Chapter 634 - 632 Unwilling
Prince Fu naturally knew these things, but he still felt discontent, "Previously, we thought to draw Ye Xinyan into our fold through marriage, but that failed without bearing any fruit. Now that Jiang Yifan has returned to the capital, he has been very close to Duke An’s Mansion. In my view, he intends to ask for Ye Xinyan’s hand in marriage again. Jiang Yifan is good friends with Lao Liu. If Lao Liu joins the struggle for the throne in the future, who knows if Duke An will lean towards him?"
Wang Xian weighed in thoughtfully, "Prince Yu? Not worth fearing, right? Even though Prince Yu goes to court every day and can sit in the Ministry of Personnel for some time, he ultimately does not show much enthusiasm. On the contrary, he’s very diligent in summoning the local managers and inquiring into the trade, especially when it comes to the cheese business being sent into the capital—he asks about it constantly."
Liu Yu, however, disagreed, his expression serious, "Your Highness once said that among the princes who studied together, Prince Yu was the cleverest. Even if he is naturally indifferent and lacks the ambition to fight for the throne, if His Majesty truly lets him attend the Imperial Court and gradually begins to show him favor, naturally people will cozy up to him and encourage Prince Yu to seize the throne, seeking to gain credit for supporting his rise."
"That’s exactly what I’m worried about," said Prince Fu, frowning. Then he asked, "What’s the deal with Wong Qiao? Have you inquired about him?"
Liu Yu promptly replied, "I have, and he truly is a figure of interest. Last year, not long after he returned from the capital to Clear Water Village, he got engaged to the Second Miss Zhou, the daughter of Zhou Bingyi, the Prefect of Yuyuan Prefecture. It’s said Second Miss Zhou is especially cherished by Zhou Bingyi and his wife. Her name is Zhou Biyao, and it has already been settled that when Zhou Bingyi returns to the capital next year for his official report, he’ll bring his family along to the capital, and concurrently have his daughter marry Wong Qiao."
Prince Fu immediately placed his teacup down in surprise and asked, "No matter how unusual he may be, he’s still just a craftsman. I know Zhou Bingyi to some extent; he’s a thoughtful man. Why would he not keep his daughter for a better match and marry her off to a craftsman?"
Wang Xian was also confused. While sipping tea, he listened for Liu Yu to continue.
Liu Yu said, "That’s why I said Wong Qiao is a figure of interest. When he came to the capital last year, Prince Yu and the guards from Duke An’s Mansion kept a tight watch on Wong Qiao and his party the whole time. Probably because Wong Qiao truly has exceptional skills, and Prince Yu was afraid that he would be poached by another family, so he was guarded closely."