Chapter 78 But why didn't she consider that he...?
The vast study was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The palace servants standing under the pillars on both sides held their breath and lowered their heads. When a pair of gold-embroidered peony satin shoes suddenly burst in and strode across the brocade carpet, everyone quickly glanced up and saw that it was Princess Zhaoning. No one dared to step forward to stop her.
Several memorials lay haphazardly on the ground. Emperor Jiayu was frowning as he looked at the next memorial, his face somber.
Chu Jinglian tiptoed around, not daring to call out to his father, and quietly approached his elder brother, the tall and elegant Crown Prince, who was about to strike up a conversation with him. But when he looked up, he froze.
The Crown Prince, who was always gentle and kind, was expressionless at this moment, his lips were pale, and his long, dark eyelashes drooped down, as if he was trying his best to suppress some kind of surging emotion.
She had never seen her elder brother, the Crown Prince, look so pale. Without needing to ask further, she knew what was going on. Before her thoughts could process it, a tear rolled down her cheek.
She was startled when she noticed her cheek was wet and quickly wiped it away with her sleeve. She questioned herself about why she was crying, reminding herself that she couldn't cry in front of her father and elder brother, the Crown Prince, who both looked like they could explode at any moment.
Bang!
The memorial was slammed onto the table, bounced, and rolled to the ground. All his gentle demeanor vanished, and Emperor Jiayu's sharp phoenix eyes almost shot out fire. "Have the Baili family had enough of their heads? How could they let Xiaoman be in such a dangerous situation!"
After he finished speaking, he coughed violently in anger.
He dispatched officials to provide disaster relief, issued documents to punish those responsible, and sent medical officers to the northern frontier in advance to prevent the spread of disease. However, before the medical team arrived, news of an outbreak of disease arrived, and the court was in a state of turmoil over the matter. A flood of impeachment memorials came from all directions, pointing out that the Prince of the North had failed in his duty to protect the Princess of Qingping and had put her in danger.
The emperor was terrified and furious as he read through several memorials. It wasn't until he came across the memorial of apology personally presented by the Prince of Dingbei, which confirmed that Feng Mian had contracted the plague, that Emperor Jiayu's anger was finally ignited.
Crown Prince Chu Jingze stepped forward slowly, picked up the memorial that had just been thrown down, glanced at it, his deep black pupils revealing no emotion, his jaw slightly tightened, and the lines of his profile were taut and hard as a knife.
When he spoke, his tone was like the water flowing beneath the frozen surface of a lake, cold yet trying his best to control it, "Anger is bad for your health, please take care of your health, Father."
He placed the memorial back on the table and poured a cup of hot tea for the emperor. Emperor Jiayu took a sip of the hot tea to calm himself down, which stopped his cough, but his anger remained.
"The journey to the northern frontier is long, and the memorial from the Prince of Dingbei only arrived today. Xiaoman..." He paused, not continuing, but everyone present knew what he meant. The memorial reporting Feng Mian's illness had only arrived today, meaning several days must have passed since Feng Mian fell ill. Whether his condition was good or bad was still unknown. Even if a physician were dispatched from Shengjing now, it would likely be too late.
Emperor Jiayu was filled with regret for marrying Feng Mian off so far away. If it weren't for the saying about fate... His gaze suddenly fell on Chu Jinglian, and he was instantly filled with anger. "What are you doing here!"
Chu Jinglian trembled in fright. Meeting Emperor Jiayu's reproachful gaze, she realized that she was originally the one who was to be married off to the northern frontier. If it weren't for her mother's secret intervention, she would probably be the one suffering now.
Thinking this, she subconsciously knelt down, twisting her fingers and saying, "Daughter, daughter is worried about Qingping's safety..."
After saying a few words, she felt wronged again. Her father had scolded her for Qingping's sake. If she had known this would happen, she would have gone to find her mother first. Why did she come to her father's side so eagerly?
Suddenly, darkness fell in front of her. Chu Jingze took a step forward, his tall figure shielding her behind him. "Father, please calm down. Zhao Ning and Xiao Man are very close sisters. I felt sorry for her being married off to a distant place. I must have been too concerned and rushed in without informing her. I hope you will not blame me."
With tears welling up in her eyes, Chu Jinglian looked up at Chu Jingze's tall figure, thinking to herself that her elder brother, the Crown Prince, was still the best to her!
"Princess—!"
Suddenly, a sharp announcement rang out from outside the hall, and a eunuch, drenched in sweat, rushed into the hall. The eunuch outside, recognizing it as news from the princess, didn't stop him at all and quickly stepped aside to let him in.
