Chapter 78: Misdelivered Birthday Gift

Chapter 78: Misdelivered Birthday Gift

The Emperor summoned Princess Chongyang and her husband Cui Xing to the Yangxin Hall and tossed the investigation report gathered by Yang Xin in front of Princess Chongyang. After a glance, her face paled, and she looked up at the Emperor, "Brother, Yao Nong doesn't bear the Deng surname. If you really intend to punish the Deng family to the ninth degree, both you and I are included."

Sobbing, she continued, "Brother, Deng Yan sought us out. I did this considering our imperial grandmother's favor... When she was alive..."

"Such filial piety, why not go and guard our imperial grandmother's tomb?"

Hearing this, Princess Chongyang was so scared she couldn't cry anymore. Her brother was capable of actually doing it.

The Emperor then inquired, "Have you two tried yet? Whose issue is it that you can't have children? I gave you three months, now it's been over four, and still no results?"

"No," Princess Chongyang replied nervously.

"Oh, so the two concubines I rewarded you are useless, or the two beauties I gave you are ineffective?" The Emperor seemed indifferent to the couple's anxiousness and continued without waiting for an answer, "How about, Chongyang, you alone go and guard our imperial grandmother's tomb for ten or eight years?"

"If your filial piety moves heaven and earth, you're sure to be blessed with a child." If she couldn’t have children, it would just mean her filial piety wasn’t enough.

Princess Chongyang understood her brother's hidden meaning and was genuinely terrified.

Witnessing this, Cui Xing knelt and pleaded, "Your Majesty, Princess Chongyang accepted Yao Nong because of her beauty, not her Deng lineage. She offered Yao Nong to you just to please you, with sincere intentions, without any connection to the Deng family. Please discern this truth."

For Cui Xing, it was crucial to clear Princess Chongyang of any ties with the Deng family. They hadn’t anticipated the Emperor’s investigation into Yao Nong.

As for having children,

Cui Xing believed the royal family never lacked heirs, and their childlessness wouldn't overly concern the Emperor.

"To avoid Princess Chongyang becoming overly fixated on the matter of children and thereby angering the Emperor to the point of being banished to guard the royal tomb, Consort Cui Xing stepped forward."

"Chongyang quickly agreed, 'Yes, yes, that's exactly it.' She followed suit as Consort Cui knelt and kowtowed."

"The Emperor wasn't surprised. Compared to his sister Chongyang's confusion, Cui Xing was very lucid. After all, he was an imperial exam top scorer personally selected by their father. However, Cui Xing's next move still took him aback."

"'Princess and I probably aren't destined to have children. If Yao Nian at the Princess's residence is blessed with a child, it's a gift from heaven. If the child is safely born, regardless of its gender, we request His Majesty to grant the child to us. Raising the child would be our fortune,' Cui Xing finished, bowing deeply."

"Chongyang was stunned, baffled if Consort Cui had lost his mind. Why else would he suggest they raise the child?"

"The Emperor laughed, finding it easier to converse with a clever person. 'Then it's settled. To the outside world, the child will be known as Chongyang's. You both will stay in your fief for three to five years. After the child's birth, that person need not stay.'"

"'As Your Majesty commands,' Cui Xing quickly agreed, tugging Chongyang out of her daze."

"Chongyang, realizing she'd have to stay away from the capital for at least three years, felt utterly dejected, dreading the mockery of her sisters and losing her face amongst them."

"She couldn't fathom how things had turned out this way."

"Chongyang had followed her aunt, Princess Liyang's example. She thought offering beauties to please the Emperor was a good move. Previously, when she presented Consort Chu Li, the Emperor was pleased and rewarded her handsomely. Why then did it backfire with Yao Nian? She hadn't benefited but was instead implicated."

"She refused to admit her wrongdoing."

"Nor dared to question the Emperor's taste."

"After much thought, she blamed the Deng family, believing their bad luck had affected her. Chongyang, upon returning home, summoned Deng Yan and berated him before Consort Cui kicked him out."

"The next day, while the Emperor met with the visiting feudal kings in Mingtang, he received news that Consort Cui had resigned his teaching position at the National Academy to accompany Princess Chongyang back to their fief for her 'pregnancy'."

"The Emperor thought Cui Xing was capable. If he handled this matter well, upon returning to the capital in a few years, he could be promoted to a substantial position, not just wasting his time in the academy."

——

"Recently, the palace atmosphere has been very lively."

"As Qin Zhuzhu puts it, ever since Empress Liu implemented the system allowing consorts to summon their female relatives for visits, everyone's been looking forward to it."

"Consorts of third-rank and above can summon their maternal relatives regularly: once a year for Jiayu, twice for Jiupin, and four times for Sifei. To summon relatives, they must first submit a request to the Empress. After the Empress approves the list and sets the date, the Internal Affairs Department sends the Empress's decree."

"I'm not greedy; seeing my mother once a year is enough," said Qin Zhuzhu to Zhu Yan.

Zhu Yan understood Qin Zhuzhu's hint. As a fourth-rank beauty, she was one rank below Jiayu. Qin Zhuzhu hoped Zhu Yan could help her ascend in rank. But seeing Qin's eight-month pregnant belly, Zhu Yan felt she might not need to intervene.

