Chapter 56 Why wasn't it her who died?
The Queen loved spices and used to light an incense burner every day.
Especially in summer, in addition to placing ice in the palace for cooling, people often use a cooling incense made from herbs such as calcite, borneol, and mint to ward off the summer heat.
Liang Yuanjun sensed something was amiss the moment she stepped into the palace; the Phoenix Palace lacked its usual rich fragrance. After drinking half a cup of tea, her gaze finally fell upon the cold, metallic bronze object in the corner.
That was the phoenix-shaped incense burner that the Empress Dowager often used. At this moment, the finely pierced holes were completely calm, without a single wisp of smoke.
"Although the war is ongoing and the national treasury is tight, and palace expenses must be simplified, it is still unreasonable to cut back on the Empress Dowager's spices..."
"It has nothing to do with thrift," the Queen said with a smile.
"The Second Prince was born weak and cannot tolerate even the slightest fragrance. Yesterday, I visited him wearing scented clothes, and the child developed a high fever that night, causing His Majesty to stay up all night in the heated room and still hasn't closed his eyes."
Liang Yuanjun frowned. "The court officials are arguing so fiercely about whether or not to send troops, but all he cares about is that weak child?"
“His Majesty is afraid of losing another son.” The Empress picked an orange from the fruit plate and slowly peeled it.
The word "again" made Liang Yuanjun's eyes darken, and she couldn't help but think of the earthquake when she was a child.
Only three people in the world knew that the person who died under the beam was not Princess Qingluan, but the real Crown Prince Liang Yuanjun.
In this matter, the Empress Dowager acted first and informed the Emperor later, releasing the news of the princess's death before the Emperor could return to the palace.
The birth of twins, a boy and a girl, was considered an auspicious omen, a reliance for the emperor to ascend to the throne in accordance with the mandate of heaven.
At that time, the court was beset by internal and external troubles. Internally, powerful families harbored their own ambitions, while externally, the royal family of Northern Yan was making a comeback. The rumored Prince Qi, who had supposedly died, was nowhere to be found, neither alive nor dead...
At such a time, even an earthquake in the capital would be enough to be used to make a big fuss, claiming that the emperor had lost his virtue and incurred divine punishment. If news of the crown prince's death were to follow, those restless forces would likely raise their banners in rebellion immediately.
This explanation convinced the emperor, and the emperor and empress worked together to keep the secret for twenty years.
On many moonlit, quiet nights, the emperor, drunk, burst into the inner palace, brandishing his sword at the bed curtains, pointing it at the bewildered child and demanding, "Why wasn't it you who died?"
Why wasn't it her who died?
Because she has a tough life.
The falling beam was only a hand's breadth away from her, yet the crown prince died while she survived. No matter how unwilling her father was to accept it, he had no choice but to accept it.
As her thoughts returned, Liang Yuanjun took a bite of the sweet and sour orange.
"There's something I don't understand. The white silk was already sent to Qingquan Palace, so why was Lady Wei still alive when she was moved to the temporary palace?"
"The Wei family was clever and eloquent, and persuaded Yao Qingxi to ask His Majesty to return and listen to her dying words. It was these last words that moved His Majesty's heart."
Liang Yuanjun was even more puzzled, "What exactly did Lady Wei say to Father Emperor?"
The Empress said, "I only heard that she mentioned His Majesty's birth mother, Empress Dowager Zheng, and the name of Empress Dowager Zhang in her words."
Liang Yuanjun understood; so that's how it is.
The emperor's birth mother, Lady Zheng, died early, and he and Princess Huailing relied on each other for companionship. The two siblings suffered cold treatment in the palace.
Later, the princess was married off to a distant place, and he was raised by the Empress. On the surface, Empress Zhang took good care of him, but in secret she treated him extremely harshly and her emotions were unpredictable. Whenever she was angry, she would vent her anger on him.
The first thing he did after ascending the throne was to posthumously honor his birth mother, Zheng, as Empress Dowager, and send Empress Dowager Zhang and her siblings, Zhang Xiulin, to meet the late emperor.
Liang Yuanjun thought to herself that Wei Shi probably compared Liang Tianrui to her father back then, and the He family to the Zhang family. Her father thought of his birth mother, Zheng Shi, and recalled his own experiences, and unknowingly softened his heart towards Wei Shi.
The Empress glanced at Liang Yuanjun's reaction, but her mind was on something else entirely—that night, Yao Qingxi secretly left the palace and went to Zhang Zhuoyan's place.
During the years when His Majesty was tormented by Empress Dowager Zhang, this Lady Zhang took good care of him.
