The Return of the King: A Generation of Prodigies

Chapter 472 Considering the Big Picture

"Tingzhi, are there any other children from the Cui family that we could consider?"

Besides worrying that the Cui family's child was too spoiled and that Li Muyang would suffer in the future, the Marquis of Zhenbei was also concerned.

What worried him more was that the child was spoiled at home and was simply not up to the task of being the Empress.

If that's the case, then their choice today would be meaningless.

"Father, what's wrong?"

Shen Tingzhi looked at the Marquis of Zhenbei with a puzzled expression. He didn't understand why his father would want to give up Cui Yi's great-granddaughter and instead want the granddaughter of another member of the Cui family.

In front of his son, the Marquis of Zhenbei did not hide his thoughts.

"As you just said, that child is the only girl in Cui Yi's family, and her family spoils her rotten."

“If this child grows up to be too spoiled, not only will Mu’er suffer in the future, but she herself will also be unable to bear the position of the Empress.”

"Being an empress is not easy. She must be a wise and capable assistant to the emperor, and she must be able to balance the power of all parties. She must know the art of checks and balances so that the harem does not become chaotic, but also does not become stagnant like a pool of still water."

"Look at how hard and wronged your sister is as empress, and you'll know how difficult and challenging it is."

"If she only has a distinguished family background but lacks intelligence and wisdom, then the position of Empress will be a disaster for her and her family, not an honor."

The Marquis of Zhenbei's considerations were not without merit. A spoiled young lady would not be able to withstand the storms from the inner palace and the scheming from the court.

Shen Tingzhi hadn't considered this point. He lowered his head and thought for a while before saying, "Father, although Master Cui's great-granddaughter is a bit spoiled."

"But the Cui family is a prominent family, and they are scholars. They wouldn't spoil their children so much that they become arrogant and ignorant."

“Especially if that child has already been chosen as the Crown Princess, then the Cui family will definitely take even better care in educating her.”

"After all, the Cui family aren't fools. How could they not understand how important the position of the Empress Dowager is?"

"It concerns the rise and fall of the Cui family. They won't sacrifice the entire family just because they spoil that child."

“Father, you can find an opportunity to reveal our thoughts to Master Cui first, and see what he thinks.”

"If Master Cui tacitly approves of this matter, then rest assured, he will do his utmost to educate Yunli to become a virtuous empress."

Although Shen Tingzhi didn't know much about the Cui family, he did know Cui Yi.

Cui Yi, that old man, is a conservative person at heart. Even if he dotes on his great-granddaughter, he will not let the child go without discipline.

The Cui family already has three imperial tutors, and Cui Yi is about to become the fourth.

Such a status and position meant that they would value their reputation and family honor more than their own lives.

They would never abandon the discipline they should have given their daughter just because they doted on her.

They will only put more effort into raising this child than ever before, so that he can become a contributor to the family's honor.

"Okay, when I have some free time, I'll go and sound out that old man Cui. Anyway, he's still living a dreamlike life."

"This way, it's convenient to come and go, and it won't attract attention or speculation from others."

Suddenly, as if remembering something, the Marquis of Zhenbei looked up at Shen Tingzhi and asked, "How old is that little girl now?"

"Ah, oh, that child is probably only four or five years old, younger than our Mu'er."

"If the Cui family agrees to this, then if Father is still worried, the Cui family's upbringing can be used to give Jiao Jiao an excuse."

“Send that child to the palace, where Jiaojiao will personally teach and raise him. Surely you wouldn’t still not trust the child she raises?”

"Moreover, doing this will not only help the two children get along better, but also help improve the relationship between Jiaojiao and her sister, so that there will be no conflict between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in the future."

Throughout the entire incident, Shen Tingzhi's biggest concern was actually for his younger sister, Shen Tianjiao.

He wanted to find a wife for Li Muyang who could help and support him in the future, and that was not wrong.

