"Today's luck is not bad," Hua Liuli held the birthday spinning tops and lucky dolls given to her by the vendors and said to Hua Changkong, "To receive such gifts on the first day of the Lunar New Year means we'll have good fortune throughout the year."
"Hmm, you're right, little sister," Hua Changkong reached out and touched the spinning top and lucky dolls, then sat cross-legged with a serious expression.
"Do you sense anything?" Hua Changkong asked.
"Those people are after me," Hua Liuli said, a little puzzled, "According to normal thinking, even if someone wanted to retaliate against the Hua family, their main target should be you, not me, as people always think that sons are the pillars of the family, so it doesn't make sense to ignore the son and only target the daughter."
Hua Changkong replied, "You truly are my dear sister."
"Of course," Hua Liuli put the spinning top and dolls aside and poured a cup of tea for Hua Changkong, "Do you have a sister closer to you than me?"
"Everyone knows that the Hua family hasn't had a daughter born for three generations. You are the only little flower sprout in a hundred acres of forest. It's possible to target you as a top priority since rarity holds value," Hua Changkong picked up the teacup and took a sip, "Our parents had three sons, so I'm no longer a rarity."
Hua Liuli furrowed her brow. Could it be that the Jinpo Kingdom had covertly dispatched someone to seek revenge? But the Second Prince of Jinpo Kingdom was still held in Great Jin as a hostage, and their Emperor had signed a surrender letter, effectively ending the war. If something were to happen to her, wouldn't the Jinpo Kingdom fear the wrath of Great Jin, ultimately leading to their own defeat?
Even if they weren't afraid of their Second Prince dying in Great Jin, they should still fear Great Jin launching another attack. What was the purpose of sending someone to ambush her now? Did they feel that the punishment inflicted by the Hua family wasn't enough?
This didn't align with Jinpo Kingdom's current interests. The frightened Emperor of the Jinpo Kingdom wouldn't dare to do such a thing.
"Did you offend someone in the capital?" Hua Changkong recalled the events of the past month and glanced at his sister's expression cautiously, "Did you have a conflict with any young ladies?"
"People's thoughts are inscrutable; who can truly understand how others perceive me," Hua Liuli shook her head, "The young ladies in the capital have diverse personalities, but they are all very astute. Even if they harbor grievances, it would only lead to petty conflicts. They wouldn't stoop to such actions."
The interpersonal relationships in the capital were extremely complex, making it highly unlikely for someone to attempt a public abduction without expecting to be quickly exposed. Even the most impulsive Jiamin Junzhu wouldn't do such a foolish thing.
"Have you ever considered that you might have earned someone's resentment by thwarting their plan to assassinate the Crown Prince?" Hua Changkong speculated another possibility, "You inadvertently disrupted the plot to assassinate Lin Huizi, aided the Crown Prince in capturing the assassin, and also unintentionally saved Tian Ruidong's life a few days ago."
"Isn't all of this just a coincidence?" Hua Liuli felt a little aggrieved. She had sensed something was off about that palace maid and acted on it. Should she have let her approach the Crown Prince?
If something were to happen to the Crown Prince right under their noses, how big of a trouble would it be? Moreover, the Crown Prince was handsome and attentive. How could she just stand by and watch him get hurt?
"Try to stay indoors as much as possible until our parents return to the capital," Hua Changkong advised, "If you want to go out, take Yuan Yi and Yu Rong with you."
"Alright," Hua Liuli nodded. Since then, she openly declined all the invitations for the beginning of the new year.
However, Hua Changkong couldn't be as leisurely as Hua Liuli. He not only had to visit families with whom his parents had connections but also engage with scholarly students, keeping himself occupied.
He had participated in the autumn imperial examinations in Qinghan Prefecture, where conditions were harsh, and the overall level of the scholarly students was lower compared to other regions. Despite his impressive performance in the examinations, he was still considered average among the scholarly students in the capital.
Some scholars specifically instructed their juniors to take care of Hua Changkong. Initially, these juniors did it to appease their seniors and elders, but after truly interacting with Hua Changkong, they were won over by his charisma and became genuine friends.
