Quick Travel to the Clouds

Chapter 500 Koi Little Lucky Star 29

"Editor Ji of the Hanlin Academy... Madam Yun..." Lin Fubao muttered, and then his eyes suddenly widened, his heart leaped as if struck by something heavy, and his voice was filled with disbelief and surprise, "Do you know Madam Yun's maiden name?"

"It seems to be called Yunchu."

Dust-sealed memories suddenly burst open! Yunjia Village… Yun Chu… the person who was born on the same day as me.

"Chun Ying! Are you sure her name is 'Yun Xiang Zhai'? Is she Yun Chu, the wife of Ji Qingyuan, the editor of the Hanlin Academy?" Fu Bao asked anxiously, almost standing up from the embroidery cushion.

Chunying was startled by her sudden reaction and quickly supported her: "Your Majesty, be careful! It's absolutely true. I've made inquiries. Madam Ji's name is Yunchu. I heard she's very elegant and capable, and is gradually becoming famous among the ladies. We are using the products from her shop."

A huge surprise instantly filled Lin Fubao's heart, like a sudden injection of warmth in a cold night.

In this capital city where I have no relatives and need to be cautious everywhere, in this gorgeous yet cold residence of Prince Ping, I can actually hear news from fellow townsmen and old friends.

"It's her! It must be her!" Fubao's face showed a rare, genuine smile without any pretense, with a bit of childish joy, "Quick! Chunying, help me change my clothes!"

"I'm going to post an invitation, inviting Yun Chu... Madam Ji! Yes, Madam Ji, to come over for a chat! Just tell her... just tell her that I've recently heard of Yun Xiang Zhai's elegant reputation and admire Madam Ji's ingenuity. I'd like to ask for some makeup tips in person!"

Even though there were some minor quarrels in childhood, now that we have been away from each other for many years, far away from home, and surrounded by loneliness, these tiny "grudges" have long been completely washed away by the great sense of belonging and intimacy brought by "fellow townsmen" and "old friends".

At this moment, Lin Fubao felt as if he had suddenly grasped a warm and solid vine from his hometown in this vast imperial capital.

At the same time, in the Ji Mansion, Yun Chu was also slightly stunned after receiving the formal invitation from Princess Ping.

The maid presented Yun Chu with an exquisite invitation from the palace. Yun Chu unfolded it and glanced at it quickly.

Madam Ji, the editor of the Hanlin Academy? Yunxiangzhai? Makeup tips? This string of information flooded into his mind.

"Princess Ping...Lin Fubao..." Yun Chu put down the note, his fingertips unconsciously sliding across the smooth fabric.

The fifth prince is the future emperor, and Lin Fubao is the future queen. In the original book, because they are a contrasting group, their Yun family is in a very miserable state.

However, Lin Fubao himself did not do anything to the Yun family.

Prince Ping is now walking on thin ice, and his relationship with the Lin family is delicate.

If he chooses a side now, when King Ping becomes emperor in the future, Ji Qingyuan will definitely be in a high position.

When Ji Qingyuan stepped into the study, his face wore a hint of fatigue from a long day of toiling at his desk. He hadn't yet removed his official robes, and his brow held the calm and thoughtful expression characteristic of a Hanlin editor.

Yun Chu had been waiting in the study for a long time. She personally poured him a cup of freshly brewed hot tea, the lingering aroma of tea wafting in the dim candlelight.

She didn't immediately take out the gilded invitation, but instead handed him a neatly copied manuscript: "The manuscript of 'Ode to the Eastern Capital' that I copied today has been proofread. You must be tired, have some tea first."

Ji Qingyuan took the manuscript and the teacup, his eyes falling on his wife's slightly calm face.

After years of being together, he sensed that she was worried. "Madam, is there anything going on in the mansion today?" He took a sip of tea and asked gently.

Yun Chu then pulled out the exquisitely crafted invitation from her sleeve, gently placed it on the table, and pushed it towards Ji Qingyuan. "There is indeed something... an invitation."

Her voice was calm, but each word was clear. "The Prince Ping's Mansion just sent a letter. The Princess Ping personally invited me to visit the palace in a few days."

"Princess Ping? But is that Lin Fubao who was born on the same day as you?" Ji Qingyuan was slightly surprised. He put down his teacup and picked up the note to take a closer look.

Yun Chu nodded, her tone carrying a subtle complexity. "It's her. Back then, we weren't close friends. We lived in the same place, and we had some minor disagreements. But after years of separation, my hometown feels so distant. Now, in the vast capital, I've heard news of an old friend. She sent an envoy to invite me, and her feelings are so urgent. I imagine she's homesick."

Ji Qingyuan pondered for a moment. The invitation from Prince Ping's Mansion was definitely not just about reminiscing about the past and admiring the beauty.

He had always known that King Ping Xiao Hong was a treacherous person, and he had also heard that he was very secretive about Lin's family.

The princess suddenly had to interact with the family of a seemingly unrelated new civil servant... This reminded her of the "Yun Xiang Zhai" that her own wife had just opened and was attracting considerable attention...

Yun Chu looked directly into Ji Qingyuan's eyes, lowering her voice a few notches with an unprecedented solemnity: "My husband, Princess Ping's invitation may be a nostalgia for me, but for the palace, the motive is probably more than that. But at this moment, I am thinking about more than just this social event."

Ji Qingyuan sensed her seriousness and couldn't help but sit up straighter: "Madam, what do you think?"

"Husband," Yun Chu took a deep breath and spoke the core of her thoughts, "Today, we are not discussing whether the princess is sincere or not, nor what the Pingwang Mansion is planning. Regarding the court situation, what do you think about the future...?"

Ji Qingyuan was so smart, how could he not hear the hidden meaning? He frowned slightly, his eyes sharpened: "What do you want to say?"

"I would like to ask my husband to carefully consider His Royal Highness Prince Ping's capabilities and... the current situation." Yun Chu spoke slowly, each word hammering home the truth. "My husband, in the Imperial Academy, must understand His Royal Highness Prince Ping's affairs better than I do. The recent assignments he's been assigned have seemed fraught with difficulties, even precarious, but have they ever resulted in failure?"

Ji Qingyuan tapped his fingers lightly on the table, recalling the matters that were discussed privately by his colleagues - the disaster relief grain bill that seemed unsolvable but turned out to be a promising solution, the royal family disputes that became increasingly serious but the key witness suddenly changed his testimony, and even the thrilling accidental fall from power... Every time, Prince Ping Xiao Hong stepped back from the brink of crisis and often won greater political capital.

"Indeed... fate seems to be particularly kind to him." Ji Qingyuan frowned even deeper.

Yun Chu whispered, "Once it was luck, twice it was coincidence, and every time I've escaped danger, every time I've been in ...

"Or, does this 'good fortune' itself represent some kind of irresistible... 'trend'?" She stopped there, not saying something as outrageous as "He is the future true dragon," but her meaning was already extremely clear.

"Husband, please think carefully. How is His Majesty's health? Among the several adult princes, in terms of talent, bearing, and current accumulated strength, where does His Royal Highness Prince Ping stand? Is it just the thin ice that you and I see?"

The study fell into silence, with only the occasional faint flicker of candlelight.