At the beginning of his reign, disregarding Lady Zhang's existing marriage, he was willing to defy public opinion to take her as a concubine. However, Lady Zhang refused, and the two had a big argument, so the matter was dropped.
Over the years, His Majesty would secretly fawn over Zhang Zhuoyan whenever he recalled his youthful days. Unexpectedly, this time, while taking care of the twins, he was still able to find time to reminisce with Lady Zhang outside the palace.
The Empress tapped her cup lightly twice, then suddenly changed the subject: "Your marriage can no longer be delayed."
Liang Yuanjun's expression stiffened slightly, still unsure of what her mother meant, and she dared not respond easily.
Seeing her silence, the Empress asked more directly, "What do you think of that Yu Mingshu?"
Liang Yuanjun immediately frowned and disagreed, saying, "Everyone inside and outside the palace says that Yang Leyi is the future Crown Princess. She has delayed her marriage until she was twenty for my sake... If I go back on my word now, wouldn't I be ruining her life?"
"If you marry her, you'll really ruin her life!"
"No matter who I marry, it will always delay a woman's life. At least Leyi and I have been together day and night for ten years, and our bond is beyond what ordinary people can match."
The Empress disagreed, saying, "Noble ladies from prestigious families value their family interests highly; how could they be controlled by a mere ten years of affection? Lady Yu comes from a humble background, with no father or brothers, only a good-for-nothing younger brother. Even if you gave her ten times the courage, she wouldn't dare to leak the news."
Liang Yuanjun's knuckles tightened around the cup, her tone tinged with anxiety: "Leyi and I are together day and night. Does Mother really think that she is completely unaware?"
The Empress parted her lips, and after a long while, she finally said, "If she really discovered something, why has she kept it a secret for so long?"
"In terms of affection, she and I are like close friends. In terms of interests, the Yang family is after the position of Crown Princess. As long as no one else touches me, why would she go looking for trouble?"
Seeing that the Empress's expression softened, Liang Yuanjun's tone became gentler: "It is not a wise move to push your confidants to outsiders."
…
Inside the Bureau of Imperial Sacrifices, Yu Mingshu waited anxiously for five days, but the Crown Prince did not summon him again.
That day, she was discussing her ideas for education reform with the Crown Prince. Before they finished talking, it was time for her to finish her shift. The Crown Prince said he would summon her another day, but she ended up sitting at her workstation for five days without the Eastern Palace official coming.
Xu Jie returned from He Wenfang's place, fanning himself with a fan. He glanced at her sideways and said sarcastically, "The Crown Prince's entourage is full of scholars. The line of people waiting to offer advice, suggestions, poems, and essays could stretch from Chongming Gate to Zhuque Gate. Does Yu Xiaoshu think that just because she has a pretty face, she can win the Emperor's heart?"
Yu Mingshu looked up and saw that this person had shifty eyes and didn't look like a decent gentleman.
She smiled and said, "What's wrong with Secretary Xu these past few days? As soon as he comes to the yamen, his eyes are glued to me. He wants to compliment my beauty, but he does it in such a roundabout way. Could it be that Secretary Xu is also infatuated with me?"
Xu Jie had probably never met such a shameless person in his life. His cheeks flushed red instantly, and he gritted his teeth as he squeezed out, "You, you, you are shameless! You have no shame!"
Xu Jie fled in panic, and Chen Qingyue brought over a plate of exquisite pastries and placed it on Yu Mingshu's table.
"Don't listen to his nonsense. The Crown Prince has been busy with pre-battle preparations these past two days, personally overseeing everything from troop selection to the allocation of provisions. He has no time to chat with scholars about refined matters."
Yu Mingshu suddenly remembered He Zheng's trip to the Lishan camp to train troops.
Roughly speaking, she hadn't seen He Zheng for almost ten days.
"I'm going out for a bit."
Chen Qingyue only saw the person who was sitting upright just a moment ago suddenly jump up and leave the workstation like a gust of wind. She turned around in confusion and looked at Zhang Yaoguang.
The fact that the imperial court was going to war was no secret within the capital city; whispers about it were often heard on the way out of the Eastern Palace.
"The national treasury is not rich to begin with, and with the war in the south, we have no way of receiving our salaries for the next few months."
"Our orders state that this month's wages and rations will be converted into cloth and will be reissued after the war is over. I reckon it will be the same for you."
"Another bolt of cloth? You can't eat that kind of cloth!"
