Chapter 182 I am not alone, the eldest princess returns to the capital!

Xiao Yizi looked at the map on the ground, his pupils shrinking slightly.

Xie Yao had clearly not experienced the Battle of Qijiang, but the route he drew was even more detailed and accurate than what was described in his military report.

He always knew that his princess was an excellent martial artist and that she was on good terms with General Su Huai'en in the northern border army.

But I didn't expect that she was so knowledgeable about marching and was also proficient in terrain.

Her words stirred ripples in Xiao Yizi's heart.

Xiao Yizi had thought that his mother must still be alive and that she had escaped from the Western Rong people.

But if she was still alive, why didn't she come looking for him after almost three years?

"besides."

Xie Yao's tone was surprisingly calm.

"Your Majesty is the King of Jingbei in Great Yan. If your wife is in the hands of the Xirong people, she would be the perfect bargaining chip to threaten you. However, in the past two years, the Xirong people have not mentioned your wife. Either they are unsure of her life or death, or—"

Upon hearing this, Baizhu and Baimu took a breath.

The prince had forbidden anyone who knew the truth to raise the possibility that Madam Jingning might be dead in front of him.

Both of them were nervous and looked at Xie Yao nervously.

The princess then said firmly and calmly, "A living Madam Jingning is far more valuable to the Xirong people than a dead one. If she were truly dead, the Xirong would have produced her corpse to provoke them long ago, but they didn't. This proves that she must still be alive."

Xie Yao had another thought in her mind about Madam Jingning's life and death.

It's just that this matter needs to be confirmed.

Xiao Yizi was shocked when he heard Xie Yao's words.

Everyone said that my mother was dead.

Even his close associates who were investigating for him were only doing so because of his orders, and in their hearts, they might also think that he was stubborn and paranoid.

"Thanks to you, I am not alone."

Xiao Yizi looked into Xie Yao's bright eyes, his voice low and gentle.

Xie Yao was confused.

She realized that, unknowingly, she and Xiao Yizi had become people walking side by side on the same road.

She tried hard to suppress the throbbing in her heart, pushed the prince's wheelchair, and returned to Fuguangyuan.

After entering the house, Xie Yao saw at a glance a plate of exquisite and delicious peach blossom cakes on the table.

Xiao Yizi's face flushed, and he said, "I'm not good at cooking. I had to try again and again before I finally made a plate of pastries. I hope the princess won't despise me."

Xie Yao, under the prince's expectant gaze, picked up a piece and tasted it. She savored the sweetness and murmured, "Is this the other important matter the prince said he's been busy with recently?"

Xiao Yizi: "This is very important."

Xie Yao could clearly feel her heart beating rapidly.

This time, I can no longer control it.

That evening, Mr. Xiao San returned home.

After Mrs. Zhou learned what happened during the day, he agreed to Xiao Wenyuan's decision to move out of the palace with his wife, concubines and children.

After the third branch of the family split up, for several days, the third aunt came to Fuguangyuan to watch Xie Yao practice sword skills, and also exercised diligently under the guidance of the princess.

After she lost her daughter-in-law, her complexion improved a lot and she looked ten years younger.

*

The Great Cold has passed and the year is coming to an end.

The envoys from the Western Rong and the State of Wei rushed to the capital before the New Year.

Dayan was the most powerful country in the world at that time. When facing the envoys from the two countries, the emperor did not show up, but only sent the Ministry of Rites to give them a simple reception. The person sent was not the Minister of Rites, Mr. He, but the Vice Minister of Rites, Xie Ming'an.

The emperor was busy doing something else.

The twenty-sixth day of the twelfth lunar month is the death anniversary of Queen Shen.

The emperor posthumously conferred the title of Empress Dowager Xihe on his biological mother, Empress Shen, and changed the name of the Jianfu Camp founded by Empress Dowager Xihe to Xihe Camp.

The eldest princess was given the title of Zhenguo, and was made to be in charge of the Ministry of Personnel, independent of the officials of the Ministry of Personnel, and served as a female inspector of the Ministry of Personnel.

Because Empress Shen had led troops in battle, the State of Yan had always allowed women to serve in the army and serve as officials, but even if they became officials, they were only female officials without real power.

The emperor's actions caused an uproar, but the emperor rejected all objections. Prince Jingbei also expressed his agreement during the court session, and all civil and military officials had no choice but to agree.

The residence of the Princess Zhenguo was completed last month.

The eldest princess, who had been praying for the State of Yan and Queen Shen at Chengfo Temple, returned to the capital.

To show his respect, the Emperor came to the city gate and all the civil and military officials in the court came to welcome the princess.

Prince Jingbei, who never participated in such occasions, also came with his princess.

Even before the phoenix carriage arrived, the city gate was already bustling with activity.

The people crowded on both sides of the street, standing on tiptoe to look. The palace guards in golden armor and holding long spears were in neat formation, guarding the imperial carriage in the middle.

