Chapter 6
Inside the Tianlu Pavilion, Yi King Yi Xuanxin flipped through the memorials received today, approving and making decisions with a focused expression. As the monarch of the Yi Kingdom, he shouldered a heavy responsibility and could not afford even the slightest bit of laziness.
After closing the letter, he took a deep breath, pinched the bridge of his nose, and relaxed his tense nerves. He felt that his energy was not as good as before recently, and he didn't know how much longer he could hold on.
"Is Luo Yue back?"
"Your Majesty, not yet, but judging by the time, it should be here soon."
"Is the Princess's Mansion all taken care of?"
"Everything has been arranged according to the princess's wishes. The servants in the mansion are still the same old ones, but the guards in the mansion have been replaced by the princess's guards in the imperial palace. However, the residence of the Crown Prince of Xiyi is also next to the princess's residence. I wonder if there will be any problems?"
As expected of the Chief Eunuch of the Imperial Household, he was busy while arranging the memorials on the desk so that they could be distributed later.
"It's okay. That mansion was chosen by the Queen for Gong Yuchen. It's close to the Princess's Mansion, and she intended to use the Princess's Mansion's power to protect the child more." Actually, it's been a while since I last saw the child.
"Send an invitation to the palace banquet in a few days and invite him as well." After all, Xiyi also wrote to say that they wanted to take him back. As the crown prince of Xiyi, he probably wouldn't have many opportunities to meet him in the future.
"yes."
"Go down."
"Your Majesty, it's past noon. Do you want to order dinner?"
"Wait a little longer. I'll serve the meal after Luo Yue comes back."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"By the way, what have King Xian and King Cheng been doing these days?"
"His Royal Highness the Xianwang brought Prince Tianhao and Princess Tianya to pay a visit to Empress Shufei earlier today. They should be at the Honglu Temple now, receiving visiting officials from various places."
The chief steward of the Imperial Household Department answered while replacing a new cup of tea for Yi Xuanxin.
"Your Highness Prince Cheng went to the royal farm outside the city yesterday. With the autumn harvest approaching, His Highness went to check on this year's crops. I'm afraid it will take a few days for him to return."
As for his two sons, it was undeniable that no matter how talented they were, they still couldn't capture his heart the way Luo Yue did. While the Xian King possessed the ability to govern, his virtue was weak despite his high position. The Cheng King was kind and wise, capable of great service, but his influence was limited by his position. This was why he found it so difficult to choose between them. Luo Yue, on the other hand, possessed both virtue and talent, and the influence of her mother's family, but her status as a woman meant she was destined to be beyond the throne. While he believed he treated all his children equally, he selfishly favored his daughter. Therefore, a future crown prince, beyond governing ability, must also possess a caring heart for his siblings, especially one who could take good care of Luo Yue.
"Your Majesty, Princess Yue requests an audience outside the palace."
"Yue'er is back? Announce her quickly."
"Zhang Liang, give orders to the kitchen to prepare lunch." Upon hearing that his daughter had arrived, Yi Xuanxin hurriedly instructed the chief steward of the Imperial Household Department who was serving beside him.
"Yes, I'll go right away."
"Luo Yue greets father." Yi Luo Yue walked slowly and gracefully, and knelt down in front of Yi Xuan Yin to pay her respects.
Looking at his beloved daughter whom he had not seen for many years, King Yi Yixuanqin hurriedly walked out from behind the desk and helped Yi Luoyue, who was kneeling on the ground to pay her respects.
"Good boy, you are finally back. Get up quickly and let your father take a good look at you." His nose felt sore and even his eyes were red.
"Father, please forgive me for my unfilial behavior. I haven't been by your side for the past few years."
"Silly child, what are you talking about? Your father also wants to thank you for your hard work in serving your grandmother for the past few years. Now that the three-year mourning period for your mother is over, it's time for you to come home."
"Father, these are what I should do. I just wonder how your health is these days?"
"It's okay, it's okay. Yue'er has grown up and become more beautiful." Looking at Yi Luoyue who was covered in gold, silver and jewels.
"I didn't expect you still like jade jewelry so much." Yi Xuanxin teased.
"These are gifts given to Yue'er by my father. I like them very much." She smiled and supported Yi Xuanxun with both hands.
"Good, good. Come, give Princess Yue one hundred rolls of brocade, one hundred thousand taels of silver, ten thousand taels of gold, and six sets of jewelry and head ornaments."
"As you wish."
"Luo Yue thanks father for the reward." Yi Luo Yue bowed to express her gratitude.
"Your Majesty, lunch is ready."
"You must be tired after all this journey. Haven't you eaten yet?"
"Not yet."
"Let's go and have dinner together with our father."
"yes."
Looking at the mountain of food piled up in the bowl in front of me.
"Father! This is too much."
"Not much. It's rare for you to come back, so these are your favorite foods."
"Father, I can do it myself. You can eat too." Yi Luoyue quickly stopped Yi Xuanxin from piling up food into his bowl.
