Chapter 49 The Northern Princess Enters the Capital
On this day, both sides of Zhuque Street in the capital were already packed with curious people. Everyone was eagerly waiting to see the legendary, stunningly beautiful princess of the Northern Kingdom.
The sound of hooves pounded, and banners fluttered. The northern delegation's procession finally appeared at the end of the long street.
The guards knights wore gleaming armor and wore solemn expressions. In the center of the procession, the lavishly decorated carriage was particularly eye-catching, with thin veils hanging from the windows, through which a graceful figure could be vaguely seen sitting.
Princess Helian Mingzhu of the Northern Kingdom sat gracefully in the slightly swaying carriage, her fingertips gently lifting a corner of the gauze curtain to gaze out the window. She saw wide streets, orderly houses, and throngs of people—a scene of bustling prosperity far surpassing the Northern Kingdom's capital. A sense of comparison arose within her, but more than anything, a hidden expectation and a touch of pride stirred within her.
She had long heard of Emperor Yuwen Che of the Great Zhou Dynasty, who ascended the throne at a young age, possessing both great talent and ambition, and was also renowned for his handsome appearance, earning him the title of the most handsome man in the Great Zhou. Although she felt humiliated that her brother had given her away as a gift, she also harbored a glimmer of hope—if the Emperor of the Great Zhou was truly as extraordinary as the rumors suggested, with her captivating beauty and noble status, she might very well secure a place in his heart, perhaps even…replacing the supposedly ailing Consort Chen.
She imagined that the Emperor of Great Zhou might, out of curiosity about her appearance or out of consideration for the diplomatic relations between the two countries, personally come out of the palace to greet her. At that time, she would definitely display her most perfect demeanor, making him unforgettable at first sight.
The motorcade slowly drove to the Honglu Guest House, which was specially set up to receive envoys, and came to a stop.
Helian Mingzhu straightened his clothes, took a deep breath, and prepared to get out of the car in the most elegant manner to greet the imperial procession that might appear.
However, in front of the guesthouse, only officials from the Court of State Ceremonial stood solemnly with their subordinates, their ceremonial guards and etiquette impeccable, but the figure in the black dragon robe that they had imagined was nowhere to be seen.
The head official of the Court of State Ceremonial stepped forward, bowed, and said in a calm and steady voice: "Welcome, Princess of the Northern Kingdom. The guesthouse is ready. Please come in and rest. His Majesty has decreed that since the princess has come from afar, she should rest today and a banquet will be held in the palace tomorrow to welcome her."
Helian Mingzhu's smile froze slightly, and her fingertips unconsciously tightened around her sleeve.
Is it merely a matter of subjects greeting someone... following the proper procedures... without even showing their faces?
Through the thin veil, she looked at the respectful yet distant officials of the Great Zhou Dynasty. The expectation and pride in her heart were instantly extinguished, as if doused with cold water. An indescribable sense of loss and a faint feeling of humiliation welled up in her heart.
How could the Emperor of Great Zhou treat her so disregarded? Was even the ailing Consort Chen more worthy of his attention than she, the legitimate princess of the Northern Kingdom?
Supported by her maid, she maintained the demeanor of a princess as she slowly stepped down from the carriage, but a shadow had already settled in the depths of her beautiful eyes. What she had thought would be an easy conquest had turned into an unexpected cold reception from the very beginning.
As the onlookers watched the Northern Kingdom princess disappear into the guesthouse, whispers began to rise among them.
"See? His Majesty didn't even come!"
"I knew it! His Majesty only has the Imperial Concubine in his heart, how could he have time to come and fetch any princess?"
"However, this princess from the North Kingdom, judging from the curtain, has quite a nice figure..."
"What good is a good figure? Our Emperor is not such a shallow person!"
"Besides, our Great Zhou's Consort Chen is no less beautiful than this Northern Princess."
The whispers of the common people reached her ears, grating on Helian Mingzhu's ears. For the first time, she clearly realized that in this capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty, her pride and joy—her looks and status—did not seem to be as invincible as she had imagined. The Great Zhou Emperor, whom she had never met, was even more enigmatic and…cold than her brother had described.
Inside the Honglu Guest House, in a superior courtyard prepared especially for the Northern Kingdom's princess, the furnishings were exquisite and complete. However, the moment the heavy courtyard gate closed, cutting off the view from the outside, the composed and elegant demeanor maintained on Helian Mingzhu's face shattered instantly.
She suddenly flicked her sleeve, knocking a beautiful porcelain vase off the table beside her to the ground!
With a sharp crack, shards of porcelain shattered, startling the accompanying northern maids into silence, who all knelt down.
"Outrageous!" Helian Mingzhu's chest heaved violently, her beautiful face contorted with rage. "I have traveled thousands of miles to get here, and Yuwen Che hasn't even shown his face! He hasn't even sent his eunuch chief steward! Is this how the Great Zhou treats its guests? Is this how he shows me respect?!"
