Chapter 168: Hello Chang’an
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Chapter 168: The Emperor's Heart Stirred
2023-04-18
"I wonder what is missing?" Chang Suining asked with apparent curiosity.
Duan Shi accurately stated what was the only missing item: "When I made a bet with Her Highness back then, we were competing in embroidery skills. At that time, both Her Highness and I embroidered a handkerchief... When the box was sealed, those two handkerchiefs were put into a small box and placed in with the rest."
At this point, Duan Shi's eyes had already become misty with tears: "It seems that Her Highness must have opened the box later... and took away that pair of ugly handkerchiefs."
Hearing the words "ugly handkerchiefs," Chang Suining was momentarily unsure how to respond.
The handkerchiefs were indeed extremely ugly, and she had indeed taken them.
Before she left for the northern marriage, she had secretly met with Meng Lie for the last time. Considering various factors, she had left him half a token, saying that if she had any matters to entrust to him in the future, she would send the other half of the token to meet him.
In truth, she knew full well the reason why the northern tribe had specifically requested her for the marriage. At that time, she didn’t believe she would survive the journey back to Da Sheng Dynasty, nor did she think the token would have any use in the future.
But facing the tearful and desperate subordinate, who was unwilling to part with her and could hardly bear the thought of losing her, she could not bring herself to openly say, "I will undoubtedly die on this trip."
So, her words back then were largely meant to soothe and reassure, and the token was merely a half-hearted comfort.
However, she feared that Meng Lie would keep the matter in his heart, and that the half-token would fall into the hands of untrustworthy people, causing trouble for her former subordinate. Therefore, to be prudent, she decided to leave the token behind instead of taking it with her to the northern lands.
That night, she dug out the box, threw the half-token inside, and sat on the ground reminiscing about the past. By chance, she took the ugly handkerchiefs with her, thinking that if she felt unhappy in the northern lands, she could take them out and mock Duan Zhenyi.
"This box is filled with so many valuable or interesting things, but Her Highness only took that pair of handkerchiefs. Isn't that because he couldn’t bear to part with me?" Duan Shi was on the verge of tears: "I knew it—although Her Highness said she didn’t want to see me, in her heart, she was still thinking of me!"
"Before Her Highness left for the marriage, I sought to meet her several times, but she refused to see me..."
"I was thinking, what’s the point of this marriage? Let that damn marriage go to hell!" Duan Shi, overcome by emotion, could no longer suppress the sorrow and regret she had carried for years: "If only Her Highness had agreed to see me, I would have thought of a way to escape the capital with her, anywhere would do..."
Saying this, she took the handkerchief from Chang Suining, wiping her tears: "Anyway, no matter where we escaped to, Her Highness would always be able to protect and support me."
Chang Suining: "..."
So after escaping, she would need to take care of her, meaning the purpose of running away together was... to make her a burden?
But at that time, Duan Zhenyi had already married and had children, yet still thought about escaping with her... Regardless of whether it was practical, the determination to abandon her husband and children for her was indeed moving.
Duan Shi now regretted deeply, crying: "I should have been more resolute back then. Even if Her Highness refused to see me, I should have climbed over the wall to see her!"
Chang Suining instinctively glanced at the high walls of the Princess's residence, thinking that the key issue was not whether one was resolute enough, but whether Duan Zhenyi could actually climb over.
Seeing Duan Shi crying harder, Chang Suining felt quite helpless.
She was someone who couldn’t cry. Every time someone cried in front of her, she never knew how to respond, which was also why she had refused to meet Duan Zhenyi before the marriage.
But unexpectedly, although Li Shang managed to avoid it, Chang Suining could not escape this situation, and now she had to endure it.
She wasn’t good at comforting others, but at this moment, saying nothing didn’t seem right either. She could only say, "Madam, please take care..."
But this didn't help at all. In fact, it seemed to remind Duan Shi of the painful reality that "the person is already dead," making her tears flow even more uncontrollably.
Chang Suining, seeing this, decided to take another approach: "Madam, that pair of handkerchiefs... might not have been taken by Her Highness, the Princess."
As she spoke, her voice was soft and slow, and she glanced hesitantly behind Duan Shi.
Although she wasn’t good at comforting people, she was always skilled at intimidation and scaring others.
That glance made Duan Shi’s scalp tingle, and her crying momentarily stopped. She lowered her voice, saying, "It couldn’t be..."
But she couldn’t help but think of the strange sound she had heard earlier. Her body stiffened, and she whispered to herself: "Such things... I don't think even a ghost would care about them..."
Chang Suining thought for a moment: "Not necessarily."
After all, the embroidery skills themselves were rather macabre, so it wouldn't be surprising if even a ghost took an interest in them.
