newbobooks Is Chapter 191 finally coming?
Is Chapter 191 finally coming?
The Prince of Jin turned around. His long and painstaking efforts had not been in vain. The situation in the court and the rear was gradually stabilizing. He briefly relieved his fatigue and, just like when he was a young man, lifted his robe and kicked Jingming.
"Speak up."
Seeing that his master had shown a hint of emotion for the first time in days, Jingming secretly thought that the kick he had taken was not in vain.
"Very well, then tell Consort Zhen that matters of childbirth should be left to nature. After all, she is still young, so there is no need to rush it."
Prince Jin had rather complex feelings toward Consort Zhen and the Princess.
They needed to leverage the support of both women's families while also preventing the Jiang and Tang families from becoming too powerful.
As for romantic love, it pales in comparison to that fleeting glimpse of him in the Duke of Qing's mansion when he was young...
......
In July, the sun blazed fiercely.
He, a physician from the Imperial Medical Academy, was tending to the ice basin, beads of sweat still seeping from his forehead, his heart filled with a chilling desolation.
Emperor Zhaoming grew increasingly thin, barely managing to hold on until mid-July, when he showed signs of nearing the end of his life. If not for the He family's ancestral secret medicine, his time would likely have come in the next ten days or so…
In early July, the Empress issued an imperial edict that all the concubines in the palace should go to Baohua Hall in turn to recite and copy the Diamond Sutra and the Lotus Sutra for the Emperor, and pray for the Buddha's protection.
The Prince of Jin has been ruling in his place for more than two months, and all the officials of the previous dynasty respect and admire him.
Especially regarding the matter of Prince Heng's rebellion, Prince Jin acted swiftly and unexpectedly, dispatching a surprise force from Pingzhou, led by Lord Si Xiao, the commander of Prince Jin's guards. The force was reinforced along the way in Qizhou and Yanzhou, and finally clashed head-on with Prince Heng's army in Chenliu.
The fierce battle lasted for three days, and Prince Heng and his uncle Chen Jingwu suffered repeated defeats.
As soon as the two sides engaged in battle, Prince Heng suddenly realized that the weapons and armor used by the imperial army were all of excellent quality.
Chen Jingwu, formerly a third-rank General of Guide, also showed an expression of disbelief.
He had placed people in the Ministry of War, but now he racked his brains trying to figure out when the Ministry had stockpiled such excellent military equipment without letting a single word out. Even when war broke out in the northwest and the powerful Xiongnu cavalry was facing off, these weapons and armor were not transported to the border...
Filled with doubt, Heng Wang and his nephew Chen Jingwu knew what fate awaited them if they were defeated, so they fought back stubbornly and fought to the death.
However, facing the Prince of Jin, who had been plotting and preparing for more than ten years, the Prince of Heng could not escape the fate of being captured alive.
Thanks to the substantial financial and material support from the Tang family's trading company, the morale of the Northwest army has been greatly boosted in the war against the Xiongnu, and it is believed that good news will arrive soon.
After pondering for half a day, the Prince of Jin, taking advantage of the emperor's serious illness, issued a general amnesty edict a few days ago. Of course, the Prince of Heng's treason was not included in the amnesty.
When the news reached the Prince of Jin's residence, the Princess Consort and Consort Zhen, Song Chenghui, and others were completely unaware.
Only Hua Yan, in the stillness of the night, would gaze towards the northwest through the open window of the Yunyi Palace.
He whispered in a voice only he could hear, "Is it finally coming..."
......
Officials in the capital never missed an opportunity to curry favor with the imperial family. Seeing the empress personally leading the concubines in chanting scriptures in the Baohua Hall, the families of the officials, after canceling their wedding banquets, flocked to Taoist temples and Buddhist monasteries in groups of three or five to pray for blessings.
That morning, Consort Zhen rose early to pay her respects. As soon as she returned to Yunyi Palace, she saw Jingming holding a whisk, who had been waiting for her in the side hall for a long time.
Aunt Mei smiled and instructed Donggua to bring out several plates of snacks to entertain them.
After Consort Zhen took her seat, Jingming bowed and respectfully presented her with a carved lacquer box.
Consort Zhen took the item from Hua Yan's hand and opened it with curiosity.
On the bright yellow brocade at the bottom of the box lay a jade pendant with a warm and smooth texture. When she saw the phoenix pattern on the jade pendant, she couldn't help but look up at Jingming.
Jingming said softly, "His Highness has been away from the manor for many days and has been thinking of his concubine. This Kunfeng pendant and the Qianlong pendant that His Highness always wears are a pair of pendants that symbolize harmony and unity, and together they are called the Qiankun Hehe Tongxin Pendant."
This was specially bestowed upon you yesterday by Her Majesty the Empress in recognition of Your Highness's meritorious service in caring for you during your illness. Your Highness sent me to deliver it to you this morning.
Consort Zhen's heartstrings trembled slightly, and a sweet feeling quietly grew in her heart. She carefully touched the jade pendant, "Your Highness is so thoughtful. Did you bring any other messages?"
“Reporting to Consort Zhen, His Highness instructed me to convey a message: ‘The matter of childbirth must be left to nature. Consort Zhen is still young, so there is no need to rush it.’”
Consort Zhen looked at the jade pendant with focused and gentle eyes. Upon hearing this, her face flushed slightly, and the worries and resentments of the past few days were finally smoothed out.
"Thank you for conveying this message, Your Highness. I will remember your words."
After Aunt Mei saw Jingming off, Hua Yan smiled broadly:
"Congratulations, Consort. Just as I said a few days ago, with the Prince's favor, you have nothing to worry about."
However, this honor was quite eye-catching in the eyes of the Princess and Guo Zhaoxun. Especially since the Princess was only two months pregnant, Hua Yan secretly wondered if the Prince would still treat everyone equally this time.
There were only the two women, mistress and servant, in the bedchamber. Consort Zhen stared at Kun Fengpei for a while, then noticed Hua Yan quietly embroidering a handkerchief, looking hesitant to speak.
Consort Zhen put down the jade pendant, slowly rose, moved to the window and stood there, suddenly letting out a bitter laugh:
“Hua Yan, ... How could I not know Your Highness’s feelings? I suppose it is all because of my father’s merits in the Northwest. But even if only a part of this affection comes from the heart, I will still be happy.”
Hua Yan's expression faltered slightly, her lips pressed tightly together, a pang of heartache rising in her heart. Even though she was usually rational and calm, she didn't know how to respond to her mistress's heartfelt 'humility'.
The image of the once frank and radiant Second Miss, who was most outspoken in her boudoir, now overlapped with that of the concubine before her, who smiled bitterly and said she would be happy even if there was only a trace of sincerity in her heart. This sight brought tears to Hua Yan's eyes.
Consort Zhen said to herself, "Marrying into the royal family and becoming a concubine was not my wish. But Mr. Lin once taught me that life is like a game of chess. Once a move has been made, it is difficult to take back the move and start over, no matter whether the road ahead is smooth or treacherous."
In the vast inner quarters of the Prince's mansion, and the desolate depths of the palace to come, if I no longer dare to hope for even a sliver of the Prince's true affection, what difference is there between this life of flowing water and that of a walking corpse? Rather than living a life devoid of interest, I'd rather fight for the Prince's true affection...
These words seem to be spoken to Hua Yan, but also to himself.