Chapter 529 - 523_1
However, Huangfu Jing still trusted Jiang Ziqi for the time being, which is why he could directly ask him, rather than harbor suspicion in his heart. Princess Yongle subconsciously noticed something too. Even as a princess born into the royal family, albeit naive, she remained sensitive to certain matters, though she didn’t show it outwardly, only responding with a smile.
"It’s not Ziqi brother. Brother Ziqi is already so busy, why would he get involved in this? I heard it’s a friend of Yueyue’s husband who is in the partnership, someone Yueyue’s husband knows. It seems to be the Princely Heir from the Marquis of Zhenbei’s household. I also heard it from my sister Roujia, but I don’t remember well and am not sure if I got it wrong."
"The Princely Heir of the Marquis of Zhenbei, Feng Yinan," Huangfu Jing inquired. With that, things became clear, easing his concerns. Although he didn’t understand how Zhao Erhu got connected with the Princely Heir of Marquis of Zhenbei, it wasn’t strange that the latter was involved in overseas business.
As the Empress Dowager’s maiden family, Huangfu Jing was quite familiar with the household of the Marquis of Zhenbei. The Princely Heir of Zhenbei faced targeted oppression by the Marchioness of Zhenbei, living extremely difficultly, with two instances nearly costing him his life. In order to retaliate and counter the Marchioness, the Princely Heir was bound to take action. This was expected and the result of Huangfu Jing allowing it to persist, wanting to create dissension between the Marquis and his son to better consolidate imperial power. Now his goal had been reached, and the Princely Heir, now capable, was gradually being entrusted with responsibilities.
At that time, the Princely Heir also received the festival gifts from Lin Yue. Since the last time she sent new year’s gifts, the food in his residence had become plentiful. Vegetables and fruits that were unavailable in winter could now be enjoyed; the dishes on the table had also become richer. Eating some simple stir-fried dishes at home felt much more comfortable than dining on extravagant delicacies elsewhere.
In the eyes of the servants, the Princely Heir, although noble, treated them well. Even they got a share of the abundance of food and fruits sent by Mrs. Lin. Though getting full was impossible due to the scarcity and high cost of vegetables this season, and the number of servants, having a taste was already a treat. So when Lin Yue’s festival gifts arrived, everyone paid close attention, eagerly anticipating what delicious things Mrs. Lin had sent this time. Upon seeing them, they were indeed not disappointed, and later, when Zhao Erhu visited the Princely Heir’s residence, he found the servants more attentive and considerate than before without understanding why.
"Princely Heir, the Zhao Family has sent quite a few good things again. I just can’t understand how Zhao Erhu’s wife manages to come up with so many varieties of food. Look at these glutinous rice balls, sweet and savory mixed together and there are twenty different flavors. And these pastries, the names of which I can’t even pronounce, you can tell they must be delicious just by their sweet scent, unlike the typical osmanthus cakes and lily cakes from other families – always the same and uninspiring." Little Jinzi presented the pastries to the Marquis of Zhenbei and always liked to express his thoughts.