Chapter 26: The Princess of Jingjiang

  In the twenty-fourth year of Wu Wei, on May 13th, Emperor Taizong summoned a grand meeting with General Qin. When Wang heard about it, he brought Princess Jingjiang and attended the meeting together.

  Yong Shi - Ji Wang Lie Zhuan

  Xia Jin Yi stood outside the door, gazing listlessly into the distance. Alas, why did he have to be the crown prince's personal bodyguard? Although from today on, he had become someone who could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with his senior brother, but he was a very rational person. His martial arts skills were not good, and his mind was not deep enough. Although he had some small cleverness, he wouldn't have any great prospects. If the power was too high, his abilities and status would not match, and he would end up falling flat on his face. Fortunately, he had treated people kindly in the past and made friends with some unsavory characters; otherwise, even trying to transfer personnel would be met with scornful gazes. By the crown prince's side for several months, although he was like a fish in water, his heart still harbored a deep-seated fear of one person. A few days ago, when he heard that this person had been seriously injured and was on the brink of death, he had even entertained hopes that the person would die, thinking that no one would be watching him anymore. But just that night, while out seeking pleasure, he discovered a silver ring in his wine jug with the character "Jiang" engraved on it. He immediately broke out in cold sweat and begged heaven to bless the person with long life, at least a hundred years.

  Time flies, and I have become the trusted aide of the prince. That person has also escaped danger, but until now, I haven't received any information from him, as if we had never met before. Being a spy is easy, just be yourself. But am I really myself now? Xia Jin-yi smiled wryly, as if returning to his youth. At that time, he was a filial son, respectful of his elders, and praised by all as a kind young man. Suddenly, he felt a pang, forget it, past events are like smoke, why bother thinking about those unpleasant things? He couldn't help but think of Xiu Chun's invitation to meet tonight, but he might not have time. Xiu Chun is a good woman, unfortunately, she is in the palace and cannot control her own fate. The life of a maid is not hers to decide. And now that Lord Cui has gotten into trouble, if it implicates the princess, no, I should go inform the princess, after all, she is Xiu Chun's mistress, and I promised to let Xiu Chun be free.

  Thinking of this, Xia Jinyi thought that after the county lord's daughter arrived, he would definitely have nothing to do for at least half a time unit, so he might as well sneak out for a trip. However, since the county lord's daughter was coming from the queen's place, shouldn't the queen already know about this matter?

  Just as Xia Jin-yi was indulging in wild fancies, he saw a woman in white walking towards him from afar. Her breathtaking beauty and stunning looks would normally have inspired feelings of admiration and self-abasement in anyone's heart. But Xia Jin-yi felt none of that; instead, his entire body suddenly turned icy cold and stiff, while his chest seemed to be burning with fierce flames - a feeling akin to being in hell. He could hardly think straight, like a puppet on strings, he mechanically performed the rituals as dictated by etiquette, and heard his own voice say: "Your Ladyship, His Highness and Consort Lan, as well as Lu Shao-fu are already waiting for you inside."

  Then he even eagerly opened the door for the county lord with his own hands, and his eyes were filled with boundless admiration. It was a good-looking man who had seen an absolute beauty, but not in a vulgar way. Until Li Han walked into the room, Xia Jinyi finally said with difficulty: "I have some stomach pain, you guys watch first." Then he ignored his colleagues' kind teasing and hurriedly walked towards his residence. After walking back to that quiet and independent small house, he pushed open the door and saw a slender figure sitting on the bed, it was Xiu Chun. Presumably she had been sent over by the queen. Xia Jinyi suddenly pounced on her, and the two figures entwined together, falling onto the bed. Then the curtains fell, his roughness made Xiu Chun let out a scream. Not long after, his coarse breathing and her painful moans mixed together.

  After a while, Xia Jin Yi finally let go and collapsed onto the bed, exhausted. Hua Chun sat up, still fuming, but was shocked to see that this man, who usually laughed and scolded with ease, had tears streaming down his face. His face was contorted in agony, yet Hua Chun could see that he was consumed by despairing sorrow. She ignored her own fatigue and wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. The man's body trembled, then he too wrapped his arms tightly around her. After a long while, Xia Jin Yi pushed her away, got off the bed, and after washing up, calmly said: "If the Crown Princess finds out about Lord Cui's death, you must advise her to restrain herself. The Crown Prince is currently discussing how to deal with it. Tell the Crown Princess to be careful of hidden dangers, as Concubine Lan has been inside for half a day now."