However, he took into account the Cui family's prominent position in Yunli, where half of all the scholars in the world were disciples of the Cui family.

In other words, the attitude of the Cui family determined the peace and stability of the imperial court, and also determined the thoughts of scholars throughout the land.

Although Shen Tianjiao is the chosen one destined to be the empress of Yunli, this claim lacks credibility among the people.

If we want Shen Tianjiao to be able to smoothly ascend to the throne and firmly hold the position of the First Empress of Yunli.

Someone is needed to create momentum for Shen Tianjiao, to appease the court, and to appease the scholars throughout the land.

As long as the court remains calm and the scholars of the land remain undisturbed, Shen Tianjiao's position as empress is secure.

No matter how many dissenting voices there are, or how many people rise up to cause trouble, none of that will matter.

Looking across the entire Yunli region, apart from the Cui family, there is no other family with such capabilities.

If she gains the support of the Cui family, Shen Tianjiao will be able to avoid many setbacks and grievances in her future ascension to the throne.

It shouldn't cause this to result in...

So regardless of how Shen Tianjiao views this matter, or how the Marquis of Zhenbei views it.

In short, no matter what happens, Shen Tingzhi will do everything in his power to make this happen.

"Hmm, that works too."

Upon hearing that the little girl from the Cui family was only four or five years old, the Marquis of Zhenbei felt much more at ease.

The child is still young, and it doesn't matter if the Cui family spoils her too much and makes her personality unsuitable for becoming an empress in the future.

Just as Shen Tingzhi said, we should find an excuse to bring that child into the palace and raise her by Shen Tianjiao's side. No matter what her personality is like, she will definitely be able to become a qualified empress.

And just as Shen Tingzhi said, they raised the child by their side and nurtured her relationship with Shen Tianjiao from a young age.

This will be more helpful for their future relationship. A good relationship is necessary between husband and wife, and an even better relationship is between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

Only in this way can the inner palace and the outer court be kept stable.

"Alright, Father, it's really getting late. You should go and get some sleep."

"At times like these, we all need to take good care of our health. Otherwise, we'll not only fail to be a help to Jiaojiao, but we'll become a burden to her, which wouldn't be good."

Seeing that the Marquis of Zhenbei had become noticeably thinner recently, Shen Tingzhi felt sorry for his elderly father.

Shen Tingzhi only hoped that today, when the Marquis of Zhenbei revealed the secret he had been keeping in his heart, and with someone to share the burden with him, he could completely release his inner turmoil and return to his peaceful life as before.

If the Marquis of Zhenbei continues to be so depressed, his health will definitely suffer. At that point, it would be a blessing if he didn't have to worry about Shen Tianjiao, let alone help her.

"Yes, Father understands. You should go and rest for a while too."

“You can’t take advantage of your youth and overwork yourself. Your sister and your nephew will rely on you in the future.”

Shen Yiyang is the future heir of the Zhenbei Marquis's mansion. He will return to the northern frontier to guard the border.

Shen Xinghao was also a somewhat reckless and impatient person, skilled in martial arts but not in literature.

Therefore, the only person who can assist Shen Tianjiao and Li Muyang in bringing peace and prosperity to the country is Shen Tingzhi.

If Shen Tingzhi doesn't take good care of himself, it will be troublesome if he develops health problems in the future.

"My son understands."

Shen Tingzhi got up to say goodbye to the Marquis of Zhenbei and went back to sleep. After a long day of work, he was indeed very tired and had no energy left.

If they don't go back and get some sleep to replenish their energy, they might not have the strength to see their warriors off at dawn.

Meanwhile, Li Muyang, who was already fast asleep, never expected that his maternal grandfather and uncle would be up so late at night.

Surprisingly, a young wife was arranged for him.

Shen Tianjiao never imagined that at such a young age, she would become a mother-in-law overnight.

After a busy day, the people at Ziyun Manor finally settled down.

But the area outside Ziyun Manor was much more lively.

