Insufficient balance

  Lingde Hall is a joyful place, at least on the surface. There are always lively dances, pleasant music and banquets filled with laughter. The palaces and temples here are grand yet elegant, overlooking Taiye Pool, where misty waves drift by, three fairy islands seem to be in a celestial realm; towering buildings rise one after another, like a heavenly palace.

  Jin Cheng withdrew his gaze from afar and calmly said, "The late Emperor and Your Imperial Highness have been very kind to me. I have no merit but have enjoyed many years of blessings in the palace. Now that the Great Tang needs me to go to Tubo, it is only natural that I should not decline."

  She was known as the adopted daughter of Ruizong Emperor of Tang, so she addressed Emperor Zhongzong of Tang (Li Xian) as "Imperial Uncle".

  Li Dan was very pleased and nodded in praise: "Jincheng is knowledgeable about books and etiquette, deeply understands the great righteousness, and my heart is very comforted."

  Little Princess Li Yan'er beside Li Dan sniffled and ran over to hold onto Jin Cheng's hand, saying reluctantly: "Auntie, don't go! If you leave, there won't be anyone to play with me... Don't go..."

  A hint of cold smile flashed in Jin Cheng's eyes, thinking to himself: Stop pretending, I know you can't wait for me to leave for Tubo, thinking that once I'm gone, you'll be the most favored princess in the Great Ming Palace, right?

  But that cold expression only flashed through Jincheng's eyes and was unlikely to be noticed by others. She quickly returned to her calm and gentle demeanor, going with the flow. She stroked Li Yanniang's face and smiled: "Yanni often thinks of her aunt."

  She was calm and gentle. In fact, she wanted to beg, wanted to cry out loud, wanted to say I won't go to Tibet... But what's the use? She was a member of the imperial family of Li Tang, but only as the adopted daughter of Ruizong, let alone the current emperor being Li Dan.

  It was unclear whether Li Dan had discovered something on his conscience or for some other reason, but he suddenly said with a hint of apology: "Xue Chongxun seems to have taken a liking to you. What does Jin Cheng think? I also know that if you stay in the Great Tang, your days will be better..."

  Jincheng lowered his head and said: "I had never seen him before, nor did I know why he would say that this afternoon."

  Li Dan said: "If he could have known you before asking for a marriage alliance with Tubo, I would have been able to use this as an excuse to decline Tubo's proposal, but..."

  "It's just that we didn't have fate on our side, I've only met him once, and I don't know what kind of person he is, it doesn't matter."

  Li Dan nodded and gazed into the distance, saying: "It's all right now, you go have fun with Yan'er."

  "Jin Cheng bids farewell." She lightly bent her knees and made a elegant bow. Li Yan'er, however, didn't care about these formalities, grabbed Jin Cheng's hand and ran off.

  "Hey, slow down!" Jin Cheng shouted softly.

  The two of them ran to the Longwei Road, and Li Yan'er blinked her clear big eyes and said: "Auntie, tomorrow the prince uncle is going hunting in the suburbs, he said he wants to take me with him, are you going?"

  Although Li Yan'er called Jin Cheng "Auntie", she was actually two years younger, and according to blood relations they were originally of the same generation. However, Rui Zong adopted Jin Cheng as his daughter, so in name Jin Cheng's seniority became one generation higher than Li Yan'er.

  Is this showing off? Maybe the little girl didn't have so many tricks up her sleeve, but she just liked it that way, liking to monopolize all the pampering and not willing to share with anyone. Jin Cheng Ruo watched those pure eyes with interest, shaking his head and smiling: "I'm not familiar with the prince, how can I go? Tomorrow let the prince accompany you to play, I'll also get some peace and quiet."

  Li Yan'er pouted: "Auntie is annoyed with me?"

  "Who doesn't love our little princess? How dare I be annoyed with you, hehe." Jin Cheng said with a smile. She suddenly thought that if Taiping Princess really became the empress as rumored, what would happen to Li Chang'er and Li Longji? Who would Li Yan'er coquettishly flirt with then?

  At this thought, a thrill of excitement flashed through Jin Cheng's heart.

  Just then, the palace maid she had sent over returned. The palace maid saw Jin Cheng and walked up to speak, but Jin Cheng interrupted her and said to Li Yan'er: "Yan'er go downstairs first and wait for your aunt, your aunt has something to do, listen."

  Li Yan'er had no choice but to run away first. At this time, the palace maid said: "I saw Wei Guogong and told him that the princess asked me to thank him."

  Jincheng walked slowly downwards, lost in thought for a moment: "Didn't he say anything?"

  "Oh, I see. He said that being a Zanbu's concubine with Princess Tufan is really the ending she wants... The palace maid looked around and lowered her voice again, "When I came back, I saw someone from the Huo country, probably going to find the Wei country's prince too."

  Jincheng said coldly, "She thinks I'm going to Tibet, so... The people in that family are just like that, they want to take everything. But she's also a fool, she's the younger sister of the prince, does she think it's possible?"

  The palace maid blurted out: "If calculated, Huo Guo is actually the niece of Wei Guogong, isn't that a close relative marrying another close relative?"

  He glanced at her and said, "You go back first, Li Yan'er is still waiting for me to play with her, I'll accompany her."

