"Qinger, let me be honest with you, if Xiaoqin hadn't been with Damo, I would have thought she was quite good. She's skilled at managing the household and taking care of children."

Zhou Sheng said a little embarrassedly.

“She brought two daughters, and I brought a son. If we got together as a group of Chinese people ourselves, it wouldn't be bad at all, but unfortunately, I don't have that good fortune. That Da Mo kid has more luck than me,” he said.

Yang Ruqing was secretly surprised.

I didn't expect Zhou Sheng Ge still remembered Xiao Qin, haha. Xiao Qin is indeed good, she looks pretty, is hardworking, capable, and virtuous.

"It's hard to say whether this is good fortune or bad. It can only be said that your fate with Xiaoqin is shallow, while Damo and Xiaoqin have a destined relationship as husband and wife," Yang Ruohong said.

Zhou Sheng nodded, saying nothing.

Yang Ruqing's eyes flickered, and she suddenly asked Zhou Sheng, "Zhou Sheng ge, what do you think of Ping'er?"

"Which one?" Zhou Sheng hadn't reacted immediately.

Yang Ruoqing smiled and blinked, "It's just Ping'er who lives at my house all the time!"

Zhou Sheng was stunned for a moment, then immediately shook his head vigorously, "That won't do, that won't do..."

"Well? Are you still interested in Ping'er? She's still a young, unmarried girl. She's very skilled at embroidery, excellent at housework, and kind-hearted too. Look at how she treats Huahua, even though Huahua isn't hers by blood, she never leaves Huahua behind wherever she goes…"

Zhou Sheng waved his hand again: "Qinger, I didn't mean that, how dare I refuse such a kind offer!"

"Then what do you mean?" Yang Ruqing pressed for clarification.

Zhou Sheng said a little embarrassedly: "Miss Ping'er is too beautiful, just like a fairy. She's from a wealthy family and is a well-educated maidservant who can read and write, do accounts and manage a household. She was born to be the wife of an official."

“Look at me again, I can't read big characters, and I can't even write my name. Besides knowing how to do some bricklaying work, I have no other skills.”

“Apart from these hands and a bit of strength, I have nothing else. Being with Ping’er is like a toad wanting to eat swan meat! No, no, I know my place!”

Yang Ruqing smiled.

“A frog that doesn't yearn for swan meat isn't a good frog,” she said.

“Zhou Shengge, when you turn around and wait for Ping'er to return from Yun City, I'll go ahead and find out what she's up to. What do you say?” she asked again.

Zhou Sheng raised his hand and scratched his head, grinning foolishly.

But even though his hand was just digging through the ashes from the stove, this really is hair dye...

“Qing'er, if you think it’s feasible, just try to get some information. Don't say I told you to. Just use your own words. The reason why… you understand…” He stammered.

>

Yang Ruqing smiled. Of course she understood.

“Zhou Shengge, you can rest assured. I definitely won’t ask in your tone. It would be when we women are talking privately that I would casually ask like that. Even if it doesn't work out, you wouldn't feel awkward, right?” she said.

Zhou Sheng nodded repeatedly, "That's right, that's exactly it!"

On a winter night, in the Hall of Spirits for Emperor Qi of He Lan Zhou.

Let me know if you have other text you'd like me to translate!

The doors and windows of the mourning hall were tightly shut. There was no sign of a single guard in the courtyard outside, yet the air crackled with tension and a palpable sense of danger, as if this courtyard were an invisible dragon's lair or tiger's den – one wrong step and you would be plunged into an abyss.

Yes, all here are Luofeng Tang's guards. They blend perfectly with the night, with the trees in this courtyard and the pillars.

Unless one is a master of exceptional skill, surpassing even them, they would be unable to discern the hidden guards throughout this courtyard. Otherwise, you would only feel it as an odd place, seemingly empty yet giving off the impression that people are everywhere, watching with sharp gazes.

Inside the mourning hall.

But it was a very strange sight.

The enormous dragon coffin lid in the middle was flung open, resting against the wall. Qi Huang sat within the dragon coffin, his hands resting on its edge. He didn't look well, his lips pale.

His personal eunuch, Xu Gonggong, was beside him, holding a small bowl and spoon, carefully feeding the emperor ginseng bird's nest soup.

