Two years later.

"Father, you've been approved for two hours, take a rest." Zong Zhengjin, who was dressed in a plain dress, walked to the dragon case with a cup of tea, since Shen Shulan's death, Zong Zhenghao personally raised Zong Zhengjin, and let her read and study on the side when reviewing the chapter every day, Zong Zhengjin is already smart, coupled with Zong Zhenghao's careful teaching in the past two years, so that her knowledge has increased a lot.

Zong Zhenghao raised his head, took the tea in her hand with a smile, and asked, "Have you finished reading the book?" ”

"I've read it a long time ago, and I've even read the Book of Rites. It's just that I don't quite understand the meaning yet. Zong Zhengjin replied obediently, in two years, she has grown taller, more beautiful, and more sensible, but her temperament is much calmer. Zong Zhenghao nodded and appreciated: "Ah Jin is really the smartest, those esoteric books, read them slowly, and you will understand them in the future." ”

"Yes." Zong Zhengjin saw that he was drinking tea, so he ran to him, picked up the recital on the table and read it curiously. Reading and reading, he frowned, and when Zong Zhenghao saw her like this, he asked quite funny: "What's the matter, what words can't be read?" ”

"No, Ah Jin just thinks it's weird."

"What's weird?" Zong Zhenghao took the fold and took a look, the content was that Wang Shunying, the servant of the Criminal Department, accused Cui Jin, the secretary of the Ministry of Households, of requisitioning private houses and expanding the land to repair houses. After investigation, this is indeed the case.

Zong Zhengjin raised his head and said solemnly: "The squire reported Shangshu, this is overstepping, and ah, the requisition of private houses, the expansion of land and the repair of houses This is a matter for the Ministry of Household and the Ministry of Industry, and they should report it. After she finished speaking, Zong Zhenghao was shocked, he was so clear at a young age, he understood right and wrong so clearly, if he taught him well, he would definitely make great achievements in the future.

A thought suddenly flashed through Zong Zhenghao's mind, but then he shook his head, really, how could he have such a ridiculous idea.

"Ah Jin is so smart," Zong Zhenghao hugged her, "In your opinion, what should I do with this twist?" ”

Zong Zhengjin really thought about it seriously and said: "The head of the household department is guilty, of course he must be punished, and the servant of the criminal department will be punished for overstepping his level, and he will also be punished for meddling in his affairs." "Okay, then listen to Ah Jin, both of them will be punished. Zong Zhenghao responded with a smile, the Xu family destroyed one of his household books, so he pulled out the Xu family's criminal department squire.

In the Changle Palace, the imperial concubine knelt beside the queen mother with a look of grievance, "Queen Mother, you have to be the master of the second uncle of the concubine, he reported the household department, the evidence is conclusive, why does the emperor want to dismiss his official, who will dare to eradicate the traitor in the future?" ”

"Who made him anxious for quick success, he couldn't bear it, and he was guilty of overstepping the level and denouncing it." The queen mother responded lightly, the emperor is becoming more and more ruthless now, and he will be dismissed if he says that he will be dismissed, and he will not consider the Xu family behind the Wang family.

"But this kind of thing has happened before, and I haven't seen the emperor punish it." Xu Yingrong was very dissatisfied, she always felt that the emperor did it on purpose.

"Okay, the most important thing at the moment is not your uncle, but the position of the head of the household. Didn't the Xu family always want it? The Queen Mother glanced at her, Xu Yingrong immediately shut up, if she was talking too much, the Queen Mother would be angry.

"Yes, Daddy is already preparing. Tomorrow the court will say. ”

"Well, by the way, how is Jing'er doing?" Speaking of this emperor's eldest grandson, Empress Dowager Xu's brows relaxed, and Xu Yingrong replied with a smile: "Jing'er is very diligent in his studies, and even the Taifu praises him for his intelligence." ”

"Well, that's good, you have to remember that Jing'er will be a prince in the future, and you must educate yourself well from an early age." "Yes, the concubine knows." When Xu Yingrong thought that his son would become an emperor in the future, his heart blossomed.

