MYUFPC CHAPTER 25
What was he...restraining?
Emperor Zhanghe had been increasingly displeased with Princess Jiashan over the matter of choosing a consort for her, as they often disagreed. Whenever he asked Jiashan if she had any preferences, she would always reply that she didn't.
This left Emperor Zhanghe quite perplexed.
Unfortunately, he had no one to confide in about this matter. Jing Fei, though of high rank, had achieved her position through seniority rather than noble birth, and Emperor Zhanghe rarely consulted her on important matters.
As for Zhuang Fei.....Zhuang Fei's family background was impressive, she had a daughter of her own, Princess Shu Xian, who was close in age to Jiashan. Fearing that Zhuang Fei might have ulterior motives, Emperor Zhanghe almost never discussed matters related to Jiashan with her.
Lost in thought, Emperor Zhanghe decided that he should invite his elder sister into the palace to discuss the matter properly.
Turning his gaze to Jiashan, Emperor Zhanghe decided to put aside the matter of the consort for the time being. He said softly, "I heard that you punished a palace maid yesterday?"
Su Yu and Dancui, who were both serving Princess Jiashan, looked at each other, and Dancui couldn't help but bite her lip. She looked at the princess with a mixture of worry and indignation, as if hoping that Jiashan would seek justice from Emperor Zhanghe.
However, Jiashan remained calm and smiled, "Yes."
Instead of responding as Dancui expected, she repeated to Emperor Zhanghe the explanation she had given to Jing Fei the previous day: "Han Zhu has been serving me for many years, and I never expected her to be disloyal and even dare to take Mother's things. This is something I cannot tolerate the most."
"I had her executed at the gate of Chengqian Palace so that all the maids in the palace could be warned."
Her statement aligned with Zhuang Fei's, and Emperor Zhanghe's brow relaxed slightly.
Knowing that Emperor Zhanghe was a benevolent emperor, Jiashan took the initiative to explain, "Perhaps my methods were a bit cruel. But thinking about how she had been taking advantage of my trust all these years, I really couldn't swallow this."
"Please forgive me, Father." Jiashan bowed her head and softly admitted her mistake.
Emperor Zhanghe was merely seeking an explanation and wouldn't really hold a grudge against Jiashan over a mere maid. He scolded her lightly, "You were too harsh. Don't do it again."
Jiashan replied, "Yes."
In this way, the matter was resolved at the cost of one life.
Jiashan did not use this opportunity to slander Zhuang Fei to Emperor Zhanghe. Although Zhuang Fei had lost her only spy in Fengyang Pavilion, she was also unable to tarnish Jiashan's reputation by accusing her of being "heartless".
On the surface, it seemed like a standoff with no clear winner or loser.
However, in reality, it was difficult to say who had gained and who had lost.
Emperor Zhanghe stayed in Fengyang Pavilion for a while longer, but as there were still many state affairs to attend to, he got up and said, "You should rest well. If you feel unwell, remember to summon the imperial physician."
Jiashan nodded obediently and replied, "Yes."
Emperor Zhanghe then turned to Zhao Youze and asked, "Yuan Kang, will you come with me, or will you stay here to keep your elder sister company?"
Zhao Youze thought for a moment and asked, "Can I stay with my elder sister a little longer? The pastries here are delicious."
With a greedy look on his face, he looked like a child. Emperor Zhanghe couldn't help but smile and nodded, "Of course."
In fact, as a member of the royal family, Emperor Zhanghe had always felt a great deal of affection for these two siblings and especially admired Jiashan's protectiveness towards her younger brother.
This was one of the reasons why he favored Jiashan so much.
Jiashan was the eldest, beautiful, intelligent, strong, sensible, and caring towards her brother. She also managed to maintain a childlike innocence, which made it difficult for Emperor Zhanghe not to like her.
Thinking about this, it seemed that the few words Jiashan had exchanged with him earlier about choosing a consort were no longer enough to upset Emperor Zhanghe.
He said, "I'm going now."
Jiashen and Zhao Youze immediately bowed to him.
Emperor Zhanghe stepped over the threshold, followed closely by Eunuch Chen and Zhan Yue.
It wasn't until Emperor Zhanghe had left that Jiashan straightened up slightly. As she looked up, she caught a glimpse of a patch of dark black fabric disappearing at the doorway.
It was the official robe Zhan Yue was wearing today.
His dark, deep eyes seemed to reappear in Jiashan's mind. She bit her lower lip, thinking about the overly complex look Zhan Yue had given her when she said "no" in front of her father.
Would he give up now because of this?
Jiashan's mind was in turmoil, with no answer in sight.
Just then, Zhao Youze asked, "Sister, when will we have lunch?"
Zhao Youze's voice was childish and innocent, and Jiashan couldn't help but smile. She curved her lips and said, "Could it be that Yuan Kang stayed to keep me company just for the pastries in my palace?"
Zhao Youze nodded and held up a white, tender finger, honestly saying, "It's one of the reasons."
"You little naughty boy," Jiashan said, but she still handed him a piece of yam cake.
As Zhao Youze took it, he said, "Sister, there must be more to sister Han Zhu incident yesterday, right?"
Jiashan hummed nonchalantly, and Zhao Youze titled his head and asked, "Is it related to Chengqian Palace?"
Although Zhao Youze was smart and perceptive, Jiashan didn't want to fill his ears with dirty things, so she said casually, "That matter is over, and I don't want to talk about it."