Yu Po led Chao Yun out of the imperial city in a carriage, and then someone brought Duan Furong out of the Shenxing Division and she followed Yu Po and the others out of the imperial city in their carriage.

It was late at night, and the sound of the carriage running was particularly noticeable.

Not long after leaving the imperial city, Yu Po discovered that they were being followed.

"Boss, we've been targeted. Should we settle this here or lure them to the outskirts to deal with it?"

Yu Po now not only controls Feng Ming, but she has also taken over the palace's secret guard battalion.

The people in the Dark Guard Camp were all handpicked; they were all truly capable individuals.

If Yu Po could realize that she was being watched, then those people could naturally also realize that they were being followed.

"Let's deal with it on the spot. After that, send someone to investigate their background, and then dispose of their bodies where they should be."

“Some people take advantage of their status and dare to do whatever they want. It’s time to teach them a lesson, let them know their situation, and make them behave themselves.”

"Otherwise, it will be too late to regret it when disaster strikes in the future."

Yu Po found this kind of person extremely troublesome and disgusting.

We didn't discipline them before to maintain stability, but now that things are settled, there's no reason to continue to indulge them.

If we don't teach them a lesson, they'll never realize their place and won't know what they should and shouldn't do.

"Yes, I understand."

"Lord Yu, please wait a moment."

Before the people outside the carriage could react, Chao Yun, who had been silent all along, spoke first.

"Miss Chaoyun, is there anything I can help you with?"

Yu Po looked at Chao Yun with a puzzled expression, wondering why she had spoken up to stop her at this moment.

Chaoyun lowered her head and took out a pair of silver needles from her sleeve, then handed them to Yupo.

Then he spoke up, saying, "Use this. These silver needles are poisoned, but the poison isn't strong. Although it won't kill you, it will make the person who gets it weak and powerless, losing all strength to resist."

"This not only saves us the trouble of fighting, but also avoids the worry of killing someone and having to go through all the trouble of finding out who their mastermind is."

Yu Po looked down at the silver needle in her hand. Although, for her, using such hidden weapons to hurt people violated her bottom line and principles.

However, it cannot be denied that Chaoyun is right. It is late at night and everyone is quiet. If a fight breaks out, it will attract a lot of attention.

If the patrol battalion is summoned again, that would be troublesome.

Although the patrolmen wouldn't do anything to her even if they came, it seemed she wouldn't be able to keep her secret about leading people out of the city late at night.

The trip to Southern Chu was something that needed to be kept secret. It could only be, and had to be, carried out in secret. If it were to be exposed, the impact would be far more than just the diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Thinking of this, Yu Po's heart stirred, and she looked down at the silver needle in her hand again.

Although using this thing to win is not honorable, she used it against her own enemy, so it can't be considered as violating her bottom line.

After hesitating for a moment, Yu Po handed the silver needle in her hand to the guard outside.

"This is poisonous. Be careful when you use it, and don't accidentally hurt yourself."

"Remember, don't make too much of a commotion to avoid arousing suspicion, and also, make sure it's quick and decisive."

"We cannot let any of them escape; we must capture them all."

Yu Po gave instructions to the guards outside, and her expression turned grim.

Whoever is behind this group of audacious individuals, they will all pay a price.

Although she herself had to go to Southern Chu to carry out the mission, she could arrange for her subordinates to do it.

"Yes, I understand."

The guards outside took the silver needles, held them carefully in their hands, and flew out of the carriage.

Soon, the sounds of fighting came over, but they quickly subsided.

Hearing the fighting outside subside, Yu Po couldn't help but sigh inwardly. This thing didn't seem to have any lethality, but it was indeed very useful.

It saved them a lot of time and trouble. It seems that sometimes, it is not necessary to insist on one's own principles.

Being able to solve problems as quickly as possible is also a good thing.

When things calm down, we might have to ask Miss Chaoyun to put in some more effort and make more of these things.

After all, the journey to Southern Chu is fraught with danger, and anything could happen.