"I'm afraid it's not easy to become a prince." A gloomy voice came from the outer hall, and the two turned their heads to look, and a gray-robed man walked in, it was the current national teacher Su Li. Two years ago, shortly after the death of Shen Guifei, Xuanji Pavilion's head Xuan Jizi died mysteriously, no one found out the cause of death, and his eldest disciple, Yi Chu, the former national teacher, was nowhere to be found.

"What do you mean by the national teacher?" Empress Dowager Xu asked with a frown. Su Li stroked his beard lightly and replied coldly: "If the fourth prince wants to sit on the throne of the crown prince, he must first remove one person. ”

"Who?"

Su Li's eyes narrowed slightly, and he slowly spit out a person's name "Zong Zhengjin",

"She? You're not mistaken, right, just because she's worthy? Xu Yingrong looked disdainful when she heard this name, how could a child who had lost her mother and concubine be the one who prevented her son from becoming the crown prince?

"Do you know why the squire of the Criminal Department was dismissed?" "What do you mean?" Empress Dowager Xu's face sank, could it be that girl who did it?

Su Li sneered and said, "If it weren't for Princess Jin saying a few words, the emperor wouldn't have punished Wang Shilang." "Is that her?" Xu Yingrong can't be calm now, that dead girl has been protected by the emperor for the past two years, she can't deal with her, but she didn't expect that the dead girl would dare to harm her Xu family, how could she keep it.

In contrast, Empress Dowager Xu calmed down a lot, thought for a moment, and asked, "If it's really as you say, how should I deal with her?" Although Zong Zhengjin is her granddaughter, Bao Jing'er's accession to the throne is more important. Su Li raised his eyebrows and smiled, and said, "The emperor will go out of the palace next month to check the floods in Shandong, and then we will have a chance." ”

"I don't know what the national teacher's plan is?" Empress Dowager Xu is a shrewd person, and if she doesn't have a good plan, she won't participate. Su Li smiled lightly and explained his plan to the two.

On the second day of the fifth month, the emperor went to the disaster area to check the floods, and before leaving, he told Zhao's mother to take care of Princess Jin, but Zhao's mother, who was already old and tired, was the opponent of Zongzheng Jin's master and servant. No, the two of them secretly ran to the Taiming Lake Pavilion to play, and just after playing for a while, a blue figure ran towards them.

"Sister Huang, Zhao Qing." The person who came is the fifth prince Zong Zhengmin, although there are many concubines in the harem, but there are only five imperial heirs, the eldest princess Zong Zhengyan is the daughter of Concubine He, and the imperial concubine is a faction, the second princess is Zong Zhengjin, the third princess is Zong Zhengyu, the daughter of the imperial concubine, brutal and capricious, extremely domineering. The fourth prince, Zong Zhengjing, the son of the imperial concubine, is indeed smart on the surface, but behind the scenes he is a ruthless master. And these five princes are the sons of the deceased concubine, because the concubine had a good relationship with Shen Shulan before her death, so Zong Zhengmin and Zong Zhengjin also have a good relationship.

"You two are so unrighteous that you don't call me when you come out to play." Jong Jung-min panted and accused her two.

"Hehe, fifth brother, why did you come out, you don't have to study?" Zong Zhengjin likes this younger brother very much, maybe in the eyes of outsiders, Zong Zhengmin is an incompetent prince who doesn't learn and doesn't know how to make trouble everywhere, but only she knows that the fifth brother is very smart, but he is good at hiding himself after losing his mother since he was a child.

"It's useless to read, it's okay not to read!" Zong Zhengmin said very boldly, then sat down next to Zhao Qing, looked at her little face, and suddenly said in surprise: "Ah, Zhao Qing, I haven't seen you for a few days, why have you gained weight, are you stealing delicious food, tell me, I want to eat too." Zhao Qing couldn't help but roll her eyes, she really didn't want to say a word more about this prince who didn't learn and didn't know how to do it, if it weren't for the princess liking him, she wouldn't even want to take care of it. Zong Zhengjin didn't bother to talk about him, so he picked up the two and went to the direction of the Imperial Garden.

The three of them were playing, but they saw the eldest princess and Concubine Xu's children coming over. As soon as he saw that the person was not good, Zong Zhengjin immediately stood vigilantly in front of the two and protected them.

