Chapter 101
Chapter 101: I Don’t Have a Habit of Taking In Useless People
Shi Zi Chu selectively chose to ignore the conversation.
Her gaze was fixed on the golden wheat ears, her delicate and beautiful brows showing a deep sense of accomplishment.
These achievements were the foundation for her future as empress!
Suddenly, Pei Qing You’s attention was drawn to her.
Dressed in simple clothes, with no jewelry or fine adornments, Shi Zi Chu stood in the golden sunlight, which bathed her in a soft, almost ethereal glow. Her expression was one of contentment, and her bright, distant gaze exuded a gentle and compassionate aura.
At that moment, Shi Zi Chu’s beauty was so astounding it seemed almost unreal.
“Zi Chu!” a sweet voice called out from afar.
Shi Zi Chu turned at once, her eyes lighting up as she saw the figure of Yao Ruo Ruo, clad in her tight-fitting military attire, riding a horse towards her with a bright and passionate energy.
“Ruo Ruo!”
A gentle smile bloomed on Shi Zi Chu’s face as she stood up, waving her arms, “Over here!”
Pei Qing You looked up, watching the radiant and joyful smile on Shi Zi Chu’s face. An unconscious sense of envy flickered in her eyes.
She smiled so happily at that eldest miss, Yao Ruo Ruo.
Yao Ruo Ruo swiftly dismounted from her horse, but as she approached, she noticed Pei Qing You standing nearby.
“Huh?” Yao Ruo Ruo asked, linking arms with Shi Zi Chu. “Why is he here?”
“The prefect of Heng Prefecture,” Shi Zi Chu replied casually.
Yao Ruo Ruo gave a soft ‘oh’ before continuing to walk with Shi Zi Chu to one side.
The two exchanged a few words before Yao Ruo Ruo looked at the golden wheat and gave a thumbs up, praising, “Zi Chu, you’re truly amazing!”
Shi Zi Chu beamed with pride, “Of course!”
Excited, Yao Ruo Ruo rubbed her hands together, “Come on, take me to experience harvesting rice!”
As Shi Zi Chu led Yao Ruo Ruo back into the field, teaching her how to harvest, Pei Qing You quietly rose and left, without a sound.
A short distance away, Ye He Qi watched the entire scene, a meaningful look in his eyes.
He had a plan.
The rules in the military camp were strict, and after staying for an hour, Yao Ruo Ruo left.
After seeing off Yao Ruo Ruo, Shi Zi Chu and Ye He Qi returned to the manor.
They sat in the pavilion, discussing their next moves.
“Ming Xi Su and Lu Cang should just be poisoned and done with,” Shi Zi Chu said, biting into a sweet and tangy fruit. “Then, let Meng Xi Yu use a little trick to have the crown prince deposed.”
The succession of the crown prince was not an easy matter.
Meng Xi Yu needed time to strategize if he wanted to become the crown prince, and they, too, needed time.
So, Ming Xi Su and Lu Cang should be eliminated as soon as possible; they were far too obstructive to let live.
“The Chu kingdom also needs to be guarded against,” Ye He Qi said lazily, fanning himself. “In three to five years, Chu Zhi Sheng will definitely make a comeback.”
One couldn’t deny that Chu Zhi Sheng truly loved Chu Zhi Rou.
The two of them had their own schemes, and they would undoubtedly target Shi Zi Chu.
“Then we’ll eliminate them,” Shi Zi Chu said, taking another bite of her fruit.
Three to five years would be enough time for Zhou kingdom to grow strong.
Swallowing the fruit, she added, “The emperor must step down early, too.”
The emperor’s existence was also an obstruction.
Ye He Qi glanced at the golden hook phoenix butterfly in Shi Zi Chu’s hair.
Perhaps Shi Zi Chu was truly unrelated to the Gu Master family, but she was certainly a Gu Master.
If a Gu Master wanted to kill someone, it was far too easy—just like those guards and palace maids who had turned into pools of blood before.
“General Yao is currently stationed at Qinheng Pass, so it would be difficult for the Chu kingdom to invade,” Ye He Qi continued, slowly fanning himself, the heat of the air dissipating with each movement.
Yao Ruo Ruo was General Yao’s only daughter, and General Yao had high hopes for her. Unfortunately, the world was harsh on women.
He didn’t know what Shi Zi Chu had promised Yao Ruo Ruo, but now General Yao had sworn allegiance to her.
