Su Rong slept until the evening and upon waking, Fen Ling told her about the assassination attempt on Xie Lin.
Su Rong raised her eyebrows, "Two cold arrows, two assassins, they really meant to kill." She asked Fen Ling, "What did Xie Lin find out in the end?"
Fen Ling shook her head, "Only young master Xie and Rui’an King know."
Su Rong pondered, "Did the crown prince send any message?"
Fen Ling shook her head.
Su Rong didn’t plan to pay any attention. Now that even the young master of Rui’an King’s residence dared to assassinate, Rui’an King would surely be furious and would surely spare no effort to find out the real murderer. The water in the capital was thoroughly stirred up by her.
After having dinner, she returned to her room and went to bed.
The next day, early in the morning, after breakfast, Ye Guixue went to the palace by carriage.
After the morning court session, the emperor, upon hearing from Eunuch Yu that the second son of Ye Xiang Residence had entered the palace, stopped in his tracks and immediately asked, "Where is he now?"
"The servant sent someone to take the Second Young Master Ye to the Mingde Hall," Eunuch Yu said. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂
Ye Guixue was not a court official of Daliang, so the emperor naturally couldn’t meet him in the Imperial Study Room.
The emperor nodded and headed towards Mingde Hall.
In Mingde Hall, Ye Guixue was sitting and drinking tea. The servant maids who were attending looked at him sneakily. The second son of the Ye family was indeed as good looking as the rumors, like a jade tree and orchid, it was eye-catching at first sight.
It was now widely spread in the capital that the day before, the second son of Ye had gone to the Big Buddha Temple to offer prayers with Lady Su Qi. Everyone was speculating about the relationship between Ye Guixue and Su Rong.
Ye Guixue, the second son of the Ye Xiang Residence in Nanchu, and Su Rong, the lesser daughter from the Inspector Residence of Jiangzhou, had both just arrived in the capital not long ago. Could it be that they knew each other from before? There was even a rumor that Su Rong had called off her engagement with Zhou Gu for Ye Guixue.
It was time for Ye Guixue to enter the palace. The emperor had not delayed after the morning court and hadn’t let Ye Guixue wait long before he arrived at Mingde Hall.
Hearing the voices of the maids and the eunuchs shouting "Your Majesty," Ye Guixue slowly stood up and greeted the bright yellow figure that came in from outside, "Ye Guixue of Nanchu pays his respects to Your Majesty of Daliang."
The emperor looked at Ye Guixue, his appearance and demeanor were extraordinary and unforgettable. He praised him in his heart. In those days, the daughter of the Duke Residence and the son of the Ye Xiang Residence in Nanchu were fond of each other. To strengthen the relationship between Nanchu and Daliang, Daliang naturally tried its best to promote it. Later, Princess Zhenmin also promised to marry the crown prince of Nanchu, which further tied Nanchu and Daliang together tightly.
He slowly raised his hand and said with a smile, "Second Young Master Ye, please rise!"
The emperor sat down in the main seat and smiled as he asked Ye Guixue to sit down. He treated Ye Guixue with great courtesy and said, "Second Young Master Ye, I heard you came to the capital of Daliang, and I’ve wanted to meet you for a while, but you’ve been elusive. It’s only today that I finally get to meet you."
Ye Guixue bowed in a composed manner, "It was quite a journey for me to come to the capital, and I’ve been slightly out of sorts. That’s why I only managed to meet you a few days late. I hope Your Majesty can understand."
The emperor waved his hand with a smile, "Second Young Master Ye, I naturally won’t hold it against you as I understand that you have a lot on your plate." He continued with a smile, "How is the Nanchu King faring health-wise recently?"
Ye Guixue nodded, "Thanks to your concern, my king has been fine and in good health."
"That’s good." The emperor nodded, "I heard that your Ye Xiang Residence is going to form a marriage alliance with the Nangong Family? You’ve sent your young niece to the Duke Residence for provision?"
"Yes, she’s currently staying there," Ye Guixue corrected with a laugh, "Certainly, my elder brother has a marriage contract with Miss Nangong."
The emperor looked at Ye Guixue and hinted, "Ye Xiang Residence and Nangong Family..."
Ye Guixue saw that the emperor paused and didn’t interrupt himself, but stood by to hear the rest.
The emperor could only go on to say, "when did they become so close?"
The Nangong Family from within Nanchu and Dawei jointly forced Princess Zhenmin to marry into Dawei under compulsion. If it hadn’t been for the Ye Family siding with the Nanchu King, the Nanchu King’s throne might have been replaced at that time. Therefore, all these years, although the Nangong Family and the Ye Family have not done anything substantial on the surface, in fact, there have been constant minor frictions between them, and their relationship is not good. The Nangong Family is the emperor’s in-laws, and the Ye Family is the protector of the king, so they have always been at odds with each other. Therefore, it is a surprise that they have now proposed marriage.
Ye Guixue laughed, "The matter of the two residences’ matrimonial alliance was facilitated by our king."
