Chapter 154 In a Narrow Escape, This Princess Will See You Alone!
The emperor fell ill, and the palace was in a state of chaos and turmoil.
Xun Shuheng was attending to her ailing husband in Chongzheng Hall. The head lady-in-chief of Fengyi Palace was instructing palace servants to deliver the soft silk handkerchiefs prepared by the Inner Palace Supervisor to Chongzheng Hall. Seeing the palace bustling with activity and everyone busy with their own tasks, she stood there for a long time, but couldn't find anyone she could send to.
Chen Huai'an stepped forward: "Auntie, give it to me."
Chen Huai'an carried the tray and turned through the left door. His luggage flowed like clouds, and his gait and demeanor were gentle and kind.
A group of people dressed in foreign attire approached from the palace road.
She recognized the attire of the people of Beiyong.
Two palanquins were carried side by side by palace servants. One palanquin belonged to the Noble Consort of Zhaohua Palace, and the other palanquin carried a girl dressed in Hu-style riding attire, high boots, and with her hair braided.
The few stones adorning the ends of the hair are unusual.
The palanquin moved slowly, and the girl sat comfortably with her body tilted to one side, one high boot draped over the other leg, her toes touching the air.
She took Zhai Yu's hand, rested her chin on the back of Zhai Yu's hand, and said with a charming smile, "Auntie, you said in your letter home that Zhonglin's pastries are better than Dayong's honey cheese. I've been looking forward to them for a long time."
Zhai Yu pinched her cheek and said with a smile, "Aunt knows!"
Chen Huai'an continued walking as usual, and when he was a few steps away from the palanquin, the person opposite him also slowed down.
Both sides stopped on the palace road, and the atmosphere between their figures standing opposite each other became somewhat unusual.
Chen Huai'an bowed to Zhai Yu and said, "May Your Highness enjoy good health and longevity."
After the ceremony, they did not step aside to make way for the others.
The silver-red palace dress skirt fell like folded rays of light, sweeping across the ground like butterflies fluttering their wings in spring.
Zhai Yu's voice descended from above the palanquin, "Miss Huai'an, what is the meaning of this?"
Chen Huai'an glanced at the girl in riding attire lightly, as if skimming water, and knew which princess or county princess of Bei Yong she was.
The rubies and sapphires at the ends of her hair were no ordinary stones; their delicate, layered fire and brilliance shone through. Chen Huai'an's eyes flashed.
She happened to be looking at her too.
Their eyes met in an instant.
Chen Huai'an abruptly looked away.
Zhai Yu's maid stepped forward and said to her, "Miss Huai'an, this is the Imperial Concubine's niece, Princess Zhaoyang."
The implication was that she should give way.
Chen Huai'an said, "The princess has come from afar and is a guest. My daughter should give way. However, family rules dictate that the Marquis of Xuanping's residence will not give way to the people of Beiyong!"
A double meaning in one sentence.
That sounds like such noble character!
On the palanquin, Zhai Zhaoyang had already put the high boot off his other leg, and his posture was now more dignified.
The jade pendants and gemstones hanging from the belt jingled.
He had the air of a scholar-official, and every gesture he made exuded excellent manners, like a delicate orchid.
But the moment he met her and her entourage, that gentleness instantly transformed into a strong and resolute spirit.
Zhai Zhaoyang was no less assertive, saying, "A guest may not always be a guest, and a host may not always be a host. Just watch and see if the Zhonglin Xuanping Marquis's Mansion can block the path of Dayong."
Zhai Yu would naturally stand up for her niece and shoo the person away, saying, "Does Miss Huai'an not understand etiquette and manners? Is this the way the Marquis of Xuanping's family teaches, or has the Empress's palace lost all its rules and decorum? I order you to get out of the way!"
Chen Huai'an, standing at about half his height, resembled a bamboo stalk braving the wind and snow, exuding an awe-inspiring air of "never bending, even in the face of death."
She asked, "If I may be so bold as to ask, Your Majesty, is this decree issued in the capacity of Princess Beiyong or in the capacity of Consort Dalin?"
Zhai Yu's face stiffened.
If she were in the position of the Empress of Dalin, she shouldn't have made Chen Huai'an give way to Zhao Yang.
Chen Huai'an's arm, which was holding the tray, began to ache, but he didn't lower the height of the tray even a fraction. "Your Majesty is an Imperial Consort in Daheng and the eldest princess in Beiyong, but Prince Feiying is only a prince in Daheng. If today's master becomes a guest, and today's guest becomes the master, what will become of the former master here? If that day truly comes, Your Majesty will surely be able to ensure the Second Prince's safety?"
She was responding to Zhai Zhaoyang's earlier statement about the guest and host.
Zhai Yu chuckled for no apparent reason.
A ten-year-old child seemed to be giving her pointers.
"Did the Empress teach you to say that, or did Chen Xingqian teach you to say it?"
"Nobody taught me."
Chen Huai'an said, "Your Highness's choice is not between your homeland and Da Lin, nor between your brother and your husband, but between your own son and your nephew. Prince Fei Ying is a member of the imperial family in Da Lin, but in Bei Yong, he will be a prince of an enemy country."
Upon hearing this, Zhai Yu's expression turned serious. "The people from the Marquis of Xuanping's residence are truly extraordinary!"
"Your Majesty's praise is well received."
Seeing that he was about to be defeated, Zhai Zhaoyang did not want to cause trouble for his aunt as soon as he arrived at the Zhonglin Palace, so he took a step back.
"Your Majesty, Zhaoyang is a guest, and it is inappropriate for him to overstep his bounds. The palace path is wide open; please step aside!"
Zhai Zhaoyang snapped his fingers, making a snapping gesture.
The palanquin she was riding in swayed slowly to the side, and the attendants behind her exchanged glances, their faces tense, but they still made way for her.
As Chen Huai'an passed by the palanquin, he walked straight through the narrow path they had cleared. Zhai Zhaoyang's voice drifted over from a few steps away:
"I will seek you out alone!"
Author's Note: The pacing of the previous chapter has been slightly modified due to reader feedback.
In fact, by the previous chapter, Jiang Ning had already grasped:
The Imperial Treasury (financial power), the Ministry of Agriculture (grain and salary), the Court of Judicial Review (judicial affairs), half of the Secretariat (decision-making), the Imperial Observatory (celestial phenomena), the Ministry of War and the Southern Office (promotion of generals and defense of the capital).
They also investigated local finances and the national grain supply routes (for mobilizing military rations) during their field inspections.
And the military support from the North and South (Chen Liangyu and the Heng family of the South who are allied with the Marquis of Xuanping through marriage, as well as Zhao Mingqin's Xuanjia Cavalry in the South).
Furthermore, the public opinion surrounding the emperor's intention to abolish the "Records of Ten Thousand Officials" was also part of her power grab.
Looking back at the preceding text, I realized that these points were not clearly expressed in the writing (of course, I was aware of them, but I overlooked the reader's perspective).
Indeed, there are only a few chapters left in the main text, so it wouldn't be appropriate to be any more cryptic.
I spent two days figuring out the pacing and story progression, so I added some text to chapter 153.
Thank you for your feedback, and thank you for your support.
I'll post a short chapter today, thank you for reading!
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