Chapter 90: The start of the year is just not seeing the people I want to see.
The fact that the emperor granted Princess Yongxian permission to become a nun caused quite a stir in the capital, because the one who pleaded for Princess Yongxian at the height of the controversy was none other than Consort Rong, who was currently bedridden.
"It's rare for Consort Rong to be lucid enough to see His Majesty, so why would she plead for Princess Yongxian?"
When Shen Yujiao heard about this in Yong'an, her face was full of surprise.
"Sister Yongxian is different from others..."
Since returning to the palace after the New Year, Yong'an has been depressed. Every time the Empress tries to show her concern, the child is lost in thought and ignores everyone who tries to talk to her. It is extremely rare for Shen Yujiao to be able to say a few words to her today.
So much so that every time Shen Yujiao saw Yong'an lately, she was extra careful in her speech, and at this moment she asked in a gentle tone: "Is Princess Yongxian and Consort Rong on good terms?"
It was rare for Yong'an to bring up a different topic today, and she wanted to use this opportunity to ease the child's frustration.
"It wouldn't be to say it was particularly good, but Sister Yongxian never ridiculed us before. In fact, there were a few times when Sister Yongjia made things difficult for us, and Sister Yongxian even secretly had people send us food, clothing, and medicine..."
"Besides my brother and sister-in-law, the only one who could be so good to me and my mother is her."
A rare smile of reminiscence appeared on Yong'an's face. It was a smile of pure longing, without any trace of bitterness. Shen Yujiao paused in her hand, which was tracing flower patterns, before smiling again: "So that's how it is."
She believed what Yong'an said: Princess Yongxian's kindness to her and her daughter was not tainted by any calculation or scheme. She was not a purely kind person, but perhaps she simply disdained associating with the people in the palace and looked down on Yongjia's behavior back then.
But this was a rare opportunity for Consort Rong.
Because Yongxian had helped them when they were in dire straits in the past, Rong Zhaoyi had kept this kindness in mind until now. Therefore, she was willing to help Yongxian in her current predicament.
Perhaps... it's not just about past feelings. Which woman in this palace hasn't thought about leaving?
Consort Rong is trapped here, but Princess Yongxian still has a chance to escape. She is willing to reach out and push open the cage door.
Once the Emperor approved Princess Yongxian's decision to become a nun, actions began to take place in the palace. Thanks to Consort Rong's efforts, the Emperor even allocated funds to renovate a Taoist temple on the outskirts of the capital.
Now that the New Year has just passed, the skilled officials of the Ministry of Works are busy cooperating with the Crown Prince to develop firearms. With the great war in the northern frontier imminent, most of the workers under the Ministry of Works are rushing to complete various weapons. However, apart from that, the workers of the Construction Department have not yet started work. With the imperial decree issued, the Taoist temple has become the first project to start construction in the Great Xia Dynasty at the beginning of the year.
The Taoist temple was located on a small hill on the outskirts of Beijing. Although the surrounding area was not barren, it was still a very desolate place. The temple had been abandoned for many years and was now in a state of disrepair. Since the royal princess was going to become a nun and cultivate herself here, it was naturally not going to be done in such a haphazard way. After officials from the Ministry of Works conducted an on-site survey, they decided to demolish and rebuild it.
The construction project underway at the Ministry of Works was in full swing, which was, to some extent, a symbolic gesture, indicating that Princess Yongxian's decision to become a nun had been officially put on the agenda. If there was anyone in the capital who disagreed with this, it would probably only be Prince Zhao.
Tensions were high among the various factions in the capital. With the progress of the musket project going very smoothly, Shen Yujiao no longer needed to accompany Jiang Chen and He Zhiju to practice shooting. Instead, she frequently went to the palace to pay her respects to the Empress. On the one hand, she was indeed worried about Yong'an, and on the other hand, she did not want to miss any developments in the palace.
It was precisely because of this that Shen Yujiao happened to stumble upon the argument between Prince Zhao and Princess Yongxian when she entered the palace that day. Prince Zhao was furious about Princess Yongxian's determination to become a nun, and even in the midst of their argument, his tone was full of disappointment and frustration.