"Who on earth is this expert who predicted that twins, a boy and a girl, are destined for good fortune? Yet, war is brewing right after they arrive; this is clearly a sign of impending doom..."
Having listened to the complaints all the way, Yu Mingshu arrived at the Ministry of Personnel. He had barely stepped across the threshold when he was driven out by a minor official.
The other person stood arrogantly in front of the door, dressed in a blue official robe, yet he looked her up and down with disdain, his tone extremely unfriendly: "What's your name? Where do you work? What brings you to the Ministry of Personnel?"
Yu Mingshu was somewhat displeased, but still politely cupped his hands in greeting: "I am Yu, the Proofreader of the Imperial Library, and I am looking for Xie Huaijin, the Registrar. Please convey my message for me, young brother. I would be extremely grateful!"
The official's gaze toward her became strange.
"Oh—that's the Miss Yu who refused the Xie family's marriage proposal. The sun has risen in the west today, and she actually wants to see our Registrar Xie?"
Yu Mingshu asked politely, "What is your relationship to Registrar Xie?"
The petty official arrogantly replied, "Colleague."
Yu Mingshu smiled and raised an eyebrow: "I see. I thought you were some elder of the Xie family."
Upon hearing this, the other person's face turned bright red, and he began to huff and puff through his nose, unable to utter a word for a long time.
Yu Mingshu's gaze passed over him and landed on a familiar face. Her eyes lit up, and she waved and called out, "Recorder Xie!"
Xie Huaijin was surprised: "Ming Shu? You came looking for me?"
"Are you free?" Yu Mingshu nodded. "Let's talk in private."
Without thinking twice, Xie Huaijin gestured towards the door, inviting them to come in: "Come with me."
The minor official stood by, staring blankly, his gaze shifting between the two men, his expression as if he had seen a ghost.
The work atmosphere in the Secretariat was much more tense than that in the Bureau of Justice. People were often seen rushing around in the courtyard, and arguments could be heard from time to time inside the buildings.
Xie Huaijin led her into his duty room, poured her a cup of tea, and handed it to her, saying, "Please, have a seat."
Yu Mingshu took the teacup and subconsciously looked around first.
Xie Huaijin explained, "There's no one else in the room; all my colleagues have gone out. I'm busy with court affairs lately, so I can't stay too long. Please feel free to ask me anything."
Yu Mingshu then said apologetically, "I'm sorry to have bothered you, so I'll keep it short. He Zheng hasn't been in the city recently, and I haven't been able to contact him. I've come to ask you... Is he on the list of those sent on the southern expedition?"
Seeing the other person frown, she quickly added, "I was just asking casually. If it involves court secrets, then it's fine to leave it at that."
"This matter is not considered a secret."
Xie Huaijin frowned and said, "As far as I know, the commander-in-chief of the imperial court's expedition this time should be Cheng Changde, the eldest son of the Duke of Yingguo, and He Zheng was appointed as the Supreme General to command the central army... But this is not the final choice, and there may be changes in the next few days."
After hearing this, Yu Mingshu pursed his lips and remained silent, as if his throat had suddenly become blocked.
Are you worried about him?
How could I not worry?
Yu Mingshu stared at the teacup and murmured, "He Zheng has never fought in a war, has he?"
Xie Huaijin said with a bit of a laugh, "He is, after all, the son of the Earl of Anyuan. Like father, like son. Don't underestimate him."
Yu Mingshu tried her best to relax and reduce her anxiety.
“The Earl of Anyuan is in his prime, and if all else fails, there is Minister He. How could the position of General-in-Chief fall to He Zheng?”
"It seems that He Zheng asked for it himself," Xie Huaijin said. "You'll have to ask him about that."
This answer was expected.
He Zheng practices martial arts diligently every morning without fail. What else could it be for if not to achieve great things? It can't be just to get a good physique to make women envious, can it?
Someone outside called Xie Huaijin's name. He responded and then turned to Yu Mingshu, saying slowly, "Don't think too much about it. He is a general in the central army and won't take risks easily."
In the height of summer, the imperial court finally dispatched troops south.
The day before the army set off, He Zheng returned to Chang'an from the Lishan camp, went to the Anyuan Earl's residence, packed his things, and prepared to go to the palace to receive the imperial decree.
After daybreak, the emperor would personally escort the soldiers out of the city. The departure ceremony was a complicated process that could not be made in the slightest, lest any "ominous signs" be brought about.
Jing Hong painstakingly polished his weapon, glancing at He Zheng every now and then. "Young master, who knows when you'll return? Don't you plan to go back to Yongning Ward and say goodbye to Miss Yu?"