Apart from the Emperor riding in the dragon chariot, the elderly Prime Minister Jiang was given a seat, and only the Prince of Jingbei and the Princess of Jingbei sat in the carriage.

"The Emperor posthumously conferred the title on Empress Dowager Xihe, and gave the eldest princess an additional title. He also asked her to observe the Ministry of Personnel. He intended to weaken the Empress Dowager's faction." Xiao Yizi said calmly while sitting in a wheelchair.

Xie Yao was thoughtful: "The emperor wants to support the Jianfu Camp, no, it has now been changed to the Xihe Camp. He wants to use the princess to check and balance the queen mother and let everyone know that the surname of Yan State is Li, not Jiang."

Behind the Empress Dowager is the Prime Minister Jiang's family. Prime Minister Jiang's disciples are all over the court. Except for the Minister of Rites and the Minister of Justice, the heads of the other four ministries can be said to be either Prime Minister Jiang's disciples, or directly members of the Jiang family, or have been promoted by the Prime Minister.

Once upon a time, the Jiang family and the Queen Mother supported the Emperor's ascension to the throne, and the relationship between the two sides was very close.

But five years have passed, the emperor has no prince, and the empress dowager's youngest son, Anping Hou, is about to come of age. The relationship between the empress dowager and the emperor has become increasingly tense.

However, the two sides did not reach the point of breaking up.

The biggest reason is that Marquis Anping himself is a playboy and a lecher, and is really not ambitious. Besides his absurd behavior, he has no ambition.

I'm afraid the Jiang family and the Queen Mother are both very disappointed with Anping Hou...

The eunuch's voice came from outside, announcing that the eldest princess was about to enter the city, and Xiao Yizi and Xie Yao also got off the carriage.

The emperor on the dragon chariot was looking forward to seeing the eldest princess, and Eunuch Qing was beside him.

Eunuch Qing noticed the prince getting out of the car and whispered, "Your Majesty, the woman pushing the wheelchair for Prince Jingbei is the Princess Jingbei."

"I haven't met Princess Ruhui yet." The emperor looked at Xie Yao quietly.

Today, Xie Yao was wearing a more formal black and red phoenix dress, with a simple golden phoenix hairpin in her hair. The pearl held in the phoenix's tail was warm and shiny, and in the sunlight, it cast fine light and shadow on her face, making her look extremely cool and beautiful.

The emperor uttered a "thump", not because of his heartbeat, but because of his admiration for the stunning beauty.

He recalled his childhood memories of his elder sister, the eldest princess. Xie Yao's appearance was not inferior to that of his elder sister, who was known as the most beautiful woman in Dayan.

Thinking about what he was going to do today, the emperor murmured, "Such a beauty, no wonder the eldest princess likes her. I like her too."

Eunuch Qing was so frightened that his whole body trembled. He looked at the emperor in horror, and then at Prince Jingbei.

Although he knew that the emperor's "like" should refer to praise for the princess, it was still very scary, Your Majesty.

Fortunately, King Jingbei was far away and couldn't hear it.

The emperor coughed but didn't explain.

At this moment, Xie Yao's eyes swept across a place not far away.

Prime Minister Jiang, dressed in crimson-purple official uniform, sat at the head of the courtiers, staring at Marquis Anping suspiciously, and whispering something to the Minister of Revenue beside him.

Marquis Anping stood beside Old Prime Minister Jiang. He no longer had the arrogance he had before, but instead looked a bit timid.

He was wearing a royal blue uniform, and his figure was much thinner than before, with a faint scar visible on his forehead.

Next to Marquis Anping, his wife Jiang Congyan was wearing a simple and exquisite dress, and her face was pale.

She raised her eyes inadvertently and saw Xie Yao.

Suddenly, Jiang Congyan's eyes lit up with a strange light, but she didn't know what she remembered, and her eyes dimmed again.

After the last visit to Chengfo Temple, Jiang Congyan said she wanted to divorce Anping Hou, but there has been no news since then.

It was said that the Queen Mother did not want Marquis Anping to divorce his wife, and Marquis Anping disagreed even more, so the divorce was left unresolved.

Judging from her expression, she is not having a good time in the Marquis' Mansion.

"There's movement up ahead!" a shout came from the crowd.

Xie Yao looked up and saw a row of luxurious ceremonial guards, escorting the Princess Zhenguo's phoenix carriage, slowly approaching.

"The Emperor has arrived—"

Eunuch Qing's shrill voice rang out, and everyone except Prince Jingbei knelt down and shouted in unison: "Long live the emperor."

The emperor got off the dragon chariot, walked to the front, and asked everyone to stand up and avoid formalities.

At this time, Xie Yao took the opportunity to step back a few steps and came to Jiang Congyan, who was also far away from Anping Hou.

Jiang Congyan stared at Xie Yao, her eyes slowly turning red.

"Xie Yao, I don't want to die, can you save me?"

She said with a trembling voice.

"The Queen Mother wants to kill me."