Chapter 1: The Young Princess's Ruthlessness Revealed

The year Chen Liangyu and Xie Wenjun first met was the sixteenth year of the Xuanyuan era, in the autumn.

This year, there was little rain, and the autumn wind always carried a desolate atmosphere.

The decade-long war between Da Lin and Bei Yong finally ended, but life was far from peaceful.

The banquet was originally intended to welcome the soldiers and cleanse them of their dust, but Chen Liangyu, who had made the greatest contribution, was sent away from the military camp after returning to Yongdu with her father and brothers with the words "A woman cannot see the emperor without a summons." She and her mother returned to their home.

In his twilight years, his elder brother Chen Linjun's deputy general Jingming suddenly rode back to the mansion and summoned Chen Liangyu to the northern suburban camp immediately, saying that His Majesty had summoned him.

Chen Liangyu hurriedly took off a set of clothes suitable for meeting the emperor and rushed out of the city.

As night fell, the curfew drums sounded, and the city's hustle and bustle gradually subsided, settling silently into the courtyards. The streets and alleys of Yongdu were as quiet as if a voice had been silenced.

"drive!"

The sound of hooves grew rapid and intensifying as the brown-red warhorse carried the young girl at breakneck speed.

A group of people in light silver armor followed closely behind. A sudden gust of wind swept past her ears, lifting her hair and revealing a face with deep features yet a touch of youthful naiveté.

The fiery red horse was powerful, and soon Chen Liangyu had pulled ahead of the others. She glanced behind her, her eyes inadvertently landing on a deep alley where she spotted several suspicious-looking people, and she immediately became wary.

With a tug on the reins, Chen Liangyu heard the horse neigh loudly and steadily reined in its hooves, standing still in place.

As darkness fell and visibility worsened, he frowned and looked again, only to find that the men and horses behind him had already rushed to his side.

"What are you looking at?" Jingming glanced at where she was staring.

Chen Liangyu raised his riding whip and pointed, "Over there, a few figures flashed by just now, they looked like people from Beiyong, carrying bundles of something."

It resembles a sack, yet also a human figure.

The figures flashed by in an instant, but that was enough for her to make a pretty accurate judgment. It wasn't that she had a particularly keen eye; it was simply that the people of Beiyong walked in a very distinctive way. She had more than once mocked the soldiers of Beiyong, saying that they looked like human beings when they were sitting or lying still, but as soon as they took a few steps, they looked like bear monsters that had become spirits in the deep mountains and forests.

Jingming looked again and saw only a narrow, dark alleyway, with no one around.

He said, "The letter of surrender from Bei Yong has only been delivered for a short time, so they wouldn't dare to cause trouble in Yongdu right now."

Chen Liangyu was taken aback and was about to dismount to investigate when his collar was suddenly tightened. Jingming grabbed him by the throat like a chick and pulled him back.

Jingming said, "Miss, the Marquis has not returned to court for a long time. Now that he has made great contributions, he is being watched closely and people are looking for faults. His Majesty's summons must not be ignored!"

Chen Liangyu looked up at the star guide, then glanced around, noting down the approximate location. She was new to Yongdu and unfamiliar with the roads; she hadn't expected such a dilapidated corner to exist in this bustling capital.

"Jingming, where is this place? It's so desolate."

Jingming said, "These are mostly houses requisitioned during years of great disaster, used as temporary refuges. In those years, people died without proper burial; their bones were simply rolled up in straw mats and buried in a dug pit. After several outbreaks of disease, the original residents gradually moved away, leaving these abandoned places. Now, only a few groups of beggars live here. There are several such places in Yongdu; it's nothing unusual." He urged Chen Liangyu, "We need to get out of the city before the gates close."

By the time they reached the north of the city, it was already late in the evening, but the north gate showed no sign of closing.

The stone plaque hanging above the city gate was engraved with the two magnificent characters 'Yongdu' in ink. The guards below the plaque were in disarray, with many more soldiers stationed there than during the day.

Jingming showed his credentials to the gatekeeper, who looked him up and down a few times before bowing and smiling and letting him pass.

When Chen Liangyu and Jingming arrived at the northern suburban camp, the welcoming banquet had already been held several times, and Emperor Xuanyuan was whispering and chatting with Chen Yuanqing. After exchanging greetings, Emperor Xuanyuan carefully observed her. She wore a dark blue robe, her hair was simply tied up, and apart from the eagle-head armor on her left shoulder and a plain silver wrist guard around her cuff, she had no other accessories.

