C55

"Prince Jin loves singing and dancing very much," Xue Liuhua's cheeks blushed slightly. "Especially that Spring Dancing that I danced with."

A look of understanding flashed across the crown prince's eyes, "Oh, Young Miss Xue must be very outstanding. Otherwise, how could Prince Jin, who has watched so many songs and dances, not forget about Young Miss Xue?"

Xue Liuhua was extremely pleased with herself and couldn't help but smile, "The crown prince wants to make fun of me again."

Xue Longhu interrupted their conversation coldly, "Why are you here?"

Xue Liuhua looked a little uncomfortable, "I heard that there was a sound from the study room, so I came to take a look, but I didn't expect it to be the crown prince." Actually, she only knew that the Crown Prince was here because she went to find Xue Ronghua's servant.

Xue Longhu said coldly: "Your ears are very sensitive."

The three of them chatted merrily, but they seemed to be at odds with each other. The crown prince and Xue Liuhua, this blushing woman, had nothing to say, but because of Xue Longhu's face, she had no choice but to say a few words. She was just praising how beautiful she was, and how talented she was, praising like this, Xue Liuhua became even happier, and could not stop herself for a moment.

The Crown Prince was almost defeated by the crisp words of praise. The servant shouted from outside the door, "Second Miss is here."

The Crown Prince looked over and saw a lady dressed in an aqua-green dress walking into the study with light steps. She bowed to him respectfully and said, "My daughter Xue Ronghua greets Your Highness."

Her features were delicate and pretty, and concealed within was a heroic spirit. Although it was not as beautiful and seductive as Xue Liuhua's, it still made people feel a sense of closeness to her. The Crown Prince looked at her blankly and said, "So this is the quasi wangfei of the Prince Duan?"

Xue Longhu laughed: "Yes."

Xue Liuhua looked at the crown prince's eyes that were filled with light. Holding back her anger, she forced out a warm smile, "Why is little sister only just here?

"I'm playing spice in my room and came a little late. Please forgive me, Crown Prince." Xue Ronghua said gently.

The Crown Prince raised his eyebrows in surprise, "You can make spices?"

"The maidservant in my room taught me. I just learned it."

"Ronghua's spices were well done. They were placed in a scented bag that she personally embroidered. As they hung around her waist, she always felt a delicate fragrance surrounding her." Xue Longhu raised the scented bag on his waist with his right hand and smiled at Xue Ronghua.

Xue Liuhua gritted her teeth as she smiled: "Why don't you make me a younger sister?"

Xue Ronghua revealed a friendly smile, "I was just making it for big sister. I knew that big sister was picky and had very few flowers that I liked, I picked out the flowers for a long time just for small sister."

The crown prince inadvertently swept his eyes across Xue Liuhua, causing her to be shocked, and she no longer questioned Xue Ronghua any further.

"The crown prince is here for the Prince Duan?"

The Crown Prince nodded, "He asked me to come visit you, and also to give you some things."

Xue Ronghua asked doubtfully: "What did Prince Duan give me?"

"The Crown Prince took out a brocade box and opened it to see that it was actually a bright pearl." This is the Eight Claws Pearl of the Chiron.

Xue Ronghua was used to seeing these oddities in her previous life, but she still had to put on an appearance of extreme shock. "Such a precious object, Prince Duan, he …"

The Crown Prince smiled mysteriously, "This was not given to me by the Prince Duan. It's my present to Second Miss Xue in the future."

The sudden change in address made Xue Ronghua wary, "The Crown Prince's gift is too heavy, I can't take it." As she spoke, she was about to push the Eight Claws Pearl back into the crown prince's hands.

Xue Liuhua's eyeballs were about to fall out of her eye sockets. The Chiron's pearls were extremely precious, and according to the shelves, they were split into three claws, five claws and eight claws, of which the Eight Claws Pearl was the most valuable, there were only three in the world. One was previously in the hands of the Queen Mu Langhua before the Qin Nation, and the other was in the hands of the current emperor of the Qin Nation.

The crown prince pressed the embroidered box back into Xue Ronghua's embrace and said, "There's no need to be so polite, Miss Xue.

Xue Ronghua pretended to be confused. "My daughter is unable to repay the crown prince for his courtesy."

An ambiguous smile appeared on the crown prince's lips. "There will be a lot of time in the future. Second Miss Xue will have a chance to repay me."

Xue Longhu squinted at the embroidered box and said, "Crown Prince, you are thoughtful."

Chu Zongge and Zhu Tong chatted for half a day before Xue Ronghua walked in tiredly.

"What's wrong?" Chu Zongge asked curiously, "What did the crown prince tell you?"

Xue Ronghua made Little Zhui wait outside the door, and said to him with a solemn face: "You really hit the mark, the crown prince is indeed interested in me."

Chu Zongge was startled, and asked anxiously: "Does the crown prince really like you?"

Xue Ronghua laughed coldly and shook her head, "Where does love come from in a palace?

"He shouldn't have directly told you in front of Xue Longhu, right?"

"The Crown Prince isn't that rude," Xue Ronghua thought, "He still isn't sure which side Xue Longhu is on."

Chu Zongge sighed in disappointment, "I can't figure out the Prime Minister Xue either."

"But no matter what," Xue Ronghua said as she looked at him intently, "I will do my best to let your Prime Minister's Mansion fall under your banner."

Chu Zongge said with a smile: "I have never doubted your trust, nor your ability."

"Crown Prince," Xue Ronghua took out a embroidered box from her sleeve, "you even gifted me a pearl."

When Chu Zongge saw her opening the box, his eyes were filled with the sparkling and translucent radiance of the Eight Clawed Pearl, "Aren't there only three of these Eight Clawed Pearl in the world?