"Ah, isn't this the second imperial sister, what? As soon as my father left the palace, you messed around? "It was the eldest princess Zong Zhengyan who spoke, she was very jealous of Zong Zhengjin, because she could get her father's favor, and this time when her father was out of the palace, she wanted to find trouble with Zong Zhengjin.

"Sister Huanghuang, she is the father's favorite daughter, so naturally she just messes around if she wants to." There was a lot of sourness in these words, and it was Zong Zhengyu who answered the phone, inheriting the exquisite face of her mother, but such a beautiful face was really not suitable for that vicious expression. Zong Zhengjing stood quietly aside, looking gentle and elegant, but the ridicule in his eyes revealed his mood at the moment.

Zong Zhengjin really didn't want to talk to them more, so he pulled the two people behind him and was about to leave, but Zong Zhengyan stopped them and sneered: "Didn't your mother teach you, isn't it rude for others to ask questions and not answer?" Oh, Princess Ben forgot, your mother is dead, no wonder. "Hehe, a wild girl who doesn't have a mother. Zong Zhengyu was gloating on the side, and Zong Zhengjing laughed out loud at this time. Zong Zhengjin's face was pale, she could tolerate others insulting her, but she would never allow others to talk about her mother's concubine.

"Pop" Zong Zhengjin's little hand slapped Zong Zhengyu who was sneering on the side, this sound stunned everyone in the audience,

"Zong Zhengjin, if you dare to beat me, I will kill you." Zong Zhengyu was mad, and when he stepped forward, he scuffled with Zong Zhengjin, and when both sides saw this, they both went up to fight. The shouts attracted the palace maids, and when they saw that the situation was not right, several people immediately stepped forward to pull them away, and when the imperial concubine and his party arrived, the six had been separated.

Xu Yingrong saw that his baby daughter and son were in a mess, Zong Zhengyu's face was swollen, and he was so angry that he scolded angrily: "Who did it? ”

"Woo... Mother concubine, it was Zong Zhengjin who beat us first, and the eldest sister just said a few words to her, and she started beating people. Zong Zhengyu preemptively sued.

Zong Zhengmin couldn't bear it anymore and shouted loudly: "You wicked people sue first, obviously you have nothing to do, and you bark everywhere like mad dogs." "You dare to scold us?" Zong Zhengyan glared at him angrily, and when he was about to step forward to beat him, someone was already one step ahead of her.

"Smack." Xu Yingrong's big palm slapped Zong Zhengmin hard, and there were immediately five finger prints on his white and tender little face, which should be very painful, but he didn't cry, raised his head and looked at this woman, his eyes were full of unconvinced.

"You wild children are full of nonsense, don't you really lack education without a mother?" Xu Yingrong looked at them contemptuously, especially when she saw Zong Zhengjin, she was even more disdainful, she had already killed the big one, and if she didn't believe it, she couldn't deal with this small one. Zong Zhengjin held back his anger and lowered his head silently.

"The three of you dare to beat the prince in the imperial garden, if you don't punish it severely, it will be difficult to convince the public, this palace orders you to kneel in the Taihe Hall for a day and a night, you are not allowed to eat, laugh, and take a good look at them for the palace," Xu Yingrong took his children away after speaking, Zong Zhengmin wanted to go up to theorize, but was stopped by Zong Zhengjin.

"Second princess, fifth prince, let's go." A disdainful female voice sounded behind herself, Zong Zhengjin looked up at the brightly dressed Qiaoxiang in front of her, after Shen Shulan's death, she entered the Jinling Palace as she wished and became Xu Yingrong's maidservant, and Zhao's mother kept saying that Qiaoxiang was a white-eyed wolf, and the master defected to others as soon as he died, Zong Zhengjin did not tell her the real cause of death of her mother, if Zhao's mother knew, she would definitely kill Qiaoxiang with her own hands, no, she would not let them die so easily, thinking of this, Zong Zhengjin looked at Qiaoxiang with a little more hatred, Qiaoxiang couldn't help but be stunned, Why are the eyes of the two princesses so terrifying, when she wants to look again, Zong Zhengjin has regained her previous clear gaze, and Qiaoxiang can't help but shake her head, maybe she was wrong.