Chapter 58 His Highness the Prince of Yan Arrives!
Chu Yunjin hurriedly looked outside.
Yan Cang was wearing the black robe he wore during military training. A two-finger-wide python-patterned belt accentuated his slender waist. He was tall and upright, exuding an intimidating aura.
Wherever he went, eunuchs and palace maids would unconsciously kneel down to pay their respects, all of them silent as if trembling with fear.
Yan Cang strode across the threshold, ignoring the Empress Dowager's surprised and displeased gaze, and bowed, saying, "Grandson greets Imperial Grandmother. May Imperial Grandmother be well."
The Empress Dowager's tone was unfriendly: "Why have you come?"
"I had military matters to discuss with Father Emperor today, and just then I heard that the Princess and my sister had come to the Empress Dowager's palace, so I came to pay my respects." Yan Cang's voice was calm and composed. "I didn't expect that as soon as I stepped into Shou'an Palace, I heard the Empress Dowager order someone to slap someone. I dare to ask, what mistake has the Princess made that has angered the Empress Dowager so much that she has not even left her with any dignity as a member of the royal family?"
The Empress Dowager was furious: "Are you questioning me?"
Yan Cang looked up at her, his eyes filled with intense pressure: "Grandson is just wondering."
"She talked back to me, shouldn't she be punished?"
"I didn't." Chu Yunjin walked to Yan Cang's side and firmly grasped her hand. "The Empress Dowager reprimanded Sixth Sister, saying she shouldn't have broken off the engagement. I... I spoke up for Sixth Sister, telling the Empress Dowager the truth that Pei Yi'an was not a good match. I didn't expect to anger the Empress Dowager..."
When the Empress Dowager saw her complaining, she stared at her with a cold gaze.
"Sixth Sister's marriage was canceled by imperial decree," Yan Cang said neither humbly nor arrogantly. "If the Empress Dowager feels it is inappropriate, she can discuss it with the Emperor privately, instead of reprimanding Sixth Sister for acting recklessly. If the Emperor had not agreed, Sixth Sister would not have been able to cancel the marriage even if she wanted to."
The Empress Dowager's face turned ashen: "Are you trying to teach me how to do things?"
"Grandson wouldn't dare." Yan Cang lowered his eyes, maintaining a respectful posture, but his tone was firm and left no room for doubt. "Grandson just wants to tell the Empress Dowager that there's no need to do futile work. If the Empress Dowager thinks Pei Yi'an is a good match, she can betroth Eighth Sister to him. Eighth Sister should be grateful to the Empress Dowager for bestowing the marriage upon her."
"Outrageous!" The Empress Dowager slammed her hand on the table in fury. "Yan Cang, kneel down before me!"
Yan Cang held Chu Yunjin's hand: "I still have military affairs to attend to and cannot stay here for long. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."
After saying that, he took Chu Yunjin's hand and took his leave.
Seeing that Yan Jinyue was still standing there, Chu Yunjin reached out and pulled her away.
Shouan Palace fell silent immediately.
It was so quiet it was almost deathly still.
Princess Ning'an watched Yan Cang leave with Chu Yunjin, stunned for a long time, truly not expecting things to develop this way.
"They're all a bunch of traitors!" The Empress Dowager trembled with rage. "They've really rebelled! The Emperor has spoiled them rotten!"
"Your Majesty, please calm down," Princess Ning'an soothed gently. "Let the grandchildren handle their own affairs. Your Majesty need not worry so much."
The Empress Dowager leaned against the phoenix couch, her face extremely pale: "You should deal with the child in your belly as soon as possible. The longer you are in the pregnancy, the more it will harm your health."
Princess Ning'an lowered her eyes and quietly stroked her abdomen.
She originally wanted to tell her mother the truth—that she wasn't pregnant at all and that it was all an illusion—but for some reason, she suddenly didn't want to say it anymore.
Whether it's your life partner or your blood-related mother, sometimes you can't trust them—at least not completely.
When it's necessary to maintain distance, then maintain distance.
When it's necessary to conceal something, then you should conceal it.
Otherwise, they might not even know how they died.
...
Stepping out of the Shou'an Palace gates, Chu Yunjin turned to look at Yan Cang and couldn't help but smile, "Why are you here?"
"I was worried about you." Yan Cang glanced at her, his tone no longer as harsh as before. "There are many people in the Princess's residence. If you get into trouble with your temper, I'm afraid you won't be able to handle it. I returned to the city after arranging things in the military camp. When I arrived at the Princess's residence, I heard that you had entered the palace, so I rushed over."
"You arrived just in time." Chu Yunjin held Yan Cang's hand with one hand and touched her face with the other. "If I had arrived a moment later, my beautiful face would have been ruined."
Yan Jinyue snorted coldly: "The Empress Dowager makes no attempt to hide her disgust for us; she has no manners whatsoever."
Yan Cang said calmly, "In the future, unless it's something important, don't go to Shou'an Palace."
"Why does the Empress Dowager hate me so much?" Chu Yunjin asked, puzzled. "There doesn't seem to be any deep-seated hatred between us."
"She despises me and my brother," Yan Jinyue said coldly. "She disliked my mother from the moment she entered the palace. However, Father trusted her. After the late Empress passed away, my mother took control of the harem. Her ideas clashed with the Empress Dowager's, and she angered the Empress Dowager several times, which is why..."
"I see." Chu Yunjin nodded, then frowned. "But I don't think it's that simple."
Yan Jinyue frowned: "Why do you say that?"
Chu Yunjin turned her head to look around, and only after finding that no one was watching her did she lower her voice and say, "When the Empress Dowager heard the news that the Princess was pregnant, her reaction was different from what we expected. She didn't seem very happy. Don't you find that strange?"
Yan Jinyue nodded: "It is indeed strange."
"You said before that the Empress Dowager dotes on the eldest princess, and by extension, she dotes on the three children of the Wen family even more than she does on the princes and princesses. But I always feel that her reaction today doesn't seem like she dotes on the eldest princess." Chu Yunjin's eyebrows and eyes showed deep thought. "But I can't quite put my finger on what went wrong."
"Don't worry." Yan Cang's voice was deep and reassuring. "I'll send someone to investigate this matter."
Chu Yunjin nodded: "Mm."
"I originally thought that with the Empress Dowager's protection, the Eldest Princess wouldn't be isolated and helpless, but now it seems that the Eldest Princess is indeed isolated and helpless." Yan Jinyue pondered, "I wonder what the Empress Dowager is really thinking."
Chu Yunjin could not answer this question.
When they reached the corner ahead, Yan Jinyue was about to return to her palace. Chu Yunjin waved goodbye and watched her leave before taking Yan Cang's arm and strolling leisurely along the palace path.
She walked slowly, as if she were strolling in her own backyard.
She wanted everyone coming and going in the palace to know that they had a good relationship and that all the rumors from the past were false.
She transmigrated here and unexpectedly gained a husband with outstanding looks, superb martial arts skills, and noble status. This was her good fortune, but she needed to clear her name of the bad reputation left by the original owner as soon as possible.
It wasn't just for himself, but also for the Imperial Concubine and Yan Cang.
In each palace, there were eunuchs and palace maids hiding in the corners to secretly gather information, as well as palace maids serving meals or cleaning outside. When they saw Yan Cang and Chu Yunjin, they couldn't help but peek from behind the door, and then turn around and pass the message to their respective masters.
Within half an hour, all the concubines in the harem knew that the Prince of Yan and his wife were deeply in love and were taking walks around the palace.
Having achieved her goal, Chu Yunjin leisurely walked out of the palace gate and rode back to her residence with Yan Cang in a carriage.
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