“I’ve already pushed all the chips in the court to Wenxuan. Father will promote him soon. In the capital now, no matter which family’s daughter is choosing a husband, someone like Wenxuan is extremely rare. What exactly do you not like about him?”
"Even if you really don't want to marry him, why don't you tell me? Whether it's because of Yongjia or because of his elder brother Wenchong, if you don't tell me directly, how can I know what kind of consort you want!"
"That's enough—"
The sharp sound of tearing paper came from inside the pavilion, followed by the scattering of teacups and trays on the ground. Although Princess Yongxian suppressed her anger, she spoke again with much calmer words: "What's the use of saying it?"
"Is it that my brother will truly consider my dislike, or even if he declines this one, there will be countless others to come?"
After saying this, Princess Yongxian sighed, then bent down and picked up the broken porcelain shards one by one. The shards clattered and clanged. Yongxian's voice was full of weariness as she said, "Brother, your plans are far-reaching. Over the years, I have done my best for you, but for the great cause to come... I hope you will not force me to assist you."
A cool breeze swept past them; the spring wind had lost some of its biting chill, but Shen Yujiao still helped Yong'an pull her cloak tighter. The two sisters-in-law smiled at each other and walked hand in hand toward Kunyi Palace, the sounds of the Zhao King and his sister arguing fading away in the wind.
Since that day, Prince Zhao and Princess Yongxian have been as if they had severed ties. Whenever they attended palace banquets or other occasions together, they did not exchange any words. Even if they occasionally met, they were completely indifferent as if they did not know each other. It is said that Consort Han fell seriously ill as a result and has been bedridden ever since.
At the same time, the first battle report from the King of Wu after arriving at the border arrived. Thanks to the timely replenishment of food supplies and the mobilization of reinforcements, the situation in the northern frontier was alleviated. Under Liu Qin's leadership, the Xia army repelled the Di army for the first time since the beginning of the year.
Upon hearing that General Liu Qin had fallen seriously ill as soon as the situation on the front lines stabilized, Lu Zhanming, as the deputy general, was appointed to take command in a time of crisis, with Prince Wu Jiang Lin assisting in the process. The Northern Frontier Camp ushered in its first period of rest and recuperation. Although it was not a resounding victory, everyone in the capital was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.
When the news from the northern frontier arrived, Jiang Chen and He Zhiju were returning from the outskirts of Beijing. The two walked side by side under the moonlight, followed by two strong and robust Akhal-Teke horses. The moonlight stretched their shadows infinitely long, and He Zhiju's expression was somewhat gloomy under the moonlight.
Jiang Chen put away the mailbox and glanced at him sideways: "Still thinking about the Northern Frontier?"
He Zhiju's smile was bitter: "Once General Liu falls, no one in the camp will be able to control the overall situation. General Lu is temporarily taking on the main responsibility, so there will inevitably be oversights everywhere. And the Prince of Wu has never been to the army for training. If we encounter a surprise attack..."
He hesitated for a moment before continuing, but Jiang Chen noticed the worry in his voice and said after a moment's thought, "The imperial examination is just around the corner. This year's chief examiner is Grand Tutor Chu, and His Majesty has ordered me to assist him. Therefore, I thought that if there are any capable students, I would select one or two to send to the Ministry of Revenue. While the current situation is chaotic, as long as I can find out Li Lu's mistakes, I can overturn the case for the He family. At that time, I will send you back to the Northern Frontier."
Upon hearing this, He Zhiju paused. Li Lu had controlled the Ministry of Revenue for many years. Although it sounded feasible for the Crown Prince to send someone into the Ministry, it was actually not so easy to do. Moreover, newly graduated scholars were not worth much. If someone entered the Ministry of Revenue only to find fault with Li Lu, then that person's future career would likely be ruined...
"Your Highness—" He Zhiju's throat tightened, unsure of what to say. He wanted to overturn the case for the He family, but he did not want to gamble with other people's careers.
Jiang Chen seemed to see his concerns and patted his shoulder, saying, "Don't worry, you don't need to worry about the selection. Whether it succeeds or not, once everything is settled, I will arrange a good place for them."