"The Empress is kind and compassionate. As long as you safely give birth, you needn't worry about the rest."

Qin Zhuzhu winked at Zhu Yan playfully, "There are many who seek the Empress's favor. I'll share some of that spotlight with you. Please help me."

Qin Zhuzhu was self-aware.

"During her five years in the palace, the Emperor's interest wasn't in her, but her ability to keep Zhu Yan company."

"Had it not been for a fortuitous encounter with Zhu Yan upon entering the palace, she might have ended up less notable than Liu Cairen, let alone mothering the Sixth Princess and expecting another child."

"Empress Liu's benevolence extended across the six palaces, known for fairness and impartiality."

"Yet in Zhu Yan's circle, only Qin Zhuzhu received such favor."

"When Zhu Yan was just a beauty, other consorts couldn't even enter Fuhua Palace. Now, as the foremost amongst the consorts, she had even more visitors, yet only saw Qin Zhuzhu and Princess Xiangyang."

"To other consorts, summoning family members is indeed a benevolent and gracious policy," praised Princess Xiangyang. "It ends the regret of not seeing relatives after entering the palace, giving everyone a chance and hope. When do you plan to summon your family, Ayan?"

Zhu Yan was about to say her family was far in Yingzhou Prefecture, over a thousand miles from the capital, and she didn't want to trouble them with travel.

But before she could speak, Princess Xiangyang continued, "Recently, your father, Zhu Jiancheng, celebrated his 40th birthday. The Zhu residence was bustling, and several princesses sent gifts. My estate's steward, being rather dull, missed it. When I returned, I immediately ordered him to send a belated birthday gift..."

"No need to send anything," Zhu Yan interjected, cutting off Princess Xiangyang.

The harsh tone frightened Princess Xiangyang terribly. Standing up, she noticed Zhu Yan's unusual pale and grim expression. It was the first time she had seen Zhu Yan so cold towards her. Just as she was about to inquire, Qin Zhuzhu, caressing her pregnant belly, exclaimed, "Oh, Xiangyang, I urgently need to use the restroom, come with me."

She tried to signal with her eyes, only to be caught red-handed by Zhu Yan.

Zhu Yan said irritably, "Let Libai accompany you." Libai was Qin Zhuzhu's chief maid. After speaking, she turned to ask the Princess of Xiangyang, "When did the Zhu family come to the capital?"

"You don't know?" Princess Xiangyang was astonished and felt compelled to relay the news she had heard from the chief historian of the princess's mansion, detailing it thoroughly.

Upon hearing there was news, Qin Zhuzhu immediately forgot her urgency to use the restroom.

She was aware that Zhu Yan did not have a good relationship with her family. Therefore, she hadn't even suggested Zhu Yan summon her family, nor had she reminded the Princess of Xiangyang, resulting in an awkward encounter.

But the Zhu family had come to the capital.

She always felt that the Emperor was shooting himself in the foot this time.

Good intentions leading to bad outcomes.

"So they arrived in mid-October. The position of Deputy Supervisor in charge of mutual markets under the Ministry of Revenue sounds like a lucrative post." Zhu Yan mused sarcastically, then looked up at the Princess of Xiangyang, requesting, "Tomorrow, go personally to the Zhu residence and demand the return of the belated birthday gifts."

The Princess of Xiangyang was stunned by this request, "Ayan, it’s not customary to ask for a gift back once it’s been given."

"Just say it was sent by mistake, the way it was sent is how it should be returned."

"But it's a birthday gift. Asking for it back is inauspicious and could shorten life..."

"Don’t worry, misfortune lingers for a thousand years." Zhu Yan just learned from Xiangyang that her youngest brother was a year younger than Aji, presumably born after she entered the palace. Zhu Qingyun had specifically named his four sons and four daughters to collectively spell out 'successful in the imperial examinations'.

This man's luck is too good. How does he always get what he wants?

The better his fortune, the more it irks me. Previously, distance made it bearable, but now they're right under my nose, attracting crowds and guests like clouds. How can I tolerate this?

She could imagine how smug Zhu Qingyun must be.

It was unbearable to even think about, the more she thought, the angrier she got.

"If the birthday gift you sent to the Zhu residence is not returned by tomorrow, do not set foot in my Fuhua Palace again." Zhu Yan left the Princess of Xiangyang with these words, then stood up and paced around the warm chamber twice, still unable to calm her anger. She turned to instruct Qu Gu, "Go see where the Emperor is, I need to see him."

"Yes," Qu Gu responded and left.

The Princess of Xiangyang felt as if she had caused some trouble. With Zhu Yan insisting, no matter how inappropriate it seemed, she had to go to the Zhu residence to retrieve the birthday gift. She excused herself from Qin Zhuzhu and left, taking the opportunity to accompany Qin Zhuzhu to the Zhonghua Palace to inquire about the Zhu family.

Seeing Zhu Yan's apparent lack of closeness with her family, she didn't want to commit any more faux pas.

Author's note:

Today's update~~