Chapter 186: The Audience

Chapter 186: The Audience

In Yanqing Palace.

The long desk was fully equipped with the Four Treasures of the Study, and a Boshan incense burner emitted thin wisps of smoke. The Second Prince shook off the excess ink from his brush on the edge of the inkstone and began to write bold characters.

His expression was calm, but the characters "still waters run deep" he wrote lacked the usual smoothness and sincerity.

After a moment, the Second Prince set aside his brush, crumpled the rice paper in front of him, and tossed it into a bamboo wastebasket, instructing, "Fusheng, take this and burn it."

Fusheng, standing by, quickly complied, carrying the basket out. He soon returned, hands still damp from washing, indicating he had personally burned the paper.

He reported, "Your Highness, I burned it myself."

The Second Prince, lost in thought at his desk, responded faintly.

Fusheng poured hot tea and asked cautiously, "Your Highness, now that the snow lotus is gone, why do you seem displeased?"

The Second Prince glanced at him, took the teacup but didn’t drink, muttering, "It shouldn't have happened now. It should have been later, when I accompanied the inspection of the granaries in Jinzhou..."

"His Majesty was considering sending a prince along, and my brother-in-law had already spoken favorably on my behalf to several colleagues. It seemed His Majesty was about to decide..."

Fusheng ventured, "Your Highness, isn't it good, early or late?"

"Good?" The Second Prince scoffed, "Haven’t you realized yet? That snow lotus was fake. The Emperor just wanted to see who would get involved."

"But..." Fusheng, seeing the Second Prince’s discomfiture, lowered his voice, "Hadn’t you already considered this? The people Princess Huaiqing sent only passed on information and didn’t get involved. The thieves were the Huns, unrelated to you."

The Second Prince gripped the teacup, his fingertips turning white, "But His Majesty’s reaction was too odd. If the snow lotus was fake, why such an intense reaction?"

"If it was just an act, that’s one thing, but His Majesty seemed genuinely angry. Even when he visited the Imperial Academy today, he was stern, and his calm tone when speaking to me was unnervingly intimidating."

"Wait, why did His Majesty suddenly come to the Imperial Academy today?"

Deep in thought, the Second Prince was interrupted by a junior eunuch rushing in. After a quick bow, the eunuch said, "Your Highness, the head of the Yun family has arrived from Lianzhou to the capital with hundreds of boxes of family wealth and several bound servants. Claiming they were corrupt members of the family and ashamed of their betrayal to the Emperor's grace, he requests the Prefect of Jingzhao to imprison them for exemplary punishment."

The Yun family, being merchants without official status, couldn't seek an audience with the Emperor directly and thus had to go through the Prefect of Jingzhao. However, the Prefect knew there was more to the story and promptly reported it.

"The Yun family?" The teacup in the Second Prince's hand trembled slightly, spilling tea and dampening his sleeve.

Fusheng reached to wipe it with a handkerchief but was brushed aside by the Second Prince, who asked, "When did this happen?"

The eunuch promptly replied, "Yesterday."

"Yesterday?" The Second Prince's brows furrowed, "Why am I only hearing of this now?"

"Your Highness, the Yun family entered the capital under the cover of night to avoid detection, and it was during the curfew, so the palace guards didn't notice," the eunuch replied, bowing deeply.

"Never mind," instructed the Second Prince, "go immediately and inform the Marquis of Changping’s residence and the Princess's mansion."

He was about to say more when a palace maid entered, announcing solemnly, "Your Highness, the Emperor has summoned Princess Huaiqing for an audience."

*

After receiving the summons, Princess Huaiqing remained calm, instructing Xia Chan to bring the clothes she had made for the Emperor over the past few months. After briefly speaking to her husband, Cui Ji'an, she supported her belly and stepped into the palanquin.

The carriage stopped at Chaoyang Gate, where Princess Huaiqing alighted and switched to a sedan chair, proceeding towards the Liangyi Hall.

The palace road was flanked by red walls and green tiles, with the setting sun filtering through the dense pine and cypress leaves, casting a glow on her brocaded and embroidered gown.

She had seen this scenery for over a decade, unchanging.

Sheng An stood outside the main hall, bowing respectfully as she passed. After watching her enter, he personally closed the large vermilion doors, intricately carved, then turned and stood guard at the entrance.

Inside the hall, where no other attendants were serving, Princess Huaiqing walked past the twelve-panel kesi screen and saw her father seated behind a long imperial desk, reviewing memorials.

"Come, sit down."

The Emperor, without looking up, pointed distantly with his brush-holding hand, gesturing for Huaiqing to sit and speak.

Princess Huaiqing took a seat, smiling, "Father summoned me for an audience. Is it because you've missed me these past days?"

"Indeed, what has Huaiqing been up to lately?"

The Emperor asked with a smile, setting down his brush after finishing a memorial, and took a sip of tea from the cup beside him.

Princess Huaiqing knew her father must have learned something from the Yun family members. She had only leaked some information to certain Yun family members but never instructed them to contact the Huns. Their actions were unrelated to her; they were merely merchants seeking profit from the Huns, nothing more.

Conversely, if she showed fear, a mere leak of information could be construed as intentionally using foreign tribes to steal the snow lotus.

Thus, she calmly replied, "My husband worries about my health and doesn't let me out. I’ve been rather bored staying at home."

"Is that so?" The Emperor came out from behind the desk, washed his hands in the corner of the room, and slowly wiped the droplets off with a towel. Then he changed the topic, "Huaiqing, do you know about the Huns' request to marry a princess?"

Princess Huaiqing, slightly startled, responded, "I am aware."

"Among my eligible daughters, only Yan'er is of age. What do you think, Huaiqing? Should I agree to the marriage?"

Princess Huaiqing thought quickly, her expression hesitating, "Father, this is a matter of state. I dare not speak carelessly."

"Yan'er is also your sister, and her marriage is a family matter. Speak freely," the Emperor insisted on hearing Huaiqing's opinion.

Princess Huaiqing then said, "Father, the Hunnic lands are harsh and cold. How can my pampered younger sister endure it? Besides, the Huns instigated this situation. Why should our Zhou Dynasty marry off a princess in response? I think you should not send my sister to marry into the Huns."

The Emperor nodded, his gaze lingering on her for a long while. His eyes rested on hers, which resembled those of the late Empress Wang, and he quietly said, "Huaiqing, you show sisterly affection towards Yan'er, but why do you treat Lang as an enemy?"

Princess Huaiqing's smile stiffened. She managed to say, "Father, I don't understand."

The Emperor, ignoring her confusion, took another sip of tea and only spoke after Princess Huaiqing had uncomfortably risen from her seat, "I never thought princesses should not involve themselves in the succession dispute. But once involved, you should understand what can and cannot be done."