Chapter 1485: Her Highness the Princess (31)

When Tang Xi saw how dark Lü Qing had become from the sun, her heart ached terribly. She quickly asked him what had happened.

Lü Qing told her about plowing fields and farming.

“How could Elder Sister make the Prince Consort do such things?” Tang Xi pursed her lips lightly. “Even if she doesn't want to arrange an official post for you, she shouldn't bully you like this.”

“Come on, I'm going to talk to Elder Sister.”

Lü Qing wanted to stop her, but he couldn't hold her back.

When they reached the entrance to the farming grounds, Tang Xi was stopped outside.

“Why can't this princess enter?” Tang Xi had never expected that even these guards would refuse her entry.

The guards were completely unafraid of Tang Xi and only replied respectfully, “Replying to Your Highness the Second Princess, His Majesty issued an order long ago. Without the permission of His Majesty, the Crown Prince, or Her Highness the Eldest Princess, no one may enter.”

Hearing this, Tang Xi felt suffocated with grievance.

She was, after all, the Second Princess of Northern Xia, yet she wasn't even allowed to inspect a mere patch of land.

The more she thought about it, the more uncomfortable she became. Since when had Elder Sister been placed on equal footing with Imperial Father and the Crown Prince?

If her mother had been the Empress and her biological elder brother the Crown Prince, she would never have suffered such humiliation.

“Then hurry and inform Elder Sister. This princess also wishes to see the new crops cultivated by Northern Xia.”

Grievances aside, Tang Xi wasn't completely foolish.

She knew very well that she was no match for Tang Guo. Forcing her way inside was simply not an option.

At that moment, the seed of ambition buried deep within her heart finally began to sprout.

“Elder Sister, are you dissatisfied with my husband?”

Tang Xi questioned her immediately. “The Prince Consort cares about the people and wishes to participate in cultivating crops. What is Elder Sister dissatisfied with that you insist on making him plow fields?”

“Even if the Prince Consort comes from a humble background, he is still a scholar, and even the top scholar at that. Isn't it somewhat inappropriate to make him till the land?”

Tang Guo swallowed the lychee in her mouth and asked with a puzzled expression, “Second Sister, when have I ever been dissatisfied with Second Brother-in-law?”

“If not, then why have you made him plow fields?” Tang Xi said softly. “It's been less than ten days, and not only has he lost a great deal of weight, he's become much darker as well.”

Tang Xi was about to continue when she suddenly caught sight of several familiar figures in the field. The words she had intended to use to seek justice for Lü Qing became stuck in her throat, refusing to come out.

If she wasn't mistaken, weren't those several officials from the Ministry of Agriculture?

How was it that they too were wearing coarse linen clothes with their pant legs and sleeves rolled up, digging around in the soil?

“Second Sister, you've seen it yourself. These officials are all veteran ministers of the court. Yet now they work in the fields as well, all for the sake of understanding and cultivating crops. Such skills are things that members of the Ministry of Agriculture must master. After court sessions, they often come here to personally plant and cultivate crops to gain experience, which they will later compile into books.”

“For the future of Northern Xia and for the countless common people, they have done no less than Second Brother-in-law. In fact, they've done much more. Just look at them. Their hair has already turned white, yet they're still willing to come here and do everything with their own hands.”

Tang Xi was left speechless.

“Second Sister, if you truly feel sorry for Second Brother-in-law and can't bear to see him suffer, then perhaps he should give up.” Tang Guo glanced toward Lü Qing, who was hurrying over from afar, and deliberately raised her voice. “I know you can't bear to let him endure hardship. In that case, from today onward, Second Brother-in-law needn't come anymore.”

“Elder Sister, wait!”

Lü Qing hurriedly called out to stop her.