Chapter 164 Return to Beijing
After returning to the palace, Sun Wei ordered Yu Kuan and Deng Lian to come.
Sun Wei said to Yu Kuan, "The steward knows that I came to Xunyang Palace on the orders of the Empress Dowager. Logically, I shouldn't be able to leave without the Empress Dowager's order."
"That's right." Yu Kuan said.
"But now there's a troubling matter." Sun Wei said slowly, "I want to go to Jiankang secretly, but I don't want the Queen Mother to know. Do you think it's possible?"
Yu Kuan was surprised when he heard this.
He looked at Deng Lian beside him, thought for a moment, and bowed to Sun Wei.
"I think that unless it's absolutely necessary, Princess shouldn't do this. If you accidentally leak the information about the Conferred God, it will give the people above you a handle. The Queen Mother has a prejudice against you, so you should be even more careful."
"Since this concerns the prince, I'm afraid I have to make this trip."
Her tone was firm and unquestionable.
Deng Lian was surprisingly quiet and didn't say anything.
Yu Kuan thought for a moment and said, "The princess just returned from the palace. I wonder if the scenery there is good or not?"
"I like it very much."
"That was the late king's favorite place. It's normal for the princess to stay there for a while out of longing for the late king," Yu Kuan said. "Plus, the weather is so unpredictable, and it's easy to catch a cold. It's understandable that the princess is sick. I can find a trustworthy maid to take the princess's place and recuperate in the palace. As long as she doesn't show up, there should be no problem."
These words made Sun Wei feel relieved.
"Then I'll have to trouble you, General Manager." She said gently.
Yu Kuan bowed and agreed.
Sun Wei then looked at Deng Lian and asked, "I need to conceal my identity on my way back to Jiankang. Could Sima arrange this?"
"This isn't difficult," Deng Lian said. "I've just thought of a solution."
"oh?"
"It is only inconvenient for the princess to disguise herself as a common woman and keep her life simple."
Sun Wei was relieved to know that he did have an idea.
Although everything was kept simple, A'ru took considerable effort to pack. Sun Wei was a princess, and even in mourning, her clothing was all brocade and fur, not something an ordinary person could wear. She rummaged through boxes and cabinets, finally finding some simpler items in the storeroom.
However, Sun Wei asked her to take the jade bracelet given by Sima Jun as well.
A'ru was surprised: "Didn't the princess dislike that bracelet?"
"Although I don't like it, its appearance is just right for this status." Sun Wei said, "A woman from a noble family who comes to Beijing from a small place to visit relatives must have something to show off, and this is the most suitable. Besides, if there is an emergency, this jade bracelet can also be exchanged for some money."
A'ru smiled and said, "I just asked one question, why did the princess say so much."
Sun Wei glanced sideways.
Aju shut up and continued packing.
But Sun Wei called Aju back.
She took out a small jade pendant from her dressing box and handed it to A'ru: "Take this with you."
——
Deng Lian's subordinate Yin Wen was a healthy person. Sun Wei and his group were nominally distant relatives of Yin Wen. After arriving in Jiankang, they stayed in Yin's villa.
Deng Lian had been with Sima Jun for many years and was a familiar face in Jiankang City, so he had to split up with Sun Wei and finally agreed to meet at Yin's house.
But when it got dark, Deng Lian still hadn't returned. Ah Ru kept looking out the door, wondering, "Could someone have discovered us?"
Sun Wei glanced outside and shook his head. "So what if he's found out? Sima Deng is innocent, and no one can do anything to him. Don't worry, I just told him to find someone, so he was delayed."
"Looking for someone? Who?"
"You'll find out later."
Not long after, someone knocked on the door. Yin Wen hurried to open the door and saw Deng Lian coming back.
The person who came in with him was quite excited when he saw Sun Wei. He bowed and said, "Your Highness greets the princess."
Sun smiled and said, "I hope you are well, Minister Cao."
Cao Song shook his head: "I worry about the prince every day, how can he get better? Fortunately, the princess has returned."
Sun Wei said, "I came back this time without the Queen Mother's consent, so I can't make it public."
"I understand," Cao Song said quickly, "and no one knows I'm here."
Sun Wei nodded and asked him to sit down.
"Does the attendant know where the Crown Prince is currently confined?"
"I know." Cao Song said, "The prince is now in Fanghua Garden."
Fanghua Garden, located within the imperial palace, was originally the place where the princes studied. Now that the emperor's sons had reached adulthood, the place naturally lay unused. It was a suitable place to imprison Sima Jun.
"Has the attendant visited the prince? Is he okay now?"
"I've been there once. Fanghua Garden is now only inhabited by the Crown Prince, and it's heavily guarded. The Queen Mother's men are everywhere, so I can't say much. The Crown Prince doesn't seem to be hurt and is in good health. After all, he's in the palace, so he needs food and drink. Even so, it's truly unfair to the Crown Prince. He's been detained like this for his entire life, and he's been detained for a month now, with no idea when it will end. Every time I think of this, I can't sit still, and I can't sleep."
"Since the Chamberlain was worried about the Crown Prince, why didn't he write to me earlier?"
Cao Song looked ashamed and said, "It's not that I don't want to, but the Crown Prince won't allow it. When the Crown Prince returned to the capital, he summoned me to see him. In addition to instructing me on various matters in the palace, he also specifically instructed me not to tell the princess any news about the Crown Prince unless Taifu Zhou asked me to."
Sun Wei couldn't help but wonder, "Didn't the Grand Tutor fall ill?"
"The Grand Tutor is indeed seriously ill, but he is still conscious. I visited him a few days ago and asked him if he should tell the princess about the current situation. He said it was not necessary."
Sun Wei's eyes lit up: "So, the attendant can see the Grand Tutor?"
"I can meet her," Cao Song said. "The Grand Tutor has a servant. Although he is a member of the Princess's household, he was brought in by the Grand Tutor and only obeys the Grand Tutor's orders. The Grand Tutor will arrange a time for the meeting, usually when the Princess leaves the house, and then have the servant inform me. I usually go to meet her according to the Grand Tutor's arrangements, and nothing goes wrong."
Sun Wei originally thought that it would take some effort to meet Zhou Chang, but unexpectedly he received an unexpected surprise from Cao Song.
"That's great," Sun Wei said. "Please ask the attendant to tell the Grand Tutor that I want to see him."
She knew that Cao Song was efficient and thought that she would be able to see Zhou Chang the day after tomorrow at the latest.
Unexpectedly, the next day, Cao Song came to visit and seemed to be hesitant to speak.
Sun Wei's heart sank, and he asked, "Could it be that the Grand Tutor has fallen ill again?"
"No," Cao Song said, "it's the Grand Tutor who refuses to see me. Furthermore, he told the princess to return to Xunyang immediately, otherwise he would tell the princess that she had left Xunyang without permission."
Telling the princess is equivalent to telling the empress dowager.
"Why?" Sun Wei was puzzled.
"The Grand Master didn't say it explicitly, maybe it's inconvenient to say."
Sun Wei was stunned for a moment.
Could it be that this old man wanted to send her back with just one sentence?
She laughed out of anger.
"Princess, what should we do?" Cao Song asked.
Sun Wei thought for a moment and said, "Please ask Attendant Cao to personally meet with Grand Tutor Zhou and tell him that I have returned, but I left a few words for Attendant Cao to deliver to him personally."
Cao Song couldn't help but ask: "Princess, are you going back?"
"Go back?" Sun Wei sneered, "Don't worry, Grand Tutor Zhou won't let me go back."
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