Chapter 298: Gift of a Hairpin (Part 1)
Sima Jun set out for Jingkou the next day.
In addition to ordering Deng Lian to stay by his side, Sun Wei also assigned more guards.
Before leaving, Sun Wei thought of the Huan family's affairs and couldn't help but ask Deng Lian, "I asked Sima Deng to send someone to keep an eye on the Yu family mother and daughter. I wonder if there's any news?"
"Still keeping an eye on them," Deng Lian replied. "These days, both Master Yu and the Shangshu Mansion have been busy with the Crown Prince's case, and Madam Yu and Lady Huan haven't left their residence for many days. I sent someone to inquire about the situation, and they said that after Madam Yu visited the Yu residence that day, Madam Yu had Lady Huan confined and wouldn't let her leave."
The Yu family and Wang Han had always used each other. If Wang Han could not take Jingzhou, he would naturally stop helping the Yu family kill Huan An. Unless the Yu family took action themselves, they would be powerless to deal with Huan An.
She asked Sima Jun to send someone to continue watching, and then sent Sima Jun and his men out of the house.
Outside the mansion, Chu Yue was already waiting.
Sun Wei didn't expect this.
"Will General Chu accompany the prince?" she asked.
"Exactly." Sima Jun turned around and looked at her. "Then, Madam, can you rest assured?"
After hearing this, Chu Yue said with a smile: "Princess, don't worry. This time, I will definitely send the prince back in good condition."
Sun Wei smiled, finally feeling relieved, and couldn't help but glance at Sima Jun.
It turned out that everything was ready, but it was kept secret from her.
Sima Jun seemed to understand what Sun Wei meant and said immediately, "It was arranged in a hurry and I haven't informed Madam yet."
Sun Wei ignored him and said to Chu Yue, "Thank you, General Chu."
Chu Yue agreed.
After watching Sima Jun get on the car and leave, Sun Wei returned to the palace to change clothes and went to Xianglu Temple.
When the eldest princess invited me, burning incense was secondary, and talking was the main thing.
After the ritual was completed, a monk took the two of them to a teahouse to sit and relax.
The furnishings in the teahouse were simple, with only a tea table in the middle.
The eldest princess and Sun Wei sat in the main and secondary seats respectively.
The sun was shining brightly, casting the shadows of the branches in the courtyard onto the corridor.
Xianglu Temple is quite lively, but when the noise reaches the courtyard, it is dissipated by the sound of flowing water.
The princess took a sip of tea and said, "Azhi will leave for Guangzhou tomorrow."
Sun Wei nodded slightly. "I was born in Lingnan, where the climate is similar to Panyu. At this time of year, Panyu is much warmer than Jiankang, and there's less rain, making it suitable for long journeys."
The eldest princess glanced at her, and then asked the maid to bring her a mother-of-pearl box.
"When I was your age, the Queen Mother gave me many pieces of jewelry. The three hairpins in this box were given to me by the Queen Mother. I haven't worn them yet, but my maids have been taking care of them to keep them shining like new." The eldest princess said, holding out an agate hairpin inlaid with pearls and jade. "A few days ago, I accidentally saw it and liked it very much. But now, I am no longer in my prime, and it is not appropriate to wear them. A few days ago, I told the Queen Mother that it would be a pity to leave them unused like this, and I thought it would be a pity to give them to you so that you can make the best use of them. The Queen Mother said that we are all family, so there is no need to ask, and I will make the decision myself. So today, I brought them here specially, and I hope your Highness will not reject them."
Sun Wei took the wooden box and thanked her with a smile, "I am deeply grateful for the Queen Mother and the Princess's great kindness. I am willing to share the Princess's worries, so as not to let them down."
The eldest princess looked up at her and saw how sincere her expression was.
Talking to smart people is easier.
The eldest princess said slowly, "The princess is not an outsider, so I will speak frankly. Right now, I have a troubling matter, which you must have heard about. There is a concubine in my house, Dong, who has been causing great unrest lately, and it is really giving me a hard time."
"I have heard something," Sun Wei said. "I heard that this Dong said that the eldest princess slandered the second young master, causing him to be arrested by the court judge."
The eldest princess looked at her and asked, "What do you think about this, Princess?"
Sun Wei said, "The eldest princess is of noble character, and everyone knows it. I think Dong is just believing the rumors spread by outsiders and is ultimately confused."
"Oh?" the princess asked, "You don't believe this?"
Sun Wei smiled and said, "The Second Young Master is merely a concubine's son. He is far superior to the Princess and the First Young Master. The Princess is a princess, so why would she personally take matters into her own hands if she's unhappy?"
The eldest princess took a sip of tea and said nothing.
It must be said that although Sun Wei didn't say much, these were the most refreshing words she had heard in the past few days.
"If only everyone were as clear-headed as you, but unfortunately, they aren't." The eldest princess sighed. "Unfortunately, Dong refused to give in, and later caused many incidents, bringing unrest to the family. I thought I should send her away for a while to clear her mind, but Wang Pushe is soft-hearted and can't bear to separate mother and child. So, there's no solution. I'm at my wit's end now, and I always want to ask for advice from everyone I meet. Today, I happened to meet you, so I couldn't help but ask for your advice."
Sun smiled, took a sip of tea, and asked, "I wonder how long the period of time Princess is referring to?"
The eldest princess said vaguely, "Of course the longer the better."
Sun Wei understood in his heart what this meant, that it would be best if he left and never came back.
She continued, "I'd like to ask, what was Dong's character like in the past? Did she ever cause the princess so much trouble?"
"How should I begin?" the princess said, her face filled with disgust, as if lost in thought. "That Dong had to resort to some trickery to gain entry. I was naturally displeased, but she was incredibly cautious, never daring to disobey me or go against my will. I tolerated her for the sake of Wang Pushe's face. But this time, she's gone too far, actually reporting me to the authorities. The whole city knows about this, leaving me completely humiliated. This is intolerable!"
Sun Wei said, "The princess must not want to harm Dong's life yet?"
The eldest princess felt a little uncomfortable and said, "The king's servant said that her crime does not deserve death."
Sun Wei understood and thought that Wang Han did have someone he truly cared about.
She then asked, "If Dong could be as obedient as before, would the princess still tolerate her?"
The eldest princess said coldly, "The so-called obedience is just a pretense. This time she has exposed her true nature. How can such a villain be allowed to stay in the mansion?"
Sun Wei nodded and said slowly, "But I think, given the current situation, it would be best for the princess to tolerate her."
The eldest princess's expression suddenly darkened. "Why do you say that?"
"Princess, think about this. Dong has been obedient for twenty years. Why would she suddenly strike the drum in public?"
The eldest princess snorted coldly: "It's because she has been holding a grudge for a long time, and now she has found a perfect reason."
Sun Wei shook her head. "While there's some truth in what the princess said, I believe it's ultimately because the princess has pushed her into a desperate situation. If she doesn't go and beat the drum to report her actions, she has no chance of success, so she's forced to take this risk. If there's one, there's another. If the princess drives her away, there's no guarantee she'll cause even greater trouble. So, can the princess withstand a second chance?"
The eldest princess looked grim: "So, I can only watch her act like a fool?"
Sun smiled and said, "Of course not. Princess, you only need to give her a small punishment and a big warning to teach her to behave herself."
"What do you mean?"
"I wonder how much the princess knows about the second young master?"
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