The princess was ordained by Heaven.

Chapter 125 The Young Lady

Why is Zhao Xiulan acting so strangely?

Zhao Xiulan snapped out of her strange fantasies, composed herself, and said as usual, "I thought Father-in-law was better, but it turned out to be just a final burst of energy before death."

She sighed, feigning regret.

He is indeed better, but I came here to make sure he doesn't get better.

Zhao Xiulan: What grudge do you hold against me?

Judging from her tone, it seems that she was the one who orchestrated the Duke of Dingguo's sudden return to his idiotic state.

How on earth did she do it?

I can't understand it, but it's certain that she was kind to her; after all, she didn't turn her into a fool.

[This old bastard is a waste of resources to keep alive, but it's a pity we still need him, so we can't just send him to his death.]

Zhao Xiulan was really curious about what her father-in-law had done to make the princess dislike him so much.

Watching the person who had plopped down on the ground and was playing with a bamboo cup, she tentatively said, "Sigh, who would have thought that the once wise and mighty Duke Dingguo would have this day?"

[What a brilliant and wise ruler! Do you know why the Duke of Dingguo's mansion is so wealthy? It's all the wealth he amassed from the people during the reign of the late emperor.]

[During his patrols, he colluded with bandits and local officials to extort money from wealthy merchants and rich families. If that were all, it would be one thing, but he didn't even spare ordinary people. Even if you only had a handful of grain left in your home, you had to hand over three-tenths of it to him.]

The number of people whose families were destroyed and who died because of him is countless. Those bandits and officials have already died under Jianyang's sword, but the Duke of Dingguo, who took the lion's share, was not implicated.

Zhao Xiulan thought she held the reins of the household finances, but in reality, the truly valuable assets were in the hands of the Duke of Dingguo.

[The only clean money in the entire Duke Dingguo's mansion, earned through Zhao Xiulan's own means, was ill-gotten gains.]

Therefore, Zhao Xiulan's righteous act was actually helping the Duke of Dingguo's family to atone for their sins; it's better to let go of their sins.

Zhao Xiulan turned to look at her father-in-law again and suddenly felt that everything about him was displeasing to the eye.

I never realized he looked so annoying before; it always makes me want to kick him.

She rubbed the ground with the sole of her foot, restraining the urge to step out.

"Let's go outside and talk."

The servants have been cleaning diligently lately, so there's no unpleasant smell in the house. However, the place where a chronically ill person lives always has a gloomy atmosphere, and staying there for a long time can easily make one feel depressed.

Finally, Zhao Xiulan led her to a spacious pavilion. The pavilion was surrounded by chrysanthemums, which were in full bloom. Inside the pavilion, a stove was set up, and sweet soup was warming on it. The sweet aroma, combined with the faint fragrance of tea, was exceptionally refreshing and pleasant.

As for why it was sweet soup, it can only be attributed to Zheng Xun being too young.

"Xiulan is quite refined. It seems I need to come here more often."

Zhao Xiulan was momentarily dazed when she heard her name called.

She still thought she was called "Crown Princess" or "Madam Ding".

This name is truly something I haven't heard in a long time.

A slight smile played on her lips: "As long as the princess comes, Xiulan will be ready at any time."

Zheng Xun took a sip of the sweet soup, and the aroma of jujubes instantly filled his mouth.

She traced the pattern on the rim of the bowl and slowly asked, "How is Xiulan's matter progressing?"

“I have built an academy, which has already begun construction. It is intended to take in children under the age of thirteen and some women who have nowhere else to go. Currently, the Duke of Dingguo’s estate has four hundred hectares of land. Apart from keeping one hundred hectares for myself, I plan to use the rest specifically for the academy, where I can teach women and older children some survival skills.”

"Once this starts, the investment will be a bottomless pit."

Zhao Xiulan said calmly, "Although my abilities and financial resources are limited, I cannot do nothing because of that. I will help as many people as I can until the day I can no longer help."

She spoke these words with gentleness and kindness, and for some reason, Zheng Xun vaguely saw a kind of divinity in her face.

Zheng Xun said seriously, "Don't worry, as long as you do this well, Da Yong and I will be your support."

“Princess!” Zhao Xiulan said, moved. “Thank you.”

Before she had done a good job, she didn't tell any outsiders about this matter. No one knew how important Zheng Xun's affirmation and support were to her.

They used to dislike each other and even loathe each other, but because of their shared ideals, they shook hands and made peace, sitting together to discuss the future.

Zhao Xiulan was incredibly grateful for her awakening; she felt more fulfilled and satisfied than ever before.

Everything she did was meaningful.

After she calmed down, Zheng Xun continued, "I wonder if you know that the wealth you hold is only the tip of the iceberg of the Duke of Dingguo's true wealth."

“I know. But everything is in my father-in-law’s hands, and he’s not in his right mind right now… Even if he were sober, he wouldn’t hand everything over to me, an outsider.”

"You've heard that I actually know a little bit about divination, so I know how to get those valuables."

"The Duke of Dingguo's wealth is all in my possession. What he hides is probably too shameful to show to anyone. Even if I knew everything, there would be no way to make those riches appear in the world openly."

She was a little thirsty, so she picked up the sweet soup and was about to put it in her mouth.

Zheng Xun reached out and stopped her.

No need to drink it, it'll just come out again soon anyway.

Zhao Xiulan didn't believe in this superstition, dodged her hand, and took a sip.

"I would like to request that you be granted the title of Lady of the World."

"puff……"

Zhao Xiulan's sweet soup was destined to be wasted, just as it always was.

Zheng Xun sat opposite her. Luckily, she reacted quickly, otherwise she probably would have had a hard time escaping being sprayed in the face.

See? She told me she couldn't drink it, but she insisted on drinking it anyway. Why is she so stubborn?

Zhao Xiulan choked on the sweet soup and coughed for a while before she recovered: "Your Highness? What is that?"

"You've heard of him, right? He's the same as that one."

Zhao Xiulan choked again: "Princess...you can't joke about such things."

Who told you I was joking?

"But I am a woman..."

"Any questions?"

"The Duke of Dingguo isn't without grandsons either; Ding Kang has a half-brother!"

"Who said that child is a member of the Ding family?"

Zhao Xiulan was filled with questions: "Didn't you say so, Princess?"

"Yes. But who can prove that I didn't say those things in anger? To put it bluntly, there's no conclusive evidence of the child's identity, and even if there were, it wouldn't be impossible to overturn it. Everything is up to me, do you understand?"

Zhao Xiulan was speechless.

Zheng Xun patiently explained, "Look, this is the benefit of power. I have power, I have status, so whatever I say goes. After being the heir apparent of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion for so many years, you should understand this principle."

Zhao Xiulan's lips twitched slightly: "I know, but I'm not entirely sure."

After all, her power came from her husband, and after his death, all she had left was empty bravado.