  Embroidered Spring silently looked at the man who had given her a sudden stimulation, and asked: 'Jin Yi, what happened, tell me.'

  Xia Jin Yi smiled and said: "What can I do, Your Highness is about to use me for something, don't talk nonsense." After speaking, he turned around and walked out. Xiu Chun looked at his back and felt a wave of sadness, she knew for the first time that this frivolous and smooth-talking guy also had such deep pain.

  Xia Jinyi, who walked out of the room, was once again a handsome young man with an air of elegance, and there was no sign of his previous abnormal behavior. He rushed back to the Crown Prince's secret meeting place, but saw a guard hurrying over, and when he saw him, he shouted: "Young Xia, go and inform them that something big has happened! The King of Yong has arrived at General Qin's residence, it's been almost two hours, and he still hasn't come out!"

  Xia Jin's heart moved and he asked, "Did the King of Yong go himself? Do you know what reason was used? I can't just make a vague report."

  The guard said: 'Prince Yong brought many guards, and also brought three generals Sima Xiong, Jing Chi, and Changsun Ji, as well as Jiang Zhe and Jiang Sima. We originally thought that Prince Yong was going to find fault with him, but unexpectedly Qin Qing also intervened in the assassination of Jiang Zhe. Originally, we wanted to wait until Prince Yong left before reporting back, thinking that he would not stay for too long. However, it's been so long without coming out, and our insider at the Qin manor said they were talking very happily, so I came back to report, fearing that it might be a bit late. Brother Xia, please put in a good word for me.'

  Xia Jinyi smiled and said, "Don't worry, when have I ever made things difficult for you?" As he spoke, Xia Jinyi knocked on the door again to request an audience. This time, as he pushed open the door and entered, he saw that Crown Prince Li An's expression was somewhat uneasy, while Lu Jingzhong and Empress Lan both had gloomy faces, but only Li Han You still maintained her elegant demeanor. Li An said impatiently, "What is it? Can't you see I'm in the middle of discussing important matters?"

  Xia Jinyi hastily glossed over the matter, and Li An's expression turned cold as soon as he heard that Prince Yong had gone to the Qin residence. He waved his hand to dismiss Xia Jinyi and said icily: "He's become quite active, it seems that Father Emperor's favoritism has made him forget his own identity. Lu Shaofu, you once advised me to drive a wedge between Prince Yong and the Qin family, but now they've joined forces instead. What do you think we should do?"

  Lu Jingzhong thought for a moment and said: "Such development was not expected at the time, but it's not difficult to deal with. Since Prince Yong and the Qin family have no grudges, we can create some. What if Your Highness accompanies the county master to visit the Qin mansion now?"

  Li An's heart skipped a beat as he thought of Li Han and Qin Qing's marriage, although it had not yet been approved by Qin Yi. However, the Emperor and Empress were both satisfied with the arrangement. If this matter succeeded, even if the Qin family wanted to lean towards the Prince of Yong, the Prince would probably not believe them either. He couldn't let them get any closer. Since that matter was already decided, he might as well go to the Qin Manor first. After thinking it through, Li An stood up and said: "Will the Princess accompany me on this trip?"

  Li Han's face flushed with a red cloud, and he said in a low voice: 'Han Yu obeys.'

  Li An immediately summoned Xia Jinyi to arrange the carriages. He rode in one carriage with Lu Jingzhong, while Li Han had his own carriage. On the way, Li An said in a low voice: "This Li Han is indeed clever and resourceful, coming up with a plan that benefits both parties. Let's say Cui Yang discovered someone stealing military equipment and was investigating privately, but unfortunately got caught by those corrupt officials and died tragically. This way, Cui Yang's reputation remains intact, and neither the princess nor I need to worry about being implicated. Then, we can just find a few scapegoats in the Ministry of Revenue and say that the Minister of Revenue was negligent. After that, the crown prince can vouch for him and let him redeem himself by taking responsibility for his mistakes. This way, both parties are saved, and we can deal with them later. This plan is not bad at all. Why aren't you happy about it, Shaofu and Lan'er?"

