Chapter 29 [VIP]
Chapter Summary: The Decision.
Yu Jing, having finished her brunch, was lying on the chaise longue, holding a storybook she had recently found on Sheng Hua's bookshelf. Sheng Hua was rather boring; even his storybooks were about officialdom and military affairs. However, they were certainly more interesting than those military treatises and manuals.
The rain was pattering outside, and her favorite poria cocos cakes and jasmine tea were laid out on the small table beside her. She was quite content.
"Your Majesty, His Majesty has arrived." A palace maid came in to announce the arrival. Yu Jing suddenly remembered the rumors about her and Xie Xuan in the palace, which must have reached Qi Jin's ears.
Before she could even process what was happening, Qi Jin had already entered. The palace maids at the door bowed and greeted him. Qi Jin walked into the inner hall and bowed to Yu Jing, saying, "Your subject greets Your Majesty."
“Your Majesty need not be so polite,” Yu Jing said, her heart filled with unease.
Qi Jin sat down, took a sip of the freshly served tea, and then said, "You may leave."
"Yes." Ayu led the others out in response.
Yu Jing's brow twitched, wondering what Qi Jin would say. Soon, only she and Qi Jin remained in the hall. Qi Jin put down his teacup, the clinking of the porcelain producing a crisp sound, yet tinged with a sharp edge.
Yu Jing stroked the edge of his wide sleeve, a sense of indescribable tension in him. Although Qi Jin was young, he was mature beyond his years. It would be impossible for him to sit firmly on the throne at such a young age without any means.
"Rumors are rampant in the palace. The Cining Palace is always well-informed, so the Empress Dowager must have heard something about it."
Yu Jing slowly raised her eyes and looked at Qi Jin, saying, "I have heard that the Emperor has come here to question us. Does he believe the rumors?"
Strike first, and you can never go wrong.
"Your subject dares not," Qi Jin replied, his brows furrowed, but he showed no fear whatsoever, only a hint of disgust.
"However, I think it's not good for these rumors to spread. So I took the liberty of letting Xie Xuan stay in the capital and having Zhou Shu escort Mother to Wanjiang Mountain to pray for blessings. What does Mother think?"
When Yu Jing heard this, her mind went blank, and she couldn't believe it for a moment. She asked, "What did you just say?"
"Your Majesty wishes to keep Xie Xuan in the capital..."
"No!" Before Qi Jin could finish speaking, Yu Jing interrupted him. Yu Jing looked steadily at Qi Jin and repeated, "No."
Qi Jin frowned slightly, his expression becoming somewhat intriguing, as he looked at Yu Jing's slightly eager expression. He didn't speak, but instead stared at Yu Jing.
Yu Jing remained calm, feigning anger as she said, "Is the Emperor trying to confirm the rumors about me and Xie Xuan by making this arrangement?"
"This matter was due to my lack of consideration, and I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness." Qi Jin lowered his eyes and replied in a calm voice, "I will immediately send someone to the Xie residence to inform Xie Xuan."
“Hmm.” Yu Jing responded, then continued his lecture, “The emperor is now a ruler, and should act with careful consideration. He should not be so reckless. This matter is fine, but if it is a matter in the court, one should be cautious.”
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will follow your teachings."
After Qi Jin responded, Yu Jing finally breathed a sigh of relief. She had almost gone to Wanjiang Mountain alone. If Xie Xuan and Zheng Leqing had been left in the capital, Yu Jing was truly afraid that she would be able to attend their wedding banquet after returning from Wanjiang Mountain.
Qi Jin came out of the palace, and Xu Xinshu opened his oil-paper umbrella and walked with Qi Jin toward the palace gate. Qi Jin lowered his hand and touched the dragon-patterned jade pendant at his waist, and ordered, "Send someone to the General's Mansion to inform that the Empress Dowager will go to Wanjiang Mountain to pray for blessings in a few days, and Xie Xuan will still be by her side."
Xu Xinshu was taken aback at first, then respectfully replied, "Yes."
This morning, upon hearing the rumors that Qi Jin had summoned Xie Xuan and exempted him from serving at Wanjiang Mountain, Xu Xinshu had already guessed seven or eight parts of the truth. Qi Jin still wanted to protect Xie Xuan; this trip to Wanjiang Mountain was fraught with danger, and even if Xie Xuan was fortunate enough to return, if Sheng Hua died, he would still bear the blame for failing to protect his master.
Qi Jin changed his mind after leaving Cining Palace, which must be related to the master inside. Xie Xuan's life is probably beyond saving.
Qi Jin stared at the rain, slightly lost in thought.
Sheng Hua rarely lost her temper like this, and normally, if he had replaced Xie Xuan, she wouldn't have said a word. After all, Xie Xuan was someone he had sent, and she was unhappy about replacing him with Zhou Shu.
His mother was always ruthless. Since her assassination attempt and Xie Xuan's protection of Cining Palace, she had changed considerably. Could it be that she had truly fallen for Xie Xuan? It wasn't impossible; after all, Su Siyang's reaction was undeniable. How interesting. Thinking this, Qi Jin's lips curled into a smile.
"It would be good if we went together."
Qi Jin suddenly spoke, startling Xu Xinshu behind him. As if his thoughts had been read, Xu Xinshu glanced at Qi Jin guiltily.
The young emperor, dressed in a black robe with gold dragon thread, stood in the rain beneath the palace walls. The misty rain obscured his vision, yet his expression remained calm and composed. He seemed to have everything under his control, as if the heavens and earth were entirely at his command.
"Have everything been arranged in Guizhou?"
"Your Majesty, everything has been arranged. We are just waiting for the imperial carriage to return to the capital to make our move."
"I have never believed in divine protection; I only believe that human effort can achieve anything."
