Chapter 95, first published on Jinjiang Literature City 095 "...Fourth Master, we're terrified..."
The ceremony lasted for almost half a day. After the sacrificial ceremony, King Tran was worried about Nguyen Ngoc's health, so he simplified some of the complicated procedures as much as possible and let Nguyen Ngoc decide whether or not to hold a palace banquet.
Ruan Yu smiled and said, "We won't hold a ceremony for Father. It's unnecessary. Let's keep everything simple."
The national treasury is tight, the war has just ended, and yet they are going to such lengths to hold a investiture ceremony for her as the eldest princess; it's such a waste.
Emperor Qianyuan sighed, "My dear sister is so thoughtful. I will definitely make a good preparation for you on New Year's Eve. When spring comes next year, you can also hold a flower-viewing banquet."
Ruan Yu showed little interest in any of this, simply nodding with a smile before preparing to leave the palace.
The carriages and horses were already prepared. As she rode in the sedan chair past Chengtian Gate, she saw the Chaha tribe who had come to pay tribute that day.
Ruan Yu actually felt a slight sense of disorientation.
The other party also saw her, and Ruan Yu finally couldn't hold back and ordered the sedan chair to be stopped.
She had never seen the people the envoy was with before, and they didn't look like the acquaintances she used to know.
The other party gave a deep bow.
"Greetings, Your Highness."
"Sir, there's no need to be so polite. We're old acquaintances."
The envoy's expression was clearly complicated, and he did not respond.
Ruan Yu paused for a moment, then asked, "Is everything alright on the grassland?"
"Your Highness, everything is fine... The wheat harvest was plentiful in the autumn, and the war was won."
Ruan Yu gave a thoughtful "oh".
"That's good..."
"Your Highness, are you alright?"
Ruan Yu smiled and said, "I'm fine, thank you for your concern."
"Of course."
The two exchanged a few perfunctory pleasantries, but Ruan Yu didn't ask the person anything, and the other person didn't answer either.
After the princess's procession had left, a young man stepped forward and said, "Why didn't you mention the snow disaster to the princess? If it weren't for the snow disaster, the Khan might already be..."
"Alas, the snow disaster hadn't happened when we left, so neither of us knows the specifics. Besides, you forgot the Great Khan's instructions to prioritize the Princess's recovery over everything else."
"I just felt that King Chen's warning was a bit strange. He forbade us from mentioning the Khan. Why should we...?"
The envoy paused for a moment, then said, “Let’s not talk about this anymore. The Khan will definitely come after the snow disaster ends at the beginning of the year. For the time being, let’s stay in Chang’an and act cautiously.”
"yes."
…………
Although she was granted the title of Princess, Ruan Yu felt that her life had not changed much.
He still lived in the Prince Chen's Mansion, and still spent every day with his mother and younger brother.
On New Year's Eve, when the whole family is reunited, Prince Chen invited Emperor Qian Yuan to return to Prince Chen's residence for dinner, saving him the trouble of traveling back and forth.
We will hold a formal palace banquet during the Lantern Festival.
The family banquet at Prince Chen's residence was kept simple. Since none of the officials had a good grasp of the Emperor and Prince Chen's temperaments, they dared not send gifts casually. However, since the news about Hua Lun before the New Year had been released, many gifts were sent directly to Ruan Yu.
Ruan Yu felt a little guilty about this: "I didn't cause any trouble for my father and brother, did I? Actually, I didn't think that much. When Hua Lun came to me, she looked so pitiful. I really couldn't bear to see her being humiliated by her husband."
Prince Chen: "It's a trivial matter, An'an, don't worry about it."
Emperor Qian Yuan said, "Yes, my sister, don't pay attention to those people. If you like the gifts they give you, keep them; if you don't, return them. These messy things are none of your business."
Ruan Yu smiled and said, "Alright, thank you, Your Majesty."
Prince Chen: "What your sister said about Liao Jun last time was quite right. I have been sending people to keep an eye on him recently. He is indeed a cunning and scheming man. It is best to be careful."
Emperor Qian Yuan respectfully replied, "Yes."
"Alright, alright, since it's New Year's Eve, let's not talk about national affairs. Come on, let's eat dumplings!"
Jiang brought in steaming hot dumplings, each one plump and white, and served a bowl to each person.
"Here, An'an, this is yours."
Ruan Yu smiled and said, "Thank you, Mother. Did you secretly give me some lucky money again?"
In the past, every year during the Lunar New Year, Jiang would put a silver nugget inside a dumpling; whoever found it was considered lucky.
