Chapter 3 The bride is embarrassed; she's not quite used to her new identity yet...
Although the winters in the north are bitterly cold, today was a rare day of fine weather. Sunlight streamed through the window lattice into the imperial study. Jiang Chen was staring intently at the halo of light on his desk. Noticing his absent-minded appearance, the emperor asked:
"What is the Crown Prince thinking?"
Jiang Chen snapped back to reality. He glanced around and saw that all the princes were looking at him. He felt a little embarrassed, but he quickly composed himself and replied, "Your Majesty, I was thinking about the heavy snow you mentioned. I believe that a good snowfall is a sign of a good harvest. It is currently the off-season for farming. As long as the snowfall is occasional before the Spring Festival, it is not all bad."
"Yes, what the Crown Prince says is true, but this winter will likely be difficult for the people to endure." The Emperor's brow remained furrowed.
The prince sitting opposite Jiang Chen bowed and said, "Your subject believes that the court can allocate a portion of its coal reserves to the people. Firstly, this year's coal production is quite abundant, enough to support the court's benevolence, and secondly, it can also demonstrate the imperial family's benevolence towards the people."
“Indeed,” the emperor nodded upon hearing this, his gaze sweeping over the princes before he said, “Then let Prince Huan take full responsibility for this matter. The Crown Prince is newly married, so let him rest this time.”
Upon hearing this, King Huan rose, cupped his hands, and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty, I obey your command."
Jiang Chen looked at the man in the dark blue brocade robe in front of him and suddenly remembered that just now in Kunyi Palace, it seemed that it was his princess who had made things difficult for Shen Yujiao. Thinking of this, when he looked at this man again, a little displeasure arose in his heart.
"Alright, that's enough for today. You may all leave now. Crown Prince, please stay a while; I have some questions for you."
"yes."
Jiang Chen nodded slightly, his face calm but his heart uneasy. He wondered how Shen Yujiao was doing in Kunyi Palace.
"I have heard that Jiangnan is a land of outstanding people and beautiful scenery, and the Shen family of Jiangnan is a prominent family in the area. Now that I have seen the Crown Princess, I know that these rumors are true."
With a faint smile on her lips, Shen Yujiao sat obediently beside the Empress, listening to the flattery and praise from the crowd below. Shen Yujiao felt that her face was about to freeze from smiling.
Even though she had never experienced such palace intrigue, she knew that these people were not really praising her, but were just using Miss Shen to curry favor with the Empress.
Shen Yujiao turned her head slightly to look at the Empress, who was all smiles, seemingly enjoying the flattery. Shen Yujiao sighed inwardly: Don't believe a word of it, Your Majesty. The higher these people praise her now, the harder she will fall when she is exposed.
Today's embroidery gift had already planted a seed of trouble for Shen Yujiao. Fortunately, she and Jiang Chen reacted quickly and covered it up by using painting as an excuse. Her painting skills were indeed passable, and imitating Miss Shen was not difficult. However, if Miss Shen had any other abilities, she didn't know if she could still cover it up.
"Oh."
A sneer suddenly rang out, sounding somewhat abrupt amidst the flattery filling the hall. Shen Yujiao looked up and saw the arrogant Peacock Princess from before.
With her crimson nail polish applied little by little on the small table beside her, her phoenix eyes swept across the entire room. Before the Empress could react, the princess parted her thin lips and said, "Jiangnan is indeed a land of outstanding people and beautiful scenery, but the Shen family never shows off. In fact... among the prominent families today, very few people mention the Shen family of Jiangnan. I wonder where you all heard these rumors?"
Although Shen Yujiao was not very clear about the background, she understood the princess's sarcastic remarks. She was simply saying that Miss Shen's family was no longer as glorious as it used to be, and that a mere daughter of a fallen family could be so flattered by the princesses and noblewomen in Kunyi Palace.
Sure enough, as soon as she finished speaking, everyone present looked a little embarrassed, and the Empress's face turned even colder. She said in a deep voice, "Yongjia! Watch your words."
Princess Yongjia, who had been reprimanded by the Empress, lowered her eyes slightly upon hearing this. Although she nodded politely, her expression remained one of nonchalant arrogance.
Seeing the Empress lose face in public, Shen Yujiao struggled internally for a moment, but in the end, she couldn't bear it and gave in. Although she didn't care what people thought of the Shen family of Jiangnan, she had now become their daughter-in-law in place of Miss Shen, and she couldn't just stand by and watch.
Then, Shen Yu smiled and said, “Sister Yongjia is absolutely right. In the past, after my ancestor Shen helped the Emperor ascend the throne, he asked to resign and retire to Jiangnan. He left behind ancestral instructions to his descendants, telling them not to be arrogant because of their past achievements, but to take loyalty to the emperor and love for the country as their principle, and to be humble and respectful. His descendants should not covet the legacy of their ancestors.”
She paused for a moment, then looked at the Empress and continued, "Therefore, my Shen family is indeed as Sister Yongjia said, never showing off in front of others, nor comparing ourselves with aristocratic families. Naturally, I am not worthy of your praise."
"you--"
Princess Yongjia seemed surprised that a newly arrived bride dared to embarrass her in public. She saw that everyone had a smug look on their faces, eager to see her make a fool of herself. She also saw that the Empress sat calmly at the head of the table, looking as if she greatly agreed with what the Crown Princess had said.
She was filled with resentment and sat in her chair for a long time, then pretended to be unwell, got up, bowed to the Empress, and left Kunyi Palace surrounded by palace maids.
