Read Novel Full Chapter 34
Chapter 34
Eastern Palace, study.
The back window overlooked the lotus pond. The edge of the pond was densely covered moss forming a green shadow. The cool wind blew gently, sending a wave of lotus fragrance.
The sound of footsteps suddenly echoed out from the deep corridor under the shade beneath the willow, and Zheng Biyu walked briskly across the courtyard, her complexion even more gloomy than the pond water.
The guards hesitated for a moment, but did not dare to stop her and silently retreated.
The aides and advisors were deliberating in the house. Hearing the noise outside the door, they looked up in surprise.
Zheng Biyu walked in without announcement, and her sullen gaze fell straight on Wei Ming.
Everyone was taken aback.
The Crown Princess was gentle and virtuous, dignified and polite. She never rashly came to the outer courtyard’s study. Even if there were important matters to inform the advisors, it would be relayed through the screen. Why did she directly barge in today?
Zheng Biyu swept a glance around. Her finger painted with scarlet polish pointed toward Wei Ming.
The guards outside the door immediately rushed into the study and pressed Wei Ming to kneel.
Everyone, dumbfounded, finally reacted and rushed forward to stop them, but were driven out by other guards.
Wei Ming was a scholar and had never suffered such humiliation. So angry that his whole face turned red, he raised his head, glowering at Zheng Biyu.
Zheng Biyu looked down at him coldly: “How dare you use your female master to do such a despicable thing.”
Wei Ming laughed grimly: “I am planning for His Highness the Crown Prince. Crown Princess is His Highness’s wife, and shares His Highness’s troubles, so why are you questioning Wei mou1 for an outsider?”
A sarcastic smile flitted across Zheng Biyu’s face: “It is because I am His Highness’s wife that I have to punish such a sinister villain like you on His Highness’s behalf. The Seventh Princess is His Highness’s younger sister and has never been an enemy of the Eastern Palace. You actually used such a tactic against an innocent Princess of Li clan!”
And used her! She was a di daughter of the Zheng clan, the Crown Princess of Great Wei, and didn’t care for using such tricks to harm others!
Wei Ming laughed loudly, “Right. Wei mou is indeed a villain! As long as Wei mou is one of the Crown Prince’s advisors, I have to make long-term plans for the Crown Prince. The prince can be kind and forgiving, but Wei mou cannot! For the Crown Prince’s sake, Wei mou can be unscrupulous, can be shameless, can be despicable and nasty. As long as I can remove Qin wang, our greatest worry, Wei mou is willing to be a villain!”
Zheng Biyu gritted her teeth and said, “This has nothing to do with the Seventh Princess!”
Wei Ming snorted and straightened his back: “Your Highness, Wei mou also thought that the Seventh Princess was nothing more than a woman, so no need to care about her. But it was this Seventh Princess, who has been weak and sickly since childhood, who helped Qin wang avoid disaster time and time again….”
He paused for a moment and lowered his voice, “And this Seventh Princess can also influence the Crown Prince’s decision time and time again, making the Crown Prince waver and indecisive in his action!”
Zheng Biyu froze for a moment.
”What is the connection between the Seventh Princess and the Crown Prince?”
Li Xuanzhen hated the three to the bone. How could Li Yaoying influence him?
Wei Ming narrowed his eyes and said, “I don’t know what happened between the Crown Prince and the Seventh Princess, but I can be sure that it was because of his concern for the Seventh Princess that the Crown Prince missed a golden opportunity to eliminate Qin wang. That year when Qin wang was attacked by an assassin in Xiangzhou, did Your Highness ever hear about it?”
Zheng Biyu nodded with a slightly absentminded expression.
Three years ago, when the Wei army captured Xiangzhou, the local powerful family in Xiangzhou threw a banquet to celebrate the Wei army’s success. During which, a sword dancer suddenly attempted to assassinate Li Zhongqian. Li Zhongqian was so drunk that he almost got injured, but Li Xuanzhen killed the dancer.
Because of this incident, when the Eastern Palace later secretly attacked Li Zhongqian, no one suspected Li Xuanzhen.
Wei Ming broke free from the bindings, stood up, and paid obeisance towards Zheng Biyu: “Your Highness had no idea but the Seventh Princess was also at the banquet that night, and was sitting next to Qin wang. When Qin wang was drunk and the dancing entertainer suddenly attacked, the Seventh Princess was the first to react and threw herself in front of Qin wang. The dancer’s knife cut at the Seventh Princess.”
Zheng Biyu’s face was astonished.
Wei Ming continued, “But that knife only cut the Seventh Princess’s clothes, because the Crown Prince struck.”
Li Xuanzhen and Li Zhongqian had never gotten along, and the two brothers were seated apart, one in the west and the other in the east.
When the dancer suddenly revealed her curved blade, Li Xuanzhen did not move a muscle, sitting and having wine.
Wei Ming was also present at that time, inwardly rejoicing, waiting for Li Zhongqian blood to splash three feet when suddenly a figure swept past, like a hawk chasing a rabbit. Then, a cold light flashed, and the dancer died under Li Xuanzhen’s sword.
Zheng Biyu murmured: “The person the Crown Prince really wanted to save was the Seventh Princess.”
Wei Ming nodded: “That’s right.”
Zheng Biyu frowned: “Why did no one mention that the Seventh Princess was also present?”
Wei Ming’s eyes flickered for a moment: “Because at that time, no one knew that the little servant beside Qin wang who blocked the sword for him was the Seventh Princess. Women could not attend the celebration feast. Qin wang, perhaps to make the Seventh Princess happy, let her disguise as a servant.
”Only the Crown Prince recognized her.”
Zheng Biyu froze.