Jiang laughed and said, "There will definitely be a prize, but I'm fair. I don't know who has it, so whoever gets it keeps it."
Emperor Qianyuan and Prince Chen also smiled as they ate dumplings, something neither of them had ever experienced before.
During the New Year's Eve vigil, Ruan Ziyan talked the most. When talking about going out on the street that day, he inevitably mentioned the grassland people who had recently come to Chang'an.
"They wrestle, breathe fire, and even break rocks on their chests! How amazing! Your Majesty, do your guards know how to break rocks on their chests?"
Madam Jiang quickly stopped her son: "Ziyan, don't talk nonsense..."
"Your Majesty, I'm sorry, Ziyan is just being immature..."
Emperor Qian Yuan wasn't angry. He smiled and said, "Breaking a boulder on your chest isn't actually that difficult. As long as the people below can support the weight of the boulder, the force of the impact will be absorbed by the boulder."
Ruan Ziyan suddenly realized: "So that's how it is..."
Ruan Yu lowered her eyes, a hint of melancholy appearing on them once again.
King Chen then interrupted the conversation.
"An'an, the Princess's residence might be repaired next month. Would you like to stay there?"
Ruan Yu smiled faintly: "No rush, Father. We'll talk about it later."
"Alright."
After midnight, Ruan Yu felt a little tired. Since her health was important, she went back to her room to rest.
Emperor Qianyuan whispered, "An'an still seems to have something on her mind..."
King Chen said, “It’s alright, we’ll get through this. Keep an eye on those Chahar envoys, make sure they don’t say anything they shouldn’t.”
Emperor Qian Yuan: "I've already given instructions, but Father, will An'an be happy like this?"
Prince Chen: "I gave him time, but he didn't cherish it. As for the future, I haven't received any promises from him. How can you trust your sister?"
Emperor Qianyuan: "That makes sense, this definitely won't work..."
"That's it. It's another year of spring imperial examinations. There are always some good ones at the Qionglin Banquet. I will keep an eye out for them."
Emperor Qian Yuan smiled and said, "I understand."
…………
This winter is cold.
Springtime arrived, and the weather warmed up quite quickly.
On the Lantern Festival, Emperor Qianyuan held the first palace banquet of the new dynasty.
All civil and military officials came to participate, and lanterns and fireworks were set off in the palace.
The festive atmosphere among the people is even more intense. The chaotic winter has passed, and from today onwards, we welcome the Spring Festival.
It was undeniably exciting and lively.
Ruan Yu started getting ready around noon, dressed up for the occasion.
"Princess, you look so beautiful today! You must be the most dazzling person there!"
She was born beautiful, and now her status is even higher than before. As soon as spring warms up, countless invitations are sent to the Princess's residence.
There were also gifts from various noble young men.
Ruan Yu glanced at the mirror and said, "This phoenix hairpin is too ostentatious. Let's remove it."
Qingguo was stunned for a moment: "The Seven-Tailed Phoenix Hairpin, is it alright...?"
"Remove it," Ruan Yu insisted.
"OK……"
Ruan Yu's gaze suddenly shifted to the dressing case. When Qingguo took off the phoenix hairpin, she silently put on the jade hairpin.
Although it was very inconspicuous, at least I wore it.
Qingguo glanced back, then silently lowered her eyes; neither of them said a word.
...
The banquet was very lively, and the whole court celebrated together.
Today, ministers were allowed to bring their families to the palace banquet, so Ruan Yu saw many familiar faces.
Besides Warren, there were also some noble ladies who had previously mocked and targeted her.
When these people saw her again, they quickly lowered their gazes to avoid making eye contact with her.
On the contrary, Hua Lun seemed to be in much better spirits and had a stronger presence. He even smiled at Ruan Yu from time to time.
The initial palace banquet was rather uninteresting, but the lantern-lighting part was quite fun.
As everyone slowly walked out of the palace banquet, Emperor Qianyuan set up a lantern festival in Danfeng Square, where palace servants could also participate in guessing lantern riddles.
Those who guess correctly will have good luck.
"An'an, do you want to go play?"
Looking at the twinkling lights, Ruan Yu instinctively wanted to refuse, but when she met her brother's caring gaze, she smiled and said, "I'll go for a walk, but I won't go to the front; I'll go to the back where there are fewer people."
Emperor Qianyuan naturally agreed to everything she said: "Alright, I will send two guards to accompany you."
Ruan Yu then left the crowd with Xuan Niang and Qing Guo.
