Chapter 67: A Petty Scheme

Princess Zhenyang listened, a look of enlightenment dawning on her face.

Indeed, there was no simpler or more effective method to deal with women in the inner court than this.

“Mother, I understand.” She pondered for a moment, a plan forming in her mind.

Princess Consort Su nodded, fearing that her daughter, being new to this kind of scheme, might not be ruthless enough. She said, “Remember, you must strike decisively and leave no room for error.”

“Understood.” Princess Zhenyang replied.

“Besides this, how are you doing in the Marquis’ household?” Princess Consort Su asked.

“It’s nothing much,” Princess Zhenyang scoffed, dismissing it with a wave of her hand. “Xie Huaian is obedient. Now, I’ve already separated our rooms.”

“The Marquis’ wife is also a materialistic woman. She pretends to be respectful to me, but deep down, she’s probably very unhappy. She hopes this Princess will bear a legitimate son for her son. How delusional.”

Princess Zhenyang looked down upon the Marquis’ wife.  She was from a humble background, lacking vision.

“Only the rigid and hot-tempered Pingyang Marquis is difficult to manipulate.”

Princess Zhenyang knew that he had initially wanted to refuse this marriage.  Fortunately, she had contacted Xie Huaian beforehand and reached a private agreement, ensuring the smooth completion of the wedding.

“Don’t worry. Once your father… everything will naturally go your way,” Princess Consort Su said.  Her daughter would be the most honorable lady in the land. Living a carefree life was only right.

After their conversation and decision, Princess Zhenyang felt much better.

Thinking that Xu Qingyi would soon be divorced, she was overjoyed, her arrogant demeanor returning.

Xie Huaian noticed the change in Princess Zhenyang and guessed what was happening but dared not ask.

Earlier, when he spoke with Prince Su, Prince Su had been very kind to him.

Thinking of his promising future, Xie Huaian also had a cheerful expression.

Pingyang Marquis residence.

Lin received another generous gift from his second aunt.  As always, he accepted it without hesitation, offering a slight smile this time. He said, “Thank you, Second Aunt. You’ve gone to a lot of trouble.”

He addressed her so warmly that the nursemaid was overjoyed, smiling and saying, “Young Master Lin is too polite. Our Princess said that caring for the younger generation of the family is only natural.”

Lin maintained a faint, polite smile.

If the nursemaid had looked more closely, she would have noticed that only the corners of his mouth moved; his face remained otherwise unchanged.

Lin found himself somewhat strange.

In the past, their lives had been frugal, and he hadn’t wanted to compromise his pride to please anyone.

Now, to appease Princess Zhenyang and receive those valuable gifts from her, he found himself acting without any difficulty.

Perhaps it was because he had once been alone, only needing to consider himself.

But now… he was consciously considering others.

“By the way, Young Master Lin,” the nursemaid suddenly said, “Do you have time to go out tomorrow at noon after school?”

The nursemaid’s visit today was not only to deliver a gift but also to carry out a task.

“What is it?” Lin looked puzzled.

“Aren’t you preparing for the academy examinations? The Princess wants to meet you and discuss matters concerning your official career,” the nursemaid hinted, believing Lin would understand her meaning.

Indeed, Lin paused, then showed a look of understanding. He agreed, “I’ll be free. Where does the Second Aunt want to meet me?”

The nursemaid smiled in satisfaction and told him the location.

“Good. I’ll be there on time,” Lin said.

Only after seeing the nursemaid off did his gaze turn cold, losing its previous warmth.

Princess Zhenyang was truly acting.

Lin had known for a long time that she had ulterior motives and would not be friendly towards his mother.

This was the main reason he was pretending to be friendly with Princess Zhenyang. If it were just for a few gifts, he wouldn’t have bothered.

Composing himself, he went to Xu Qingyi’s room and waited outside.

Hearing that her eldest son had arrived, Xu Qingyi immediately came out to see him.

Seeing what he was holding, she raised an eyebrow and said, “The Princess sent you another gift?”

Lin nodded. “She also invited me to meet tomorrow.”

Xu Qingyi’s expression turned serious, and the mother and son sat down to discuss it carefully.

When Lin finished explaining his thoughts, Xu Qingyi was speechless. She looked at him with a bewildered expression, wondering how his mind worked.

Was this the childhood of a powerful official?

At such a young age, he knew how to turn a passive situation into an active one and was already playing a double game.

The last time she had been so shocked was when she listened to the video explanation of the “Four Crossings of the Chishui River” campaign and was deeply impressed by Chairman Mao’s military genius.

Of course, this young Lin couldn’t compare to Chairman Mao.

However, for someone so young to have such a calculating mind was indeed rare.

What gave Xu Qingyi goosebumps was that she couldn’t tell whether Lin was ultimately on her side or Princess Zhenyang’s side.

Or perhaps he belonged to neither side; he only wanted power.

“…” Xu Qingyi shivered at her own imagination, a chill running down her spine.

“Mother?” Lin noticed his mother’s distraction, guessing she was worried about Princess Zhenyang’s schemes. He reassured her, “Don’t worry. Tomorrow, I will gain her trust, making her rely on me to achieve her goals. If I find the opportunity, I will turn the tables on her.”

Xu Qingyi snapped out of her daze, thinking, ‘Mother isn’t worried about Princess Zhenyang; she’s worried about you.’

You, the main villain in the original story, are far more terrifying than Princess Zhenyang.

“Alright, but don’t be too reckless.” After all, Princess Zhenyang currently held the upper hand. Xu Qingyi was worried that Lin might act impulsively and go too far.  She said, “First, listen to what she wants to do. Let’s wait and see. When she gets impatient, she will reveal her flaws.”

“Yes, Mother. I understand,” Lin said.

Her eldest son was too aggressive.

Although he was both brave and resourceful, Xu Qingyi still had to remind him, “Although your father is backing us, there’s always room to maneuver. But we can’t take advantage of this and act rashly.  We should leverage any advantage we can; if not, we wait.”

Lin understood. They couldn’t squander the reputation his father had built. They should use it only at the most crucial moments.

“Of course, I’m not saying you should always act this way.  It’s just that right now, we don’t have the advantage, so we have to be cautious.” In modern terms, it’s called “lying low,” only doing so when facing adversity. Once we’ve grown stronger, we won’t need to hide anymore.

“Mm,” Lin nodded again.

“Remember to bring Abai with you tomorrow when you meet, and be careful,” Although Xu Qingyi felt that Lin, with his countless schemes, didn’t need her to worry, she still reminded him.

“Good,” Lin had said all he wanted to say.

He was about to leave when he heard a noise from the inner room and casually asked, “Is the third brother resting here again?”

“Yes,” Xu Qingyi chuckled nervously. She always felt that Heng had never had a mother and that she should spend more time with him. But her eldest son clearly disapproved. She understood and quickly said before he could speak, “Okay, okay, Mother will pay attention. When he turns five, I’ll definitely make him go back to his own room.”

Lin, who had been about to voice his objection, swallowed his words.