall into this category?"
Wang Shu was taken aback, then realized what was happening and sighed even more.
"That's true. Just by looking at the arrangements for this grand court assembly, one can see the capabilities of our Crown Princess! Following her was definitely the right choice for me."
"Tan Lin, thanks to your reminder, I was able to avoid making the wrong decision. From now on, we should be even closer."
Wang Shu would naturally not let go of a talent like Tan Lin.
But Tan Lin smiled apologetically at Wang Shu: "Lord, I must say goodbye to you now. I am deeply grateful for your care over the past ten years."
Wang Shu was somewhat surprised and couldn't accept it for a moment, and wanted to try to persuade him to stay.
But then Tan Lin said, "My lord, I actually lied to you before. I am not some down-on-his-luck scholar, but a cultivator from a blessed land."
"Now that all worldly affairs are settled, it is time for me to return to my sect."
Wang Shu, sitting in the carriage, almost lost his balance. After a long while, he stammered, "You...you are a cultivator?"
Tan Lin nodded, "I dare not deceive you, Lord. I have this connection with you, and I will not sever it."
Tan Lin took out a jade pendant from his pocket and handed it to Wang Shu.
"This is a token of my sect. If the Lord or his descendants need help in the future, they can bring the jade pendant to the blessed land to find me."
Wang Shu took the jade pendant, his hands trembling, and began to try to recall whether he had mistreated Tan Lin over the past ten years.
After all, it's hard for anyone to accept that a down-on-his-luck scholar he once looked down on has suddenly transformed into a cultivator in a blessed land.
Tan Lin ignored Wang Shu's thoughts and followed Wang Shu back to the mansion. After packing his bags, he would stay at the princess's mansion.
On the day of departure, we will set off together with the eldest princess!
…………
Inside the Princess's residence.
Zhou Wei was still looking at the portrait of Ji Zhengyao. Apart from resembling the eldest princess, she couldn't see anything else.
"Princess, could there be something strange about Ji Zhengyao?"
Because Wang Shu was present today, it wasn't convenient to talk much. During the game of chess at the waterside pavilion, Tan Lin didn't say much about Ji Zhengyao.
"I can't quite put my finger on what's strange about this, but judging from Tan Lin's reaction, Ji Zhengyao's situation is probably not simple."
"But there's no need to rush. We'll be setting off in a few days. We can listen to him on the way and it will keep us entertained."
Zhou Wei nodded, then smiled and said, "Judging from the portrait alone, Ji Zhengyao is indeed a handsome man. If he had an older or younger sister, they would probably look exactly like the princess..."
At this point, Zhou Wei suddenly stopped, looking at the Princess with some shock.
The eldest princess looked at her with a smile: "You finally realized?"
Zhou Wei looked at the portrait, then at the Princess, and still found it unbelievable.
"Does the princess mean that your birth mother might not be Consort Li?"
The eldest princess nodded, "I've occasionally made guesses in the past, because my mother has really... well, let's not talk about it."
"But Yue Lin's existence has made me repeatedly overturn this idea. If I am not my mother's biological son, then is Yue Lin not either?"
“My mother treated me and Yue Lin almost the same, as if neither of us were her biological children.”
Zhou Wei agreed with this point; the Third Prince, that spoiled brat, was completely ruined by Consort Li.
If they raise their own son like this, it seems quite normal that they ignore their daughter, Jiang Yueli.
“But Ji Zhengyao’s portrait made me suddenly realize that my mother’s attitude towards me and Yue Lin may not have anything to do with our biological relationship. All her thoughts were on the Empress.”
"Regardless of whether we are her biological children or not, she will use us as tools to please the Empress."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Wei sighed inwardly.
The eldest princess finally understood this principle; this is what is meant by "the bystander sees more of the game."
Consort Li was a terrible mother!
"So, Princess, you think Ji Zhengyao might be your uncle?"
"If we judge from the age and time, Ji Zhengyao didn't have the opportunity to have a daughter as old as me, then it's very likely that he has an older sister."
The saying goes, "A nephew resembles his uncle," so it's quite reasonable to assume that the eldest princess resembles Ji Zhengyao.
But where is the princess's supposed birth mother now?
Whether they are dead or alive, we cannot know.
“Princess, this is all just speculation between us. Whether it is true or not remains to be verified. Before it is confirmed, it is best not to dwell on this birth mother too much, so as not to disturb your peace of mind.”
The eldest princess nodded and said with a smile, "You don't need to worry, I'm more open-minded than you think."
Having lived a lifetime, I know the importance of not rushing things.
"In the afternoon, Lady Qiu Fangyun, wife of the Marquis of Zhenyuan, will come to visit. I reckon she will bring up the matter of Yue Lin's marriage to me."
Qiu Fangyun proposed marriage to the Third Prince?
Zhou Wei was somewhat surprised; she truly hadn't expected the story to develop this way.
"The Third Prince has lost a leg. Doesn't the Lady of Zhenyuan know?"
The eldest princess sneered: "Of course she knows, but does it matter?"
"I am now the Crown Princess and I also hold considerable military power. Yue Lin is my younger brother. Even if he is crippled, he is still the most noble prince of the Great Zhou."
"Given Qiu Fangyun's scheming nature, she won't let go of this opportunity to climb the social ladder. I'm just unsure which of the Shen family girls she'll let marry Yue Lin."