Leaving Beijing
"Give it to me. This is the Crown Princess's thing. How dare you snatch it away and use it?"
"My concubine is not feeling well. The imperial physician said that she needs to use the finest pearls as medicine and apply them to her skin to remove the redness and swelling. I am just borrowing them for now and will return them to you when Your Highness returns."
The palace maid had stretched out most of her arm to snatch the box, and the two of them started to wrestle.
"The East Palace is still bustling. It seems that it would be better to come here more often than to sit in my place."
Ah Jiao and the Crown Princess Sun Jia were passing by when they saw the two arguing on the street and smiled at the show. Sun Jia's expression remained calm. "Excuse me, Qiufang. Since the concubine is used for medicinal purposes, just give her. We don't need this pearl necklace. Our health is more important."
Qiufang reluctantly let go, and another palace maid left with the box in her hand in a triumphant manner.
Seeing this, Gillian laughed and said, "The Crown Princess has a good temper, but she actually allowed her to be so presumptuous."
"To be honest, Your Highness, His Highness likes her. If I argue with her, I will end up looking bad in front of His Highness."
Ah Jiao was a little surprised. "The Crown Prince attaches great importance to etiquette and rules, and abides by his duties. How could he allow someone like her to be in the palace?"
"Perhaps it is because Your Highness is usually too restrained that he likes people like her."
Gillian was silent for a moment. Sun Jia smiled and said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. My family pushed me to this position. If Your Highness doesn't want to marry me, it doesn't matter who I marry. As long as I fulfill my duties as the Crown Princess, it won't be a big deal."
"Isn't it boring?" Married to a man she doesn't love, trapped in this square courtyard all day, watching her husband go out with other people and spend time with them, what is her purpose? Just a decoration?"
"It's not boring. If I really had to manage the entire Eastern Palace, there would be a lot to do. There are carriages for travel, daily expenses for food and clothing, garden maintenance, and with the increase in concubines, there's also the need to balance the power of various parties. These are just the small matters of the inner court. Being the Crown Princess is actually the most tiring, having to be the wife of my husband, the Crown Prince's housekeeper, and even his military advisor. Fortunately, I have someone to share the former burden with me. For example, if the Queen comes to the Eastern Palace today, I will be the one to entertain her. I must not let her be neglected or impolite. If there are guests who come to visit and His Highness is not here, I will decide whether to keep them or send them, and I will also be the one to win them over."
Sun Jiaxing reached the palace gate and breathed a long sigh, "Sometimes I envy concubines. They don't have to worry about so many things, and they age more slowly."
A Jiao thought about her past. Thinking about it carefully, she had never been so tired when she was a queen. From the first day she knew she was going to marry Liu Che, everyone around her told her how good it was to be a queen. Being a queen means being second only to the emperor. She can get whatever she wants, and her orders are second only to the emperor's orders. In her first year as queen, she found that except for the fact that the palace she lived in was a little bigger, there were more jewelry, and more maids, nothing else seemed to have changed. She really wanted whatever she wanted, but she had everything, including gold, silver, and jewelry. What was the point of having a bunch of useless things?
The palace servants gathered around him, chattering and nagging him about palace rules and regulations. Liu Che had always assigned his former wet nurse to oversee palace affairs. He knew she was impatient with such tedious stuff. She enjoyed hunting and riding, flying kites in her spare time, playing with cats and dogs. Later, she would pick fights with Liu Che, catching him with other women, cursing and fighting with him, and crying secretly... Come to think of it, what Sun Jia said was very unfamiliar to her.
Seeing that she didn't respond, Sun Jia continued to praise her, "Your Majesty is only four years older than me, but she looks much younger than me. It shows that His Majesty treats you well."
Ah Jiao exchanged a few more pleasantries with her, but still saw no sign of Liu Ju coming out, so she asked, "Is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince not in the East Palace today?"
"Your Highness left the palace early this morning. Nanpu Wharf is a bit far from the West Palace Gate. If Your Highness has anything important to say, please let me know and I will let Your Highness know."
"Nanpu Wharf? Your Highness is leaving the capital?"
"General Huo is on an errand for Your Highness. His Majesty has ordered Your Highness to go to Huainan to investigate the salt case. The general is worried about Your Highness, so he asked to leave the capital to investigate on your behalf. Your Highness went to see him off this morning."
