Unparalleled Beauty

Chapter C036

In Cining Palace, the Empress Dowager, upon hearing that His Majesty had allowed Noble Consort Sun to return, did not relax her brow; instead, she furrowed it even deeper.

She asked the palace maid, Sulan, "Is she still weeping?"

Sulan hesitated before replying, "She is no longer crying, but she has not touched any of the meals sent to her."

The Empress Dowager sighed, "It seems she resents me, thinking I spoke too harshly and was unwilling to help her. But in truth, how could I possibly help with this matter? The Sun family is groveling and clinging on, while rumors fly everywhere. The Imperial family has suffered such a great scandal, and everyone is watching."

Sulan advised, "How could the Commandery Princess resent you? She is merely unable to see clearly for the moment. She knows that you have always doted on her."

"Dote on her, ah. Yong'an left behind only this one child. How could I not dote on her? Her father remarried, and although it's not as if she has a stepfather along with a stepmother, they are still a family, and even if she is in that household, she is still an outsider." The Empress Dowager murmured, "I dote on her, keeping her by my side. I don't know if I did the right thing or the wrong thing. Actually, thinking about it carefully, this whole affair is related to me."

If not for the Empress Dowager's special status, Prince Qin's faction might not have insisted on marrying Commandery Princess Minghui. Marriage was secondary; the important thing was to prevent Prince Jin's faction from marrying her. Thus, it was a deadlock.

"Very well, I will go see her."

The Empress Dowager stood up, and Sulan quickly stepped forward to support her. The two of them went together towards Commandery Princess Minghui's bedchamber. Upon arriving, they found the room dark, with the doors and windows closed and thick curtains drawn.

A palace maid lit a lamp, and a voice from the bed rebuked, "Extinguish the lamp."

The Empress Dowager coughed, and the person inside immediately fell silent.

The sound of weeping came from the bed again, sounding particularly aggrieved and unwilling.

The Empress Dowager went to the bedside and sat down.

"Although I am the Empress Dowager, the Emperor is not my own son. Over the years, I have relied on my tact and understanding to maintain a harmonious relationship with the Emperor. But the prerequisite for this mother-son bond is that I must not violate the Emperor's taboos. This time, because the matter involves Prince Qin, Prince Jin, and Prince Wei, it has become the Emperor's taboo."

The person on the bed seemed to be listening, and the weeping gradually subsided.

"Today, Noble Consort Sun knelt outside Zichen Hall for half a day, begging the Emperor to make a decision. If nothing unexpected happens, the Emperor will issue an imperial decree tomorrow, bestowing a marriage to quell this matter."

The person on the bed gasped sharply and sat up.

"I know you are unwilling and resentful, but who told you to get involved? Others avoid it like the plague, but you, knowing that he had designs on you, insisted on handing him the handle yourself."

Commandery Princess Minghui began to cry again. This time, she did not ask the Empress Dowager to help her, likely knowing that there was no way out of this situation.

"A thousand gold pieces cannot buy foresight, and there is no medicine for regret in this world. However, that Sun Shixian is indeed rather absurd and outrageous. Even if you marry him, you probably won't have a good life in the future."

Commandery Princess Minghui nestled closer, weeping against the Empress Dowager's legs.

"Grandmother, I really don't want to marry him... I know I was wrong, I know I was used as a pawn, and I have harmed myself…"

"The marriage will definitely be bestowed, but there is room for discussion regarding when the wedding will take place. However, if the Emperor bestows a marriage, it is absolutely impossible to change it without a suitable reason."

"Grandmother, what do you mean?"

The Empress Dowager stroked her hair, "Grandmother can only help you this much, to help you temporarily delay the wedding. Perhaps it can be delayed for a year or two, perhaps only for a few months. If you truly do not want to marry him, then you must find his faults. These faults cannot be too small, but they also cannot violate the Emperor's taboos. Furthermore, they must be something that Grandmother can use to persuade the Emperor. If that is the case, perhaps there is still room for maneuver."

These words from the Empress Dowager were undoubtedly a glimmer of hope for Commandery Princess Minghui.

She cried and laughed with joy, "Thank you, Grandmother, thank you for cherishing Minghui."

The Empress Dowager, however, did not have a trace of a smile, "You don't need to thank me so early. What I said is only a possibility. This matter is not as easy as you think. You must grasp the proper measure, and you must also deal with him without letting him know your intentions. If you are not more clever this time, and make another mistake, even the gods will not be able to save you."

"Minghui understands, Minghui will not make the same mistake again."

