Chapter 22: The Grand Princess

Not long after Mu Ling returned to the Grand General’s residence, Lang Yi arrived with the little princess and King Jing.

“Sister-in-law, I just heard that you saved the old lord’s life again today. How are you so amazing?” The little princess looked at her with admiration in her eyes.

“Alright,” Mu Ling didn’t want to dwell on that, “I’ll send you into the space now; there’s something I need your help with. Once you’re in the space, you must carefully examine everything from the Duke of Loyalty and Courage’s residence… including every single piece of paper. Remember, do not overlook even a small note. If you find anything suspicious, report it to me immediately.”

Hearing that she could help her sister-in-law, the little princess was filled with a sense of pride and patted her chest confidently, “Don’t worry, I’ll complete the mission!”

“Ling’er, what about you? Aren’t you going into the space? Do you want me to stay with you?” Jun Mohan was still worried about Mu Ling’s health.

“I’ll first go see my grandfather, and then I’ll look for you.”

King Jing also assured Mu Ling, “Sister-in-law, you don’t need to worry; we’ll work diligently.”

Mu Ling simply smiled lightly, then with a thought, she sent the few of them into the space. She still had to discuss the two princesses with her grandfather. She felt strongly that these two princesses were the “destined girls” for her uncles, and she had to seize the opportunity for them.

Back in the palace, Emperor Jun returned to see the Grand Princess still kneeling at the gates of Yangxin Hall. He felt inexplicably irritable and did not allow her to rise, instead frowning and coldly asking, “What are you doing?”

“Father, I heard that Concubine Qi…”

“If you’ve come to speak of this, then you might as well go back. I’m tired; let’s discuss this during the palace banquet tomorrow.”

The Grand Princess never expected her father to be so indifferent to her. In the past, even if she had knelt for such a long time, as long as she spoke softly and sweetly to him, he would always respond with a smile.

After she finished speaking, she angrily walked into the main hall and saw Empress Chu sitting in the high position, looking cold and indifferent…

“Your son pays respects to the Empress, may the Empress have long life!”

“Wanting, I heard that you knelt in Yangxin Hall for several hours today, and now you come to Fengxi Palace. Is there something you want to discuss?”

The Empress Chu’s voice, which used to be gentle, was now filled with a distance that pushed others away.

“Empress, your son does not know what crime Concubine Qin has committed. But… may I request that you let Concubine Qin go for now? After all, there is a palace banquet tomorrow, and I would like to see…”

The Empress raised her hand to interrupt her, her voice still cold and distant, “Is that what you came for? Alright, since you’ve come to the palace to plead, it would be inappropriate for the palace to refuse. Tomorrow, let your Concubine Qin attend the palace banquet. After all, it is a festive occasion, and she should be present.”

Jun Wanting was overjoyed. The Empress was indeed foolish; as long as she asked, she would definitely agree.

She secretly chuckled at the Empress’s foolishness, but on her face, she wore a grateful smile, kneeling down sincerely to bow to Empress Chu.

“Your daughter thanks the Empress, may the Empress have long life!”

Impatient, Empress Chu waved her hand, “Alright, if there is nothing else, you may go back. The palace will not keep you any longer.”

“But Empress…” Jun Wanting wanted to tell Empress Chu that she wanted to see Concubine Yi right now, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she saw that the Empress was already getting up to leave, so she had to swallow her words back down.

“Your Majesty, why did you agree to her?” Nurse Liu asked in confusion after Jun Wanting left.

Empress Chu smiled slightly, “What’s so strange about it? The palace just wants her to see for herself that the Emperor’s son is living well and even married such a good daughter-in-law.”

Nurse Liu understood and murmured, “Who would have thought that the seemingly modest Concubine Qin would turn out to be so ruthless? It’s a pity that the Empress has treated her well for so many years; she’s truly an ungrateful wolf.”

Empress Chu sighed lightly, “Once a person is blinded by power, they can do anything, no longer caring about familial affection. All that remains in their heart is intrigue and calculation.”

“By the way, Nurse Liu, have the outfits made for Ling’er been completed? Please send them to her early tomorrow. That Su San is so blind and foolish that she won’t prepare clothes for that child. We can’t let Ling’er go to the banquet without clothes.”

Speaking of Su San, Nurse Liu also felt puzzled. Having lived for so many years, she had never seen a master who treated a concubine’s child as a treasure while neglecting their own flesh and blood.

“Your Majesty, you said we all know that the so-called master spoke of disaster stars and fortune stars, which is nothing but nonsense. But how can Lady Hou believe it so firmly? Sometimes, I even suspect that Lady Hou has a problem with her brain!”

Empress Chu laughed, “The palace is truly grateful for this blind and foolish lady from the Hou family. If she weren’t so foolish, how could the palace have such a good daughter-in-law?!”

Nurse Liu wholeheartedly agreed with the Empress’s statement, laughing along, “Indeed, the Crown Princess is not only beautiful but also kind-hearted. I heard today that the Crown Princess saved the Duke of Zhen Nanwang. It was said that the Duke was on the verge of death, and the Emperor had left the palace. Later, the Emperor requested the Crown Princess, which saved the old duke’s life. It is said that the old duke is now recovering well; our Crown Princess is truly impressive.”

Empress Chu nodded, “The old duke’s illness was reported to me by the Emperor. I really didn’t expect Ling’er to be so skilled in medicine. By the way, let’s find a time to visit Longyan Temple; we should go and burn some incense to thank the Buddha for sending Ling’er to our Jun family. Ever since Ling’er came to our house, we have been receiving good news every day. Have you noticed that the third prince and Qing’er both really like their imperial sister-in-law? Especially Qing’er, who has been clamoring to stay at the General’s residence. Isn’t it true that today she hurried off to find her imperial sister-in-law again?”

The more Empress Chu spoke, the happier she became, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt she should go and burn incense for the Buddha.