Listen to My Analysis

Her son was like a needle stuck in his butt; he couldn't sit still no matter what. In no time at all, he would be daydreaming, causing headaches for the teachers and Lady Zhu. Unexpectedly, Zhao Ruxi's tickling was able to keep him in check, at least making him more focused than before, and preventing him from looking around every fifteen minutes.

"Paint it well. If you haven't finished it by the time we come out, you won't be sleeping tonight," Lady Zhu said, pulling Zhao Ruxi into the house. "I have something to tell you."

Zhao Ruxi knew that they were talking about Fu Yunkai, and obediently followed her into the house.

Do you know about the deeds of the Marquis of Pingnan? If not, let me tell you.

Lady Zhu knew that her daughter was rational and clear-headed, unlike most girls, and seemed quite resistant to marriage. So she decided to first let her daughter learn about the heroic deeds of Marquis of Pingnan and Fu Yunkai.

Women have always admired heroes. Once your daughter's eyes are filled with reverence for Fu Dayong and Fu Yunkai, then you can propose marriage. At that point, the marriage should be settled without any problems.

As she was mentally preparing her response and carefully considering her words, Zhao Ruxi said, "I know. I've heard my senior brother mention it."

Lady Zhu: "..." The words stuck in her throat.

"What did your senior brother tell you?" She tried to find an opportunity to elaborate on the heroic image of the Fu Family father and son.

"There's a lot to consider, besides their record, there's also the current situation."

Zhao Ruxi planned to use her senior brother's influence as a pretext to put pressure on the Zhao Family, who were far removed from the political center.

She said to Lady Zhu very seriously, "Mother, there are some things I've always wanted to tell you and Father. The current situation seems calm on the surface, but it's actually turbulent. Since no one in our family is in the court, there's no need for us to get involved. Others still have the ability to protect themselves, but if we get involved, we'll just be pushed out to take the fall. I've already analyzed Uncle's situation with you, haven't I? What do you think now?"

Originally filled with tender feelings for her children, Lady Zhu was startled by Zhao Ruxi's words. "W-what's wrong?"

Zhao Ruxi stood up. "I'd better talk to you, Grandmother, and Father together. Our family can't be ignorant and be taken advantage of."

Lady Zhu stood up in confusion, but seeing her daughter leave without looking back, she had no choice but to follow her out.

"Yicui, go to the main house and have the servants there summon the Earl to the Rongxi Hall. I have something to say to him," Zhao Ruxi instructed as she walked out.

"Yes." Yicui quickly went to relay the message.

The old lady was concerned about Zhao Ruxi's attitude towards the marriage, so after the Lady Zhu couple left, she didn't sleep. Instead, she leaned against the soft couch and asked her maid to massage her legs.

Upon seeing Lady Zhu and Zhao Ruxi enter, she first observed the expressions on the mother and daughter's faces. Seeing Zhao Ruxi's serious expression and Lady Zhu's sleepwalking look, she immediately sensed something was amiss.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Zhao Ruxi sat down at the lower end of the table and said to the old lady, "I have already sent someone to fetch my father. I have something to say to him when he arrives."

The old lady's gaze then fell on Lady Zhu.

Lady Zhu shook her head at her, a helpless expression on her face.

Zhao Ruxi ignored the flirtatious glances between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and only waited for Zhao Yuanxun to arrive.

Zhao Yuanxun was also anxiously waiting for the results, so he arrived very quickly. Zhao Ruxi and Lady Zhu had just sat down when he arrived.

"What's wrong?" As soon as he entered the room, he sensed that the atmosphere was rather heavy, completely unlike what he had imagined.

"Father, did Fu Yunkai propose to you today?" Zhao Ruxi asked, looking at him.

Zhao Yuanxun looked at Lady Zhu with suspicion.

Lady Zhu looked at Zhao Ruxi in surprise and asked, "How did you know?" She explained to her husband and mother-in-law, "I didn't tell her. Before I could even say anything, she dragged me here."

