Chapter 508 : Appalled (2)

Shortly after finishing breakfast, Yuchen received a delivery of over ten pots of fresh flowers from the greenhouse. Among them was a fiery red camellia1 that particularly caught her eye.

Yuchen studied the camellia carefully, mesmerised by its splendid and delicate colours, as well as its graceful tree structure. Without hesitation, she nodded and praised, “Not bad.”

Upon hearing Yuchen’s praise, the greenhouse caretaker breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, “I’m glad Niangniang2 likes it.” Yuchen had discerning tastes, so it was not easy to impress her with just anything.

Yuchen summoned a maid and requested a pair of scissors. With her own hands, she meticulously trimmed the branches and leaves of the camellia, further refining its presentation. When she had finished, she instructed, “Place it in the qin room and light the incense there.” At that moment, she felt the urge to play the qin.

Just as Yuchen entered the qin room, Jing Wang3 returned to the residence. Upon hearing that Yuchen was about to play the qin, he instructed the others not to inform her of his presence, saying, “All of you, leave us.” He had been swamped during this period and had little time to spend at the residence, let alone listen to Yuchen play the qin.

With its graceful and melodious notes, the qin melody was like a mountain spring winding its way from a secluded valley, flowing gently and captivating the listener with its beauty.

As the last note of the melody faded away, Jing Wang3 lifted the curtain and entered the room.

Yuchen asked with a smile, “When did you return, Wangye4? Why didn’t you tell me?” These days, Yuchen’s life was incredibly comfortable. In the mornings, she read books, admired flowers, played the qin, painted, and practised her calligraphy. In the afternoon, she managed the household affairs. Her days were both leisurely and fulfilling.

Jing Wang3 replied, “If I had informed you of my return, how could I have enjoyed such heavenly music?” Even before their marriage, he knew her skills with the qin were exceptional, but now they had become even more refined.

Everyone loved a compliment, and a smile spread across Yuchen’s face. “Yan-er and Xia-er have been talking about you for the past few days! If you’re not busy today, you should spend some time with them.” Yuchen’s twins, now two years old, were beginning to recognise people.

The runiang5 brought the two children over. Looking at the pair, carved from powder and polished like jade6, Jing Wang3’s mood improved considerably. He spent the whole day playing with his children.

Yuchen sensed that Jing Wang3 was behaving strangely that day. As they lay down to sleep that night, she asked, “Wangye4, what is troubling you? You seem to be preoccupied with something.”

Jing Wang3 smiled bitterly and said, “Cao De has been murdered, and the Crown Prince wants to send Chen Yu to the northwest to eradicate the bandits. However, Jiufu7 has refused to agree, and I’m unsure if the disagreement will escalate.” The relationship between the Crown Prince and Jiufu7 had become increasingly hostile, and it was difficult for him as a mediator to reconcile them.

After a moment’s thought, Yuchen wondered, “Speaking of suppressing bandits, shouldn’t that be the responsibility of the Governor-General of Shaanxi and Gansu? Why would His Highness the Crown Prince send Chen Yu?” Yuchen was well aware of the underlying reasons. The Crown Prince simply distrusted Ji Xuan and was afraid that if Ji Xuan was put in charge of suppressing the bandits, he would waste resources and manpower while the bandits and horse thieves remained at large. The Crown Prince’s reasoning was sound, but it was unlikely that Song Guojiu8 and Ji Xuan would cooperate. Dispatching Chen Yu was a clear sign of distrust towards Ji Xuan, a blatant slap in Ji Xuan’s face.

Jing Wang3 felt frustrated and said, “This matter cannot be explained in a few words. Let’s just go to sleep!” He never discussed important political matters with Yuchen.