”As long as the Crown Prince has no mind to be ruthless to the Seventh Princess, he will not be able to kill Qin wang.” Wei Ming looked serious, “I plotted to have the Seventh Princess married instead, not only to save Princess Fukang, but also to remove the threat that is Qin wang. The Crown Prince cannot be ruthless, then I will do it for the Crown Prince!”
Zheng Biyu felt cold all over.
Wei Ming regarded Li Yaoying as a political enemy and the matter involved the imperial court. In this situation, either you died or I died. She could not interfere.
……
Taiji Palace.
Yaoying stood above the courtyard, wearing a lotus pearl crown and a pomegranate red luan and phoenix holding grass pattern lapel brocade robe. Her rich skin was like snow, appearing bright and beautiful.
The chief historian stood behind her and said softly, “Your Highness, you don’t have to worry. You are His Majesty’s daughter; His Majesty will certainly not agree to let you be married.”
The corner of Yaoying’s mouth tugged a little.
That day at the Buddha’s birthday puja, she knew Li Xuanzhen’s intention and hid back in the wangfu.
She thought that Chief Yelu did not see her face and had escaped the calamity. A few days later, trouble still found her.
And it was a big one.
Chief Yelu took the initiative to propose marriage, and Li De immediately summoned over the ministers. The ruler and his subjects discussed secretly for a morning, holding onto Chief Yelu’s proposal document.
The next day, Li De summoned Yaoying.
Yaoying looked back to the north of the city, toward the imperial villa in the distance and a sense of absurdity surfaced in her mind.
Li Xuanzhen was the destined son.
Zhu Luyun was his beloved woman.
She knew she could not fight against destiny, so she carefully protected Aniang, guarded her elder brother, and kept away from the scheming people.
The scheming people, however, refused to let her go.
”Uncle Hu.” Yaoying’s face was calm, “If His Majesty did not have that intention, why would he summon me?”
The chief historian also knew that he was deceiving himself. The corners of his eyes turned red as he said in a trembling voice, “How could His Majesty agree?! How could the ministers of the court agree? You are a true princess; you are benevolent, kind and caring, concerned about the people’s sufferings. You have never done a single capricious thing in front of His Majesty….”
The more he talked, the sadder he became, and secretly wiped the corners of his eyes.
”You grew up weak, always taking medicine. You couldn’t even walk before you turned three years old, and suffered a disaster at five. These years, His Majesty conquered in all directions and you followed after him. At long last, you can finally live some peaceful days…. how can His Majesty bear it! It was obviously a disaster that Princess Fukang provoked, why are you getting married instead?”
Yaoying looked at the golden light reflecting brightly off the imperial palace under the sun and said faintly, “Yes, how can father bear it.”
The chief historian’s glistening tears flashed and he raised his head, “Your Highness, I will go beg Prime Minister Zheng! Beg Governor Pei! And Minister Xue, General Lu…. they all have old ties with the Xie family. I’ll beg them on my knees, have them persuade His Majesty!”
Was there really not a single upright person in the court?
Yaoying stopped the chief historian: “Uncle Hu, no need to waste your energy. The court ministers will not oppose me replacing Princess Fukang in the marriage because….”
The chief historian was so angry that he trembled: “Because the Xie family is no longer? When the people leave, the tea is cold2?”
Yaoying shook her head, “No. Because I am a woman.”
The Chief Historian was stunned.
Yaoying raised her hand and stroked her temples: “His Majesty has always wanted to regain Helong. That’s why he has been more tolerant of the Hu tribes, preferring to let Princess Fukang marry down rather than break his promise. Now, a woman can be exchanged for the Liangzhou he had long yearned for. What a good deal! The ministers have also looked forward to retaking Liangzhou. Chief Yelu is not seeking land or rewards, they will only strongly approve.”
No matter how delicate, no matter how benevolent, no matter how sensible, no matter how noble, in the eyes of the ministers, she was just a woman after all.
If a woman could be exchanged for the former land of Helong, why not?
The chief historian wiped his face: “Don’t be afraid. I have written to His Highness. When His Highness returns, see who dares to scheme Your Highness!”
Yaoying did not say anything.
But in her heart, she secretly thought: I’m afraid it’s too late!
Since Li De had these thoughts, would he let the news smoothly reach Li Zhongqian?
She stood on the moon platform3. A eunuch came out from the inner hall, held up an imperial edict, and looked at Yaoying with a gaze full of undisguised pity and sympathy.
”Your Highness, hear the decree.”
The eunuch’s heart thumped and his mind buzzed.
Yaoying stood unmoving.
A breeze blew past, swaying the colored fabric on her lotus bead crown. She stood in front of the steps, her sleeves fluttering, as if she might float away at any moment.
The eunuch urged again.
The chief historian felt deeply grieving and stepped forward: “Old slave will go to see His Majesty. Old slave will die here today. I cannot see the princess get married!”
Yaoying took hold of his arm and shook her head.
The chief historian had tears streaming down his face, “Qiniang……”
Suppose the princess really married far away, when the second prince returned to the capital, he was bound to oppose His Majesty until only one was left standing.
He watched Erlang and Qiniang grow up. How could he bear to see the two siblings suffer?
Yaoying smiled lightly: “Uncle Hu, don’t be impulsive. If His Majesty wants me to marry, do I have to marry?”
The chief historian was stunned.
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For some reason, I thought it was Friday yesterday so I posted DC instead so here are the promised chapters! It’s so late ugh, I hope people still see that I’ve updated. I meant to post at like 8ish, my bad ://
1 mou: means ‘I’ but deferentially. Can be used by itself or after a person’s surname.
2 Meaning when a person is no longer in a position of power, others cease to care about them.
3 Moon platform: the raised platform below.