Chapter 92 The visiting card is really unusual.
The day the Chengguo Duke's entourage entered the capital, it attracted all the attention in the city. It was not because the Chengguo Duke's entourage was particularly luxurious, but because the Crown Prince and Crown Princess personally came to the city gate to welcome them. Afterwards, the banners of the Eastern Palace were used to clear the way, and the Chengguo Duke and his wife were escorted into the Eastern Palace.
When the news reached the Huan King's residence, the Zhao King, who was a guest there, slammed his fist on the table in anger, causing the soup and other liquids on the table to spill all over the place.
Upon seeing this, King Huan frowned slightly, took the handkerchief handed to him by a lady-in-waiting and wiped his mouth. He then got up to wash his hands, and the servants attending him immediately fell silent and came over to clean up the leftovers.
Realizing that King Huan had left before finishing his meal, King Zhao belatedly got up and followed him, saying, "Brother, it's not that I'm stingy, but the Cheng State Duke's mansion has made quite a show of entering the capital."
"Alright," King Huan said, throwing the handkerchief at King Zhao after washing his hands. "What's the big deal? Why are you so upset? Besides, this is a show put on by the Crown Prince. What can you do about it?"
Whether it's to build momentum for the Duke of Cheng's mansion or to support the Crown Princess, the fact that the Eastern Palace is displaying half of the Crown Prince's regalia today is for everyone to see. How can it stir people's hearts if the momentum is insufficient?
"Big brother—"
King Zhao wanted to say something more, but was stopped by a sharp look from King Huan. He was unwilling, but in the end he said nothing more.
Huan Wang understood the reason behind his expression. Firstly, they had just received the emperor's commendation, but the arrival of the Duke of Cheng would inevitably divert the emperor's attention.
Secondly, it was Zhao Wang's birthday three days ago, and almost all the royal officials who wanted to befriend them attended. Among the princes, all of them were present except for the ninth prince from the border. Even the usually grumpy King Tai came and stayed for a while before leaving. Only the Crown Prince did not come.
Although the congratulatory gifts were delivered on time and the etiquette was impeccable, it was precisely because of this adherence to rules that the King of Zhao was displeased.
Nowadays, not to mention the Huan Prince's residence, even the Zhao Prince's residence is filled with people bringing gifts every day. The Zhao Prince is not lacking in treasures. That day, he originally thought that the Crown Prince would go out of the city to welcome the Duke of Cheng, but unexpectedly, the Duke of Cheng's carriages and horses did not arrive until three days later.
What does this show? It shows that the Crown Prince doesn't take King Zhao seriously at all! King Zhao gets angry just thinking about this, and that's why he couldn't help but lose his composure when he heard how grand the welcoming procession was.
Seeing him like this, King Huan felt not only dissatisfaction, but also more worry.
Nowadays, King Zhao is becoming increasingly frivolous, and he wears his emotions on his sleeve. He has long lost the composure and forbearance of his earlier years. He is always worried that if this continues, King Zhao will eventually make a big mistake.
When the Duke of Cheng arrived in the capital, the emperor attached great importance to it. Even on his day off, the emperor personally received Shen Boyi in the imperial study, while Lady Cui was taken directly to the Kunyi Palace in a sedan chair.
When the Empress received the Duchess of Cheng, Shen Yujiao had just finished practicing calligraphy with Yong'an and washed her hands when the Empress summoned her to serve her.
Although two years have passed since the Crown Prince's wedding, today is the first time that the two matriarchs have sat down for a proper conversation. In front of Madam Cui, the Empress praised the Crown Princess extensively, her words full of satisfaction with the eldest daughter of the Shen family.
Hearing this, Cui was naturally delighted. She was already very satisfied with Jiang Chen, and now that she heard the Empress's praise for her daughter, her joy was even greater. She immediately took out a valuable gift to present to Princess Yong'an.
It was Yong'an's first time meeting the Duchess of Cheng, and she was inevitably a little nervous. Now, seeing that the other party had given her such valuable jewelry, she looked at the Empress at a loss. Seeing the Empress nod slightly, she accepted it with peace of mind and curtsied to the Duchess of Cheng.