She had been pampered since childhood, and no one in the Northern Kingdom's palace dared to disobey her. She had never been treated so coldly before. She thought that with her status and beauty, she could at least gain some favor from the Emperor of the Great Zhou. However, she did not expect that the other party would not even bother with the most basic formalities and would dismiss her with the most ordinary etiquette of an envoy!
This is an absolute disgrace!
"Princess, please calm down!" a trusted maidservant urged, "Perhaps... perhaps the Emperor of Great Zhou does indeed have important matters to attend to..."
"Important matters?" Helian Mingzhu sneered, her eyes full of mockery. "What important matters? Staying by that sickly Consort Chen's side? A merchant's daughter, how dare she be compared to me!"
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Her brother had already made her feel resentful by giving her away as a gift, but now the person who received the gift was looking down on her so much. How could she tolerate this?
She paced restlessly in the room for a few moments, then suddenly stopped, beckoned to her trusted maid, lowered her voice, and said in a chilling tone, "Go, find out exactly how ill that Consort Chen is! And what about Yuwen Che... what does he do besides handling state affairs? I need to know everything!"
She refused to believe that the Great Zhou Imperial Palace was truly impenetrable; she could always find a crack to slip through. Knowing her enemy was crucial to turning the tide in this passive situation. She would remember the humiliation Yuwen Che had inflicted upon her today!
"Yes, Princess, I'll go and think of a solution right away." The maidservant quickly replied and carefully withdrew.
Helian Mingzhu walked to the window, gazing at the completely unfamiliar palace buildings outside, her eyes gradually turning cold and resolute. Since the gentle path was blocked, she wouldn't hesitate to use other means. Whatever Helian Mingzhu set her sights on, she had never failed to obtain, even if… it was a person, the heart of an emperor.
She wanted to see just who this Consort Chen, whom Yuwen Che cherished so much, really was! And where exactly Yuwen Che's bottom line lay!
In less than half a day, the maid who had been sent out to investigate returned in a hurry, her face showing lingering fear and a hint of indescribable excitement.
"Princess, I've found out!" She closed the door, lowered her voice, and spoke very quickly, "Emperor Yuwen Che of the Great Zhou... is indeed as rumored, incomparably handsome, and only twenty-five years old this year, the prime of his life!"
Helian Mingzhu sat in front of the dressing table, and upon hearing this, she snorted coldly, her fingertips unconsciously tracing across the surface of the table without interrupting.
The maid continued, her voice trembling slightly, "That Consort Chen, Su Luoxue, came from an ordinary merchant family in Jiangnan. Last spring, she met Emperor Yuwen, who was traveling incognito, on Zhuque Street. It's said... it's said that it was love at first sight. After Emperor Yuwen returned to the palace, he immediately issued an edict, disregarding the objections of the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and all the officials, directly bestowing upon her the title of Consort Chen, welcoming her into the palace with the highest honors, granting her the most luxurious residence in Guanju Palace, and showering her with exclusive favor every night..."
"Exclusive favor?" Helian Mingzhu dug her fingertips into her palm.
"Yes, she was his absolute favorite!" The maid emphasized, a hint of fear flashing in her eyes. "For her sake... half a year ago, Emperor Yuwen found a pretext to depose Empress Shen, and the entire Shen family... was executed! The Empress herself was imprisoned. Later, for reasons unknown, the entire Shen clan... was wiped out, not even distant relatives were spared. It is said... not a single one was left alive!"
"Nine generations of relatives..." Helian Mingzhu gasped. Even though she was used to power struggles in the Northern Kingdom, she was still horrified by this bloody method. This was no longer just favor; it was utter obsession!
"Just over a month ago, at Consort Chen's birthday banquet, the deposed Empress Shen somehow escaped and attempted to assassinate Consort Chen. Emperor Yuwen took a knife for Consort Chen and immediately ordered that the deposed Empress be turned into a human pig and left at the palace gate for three days..."
The maid's voice trailed off, tinged with lingering fear: "Now, Consort Chen is indeed pregnant, but the pregnancy is unstable, and her morning sickness is extremely severe, making it difficult for her to eat or drink. Emperor Yuwen is extremely worried and has posted imperial edicts several times, searching the land for renowned physicians, with each reward more generous than the last..."
Helian Mingzhu listened quietly, her anger gradually replaced by a complex emotion: shock, apprehension, and a hint of… an indescribable desire to conquer. Such a ruthless, decisive man, yet one who had given his all to another woman—if she could transfer that affection to her…
She stood up, walked to the window, and gazed in the direction of the Great Zhou Imperial Palace, her eyes flickering.
"And one more thing," the maidservant added, "an official from the Court of State Ceremonial just came to deliver a message that, according to custom, the princess must go to the court to pay her respects to the Emperor of the Great Zhou early tomorrow morning."
Tomorrow... will I be able to see that man?
Helian Mingzhu gently stroked her delicate cheek, a confident smile slowly curving her lips. After the initial fear came an even stronger surge of excitement and ambition. She wanted to see for herself what kind of woman could drive Yuwen Che to such madness. She also wanted to see if that man was truly as rumored, worthy of her elaborate schemes.
Tomorrow's audience with the emperor may be her first opportunity.
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