Chapter 194: Prince Chang'an Dies in Battle of Xizhou

As Chunzhi stood outside the palace, waiting for the eunuch to come in and pass on the message, she happened to hear Madam Wang saying to Queen Wang, "Wu Lang is not one to act recklessly on ordinary days. This time, he was really angered by the harsh words of the Xu family's young general, so he started the fight..."

Wang Wulang is the legitimate son of the Wang family and the most beloved son of Mrs. Wang. Yesterday, Wang Wulang had a fight with General Xu in the street and was taken back to Jingzhao Prefecture by the Jingzhao Yin and locked up in jail. The news spread throughout the city overnight, and Queen Wang in the palace naturally also knew the news.

Mrs. Wang was afraid that Queen Wang would be angry and unwilling to marry the Thirteenth Princess into the Wang family, so she rushed over to explain before the palace official could criticize her.

Ever since the incident with Wang Yiyue, Queen Wang had felt a headache whenever she saw the Wang family. Hearing Madam Wang lying to her, she was even more speechless. "According to you, was it Young General Xu who sent Wang Fengyu to the theater and forced him to snatch the actors?"

Wang Wulang's full name is Wang Fengyu.

"Your Majesty..." Mrs. Wang was choked by the Queen's words.

Queen Wang entered the palace at the age of fifteen. Although she and Lady Wang were sisters-in-law, they did not spend much time together. Moreover, Grand Tutor Wang had been in a high position and had great power over the years. With Lady Wang as his sister who was the queen, he became more and more greedy for power and did not care much about the people and things in the palace.

The younger generation of the Wang family is becoming more and more arrogant and extravagant. Even Mrs. Wang thinks that Wang Wulang beating General Xu is not a big deal. What she cares most about is whether the Queen Mother will be angry and still be willing to marry the Thirteenth Princess.

As the two were talking, a eunuch came in to announce, "Your Majesty, the Princess of Chang'an has entered the palace with the young master."

"Chunzhi and Xiao Zi'an are here, let them in quickly."

Queen Wang talked with Lady Wang for a while and was feeling unhappy. But when she heard that Chunzhi had brought Xiaoxing back to the palace, her mood immediately improved.

"Yes, your Majesty." The eunuch immediately went out to pass on the message.

A moment later, Chunzhi returned to the bedroom carrying Xiaoxing, stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Mother."

"No need to be polite, get up." Queen Wang was annoyed by the Wang family's affairs again and again. She found Chunzhi more and more pleasing to her and her attitude towards her became more and more gentle. When she saw Xiaoxing coming back, her voice softened a lot, "Zi'an, come here, let the Empress Dowager hug you."

Xiao Xinghui was a smart boy. He could already tell who liked him and who didn't. When Queen Wang opened her arms to him, he waved his arms and leaned forward.

Chunzhi handed the child to Queen Wang, who was content to hold her grandson in her arms, and her complexion became much better.

Upon seeing this, Madam Wang quickly stood up and said, "Greetings to the princess."

Chunzhi nodded and said, "Madam Wang is also well."

Chunzhi had met this Madam Wang at a palace banquet before, but they didn't talk much and she didn't have a deep impression of her. It was just that today they both came for the marriage of Wang Wulang and Princess Thirteen. One wanted to settle the matter peacefully, while the other wanted to take advantage of the situation and disrupt the marriage.

Each of them has his own thoughts.

Queen Wang carried Xiaoxing back and said to Chunzhi, "Yesterday, when Wang Wulang and General Xu fought in the street, you and Yanran were there and saw it with your own eyes. What do you think of this?"

Queen Wang knew that Chunzhi came to the palace on her own initiative at this time, it must be about Wang Wulang's matter, so she didn't beat around the bush and asked directly.

Seeing her mother speak directly, Chunzhi said, "Yesterday, I saw Young Master Wang fighting General Xu fiercely. Even after being injured, he refused to stop. I think he is very fond of Yu Furong. Our Thirteenth Princess is still young, so there is no need to rush into marriage, and we must not marry a consort who has someone else in mind."

"Princess!" Upon hearing this, Madam Wang couldn't help but say, "You can't say that!"

Chunzhi curled her lips slightly, "How should I put it then?"

Mrs. Wang was stunned for a moment. When she met the Princess of Chang'an before, she was always gentle and quiet, and seemed easy to get along with. But today, she showed some sharpness.

