Chapter 124 An Exotic Young Woman (Part One)


    Yun Shang was lost in thought. The deep affection the Empress showed that day crossed her mind and


    her eyes grew cold. The Empress was calmer than before, but her calmness was a little frightening.


    "What? Are you afraid? You think the Empress is now unfathomable?" Prince Jing looked at the girl


    sitting opposite him. He shook his head and said, "Then why did you deliberately expose her sterility?"


    Yun Shang''s eyes fell on the teacup in front of her. She watched as the tea leaves gradually unfolded.


    She gave a wry smile and said, "So, I have to face up to what I''ve done finally. The Empress had a


    weakness. She wanted a son. She tried to please my father so that he would frequent her Pce. Now


    that she knows she can''t have children, the Empress doesn''t seem to care about which concubine my


    father favors."


    Prince Jing shook his head. "Her weakness didn''t diminish. It grew. Without hope of procreation, her


    direct connection to the Li n will be even stronger. They are now bound together for good or bad."


    Yun Shang considered that for a moment, and then asked, "You mean, we should start from the Li


    n? But the Li n''s power is spread throughout the imperial court, and they have nted their


    people in almost every Yamen*. I don''t know where to start."


    (*TN: the government office in ancient China)


    "You''ve always been smart. You can''t be at your wits end. Slight negligence may lead to great disaster.


    Just grab their weakest point and strike it with all your might. Then perhaps they would gradually


    disintegrate. What do all Emperors fear? Think it over." A thin smile yed across Prince Jing''s mouth,


    and a faint sense of peace came over him.


    ''What is it that all Emperors fear?'' Yun Shang thought as she squinted. Suddenly, a noise came from


    downstairs, and she raised her eyebrows. "They''reing?" Then she got up and went to the window


    to look out. A procession could be seen in the distance. About twenty guards were at the front, followed


    by five splendid carriages, and behind them, several carriages withrge boxes followed. Finally


    another fifty or sixty guards walked behind the procession.


    "They''re finally here. I wonder if the person in the carriage is the real Cangjue Qingsu or an impostor."


    Yun Shang murmured to herself.


    Prince Jing walked up to her and looked at the slow procession. The people in the procession were all


    dressed in the clothes of the State of Yng, giving them a wild beauty. "Now that they have arrived at


    the Imperial City, he will be in the carriage."


    The curtain of the second carriage was pulled open, and an enchanting face came into the sight of


    onlookers. The woman had thin eyebrows, big brown eyes, a Roman nose, and slightly pouty lips. At


    one nce, men were enchanted with her beauty. The crowd immediately gave a gasp of admiration.


    The young woman, who seemed perfectly satisfied with the sensation she had caused, closed the


    curtain with a smug smile.


    "What a beautiful woman! I didn''t hear that the State of Yng sent the Princess. Who is this woman?"


    Yun Shang''s eyebrows knitted together in a little frown. ''It would be interesting if she were a Princess...''


    Prince Jing turned to the table and sat down. "She''s the sworn daughter of the Chief Councilor of the


    State of Yng."


    The daughter of the Chief Councilor of the State of Yng? Yun Shang pondered to herself for a


    moment. The Chief Councilor had a special ce in the State of Yng. He had high authority but no


    real power, and his only responsibility was to supervise the sovereign. Why did the daughter of the


    Chief Councilore to the State of Ning?


    Seeing Yun Shang''s face, Prince Jing knew what she was thinking, "Bringing a woman has no other


    purpose except intermarriage. As she is not as noble as a Princess, the intermarriage is more flexible.


    She could marry the Emperor, royalty, or ministers."


    Yun Shang nodded. "She doesn''t look like a person to be trifled with. I think our state will be busy for a


    long time."


    A loud sound echoed through the room. Hearing the knock at the door, Prince Jing raised his voice,


    "Come in."


    The door was pushed open, and Qian Yin and Wang Shui entered. "Your Highnesses, the envoys of


    the State of Yng, are approaching the Pce gate. It''s time."


    Prince Jing nodded and stood. "Come on, let''s go to the Pce together. I will go to Jinluan Hall after


    sending you back to Qingxin Pce."


    Yun Shang consented and followed him downstairs. She walked through the door, and found a carriage


    waiting. They rode to the Pce gate in silence.


    Back at Qingxin Pce, Yun Shangy on the couch, unwilling to move. Qin Yi walked in, took out the


    hairpin from her head, and whispered, "Your Highness, while you were out, I saw a eunuch who is in


    charge of cleaning outside the Pceing out of the inner Hall. I did note forward for fear of


    rming him. Iter found out that the eunuch''s elder brother had been Lady Lan''s eunuch. And after


    Lady Lan died, his brother had been taken away by Lady Fu."


