Yun Qianmeng sat up straight, and with a slightly gloomy expression, she asked the guard driving outside, "What happened?"
"My princess, it was the carriage from the Sea Prince's Palace that was going too fast and hit our carriage," the guard outside immediately replied, then asked about the situation inside the carriage with concern. "I am sorry for scaring your princess."
The Sea Prince's Palace? Yun Qianmeng's eyebrows raised slightly after hearing the guard's report. The Sea Prince was always cautious and careful, and the servants and maids in the Sea Prince's Palace were also taught to be very proper. How could he be so careless today? If he had knocked down a commoner on the street, it would probably become another topic of discussion. If it reached the ears of Emperor Yu Gan, he would surely use it as an excuse to make a big fuss. This was simply not Hai Quan's style.
Yun Qianmeng raised her hand to lift a corner of the curtain and looked towards the long street, only to see a carriage coming in the opposite direction of her own carriage suddenly stop while galloping. The body of the carriage shook violently a few times, and then a middle-aged woman in a dark blue dress walked out of the carriage and whispered a few words to the guard driving the carriage. The middle-aged woman then turned around and walked quickly towards her carriage.
Yun Qianmeng lowered the car curtain and sat quietly in the car, waiting for the man to arrive.
"I, the maidservant from the Sea Prince's Mansion, greet the Princess of Chu. The carriage was traveling too fast and bumped into her. Please forgive me." Sure enough, a woman's voice could be heard from outside the carriage. Her apology was so humble and polite that no one could find fault with her, and there was no way anyone could exploit her.
"Knowing this is the main street, why would you gallop? What if you accidentally knock down a passerby? How will the people view the Sea Prince's Mansion?" Yun Qianmeng spoke calmly, not responding to the maid's question. Her calm eyes shone with a faint, sharp light. Although they were separated by the carriage curtain, the maid seemed to feel the Princess Chu's stern eyes fixed on her.
"Your Highness is right. I know I was wrong. Please forgive me." The nanny knew how powerful the Princess of Chu was. Her own princess was defeated by her. How could she be so arrogant as to act presumptuous in front of her?
"Okay, you can go back now." Yun Qianmeng didn't want to waste her precious time on a conversation full of intrigues, so she spoke calmly and then ordered the guards outside the car to drive away.
Seeing this, the nanny immediately made way, turned sideways, and slightly bent her knees to escort Yun Qianmeng's carriage away. However, a slight frown appeared on her half-closed face, and one hand touched the things in her sleeve, a trace of worry in her heart. If she hadn't been in a hurry, she wouldn't have...
She couldn't help but shook her head. Seeing that the carriage of Prime Minister Chu's mansion had gone far away, the nanny stood up and walked back to the carriage of Prince of the Sea's mansion. She got on the carriage with a serious expression and sat in.
In the imperial palace, in the upper study.
After the morning court session, Emperor Yu Gan wanted to discuss the issue of disaster relief in Jiangnan with several important ministers, so he left Chu Feiyang, Jiang Muchen and others behind, and the group went to the upper study to discuss the flood in Jiangnan in detail.
When the discussion was almost over, Hai Chenxi, who usually listened more than spoke, suddenly walked to the center of the hall, knelt down, and said in a loud voice: "Your Majesty is wise. My father's forty-fifth birthday will be at the end of this month. My father has no other wishes in his life. He only hopes to be able to enjoy his birthday banquet with you and your ministers. I pray for your permission."
As he said this, Hai Chenxi kowtowed to express his gratitude.
Everyone was stunned by this sudden event. The Sea King had never mentioned celebrating his birthday in previous years, so why would he think of holding a grand banquet this year? He even asked Hai Chenxi to ask Emperor Yugan for permission to come to the Sea King's palace and celebrate with him and his ministers. This was quite unexpected.
Emperor Yugan clearly hadn't anticipated Hai Chenxi's presence for this very reason. His guard instantly heightened, a hint of coldness and sharpness flickering in his smiling eyes. With a hint of embarrassment, he spoke, "The Sea King has made great contributions to the country, having fought for Western Chu for half his life, only to end up confined to a wheelchair. Logically, I should personally visit the Sea King's mansion to celebrate his birthday, but things have been busy lately, and Jiangnan is mired in floods. Although I've sent Rong Yunhe to provide relief, the Rong family is, after all, merely a merchant family. I'm afraid there will still be friction and disagreements between them and local officials. I'm deeply concerned and can't think of anything else. Furthermore, the people are suffering, with countless farmers in Jiangnan displaced and their families destroyed. How can I enjoy my peace and quiet at this moment and abandon the people?"
At the end of the speech, Emperor Yugan's face suddenly showed an expression of righteousness, which was really touching.