  "Yes."

  Li Yan'er shouted from a distance: "Just now I heard the eunuch say that the noble consorts are playing cuju in the back, Auntie, let's go take a look."

  Perhaps it was too exciting in the afternoon, and the women in the harem were not satisfied, so they went back to continue playing.

  Jincheng then walked north with Li Yan'er and saw Mu Zhaorong and a palace maid on the way.

  The palace maid's face was swollen on one side, her eyes were red, and she had probably just been beaten. When they saw the two princesses approaching, they stepped aside to make way.

  Li Yan'er didn't even bother to glance at them, but Jin Cheng first took a look at the disheveled palace maid, then gazed at Mu Zhaorong's face. As she passed by Mu Zhaorong, her eyes revealed a strange smile, like a cold sneer and a mocking gaze.

  Mu Zhaorong was also quite unlucky, originally from a poor family, with no power in the palace, and no one to support her, but she was given the title of Shangguan Wan'er... As a result, the people in the harem began to bully her, especially those who had been bullied by Shangguan Wan'er before, venting their anger on Mu Zhaorong.

  Everyone shunned Mu Zhaorong and only gossiped about her behind her back, bullying her. Many people who had never met Shangguan Wan'er before were also hostile towards Mu Zhaorong without any reason. Humans are indeed a strange species, afraid of being isolated yet joining in to bully others without mercy, punishing the weak for no reason... what is this proving?

  Among the women in Daming Palace, there were only a few who had never bullied Mu Zhaorong, including Princess Jincheng. Princess Jincheng had never done anything bad to Mu Zhaorong, but she didn't necessarily sympathize with her either, because even pitiful people can have hateful aspects. For example, the palace maid next to Mu Zhaorong now was weaker and had been beaten by Mu Zhaorong until she became like that.

  In that instant when he passed by Mu Zhaoyang's side, the smile in Jin Cheng's eyes contained a hint of mockery towards Mu Zhaoyang.

  Perhaps it's also self-mockery, if I hadn't been sent to Tibet soon, someone like me would make anyone else look like a yellow-faced woman, and similarly, without power, it's hard not to be envied... Even a little girl like Li Yan'er would envy me, let alone other women with ulterior motives.

  Jincheng seemed to hear the sound of thunder in the sky, thinking it was going to rain, but when she looked up, the sun was shining brightly. The clear blue sky made her wonder: should the weak just accept their fate or should they bully those who are even weaker?

  Xue Chongxun said, being a Zanpu of the Tubo with her own sister as one of the consorts, is this really the ending she wanted? The Princess of Jincheng savored these words in silence.

  He thought I was a gentle princess, trying to persuade me, to wake up in silence, betraying the shackles of common sense?

  Jincheng princess thought of this, the corner of her mouth revealed a faint smile. Xue Chongxun said he would fight for her, but she hoped that this battle was not on the court...

  At this time, the two princesses arrived at a ball court in the rear palace. Sure enough, there were some women riding horses and playing cuju, with many people watching on the side.

  Someone shouted: "Jin Cheng is here!"

  When Kim Seong looked at Lee Yeon-ah, he found her looking unhappy again. A woman with a revealing blouse grabbed Kim Seong's hand enthusiastically, and he silently lowered his head, staring at the two clasped hands. The skin of the woman in front of him was originally good, but when their hands were placed together, the woman's hand suddenly looked coarse like cowhide, and the fine lines on her skin that wouldn't normally be noticeable stood out glaringly.

  All women are fond of beauty and would like to be the most beautiful one in the world. The woman who held Jin Cheng's hand was so intimate and enthusiastic, but her heart was probably not that way.

  "This afternoon on the court, in front of all the officials and foreign envoys, Jin Cheng really showed off his skills. With so many people around, how did Weiguo Gong pick out Jin Cheng with just one glance?"

  "Jincheng changed his name, changed it to Qīng Chéng, no, it should be Qīng Guó."

  Jincheng raised his head and soon saw Princess Huo in the crowd. She said softly, "I will be going to Tubo soon... whether it's 'city-toppling' or 'country-destroying', what's the difference?"

  Many women next to them shook their heads and sighed, some sympathetically said: "That Tubo prince really got a great bargain, our Great Ming Palace has more than 10,000 beauties, but they took away the most beautiful princess of ours."

  Someone couldn't help but burst out laughing: "It's not the Tibetan prince now, the prince is already dead, it's the Tibetan Zanpu, an old man, his son can get married, how old should Zanpu be..."

  Princess Jincheng said calmly, "The Emperor said that both the prince and Zanpu are the same, in short, they can ease the border situation. I am happy to do something for the country and repay the kindness of the imperial family."

  "Look at Jin Cheng, what a good person, even more knowledgeable about etiquette than Princess Wen Cheng was back then. In the future, Jin Cheng will definitely leave his name in history, I really envy you."

  Jincheng Xindao: Alright then, you go to Tibet and leave your name in history...

  "Jincheng's precious hairpin has ruined a good young man, hehehe, every day he holds that hairpin in his arms, his heart must be broken to pieces."

  Some people deliberately cleared their throats and imitated: "Cough... I am Wei Guogong, fighting for the Golden Princess of the Great Tang!"