Chapter 73: Gift of Jade
Sima Jun looked at his subordinate who had returned to report, and seeing that he looked disheveled, he thought something must be wrong.
As expected.
They found Cui Pan dying on the shore, but the woman attacked again and repelled them. By the time they had come up with a plan to capture the two men, both the woman and Cui Pan had disappeared.
"The woman found a boat from somewhere and took Cui Pan away."
At this point, the clue was broken.
When the prince came to visit, Sima Jun and Chu Yue reported the matter together, but the prince did not look angry.
"Fortunately, Cui Pan's confession has been submitted, and Cheng Yu is still in custody. Otherwise, Wang Han would have retracted his confession."
That’s true, it’s a blessing in disguise.
"How does the prince plan to deal with Cheng Yu and those rebellious generals?" Sima Jun asked.
The Crown Prince said, "I discussed this with Zhang Su yesterday. Since Cheng Yu has captured Cui Pan and has made meritorious service, his death sentence will be spared. As for the other rebel generals, they must not only be sentenced according to the law, but also receive severe sentences to serve as a warning to others. I will wait for Zhang Su to return the case to the Supreme Court for the final decision."
This is roughly what Sima Jun thought.
He thought for a moment and said, "After this incident, is the prince still planning to go to the East Sea?"
"I'm not going," said the prince. "I've already been delayed for several days. I'm afraid the affairs of state are piling up, and I'm worried. Besides, I have to escort Wang Zhi to fulfill the order from the Northern Governor. There's still a lot of things to do, so we can't slack off. I was thinking last night, why don't you go in my place? You don't have any official duties, so there's no need to rush back. Besides, the Concubine has to pray for the Queen Mother, so we can't let her go alone."
Sima Jun frowned: "How can I take the place of the Crown Prince in performing the sacrifice?"
"I later thought that the sacrifice was a sham," the prince said. "Wang Han simply tricked me into going to Jingkou and staging a mutiny in front of me. Now, word has spread, and my father and the empress dowager may have heard about it. Compared to that, the sacrifice was no big deal. If I don't return to the capital to take charge, who knows what trouble Wang Han will stir up next? So you should go there for me. I have my own orders for you, so you should follow them."
There was nothing wrong with taking a trip, but when Sima Jun thought of the Lu family, he felt an indescribable feeling in his heart.
Chu Yue watched from the side, smiled, and said, "I also think that the Crown Prince should make this trip. The Crown Prince has recently severely offended Wang Pushe, so it would be best for him to postpone his return to the capital and avoid his attention."
"Zhuo Jing is right. This is settled." The Crown Prince said this, then looked around and asked, "By the way, why don't I see the Consort? I haven't spoken to her since arriving in Jingkou. Speaking of which, I should thank her properly."
The eunuch immediately went to pass on the order, summoning Sun Wei to come in.
When Sun Wei came over, the prince looked at her and smiled.
"When I came here just now, I passed by the garden. I didn't expect that although this house is located in a remote area, the flowers are well maintained." said the prince.
Chu Yueqian said, "Your Highness, you are too kind."
The prince looked at Sun Wei again and said, "I want to take a walk in the garden and ask the princess about the knowledge of Yin and Yang. I wonder if the princess is willing to teach me?"
The implication of this statement was that Sima Jun and Chu Yue did not need to go.
Sun Wei looked at Sima Jun.
He didn't look at her.
"I am overjoyed that Your Highness has summoned me," she said with a bow.
The prince nodded, stood up, and ordered his carriage to go to the garden.
Chu Yue looked at the direction the two men left, thoughtfully.
"Unusual," he said.
"What's unusual?"
"It's unusual for a man to invite a woman for a walk alone," Chu Yue said. "If the concubine wasn't an elder, this would be a big deal."
Before he could finish his words, his injured leg was kicked and Chu Yue screamed in pain.
"Don't talk nonsense." Sima Jun said coldly.
——
The yard is full of lush trees and the sound of cicadas makes it seem particularly quiet.
A gust of summer breeze blew by, and the prince's clothes fluttered, looking quite elegant and refined.
He said softly, "The princess and I have only known each other for a short time, but it seems like we've been through a lot together. I remember that day in the quiet courtyard when the princess volunteered to accompany me and help me decipher the bad omen. Everything is still vivid in my mind."
Sun Wei lowered his eyes and said, "It was just an act of desperation. I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Prince."
"Your Highness is too modest." The Crown Prince smiled. "I was thinking about this yesterday. Fortunately, I agreed to your request and managed to get you to come with me. If it weren't for your Highness's courage to face the challenge, the Northern Palace would have been in someone else's hands today. Your Highness prevented a disaster for me. Thinking about it now, I feel a little emotional, even a little touched."
"I have only done my best, and have not made much contribution."
"The princess doesn't understand."
The Crown Prince stopped and looked at her, then said sternly, "As the Crown Prince, I face the bloody storm of the court alone every day, walking cautiously and treading on thin ice. Someone like the Princess, who shields me from the wind and rain and allows me a moment of peace, is rare. How can I not be moved?"
His eyes were gentle, as if every word he said was sincere.
Sun Wei lowered his head and averted his gaze, but his gaze instead fell on the prince's fair hand.
In his palm lay a jade.
"This is a small token of my appreciation. Please serve it, Princess."
Sun Wei knew that the gift of jade was no ordinary gesture, so she immediately declined: "Your Highness, there is no need to be polite. As the Princess of Yuzhang, I am a member of the royal family, and it is only natural for me to serve the Crown Prince."
"I never take others' service for granted. A good minister without the appreciation of a wise ruler is like a thousand-mile horse without a good horse trainer. No matter how talented they are, they are just useless. I will reward those whom I appreciate. I appreciate the princess, so I gave her the jade."
Sun Wei said: "This gift is too valuable, I cannot accept it."
The prince whispered, "If the princess wants to see me, she can take this jade to the Jingyuan to find Master Huixin. There is no other Qu Ji in the princess's house who can lead the way, right?"
The meaning was clear: this was a token of hope for future secret meetings between the prince and her.
Sun Wei decisively accepted the jade and thanked him.
The prince chuckled, "The princess is indeed a sensible person."
Sun Wei said, "I am overwhelmed by the high regard the Crown Prince has for you."
"What are you afraid of?" the prince said lightly, "I like sober people."
Sun Wei was reborn and could hear the subtle hint in these words.
She suddenly looked up at the prince, only to see that his smile was warm and pure, as if it was Sun Wei herself who was daydreaming.
"Will the Crown Prince stay for lunch?" Sun Wei changed the subject. "I'll ask the steward to arrange it."
The prince smiled again and said, "This is Chu Yue's house, not the Prince of Yuzhang's residence. Chu Yue will take care of these things, so there is no need for the princess to worry about it."
He looked around and said, "The garden here is still a little small, but the garden in the quiet courtyard is quite large. I'd like to invite the princess to go for a walk together next time, okay?"
Sun Wei was about to reply when a eunuch suddenly arrived and bowed, saying, "Your Highness, afternoon meal has been prepared at the residence. Prince Yuzhang has sent someone to invite the Crown Prince and Princess to the table."
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