The emperor was surprised, "It was the Nanchu King who facilitated the alliance?" He wanted to ask why, but if it involved internal affairs of Nanchu, he couldn’t ask directly. He had to indirectly ask, "Second Young Master Ye, did you come back to Daliang merely for private matters, or also for official duties?"
Ye Guixue replied candidly, "It’s a bit of both."
The emperor sat up straight, "Oh? What official duties?"
Ye Guixue chuckled, "To escort back my Nanchu Princess from Daliang."
A wave of relief washed over the emperor. It seemed Ye Guixue had indeed come to Daliang for Su Rong. The Ye Xiang Residence remained as tightly intertwined with the Nanchu King as ever. His face softened in an instant, and he laughed, "Since Second Young Master Ye is being straightforward, I too will ask you directly. Are you speaking of Su Rong?"
Ye Guixue nodded, "Your Majesty, indeed."
The emperor said, "I just found out that Su Rong is the daughter of Princess Zhenmin and the Nanchu King. The old Duke kept it a secret all these years, not uttering a word to me, hence I only found out today."
He looked at Ye Guixue, "When did the Nanchu King find out?"
Ye Guixue replied, "Our king found out five years ago."
The emperor was taken aback, "He found out five years ago..."
Ye Guixue answered truthfully, "To be honest with Your Majesty, Nanchu has always been in a rather tumultuous state. Our king only has one princess. If we didn’t pave the way for her, how could we ensure her smooth return to Nanchu?"
The emperor came to an understanding, "The Nanchu King’s considerations are self-evident."
He sighed, "All things considered, Su Rong is still my niece. My cousin gave up her life back then, and I still grieve for her. If I had known earlier that she had a daughter, I wouldn’t have let Su Rong suffer in Jiangning County for so many years."
Ye Guixue didn’t humor him with a response.
The emperor reflected, "Princess Zhenmin was to me as my own sister. She was cruel enough not to inform me of her daughter’s existence, but now that I am aware, I certainly can’t neglect my duty."
He asked Ye Guixue, "What does the Nanchu King plan to do?"
Ye Guixue responded, "The king has said, once the princess returns to Nanchu, her objectives will align with that of our king."
The emperor was taken aback, he didn’t expect the Nanchu King to value Su Rong so much, not to oppress her with his authority. This meant, as long as Su Rong returned to Nanchu, everything would be as she wishes. Was he passing the power before her arrival?
The emperor maintained a calm expression, nodding, "Your king only has this one princess, it’s only right to treat her well. I haven’t met Su Rong yet, but since she arrived in the capital, she has been quite active, and I have noticed her. When I first learned about her background, I intended to summon her immediately, but was stopped by the old Duke. He worried about a possible Dawei retaliation. The incident from years ago, considering Princess Zhenmin faked her death to escape, if Dawei found out, they wouldn’t let it go, and the peace treaty she signed would likely be invalid. If Dawei nullified the peace treaty, a dispute between our countries would arise again. Unless I was fully prepared, it would be unwise to meet her and confirm her identity."
Ye Guixue nodded with understanding, "Your Majesty is right, the old Duke has given it serious consideration." He paused a bit, "But our king has instructed me before departure, that the marriage contract between him and Princess Zhenmin was never truly revoked. He wishes to welcome the daughter of Princess Zhenmin back to Nanchu, righteously and honourably. Her identity beyond any doubt. And he wants to do so as soon as possible."
Upon hearing this, the emperor’s expression shifted, "Your king’s intent is, that he’s not afraid to wage war? Has Nanchu been preparing for these years?"
If the Nanchu King knew about this matter five years prior to him, it indeed circumscribes his thorough preparation and consideration. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so bold to state it.
Ye Guixue nodded, "Our king insists, the princess’s identity is undeniable. If Dawei invades, our king will remain as before, standing together with Daliang to resist Dawei."
He looked at the Emperor of Daliang, candidly asking, "Haven’t Daliang been preparing all these years?"
The Emperor of Nanchu shook his head, "After the battle back then, our previous emperor tragically lost his biological niece, and I lost my cousin. Despite the non-aggression pact, since my enthronement, I obviously couldn’t naively belief that Dawei will never repeal the pact. Therefore, the three sons of the Duke Residence have always been in the military, diligently training troops."
Why else would he tolerate the Duke Residence up until now, if not for the potential threat of Dawei?
Ye Guixue nodded, "As long as Daliang has been preparing, that’s all that matters. Our king also said, Princess Zhenmin was born and raised in Daliang, her sacrifices for Daliang are universally acknowledged. Even when she faked her death, it was because of Dawei’s immoral actions first and foremost. She simply responded in kind. As such, our king wishes for Your Majesty to rightfully acknowledge your niece, to vindicate Princess Zhenmin’s name. In return, we Nanchu will also rightfully welcome back our princess."
The Nanchu King agreed, "The Nanchu King has a point. I too find it reasonable."
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