"That's right, but that was when Meng Qianzhong and I were engaged and gave it to me," Xue Ronghua said as a trace of hatred appeared on the corner of her mouth, "But that pearl should be in Su Rushuang's hands right now."

Chu Zongge laughed: "When we set down the engagement, I still haven't given you anything yet."

Xue Ronghua smiled, "There's no need. Your promise of revenge is the best present."

Chu Zongge was startled, and his heart suddenly became empty.

"What do you think I should do with the crown prince?"

"That's a tricky thing to do."

Xue Ronghua looked at Chu Zongge, "If the crown prince were to bring up this matter to the emperor, do you think the emperor would allow him to do so?"

Chu Zongge hurriedly shook his head and said, "That's impossible. Our marriage contract has already been set, and we're only waiting for it to happen. It's impossible for the Emperor to agree to such a ridiculous thing."

Xue Ronghua smiled bitterly, "Prince Jin's jinx really answered his words."

"Why don't we go discuss it with Prince Jin?"

Xue Ronghua muttered to herself for a moment, before nodding her head.

When Zhu Tong and Little Zhui were called into the room again, Chu Zongge finished most of the pot of flower tea on the table.

Xue Ronghua smiled at Zhu Tong, "The chrysanthemum tea you make suits Prince Duan's taste very well."

Chu Zongge praised: "It's rare for me to drink sweet but not bitter chrysanthemum tea outside the palace. Zhu Tong is really amazing, if I knew earlier, I wouldn't have given her to you."

Xue Ronghua pouted and said: "If you don't give it to me, you are already my family."

Zhu Tong suddenly glanced at the embroidered box on the shelf and asked curiously: "Quasi-wangfei, that embroidered box is so exquisite."

Xue Ronghua took off the embroidered box and showed it to her, "This is a gift from someone else, inside is the Eight Clawed Pearl produced by your Chiron."

Zhu Tong stared at the pearl carefully, "Miss, the reason why this Eight Clawed Pearl is called the Pearl Holy Artifact, is not because it is crystal clear and bright, but because it can change into a new shape after it melts."

Xue Ronghua had never known that pearls could still melt, and could not help but say in confusion, "This is indeed a good thing."

"Many craftsmen, after melting the pearl, would place a smaller Five-Clawed Pearl or Three-Clawed Pearl in the center of the pearl. The pearl made by these craftsmen is even more priceless than this."

"Sigh, it can't be that I have a pearl here, right?" Xue Ronghua became excited, "Zhu Tong, do you know how to fuse pearls?"

Zhu Tong was startled for a moment, then quickly waved her hand: "This servant only knows how to melt the pearl, but does not know how to shape it. Moreover, the Eight Claws Pearl is extremely rare and precious, this servant does not dare to touch it."

Xue Ronghua said in a relaxed manner: "I am not really that concerned about this bead, I just wanted to see if there were any little pearls inside.

Zhu Tong had no choice but to find a medicine box and concoct a piece of paper powder. Then, she slowly poured it into water, stirred it evenly and then poured it onto the Eight Claws Pearl.

The originally round and exquisite pearl began to gradually melt, turning into a pile of melting white snow at the bottom of the embroidered box, reflecting a sparkling and translucent luster.

There were no Five Clawed Pearl and no Three-clawed Pearl inside, Xue Ronghua sighed in disappointment. Just as she was about to leave, Chu Zongge stopped her.

"Look," Chu Zongge pointed, "There's something else inside the pearl."

Xue Ronghua took out a slip of paper while fiddling with the snow that had been melted by the pearl.

Everyone in the room held their breath as they looked at the piece of paper, not knowing where it came from.

Xue Ronghua took a deep breath, then placed the slip of paper on the table and spread it out. Inside, four big words were written on it with vigorous strokes: Undoubtedly, an alliance.

Chu Zongge muttered from the side: "This isn't the crown prince's handwriting."

Xue Ronghua asked doubtfully: "Then whose does it belong to?"

Chu Zongge focused, "Prince Jin Chu Yuanma."

Xue Ronghua covered her mouth in shock. This was a pearl that the crown prince had personally given to her, why would there be a slip of paper written by the Prince Jin?

Chu Zongge clenched the ball of paper tightly. This Prince Jin knew that he was intentionally using him as an empty shell and was not allied with him sincerely, so he used the crown prince and Xue Ronghua to warn himself that this was indeed a good son that was born in the Noble Consort Kang.

Xue Ronghua looked at him and understood the meaning of Prince Jin's words.

"Are you sure you want to form an alliance with the Prince Jin? For him to be able to place the paper slip into the pearl means that he has some sort of relationship with the crown prince.

Chu Zongge pursed his lips and said: "He has the same intentions as Xue Longhu, and looks like he doesn't want to get involved with any side, but actually, he has an idea in her heart a long time ago."

Xue Ronghua continued his sentence, "Before this, Prince Jin was still swaying between you and the Crown Prince. Now, are we definitely going to form an alliance with you?"

Chu Zongge shook his head and said, "Prince Jin has never been certain, and even at the last moment, I can't trust him. Even if he is on the same boat as me now, when the crown prince takes action, he will cross the river and come to the crown prince's side."

"Even though there are many tricks at hand, the most realistic one is still to fight against the crown prince together with the Prince Jin," Xue Ronghua said as she held up the paper in her hands, "I faintly feel that the Empress Chen is not as stable as it seems to be in the outside world. The crown prince being useless is a fact, if we join hands with the Prince Jin, and drag both the Empress Chen and the crown prince down, it might also be a good thing."

"However, this is very difficult to do …"

Xue Ronghua smiled lightly: "It's precisely because it's so difficult that you guys want to form an alliance."