"Your birthday is next month. Your father plans to hold a birthday banquet for you and has invited many unmarried young men from noble families of marriageable age. Come and take a look at them. You have been mourning for your mother for these years and even delayed your marriage." Yi Xuanxin stopped using his chopsticks to serve the food.
"Father, I am not anxious. I want to spend more time with you."
"What nonsense are you talking about, kid? Not to mention that the noble ladies of your age already have several children. Even your eldest brother, Tianya, was born when he was nineteen. So this matter should not be delayed any longer."
"But didn't my second brother get married just last year?"
"He is him, and you are you. How can we confuse them?"
"Hmph, father, you are biased."
"You are such a heartless little thing. Even if he is partial, father will favor you more."
"Yes, yes, yes, father is the best to me." Yi Luoyue shook Yi Xuanxun's arm coquettishly.
"So while father is still here, even if I can't see you give birth to a child, I want to at least see my precious daughter's grand wedding."
"No... Father... You will live a long life." Yi Luoyue said coquettishly.
"Your Majesty knows about your health. The only thing that worries me now is your marriage." Yi Xuanxin patted Yi Luoyue's hand with a doting look.
"Father!"
Seeing the exhausted King Yi, who had lost his former charm and was breathless and frail, Yi Luoyue felt a pang of grief. Ever since the deaths of her grandmother and her mother, her father, who had been deeply in love with her, had lost all sense of well-being due to his longing for her. If it weren't for the difficulty in deciding on a crown prince for Yi State and her father's reluctance to let her go, he would have followed her long ago.
"Okay, let's not talk about this anymore. As the year draws to a close, there will be more banquets and celebrations in the capital. You should go out and have some fun. Perhaps you'll find a son from an aristocratic family that suits your taste. Although marriage is a matter of parents' orders and matchmakers' words, your father still hopes that you can find your own happiness, so your father has granted you the right to decide on your own choice of consort. Although your father prefers your cousin Li Fei, as long as it's someone you like, even if you ultimately choose someone else, your father will grant you a marriage. So, my son, don't refuse your father anymore."
"Father, this... I understand." She knew her father was planning for her future. Besides arranging her marriage, he also had her secretly assess the character of her two brothers. Recommending the most suitable candidate for crown prince was also a deliberate arrangement to safeguard her future.
"That's great. Father will then pass on the instructions and have someone start arranging the relevant matters for the palace banquet."
"Okay." As the saying goes, what is coming will come, so why should she dwell on it?
"You've been away for a few years. I wonder what the people think of your two brothers?"
"As far as public opinion is concerned, the second royal brother is close to the people, so his reputation among the people is higher than that of the eldest royal brother. However, in addition to public opinion, balancing the court is also very important in governing a country." As a princess of the Yi country, although she is not involved in court affairs, she still knows some unknown things, but she has never said them. Moreover, she herself has no idea about the throne, so her current evaluation of the two royal brothers is still very pertinent.
"Yue'er is right. This is what makes it difficult for me, your father. Your eldest brother is good at handling matters of the court, but your second brother's reputation among the people is far higher than your eldest brother. It just so happens that you are back, so please help me, your father, to take a good look at your two brothers."
"Okay, I'll do my best."
Three years ago, when my mother passed away, my father, having reached middle age, was understandably seeking to expand his harem. However, he rejected the ministers' attempts to add women to his harem, arguing that the royal family already had a prince and no longer needed to expand. Therefore, the future crown prince would have to be chosen between the eldest prince, Xian Wang, and the second prince, Cheng Wang. As a princess, no matter how capable she was, she had no chance of becoming emperor. The ministers at court would not allow a female emperor to emerge, and she disdained the power struggles at court.
Her main purpose for returning this time was to uncover the truth about what happened three years ago. If it was true, she would make the perpetrators pay. Once everything was settled and the most suitable candidate for the crown prince was chosen, she would spend the rest of her life by her father's side, fulfilling her filial duty. Her relationship with her father was close yet not cloying, and he was the person she valued most in the world. As for marriage, if that day ever came, and Cousin Li Fei wasn't married, she might marry him in name only. She hoped her father would be happy, as a reward for his meticulous care and upbringing over the past nineteen years.
Li Fei looked curiously at the two jade pendants that Liefeng had sent over on the orders of Gong Yuchen.
As expected of Xiyi, a country rich in beautiful jade, these two pieces of jade are warm and firm, the green one is bright and vivid, the emerald green is crystal clear, the white one is of excellent whiteness without any impurities, and the carving is even more ingenious and lifelike. Both pieces are rare and top-quality jades.
"I'm sorry, but I won't accept any reward without merit. Your Highness, please take back these jade pendants."
"Second Master Li, my prince said that since Miss Mingxue damaged your jade pendant first, it is only right that you make appropriate compensation. If you do not like these two jade pendants, we have other ones in our mansion for you to choose from."
Is this the way to show off one's wealth? Li Fei frowned. What a joke! If Gong Yuchen had to pay for it, what reason would he have to go find that little tiger?
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