CHAPTER 196: CHAPTER 196 DAUGHTER

In the morning, warm sunlight entered the room, scattering golden flecks everywhere.

Su Jin woke up.

Sitting up in bed, she was stretching lazily.

Xingxing brought in a copper basin, happily saying, "Miss, you’re up."

Su Jin threw off the covers, got out of bed, freshened up, and sat at the dressing table, allowing Xingxing to help her with her hair and makeup.

When Xie Jingchen returned to the room for breakfast, he saw Xingxing fussing about Su Jin, saying, "Miss, you look truly beautiful in this outfit."

Indeed, not bad.

Xie Jingchen gave an internal compliment.

Su Jin smiled and said, "Since I’m entering the palace, I need to dress a bit more luxuriously."

Xie Jingchen, "...."

"Why are you going to the palace?" His voice slightly drifted.

Su Jin glanced at him and said, "The Emperor helped me with such a big favor; I must go to the palace to thank him."

Xie Jingchen, "...."

He raised his hand to massage his forehead.

The Emperor might be willing to help her, but it doesn’t mean he wants her to enter the palace.

Why does she lack this awareness?

Su Jin didn’t know how many times she had seen him massaging his forehead.

Just to enter the palace and say thank you?

What’s with this expression?

"Do you feel dizzy?" Su Jin blinked and said.

"Do you want me to give you a couple of acupuncture needles?" she asked.

"I’m fine, just suddenly felt the palace shake," Xie Jingchen spoke seriously.

"...."

Shake... shake?

Su Jin rolled her eyes angrily.

It’s one thing to disparage her.

But to use such a fresh and refined way to disparage her.

She didn’t even know what to reply.

Could only silently resolve to prove to Xie Jingchen that she doesn’t cause trouble every time she enters the palace.

She might not even—

be able, to, enter, the, palace!

After breakfast, after paying morning respects at Qihao Hall, Su Jin took Xingxing directly to the Imperial Palace.

Then, the guard at the gate stopped them.

This time, the guard’s stop was firm and thorough.

Xingxing lifted the carriage curtain and said to the guard, "It’s my Miss who wants to enter the palace."

Stopping precisely your Miss.

The guard gave a firm internal reply.

"Quickly clear the way," Xingxing urged.

The guard asked, "Is the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion entering the palace to express gratitude to the Emperor?"

"Yes," Xingxing replied.

"Then please return," the guard said.

"...."

"Why?" Xingxing asked in confusion.

"Yesterday, the Emperor sent a eunuch with a message that if the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion is entering the palace to give thanks, it’s unnecessary," the guard stood up straight and said.

Su Jin, "...."

Xingxing persisted with, "Why?"

"Because Princess Shouning slipped on soap yesterday and dislocated her arm," the guard explained.

"...."

"Princess Shouning really is unfortunate," Xingxing said sympathetically.

"...."

"But luckily, my Miss can treat dislocations," Xingxing said cheerfully.

The guard’s mouth twitched uncontrollably.

Princess Shouning’s dislocation from yesterday has already healed by now.

Even if it hadn’t, letting the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion treat it might just render the whole arm useless.

At this time—

Another carriage came by.

Coincidentally, it was also from the Duke Zhen’s mansion.

Inside was Xie Jinyu, who came to visit Princess Shouning.

The guard let them pass.

Xingxing was furious, "Miss Xu gets to enter, but my Miss cannot?"

The guard nodded, "It was the Emperor’s command; we’re just following orders."

Previously they used the Emperor to pressure the Empress Dowager, but now that the Emperor and the Empress Dowager are conspiring together, if they let someone through, the Empress Dowager would chop off their heads.

It’s a matter of life and death, how could they be careless?

Xingxing looked at Su Jin, not knowing what to do.

Su Jin smiled faintly, "Let’s go back."

The coachman turned the carriage around and left slowly.

The guard breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Fengyang Pavilion.