Zhao Yuanxun then looked at his daughter. "Did Fu Yunkai talk to you and say something similar?"

"No, not at all." Zhao Ruxi shook her head. "I was just guessing."

She looked at Zhao Yuanxun, her face serious. "Father, do you know why I could guess his purpose? Because his purpose is impure. He wants to use our family's marriage to resolve the predicament of his Marquis of Pingnan's Residence's mansion."

Upon hearing that it concerned the current situation, not only Zhao Yuanxun but even the old lady became serious.

"What do you mean? What do we have that would make others want to covet us?" Zhao Yuanxun asked.

"Me?" Zhao Ruxi said calmly, without blushing at all.

The three elders of the Zhao Family did not find anything wrong with what Zhao Ruxi said.

Putting everything else aside, just the fact that Fu Yunkai personally proposed marriage and went to great lengths to please Zhao Yuanxun beforehand shows that Zhao Ruxi was indeed being courted.

"That's right, my daughter is so capable..." Lady Zhu then switched to her daughter-bragging mode, ready to praise her daughter to the skies.

But Zhao Ruxi interrupted him after he only said that one sentence, "No, Mother, you're wrong. He's after me not for who I am, but for my value. The Marquis of Pingnan's Residence is currently facing numerous crises. And the best remedy to help them overcome these difficulties and resolve this crisis is someone like me."

The three elders' scattered thoughts were brought together again.

"What crisis is the Marquis of Pingnan's Residence facing?" Zhao Yuanxun asked.

The old lady and Lady Zhu also looked at Zhao Ruxi with suspicion.

They only saw the splendor of the Marquis of Pingnan's Residence's residence. The Marquis of Pingnan was a favored minister whom the emperor had promoted. Unlike Wei Qiu, who had no real foundation and rose to power solely through his official skills and flattery, Fu Dayong's military achievements were genuine.

"Do you know why the Emperor favors Wei Qiu and Fu Dayong so much?" Zhao Ruxi asked.

The three elders were taken aback again.

No one has ever compared Wei Qiu and Fu Dayong; they are simply not the same kind of people.

Zhao Yuanxun hesitated and asked, "They all come from poor families?"

"Yes." Zhao Ruxi gave her father an approving look. "They are all from humble backgrounds with no connections. The only person they can rely on in the court is the Emperor."

Zhao Yuanxun listened, seemingly lost in thought.

When Zhao Ruxi entered the house with Lady Zhu, she dismissed the maids and servants, leaving only the four of them in the room.

However, Zhao Ruxi lowered her voice slightly. "When a prince ascends the throne, he needs to rely on the power of aristocratic families, so his wives and concubines are all from such families. But once they become emperor, they don't want to be controlled by the power of these families."

She pointed her finger in the air. "But look at the Fu Family. Back then, the Cen Family wanted to protect the two princes born to Noble Consort Cen, so they dragged Fu Yunkai out to be the Second Prince's study companion, binding a powerful general like the Marquis of Pingnan to their cause. Although Fu Dayong wasn't yet a Dragon Tiger General at the time, and his military power wasn't that great, Grand Tutor Cen had a sharp eye. He saw the Marquis of Pingnan's abilities and also realized that the Emperor had no one else he could use besides Fu Dayong. So he bet everything on the Fu Family. Now, the Fu Family has become the Second Prince and Fifth Prince' biggest supporter."

"Even if the Emperor doesn't value the Crown Prince, he doesn't want the Second Prince or Fifth Prince to ascend the throne. He favors the Third Prince, born to Consort Jin. Therefore, the Cen Family's move has become the biggest obstacle to the Emperor. Whether for the sake of the Crown Prince or the Third Prince, the Emperor wants to remove this constraint as soon as possible. If soldiers on the border repeatedly achieve great feats, he will probably immediately strip the Marquis of Pingnan of his military power."