In the turbulent world of officialdom, it's not simply a matter of being willing to put in the effort to become a good official. Sometimes, actual achievements are no match for cunning and strategy. There is never any fairness in the path of officialdom. This old case involving the He family and Li Lu requires those who are willing to uphold the righteous path in their hearts and who are not afraid of power to accomplish this task.
Jiang Chen didn't intend to abandon these people after using them up. As long as they could overthrow Li Lu and vindicate the He family, these people would be his pillars of support in the future.
On the first day of the second lunar month, the Taoist temple was largely completed after intensive repairs and reconstruction. The palace sent many people to clean and sweep it, and most of the utensils were delivered. However, the new building was not yet habitable. The Empress sent several capable palace servants to tidy up the building first. After Princess Yongxian moved to the palace, these people would stay there and be at Princess Yongxian's disposal.
The next day was Prince Huan's birthday. Unlike in previous years, this year, due to the war in the northern frontier, although things in the capital were still going smoothly, everyone was on edge. Prince Huan's mansion did not hold a grand birthday banquet this year, nor did it accept any gifts. On that day, Prince Huan was busy with trivial matters such as supplying provisions to the front lines.
As the sun shone on the western hills, Jian Shan noticed that the food on the table beside the desk had become covered with a layer of grease. He moved his lips, but after thinking for a long time, he didn't say anything. He simply moved a stack of memorials from beside the Prince Huan's hands, and the desk, which had been piled up like a small mountain, was instantly tidy. But after a while, Jian Shan moved a new stack of memorials.
The official documents being sent here right now are from either the Ministry of Revenue or the Ministry of War, and most of them are related to grain and provisions. The Ministry of Revenue is complaining that it is poor and cannot come up with the money, while the Ministry of War is complaining that it is overworked and that it is short of manpower. Although Prince Huan is in the capital of Xia, the pressure he is under is no less than that of the generals in the northern frontier.
Jian Shan cautiously glanced at his tightly furrowed brows and sighed inwardly. Today was Prince Huan's birthday, but he sat in his study all day as usual, ignoring anyone who came to offer birthday wishes. He even only met with Prince Zhao briefly before being asked to leave by Prince Huan.
As dusk fell, the light in the room grew dimmer. King Huan never allowed maids into his study, so only Jian Shan was attending to him at this moment. He walked to the lamp and lit a candle. Watching the flickering flame, he suddenly realized that perhaps his master wasn't so engrossed in official duties that he didn't want to see anyone; it was just that the person he wanted to see was now unavailable, and that person hadn't come to offer birthday greetings...
A creak interrupted Jian Shan's thoughts. He turned his head and saw Princess Huan carrying a food box as she entered. He quickly put down the tinderbox in his hand, bowed to Princess Huan, and thought to himself that something was wrong.
"Your Highness, you've had a long day. You should rest. You haven't eaten all day. How can your body take it?"
Princess Huan cleared away the cold lunch and rearranged the food on the table. The steaming dishes emitted an enticing aroma. Jian Shan bowed his head, maintaining his bowing posture, and silently counted a few times before hearing the expected reply from Prince Huan—"Leave it there and get out."
Her movements paused slightly, and the Princess Consort's polite smile froze. She took a few deep breaths, then smiled again: "It's fine on ordinary days, but today is your birthday..."
"I said, get out."
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Author's note: First of all, I want to apologize to everyone. When I started writing, I didn't expect that work would become so busy later. I apologize to all the lovely readers who are reading this.
I always kept updating, no matter how busy I was, but my life has been completely disrupted recently. I can only write a little bit here and there when I have free time. I just managed to find some time to organize my thoughts.
I'll probably be updating irregularly lately, but I'll upload each part as I finish writing it. Fans of "Bamboo Horse" can check back every now and then. I'll focus on writing as soon as I'm done with this busy period.
I still want to finish writing this book properly. Right now, all the storylines are proceeding according to the outline, but I really can't keep up with the update schedule. I apologize and thank every friend who likes "Childhood Sweethearts".
Congratulations to all those who have finished the college entrance examination! Congratulations on starting a new chapter in your lives!
After this story is finished, I will send red envelopes to all the lovely readers who have been following it!
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