Duan Shi seemed to think of this as well and immediately stopped feeling sad. After the servants filled the pit, she hurriedly gathered her things and left the place.
The group returned through the back door to the Princess's residence. After tidying up their clothes and brushing off the dirt from their shoes, Chang Suining supported the tearful and emotionally distraught Duan Shi as they left the residence.
Seeing Duan Shi in such a state, the maid guarding the gate of the Princess's residence felt a sense of sadness and sympathy. She wanted to offer comfort but didn't know where to begin. She could only salute and lead Duan Shi and her group out of the palace.
However, the maid began to feel something was off about the servant who had carried the box.
The box was the same, but the servant's steps and demeanor seemed strange.
As they crossed the gate of the Princess's residence, the servant had already broken into a sweat.
He had tried his best to look relaxed, but the box was filled with so many things, and the distance was just too long!
Had it not been for the fact that the box itself was light enough, he would never have been able to carry so much.
Duan Shi had been nervously watching. She had chosen the strongest-looking servant, yet he didn’t seem up to the task.
She had already imagined the terrifying scenario where the servant would collapse from exhaustion, causing the box to spill its contents—if that happened, she would have no reason to live. The next Festival would be her memorial day, and with it, the Marquis Zheng Manor would save a portion of their sacrificial offerings.
Thankfully, not only did she care about maintaining her dignity, but the servant also cared about his own, so they both managed to leave the Princess's residence without incident.
However, his trembling body and unusual complexion were hard to conceal.
The maid from the Princess's residence could no longer hide her suspicions.
"Ah, Wei De, what’s wrong with you?" Duan Shi’s surprised and concerned voice rang out. "Are you feeling unwell?"
The servant’s expression changed several times. "Replying to Madam, I’m suffering from a terrible stomach ache…"
Another servant, who had been waiting by the carriage and was unaware of the situation, quickly moved to take the box from him.
Wei De hurriedly sidestepped him, using his last bit of strength to quickly place the box into the carriage, then painfully held his stomach.
"This..." The maid from the Princess's residence could only say, "Let me take this young man to the cleansing room."
Duan Shi nodded in agreement, "Please hurry."
The servant, exhausted and not wanting to take another step, could only thank her with a flushed face before following the maid into the Princess's residence, heading for a cleansing room appointment that was entirely fabricated.
Two hours later, when the servant emerged from the Princess's residence, his trembling steps suggested he had spent three days and nights in the cleansing room.
Duan Shi watched this with a pang of guilt and decided to later add an extra five taels of silver as compensation.
However, the maid from the Princess's residence was still uneasy.
After seeing Duan Shi’s carriage leave, the maid returned to the Princess's residence, carefully inspecting both the inside and outside.
After confirming that nothing was missing, she couldn’t help but feel guilty—what had she been thinking? How could the wife of Marquis Zheng possibly come to steal from the Princess's residence?
Duan Shi had been the Princess's most beloved companion during her lifetime, and this time, she had stayed in the capital to honor the Princess's memorial instead of accompanying her ancestors' tomb-visit. How could she suspect someone with such noble intentions of doing something petty? She should be ashamed of herself.
While the maid was filled with remorse, Duan Shi, sitting in the carriage with her stolen goods, had already set aside her sorrow, now content with the fulfillment of her desires.
She squeezed Chang Suining's hand, lowering her voice to sigh, "Ning Ning, your dream was truly incredible!"
Chang Suining smiled without speaking.
She had even more incredible things to offer.
"I wonder if you could do me one more favor?" Duan Shi looked at her with a pleading expression.
"Madam, please tell me."
"If you ever dream of Her Highness again... could you ask her where she has been reborn?" A trace of longing appeared in Duan Shi's eyes.
Chang Suining paused before replying, "Since she can still appear in dreams, it seems s he hasn’t been reborn yet."
"That’s true…" Duan Shi thought for a moment, her eyes suddenly lighting up. "Then, could you tell him, if he’s going to be reborn, he should come to me!"
"?" Chang Suining instinctively glanced at her stomach, a bit alarmed.
Duan Shi laughed awkwardly, though she wanted to say that she was willing to try for Her Highness again. Still, in front of a younger person, she chose to be more modest. "It would be great if he could come to our Wei family. My son isn’t likely to marry anytime soon… and if Her Highness can’t wait, going to the second wife’s side is also a viable option."
Listening to Duan Shi’s "reincarnation plan," Chang Suining nodded as calmly as she could. "…If there’s an opportunity, I will pass on the message."
"However... it’s been over ten years. If Her Highness hasn’t been reborn yet, could there be some unfulfilled wish he still needs to accomplish?" Duan Shi mused.