  "Your Highness, this idea may seem perfect on the surface, but in reality, it's actually supporting me. If Cui Yang's reputation is preserved, then the position of the Crown Prince and his son will be solid as a mountain. Naturally, Consort Lan won't be happy about that. She invited her fellow disciple over to help her, but unexpectedly, the Princess supported me instead. That's why Consort Lan was angry. I'm not pleased because Li Han is too clever - on the surface, she's mediating, but in reality, she's making me and Consort Lan suspicious of each other. I think the Princess will definitely tell Consort Lan that I'm the Crown Prince's confidant and can't be opposed. As fellow disciples, they'll quickly reach an understanding, and when that happens, I'll become the target of everyone's criticism. The Princess has such a cunning mind - how can I not worry? Your Highness, the Phoenix Seal is something to be used as an aid, but it mustn't be controlled by others. If Li Han's actions weren't ordered by the master of the Phoenix Seal, I would have stopped her from marrying Qin Qing."

  Li An furrowed his brow and said, "But if we don't do this now, how can we suppress the arrogance of the second master? The matter of the Ministry of Revenue is about to erupt, and if the second master takes advantage of the situation, I'm afraid the Ministry of Revenue will no longer be my domain."

  "Your Majesty, I am also troubled by this. You are about to expose the wrongdoing in the Ministry of Revenue, and as the person in charge, it is inevitable that the Emperor will be somewhat displeased. For now, you have to rely on them to suppress Prince Yong, and only after things calm down can we think of a solution. It would also be beneficial to win over the Qin family, but unfortunately, it would give Fengyi Gate an advantage."

  Li An hesitated and said: "Li Han You is also a member of the royal family, it's not like he would be overly biased towards the sect." His voice was somewhat filled with self-doubt.

  Lu Jingzhong smiled wryly and said, "Your Highness is right." But on his face, a profound and strange expression appeared. He was so focused on going to sabotage the Crown Prince of Yong's attempt to win over the Qin family that he didn't notice anything else.

  Today, Qin Yi was honored and respected. While he and the Prince of Yong were having a grand feast in the rear garden, his family came to report that the Crown Prince had arrived. Qin Yi smiled wryly, never expecting that he, who had always kept himself clean and honest, would become the fuse for the struggle between the two princes. No matter what he thought, he could only lead the crowd to go and welcome him.

  Li An got down from the carriage and saw Qin Yi and Yong Wang hurrying over. The two men came forward and bowed, saying: "Your subjects Li Zuo and Qin Yi pay their respects to Your Highness."

  Li An stretched out his hand and said, "Second brother and General, no need to be so polite. I came here today with the county master's daughter to pay respects to General and Madam Qin. I didn't expect second brother to be here as well. Han You, come and pay your respects to General."

  As Li An's voice faded away, a stunning woman in a snow-white dress emerged from another luxurious carriage. She walked up to Qin Yi and curtsied: "Hanyou pays her respects to the great general. My father has often mentioned the battles you fought side by side in the past. The other day, I brought a humble gift on behalf of my father, but it was declined by the general. I thought perhaps the general was displeased with me for arriving late, but in truth, I have been accompanying the empress in the palace these past few days. Please forgive me, great general."

  Qin Yi's expression was calm, and he smiled: "I and the king are indeed close as brothers, but with the emperor's orders on my shoulders, the king is stationed outside, and I am accompanying the emperor in the capital. Therefore, we have not seen each other for many years. The princess's intentions, I understand, and there was no reason for me to refuse the princess's gift a few days ago. It's just that except for the gifts bestowed by the emperor, I never accept gifts from others. The princess is overthinking."

  As the crowd arrived at the rear garden, Qin Yi had already arranged for new wine and dishes to be served. Li An sat in the first seat, looking around, this Qin mansion's rear garden was different from others, there were no rare flowers or strange grasses, pavilions or towers, but rather a large empty space that had been leveled and paved with green stone slabs, with trees planted around it, forming a small martial arts arena. On the arena were placed weapon racks, stone locks and other things, and in one corner of the arena were several war drums. Now, on this sunny day, Qin Yi had set up a banquet under a large tree outside the arena, letting his family's generals and soldiers compete in martial arts to add to the excitement. It was just at its most lively moment, when the guards under Yong Wang's command and the Qin mansion's family generals all came down to the arena to compete. The winner would be rewarded with a cup of wine, while the loser would not receive any punishment. They were all from military backgrounds, without so many mind games, and neither Yong Wang nor Qin Yi would give rise to quarrelsome thoughts because of this.

  Unfortunately, Li An's arrival made the atmosphere somewhat chilly. Qin Yi let his family disperse and asked someone to invite Mrs. Qin to accompany the princess. Fortunately, everyone here was accustomed to officialdom, so it was calm and peaceful.