"Also, you must not provoke Prince Wei again."

Seeing that Commandery Princess Minghui seemed somewhat unwilling, the Empress Dowager further stated, "Your current predicament is largely due to Prince Wei's clandestine actions. Interfering with Prince Wei's marriage is his inviolable taboo, and also something the Emperor abhors. You have always been clever, so why can't you understand that Prince Wei's marriage can only be of his own volition? If he is unwilling, even His Majesty cannot force him, nor would His Majesty attempt to."

"I told you before, but you refused to listen, leading to this unmanageable situation. If you insist on not changing, your grandmother cannot help you. You should still marry Sun Shixian, and perhaps you will cause less trouble in the future."

"Minghui understands."

"It is not enough to understand, you must remember it." The Empress Dowager said sternly, "I do not care how you ruin this marriage, but you must not provoke Prince Wei again, nor his betrothed wife."

"Yes."

***

As the Empress Dowager had expected, the imperial decree for the marriage was issued the next day.

Commandery Princess Minghui obediently accepted the decree and expressed her gratitude. This time, she did not cause any further disturbance, which surprised many people. Previously, Commandery Princess Minghui had made a scene about not wanting to marry Sun Shixian. Those outside the palace were unaware, but those within the palace knew it well.

They all assumed that she had given up after seeing that her efforts were futile, hence her sudden quietude.

This, in turn, made Emperor Taihe feel a little guilty. At noon, he went to Cining Palace to have a meal with the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager took the opportunity to request that the wedding date be postponed, saying that the girl was still somewhat unwilling and that she wanted her to calm down before marrying.

Emperor Taihe naturally agreed. Although it was said that a propitious day would be chosen for the wedding after the imperial decree, the date was actually determined by the palace and was open for discussion.

When the news reached Marquis Wuxiang's mansion, the Sun family had no objections. After all the commotion, they were marrying a commandery princess, which was advantageous for them. Now that the marriage was officially settled, it was a foregone conclusion. Whether the wedding was held sooner or later was of little consequence.

And so, the matter was settled.

It seemed like a farce, utterly absurd, but in reality, those lurking beneath the surface had already engaged in several confrontations. For the moment, it seemed that Prince Qin had the upper hand.

At the same time, Prince Wei's mansion also received the news.

Sima Qi stroked his beard and said, "If Prince Qin thinks he can rest easy now, he is mistaken. With the marriage decreed but the wedding date postponed, there are far too many variables."

Xu Hong said, "Why not let them be happy for a few days?"

Prince Wei was not surprised by this outcome. Emperor Taihe had issued the marriage decree to quell the scandal, but it did not mean he wanted to see Chang Minghui marry Sun Shixian. An emperor's actions were always subtle and concealed. The current outcome clearly showed that the Empress Dowager had discerned Emperor Taihe's true intentions.

Although Prince Wei's mansion seemed to be lurking beneath the surface, they had not missed any opportunity to take action. As a result, the surface between Prince Qin and Prince Jin appeared calm, but in reality, they had already clashed fiercely in secret.

Now that the matter had come to an end, Prince Wei could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

He dismissed everyone, rubbed his throbbing temples, instructed Fusheng to light the calming incense, and then went to lie down on the couch in the inner room of his study.

Fusheng was filled with worry. His master's headaches had been gradually subsiding recently, but they had flared up again these past two days. He could not sleep day or night and could only find brief respite with the help of calming incense.

He even considered calling Song You to examine his master, but without Prince Wei's permission, he could only worry in silence.

Little did he know that Prince Wei was currently engaged in a dialogue within his mind.

[Can you let me out now? You're just afraid I'll ruin your plans. You forcibly confined me for three days. Our balance of half a day each was already stable, yet you insisted on confining me. Now you are at your wit's end, why bother forcing yourself?]

[I am not confining you. I am trying to tell you that some things can be resolved more appropriately with a different approach.]

[Alright, alright, you're amazing. So, can you let me out now? Do you enjoy self-inflicted suffering? If you like self-inflicted suffering, don't drag me into it…]

A violent urge surged within Prince Wei's heart. He knew it was Ji Yang's emotions. He could endure the pain when his head ached, but Ji Yang wanted to lash out at something whenever he had a headache.

[This is the capital, not the border. This is not a place where you can open the city gates and go on a rampage.] Prince Wei panted softly, [It is still daytime, and it is still early until nightfall. You must endure it. If you truly cannot endure it, then force yourself to sleep.]

[If I could sleep, would I need to rely on you to sleep every time!]