After observing for a while, Emperor Xuanyuan seemed quite satisfied and said to Chen Yuanqing, "A fine jade needs no carving; its beauty is natural. I remember that in the second year of Xuanyuan, when you won a great victory on the battlefield, Yunzhou gave birth to this little girl, bringing you both good fortune and prosperity. Now, she is not even sixteen years old, yet she has such courage, turning the tide with three thousand remaining troops, surpassing countless sons of my Great Lin. Commendable, and admirable!"

Chen Liangyu rose and knelt, then performed a grand salute, saying, "Your Majesty's praise makes me feel humbled. In the Battle of Dingbei, it was my father and his soldiers who fought desperately, depleting the strength and morale of Beiyong. My brother led the army to rescue and intercept the enemy. The soldiers have worked hard and made great contributions. I dare not take credit for them."

"Hahaha, well said!" Emperor Xuanyuan was pleased with her prudent words. He drank the cup in one gulp and then said to Chen Yuanqing, "She has reached the age for marriage."

Left Chancellor Xun Xian's face was as long as a donkey's.

Emperor Xuanyuan lost six of his children, leaving only four sons and one daughter. Princess Jiangning, Xie Wenjun, is young and female, so there's no need to discuss her. Of the four sons, Prince Qi, Xie Xuan, has already taken a wife, and Prince Ning, Xie Xun, is foolish. Only the widowed Crown Prince Xie Yu and Prince Shen, Xie Yuan, are left to discuss their marriages.

However, Prince Shen was not ambitious and had no outstanding achievements. Chen Yuanqing was trusted by Emperor Xuanyuan. When Emperor Xuanyuan mentioned marriage, it was clear that he was considering choosing a new crown princess.

The discord between Xun Xian and Chen Yuanqing was no secret among their senior colleagues. When they served in the same court, Xun Xian always tried to outdo Chen Yuanqing in everything. However, the Xuanping Marquis's residence and the Xun residence happened to be located on the same street, their gates facing each other diagonally. For the past sixteen years, Chen Yuanqing had been stationed in the northern border and hadn't returned, which Xun Xian had been happy to enjoy. Now that he was back, wouldn't they be seeing each other every day? Just thinking about it made him feel awful.

It seems that there's more than one upsetting thing going on now.

If Chen Yuanqing's daughter becomes the Crown Princess, and the Crown Prince ascends the throne, Chen's daughter will become the Empress. Wouldn't I be forever inferior to Chen Yuanqing?

Chen Yuanqing said indifferently, "There are few children in the family, only the two siblings. Linjun is already married and has a family. Her mother wants to keep her by her side for another two years, so there is no rush for her to get married."

Upon hearing that Chen Yuanqing and Emperor Xuanyuan had not reached an agreement immediately, Xun Xian wiped away a bead of sweat.

Chen Liangyu was also sweating profusely; no one had even asked for her opinion during the discussion of her marriage. Her mind wandering, Emperor Xuanyuan didn't pursue the topic further. After a moment's consideration, he asked, "The commander of the Sixteen Guards returned to his hometown a few days ago. Would you be willing to take the position?"

This question was directed at Chen Liangyu.

Before she could reply, Xunxian's face grew even longer.

Xun Xian tapped his chopsticks to signal Zhang Diancheng, the Right Chancellor sitting next to him. Seeing that Zhang Diancheng remained unmoved, Xun Xian lifted his robe, tiptoed, and knelt before the throne. “Your Majesty,” he said, “our dynasty has never had a precedent of a woman serving as an official. This violates ancestral rites and laws, and goes against the rules of heaven and earth. This is inappropriate. The Chen family’s daughter has rendered meritorious service and should be rewarded. In my opinion, bestowing upon her some wealth, jewels, and fine clothing that a woman cherishes would be the best course of action.”

Chen Yuanqing straightened his clothes and glanced at his 'old friend' whom he hadn't seen for more than ten years, and said, "Your Majesty, this is indeed against the rules."

They said it, but they didn't mean to stop them.

Xun Xian could naturally tell that Chen Yuanqing was just being polite to Emperor Xuanyuan and was pretending to decline.

As expected, Emperor Xuanyuan waved his hand and said, "Hey, whose rules are we against? If I say it's against the rules, then it's against the rules!" He then asked Chen Liangyu, "I'm asking you a question: are you willing to take office?"

Chen Liangyu immediately understood the situation and spoke before Xun Xian could object again, kneeling and kowtowing: "Your subject obeys the order and thanks Your Majesty for your grace!"

Xun Xian shouted, "Your Majesty, you mustn't!" After all, he was getting old and his reactions were not as quick as those of a young man. Chen Liangyu finished his thank-you speech in a smooth and flowing manner before Xun Xian's voice of objection suddenly rang out.