  Among them, several people were busy sizing each other up while chatting casually. Lu Jingzhong was nodding along with the Crown Prince while intentionally or unintentionally paying attention to Yong Wang Sima Jiangzhe, who was leisurely discussing something with Qin Qing and Qin Yong. The three generals under Yong Wang's command were also discussing nearby, but when Lu Jingzhong listened in, it was about military strategies and geographical features, which he wasn't particularly good at. Meanwhile, Qin Furen was chatting and laughing with Li Hanrou, who was elegant and refined, gaining a favorable impression from Qin Furen. Originally, Qin Qing had been listening to Jiangzhe's conversation, but soon became distracted, his gaze repeatedly falling on Li Hanrou. As the Crown Prince, Yong Wang, and Qin Yi were engaged in a heated discussion, Qin Qing gradually began to open up, starting to chat with Li Hanrou. Qin Furen seemed pleased with this development, occasionally helping them along by finding common topics of conversation.

  Li Han-you may seem to be devoted to pleasing Qin's wife and dealing with Qin Qing, but her spare gaze has always been on Jiang Zhe and the little Shunzi standing behind him. She had already received intelligence from her sect about this young man who looked somewhat frail and haggard in appearance. Who would have known that this youth, renowned for his literary talent, employed such ruthless tactics? He had brought stability to Shu, but at the cost of alienating Da Yong. If not for the fact that King De's relative was already dead, this person might have brought even greater losses to Da Yong. Unfortunately, it wasn't until after the king of Yong captured him and brought him back to Da Yong that Fengyi Sect took notice of him. Only after a thorough investigation did they realize that he was a rare talent, and in order to clip the wings of the king of Yong, the sect leader personally ordered Li Han-you to assassinate him. Unfortunately, she failed.

  As for that Li Shun, a feeling of powerlessness suddenly arose in Li Han's heart. In terms of age, he was older than him, and in terms of background, his master was one of the three great masters. However, this young man's martial arts skills had surpassed his own. According to the information he had obtained, this young man's martial arts skills were far superior to his own. Among his sect members, only six or seven seniors could defeat him, excluding the sect leader. What made Li Han most indignant was that such a highly skilled young man would willingly become a slave to a bookworm with no strength to tie a chicken. Look at how obedient and well-trained he is now, completely like a trained slave. It's infuriating that someone so talented wouldn't even fight back. If only this person were working for him... Li Han sighed, but unfortunately, this man was crippled, rendering the 'Divine Phoenix Heart Method' of the Fengyi Sect useless.

  Qin Qing saw Li Han sighing and couldn't help but ask: 'Why is the young lady from the imperial family sighing?'

  Li Han's heart moved, and she said: "I've also heard my father mention some military matters, but unfortunately, he didn't allow me to participate. General Qin and the rest of you are all famous generals who have survived bloody battles on the battlefield. I wonder if you could tell me about your experiences on the battlefield?"

  Qin Qing smiled and said, "The county master is a disciple of the Phoenix Ritual Gate, but unfortunately, she is a member of the imperial family. Otherwise, it wouldn't be difficult for her to go onto the battlefield. As for me, I have also fought in battles before, but if I were to talk about these things, it would be somewhat unpleasant."

  Li Han-Yu saw that Qin's wife had a somewhat displeased expression on her face, and hastily said: "I'm not thinking of listening to those bloody stories, I just heard that the scenery of the Great Desert is like a painting, the scenery of Shu is beautiful and elegant, and Nan Chu is even more boundless in its beauty. I don't know which place has more breathtaking scenery compared to Da Yong?"

  Li Han's voice was not loud, but everyone heard it very clearly and couldn't help but think about it. These people were all knowledgeable and had seen a lot, Li Han said that they hadn't been to all these places, but had been to most of them. However, when it came to which place was the most beautiful, this was difficult for them to say, even if they thought a certain place was the best in their hearts, they felt that there was no evidence to support their claim.

  Li An, although unaware of Li Han's intentions, said with a sympathetic heart: "This is indeed a good topic. Today we gather together in leisure, discussing military and political affairs, which can be somewhat dull. Why not talk about our own experiences? It's not bad at all. Let's make this the drinking game, each person saying a scenic spot, but it must be backed up by someone else's poem or verse. If you can't come up with one, you'll have to drink three cups of wine as punishment."