Prince Wei stopped speaking. In truth, not sleeping for several days was not something he had never experienced before, but it was particularly unbearable now.

Having barely endured until nightfall, Prince Wei immediately fell into a deep slumber, while Ji Yang, in contrast, leaped up and vanished without uttering a single word to Fusheng.

Entering the Marquis Changyang's mansion, he went directly to Wushuang's residence, familiar with the route, he entered the room through the back window, only to discover that Wushuang had guests.

Ever since the imperial decree for the marriage was issued, Wushuang's small courtyard had become the liveliest place in the entire Marquis Changyang's mansion.

Especially the people of the Third Branch. Madam Sun of the Third Branch had always been a shrewd person, seizing advantages and retreating from disadvantages. She had always prided herself on her sharp eyes and clear vision, but this time she had misjudged, falling a step behind others.

Therefore, in these past two days, not only had she visited Wushuang twice, but the children of the Third Branch had also come one after another. Especially Third Miss Mei Xishuang and Sixth Miss Mei Yufei, perhaps instructed by the adults, often spent afternoons accompanying Wushuang, always surpassing Mei Chang and Mei E, who had already gained benefits.

And so, the two of them came in the afternoon, and later, Mei Chang also arrived.

In the blink of an eye, Wushuang saw the two sides locked in a standoff, neither willing to leave. In the evening, Wushuang had no choice but to keep them for dinner. She specially took silver to the kitchen, asking them to prepare several good dishes, and also called Mei E to join them. The sisters gathered around a table, pretending to be strengthening their bonds.

In truth, such young girls did not harbor any deep-seated hatred. Even if they had some petty thoughts, they were, on the whole, harmless.

The kitchen, eager to curry favor with Wushuang, also brought a jar of Huadiao wine. This wine was not strong, its nature gentle, and the sisters began to drink.

When Ji Yang arrived, the wine was flowing freely at the table.

No matter how domineering he was, he knew that he could not call her back at this moment. He went to the bedside and saw that the bed was covered with a water-blue sheet, and the ivory-yellow quilt was folded into a strip inside the bed. The sight was pleasing to his eyes. He then lowered the bed curtains himself, took off his boots, and lay down on the couch.

Before long, he fell asleep.

Wushuang, slightly tipsy, sent Mei Chang and the others away, and then wanted to return to her room to sleep.

These past two days, Jianjia had been very attentive, helping Wushuang into the inner room, only to discover that the bed curtains had been lowered at some point, and a pair of boots lay, one upright and one fallen, before the bed.

Before Jianjia could see clearly, Xiaohong pulled her outside, telling her to fetch water for the young lady to wash up. Jianjia was not afraid of Meifang, but now she was afraid of the younger Xiaohong. Seeing that Xiaohong had spoken, although somewhat unwilling, she still obediently went.

When Jianjia returned, the bed curtains were still lowered, but the two boots were gone. She thought she might have been seeing things, but she did not think too much about it.

Wushuang breathed a sigh of relief, took down her hair, had someone help her wash her face, and then washed her feet, before dismissing all the maids, as she wanted to sleep.

When only she was left in the room, she lifted the bed curtains and saw a person lying on the bed.

Today, Ji Yang had changed from his usual all-black attire, wearing a blue-gray brocade robe with a dark pattern. He still wore a hair crown on his head, and the tied belt around his waist was not removed, making him appear noble and handsome.

Where had he rushed from so hastily?

These past two days, Ji Yang had not come, and Wushuang had also found it strange, assuming that he must have had something to attend to, so she did not think too much about it. She had not expected that he would come so early today, and had even secretly fallen asleep on her bed.

Perhaps it was because the imperial decree for the marriage had been issued, her mindset was particularly different. Now, Wushuang felt an unusual sense of closeness towards Ji Yang. It might also be because she was a little drunk, feeling dizzy, and was not as cautious as usual.

She went to the couch, first removing his hair crown and hairpins. It took her a long time to take them off. She felt that her vision was a little blurry. As for whether she had caused him pain? Seeing that he had not woken up, she assumed that she had not pulled it too painfully.

Then she went to untie his tied belt. This was not easy to untie, because the buckle was behind his waist. She had to reach her hand behind his waist, and pull out the waist buckle little by little, before she could untie it.

Inevitably, she touched his waist. In fact, Ji Yang's waist was very slender. Wushuang estimated that it was only a little thicker than her own, but it was firm and powerful, with distinct muscles.

It was completely different from her own soft touch.

She could not help but touch it a couple more times.