These lanterns were hung up by the palace servants and decorated with netting. They looked beautiful when they hung in the air, but Ruan Yu still seemed a little uninterested.
Qingguo and Xuanniang both noticed it, and a hint of worry appeared in their eyes.
"Princess, there seem to be some by the lake too, shall we go for a stroll?"
Ruan Yu nodded: "Okay."
As she walked to the lakeside, the surroundings became increasingly quiet. Ruan Yujing was quietly taking a walk when suddenly she heard a noise from behind the artificial hill.
"What's she so smug about? She was married to some barbarian from the grasslands... I hate her just looking at her face!"
Ruan Yu paused in her steps.
Qingguo and Xuanniang's eyes widened. This was...
The one from the family of the Vice Minister of Revenue, I think it was Xu something...
"Calm down. She looks sickly, it doesn't necessarily mean she's giving you the cold shoulder."
"She accepted the gift Warren gave her before, but refused the one I gave her. Isn't that because she looks down on me...? I'll see what she gets out of this. Warren was much more prominent than her back then, but she still married badly. She was a second-time bride, and she was even married to a man from the grasslands! Her husband's family doesn't look down on her to her face, but who knows what they say behind her back...!"
"Keep your voice down..."
“There’s no one here… what’s there to be afraid of? Why doesn’t she come back in the spring? She might not even survive that snow disaster! Besides, aren’t you worried? I heard she’s close to the Pei family, Pei Du…”
Ruan Yu curled her lips and smiled.
I recognized their voices; they were Xu Nan and Ning Zhaozhao.
It's quite interesting. Xu Nan used to have a fairly good relationship with her. Ruan Yu was the daughter of a concubine in the Marquis's family, which was even higher in status than the family of the Minister of Revenue. So Xu Nan was used to currying favor with her. Later, when Ruan Yu's true identity was revealed, they quickly distanced themselves from Ruan Yu, but Xu Nan was the only one who was still somewhat close to her.
However, Ruan Yu also felt that she did not get along very well with her at the time, so she kept in touch with her in a lukewarm manner. After returning, Ruan Yu really had no time or mood to contact these people from before.
Unexpectedly, I'm now hearing what the other person really thinks.
Qingguo's face darkened, and Xuanniang pursed her lips. Ruanyu gave them a look, and the master and servants stood motionless behind the rockery.
The voice from the other end carried over without missing a single word.
"I heard she wasn't doing well on the grasslands either. She was just lucky... What good could those barbarians possibly have? Otherwise, she wouldn't have run back to Chang'an immediately after her true identity was revealed..."
"I've heard that there are still many bad customs on the grasslands... Only I know the hardships I've experienced."
Ruan Yu's face turned completely somber at this moment.
She slowly walked out from behind the artificial hill.
"Whether it's bitter or not, only I know, but fortunately, it's definitely not as bitter as it is for you now."
Xu Nan and Ning Zhaozhao were startled and looked up abruptly!
Ning Zhaozhao was alright, but Xu Nan, who was already close to the lake, was startled and took a step back.
The maid beside her was about to pull him away, but Ruan Yu gave her a cold look, so she pulled her hand back and missed.
Xu Nan actually fell straight into the lake.
With a thud.
Everyone was stunned. The lake water in winter was not pleasant, with ice shards still on the surface.
"Help, help me..."
Some people wanted to rescue her, but they dared not step forward because of the princess's expression.
Ning Zhaozhao was also quite frightened: "Your Highness..."
Ruan Yu scoffed coldly: "I thought she was so capable."
After saying that, Ruan Yu turned around and glanced at her guard. The guard understood and went to the lake to pull the person out.
The people around had already knelt down.
Ruan Yu said coldly, "I used to think that Hua Lun was arrogant and despicable, but now it seems that there are rats in the gutter that are even more despicable."
Xu Nan was trembling after being rescued.
She was somewhat disoriented and was being held in the arms of the guard.
Xuan Niang said coldly, "Someone, go and inform Lord Xu to bring the person in."
"yes……"
“Miss Xu, Miss Ning, since you enjoy gossiping so much, it’s time for both families to teach your daughters a lesson. I wonder if the matriarchs of both families would be anxious to marry off their daughters if they knew. Surely not all the daughters of the Xu and Ning families are like this?” Xuan Niang said coldly.
Ning Zhaozhao naturally understood the implied meaning in those words.
It's over, it's all over...
She will never be able to enter the Pei family in her entire life...
-
Ruan Yu completely lost interest and turned to leave.
Instead of returning to the palace, he boarded a carriage and headed straight for the Prince's residence.