Xu Xinshu lowered his head slightly and said, "Your Majesty is wise."
"Young Master, someone from the palace has arrived." Xie Yi ran to the door, panting, and knocked on the door.
Xie Xuan was copying Buddhist scriptures when he heard this. His brush paused, and a large blot of ink spread across the paper, making the dot of the character for "heart" appear particularly large and round. Xie Xuan put the brush back on its rack, walked to the door, opened it, straightened the creases in his clothes, and asked, "What's wrong?"
"I don't know. Eunuch Tian didn't say much when he came over, only that His Majesty had something to convey to you, young master." Xie Yi replied and followed Xie Xuan to the main hall.
"Eunuch Tian." Xie Xuan greeted Tian Chi as he entered the main hall.
Tian Chi smiled, a fawning yet sharp laugh: "Thank you, Your Excellency."
"What brings you here, Eunuch Tian?"
"His Majesty instructed me to inform you that Lord Xie will continue to serve at Wanjiang Mountain as before." Tian Chi didn't beat around the bush.
"Does Your Excellency know why?" Xie Xuan asked, somewhat puzzled. Qi Jin had told him in the morning that he didn't need to accompany Wanjiang Mountain, but changed his mind in the afternoon, which was unlike Qi Jin's usual behavior.
Tian Chi glanced around and whispered to Xie Xuan, "This servant doesn't know much either. I only know that His Majesty went to Cining Palace and sent this servant to deliver a message after he came out of Cining Palace."
"Cining Palace?" Xie Xuan murmured.
"Yes," Tian Chi replied, then added, "This servant has conveyed the message and will now return to the palace to report."
"Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch Tian." Xie Xuan said, glancing at Xie Yi. Xie Yi understood and stepped forward to hand over the silver.
Tian Chi accepted the silver without batting an eye, smiled, and said, "It's what this servant should do."
After Tian Chi left, Xie Ying walked up to Xie Xuan and asked with some confusion, "Xuan'er, what do you think the palace means by this?"
Xie Xuan shook his head; he couldn't figure it out either.
"Whatever it means, just do your job well." Li Wei slowly walked over, reached out and straightened Xie Xuan's untied collar, and said, "Since you're going again, you might as well take all the things your mother prepared for you."
"Mm," Xie Xuan nodded in response.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager and Your Majesty the Empress request an audience."
Yu Jing raised an eyebrow, pausing her pruning motion. "Go in."
Zhang Qingcen walked slowly, a smile on her face, and curtsied to Yu Jing, saying, "Your Majesty, I greet you."
"Get up," Yu Jing said, her pruning continuing. Sheng Hua's books were so boring that when she couldn't bear to read them, she would trim the bonsai in the hall.
"I thought that Your Majesty would be setting off for Wanjiang Mountain tomorrow. The journey is long, so I sewed a white fox fur rug by hand to put on the carriage. It will make Your Majesty more comfortable when you sit there," Zhang Qingcen said, and then had someone bring the white fox fur rug up for Yu Jing to see.
Ayu stepped forward and collected the quilt. Yu Jing glanced at it and said, "The Empress is very thoughtful."
"I was merely fulfilling my filial duty; it wasn't anything I was doing with any ulterior motive," Zhang Qingcen said with a smile.
"Sit down," Yu Jing said, noticing that Zhang Qingcen was still standing.
"Thank you, Mother." Zhang Qingcen replied and sat down.
“Sister Yueqing sent a message saying that before the Empress Dowager leaves the palace for Wanjiang Mountain, she should be seen off. But a few days ago, the Zheng family held a banquet, and I don’t know if it was because I caught a chill on a rainy night or for some other reason, but I caught a cold. I’m afraid that I might pass on my illness to the Empress Dowager, so I can’t come.” Zhang Qingcen continued.
Yu Jinggang had just trimmed an extra branch when he heard Zhang Qingcen's words. Twisting the branch, he asked in return, "Is Yueqing sick?"
"Yes." Zhang Qingcen met Yu Jing's eyes.
"Is she seriously ill? Should we summon the imperial physicians to take a look?" Yu Jing wasn't truly worried, after all, she knew that Zheng Leqing was merely the reincarnation of the Third Princess, and even if she died, she would simply return to the Western Sea, and there would be no serious consequences. But she still had to say the polite words.
"Mother, there's no need to worry. It's just a slight cough."
"That's good." Yu Jing breathed a sigh of relief. Then she pretended to be serious and said, "I have been away from the palace for some time, so I have left all the affairs of the inner palace to the Empress. And Your Majesty, the Empress must take good care of His Majesty's health."
"Your Majesty's teachings will be followed, and I will not disappoint you," Zhang Qingcen said, rising from her seat and bowing to Yu Jing.
"Mm," Yu Jing replied, then chatted with Zhang Qingcen for a few more minutes before Zhang Qingcen left.
It started raining again as night fell. Tomorrow they would be setting off for Wanjiang Mountain, away from the capital for some time, but for some reason, Yu Jing couldn't calm down. She had a feeling that something was about to happen.
As Ayu helped Yu Jing change her clothes, Yu Jing casually said to Ayu, "Ayu, for some reason, my heart is pounding with anxiety."
Ayu looked at Yu Jing and comforted her, "Perhaps it's because you haven't left the palace for too long, and it's raining outside, which is making you feel annoyed. I'll send someone in to light some benzoin incense. Your Majesty, please settle down early and fall asleep."
"Mm." Yu Jing nodded gently.
Lying on the couch, the candles outside had gone out, leaving only one candle. The scent of benzoin wafted in through the curtains on the breeze. Yu Jing listened to the rain outside, gently patted her chest, and after a while, drowsiness came over her, and she soon fell asleep.
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