"Perhaps." Chang Suining looked through the corner of the carriage curtain, her gaze lingering on the street outside.
Duan Shi then asked her to inquire, should she dream of the Princess again, about the unfulfilled wishes of the Princess.
Chang Suining nodded.
She did have unfinished business.
But she planned to settle it herself.
As the carriage passed by the Dengtai Tower, Chang Suining’s gaze lingered for a moment.
In the near future, she and Meng Lie would likely have to meet.
The wind outside the carriage had picked up, and the sunlight was once again obscured by grey clouds.
While the sky over the capital had only darkened slightly, outside the city, at the imperial tombs, rain had begun to fall.
The weather had been clear earlier in the morning, but halfway through the ancestor worship ceremony, the sky suddenly changed, and cold raindrops quickly began to fall.
Reluctantly, the Emperor, with her officials, had to leave the altar and proceed to the inner hall to continue the unfinished rites.
It wasn’t rare for it to rain during the Festival, but given the current turbulent season, this rain, which interrupted the ceremony, inevitably came to be seen as an ominous omen, a sense of foreboding that spread silently among the officials.
Once the ceremony was over, the Emperor entered the inner hall of the imperial tomb alone, silently gazing at the ancestral tablets of the Li family, placed on the altar under the incense and offerings.
She was still dressed in her ceremonial robe, her white hair adorned with the emperor’s crown, the pearls of the tassels gently swaying.
The white candles and the ever-burning lamps in the hall flickered, casting a dim, uncertain light on the Emperor’s aged yet dignified eyes.
She stood in silence for a long while before speaking in a tone that was hard to read.
"Are you all blaming me for this punishment too?"
"I have devoted myself to the Da Sheng dynasty, never acting for my own benefit or to overturn the Li family, yet I still carry countless accusations… But without me, without Ah Shang, how would the Da Sheng Dynasty have enjoyed these ten years of peace?"
"I have lost my own flesh and blood for the sake of the Da Sheng Dynasty; is it wrong that I should give all of this to those who have contributed nothing?"
Her words were questions, but the solemn and dignified tablets would never provide an answer.
She didn’t need their response. She had her own answers in her heart.
Outside, the wind and rain howled, continuing until midnight when it finally ceased.
The next morning, the royal procession began its journey back to the capital.
However, halfway through, they encountered another heavy downpour, which delayed their travel plans. The rain continued without pause, and by the time they neared the capital, the sky darkened, and the city gates were closed.
The Emperor did not urge them to continue on but instead ordered a stop at Dayun Temple for a day of rest before entering the city.
This was not an unusual occurrence; after every ancestor worship ceremony at the imperial tombs, the royal procession would typically rest at Dayun Temple for a day or two, offering incense and prayers.
The journey through the cold rain had already exhausted most of the party. Once inside the temple, they were settled in, served hot soup by the monks, and changed into dry clothes. Most people had gone to bed early.
However, Cui Jing had not rested. His wet robes had not yet been changed, and he was arranging the security and patrols with his subordinates in the corridor in front of the Main Hall.
At that moment, someone in a large cloak, holding an umbrella, approached.
Cui Jing looked over.
The person handed the umbrella to Chang Ji and walked toward Cui Jing.
"Holy Emperor has summoned General Cui after finishing matters. She requests you to go to the Heavenly Maiden Tower," Wei Shuyi relayed.
He and the other officials had just finished discussing with Holy Emperor, but Holy Emperor had not rested and, instead, braved the rain to go to the Heavenly Maiden Tower, instructing that General Cui also go.
Cui Jing nodded to acknowledge that he understood.
Wei Shuyi, however, lingered for a moment, not leaving immediately. After hesitating, he spoke again.
"General Cui, may I have a moment to speak with you?"
Cui Jing glanced at him and then turned, leading the way.
Wei Shuyi followed behind.
They reached the end of the corridor, where Cui Yuanxiang and Chang Ji, understanding their cue, stood guard not far off, exchanging subtle glances during their duties.
"What is it?" Cui Jing asked.
"I only learned today that after the Lotus Flower Banquet, Holy Emperor ordered an investigation into where Lady Chang was during early February, what she had been doing, and made sure every detail was checked... Do you know why Holy Emperor did this?"
The sound of rain outside the corridor was deafening, almost covering up Wei Shuyi's already cautious voice.
But Cui Jing heard every word clearly, and waves of unease stirred in the depths of his heart.
In the dimly lit corridor on that rainy night, Cui Jing turned to look at Wei Shuyi. "In February, she returned to the capital with you. What exactly happened in Hezhou at that time?"
He hadn’t wanted to probe into matters she had not explicitly shared, but now, he had no choice but to ask.
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