When Xie Jingchen left the Agarwood Pavilion, the sky had just turned dark.
By the ti he returned to the Agarwood Pavilion, the horizon already showed a trace of dawn.
Having run around all night, he lay down exhausted next to Su Jin.
Usually, Xie Jingchen always woke up earlier than Su Jin.
This day, Su Jin woke up, and Xie Jingchen was still sound asleep.
Su Jin lay in Xie Jingchen’s arms, her nose filled with a faint scent of fresh grass mixed with a hint of dicinal aroma.
Su Jin really liked this scent.
But as soon as she lifted her head, she saw Xie Jingchen’s face.
Su Jin, "...!!!"
Indeed.
Her heart shuddered fiercely.
It’s like soone beating a drum beside you, shocking you awake from a sound sleep.
Went out perfectly fine at night, how returned with such severe injuries?!
Xie Jingchen was holding Su Jin, and as she suddenly sat up, Xie Jingchen woke from his deep sleep.
Su Jin looked at him and asked, "Who beat you like this?"
"It was Father-in-law," Xie Jingchen replied sullenly.
"...."
Su Jin was stunned.
How could it be her father who did it?
Su Jin looked at Xie Jingchen’s face, her brow furrowed tightly.
Was it due to failing to think of a solution and then going to Marquis Dongxiang to ask for trouble and got beaten up?
When the Emperor asks, could he say Marquis Dongxiang beat him until his head stopped working so he couldn’t co up with a solution?
Su Jin’s mouth twitched.
"How did you co up with such a rotten idea?" Su Jin asked.
"But it might work."
Xie Jingchen looked at Su Jin, bewildered.
Just as Xingxing pushed the door open, Su Jin hurriedly said, "Bring the dicine box."
"Did the lady get hurt?" Xingxing quickly stepped forward.
She was carrying a copper basin, and seeing Xie Jingchen’s appearance, she nearly dropped it.
Hurriedly putting the copper basin down, Xingxing brought the dicine box.
Su Jin helped apply dicine on Xie Jingchen again.
anwhile, at the Palace, Princess Jiuling woke up.
A maid attended to Princess Jiuling’s dressing.
Another maid tidied the bed.
When the maid flipped the quilt, she found a letter under the pillow.
Half of the letter was exposed.
The maid took out the letter and said, "Princess, where should this letter be placed?"
Letter?
Princess Jiuling turned around and saw the maid holding a letter.
The envelope was plain, with no inscriptions.
But there were signs of tearing at the flap.
Princess Jiuling’s heart trembled fiercely.
How could there be a letter under her pillow?
Moreover, she knew nothing about it!
Had soone slashed her with a knife at midnight, would she even live?!
"Give the letter," Princess Jiuling said.
Taking the letter from the maid’s hand, Princess Jiuling hurriedly opened it.
After glancing at it, a glimr of light appeared on Princess Jiuling’s pale face.
"Quick, assist with dressing. I must enter the Palace!"
Political Discussion Hall.
The Emperor sat on the Dragon Chair, rubbing his temples.
Yesterday, the officials submitted a morial suggesting the Emperor send Princess Jiuling back to Nanliang with the Nanliang Envoy.
Today in the morning court, they started urging the Emperor.
The Emperor sat on the Dragon Chair, not listening to a single word.
He assigned the task to Xie Jingchen, expecting his reply before the morning court, but he was nowhere to be seen.
The Emperor sat on the Dragon Chair, growing increasingly irritated.
The Left Minister stood nearby, noticing the Emperor was distracted, he called, "Emperor?"
The Emperor did not hear him.
Eunuch Fu whispered, "Emperor...."
The Emperor ca back to his senses.
Just then, a raspy voice called out, "Nanliang Envoy has arrived!"
The Nanliang Envoy entered the Palace again to plead with the Emperor to allow Princess Jiuling to return to the Capital.
The fake illness of Princess Jiuling could not fool the Nanliang Envoy.
Nanliang anticipated Princess Jiuling’s move, bringing along an Imperial Physician.
One pulse check would reveal the truth.
Poisoning Princess Jiuling was certainly not an option; being the Nanliang Princess in Daqi, poisoning her would make it impossible to keep her here.
Having stayed only a few days, she got poisoned; staying longer, she might lose her life.
After a day, the Nanliang Envoy’s attitude beca much tougher.
In short, Daqi’s refusal to let Princess Jiuling leave was tantamount to breaking their promise.
If Daqi intended to ignite warfare, Nanliang was ready to respond fully.
In the Daqi court, the Nanliang envoy spoke audaciously; the civil and military officials wished to throw him out.
More than half of the court officials advised the Emperor, naturally not helping him counter Nanliang.
The remaining half chose silence, keeping themselves out of it.
The Emperor was isolated, on the verge of succumbing to the pressure, when suddenly—
A little eunuch whispered a few words to Eunuch Fu.
Eunuch Fu quickly looked at the Emperor and said, "Emperor, Princess Jiuling is outside the hall; she wishes to speak a few words."
The Emperor furrowed his brows.
The Political Discussion Hall was for state affairs, won were not permitted to enter freely.
But Princess Jiuling requested; the Emperor nodded, "Let her in."
Supported by the maid’s hand, Princess Jiuling walked in.
The civil and military officials all turned to look at her.
Princess Jiuling walked forward, bowed to the Emperor.
The Emperor said, "Why has my Imperial Sister entered the Palace?"
Princess Jiuling responded promptly, "Imperial Brother is troubled over my affairs, how can I not enter the Palace?"
With that, she glanced towards the Nanliang Envoy, asking, "Do any of the envoys recognize Prince Jing’s handwriting?"
The Nanliang Envoy quickly replied, "We recognize it."
Princess Jiuling then took out the letter from her sleeve for the Nanliang Envoy to peruse.
After a glance or two at the letter, the Nanliang Envoy’s brows furrowed tightly.
The letter passed around the Nanliang Envoy’s hands.
"This is Prince Jing’s handwriting...."
The Nanliang envoys looked at each other.
They truly did not anticipate Prince Jing would write such a letter.
The letter declared that Princess Jiuling had asked Prince Jing multiple tis to send her back to Daqi for a family visit; Prince Jing promised several tis, then reneged.
In desperation, Princess Jiuling had Prince Jing write a written promise not to go back on his word.
This letter was written eight months ago.
The letter promised to send Princess Jiuling back to Daqi within half a year, otherwise, she’d be free to decide.
Clearly.
Prince Jing broke his promise.
Ti and again he reneged, fattening himself on dishonesty; Princess Jiuling’s hosickness grew, leading her to sneak back to Daqi.
If Prince Jing had kept his promise, would there have been so many issues?
With a letter like this, the bla for Princess Jiuling’s sneak return to Daqi could be shifted to Prince Jin of Nangang.
If it wasn’t technically a sneak return, then staying a few extra days didn’t matter.
Prince Jin of Nangang made the first mistake; even if she had to go back, he should personally co to Daqi to fetch Princess Jiuling back.
Such a roundtrip would consu twenty days easily.
The Nanliang Envoy was troubled, he looked at Princess Jiuling and said, "Prince Jing never told us he promised to send the Princess Consort back to Daqi."
"The Princess Consort didn’t ntion the letter either."
"Is the letter truly Prince Jing’s?"
Princess Jiuling’s brows furrowed, "What does the envoy an by this?!"
"Are you doubting the authenticity of this letter?!"
"For the sake of the Prince’s reputation, I hesitated to produce this letter, exposing his dishonest acts, yet the envoy suspects of deceit."
"Does the envoy believe anyone in Daqi court can mimic Prince Jing’s handwriting?!"
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