Princess Shouning had her arm in a sling, and the palace maid was feeding her.

In a bad mood, Princess Shouning raised her hand and knocked the bowl out of the palace maid’s hands.

A clattering sound spread.

"Princess, please calm down," the palace maid knelt on the ground, shivering.

Xie Jinyu entered, feeling heartache, "How did it get so serious?"

Princess Shouning was sulking.

The palace maid said, "It’s not too serious, just a bruise on the arm. The Imperial Physician was just afraid she’d move it around, so he bandaged it. It’ll be fine in a few days."

"It’s good that it’s not serious. I just entered the palace and ran into that female bandit at the palace gate," Xie Jinyu said.

"She came to the palace again?!" Princess Shouning asked angrily.

Xie Jinyu covered her mouth, laughing, "How could she? She was stopped by the guards."

"Guards could stop her?!" Princess Shouning clenched her teeth.

Xie Jinyu laughed, "This time, it was the Emperor who ordered the guards to stop her. The Emperor doesn’t want her in the palace anymore."

"How is it my father?" Princess Shouning was a bit surprised.

"Of course, it’s the Emperor. After all, you are the Emperor’s daughter, not someone that female bandit could compare to. If the Emperor had known the soap would make you fall, he certainly wouldn’t have helped that female bandit," Xie Jinyu said confidently.

Princess Shouning liked hearing this, and her previously angry mood improved.

Her fall could make her father reconsider and henceforth stay away from that female bandit, then her fall wasn’t in vain.

Chaohua Palace.

The Emperor, in a Dragon Robe, was staring absentmindedly at a painting on the wall.

The painting depicted an incomparably beautiful woman.

With exquisite features, soft disposition, and alluring in her words and presence.

As serene as a pine in an empty valley, as radiant as the rosy clouds reflecting off a clear pond, as divine as the moon shining on a cold river.

Eunuch Fu stood outside the palace gate while a little eunuch whispered a few words in his ear.

Eunuch Fu asked, "How long has the Emperor been inside?"

"Not quite two quarters of an hour," the little eunuch replied.

Eunuch Fu sighed.

This place gets exhausting.

Every time the Emperor returns, he’s in low spirits for half a day.

He quietly stepped inside.

He walked very lightly, as if the slightest pressure would disturb the Emperor’s meeting with the lady in the painting.

He stepped forward, softly calling, "Your Majesty, it’s time for us to return."

The Emperor didn’t respond.

Or rather, he simply didn’t hear.

Eunuch Fu said a few more words.

Eunuch Fu felt as if those words were swirling around, bypassing the Emperor.

Eunuch Fu, "...."

Eunuch Fu felt thoroughly drained.

He didn’t dare speak loudly, but in a low voice, the Emperor couldn’t hear him. What should he do?

At this moment—

A breeze came in, and the painting fluttered a bit.

The Emperor snapped out of his daze, and Eunuch Fu couldn’t help but ask, "Your Majesty, you’ve been absent-minded for a while. What were you thinking about?"

The Emperor gazed at the painting deeply.

After a while, he murmured, "Last night, I dreamed Consort Yun bore me a daughter."

Eunuch Fu felt a pang in his nose.

That gentle, tender woman, so tragically unlucky, died with her child.

If the little princess truly lived in this world.

With the Emperor’s love for Consort Yun.

He would surely spoil the little princess beyond measure.

Eunuch Fu lifted his hand to wipe away a tear, but the Emperor’s next words shocked his tears away.

"Am I too eager to steal Marquis Dongxiang’s daughter?" the Emperor asked.

"Why do you say that, your Majesty?" Eunuch Fu replied in confusion.

"In the dream, the daughter Consort Yun and I had was her."

"....!!!"

Eunuch Fu was stunned.

Your Majesty.

Don’t scare me like that.

With Consort Yun’s gentle nature, how could she give birth to a daughter as unruly as the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion?

Even in a dream.

There’s definitely been a mix-up with the child!