Watching Shi Zi Chu casually chewing on her fruit, Ye He Qi smiled, “Let’s take it one step at a time.”
Shi Zi Chu looked up, her eyes full of innocence, “Husband, what are you talking about? I’m just a farmer girl, I don’t understand.”
Ye He Qi smiled and closed his folding fan.
Shi Zi Chu, ever adaptable, quickly corrected herself, “My mistake, I meant the fan!”
The summer heat in Heng Prefecture was unbearable, and winter was harsh. Spring and autumn barely existed.
It was the peak of summer, and the heat was oppressive!
Ye He Qi opened his folding fan again and slowly began fanning, “The bandits have mostly been cleared, and the remaining ones are the most wicked.”
Shi Zi Chu finished the fruit, wiped her hands with a damp cloth, and said, “Send them to be registered as slaves and have them do the hard labor.”
Ye He Qi looked at her flawless face and smiled. “Pei Qing You seems to have some unusual interest in you.”
Shi Zi Chu shot him a sideways glance.
“He’s the young sect master of one of the three sects. Don’t you have any thoughts about him?” Ye He Qi asked.
Pei Qing You could certainly be called someone with a bright future ahead of him.
Of course, compared to Yan Zhou Bai and Meng Xi Yu, he was somewhat lacking.
Shi Zi Chu maintained a serious expression. “First of all, Pei Qing You has a fiancée. Secondly, I don’t have a habit of taking in useless people.”
What could Pei Qing You offer her?
Trouble.
She disliked trouble, and she certainly disliked useless people.
Ye He Qi watched her expression of clear disdain and chuckled but didn’t say anything more.
With the matters in the fields no longer needing her attention, Shi Zi Chu began to focus on martial arts and military strategy.
Ye He Qi continued to stay busy.
And so, two peaceful and fulfilling years passed.
In the spring of the third year, an imperial edict arrived.
The high yields of rice, wheat, and sweet potatoes had not only changed Heng Prefecture but had transformed all of Zhou kingdom.
As a result, the emperor named the seventh prince as Prince Heng, and Shi Zi Chu was granted the title of Princess Consort Heng, along with the prestigious title of Protectorate Madam. She was also awarded an imperial pardon medallion.
The people of Heng Prefecture cheered for Shi Zi Chu in response to the imperial edict.
At the same time, agricultural officials from the capital came to consult with Shi Zi Chu and the local officials.
Shi Zi Chu was too busy, so she handed these officials over to the local authorities.
The agricultural officials from the capital watched in awe as Shi Zi Chu taught the women how to raise silkworms, reel silk, and weave cloth.
They marveled at how insightful the seventh prince was!
In just five years, Shi Zi Chu’s reputation for virtue had spread from Heng Prefecture throughout all of Zhou kingdom.
They may not have met her in person, but they had certainly eaten the high-yield rice she had introduced.
Far from Heng Prefecture, Shi Zi Chu was now being praised as a living goddess, while in the capital, several power shifts had taken place.
After the second prince died of an untreatable disease in Xiang Prefecture, the third and fifth princes also passed away due to illness.
The crown prince was deposed after being implicated in a conspiracy, and the sixth prince became the new crown prince.
Unwilling to accept this, the deposed crown prince attempted to seize the throne by force, only to be met with resistance from Prince Heng, who raised an army to quell the rebellion.
In the capital, the imperial palace was undergoing a transformation.
Meng Xi Yu, who had faked his death to escape, and Wan Yan Qian were now staying in Prince Heng’s residence.
Wan Yan Qian, having completed her mission, was light-hearted, her eyes full of gratitude as she looked at Shi Zi Chu. “I couldn’t have completed my mission so easily without you!”
She had achieved the position of crown prince’s concubine without lifting a finger—it was no exaggeration to say that she had ‘won by lying down.’
“I chose a heaven-rank wood-based attack method as my reward,” Wan Yan Qian said frankly. “I really owe you so much!”
Shi Zi Chu smiled gently. “What are your plans now?”
Wan Yan Qian looked at her. “I’ll help you complete your mission.”
After bringing this heaven-rank technique back to the Wan Yan Clan, her status would rise considerably, and her older brother would benefit from it as well.
Shi Zi Chu had helped her, so she would repay her in kind.
“Do you wish to enter government service?” Shi Zi Chu asked.
Wan Yan Qian froze for a moment, then her eyes widened in realization. “You want to usurp… Ahem, do you want the dragon throne?”
Shi Zi Chu nodded calmly.