Xu Zhao choked, her smile nearly slipping from her face.
She couldn’t help but curse Xu Chen fiercely in her heart: That annoying good-for-nothing—why hasn’t she gone and ruined herself yet!
“Xu Zhao, have you come to plead for Minister Zhao?” Xu Chen’s voice broke the silence.
“Do you know what she’s done?” Xu Chen pressed on, her tone menacing.
Xu Zhao turned her gaze toward her and raised her hand to address Hu Nanqin: “Minister Hu, this Princess and my elder sister have important matters to discuss. We ask that Minister Hu step aside for the moment.”
Hu Nanqin had long been sitting on pins and needles, desperate to escape the storm brewing between the two princesses. Upon hearing this, she bowed to Xu Chen and Xu Zhao and hurriedly withdrew.
The moment Hu Nanqin’s figure vanished, the atmosphere in the hall plummeted to freezing point; the two women could no longer be bothered to maintain even a semblance of politeness.
Xu Zhao spoke calmly, “My royal sister is joking.”
“Minister Zhao has always been loyal and diligent in her duties; how could she possibly make a mistake? If Minister Zhao has offended my royal sister in any way, I implore you to spare her for my sake. Minister Zhao is a pillar of our Great Zhou Dynasty. I implore Your Imperial Highness to show mercy and spare her this time.”
Xu Chen’s lips curved slightly. “Very well. I only want the military rations for Chongzhou.”
“Once the rations are delivered, I naturally have no reason to continue making things difficult for Minister Zhao.”
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yu cast a pleading glance at the Sixth Princess. Her lips trembled as if she wanted to defend herself, but in the end, she chose to remain silent.
Xu Zhao didn’t even glance at her. Instead, she smiled at Xu Chen and said, “General Yun is Your Imperial Highness’s aunt, and Chongzhou is a crucial frontier stronghold of our Great Zhou Dynasty—it cannot be compromised. It is only natural for Your Imperial Highness to be cautious.”
“Therefore, Minister Zhao—” She shifted her tone abruptly, her voice turning sharp, “You ought to be alleviating my elder sister’s concerns, should you not? Why have you not yet swiftly accounted for this quarter’s military rations for Chongzhou?”
Zhao Yu instantly grasped the implication in Xu Zhao’s words. A weight lifted from his heart with a thud, and she hurriedly bowed, saying, “It is this humble servant’s negligence. Please forgive me, Your Highness! I shall attend to it immediately and ensure that my men load the rations onto carts and dispatch them to Chongzhou within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.”
Xu Chen’s expression was a mixture of a smile and a frown. She knew full well that Xu Zhao must have promptly transferred the silver to fill the gap left by the embezzled funds.
Zhao Yu was Xu Zhao’s woman; likely, the moment they had apprehended her an hour ago, she had already sent someone to call for reinforcements.
Xu Zhao had to protect her; otherwise, he would not only lose a key ally but also be dragged down by Zhao Yu.
Once the silver was replenished, it would be difficult for her to keep Zhao Yu under her control.
However, this mission was not entirely without gain—it could even be called a windfall.
The stipend for the three-monthly military pay in Chongzhou is enormous. For Xu Zhao to have diverted such a large sum of silver on short notice to cover the shortfall will cause her no end of trouble in the aftermath.
More importantly, by clarifying the relationship between Zhao Yu and Xu Zhao, she now has room to maneuver in the future.
Information—that is the heaviest weight in the balance.
Now, the “Zhao Yu card” in Xu Zhao’s hand was, in Xu Chen’s eyes, an open secret.
Xu Chen nodded. “I am deeply gratified that Minister Zhao understands my position.”
“Then proceed without delay. Do not keep me waiting.”
Zhao Yu felt as if she’d been granted a pardon. “Yes! Yes! This humble servant will attend to it immediately.”
With the silver secured, the rest was straightforward. Zhao Yu personally led her men to load the full amount of military pay onto carts, entrusting the transport troops to escort it to Chongzhou.
Having settled the matter of the military pay, Xu Chen rose leisurely and strolled out of the Ministry of Revenue’s gates. Before leaving, she shot Xu Zhao a glance; the mockery in her eyes made Xu Zhao’s blood boil.
Once Xu Chen’s figure had completely vanished from sight, the warm smile on Xu Zhao’s face vanished instantly.
She spun around abruptly and delivered a vicious backhand slap across Zhao Yu’s face.
“Smack!” A sharp crack echoed as Zhao Yu was struck and fell to his knees once more.