He Zheng paused, remembering that she had hinted and suggested it three times before, and gave a helpless bitter smile.
"Time is of the essence, forget it."
Jinghong pursed his lips, his gaze lingering on the object in the young man's hand for a long time. Was that the brocade pouch that Miss Yu had given him on the day of the provincial examination?
"Does the young master have any words for Miss Yu? I went to deliver them early this morning."
He Zheng glanced at him sideways, seemingly deep in thought.
Jinghong waited for a full half hour, but he still didn't speak.
"My lord?"
"If you have nothing to do, wipe the armor again."
Yongningfang.
Yu Mingshu leaned against the wall, half-asleep, and waited all night, but by the end of the Yin hour, he still hadn't heard any movement from the other side of the wall.
Before dawn, she was fully awake. Without disturbing her mother and younger brother, or waking Luo Yan and the others, she led her horse and headed towards the capital.
Today is a day off, and the Vermilion Bird Gate was deserted at dawn, with only a few generals in armor and weapons heading towards the palace gate.
Yu Mingshu led his horse and leaned against the outside of the city wall, waiting for half an hour in the morning breeze. His calves ached from standing, and his eyes were bloodshot from staying up all night. Finally, two figures came galloping towards him from afar.
Squinting to make out who it was, she straightened up, moved away from the wall, and led her horse forward two steps to meet them.
This was the first time she had seen He Zheng in military uniform. He was just like the young generals in all theatrical works, spirited and full of vigor, making him impossible to look away from from afar.
He Zheng saw her too.
Beneath the city gate, the slender figure gradually grew larger, and the rising sun cast a warm glow on her cool and aloof face.
He Ting glanced at the girl under the city gate, then turned his head to look at his younger brother, who was clearly out of his mind, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes.
"You have fifteen minutes. Go and come back quickly."
When He Zheng came to his senses, his elder brother had already entered the city, and a pair of clear eyes were staring intently at him from diagonally in front of him.
He hesitated for only a moment before dismounting and walking toward the person he hadn't seen for many days.
"Mingshu, it's your day off today, what are you doing here?"
"You haven't been back to Yongningfang for half a month. If I don't wait for you at the city gate, where else can I see you?"
“You are not…” He Zheng suddenly stopped speaking.
He wanted to ask, didn't Yu Mingshu not want to see him?
But she actually waited at the city gate early in the morning, just to see him. This shows how absurd my assumptions were.
He Zheng felt a little guilty and explained to her in a low voice, "The military situation is urgent. I didn't mean to avoid you. I just couldn't get away."
“I know, that’s why I came,” Yu Mingshu said.
She vaguely sensed something was off about his expression, and after repeatedly recalling his unfinished words, a thought struck her.
"On the day you went to the Lishan camp, I happened to be preoccupied and didn't hear you calling me."
He Zheng paused for a moment, then smiled with relief, "It's my fault, I should have spoken louder back then."
Yu Mingshu stared directly into his clear eyes, unconsciously raising her hand and slowly reaching towards his eyebrows and eyes.
When her fingertips were only an inch away from He Zheng's forehead, she suddenly stopped, abruptly turned, moved up a few inches, and gently touched the iron lump on his head.
She didn't know what she was thinking, but she turned the originally upright phoenix-winged helmet to the right, glanced at it, and then clumsily straightened it back.
Is it heavy?
He Zheng shook his head, "It's not heavy."
Yu Mingshu patted his shoulder, and He Zheng obediently lowered his head. She tugged at the red tassel at the top and weighed it in her hand...
I didn't think it through.
"Then you should get a heavier, sturdier one that's safer."
He Zheng changed his tune: "Actually, it's a bit heavy. I only wore it for 15 minutes, and my neck was already stiff."
Yu Mingshu frowned. "You're not going to wear this outfit, which weighs dozens of kilograms, all the way from Chang'an to the south, are you?"
He Zheng chuckled, "How could that be? When traveling, it's best to travel light."
The two chatted for a while, but He Ting, who had already passed the city gate, grew impatient and turned back to urge them: "Make a long story short! Don't miss the auspicious time!"
He Zheng suddenly regretted not returning to Yongningfang last night. He gave Yu Mingshu a deep look, then turned and replied, "Coming right away!"
Yu Mingshu glanced at the increasingly bright sky and put away his interest in idle chatter.
“You’re so straightforward, I won’t say anything wishing you great success, lest you become greedy and reckless.” She laughed heartily and punched He Zheng in the chest.
"Have a safe journey, we'll be waiting for you to come back."
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