Hearing Emperor Yugan's evasive words, Hai Chenxi showed no sign of anxiety or panic. He knelt before Emperor Yugan with his head bowed and continued, "Your Majesty, my father also had such concerns. He knew that the people were suffering greatly. As the current Sea King, he should share the worries of Your Majesty and help the people. However, my father's mobility is inconvenient and he can only stay at home all year round. In addition, the Sea King's Mansion is located deep in the mountains and forests. Apart from the salary of my father and this humble minister, there is no other subsidy, so he is unable to help Your Majesty. Therefore, my father remembered his birthday banquet and is willing to send all the gifts he received this time to the disaster-stricken areas in Jiangnan, to offer his humble contribution to Your Majesty and the court."
What he said was reasonable, logical and very touching. Even if Emperor Yugan wanted to refuse, he couldn't find a better reason for the time being.
After all, according to Hai Chenxi's answer, Hai Quan decided to hold a birthday banquet in order to relieve Emperor Yugan's worries. This was not Hai Quan's selfishness, but his loyalty as a minister.
If Emperor Yugan refused immediately, it would be tantamount to rejecting Haiquan's loyalty, and he would surely be regarded as cold-blooded and ruthless by outsiders.
"Your Majesty, the King of the Sea is sincere in his heart, please grant your permission!" At this time, General Shaoyi Yuan Yao suddenly stood out and asked for permission. His voice was so loud that it could be heard throughout the study.
Chu Feiyang glanced at Hai Chenxi and Yuan Yao with his narrow eyes, and a meaningful smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. He slowly said, "General Yuan, the emperor is thinking, why are you so anxious? I know very well that you were once a subordinate of the Sea King, and I naturally hope that the Sea King can have a comfortable birthday! However, the emperor is still the emperor. How can a minister threaten the emperor or influence his thoughts?"
As soon as Chu Feiyang said this, anger suddenly appeared in Yuan Yao's half-hidden eagle eyes, but in the next moment, a layer of panic was covered. He immediately kowtowed to Emperor Yugan and complained about his own injustice, "Your Majesty is wise. How dare I behave so presumptuously? I am afraid that King Chu has misunderstood me and misinterpreted my words."
After he finished speaking, Yuan Yao raised his upper body slightly, half tilted his face, and glanced at Chu Feiyang standing beside him. A hint of hatred flashed across his eyes, and then he quickly lowered his head and said no more.
Chu Feiyang always had a faint smile on his face, and he was not confused by Yuan Yao's cry of injustice. His tall body stood in the hall, as unyielding as a pine tree, his eyes looking straight ahead, and a glimmer of light flashed in his calm black eyes, just like the shining stars in the dark night.
Chu Feiyang's sudden interruption made Emperor Yugan's heart tighten. Looking at Yuan Yao who suddenly appeared today, Yuan Yao's life story naturally came to his mind. His flat brows frowned slightly, and he did not immediately respond to this matter.
"Your Majesty, it is the wish of all officials in the court that the monarch and his subjects enjoy happiness together. Prince Hai not only sacrificed his legs for Western Chu, but also understood the greater good by sending his beloved daughter Princess Heshun to Northern Qi for marriage. Your Majesty, please agree to Prince Hai's request for the sake of these two things." Little did they know that when everyone was silent, Prince Chen stepped out and spoke, mentioning the matter of Hai Tian's marriage, thus blocking Emperor Yu Gan's refusal that was about to come out.
A cold light suddenly shot towards the calm-looking Prince Chen. Emperor Yugan's hands on the armrests suddenly tightened, and the wrinkles between his brows gradually deepened, but he still pursed his lips tightly and did not agree to the matter rashly.
Seeing that the atmosphere had become solemn and depressing after King Chen spoke, everyone dared not breathe and just stood there with their heads down in thought.
Only Chu Feiyang glanced at King Chen, the doubt in his eyes was covered with a faint smile, making it impossible to detect his thoughts.
How could Jiang Muchen not know that Chu Feiyang was sizing him up? A glacial gaze shot over, piercing the faint smile in Chu Feiyang's eyes. It was like ice and fire, and it was unclear whether the ice extinguished the fire or the fire melted the ice.
Emperor Yugan noticed the expressions of the two men and knew they were arguing again. He was afraid that Chu Feiyang's words, which had embarrassed Yuan Yao, were simply due to his dissatisfaction with the Sea Palace. Jiang Muchen's rebuttal to Chu Feiyang was also due to the long-standing resentment between the two.
"In that case, let the prince go on my behalf to celebrate the birthday of the Sea King!" After a long while, Emperor Yugan slowly spoke.
"Your humble servant thanks the emperor!" Upon hearing this, Hai Chenxi shouted "Long live the emperor" and kowtowed to thank the emperor for his grace.