The eunuch rushed forward, slid to his knees, and held the letter in his hands high above his head. Before he could catch his breath, he preemptively reported, "The princess has sent a letter to report that she is safe!"
He took a deep breath as soon as he finished speaking. Everyone knew that the princess's letter was urgent, so three people had been sent to deliver it. He was the last one. He heard that the messenger from the northern frontier had been traveling non-stop, changing every three days, and had been repeatedly instructed to report that the princess was safe and sound as soon as possible when delivering the letter, so that His Majesty would not have to read the letter first to confirm the princess's safety.
Upon learning that the Prince of Dingbei had submitted a memorial of apology, Feng Mian immediately dispatched messengers to the capital to report that everything was alright. She was still regretful, thinking that if she had known she couldn't keep it a secret, she should have informed the Prince of Dingbei first.
It's because she hadn't interacted with the Prince of Dingbei enough, and thus assumed things too easily. After all, most people would cover up the news and observe the situation for a few days before submitting a report, but he was straightforward; as soon as he received the news, he immediately wrote a memorial to apologize.
Chu Jingze hurriedly took the letter and handed it to Emperor Jiayu. Emperor Jiayu unfolded the letter and read it carefully. His expression softened slightly: "Xiaoman is fine. The illness has been cured!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Jingze's eyes softened slightly: "Good people are always blessed by heaven..."
Before he could finish speaking, Chu Jinglian, who was still kneeling, immediately chimed in, "Yes, Father, that Prince Baili is Qingping's 'lucky star.' With him by her side, Qingping will surely be able to turn misfortune into good fortune and stay healthy and safe!"
She was so eager to substantiate her theory of fate that she didn't notice the Crown Prince's glance at her.
She only thought that if anything happened to Feng Mian in the future, she shouldn't blame it on marrying Feng Mian off to the Northern Frontier, as if it were all her fault.
These words greatly pleased Emperor Jiayu. He gestured for Chu Jinglian to rise, and continued to read the letter carefully. He couldn't help but mutter, "This child, once she's far away, she doesn't know how to take good care of herself. She insisted on staying in the place where the epidemic broke out and refused to leave, saying she couldn't rest easy."
"Are all those officials just sitting around doing nothing? It seems we'll have to send an imperial inspector on another trip."
Emperor Jiayu's expression shifted between joy, worry, and anger, his mind completely captivated by what Feng Mian wrote in her letter. On one hand, he praised her for her courage in the face of danger, her concern for the people, and her efforts to relieve her uncle's worries; on the other hand, he scolded her for neglecting her own health and causing her uncle concern. His affection and concern for Feng Mian were almost overflowing from his words.
Seeing that there was no longer any risk of being angered by her father, Chu Jinglian breathed a sigh of relief, but then felt a pang of grievance and sourness. It was always like this; her father only had Feng Mian in his heart, and she had never won against Feng Mian in front of her father!
Her earlier concern and worry had long since vanished. Even though they were thousands of miles apart, she was still arguing with Feng Mian, feeling annoyed, when she heard her elder brother, the Crown Prince, suddenly soften, his voice becoming gentle and soothing.
"Father, Xiaoman must have suffered a lot from this ordeal. She's always had a sweet tooth, and now that crabs are plump and chrysanthemums are in full bloom, and the Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, why don't we send someone to find some chrysanthemum and crab cakes to send to her?"
"Hmph, she should be tempted, so she'll learn her lesson." Emperor Jiayu said this, but still called someone in and ordered, "Go and select several more of the best female crabs, and prepare the accompanying yellow wine and ginger vinegar as well, then send them over..."
Crabs are considered a cold food, and while he wanted Feng Mian to eat well, he was also worried that she might overindulge and harm her health. Therefore, he had to make sure to prepare all the necessary ingredients to counteract the cold before he could feel at ease.
"Father, please leave this to me." Chu Jingze walked into the hall and bowed to request permission.
Emperor Jiayu chuckled: "You, the Crown Prince, are wasting your talents by arranging these food and festival gifts."
Chu Jingze smiled slightly, his voice gentle yet firm, "Xiaoman's affairs are never trivial matters."
Emperor Jiayu was pleased to see the deep affection between the siblings and nodded in agreement.
Chu Jinglian, standing to the side, silently bit her lip. She also wanted to eat crabs, but why was no one looking at her? However, she was too sensitive to say anything at the moment and decided to go back to her mother to cry and complain.
It's just crab; she'll definitely eat it before Feng Mian does!