The younger generation in the capital had limited knowledge about the Hua family. They were unaware that if the Hua family sincerely sought friendship, they could easily gain the favor of others.
In just a month, even those scholars who didn't hold a favorable view of the Hua family didn't hesitate to praise Hua Changkong.
At the same time, they also lamented in their hearts how such a talented scholar ended up being from the Hua family. It was truly a case of the heavens being blind.
"I heard that the Hua siblings encountered some villains yesterday and almost got abducted, but fortunately, the vendors and commoners around helped and prevented the villains from succeeding."
"No wonder the capital has strengthened its guard today. I heard those villains weren't ordinary people; they were assassins."
"That's too dangerous. Thankfully, the Hua siblings are safe."
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Madam Du took her daughter to visit her maiden family. Since her Second Brother was married to Princess Shunan and resided in the Princess's residence, they also returned to the Yao family's ancestral home.
Princess Shunan briefly sat in front of the elders and then left. As an Imperial Princess1"皇家公主" (huángjiā gōngzhǔ) means "royal princess" or "imperial princess," denoting a princess who belongs to the imperial family or holds a high-ranking position within the royal hierarchy. It signifies the noble and privileged status of a princess within the context of a monarchy. In this case. this Imperial Princess is the current Emperor's sister and the previous Emperor's daughter., even sitting for a short while was considered a face-saving gesture towards the elders.
The Yao family had more daughters than sons, so the women of the family gathered together to discuss the interesting events happening in the capital, finding solace in being together rather than venturing outside.
Jiamin Junzhu had a high status among the younger generation in the family, so they sought to please her. Aware of her dislike for Hua Liuli, their words carried a subtle tone of sarcasm.
"Who knows if Hua Liuli has provoked someone outside?"
"Exactly. That kind of scheming woman..."
"Stop speaking ill of others," Du Xiuying stood up, her expression turning cold, "The Hua family has been fighting on the battlefield for generations, not for you to mock their daughter."
The few young girls who had been badmouthing Hua Liuli had slightly displeased expressions.
Du Xiuying didn't want to argue with them and turned to leave.
"Du Xiuying," Jiamin Junzhu called her, raising her chin, "Are you intentionally creating disputes with me?"
Knowing that she didn't approve of Hua Liuli, Du Xiuying's support for Hua Liuli was clearly causing a rift between them.
Du Xiuying turned back and furrowed her brow at Jiamin Junzhu, "Anyone who doesn't cater to your every whim is deemed to have a problem with you. Unfortunately, there are far too many people in this world who can't get along with you."
Jiamin Junzhu's complexion changed as she struggled to respond. After a moment, she said, "Spare me your lectures. Do you not know how close the Crown Prince is to her?"
"What does it have to do with me?" Du Xiuying retorted.
"Don't you know..."
Du Xiuying turned and walked away, completely ignoring Jiamin Junzhu's attempt to finish her sentence.
Enraged, Jiamin Junzhu muttered under her breath and said with a stern face, "With such behavior, she wants to marry into the imperial family? Maybe in the next life."
"You said those criminals are assassins?" After reading the case report, the Prefect of Jingzhao shook his head while holding a teacup, "We can't handle this case. Let's transfer it to the Ministry of Justice."
"Daren, Minister Zhang from the Ministry of Justice said that if we send more cases their way, they will set the dogs after us."
"Nonsense! The dogs of the Ministry of Justice eat better than you lot on a regular day. They won't have any appetite for you. Just transfer the case," the Prefect of Jingzhao firmly decided to wash his hands of the matter.
Interpersonal relationships in the capital were complicated, and given his position, he couldn't handle this case. It would be more appropriate to hand it over to the Ministry of Justice, as they had access to classified information and possessed greater intelligence to deal with it effectively.
Upon receiving the newly transferred case from the Prefect of Jingzhao, the Minister of Justice cursed in anger, "On the first day of the Lunar New Year, can't the Jingzhao Prefecture handle anything on their own? They keep dumping cases on us. Do they think the Ministry of Justice is a dumping ground?"