Seeing Princess Yongjia's disrespectful behavior, the Empress was not angry. She simply said that everyone was tired today, and then kept Shen Yujiao and dismissed all the princesses and noblewomen.
After everyone had left, the Empress dismissed the servants and the palace attendants, leaving only the Empress and Shen Yujiao in the main hall.
The Empress smiled gently and took Shen Yujiao's hand, saying, "Crown Princess, you don't need to take Yongjia's words to heart today. He has spoiled her rotten."
“No,” Shen Yujiao said obediently, lowering her head. “Yongjia is still a child. As the emperor’s sister-in-law, I have no reason to hold a grudge against my sister.”
On the surface, she appeared calm, but inwardly she was feeling uneasy. Firstly, she knew very little about the Shen family of Jiangnan, and her words just now were only based on Jiang Chen's account yesterday. If Princess Yongjia had refuted her again, she was afraid she wouldn't have been able to respond.
Secondly, the Empress has dismissed everyone else, leaving her alone. How could she not be nervous? Could it be that Miss Shen has some secret she doesn't know?
"I have kept you here today because there is another matter I need to remind you of."
The Empress sighed softly at this point, and then said, "The Crown Prince has been taciturn and aloof since childhood. I have never seen him get close to anyone before. Today, I see that you all get along very well, which puts my mind at ease."
"You're much more at ease, and so am I." Upon hearing the Empress mention this matter, Shen Yujiao's tension dissipated considerably. Hearing the Empress refer to herself as "I," she thought to herself with admiration, "She truly has the heart of a loving mother."
"The Shen family raised you very well. You came to the capital to pay homage every year when you were young, and I have watched you grow up with my own eyes. Since the betrothal, you have been waiting to be married, and I have not seen you for several years. Now, you seem to have more of the demeanor of a Crown Princess than before."
The Empress nodded approvingly and said, "You are the Crown Prince's consort, so it is only right that you do this. However... I am really worried about the Crown Prince's temperament. Chen'er is not like his brother. Now that you are assisting him, remember to give him more advice and guidance."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will remember your teachings."
After saying that, Shen Yujiao noticed a hint of unease on the Empress's face, and then added, "If you have any difficulties, you can come to your mother."
Although Shen Yujiao was puzzled, she nodded in agreement. Afterwards, she heard the Empress give instructions on all matters concerning the Eastern Palace. Shen Yujiao sat upright until her legs went numb before she was allowed to leave.
Supported by Mu Jin, she limped towards the palace gate. As soon as she stepped out of the palace gate, she saw Jiang Chen standing by the carriage waiting for her.
The two exchanged a glance, their eyes showing a striking similar weariness. Without needing to say anything, Jiang Chen stepped forward, took Shen Yujiao from Mu Jin's hands, and steadily helped her onto the carriage.
Staring blankly at the swaying inner walls of the carriage, Shen Yujiao's eyes were somewhat unfocused. If she was so exhausted after just one trip to the palace, how would she manage to pay her respects to the emperor every five days in the future?
Both of them seemed extremely tired. On the way back to the East Palace from the Imperial Palace, the only sound in the carriage was the clinking of teacups on the small table.
"ah--"
Back in their bedchamber, one of them slumped onto the table, while the other threw herself onto the bed. Thinking about what had happened during their visit to the palace that day, Shen Yujiao felt a surge of frustration.
"What did the Emperor say to you?" she asked, lifting her eyelids to look at Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen buried his face in the quilt and replied in a muffled voice, "I told you I worked hard before the New Year, so I'll stay with you these days. I'll get back to work after the New Year when I go to court."
"Attending court?" Shen Yujiao suddenly perked up. She stared at the dragon pattern on Jiang Chen's robes for a moment, then exclaimed, "You really are the Crown Prince now..."
“I’m not,” Jiang Chen said helplessly. He sat up straight and was about to say something to Shen Yujiao when he saw her looking up at the sky with a longing expression on her face.
He chuckled and asked, "Why are you so excited?"
“A real court session,” Shen Yujiao’s eyes sparkled. “No liberal arts student hasn’t imagined in history class what it would be like to be in the imperial court, dealing with the erroneous subjects and debating with the scholars alongside those famous ministers and prime ministers.”
Shen Yujiao grabbed Jiang Chen's sleeve, her eyes burning, and said, "When you go to the morning court, you must tell me all about what you saw and heard in the court."
"Shen Jiaojiao," Jiang Chen said helplessly, freeing his arm from her grasp, "Don't you understand the situation?"
"I am a proper science student."
Her initial joy vanished instantly, leaving her speechless. After a moment of stunned silence, Shen Yujiao suddenly realized a serious problem—
The Crown Prince was taught by renowned scholars from a young age and was well-versed in classics and history. If Crown Prince Chen had no flaws, he would surely be a learned man with a thorough understanding of the calendar. Jiang Chen, on the other hand, chose science because he disliked the lengthy knowledge of humanities subjects.
"Then how will you attend court?"
Shen Yujiao felt completely overwhelmed. She had thought that having to go to the palace to pay her respects every five days and deal with the royal wives and sisters-in-law was already a very troublesome thing, but she did not expect that Jiang Chen's problem was even more troublesome than hers.
Seeing her worried expression, Jiang Chen chuckled and waved his hand in front of her face. "Wake up! You're getting too caught up in the drama. What we need to think about right now isn't the imperial court or the harem, but how to get back!"
"go back......"
Shen Yujiao was momentarily lost in thought. Yes, they had to go back.
But......
She paused, then turned to look at Jiang Chen again: "Why did we come here?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