Zhao Youze softly replied, "Oh." He seemed a little disappointed and lowered his head. He even put the half-eaten yam cake back on the plate.
"Whenever this happens, I wish I could see," his face was thin and pale, his eyebrows were dark and neat, and he smiled faintly, slowly saying, "That way, Sister wouldn't have to carry everything on her own."
His tone was soft, already that of a small man who could shoulder responsibilities.
Jiashan was startled. Her eyes flickered, and her tongue involuntarily began to feel numb.
Looking at her brother's clear and bright face, she desperately suppressed the misty sourness in her eyes. She gently pinched Zhao Youze's cheek and smiled, "There will come a day when Yuan Kang can see."
Jiashan emphasized, "There will definitely be."
"When that time comes, Yuan Kang will protect Sister, okay?" Jiashan asked with a smile.
"Okay!" Zhao Youze's face brightened again, and he nodded at Jiashan.
After a while, Zhao Youze swallowed a piece of yam cake and mumbled, "Sister... um... be careful."
"Careful of what?" Jiashan thought he was referring to Zhuang Fei and immediately became serious.
Zhao Youze said like a little chick pecking at rice, "Be careful of Zhan Daren. He won't give up so easily."
"Aunt Ruyang promised him that day, during Father's birthday, she would mention your matter to Father," Zhao Youze said. "I think Sister should find an opportunity to make it clear to him."
Jiashan pursed her lips and thought of Zhan Yue. Her gaze flickered, bright and dim. "I'll be careful."
Zhao Youze had lunch with Jiashan and even took a nap in Fengyang Pavilion afterwards. In the afternoon, he had someone carve the "shou" characters that Zhan Yue had left on a wooden board so he could trace them.
It wasn't until nearly dinnertime that Jiashan sent Zhao Youze back to Changle Palace. Jing Fei had already had dinner prepared, so Jiashan stayed in Changle Palace until dusk before returning.
The palace maids who accompanied Jiashan to Changle Palace were Su Yu and Dancui.
Dancui carried a small lantern in front, while Su Yu supported Jiashan.
"Your Highness, why didn't you mention to His Majesty today about the connection between Han Zhu and Chengqian Palace?" Su Yu pondered over this for a long time and couldn't figure it out, so she asked Jiashan for clarification.
Since Su Yu had expressed her desire to stay with her for a few more years yesterday, Jiashan had grown to trust and rely on her more.
Hearing her question, Jiashen replied softly, "There's no point in telling Father. Zhuang Fei has the trump card of the Eldest Prince, and even if Father were to quarrel with her over this matter, it wouldn't last long."
"As long as Yuan Kang can't see, Zhao Youcheng will always be the son Father is most proud of in his heart," Jiashan said softly. "Do you understand?"
For Zhuang Fei, these were just minor skirmishes. It was because she had given birth to the Eldest Prince that she dared to be so arrogant. For her and her son, the most fatal thing would be to lose the right to inherit the throne.
And she would wait for that day to come.
Jiashan's gaze deepened.
At that moment, Su Yu gently tugged on Jiashan's sleeve, "Your Highness, there seems to be someone ahead."
Jiashan looked forward and saw a figure standing there. The figure was as straight as a pine tree, and just standing there, it exuded a sense of stubbornness.
Dancui, holding the lantern, had a clearer view. She squinted her eyes and identified the figure for a moment, then turned around and said, "It seems to be Zhan Daren."
"Zhan Daren is on duty tonight, so he might have patrolled here," Dancui said carelessly. "Shall we greet him, Your Highness?"
It was difficult to see people clearly in the dim light. Zhan Yue stood with his back to them and hadn't turned around.
But somehow, Jiashan felt that he must know they had arrived.
Jiashan was silent for a moment.
Su Yu was always more perceptive than Dancui. Over the past few days, she had noticed something amiss between Zhan Daren and the princess. She softly asked Jiashan, "Your Highness, shall we take a detour?"
They were currently passing by the palace's koi pond. While the pond was crowded during the day, almost no one would come to see the fish at night.
This wasn't the direct path from Changle Palace to Fengyang Pavilion, but taking a detour would waste an extra incense stick of time.
Thinking of Zhan Yue's persistent gaze, Jiashan paused for a moment. She said, "No, let's go straight." What was there to be afraid of? Could he eat her in this palace?
Jiashan straightened her back slightly and walked straight ahead.
Before she reached Zhan Yue, it was as if he had eyes on the back of his head. His voice was flat as he greeted her, "Your Highness."
Jiashan's pupils contracted slightly. She heard a hint of suppressed restraint in his voice.
What was he...restraining?
Zhan Yue slowly turned to look at her. His gaze was as firm as a blade, thin and pale. "Your Highness has just returned from Changle Palace."
"Yes," Jiashan smiled and greeted him as usual, "It's so late, why is Daren here?"
Zhan Yue stared at her without blinking, his long eyelashes trembling slightly. "I have a nephew named A'Li, who is said to have a connection with koi fish. Sometimes, I like to come here and take a look."
"Oh," Jiashan nodded understandingly. Seeing that Zhan Yue's lips were no longer rosy, she couldn't help but ask, "Have you had dinner?"
"I've been waiting for Your Highness for half an hour and haven't had a chance to eat," Zhan Yue said indifferently. His dark eyes were like stars at night, with a glimmer of morning light, but also endless darkness.
Jiashan raised her eyes to look at him.
He stared at Jiashen, his gaze burning. "Your Highness, why did you say no in Fengyang Pavilion today?"