The Duke and Duchess of Cheng had come from afar, but they did not stay in the palace for long that day. After the Empress had spoken for a while, a eunuch came to say that the Crown Prince had come to ask if they wanted to stay for a meal. The Empress waved her hand and smiled gently at Shen Yujiao: "Your mother must have had a hard journey north. I won't keep you here today. Please stay and help your mother settle in."
"yes."
Although the Shen family didn't have a proper mansion in the capital, they did own several villas. The Shen family's entourage went straight to their estate on the outskirts of the capital upon arrival. However, when Cui Shi, supported by Shen Yujiao, got off the carriage, she was greatly surprised—
"This...this is against the rules."
“Mother,” Shen Yujiao said, taking her arm as they climbed the steps and leading her into the East Palace. “This is the Crown Prince’s idea. He said that now that you two have entered the capital, there is no reason for you to stay outside.”
The son-in-law's words were very kind, and seeing the respectful demeanor of all the servants in the Eastern Palace, the Duchess of Cheng nodded with satisfaction. She turned her head and saw her daughter's beautiful face, and her heart stirred slightly: "Just now in the Empress's palace, I noticed that Princess Yong'an seemed to be very close to His Highness?"
"Yes, Yong'an is a well-behaved and sensible child. She is usually raised in Kunyi Palace. I often go to the palace, so I get closer to her."
Seeing the smile in her eyes, the Duchess of Cheng lowered her voice and advised, "Since you like children so much, why not have one yourself?"
The bright and lively smile on her face froze instantly. Shen Yujiao heard the Duchess of Chengguo continue to persuade her: "Now that you are much better, and both you and His Highness the Crown Prince are of suitable age, it will be beneficial for both of you to have the child sooner rather than later."
“Mother…” Shen Yujiao said with some difficulty, “The Crown Prince has been busy since last year. His Majesty attaches great importance to this, how could he dare to neglect his duties? Besides, not to mention His Highness, even I am afraid I will not have time to have children.”
"You fool!" The Duchess of Chengguo said with a hint of exasperation, "Do you think you're the only one in this household? How important is the Crown Prince's eldest son? Chu Shi is no nobody; she comes from a prestigious family, and many of her relatives hold high-ranking positions in the court. In the capital, your father and I can't really help you much. If you could give birth to a grandson of the Crown Prince sooner, your position would be more secure... Even if it's not a grandson, a princess would be fine!"
“Mother, your words are unfounded. Madam Chu has always been very respectful to me and has never overstepped her bounds. She usually only reads and writes in the Jingtan Pavilion. Unless she pays her respects to me, she never enters the front courtyard without permission. So why do you have such concerns?”
"Jiao—" The Duchess of Cheng felt that her daughter was still too naive and wanted to give her a few more words of advice, but the mother and daughter walked to the flower hall where they were having their meal. Seeing that the Crown Prince and the Duke of Cheng were sitting at the head of the table, she could not say anything more.
Jiang Chen, who was sitting at the head of the table, quickly stood up to greet the two as they entered, saying, "My mother-in-law is here."
The Crown Prince was handsome and polite. Whether entertaining his parents-in-law or facing the Crown Princess, he was always sincere. When he looked at Shen Yujiao, the love in his eyes was impossible to hide. Seeing this, Cui Shi's worries dissipated a little.
Jiang Chen was unaware that while he was away, Shen Yujiao had once again shouldered the pressure of being forced to have a baby on her own. He only noticed that Shen Yujiao was somewhat taciturn in the evening.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling pressured by the arrival of the Duke of Cheng and his wife?"
Shen Yujiao put down the comb in her hand, looked up at the person in the bronze mirror, her eyes filled with resentment: "Why is it that when we transmigrated, you were the Crown Prince and I was the Crown Princess? If our positions were switched, I don't believe that the Empress and the Duchess of Cheng would keep urging the Prince Consort to have children."
So that's what it was for.
Jiang Chen understood immediately. He picked up the person in his arms and carried her toward the bright red bed curtains, coaxing her as he went, "Your Highness, shall I serve you tonight?"
