Chapter 175 Melancholy
"It is true that I neglected my cultivation in Xunyang Palace and was too lazy to divine many things, but they were never inaccurate," Sun Wei asserted.
Seeing Sima Jun looking like he was ready to argue with her to the end, she quickly added, "I'm only expressing my opinion in front of the Princess. Whether it succeeds or not depends on the Crown Prince's own willingness. However, I believe that the Queen Mother has made up her mind and will grant the marriage when the Crown Prince's mourning period is over. Instead of resisting, the Crown Prince should agree to it and avoid any resentment with the Queen Mother."
Sima Jun ignored this and said, "I will leave for Kuaiji the day after tomorrow. Madam, please come with me. I will see you off to Wujun."
This tone is not one of negotiation, but of notification.
Sun Wei had no objection and asked, "Where is the prince?"
"The Crown Prince's personal expedition is of great importance. We must ensure victory. Once I reach Kuaiji, I will discuss the strategy with the generals and then return to take the Crown Prince to Kuaiji to command."
Sun Wei thought for a moment and nodded, "This war is likely to be protracted. The Crown Prince is currently in charge of government affairs, so he shouldn't stay in Kuaiji for too long. Your Highness's considerations are very prudent."
——
After Sima Jun left, Sun Wei was filled with thoughts.
The Wang family is a huge mountain standing in front of the Sima family.
At the beginning of the founding of the country, Taizu would not have been able to secure his throne without the support of the Wang family. As time passed, while the Wang family's power declined, the Sima family remained as weak as ever. Before Sima Jun grew in power, the Wang family could only be considered friends, not enemies.
In his previous life, Sima Jun had firmly rejected Wang's marriage proposal. While this didn't lead to Sima Jun's ultimate defeat, it certainly laid the groundwork. Wang's influence within the court was immense, and they constantly marginalized Sima Jun. No matter what he did, he faced a barrage of impeachment, let alone realizing his ambitions.
Later, as warlords clashed for the throne, Sima Jun came to the throne. He initially sided with the moral righteousness, but when he raised his voice, he discovered he had very few allies. Sun Wei, though not involved in politics at the time, saw this clearly.
If she were to live her life over again, she would never let Sima Jun make the same mistake again.
The troublesome thing is that although Sima Jun has become more flexible in some things than in his previous life, his attitude towards marrying into the Wang family remains the same.
After Sima Jun left, Sun Wei breathed a sigh of relief.
No matter how unwilling he was, she thought the same thing.
The Wang family is a huge mountain standing in front of the Sima family.
At the beginning of the founding of the country, Taizu would not have been able to secure his throne without the support of the Wang family. As time passed, while the Wang family's power declined, the Sima family remained as weak as ever. Before Sima Jun grew in power, the Wang family could only be considered friends, not enemies.
In his previous life, Sima Jun's refusal to accept Wang's offer of support didn't lead to his eventual defeat, but it did sow the seeds of his own defeat. Wang's influence was immense within the court, and they constantly sidelined Sima Jun. No matter what he did, he faced a barrage of impeachment, let alone realizing his ambitions.
Later, as warlords clashed for the throne, Sima Jun came to the throne. He initially sided with the moral righteousness, but when he raised his voice, he discovered he had very few allies. Sun Wei, though not involved in politics at the time, saw this clearly.
If she were to live her life over again, she would never let Sima Jun make the same mistake again.
The troublesome thing is that although Sima Jun has become more flexible in some things than in his previous life, his attitude towards marrying into the Wang family remains the same.
Not long after, Aju came with the food.
Seeing Sun Wei sitting on the couch in a daze, she asked, "Now that the prince has been released, why don't you go back to the palace with him?"
Sun Wei shook her head and said, "The Princess has just instructed me that the Empress Dowager doesn't know I'm in Jiankang yet, so she told me to proceed with caution. Although we're all family members in the palace, there are so many people and eyes, and there might be complications. Anyway, I'm leaving in two days, so it doesn't matter where I stay."
A'ru said, "The princess's expression changes so quickly. She was once a sworn enemy, but now she's discussing marriage. If you didn't know, you'd think someone else was responsible for the princess's banishment to Xunyang."
Sun Wei didn't say anything.
She looked back and saw Sun Wei with fixed eyes, as if in a trance.
"What's wrong, Princess?" Aju asked.
Sun Wei came back to his senses and said, "Nothing. I'm not hungry. You can share this food with Deng Lian and the others."
A'ru said, "What happened to the princess suddenly? She was fine just now." After that, she touched Sun Wei's forehead and said, "You are not sick."
"I'm not sick, I'm just tired."
After Aju left, Sun Wei lay on the bed, staring at the tent above.
When discussing with Sima Jun, she made well-reasoned arguments.
But when she was alone, she couldn't help but think that she might really have to watch Sima Jun marry someone else.
After all, we are husband and wife. It would be a lie to say that I don’t care.
This is for his own good, and for your own good, a voice in my heart said.
Sun Wei wondered, when the time comes, should she go to Xunyang Palace to hide?
With these thoughts in mind, she took a deep breath.
That’s all next year.
Right now, there is still a lot to do.
It is already March now, and according to the agreement, that person should have come to Beijing.
I'm going to Wujun now and I don't know when I'll be back. It's time to meet him.
——
The next morning, Sun Wei said that he wanted to return the gift to the princess.
So she asked Aju to go to the market to find out which shop could buy the best agarwood.
A'ru said, "Why don't we go back to the mansion and ask? The more valuable the item, the more likely it is to be in stock in the treasury."
Sun Wei asked, "I've seen some in the treasury. They were purchased many years ago and are in average condition. Go ask around and buy if you find any that are good. If not, forget it."
An hour later, Aju returned from the market and said excitedly, "I'll tell you something, Princess. You'll never guess it."
"What's the matter?" Sun smiled and asked.
"I went to the East Market and discovered that Yongfu Pavilion had opened a branch in Jiankang. Does your princess know about Yongfu Pavilion?"
"I don't know." Sun Wei asked, "What is that?"
"It's a shop in Guangzhou that specializes in South China Sea treasures and imported goods. If the princess wants agarwood, they're the right place to go."
"Oh?" Sun Wei asked, "I've never heard of Yongfu Pavilion before. Are you sure you're the one I know?"
"Yes! I've inquired about everything. They just recently opened a branch in Jiankang. The head shopkeeper happened to be here. When he heard that the palace needed agarwood, he was very happy and insisted on coming to visit in person. Would the princess be willing to see him? He's right outside the door."
Sun Wei asked, "Have you ever mentioned my identity to him?"
"Of course not." A'ru said, "I thought this house doesn't belong to the princess, so it doesn't matter if I meet him here."
Sun Wei nodded: "Bring him in."
After a while, a dark-skinned, thin man followed Aju into the house.
He was in his thirties. When he saw Sun Wei, he stepped forward politely and bowed: "My name is Chen Mao, nice to meet you, Madam."
Sun Wei invited him to sit down and said, "My maid is from Guangzhou. She said that the Yongfu Pavilion owned by Chen the shopkeeper has the agarwood I want. Is that true?"
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