    Lady Fu... Yun Shang was in a daze, and it took her some time to remember that Lady Fu was the


    Empress''s sister, Li Fuyi. She hadn''t heard anything about Lady Fu in a long time.


    "What has Lady Fu been doingtely?" Yun Shang looked up and asked Qian Yin.


    Qian Yin promptly answered, "Lady Fu has been well-behavedtely. His Majesty hasn''t been to her


    Pce this month, and she often apanies Lady Ming, helping her copy Buddhist scriptures or


    something simr."


    "Oh?" Yun Shang arched a brow. "The Empress never looked for her?"


    Qian Yin nodded and replied, "The Empress has had little contact with Lady Fu other than daily


    greetings."


    ''They''re sisters, but they''re like strangers. This ispletely unnatural... Besides, she is a restless


    woman. She doesn''t seem to be in a hurry, even though my father hasn''t been to her Pce for so


    long. She must be up to something, '' Yun Shang thought.


    "Keep an eye on the eunuch, and on Lady Fu. If anything happens, report to me immediately." Yun


    Shang ordered in a deep voice.


    "Yes." Qian Yin answered, nodding.


    "Lady Ya." The greeting could be heard inside the chamber. Yun Shang narrowed her eyes and sat up


    straight.


    "Is Princess Hui Guo in her Pce?" A soft voice as fresh as a gentle breeze was heard next.


    Yun Shang stood to greet Lady Ya with a smile, "You are here, Lady Ya. I''ve been thinking about asking


    you to teach me how to dance, but I always feel dizzy in spring and fatigue in autumn. I didn''t expect


    Lady Ya toe here."


    Lady Ya smiled and said gently, "I''m sorry for disturbing you, Your Highness. You were very kind to me


    in the garden the other day, and I wanted to be close to you. I was d to hear that you asked me to


    teach you to dance. I''ve been waiting, but you didn''te, so I came here."


    Yun Shang was pleased to see that Lady Ya was not as supercilious as the otherdies. "It''s my fault.


    Please sit down, Lady Ya."Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    A maid helped Lady Ya to sit down, and Qin Yi hastened to bring tea. Yun Shang smiled at her green


    clothes. The color was lively and reminded her of the vitality of spring. "This is osmanthus tea made


    from the osmanthus fragrans that were driedst year. Try it and see if it is to your taste, Lady Ya."


    Hearing this, Lady Ya smiled gently. She picked up the teacup, blew a few times, and took a sip. "My


    mouth is full of fragrance now, " said Lady Ya graciously.


    Then she put down her teacup and looked at Yun Shang. "I grew up in a small town. There are so


    many rules in the Pce that I feel a bit out of ce. That day I found you to be a forthright person, so I


    want to be closer to you. Your Highness, Qingxin Pce looks very elegant."


    Yun Shang gave a faint smile and said, "Lady Ya, if you like it here,e any time."


    "Don''t be so nice to me, Your Highness, or else I''ll take you seriously, " said Lady Ya. She giggled and


    covered her mouth.


    "I wouldn''t have invited you if I didn''t mean it. Don''t you believe me, Lady Ya?" asked Yun Shang. She


    noticed some teasing in Lady Ya''s smile.


    "Howe?" Lady Ya smiled and looked at Yun Shang. "This morning when I went to pay my respects


    to Her Majesty, she told me that you were a very agreeable person and that you liked my dancing very


    much. So she asked me toe here more often. I was afraid you might not like to be disturbed. Now


    it seems that I was overthinking."


    Yun Shang squinted and thought, ''The Empress sent her here. Anyhow, I''m still a thorn in the


    Empress''s side.''


    "Her Majesty really cares about me. When I am free, I will learn dancing from you, Lady Ya."


    Lady Ya raised her hand and covered her mouth with an embroidered handkerchief, and said, "Then I


    won''t bother you anymore. I''m going to take my leave."


    Yun Shang gave her a nod. Then Lady Ya got up and went to the door, but as she reached, she


    stopped as though she had just thought of something. She turned to Yun Shang, "I heard that besides


    osmanthus fragrans, making tea with plum blossoms is also very unique. The plum blossom in the


    Empress''s Pce is still in bloom. Your Highness, if you like the smell of plum blossoms, you may ask


    someone to pluck several branches." Then she left.