Chapter 61: Not Aspiring to Be a Saintly Monarch

Chapter 61: Not Aspiring to Be a Saintly Monarch

Princess Xiangyang felt like she had hit the jackpot.

Of the two princesses accompanying the royal entourage to the summer palace, one was Princess Chongyang, and the other was her. Knowing she couldn’t compare to Princess Chongyang, she was very aware of how she got this opportunity.

Initially, all the ladies of the harem were to accompany the Emperor, but a sudden change in the celestial signs led to the cancellation of their trip.

If no one had gone, it would have been fine, but in the end, the Emperor specifically took Consort Zhu and the Fourth Prince, leading the astute to guess what was happening.

Princess Xiangyang was one of those astute people.

Her chance to go to the summer palace wasn't because of her own merits or royal favor, but because she was on good terms with Consort Zhu, the only princess who could talk to her. As soon as her carriage left the Mingde Gate on the southern side of the capital, she sent a note to Consort Zhu requesting a meeting.

In the afternoon, she, along with her daughter Anping, joined Consort Zhu in her ornate carriage.

"Where's Tian Tian?"

"The Emperor just took him, they're ahead in the dragon carriage," Zhu Yan replied from the carriage window, gesturing for them to sit and pointing to a dish of grapes in the center, "These grapes were delivered this morning by express and have been chilled all morning. They're still cool, help yourselves, no need to be formal."

"I've never been formal with you, Ah Yan," Princess Xiangyang said with a smile, glancing back at her shy daughter Anping sitting close behind her, feeling helpless. Both she and that scoundrel from Deng City were outgoing and bold; how did they end up with such a timid daughter?

She couldn't help it; in her heart, she cursed Princess Xindu, her former mother-in-law, all over again.

But the thought of Princess Xindu's astonishment and bitter expression upon hearing she would accompany the royal procession to the summer palace brought her immense satisfaction, even more refreshing than eating a chilled watermelon.

"It's better to be comfortable," Zhu Yan smiled, having noticed the shy nature of Princess Anping, which was why she had Nurse Qu take her aside to eat watermelon last time in Fuhua Palace.

Concerned about intimidating the young girl, Zhu Yan didn't stare at her but turned to look out the window instead, "The scenery outside is quite nice."

Since leaving the capital, the view along the road was of lush green farmlands. Initially, Zhu Yan thought they were wheat fields, but her son, Ah Ji, told her they were millet, also known as 'Ji', which was the inspiration for his name.

Millet is the main crop grown in the Guanzhong area and a staple food for the people.

At this time, rice and wheat were not the main staple foods and were cultivated in limited areas. Because Zhu Yan liked eating rice, the main staple in Fuhua Palace, Bi Geng Rice, was said to be specially supplied.

"These years have been blessed with good weather. Since the Emperor's accession, there have been consecutive years of abundant harvests. Last year, the governor of Hunzhou, Xu Jie, reported the sighting of a qilin in Juye County to the north. The emergence of a qilin in prosperous times is a sign of good omen, praising the Emperor as a sage monarch. The news spread, and people everywhere said it was a symbol of a prosperous era."

"Let's not talk about that."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yan couldn't help but laugh, "Counting the time, Xu Jie has been on a mission to find the qilin for almost a year now."

At that time, when the Emperor received Xu Jie's report of the auspicious qilin sighting, he wasn't overjoyed but instead casually ordered that since a qilin was spotted in Juye, Xu Jie should take the trouble to find it and bring it to the capital for everyone to see.

He even specially appointed Xu Jie as the 'Qilin Seeking Envoy' with a fourth-rank official title.

As for the governorship of Hunzhou, Xu Jie was relieved of his duties to focus solely on finding the qilin.

The governor of Hunzhou was also a fourth-rank official, but one was a substantial position with real power over a province, and the other, a newly created nominal post. The Emperor’s maneuvers turned Xu Jie into a classic example of someone whose attempt to flatter backfired, losing more than what he tried to gain.

Lower-ranking officials dreaded encountering a superior like the Emperor who didn't play by the rules. After this incident, no one dared to mention such auspicious signs again, nor did any local officials report them.

"Your Majesty, Princess Chongyang and Lady Yangwu have sent messengers with invitations to meet you."

Zhu Yan was momentarily puzzled when she heard Nurse Qu's report in the carriage, then remembered who Lady Yangwu was – the Emperor’s minor uncle by marriage. The Emperor had five uncles, with Lord Yangwu being the youngest. She had never spoken to Lady Yangwu, nor was she familiar with Princess Chongyang.

Wondering why they suddenly wanted to meet her, she said, “Just leave it for now.”

Surprisingly, the entire afternoon was filled with messengers delivering invitations, including those from noble ladies and wives of court officials. Zhu Yan then realized something was amiss. Socializing with former imperial ladies was typically the Empress’s duty, but this time to Jiujishan, not only had Empress Liu not come, but she was also the only one from the harem.

Thus, the responsibility of socializing with these ladies had naturally fallen to her.

Zhu Yan didn’t want to delve deeper into the underlying reasons.

Princess Xiangyang, seeing so many invitations, thought to herself that there were indeed many clever people in the world, interpreting the Emperor's intentions. Seeing Consort Zhu’s favored position, everyone was rushing to extend invitations, hoping to form connections. She felt fortunate to have established a relationship with Zhu Yan early.

Such matters were always better sooner than later.

Moreover, Zhu Yan was not keen on socializing, evident from her not agreeing to meet with anyone despite receiving over a dozen invitations that afternoon.