"Get lost," Shen Yujiao kicked Jiang Chen as soon as she sat down on the bed. "I'm not in the mood for jokes."
"Okay, let's get down to business."
Jiang Chen suppressed his smile, took out a visiting card from the box by the bedside, and pushed it to Shen Yujiao's side: "Shen Xun, he's still outside the pass, and the card has already been sent. He says he'll arrive in the capital tomorrow evening and wants to pay his respects to the Duke of Cheng and his wife."
"Shen Xun?" Shen Yujiao opened the visiting card and read it carefully. "I've been married into the Crown Prince's palace for over a year, but he has never treated us as a relative by marriage. During the last court debate, he also stated frankly that he and the Shen family's patriarch's lineage were already beyond the fifth degree of kinship. And now he's sending this visiting card..."
This is really unusual.
"So, I think he might be here to deliver a message to us."
Shen Yujiao's fingernails, which were gripping the visiting card, turned slightly white. Shen Xun, as the official in charge of escorting the grain and supplies, had traveled all the way to the Northern Frontier Camp. No one probably knew the situation on the border better than him.
“Well then, if that’s the case, let’s invite Brother He over tomorrow. Anyway, the title is already there. It’s the same whether one junior visits or two.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Chen looked up at Shen Yujiao and smiled at her silently.
The next morning, a eunuch from the front courtyard of the East Palace announced: "General Yunqi has arrived."
After many years, this was the first time that the Duke and Duchess of Cheng had seen He Zhiju since he returned to the capital. The couple doted on the child, and He Zhiju's longing for his parents was even more profound. The family was reunited, and He Zhiju stayed in the Eastern Palace for a whole day until the lanterns on the long street went out before riding back home.
Jiang Chen and Shen Yujiao had just seen He Zhiju off when they hurriedly returned to the study. After closing the door and making sure no one else was around, Shen Xun stepped out from the shadows and said, "Your Highness."
"Lord Shen, you've had a long day. Please have a seat. Let's talk things over slowly."
"No—" Chen Xun knelt down in the darkness, his eyes flashing with a resolute yet sorrowful tear: "Your Highness, the Northern Frontier is in danger!"
The study in the Eastern Palace was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Although it was already spring, the room was still chilly.
The military situation in the northern frontier was both reasonable and unexpected. Jiang Chen remained relatively calm at this moment. He calmly said, "I understand. Please get up, sit down and tell me in detail."
The convoy escorting the grain supplies to Xinjiang would not enter the capital region for another three days. Shen Xun secretly broke away from the group and went ahead on his own. He had to run two horses to death to make it to the capital today. As a civil official, he had been carrying a heavy burden on his mind all along the way. Now, exhausted from the journey, he was physically and mentally drained. As soon as he stood up, he collapsed to the ground.
"Eh—"
Seeing him like this, Jiang Chen and Shen Yujiao hurriedly reached out to help him. Shen Yujiao guessed that he must have been traveling day and night and hadn't eaten properly along the way, so he was probably suffering from low blood sugar. She turned around and went into the cubicle to take out the pastries that had been left there during the day, and picked up the kettle on the small clay stove, preparing to make him a cup of tea to soothe his throat.
Shen Xun had just lost consciousness briefly, his vision went black. When he came to his senses, he found himself being supported by the Crown Prince, and the Crown Princess was personally making tea for him. He felt a surge of fear.
"Don't get up, just sit there. Speak quickly so that Lord Shen can have a proper meal."
Before he could finish speaking, the Crown Princess stopped him. Shen Xun blushed with embarrassment, a rare occurrence for him. He was a grown man, yet he was so hungry that he felt faint. Fortunately, neither the Crown Prince nor the Crown Princess cared about his rudeness. Looking at the Crown Princess's comforting gaze, Shen Xun felt a warm current welling up in his heart. Although they were no longer related by blood, he felt a sense of closeness.
The soft cakes mixed with the rich tea soup were quickly eaten by Shen Xun to fill his stomach. Then he earnestly talked to the Crown Prince about the situation on the frontier. He was serious and Jiang Chen listened intently. Before they knew it, the capital city of Xia had fallen into complete silence.