Qingguo served the princess carefully, watching her expression.
After getting into the carriage, Ruan Yu calmed down and said, "There's no need for that, I don't mind."
"yes……"
After Ruan Yu calmed down, she suddenly pursed her lips: "Did you hear what Xu Nan said just now? She said something about a snow disaster?"
Qingguo was stunned for a moment, then lowered her eyes in a panic: "This servant didn't hear..."
Ruan Yu was also taken aback, her voice suddenly becoming more serious: "Do you know something? What snow disaster?"
…………
The White Festival on the grasslands this year was celebrated quite simply. In the past few months, due to the war, the Naadam Festival was canceled and the Zulu Festival was also celebrated casually. Although there were not many formalities, the lives of the people have indeed improved.
One day before the White Festival, the ice and snow melted, and Xiangwu, the horse in Chaolu stable, disappeared.
Hela had no idea that when she went to her brother's tent as usual in the morning, she found that only Afu was dozing off and many of the belongings in the inner tent were missing!
"Afu, Afu!"
Afu rubbed his eyes: "Dabiekichi..."
"Where is the Khan!"
"The Khan... the Khan is inside..."
Afu rubbed his eyes and looked inside. Then, his eyes were as big as copper bells.
"Where is the Khan?!"
Hela stomped her foot in anger and poked him hard. There was a letter on the table, which Hela quickly grabbed and ran to her mother's tent.
After reading it, Madam Qiu frowned and sighed deeply.
"Forget it, let him be. The road is open now, how can he wait until the New Year?"
"At least he got through White Day... So this year he's just suffering alone on the road..."
Madam Qiu: "He himself doesn't feel bitter, he just lets himself do as he pleases. Now the Chaha tribe has indeed stabilized, and many things have been settled."
Hela: "Then this news needs to be... needs to be..."
"Don't tell anyone. During the White Day, let everyone celebrate at home and say that the Khan is ill."
Hela bit her lip: "Yes..."
Afu wiped away his tears: "The Khan went to the Central Plains, why didn't he take me with him? Why didn't the Great Khan take me with him?"
Hela was furious when she saw him: "What's the use of bringing you along! You idiot!"
Madam Qiu thought for a moment and said, "I reckon he'll go alone and Chang'an won't welcome him much. Go and make arrangements for Yang Hu to lead a larger group with some gifts. They should set off tomorrow."
Hela understood: "I'll go right now!"
She couldn't help but ask, "Won't Prince Chen kick us out, will he...?"
Madam Qiu smiled faintly: "That shouldn't be the case."
At worst, we just won't be able to get through the main gate.
...
As it turned out, Chaolu had indeed been waiting for this day for a long time. Regardless of whether it was the New Year or not, as long as the road was open, he led Has and Yang Chong southward.
Has was woken up in the middle of the night by Da Han. His wife was beside him, the bed was warm and cozy, but he still wanted to…
So Haas was somewhat resentful throughout the journey.
Yang Chong, however, remained dedicated to his duties.
During the Chinese New Year, the three of them had a simple meal at the inn.
Because they were in a hurry, the group didn't pay much attention to etiquette.
Has and Yang Chong also became slovenly.
Even when they reached the Central Plains, many people still thought they were barbarian hunters from the north.
Who would have thought this was the mighty Khan?
Finally, at the end of January, they arrived in Chang'an.
And the day that arrived happened to be the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
As Ruan Yu drove out of the palace, the coachman took a shortcut to avoid the crowds.
Although Yang Chong was from the Central Plains, he had never been to Chang'an before. After the three of them entered the city, they walked on the street and many people gave way to them.
Some children were even scared to tears because they stared at their long beards.
The woman quickly took her child away and kept a close eye on the person.
Haas: "...Fourth Master, are we scary?"
Chao Lu remained silent, gazing at the lights of Chang'an, feeling increasingly depressed.
This place is great, so lively, much better than the grasslands.
After so long, he himself has lost confidence.
Does Yu Yu still recognize him? Will she see him again?
Chaolu finally touched his disheveled appearance: "Let's find an inn first."
Has and Yang Chong were just waiting for this sentence, and they immediately agreed.
The three of them went around into the alley. Suddenly, they heard the sound of carriages and horses passing by. They looked up at Lu.
But the carriage was moving very fast and surged into the crowd, and he couldn't see anything clearly.
-----------------------
Author's note: So now everyone's attention is on Chaolu's beard, hahaha [laughing and crying emojis] [laughing and crying emojis] [laughing and crying emojis]
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