Jiujishan was more than 170 li from the capital. At the current pace of the carriages, covering 50 li a day, it would take about three and a half days to reach.

In the evening, as the heat outside slightly subsided and the sun set, Xing En came running from the front to invite Zhu Yan to the Emperor's dragon carriage. Princess Xiangyang, seeing this, wished to leave with her daughter Anping but was stopped by Zhu Yan, “It’s okay, you can stay here. We’ll stop for camping later in the evening, and then you can go back.”

It was inconvenient to find one's carriage while the procession was moving, especially since Princess Xiangyang’s carriage was towards the back of the procession, quite a distance from where Zhu Yan’s carriage was located.

Even with a reduced entourage, according to Xing En, the entire procession still stretched for five li.

The first half of the procession consisted of high-ranking officials and nobility, while the latter half comprised the families of the accompanying officials. Only Zhu Yan's ornate carriage followed closely behind the Emperor's golden chariot.

Zhu Yan instructed Nurse Qu to bring her the invitations from Princess Chongyang and Lady Yangwu. She put on her veil hat and stepped out of her carriage, gazing at the evening sun casting its last rays.

The Emperor loved luxury and ostentation. Even Zhu Yan's carriage was drawn by four horses, let alone his dragon chariot, pulled by six tall, purebred chestnut horses, resplendent in jade and gold, followed by an impressive display of guards and attendants.

Upon entering the dragon chariot, she found it spacious, almost ten square meters, furnished with two ice mirrors emitting a cool breeze, but her son Ah Ji was not there.

The Emperor, without waiting for Zhu Yan to ask, said, "There's a small market nearby. Lord Yangwu took him there. I've sent Zuo Jian with some men to follow them and asked them to return before dinner."

Zuo Jian was one of his personal guards, skilled in martial arts and swordsmanship.

Lord Yangwu, Xu Peng, was the youngest brother of his mother. Close in age to the Emperor, Xu Peng grew up in extreme wealth and indulgence as the youngest son, becoming a true playboy, skilled only in pleasure and leisure.

According to Xu Peng, this nearby market had a skilled craftsman known for making exquisite windmills.

Zhu Yan didn't comment much upon hearing this, but when she heard 'Lord Yangwu,' she handed the invitations she was holding to the Emperor, "Take a look."

The Emperor glanced at them briefly, then pulled Zhu Yan to sit on his lap, asking, "Besides these two, how many more did you receive?"

"About ten more, I didn’t look closely. They’re with Nurse Qu."

"Only about ten?" The Emperor immediately looked somewhat displeased.

Zhu Yan, observing the Emperor, felt surprised, sensing he was discontent with the low number, while she thought it too many, "I don't want to meet them." She had no usual interaction with them, so what was the point of meeting? There would be nothing to talk about, leading to an awkward silence.

Besides, she wasn't one for smooth talking or formalities.

"You don't have to see them if you don’t want to, but not sending a greeting card would be their problem," the Emperor explained, always having a double standard in his actions. Now that he valued Zhu Yan, he wanted everyone to regard her in the same way, "It's inconvenient to meet them on the road, but once we reach the traveling palace, let them all come to pay respects to you."

The Emperor gently touched Zhu Yan's temple and soothed, "Ayan, don't worry. I'll arrange everything. Chongyang and Xiangyang will be there to support you. Just sit at the head and engage with those you find agreeable. Leave the rest to them. You won’t have to bother yourself."

Zhu Yan shook her head, staring resolutely at the Emperor, "I won’t meet them. I'll refuse all who are sent." She came to tell him, not to seek his opinion.

If she did as the Emperor suggested, Empress Liu, residing in the palace, might become uneasy.

Seeing Zhu Yan’s genuine reluctance, the Emperor relented. Forcing her could lead to complications that might not end well.

He wanted to honor Zhu Yan, not to make her lose favor with others.

"You…" The Emperor sighed in exasperation, tenderly caressing Zhu Yan's fair cheek, perplexed. He couldn’t fathom what Zhu Yan really wanted.

Satisfied with achieving her aim, Zhu Yan pushed his hand away and stood up from his lap, "If we're going to talk, let's just talk. No need for physical contact."

The Emperor's extended hand paused mid-air. Watching Zhu Yan's serious demeanor, he was so frustrated he almost pounced on her. Just as he was about to do something, Zhu Yan asked, "By the way, did Your Majesty's Qilin Envoy find the Qilin?"

"Not yet. Last month, I received a report from Xu Jie. They're still searching in the Juye Mountains."

"It's been a year of searching in the mountains. He must be regretting it by now."

"I can't blame myself for this. He could have said anything, but he chose to talk about a Qilin."

The dog Emperor, amused by this thought, crossed his arms behind his head and leaned back relaxedly. His attractive peach blossom eyes smiled at Zhu Yan, "If he had submitted a report praising you as a fairy descending from heaven, unique in both heaven and earth, I might have been so pleased as to actually reward him."

"But he had to mention spotting traces of a Qilin. Zhu Yan, do you think I should send an order to urge him?" he said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Zhu Yan rolled her eyes, "You know exactly what's going on. You've been tormenting him for a year, and still not tired of it?"

"A year is hardly enough. It should be two or three years. The longer it is, the better they remember the lesson," the dog Emperor said leisurely. He didn't want these local officials focusing on trivial matters instead of their administrative duties.

"What's so good about being a saintly monarch anyway?"

"Like my father, revered and called a holy emperor, yet he couldn’t do this or that, like a Buddha on an altar. I never aspired to be a saintly monarch."

Author's note:

Updated, kisses~~