The Challenge of a Farmhouse Son-in-Law-Chapter 509 - 519: The Imperial Family’s Secrets

"Could that be Madam Gu, the former wife of the third Prince?"

"Shh, keep your voice down. It’s better for us common folk to speak less of such forbidden secrets within the palace."

"What’s there to fear, we’ll just whisper it."

The more timid one whispered, "Then you whisper to yourself. I better take my leave first."

"Hey, hey, you’re such a spoilsport. Fine, don’t talk about it, but wait for me."

Perhaps it was the chilly aura behind her that was too overwhelming, but Gu Youyou couldn’t help turning her head to look back.

The venomous glare in Jin Ziyuan’s eyes as it followed the departing horse startled Gu Youyou.

"What’s wrong with you?" freewebnøvel.coɱ

The cold aura bursting from his body was greatly harmful to him, and Gu Youyou reached out to feel his pulse.

Jin Ziyuan pushed away Gu Youyou as if she were a snake or scorpion, the venomous look in his eyes shifting onto her, sending a shiver through her.

How deep must the hatred in his eyes be?

But why did he hate that woman in the carriage so much? I heard people whispering earlier that she was the wife of the fifth Prince, not an official wife but perhaps a concubine of sorts. But what was she previously, the wife of the third Prince?

This messy web of relationships.

As Gu Youyou was lost in her thoughts, Jin Ziyuan had already returned to his usual self.

"I’m leaving. Remember to wait here for me in three days," he said.

After speaking, he vanished into the crowd in no time at all.

Gu Youyou sighed. She probably wouldn’t be able to get that pink lotus, but she hadn’t said that.

After glancing at the shops ahead, Gu Youyou went into a store selling osmanthus cakes and bought some before returning to Jisheng Hall.

In ancient times without snacks, osmanthus cakes were considered quite delicious as a leisure food, but Gu Youyou wasn’t particularly fond of them.

She liked sweets, especially Western-style pastries.

It seemed she would have to try making some herself during her spare time to satisfy her cravings.

...

Upon returning home, Gu Youyou pulled Lin Qianqing aside to gossip about the woman in the carriage she saw earlier that day.

"I heard the wife of the fifth Prince is stationed at the Xining Border Defense. Today, I saw her on the street."

"Oh my, we must be careful when speaking of such matters—the Imperial Family has its taboos!" Lin Qianqing looked around at the doorway and then carefully closed the door.

She asked with a smile, "How did you know the person in the carriage on the street today was the wife of the fifth Prince?"

Gu Youyou replied, "I heard it from the people nearby. They also said she used to be the wife of the third Prince."

With an extremely interested look on her face, Gu Youyou found Lin Qianqing very accommodating.

Ladies sequestered in seclusion, like them, loved to hear gossip from different households, especially secrets of the Imperial Family. She had managed to gather quite a bit of information with great difficulty.

"I know about this matter. Let me tell you," she said excitedly.

"Years ago, when the current Emperor was not the Emperor but the Crown Prince, his position was unstable despite being the heir. You see, he was the legitimate son of the previous Empress, who had died. The old Emperor then elevated his favorite concubine to the Empress, and obviously, he doted on her son, the third Prince, immensely, even considering replacing the heir with the Prince.

In short, the Emperor ascended to the throne with bated breath, and as for the third Prince, the victor becomes king and the loser a bandit; he couldn’t accept having lost the throne, which was within his grasp. In those years when the Emperor’s position was unstable, he started gathering supporters to rebel. It’s said that he even had a decree from the late Emperor—an edict that revoked the status of the Crown Prince and designated the third Prince as the new Emperor.

Of course, you should only listen to this and not take it as truth—it could just be rumors."

Listening closely, Gu Youyou said in a low voice, "So the third Prince plotted a rebellion but failed. The key lies with the wife of the third Prince, right?"