"Long'er, my Long'er." The Empress opened her arms and hugged her tightly as her princess rushed over.
"Mother, I'm back," Xingxing said, her voice choked with emotion.
The emperor stood to the side, his eyes slightly red. He restrained himself from going forward to hug the mother and daughter together. He said in a low voice, "It's good that you're back. My princess has grown up."
"Father," Xingxing said, leaving the Empress's embrace and rushing into the Emperor's arms. In a voice only the two of them could hear, she said, "Father, may our Great Jin Dynasty enjoy peace and prosperity from now on."
Emperor Taikang was deeply moved and said in a low voice, "May our land be safe and sound from now on, and may all people live in peace."
Aside from the Empress, the other concubines were also ordered by the Emperor to go to the palace gate to welcome Princess Linglong back to the palace. At this moment, the concubines, princes, and princesses watched as Emperor Taikang and Xingxing showed such deep father-daughter affection, hugging each other and whispering to each other.
Consort Duan watched this scene with a deep look in her eyes, thinking to herself that Princess Linglong was not worthy of the trouble of having everyone in the harem come to greet her, but was only relying on the Emperor's favor.
The eldest prince lowered his eyes, his hands clenched into fists hidden in his sleeves. The Zhou family had not been beheaded, but had been released from prison and had their family property taken back. The assassins he sent not only failed to take Linglong's life, but were all killed. Now that she had returned to the capital safely, he wondered if she wanted to settle old scores with him.
On the other side, the Third Prince and Consort Shu watched coldly, without much thought. In any case, they would follow Consort Duan and her son's lead in everything they did, and do whatever the latter told them to do.
"Father and Mother, this is Chen Yueru, my good friend. I've mentioned her to you before. I brought her to the capital for a visit. Ruru, come and greet Father and Mother." Xingxing pulled Chen Yueru in front of the Emperor and Empress.
Chen Yueru had not learned the etiquette of the palace, so she curtsied as she would when she greeted her elders. Then she faintly heard some concubines sneer, and someone even muttered that she was indeed a peasant girl from the countryside. She did not know how to kneel and pay respects to the emperor and empress, nor did she pay respects to the concubines, princes and princesses.
Chen Yueru lowered her head in embarrassment, not daring to look at the crowd. Xingxing reached out and squeezed her hand to comfort her, then turned to look at the crowd and said crisply, "Yueru is someone I brought back, and she is under my protection. If you have any complaints, you can tell me. Speak up loudly and don't gossip behind my back, or I will never forgive you."
The emperor, unable to bear seeing his beloved princess being bullied upon her return, immediately turned cold and said in a deep voice, "When did it become anyone else's business to speak ill of my princess's friends? Who was the one who dared to make a sound just now?"
"Your Majesty, please calm down. I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have spoken out of turn." The person who had spoken earlier knelt down with a thud and kowtowed several times, soon drawing blood from her forehead.
Xingxing was annoyed by this situation and said, "I'll let it go this time, but don't let me hear you talking nonsense again next time."
"The princess will not argue with you anymore. Now step back." The empress's tone was quite stern. She glanced at the concubine and recognized her as one of Consort Duan's factions. She knew that the concubine must have said those words at Consort Duan's behest.
The Emperor and Empress were displeased, and the concubines dared not cause any more trouble. They obediently followed the Emperor and Empress to welcome the eldest princess back to the palace.
The Empress brought Xingxing and Chen Yueru back to Huayun Palace and dismissed the other concubines. The concubines in the palace were eager to leave; if it weren't for the Emperor's decree, they would not have wanted to welcome any princess.
"Go and take a bath first. I have already instructed the imperial kitchen to prepare dinner," the Empress said gently and kindly.
Chen Yueru smiled and obediently followed several palace maids into a room to bathe, while Xingxing went to another room.
Half an hour later, Chen Yueru, dressed in the elaborate ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) prepared for her by the palace servants, carefully made her way to find Xingxing. Xingxing had just changed her clothes and combed her hair as she came out of the room. She was also wearing elaborate palace attire, which required her to lift her skirt as she walked, and she seemed quite disgusted by it.
“Princess Xing… I just learned some palace etiquette from Granny Zhong, and I now know how to greet the Emperor and Empress,” Chen Yueru said excitedly.
"You actually have the interest to learn that? I don't even want to learn it," Xingxing said with some admiration.
"How can I compare to you? You are a princess, and others bow to you. You only need to bow to the Emperor and Empress." The Emperor and Empress doted on her, so even if she didn't bow, no one would dare to say anything to her. But Chen Yueru was a commoner, and she had to bow to everyone she met in the palace.
Actually, what that concubine said earlier wasn't wrong. Everyone in the palace was of higher status than her, so she did need to bow to each of them to be proper. If it weren't for the protection of the stars, she would probably have been beaten to death for being so disrespectful.
"If you're not comfortable, stay in the palace for a few days and I'll send you out to live with my mother and the others at the Zhou residence. You'll be more comfortable there," Xingxing promised.
"Yes, send me out of the palace in a couple of days. I only need to experience the palace for two days. I'm afraid I won't be able to handle it if it goes on for too long." Chen Yueru nodded vigorously. If she were to offend any noble person in the palace, and they were to chase her all the way to Changting County, it would be a real disaster.
"But Her Majesty the Empress is such a kind person! She's beautiful inside and out, and speaks so gently. She's such a gentle person, without any airs at all. How can she be so good?" Chen Yueru's eyes sparkled as she praised the Empress to the skies.
"The Empress Dowager is easily influenced and has a gentle temper, but she can be quite formidable at times." Xingxing recalled the Empress's true nature and roughly understood that she was a rather Buddhist type who didn't like to compete. Of course, she didn't need to compete to be the Empress. In short, as long as others didn't actively harm her, she wouldn't actively harm others either.
But if someone offends her, she will retaliate in the same way.
"Of course, she can't always be so good-tempered. Otherwise, she'd be bullied right under her nose and wouldn't even know how to fight back. How stupid would that be?" Chen Yueru immediately covered her mouth after saying that. They were talking about the Empress. How could they say that the Empress was stupid? If they were to investigate, she could be punished by having her tongue pulled out.
Staying in the palace is like walking on thin ice. Every word you say and every step you take must be carefully considered. You can never be too careful, or you'll lose your life. She truly admires those who can survive in the palace for so long.
However, the Empress was very easygoing, and with Xingxing nearby to lighten the mood, Chen Yueru quickly became less reserved and was able to relax and enjoy her dinner. She had a very pleasant dinner.
Later, the emperor also came to Huayun Palace. Chen Yueru bowed to the emperor and then withdrew, following the palace servants to her room to rest. Xingxing and the emperor and empress had not seen each other for three years, so naturally they had a lot to talk about.
The emperor mainly wanted to hear his princess recount the details of her disaster relief efforts over the past few years. Although his princess's every move was reported to him by secret guards in letters, the few words in the letters were too superficial. He still wanted to know more about the princess's real experiences.
Xingxing had nothing to hide and spilled everything, "...This isn't solely my achievement. The secret guards Father sent were very capable, and Brother Lin and my fellow disciples played crucial roles. It's all thanks to everyone, and Father's contribution is also invaluable. My good fortune has probably spread far and wide; our Great Jin Dynasty will be well from now on. Father, please rest assured."
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