On the other side, Luofeng Tang in full military regalia stood beside the dragon coffin like a towering pine, eyes fixed on his nose, nose on his heart, his expression solemn.

Here, the emperor raised his hand and waved lightly. Xu Gonggong pulled back the silver spoon that had been sent to the emperor’s mouth once again and stepped aside. He then held up a tray with both hands and presented a neatly folded handkerchief on the tray to the emperor.

The Qi Emperor picked up the handkerchief, gently wiped his mouth, and put it back.

Master Xu just now lifted the tray and walked out of the spirit hall.

Here, Emperor Qi turned his head, his complexion though weak, his demeanor still imposingly swept a glance at Luofengtang: “General Luo, continue.”

“Yes!” Luo Fengtang replied, then lowered his voice to report the situation in the capital to Emperor Qi.

The eldest prince successively won over Han Taishi, a master of the Yue family, and several relatives-in-law of the master. Using the pretext that "the country cannot be without a monarch for a day," he elevated the eldest prince to the throne, who established himself as Emperor Changping and called himself Pingdi.

Luo Fengtang reported the situation while subtly observing Emperor Qi's changing expressions.

After the crown prince ascended to the throne, he sealed off all land and water routes in and out of the capital city and its docks, using trumped-up charges to suppress dissidents one after another.

"Despite the remonstrances of the Imperial Historians, he imprisoned the Second Prince in the imperial prison and had him await a severe punishment."

“The Second Prince’s Consort, being pregnant with six children, was confined to the Zongren Mansion. Other princes, besides the sickly Fourteenth Prince, all suffered accidents one after another: some fell from their horses and were crippled, others drowned in the lotus pond of the Imperial Garden after drinking too much.”

At this point, Luofeng Tang finally saw a flicker of emotion in Qi Huangbo's usually calm and deep eyes.

Without another word, Qi Huang remained silent as Luo Fengtang continued speaking.

>

"Since the day the eldest prince ascended the throne, until this morning, I have received a total of sixteen imperial edicts. Each edict demands that I escort Your Majesty back to the capital. The wording becomes more severe with each decree, and they have even accused me of treason against the emperor, threatening my family with annihilation."

Let me know if you have other text you'd like translated!

Hearing this, Qi Huang let out a cold laugh.

>

“An imperial edict arrived from the capital city to this Helan Prefecture, sent by the fastest horses day and night, taking five days even then.”

“This imperial edict is probably the last one that beast will ever issue in his lifetime. After more than twenty years of ‘cultivating oneself and restraining one’s desires’, he still falls short in the end. He’s so eager to climb to that position, hmph, he’ll never amount to anything!”

The Qi Emperor slowly shook his head, his face full of disappointment.

Luo Fengtang remained silent, inwardly agreeing with Qi Huang's words.

The eldest prince, Qi Xingming, is said to have lost his mother when he was young and had been sickly ever since. As the empress had no sons, she raised Qi Xingming as her own.

Qi Xingming had always been staying at his own Crown Prince's Mansion under the pretext of poor health.

He wasn't like the Second Prince, who enjoyed making friends everywhere, composing poems and writing prose, hunting and enjoying nature excursions, living a carefree life as a leisurely prince.

The crown prince was a recluse and rarely interacted with the court officials.

The eldest prince was not like the sixth prince, Qi Xingyun. Qi Xingyun also lost his mother when he was young, but he worked extremely hard. When he was over ten years old, he went to the military camp to train with Qi Huang's permission.

For over a decade, he has been stationed in the army, accomplishing great feats and becoming Da Qi's war god. He firmly guards Da Qi's northern gate, repelling the attacks of the Da Liao empire.

In terms of personality, the eldest prince is not as unrestrained as the second prince.

In terms of talent and appearance, he is far inferior to Qi Xingyun's extraordinary brilliance.

Even though he was favored by the emperor, he couldn't compete with a few younger brothers of the imperial family.

The only advantage he had was that he was raised in the lap of the Empress.

But no matter which prince became emperor, the empress would be securely the empress dowager. Therefore, for so many years, few people would have thought that the eldest prince was actually the most eager one, so impatient to climb onto that position.

This reminded Luo Fengtang of what his daughter-in-law, Qing'er, often said: "Haste makes waste." Indeed, this time they were about to be burned!