Emperor Xuanyuan's expression had already turned somewhat grim. He said angrily, "Our dynasty's laws stipulate that merit should be rewarded and crimes should be punished. How can my rewarding merits violate the ancestral rites, laws, and rules of heaven and earth?"

Xun Xian said, “Merit should naturally be rewarded, but it is unheard of for a woman to enter the court. It is like a hen crowing at dawn, which will bring trouble. I beg Your Majesty to reconsider!” After saying this, he buried his head in the ground and kowtowed loudly.

"At his age, it's strange that he's so reckless. He's not afraid of getting hurt," Chen Liangyu thought to himself.

But just because you're older and have years of experience in the court, you want to use your seniority to block other people's future? What kind of logic is that? Hens aren't without voices, so why can't they crow at dawn?

Emperor Xuanyuan looked at his ministers and asked solemnly, "Is this what you all think?"

After a short while, several more people knelt down in the open space in the middle of the banquet. Emperor Xuanyuan rose and swept his gaze quickly over the assembled officials. Unable to withstand the oppressive imperial aura, the officials lowered their heads, not daring to look directly at their superiors in the eye. Many others glanced around, trying to discern Chen Yuanqing's expression.

Chen Yuanqing watched everything without saying a word and drank another cup of wine.

"I want to bestow rewards, what do you think Marquis Xuanping will do?"

Emperor Xuanyuan laughed after a moment, suppressing his anger as he pointed at the people below, "You old ministers, your merit in repelling the enemy will last for generations! If she were a man, she should be promoted to the rank of general. And you complain to me? Using ancestral laws and rituals to suppress me?"

There was complete silence below.

"Right Chancellor, what do you mean?" Emperor Xuanyuan turned to look at Right Chancellor Zhang Diancheng, who had been silent for a long time.

Zhang Diancheng was standing aside, intending to see how Xun Xian would bring about his own downfall, when he was suddenly called upon. He hurriedly stood up, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that talent should be employed regardless of gender. I have no objection to Your Majesty's will."

"Tsk!"

Xun Xian glared at Zhang Diancheng resentfully, showing his displeasure. Zhang Diancheng returned the glare with an annoyed look.

Emperor Xuanyuan's expression softened after hearing these words. He turned to Chen Liangyu and said, "Chen Liangyu, you see," he pointed to the table, "do you dare to accept this assignment?"

What is there for her to be afraid of? She has already expressed her gratitude, so why doesn't that count?

That's alright, thanking you again won't be too much. So she kowtowed three more times, "Your subject receives the decree and kowtows to express gratitude for the Emperor's grace!"

After a minor disturbance, the bonfire burned brighter and brighter, the aroma of wine making everyone tipsy. Chen Liangyu was finally able to sit down. She took her seat next to her elder brother and told him about her doubts from the alley earlier. After she finished speaking, she didn't forget to complain about Jingming: "I wanted to follow them to find out what was going on, but Jingming stopped me."

Some people at the table lost all interest in eating meat and drinking alcohol.

The flames greedily licked the air, distorting and blurring one's vision. Crown Prince Xie Yu left his seat without a word.

Upon hearing this, Chen Linjun's expression turned serious, and he pulled her along, urging her to come over. Once they were some distance from the bonfire banquet area, a man dressed as a member of the Eastern Palace Guard hurried along and spoke to the Crown Prince in close proximity.

"Have you found it?" the crown prince asked, his mind racing.

The palace guard shook his head and knelt down to await punishment.

Chen Liangyu looked up at the long night, where the stars twinkled and the sun and moon seemed to be in turmoil.

Life in Yongdu was far from peaceful.

Today, Princess Jiangning, Xie Wenjun, the Crown Prince's younger sister whom he raised himself, disappeared in Yongdu. The Eastern Palace ordered the Imperial Guards to conduct a secret search in Yongdu.

Princess Jiangning left the palace in plain clothes around noon, taking only a few close attendants with her to avoid attracting attention. As noon approached, Xie Wenjun offered the guards a cup of wine, and then they vanished without a trace.

Normally, the palace is very strict with rules, but today, with the army returning to the capital, it is a grand occasion, so she was specially allowed to leave the palace to watch.

Who knew that this exception would lead to trouble?

A note from the author:

Chen Liangyu: "Jingming, what do you think is in that burlap sack?"

Jingming: "It's probably your wife!"

On June 12th, these novels will be free for a limited time. I humbly request all the little angels who pass by to add them to their collections for the pre-orders of the broken mirror reunion novels "Youthful Resignation Literature" and "A Reunion 2".