Yuchen responded with a soft ‘mm-hmm’ and said, “Then try not to dwell on it too much.” In the early days of their marriage, Jing Wang3 still had time to accompany Yuchen in appreciating flowers, reciting poetry, playing the qin, and painting. The couple was deeply affectionate, and they were the envy of everyone around them. However, ever since Jing Wang3 began assisting the Crown Prince with his duties, not only had their time for poetry and painting dwindled, but even their time to talk to each other had become increasingly scarce. Nevertheless, Yuchen was a person who knew how to entertain herself, and her days were still quite fulfilling.

The next day, Jing Wang3 left after breakfast. Yuchen spent some time with the children and then went inside to practise her calligraphy.

After seeing Yuchen finish writing a large character, Momo9 Gui spoke in a hushed tone, “Wangfei10, I have just received word that Guifei Niangniang11 desires Si Gunainai12 to return to the capital!”

Yuchen’s hand holding the brush paused, and she asked, “Why would Guifei13 suddenly think of having Si Mei14 return to the capital as a hostage?” This couldn’t happen without a reason.

Momo9 Gui replied, “It was Momo9 Ying’s suggestion. Wangfei10, Momo9 Ying and the late Momo9 Tian were sworn sisters.” This explained why Yuchen treated Momo9 Tian courteously despite her dislike for her. They may have been servants, but their relationships were deeply intertwined. Without concrete evidence and a flawless plan for dealing with them, they were absolutely untouchable.

Yuchen chuckled and remarked, “She dares to think.” With that, she picked up her brush and continued practising her calligraphy, seemingly unfazed by the news.

Seeing this reaction, Momo9 Gui quietly retreated.

As Momo9 Gui stepped out of the room, Shiqin approached her and whispered, “Momo9, the Crown Princess has sent someone to deliver cherries.” It was the cherry season.

Momo9 Gui replied, “Leave it be for now.” The Crown Prince held Jing Wang3 in high esteem, so whenever the Eastern Palace received something good, they always sent a portion to the Wangfu15.

After two-quarters of an hour, Yuchen emerged and saw the cherries inside a jade plate on the table. She softly commented, “I remember Yuxi loved eating cherries. If she were still in the capital, I could send her some. But what a pity…” Yuxi didn’t just like cherries; she liked all kinds of fruit. However, she found them too cold in winter and didn’t eat them much. Since the invention of fruit juice, Yuxi liked to squeeze fruit to drink in winter.

Momo9 Gui was at a loss for words. She couldn’t understand why her mistress was so obsessed with Yuxi!

Yuchen just mentioned it in passing with no further intention. Having said that, she asked Shiqin, “Are there any well-blooming camellias in the greenhouse?”

Shiqin nodded quickly and replied, “Yes, there are two more.” Yuchen liked to have fresh flowers in her chambers, so Jing Wang3 built a greenhouse especially for her and hired the best florist to manage it. Today, Yuchen’s greenhouse was considered one of the finest in the capital.

Sitting on the chaise longue, Yuchen calmly instructed, “Send one plant to the Crown Princess and the other to Grand Eldest Aunt.” This Grand Eldest Aunt was, of course, referring to Qiu Shi.

Hearing these instructions, Momo9 Gui guessed what Yuchen was up to and advised, “Wangfei10, are you going to tell the Old Lady about this? Wangfei10, I think it’s best if we don’t get involved!” Momo9 Gui felt that having Yuxi return to the capital might not be a bad thing. Although her animosity towards Yuxi had lessened, Momo9 Gui still had some reservations about her.

A sneer appeared at the corner of Yuchen’s mouth. “Do you think Guifei13’s idea will work? Yuxi is not stupid. If she returns to the capital, she will be trapped here for the rest of her life. Do you think she will go back to the capital?”

Momo9 Gui fell silent. Si Gunainai12 was not only not foolish, she was also extremely intelligent. If it hadn’t been for Si Gunainai12, Yun Qing wouldn’t have been able to rise to the position of Chief General of Yu City so quickly.