Sun Jia noticed that the young lady's face looked a little strange. She actually didn't know why she came today. She only knew that she was the emperor's new favorite, and it would never go wrong to treat her with care and courtesy.
At this moment, Ah Jiao cursed Huo Changqing a thousand times in her heart. What about the deep brotherly love and the dangerous road to Huainan? It was obvious that he had gone to Huainan to avoid her! Last time, she had kept a trick up her sleeve and deliberately placed an embroidered butterfly sachet in Liu Ju's belt. That was her hint to Huo Changqing that she was in danger and needed help. But he still didn't move. She had come to ask Liu Ju what he was doing, but she didn't expect him to just leave the capital!
Her face turned a little ugly. If he didn't take this step, she would have to make new plans.
Gillian suddenly stood up and said, "In that case, I will take my leave first. I will come to visit the Crown Princess next time when I am bored."
Sun Jia politely stayed for a while longer, but couldn't bear her leaving anymore, so he stood up and walked her to the door.
Liu Ju dismounted at the gate and handed it to the eunuch to lead into the stable. Just as he was about to push the door open, the vermilion bronze door slowly swung open from the inside, revealing a pale, thin face. Her brows were furrowed, her lips slightly pursed, as if she were irritated. Seeing him standing before her, her anger turned to fear, her pupils trembling slightly. He was stunned for a moment, then lowered his head to look at the hem of her skirt, which was stained with the smell of rain.
"Your Highness has returned." Sun Jia walked towards him with a smile. "The Queen said she had something to discuss with Your Highness. You were away just now, so it's a coincidence that we ran into each other again."
"I just went out for a while. If you have anything to say, please go to the Floating Cloud Palace and sit for a while."
She looked Liu Ju up and down, her eyes falling on his waist, and she couldn't help but sneer. He had indeed seen it, but turned a blind eye. Liu Ju folded his hands over his chest a little uncomfortably, his long sleeves covering the pendant at his waist.
"It's a gift from my cousin."
"This piece of fish jade..." He spoke without thinking.
Gillian glanced at him with a faint smile on her face, "General Huo is so kind to Your Highness."
After leaving behind this ambiguous remark, she strode away.
She brushed past him, the scent of her sleeves lingering in his nose.
He held the scent sachet, whose scent had long since dissipated, feeling the friction and squeezing of the spices. He thought of her ugly face today. Was she angry about her cousin leaving Beijing? But he had no choice. There was an insurmountable gap between them, a mountain that was difficult to climb over - his father, the supreme emperor. He was majestic and solemn, decisive in killing. To gain his trust and power was overwhelming. To be despised by him, one's bones were scattered in the wilderness. Neither his cousin nor he could easily throw away everything they had to help her. There were countless precedents of beautiful women bringing disaster and destroying families and clans. Because of a woman, fathers and sons turned against each other, and the emperor and his ministers fell out. If either party still had some sense, they would have to let this matter be buried in the dust. Unless...
Thinking of this thought, his heart skipped a beat and an inexplicable fear rose up in his heart.
He took a deep breath and took two sips of cold tea.
"Your Highness, look, does my makeup look good today?"
Concubine Rong Ying had a light layer of white powder on her face. The midday light shone through the green gauze window, casting a soft glow.
"nice."
Rong Ying smiled with satisfaction and sat down opposite Liu Ju.
"This is made from powdered pearls from the South China Sea. Applying it on your face can stop acne and cover up blemishes." She pointed to her cheek and said, "Your Highness, look, can't you see anything?"
Liu Ju's gaze fell on her high nose bridge. The original light-colored mole had almost disappeared under the cover of pearl powder.
"This powder makes you look good."
She smiled and said, "Really? Then if I say that Jin Ye accidentally took the wrong portion for the Crown Princess, Your Highness won't be angry, right?"
She looked at him with a pair of cunning eyes and a little caution. Liu Ju smiled and said, "Don't be angry. Next time I will ask them to send it directly to you."
She pecked him on the cheek happily. "I knew His Highness loved me the most. I asked them to replace all the beard powder I used with pearl powder. On His Highness' birthday next month, I will make them envious."
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