“Forgive me, Sixth Prince!” Zhao Yu clutched her face and hastily begged for mercy.
Xu Zhao’s voice was as cold as frost: “You can’t even handle that good-for-nothing Xu Chen. Minister Zhao, I am deeply disappointed in you.”
She looked down at Zhao Yu, who was prostrate on the ground, her words as icy as glacier water: “I’m beginning to wonder if I’ve overestimated you. With your limited abilities, you’ll likely never make it to the position of Prime Minister.”
Zhao Yu forced back the burning sensation on her face, defending herself urgently: “Sixth Princess, the Crown Princess may have a powerful advisor behind her. Now that Hu Nanqin has accompanied her to the Ministry of Revenue to cause trouble, perhaps… Hu Nanqin has also defected to the Eastern Palace!”
Xu Zhao’s face instantly darkened, her thoughts running wild like overgrown weeds.
She had thought victory was within reach, yet who would have imagined that the Crown Princess’s faction, like a centipede that refuses to die, could still emerge to stir up trouble.
A lump of bitter air lodged in her chest, leaving her with a fishbone stuck in her throat—unable to swallow it, yet unable to spit it out.
She took a deep breath, forcing down the rage churning within her, and silently reassured herself: Xu Chen was nothing more than a worthless lump of mud. Even if she truly had someone pulling the strings behind the scenes, as long as she joined forces with the Emperor Mother to devise a plan, she would surely be able to clip her wings and bring about her complete downfall.
For now, she just needed to wait a little longer… just a little longer…
Xu Zhao, her face dark with anger, swept her sleeve and left the Ministry of Revenue. After this incident, she dared not let Zhao Yu touch the treasury funds again in the near future, fearing Xu Chen might launch a surprise counterattack.
Upon returning to her residence, Xu Zhao opened a drawer in her study and took out a letter that exuded a faint, delicate fragrance.
This was a secret letter sent from the Crown Princess’s residence. She had originally intended to ignore it, but at this moment, she had no choice but to take a risk.
Xu Zhao desperately needed to know Xu Chen’s recent movements, whom she had met, and what schemes she was plotting.
All the spies she had previously planted in the Eastern Palace had been exposed and removed; now, she could only rely on that pawn in Xu Chen’s inner quarters.
Just as Xu Zhao was racking her brain, scheming how to eliminate the new ally by Xu Chen’s side, an imperial edict suddenly arrived from Fengming Palace, ordering her to enter the palace immediately for an audience.
Xu Zhao was taken aback, unsure of the reason, but she dared not delay. She had no choice but to temporarily set aside the myriad thoughts swirling in her mind and hurry toward the imperial palace.
*
The day before.
When Mo Xiao appeared at the gates Lu residence and presented the invitation from the Crown Princess’s residence, she was immediately ushered inside with the utmost respect.
The servants of the Crown Princess’s residence, regardless of their status within the household, represented the face of the Eastern Palace when outside. Even if they secretly looked down on Xu Chen, the “good-for-nothing” Crown Princess, no one dared to refuse the Crown Princess’s residence any courtesy on the surface.
This was especially true for Lu Huan, a lowly Imperial Censor.
She still did not understand why the Emperor had suddenly arranged for her eldest son, Lu Qiuci, to marry the Crown Princess, but she had no choice.
Since she had little emotional bond with her eldest son to begin with, and certainly could not defy the Emperor’s will for his sake, she had no option but to hastily marry Lu Qiuci off.
Lu Huan knew full well that her own official rank and family background were no match for the Princess’s household.
With her son marrying into the Eastern Palace, it was almost certain he would not be favored—and it was highly likely he would even incur the Princess’s disdain.
The position of Crown Princess carried immense weight. Given her exalted status, it would have been effortless for her to seek a marriage to the son of a grand minister, a prince of another clan, or a general or marquis—a union that would have provided Xu Chen with powerful support.
Even though Xu Chen had already brought disgrace upon herself, rendering the position of Crown Princess a liability, it was still far beyond the Lu family’s reach.
Lu Qiuci’s fate—to be despised after marrying into that household—was already sealed.
Therefore, when Mo Xiao presented this written summons, Lu Huan was utterly astonished.
“Censor Lu, do you recall? My Master the Crown Princess specifically instructed that at noon tomorrow, you must bring Lord Wei to the Crown Princess’s residence for an audience.”
“The Lord longs to see Lord Wei so deeply that he must meet him tomorrow.” Mo Xiao’s words seemed to carry a hidden meaning.