Mrs. Wang remembered that her daughter Wang Yiyue's marriage had been snatched away by this man in front of her. Now, she was trying to interfere with Feng Yu and the Thirteenth Princess's marriage. She couldn't help but feel angry and said immediately, "As the old saying goes, it's better to destroy ten temples than to break up a marriage. Previously, it was Yiyue who offended the princess and ended up marrying into the Lu family as a concubine. I didn't say anything about it, but now you want to interfere in the marriage of Wu Lang and the Thirteenth Princess..."

"Shut up." Queen Wang couldn't stand it anymore.

This was the first time that Mrs. Wang was ordered to shut up by the Queen Mother. She felt very embarrassed and stopped talking.

Queen Wang knew very well that no matter how close the aunt and sister-in-law were, they could never be as close as the daughter-in-law.

What's more, the Queen Mother has made her own decision on the matter of Wang Wulang, and it is not something that can be explained away by Mrs. Wang's explanation.

Queen Wang said, "The marriage between Fengyu and Yanran was originally a sudden idea of ​​mine, and the Emperor has not yet approved it. Now that this has happened, how can I have the nerve to mention it to the Emperor?"

Upon hearing this, Madam Wang stopped explaining for Wang Fengyu and, after some hesitation, said, "If Fifth Prince doesn't work out, Sixth Prince is actually the right age for the Thirteenth Princess..."

"What do you think the Thirteenth Princess is?" Queen Wang said unhappily, "A princess like you, the Wang family, are you going to let her choose me?"

"I dare not!"

Seeing that Queen Wang was angry, Mrs. Wang immediately knelt down.

Queen Wang took a deep breath and looked at Xiaoxing's return before she calmed down a little. "Alright, the marriage is over. No one is allowed to mention it again. You go back first."

Madam Wang looked up and wanted to say something else, "Your Majesty..."

Queen Wang sneered, "Why? Do you want me to send someone to ask you to leave?"

"I dare not! I will take my leave..."

Mrs. Wang lowered her head and walked out, but before leaving she gave Chunzhi a look of resentment.

Chunzhi responded indifferently.

Queen Wang changed her arm and carried Xiaoxing back. She asked Chunzhi, "Where's Yanran? Why didn't she come to the palace with you?"

Chunzhi said, "The princess didn't want to embarrass her mother, so she didn't come with me."

Queen Wang smiled and whispered, "She's not afraid of embarrassing me, she's clearly afraid that I'll know Wang Fengyu is a worthless person, and she'll force her to marry into the Wang family..."

"Mother." Chunzhi said softly, "Mother loves Yanran, and Yanran will always know."

No one knows a daughter better than her mother. Queen Wang actually knows Huo Yanran very well.

But Yanran seemed unaware that Queen Wang actually treated her adopted daughter as her own.

At least in the matter of Wang Fengyu, Queen Wang did not favor the Wang family at all, but directly cancelled the marriage.

Queen Wang looked at Chunzhi. Perhaps because she had stayed in the inner palace for too long, she could not express her likes or dislikes too obviously.

To outsiders, the Empress Dowager had always only fulfilled her duties as a legitimate mother to Huo Zheng and Huo Yanran. In fact, there were many times when she treated these two children as her own.

It's just what I think in my heart, not known to outsiders.

But Chunzhi always seems to be able to see through the surface and see into people's hearts.

Queen Wang said, "Whether she knows or not, it doesn't matter."

"Why isn't it important?" Chunzhi said seriously, "It's important, very important."

Chunzhi told the Queen that knowing that she was loved by her mother meant that it was a lifelong joy for a girl to grow up in love.

When Queen Wang heard her say this, she smiled slightly, hugged Xiaoxing and talked to Chunzhi for a long time, which was rare.

Until evening, the sky was filled with sunset glow.

Chunzhi just stood up to say goodbye. When she was carrying Xiaoxing back out, Queen Wang personally stood up to see her off and walked out of the palace.

At this moment, the chief eunuch, Eunuch Xu, came hurriedly, his eyes red as he said, "Empress, Princess Chang'an, an urgent report has just been sent back from Xizhou—"

"What did the dispatch say?"

Eunuch Xu was the most capable eunuch beside the emperor. Queen Wang had not seen him lose his composure like this for many years, and she suddenly had a bad premonition.

When Chunzhi heard the words "urgent report from Xizhou", she quickly looked up at Eunuch Xu, her heart in her throat.

"Prince Chang'an—" Eunuch Xu said in a trembling voice, "Prince Chang'an died in battle in Xizhou...Prince Chang'an is dead!"