Eunuch Yu's thoughts raced through his mind, and after a moment's deliberation, he smiled and spoke again, "Princess, what you said is not true. The empire is in turmoil right now, and the Emperor is temporarily residing in this valley. All matters should be kept simple, and there's no need to adhere too closely to those cumbersome formalities. Furthermore, the Prince of Chu is leading his troops abroad, serving the Emperor. How could the Emperor, while seeing Prime Minister Yun in the valley, deny Princess Yun and his daughter a meeting? Please, Princess, quickly accompany this old servant to see His Majesty, so as not to keep him waiting any longer."
As he spoke, Eunuch Yu led the imperial guards behind him to guard outside the wooden house. This time he did not force his way in, but was determined to stay outside until Yun Qianmeng came out.
"Princess, they really are..." Mu Chun was very angry when she saw that Eunuch Yu and his men had taken the initiative to wait outside the door without waiting for the princess to speak. She was about to go out and teach them a lesson, but was stopped by Yun Qianmeng.
Yun Qianmeng withdrew her gaze from the window, and then asked Yingxia to change into a light blue dress for her. She put a jade hairpin and a few delicate pearl flowers on her hair, and then led Mu Chun and Yingxia out of the wooden house.
When Eunuch Yu outside the house saw Yun Qianmeng come out, he couldn't help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief in his calm eyes. He immediately bowed forward and said politely, "Princess, please!"
Yun Qianmeng didn't say much, just nodded lightly to Eunuch Yu, then walked in front, heading towards the Emperor and Empress's wooden house.
From afar, the emperor and empress's wooden house was surrounded by several layers of guards. The solemn atmosphere made the people outside feel alert and fearful, and they did not dare to make any noise.
Over the past few days since Emperor Yugan and his companions had settled in the valley, Yun Qianmeng had intentionally kept her distance, and things had been peaceful between them. If it weren't for the Rong family incident today, both sides would naturally have maintained a superficial calm. But now that the Rong family incident had unfolded, no matter what Emperor Yugan's plans were, he was likely no longer going to play dumb.
Seeing the Emperor and Empress's wooden house getting closer, Yun Qianmeng couldn't help but pinch the handkerchief in her hand, but found that her palms were sweating. She didn't know whether it was because she was worried about the Rong family or because the sunlight outside was too strong.
"Please wait a moment, Princess. Let me go in and report to the Emperor." Before they knew it, they had arrived in front of the wooden house. Eunuch Yu left Yun Qianmeng and his group behind and went into the house to report.
In less than half a cup of tea, a voice of summons was heard coming from inside the house. Yun Qianmeng calmed down and left the two maids behind and walked in alone.
In the center of the main room sat the Jade Emperor, dressed in a dragon robe and with a solemn expression. To his lower right stood Yun Xuanzhi. Upon seeing Yun Qianmeng enter, Yun Xuanzhi's expression became as solemn and serious as the Jade Emperor's, without a trace of father-daughter affection in his eyes.
Yun Qianmeng stepped forward and bowed gracefully, "Your Majesty, your humble servant greets you."
"The Princess of Chu is pregnant, please get up." Emperor Yugan's voice was calm, without any sharpness.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Yun Qianmeng slowly stood up, then slightly turned sideways and gently bowed to Yun Xuanzhi, "Daughter greets father."
"Thank you, Princess!" Yun Xuanzhi immediately bowed to Yun Qianmeng. The father and daughter seemed polite but were actually indifferent.
After Yun Qianmeng finished her greetings, she stood there in silence, not saying a word. Yun Xuanzhi hadn't seen his daughter in a long time, but he didn't show any excessive concern or affection. He simply stood to the right of Emperor Yugan, remaining calm. For a moment, the room was completely silent, with only the chirping of cicadas outside echoing throughout the mountains and valleys.
Emperor Yugan's gaze swirled between Yun Xuanzhi and Yun Qianmeng. Seeing that neither of them had any intention of speaking, a faint smile crossed his face, seemingly displeased, and he spoke gently, "Prime Minister Yun and the princess are father and daughter. Why are you so distant in my presence? Could it be that my presence is preventing you two from enjoying your family time together?"
Having said that, Emperor Yugan sat there motionless, showing no sign of leaving.
Yun Qianmeng only half-closed her face, leaving the answer to Yun Xuanzhi. In her heart, she was trying to figure out the reason why Emperor Yugan had summoned her today. Yun Xuanzhi's current movements between the outskirts of the capital and the valley wouldn't be noticed in the short term, but if this continued, his whereabouts would be exposed, posing a serious threat to the safety of everyone at Prime Minister Chu's residence.
"I dare not entertain such thoughts." As expected, Yun Xuanzhi, eager to demonstrate his loyalty, immediately replied, "Your Majesty's grace is immense. Seeing the princess safe and sound has given me great peace of mind. I am deeply grateful for your kindness, and I would never entertain such thoughts."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Yugan only continued to smile faintly, but his gaze had already turned to the silent Yun Qianmeng. He spoke more gently, "I wonder if Princess Chu has anything to say? It's not easy for Prime Minister Yun to come to this valley. If it weren't for a serious emergency, I'm afraid you and your daughter wouldn't be able to meet."
After he finished speaking, Emperor Yugan's eyes, which were flashing with a faint smile, stared at Yun Qianmeng. There was a cold murderous aura in his sharp eyes, which completely enveloped Yun Qianmeng in front of him, not missing the slightest change on Yun Qianmeng's face.