The East Palace was located in the southeast corner of the Imperial Palace, with its flying eaves, bracket sets, jade steps, and golden tiles. As soon as Chu Jingze, dressed in a brocade robe, stepped into the palace, his gentle demeanor vanished abruptly, and he coldly asked the eunuch beside him, "Has Princess Qingping sent a letter to the Crown Princess?"
The eunuch hurriedly bowed and presented a letter: "Your Highness, it is indeed true. This is a copy that I have made. Please take a look."
Chu Jingze took the letter and read it quickly. The letter was written in Feng Mian's usual elegant handwriting. It was a request for the Crown Princess to find several upright scholars to speak well of the Prince of Dingbei and his son, especially the Crown Prince. Her anxiety was palpable in every line. There were already many rumors circulating about the Crown Prince in Shengjing, and now with the outbreak of the epidemic, who knew what kind of monsters the people would portray him as if he were a monster if the rumors reached Shengjing?
"Ha..." Chu Jingze laughed in anger, his knuckles cracking slightly as he gripped the letter. "Look at the state you've created for yourself, and you're still thinking about other people."
The eunuch could tell from the sound of the prince's voice that he was in a bad mood. Feeling uneasy, he quickly presented another letter, "Your Highness, this is a letter from Princess Qingping."
"It's kind of her to remember her brother, me." Chu Jingze's expression softened slightly. He took the letter and saw that it was a thick stack. A smile even appeared on his face as he happily unfolded the letter and read it.
Before long, his brows furrowed again, and his face darkened. The letter had arranged work for him, asking him to help him arrange for the transfer of several practical and people-loving officials to the northern frontier. It also asked him for books, wanting to build a library in the northern frontier. The thick pages of the letter were filled with book titles.
So she had assigned tasks to everyone, but made no mention of them in the letter to her father, only reporting that she was safe. She knew perfectly well that His Majesty was more concerned about her health, and would certainly be displeased if he saw her pleading for others in the letter.
But why doesn't she think about whether he won't be angry?
Chu Jingze was furious. His handsome face was as cold as ice. He crumpled the letter into a ball, took two steps in a huff, then stopped abruptly. His chest heaved slightly as he finally turned back, holding his breath.
His voice was icy as he ordered, "Go to the Ministry of Personnel."
*
“As expected, the one surnamed Feng is not…” Baili Xunzhou paused, remembering that Feng Mian also had the surname Feng, and not wanting to include her in the insults, so he directly named her, “That Feng Ciyan is really no good person. I can tolerate his harsh words, but doesn’t he know what a couple’s private space is?”
Inside the Swift Feather Camp, Baili Xunzhou had only dealt with military affairs for a short while when he rubbed his temples in frustration and complained to Yao Zhiyuan beside him.
That day, Feng Ciyan was persuaded by Feng Mian to stop and promised not to act rashly. She originally planned to keep Feng Ciyan's identity a secret from the Prince of Dingbei and the Princess, and let Feng Ciyan stay at the post station with Gu Chunwen and the others. Unexpectedly, she ran into the Prince of Dingbei as soon as she left the courtyard. After eleven years, the Prince of Dingbei recognized Feng Ciyan at a glance and happily pulled her to reminisce.
Once the two started talking, the misunderstanding from back then was cleared up. It turned out that the Prince of Dingbei had indeed received another military order and thought that the plan with Feng Cixu had been canceled, which was why he was unable to provide support.
The past grievances were forgotten. Prince Dingbei, pitying Feng Ciyan and his nephew Feng Mian for having been separated for a long time, warmly invited Feng Ciyan to stay at his residence and told others that Feng Ciyan was his close friend despite the age difference.
So Feng Ciyan began to spend every day with Feng Mian, always squeezing in between them. Sometimes he would even knock on Feng Mian's door at night to ask, "Are you asleep?" and pull him to look at the stars and the moon to reminisce about the past.
Every now and then, she has to set rules for Baili Xunzhou. Whose uncle is so wicked as to act like Feng Ciyan, the "evil mother-in-law"?
Yao Zhiyuan, fanning himself with a folding fan, raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, a knowing smile flashing in his eyes. He said slowly, "Your Highness's complaints sound... as if you don't intend to divorce the Princess?"
Baili Xunzhou seemed to have completely severed ties with his former self, glaring at Yao Zhiyuan: "Divorce? Who wants a divorce? You?"
Yao Zhiyuan: ...? Who did he divorce? He doesn't even have a wife!
Yao Zhiyuan had intended to kindly comfort Baili Xunzhou, but now he felt a lump in his throat and decided not to say another word to him today.
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