Surrounded by trusted confidants, Yuchen felt no need to hold back. Gazing at the cherries on the jade plate, she softly remarked, “Does she truly believe she can still control Yuxi’s life? It was easy for her to send Yuxi to the northwest back then, but to expect her to return to the capital now is nothing more than an idiot talking about his dream16! Let alone her, even the Crown Prince might be unable to do much to Yun Qing.” What did those in power fear the most? They feared rebellions led by generals with military authority. With military power in Yun Qing’s hands, even the Crown Prince must tread carefully.

Momo9 Gui didn’t refute Yuchen’s words, but she felt that Yuchen should not interfere. “Wangfei10, Si Gunainai12 is so wise; she will surely be able to resolve this crisis. Why should we intervene? If Guifei13 finds out, she will surely pick a fight with Wangfei10 again.”

Speaking of Song Guifei13, a flicker of disdain crossed Yuchen’s eyes as she asked, “Hasn’t she caused enough trouble already?” In the past, Song Guifei13 constantly harassed Yu Xiyu. However, ever since Yu Xiyu’s son died at her hands, she had become somewhat wary of Yu Xiyu and instead turned her attention to causing trouble for Yuchen.

However, Jing Wang3 was very protective of Yuchen, which infuriated Song Guifei13. In a vicious circle, the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law deteriorated. Only Yuchen didn’t care.

That may be true, but Momo9 Gui felt that it was simply not worth provoking Song Guifei13 for Yuxi’s sake.

Yuchen said, “As sisters, we should support each other when possible. If Yuxi knows in advance, she’ll be able to handle it more easily.” After saying this, she turned to her attendant Shi Qin and instructed, “You will personally deliver the camellia to the Duke’s residence and inform Grand Eldest Aunt that Guifei13 intends to summon Si Gunainai12 back to the capital.” Yuchen believed that both Qiu Shi and Han Jianming had discretion, so it wouldn’t be easy for Song Guifei13 to find out that she was the one who leaked the information.

Momo9 Gui hesitantly said, “Wangfei10, if we send the camellia to the Duke’s residence, the Old Lord will definitely be angry again.” Because Qiu Shi’s words that day had trampled on his dignity, Han Jingyan regarded her as an enemy. Earlier, Yuchen had sent some tribute items to Qiu Shi, which had caused Han Jingyan’s angry outburst. It wasn’t that he couldn’t bear to part with those things, but rather, he was deeply frustrated that Yuchen, his own daughter, was not on his side, which truly infuriated him.

Yuchen, however, responded indifferently, “If he wants to get angry, there’s nothing I can do about it. I can’t just cut ties with the Duke’s residence because I’m afraid of his anger, can I?” Yuchen eventually learned about the words that Qiu Shi had used to scold Han Jingyan that day. At that time, Yuchen was both shocked and angry. She hadn’t expected her father, whom she admired and respected, to be so selfish and self-centred.

Momo9 Gui knew that once Yuchen had made up her mind, there was no changing it. So, she stopped trying to persuade her and suggested, “Madam, why don’t we send two pots of daffodils to Jinyu Lane?” Although Han Jingyan and Qiu Shi had fallen out, Han Jingyan was still on good terms with Han Jianming. The servants of both families still interacted with each other, so it wouldn’t be difficult for the servants of the Third Branch to find out about the Duke’s residence unless it was a top secret. Therefore, Momo9 Gui suggested they also send gifts to Jinyu Lane.

Yuchen thought momentarily and then decided to add a complete set of high-quality stationery. In addition, she selected some nourishing medicinal herbs from the storeroom to send as well. Compared to these items, the camellias sent to the Duke’s residence were simply incomparable.

Momo9 Gui felt that sending too many items was unnecessary, not because she was reluctant to part with them but because she genuinely believed it was excessive. She worried that sending too many expensive gifts would create a sense of dependency in the recipients.

Yuchen, however, didn’t mind and said, “We can still afford to send these things. It’s just that the future of the Third Branch…” Yuchen didn’t continue with her words. None of her half-brothers were worthy of praise. She wondered what the Third Branch would be like in the future!