Yun Qianmeng felt a surge of overwhelming power pressing down upon her. Her hands, hidden within her sleeves, tightened slightly, but her face maintained a calm and composed expression as she spoke courteously, "Seeing my father safe and sound, my heart is at ease. True concern doesn't lie in words; even a brief encounter is enough to make it clear. Furthermore, my father must have come here with important news to report to the Emperor. How could I let my father-daughter relationship delay important state affairs? Now that I see my father in good health, I am relieved. I say..."
As she spoke, Yun Qianmeng wanted to bow and leave, but she didn't expect that Emperor Yugan would interrupt her...
"Princess, there is no need to rush back. What Prime Minister Yun reported today is closely related to you. You might as well listen to it." Emperor Yugan smiled lightly and spoke in a calm tone, but the look in his eyes became more and more fierce, with a strong sense of suspicion.
Yun Qianmeng could only stop her greeting and stood in front of the two people with her head half lowered, waiting for them to speak again.
Seeing Yun Qianmeng's reticent expression, Emperor Yugan sighed and spoke, "The Sea King and the Chen King rebelled. The Sea King seized most of Western Chu, and the Chen King forced me to abdicate, forcing me to leave the palace. I fled the capital with only a group of ministers, and I haven't had time to discuss and prepare many things. Now that the King of Chu is fighting against the two rebellious kings, the most important issue is military rations. If there are problems with food and fodder, even if the King of Chu is a master of military strategy, he will probably find it difficult to defeat Hai Quan and Jiang Muchen. Isn't the princess worried about the King of Chu's situation?"
These words seemed to accuse Yun Qianmeng of not caring about her husband.
When Yun Qianmeng heard this, she knew that Emperor Yugan was trying to provoke her in various ways to make her anxious, thus losing her composure and revealing her true colors.
Knowing that Emperor Yugan wouldn't mention the military rations for no reason, Yun Qianmeng frowned slightly, a look of difficulty on her face. With a hint of timidity, she said, "Your Majesty, I truly don't understand such important matters of state. Furthermore, I'm pregnant. Before leaving, His Majesty only told me to rest and recuperate, and didn't mention anything else. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness."
With soft words, he blocked the big hat that Emperor Yugan put on him and once again stayed out of the matter.
Seeing that Yun Qianmeng looked weak but was actually a tough nut to crack, Emperor Yugan felt a little annoyed, his thin lips pursed tightly, and his eyes then shot towards Yun Xuanzhi.
Yun Xuanzhi understood, and seeing Yun Qianmeng pretending to be ignorant despite knowing the truth, a hint of annoyance flashed across his face. He took a step forward and whispered, "Meng'er, do you know that it is the Rong family that is currently providing the army rations for the King of Chu? But today, news came that people in the thirty-two counties of Jiangnan have been vomiting for no reason after eating the Rong family's food, and many have died. If such food is imported into the army, I'm afraid it will chill the hearts of the soldiers. Then..."
However, before Yun Xuanzhi could finish his words, Yun Qianmeng suddenly raised her head, staring at him with her dark jade-like eyes. She spoke softly, "Father, I'm just a woman. How can I possibly get involved in state affairs? Instead of explaining this to you, it would be more appropriate to inform His Majesty in writing."
Yun Xuanzhi was pushed back by Yun Qianmeng's neither soft nor hard stance. For a moment, his mood was unsettled and he was secretly angry. However, he couldn't vent his anger in front of Emperor Yugan, so he could only swallow it. However, he still felt angry, so he didn't say anything.
Seeing Yun Xuanzhi's defeat, Emperor Yugan frowned slightly, then continued, "The princess and the King of Chu are of one mind. Feiyang is currently busy campaigning east and west, so how could he have the time to deal with something like this? I summoned the princess here today to ask how I should deal with the Rong family."
Yun Qianmeng finally revealed Emperor Yugan's intentions. She sneered inwardly, then lifted her skirt slightly and knelt down, her face solemn and serious. "Your Majesty, I've just said that it's unacceptable for a mere woman like you to interfere in state affairs. Even in times of war, rules must not be broken. Furthermore, the court is supported by my father and a group of highly respected ministers. When is it time for me to speak recklessly? Furthermore, the Rong family has a close relationship with my Chu family and the Duke of Fuguo's Mansion. If I speak now, I'm afraid it might be biased. I beg Your Majesty to retract your order."
As she spoke, Yun Qianmeng kowtowed heavily to Emperor Yugan, showing no sign of giving in.
However, Yun Qianmeng's last sentence pointed out the most important thing, and tied the three families of Rong, Chu and Qu together without any hesitation. Even if Emperor Yu Gan wanted to move against the Rong family at this time, he would have to weigh the consequences.
As expected, after Yun Qianmeng finished speaking, the room fell silent. Emperor Yugan's face suddenly turned cold, and anger flickered in Yun Xuanzhi's eyes.
"Could it be that not only will I not punish the Rong family, but I will also praise them?" After a long while, Emperor Yugan uttered these words with gritted teeth.
Yun Xuanzhi saw that Emperor Yugan was already angry, and glanced at Yun Qianmeng with a hint of reproach. Then he began to persuade, "Your Majesty, I have a plan. I wonder if I should tell you or not?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com