"So, in your opinion, the Northern Barbarians will attack again soon?"
"This is not my opinion, but rather what I said in private before returning to the capital. I met with General Liu and he said that the current stability on the frontier is probably just a mirage."
General Liu has been stationed at the border for many years and is a veteran of many battles. Jiang Chen trusts his judgment. He fell into deep thought because of this news. If war really breaks out at the border again, should he try to get a chance to go to war?
Seeing the Crown Prince remain silent, Shen Xun knew that he had his own thoughts, so he did not disturb him. He picked up the Jianzhan cup beside him and took a sip. The warm tea aroma made him pause in surprise. After so long, the tea was still warm?
He subconsciously turned to look at the Crown Princess, only to see Shen Yujiao giving him a gentle smile. The night was deep and cold, and wisps of steam rose from the teapot on the small clay stove, reflecting a moist warmth in Shen Xun's eyes. He drank the tea in his cup clean, sip by sip.
"Lord Shen's news is of utmost importance. I still have some matters to attend to. Lord Shen has traveled a long way and must be exhausted. Why don't you stay at the East Palace for the next few days? Your father-in-law and mother-in-law are also here."
Shen Xun had already planned to conceal his whereabouts for the next few days, so he was not surprised when the Crown Prince mentioned staying at the East Palace. However, the last sentence made him freeze in place. A vague thought lingered in his mind, and this thought made his heart beat faster.
"Yes," suppressing his inner fervor, Shen Xun calmly reached into his robes and pulled out a jade token, respectfully handing it to Jiang Chen: "Your Highness, I have now returned to the capital from the northern frontier. Please take this token back."
A few strands of green floated on the white jade pendant. Jiang Chen looked at the jade pendant and smiled faintly: "After all, we are all descendants of the Shen family of Jiangnan. The Shen family and the Eastern Palace are related by marriage, so you are naturally the Crown Princess's cousin. Lord Shen risked his life to go to the Northern Frontier for me. Consider this jade pendant as my thank-you gift."
"Thank you for your generous gift, Your Highness. Your humble servant will serve the Crown Prince with unwavering loyalty and devotion."
The moonlight shone on the bluestone path of the East Palace, adding a touch of silver to the dark blue road. Chen Xun followed behind the eunuch, the two walking close to the wall in the shadows. As he walked, he unconsciously looked at the silvery white figure beside him, and the jade pendant in his arms seemed to reignite the most passionate corner of his heart.
He and his father were both legitimate students of the emperor who passed the imperial examinations. In his youth, he was ambitious and full of aspirations, but due to their family background, they were both frustrated and unable to achieve their goals.
The Shen family was neither a prestigious family with a century-long history nor a purely poor family. As a result, they were not eligible for important or powerful positions. Shen Xun did not have any expectations and simply focused on practical work.
But things are different now.
He raised his hand to his chest. This was the Crown Prince's token, and also the proof that he had joined the Eastern Palace. His family and the Shen family of Jiangnan were now connected again through the five degrees of mourning by this token.
From then on, the Shen family was no longer a poor family, but a branch of a century-old family; and he was no longer a lone minister, but a subordinate of the Crown Prince.
-----------------------
Author's note: My darlings, it's been a long time! I'm kneeling down in apology!
I'm so sorry for the long hiatus. Let me explain briefly: the past two months have been a crucial period for my work, so I basically put everything else aside to focus on it. At first, I was able to write in my spare time while working, but later I couldn't manage anything else, so I was forced to stop updating for a while. I'm so sorry, I really apologize to everyone!
My life is gradually returning to normal, but I'm still much busier than before. So even though I've started writing again, I might not be able to guarantee daily updates. However, I promised everyone that I would finish this book properly and I definitely won't abandon it. So I will write and upload whenever I have time.
That's pretty much it. I'm really, really, really grateful for everyone's support before, and I'm also very grateful to those who will still come to read the new chapters. Since the update time is not fixed, you can check back about once a week. I will still insist on finishing this book. I bow deeply again!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