Lu Huan’s heart skipped a beat, and a sudden wave of panic washed over her.
She was not afraid of Lu Qiuci. Even though she knew this son had always been headstrong and was growing up day by day—no longer the frail child she could manipulate at will—
But he was, after all, her son—and a son at that. He would never be able to escape her grasp for the rest of his life.
Even if he married into the Crown Princess’s household, she wasn’t afraid.
Because she was certain Xu Chen would not like Lu Qiuci—in fact, she was convinced Xu Chen would detest him. With Lu Qiuci’s limited wit, he’d be lucky to survive in the Eastern Palace—how could he possibly have the energy to cause her trouble?
But now, everything has turned upside down; the most unlikely scenario has actually come true!
Lu Qiuci seems to be doing quite well in the Crown Princess’s residence; somehow, he has won Xu Chen’s favor. Even if he isn’t the object of her utmost favor, at the very least, Xu Chen is willing to save face for him.
Otherwise, how could he possibly host a banquet at the Crown Princess’s residence and invite his own family to visit?
This is trouble!
This is trouble!
Once a son has a powerful backer, a mother loses her control over him. If that backer’s status surpasses even his mother’s, he can use that influence to strike back at his maternal family.
That is why, from ancient times to the present, no one has ever been willing to raise a son—sons are always sent out to be raised by others!
Lu Huan accepted the invitation handed to her by Mo Xiao, her mind in turmoil, yet she dared not disobey. She could only repeatedly assure him, “Please inform the young lord that this official will certainly arrive on time tomorrow with Consort Wei, There will be no mistake!”
Mo Xiao bowed in satisfaction and turned to leave the Lu residence.
No sooner had he departed than Lu Huan’s concubine, Sun Wendan, emerged from the inner chambers. Adorned in gold and silver, he bore not a trace of a concubine’s demeanor; on the contrary, he looked more like the master of the house than the legitimate lord himself.
And indeed, that was the case. He managed the household finances, resided in the master’s quarters, and even handled all external social engagements on Lu Huan’s behalf, citing the official Consort Wei Hanjun’s “frail health and need for rest, making it unsuitable for her to take on such duties.”
Lu Huan had long wanted to divorce Wei Hanjun and elevate his “true love,” Sun Wendan, to his position.
Unfortunately, Wei Hanjun was far too patient and accommodating; all these years, she hadn’t been able to catch him in the slightest misstep. Then Lu Qiuci grew up and gained a reputation for his talent, becoming one of the Four Young Masters of the capital.
Lu Huan was constantly thinking about finding a good match for Lu Qiuci, so she naturally abandoned the idea of divorcing her husband.
After all, judging by Wei Hanjun’s sickly appearance, he likely wouldn’t live much longer. It wouldn’t be too late to elevate her “true love” to the position of official husband after he passed away.
Sun Wendan had been hiding in the back and had heard every word clearly. As soon as he stepped out, he grabbed Lu Huan’s sleeve, his eyes reddening as he choked out, “My lady—”
“That child, Qiuci… has truly taken a grudge against me… At such an important banquet, he didn’t mention my name or those of my two younger sisters even once.”
He looked utterly pitiful.
Although he was already the father of two children, he took great care to maintain his appearance, so he didn’t look old at all; on the contrary, he exuded the charm of a mature husband. Yun Xingyi
Usually, Lu Huan fell for this act every time; whenever she saw him looking so aggrieved, she couldn’t help but rush over to hug and comfort him.
If it had anything to do with Lu Qiuci, she would even scold and punish Lu Qiuci.
But today, this tried-and-true tactic seemed to have failed. Not only did Lu Huan not feel any pity, but she raised her eyebrows in disapproval.
“Cry, cry, cry—does crying solve anything?!”
“You’re not his biological father; why would he let you go?” Lu Huan snapped.
Sun Wendan flinched at the shout, quickly wiping away the few remaining tears from the corners of hisr eyes. He feigned hurt and said, “My lady, I was just worried about you.”
“That boy, Qiu Ci, has never had his heart set on you, his mother, and he looks down on me, his stepfather. I know that, and I’ve accepted it.”
“I don’t mind so much. But this is a banquet hosted by the Crown Princess’s mansion! After all, we’re family. Has he completely forgotten about his younger siblings, Xuan’er and Rong’er?”
“It’s just that he doesn’t have us in his heart.”
“How can we expect him to support the family in the future?”
Author’s Note:
Now that the plot is wrapped up, it’s time for the romance!