However, before Emperor Yugan could finish his words, he glanced at Chu Feiyang and Jiang Muchen below him and spoke again, "Since that's the case, I'll have to trouble you, my dear ministers, Prince Chu and Prince Chen, to take care of the Crown Prince's trip this time!"
The Crown Prince leaving the palace was a major event. Furthermore, the journey to the Sea Prince's Palace was long, so no carelessness was allowed.
It is not as safe to hand Jiang Haotian over to anyone as it is to hand him over to Chu Feiyang and Jiang Muchen at the same time. As long as there is the Princess of Chu between the two of them, I am afraid that the two will never be able to live in harmony.
Unexpectedly, Chu Feiyang immediately disappeared the faint smile on his face upon hearing this, and spoke with a heavy face, "Your Majesty, my second mother's body is still warm, and I am in heavy mourning. How can I enter the Sea Prince's Palace in mourning? This is not only disrespectful to the Sea Prince, but also to Your Majesty! Please find someone else to ensure the safety of the Crown Prince."
Hearing this, a hint of disapproval flashed across Emperor Yugan's eyes, and a layer of displeasure gradually appeared on his face. However, what Chu Feiyang said was the fact. Xie's body was still kept in the prison of the Ministry of Justice. If he insisted on doing so, he was afraid that Hai Quan and Chu Feiyang would both bear a grudge against him.
"Your Majesty, I am still under punishment, and I am afraid that I am unable to protect the prince. I ask Your Majesty to appoint someone else to ensure the safety of the prince." At this time, Prince Chen also followed Chu Feiyang and spoke.
An obvious glint of anger flashed across Emperor Yugan's eyes. Seeing the two men unwilling to contribute, Emperor Yugan's lips trembled slightly. He was obviously too angry to speak, but because of the emperor's prestige, he had to suppress his anger. He waved his hand slightly in annoyance and said unhappily, "Everyone, leave!"
"We will take our leave." The ministers immediately breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly left the study.
"Bang..." After everyone left, the sound of porcelain being broken was suddenly heard in the study.
The hall was filled with kneeling palace maids who dared not speak. Emperor Yu Gan stood on the jade steps, one hand supporting the dragon table, his chest heaving, obviously very angry.
"Have you made any progress in the matter I asked you to investigate?" With no place to vent his anger, Emperor Yugan lowered his head and glared at Eunuch Yu. The hatred in his eyes seemed to want to eat someone, and the expression on his face gradually became distorted and very scary.
Eunuch Yu knelt on the ground, his heart pounding like a drum. Facing the emperor's wrath, how could he not be worried and terrified? Serving the emperor was like serving a tiger, after all. He had no choice but to speak in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, we are currently investigating. Please give us some time."
With a loud clatter, the writing brush, inkstone, paper, and memorials on the dragon table were all swept to the ground by Emperor Yu Gan...
Emperor Yugan was breathing heavily, his face flushed, his eyes bloodshot as he growled, "What a bunch of good-for-nothings! If they can't find out by the end of this month, I'll have them beheaded!"
"Yes, yes, I obey your command!" The emperor was furious. Eunuch Yu's face turned pale and he immediately stammered.
A group of ministers walked out of the inner palace, rode their horses or got on their own carriages, and left the palace in a blink of an eye.
"Who does General Yuan want to stand up for today? Why is he so impatient? The Sea Palace almost came under the suspicion of the Emperor because of you." Hai Chenxi walked to his mount, took the horse from the hands of the guards, and spoke to Yuan Yao beside him with a sneer on his face.
"Your Highness, you are joking. I just wanted to help you, but I didn't expect that the King of Chu would run away in the middle of the journey. If your Highness wants to blame someone, then you can only blame the King of Chu for being too talkative and almost bringing disaster to the Prince of the Sea's Palace." After saying that, Yuan Yao mounted his horse, whipped the horse hard, and rushed out like an arrow.
Hai Chenxi half-closed his eyes and stared at the receding figure, but did not rush to mount the horse. He gently stroked the horse's mane with his left hand, and the corners of his lips raised with an evil and cold look.
"Your Highness, I'm afraid the invitation from the Sea Palace has already been sent to Prime Minister Chu's residence." Qu Changqing and Chu Feiyang stepped out of the inner palace together, heading towards the stables. Qu Changqing spoke softly as they walked. His serious expression showed his concern that Yun Qianmeng might accept the invitation without knowing it. If that happened, the Sea Palace would undoubtedly report this to Emperor Yugan and use it as an excuse to suppress the Chu family.
Chu Feiyang's face didn't show any worry at all. His lips, which had been pursed slightly, actually lifted up in a good mood after hearing Yun Qianmeng's name. After thinking about it for a while, he said, "Don't worry, Meng'er knows what's going on. How could she easily accept the invitation from the Sea Palace?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com