"Daren," Pei Jihuai consoled, "These captured individuals are assassins. I suspect they are related to several previous cases."
"Have they been interrogated?" Minister Zhang's expression turned grave. If this was indeed an assassin organization and it was connected to several previous cases, it indicated a grand conspiracy that loomed over the capital.
Those involved in this case were merely a cog in the larger conspiracy.
The Crown Prince, Consort Xian, Ying Wang, Ning Wang, the Tian family, the Chen family, and the Hua family...
Were the princes plotting against one another, or was it the influence of a foreign country?
"After conducting several investigations, we have determined that these assassins are all highly ranked and their leader goes by the codename 'Wu San'."
"Assassins have rankings?" Minister Zhang was surprised.
Pei Jihuai paused for a moment, feeling that the focus of the conversation shouldn't be on this.
"Do we have any relevant information on the assassin with the codename 'Wu San'?"
"It is rumored that he has an ordinary appearance but exceptional hearing abilities. He ranks third in the world of assassins."
"Who is the first?"
"The assassin who failed to assassinate the Crown Prince last month."
"Oh..." Minister Zhang instantly lost interest, "It seems these assassins aren't that impressive," he remarked. He had heard that the assassin from the Eastern Palace was accidentally tripped and subdued by Fushou Junzhu.
An assassin who could be tripped up by a powerless Junzhu—ranked first? It appeared that the assassin world lacked talented individuals.
Pei Jihuai felt that this topic should not continue. He feared that Minister Zhang would delve into analyzing the employment status of assassins, so he hastily changed the subject, "Daren, His Majesty has sent out invitations for a state banquet that will take place two months from now. Numerous envoys from various countries will be arriving in the capital. We will need to assign some of our Ministry of Justice personnel to ensure security."
"I understand," Minister Zhang sighed.
The Great Jin Empire had engaged in a century-long war with the Kingdom of Jinpo. The decisive victory over Jinpo not only ensured the safety of the borders but also served as a warning to other neighboring countries.
The significance of hosting this state banquet by His Majesty was profound.
Hence, utmost caution was essential to prevent any mishaps before the banquet, especially involving the Hua family, who had made significant contributions. They must be kept out of harm's way.
Upon learning that Hua Liuli had almost been abducted by assassins, the Empress Dowager became extremely worried. However, with the New Year just having passed, she couldn't immediately fetch Hua Liuli back to the palace. All she could do was send a lot of calming medicine for Hua Liuli.
During these days, Hua Liuli received many things, including gifts from the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, the Crown Prince, as well as from consorts and other princes. Even those noble families with connections to the Hua family sent gifts.
"The Du family estate has actually sent something as well?" Hua Liuli picked out the gift list from the pile and was somewhat surprised, "Doesn't Imperial Tutor Du dislike Father?"
When the current Emperor was still the Crown Prince, Hua Yingting, her father, had been his study companion. Imperial Tutor Du always believed that Hua Yingting would have a negative influence on the Crown Prince and treated him coldly.
The two families have had little interaction in recent years. Hua Liuli even thought that if Imperial Tutor Du hadn't already retired, he might have joined Lin Huizi in accusing her father of warmongering.
"Nubi heard that the Du family might have a Crown Princess candidate," Yuan Yi tidied up the messy gift list, "Perhaps they're attempting to improve relations with our Hua family in advance."
"Is that so?" Hua Liuli suddenly felt sympathy for the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince had a carefree personality. He even sneaked food during the grand ceremony of worshipping the heavens. It wouldn't be easy for him to marry into a family like the Du family. How would he fare in the future?
"It's only circulating in a small, private circle," Yuan Yi pondered thoughtfully, "Who knows if it's true or false."
Hua Liuli shook her head. Judging from the current situation in court, it would be a good choice for the Crown Prince to marry into the Du family. The Du family's daughter would be a perfect candidate for the Crown Princess, not to mention a perfect choice for the future Empress. However, considering the Emperor's indulgence towards the Crown Prince, he might not appreciate others meddling in his son's affairs.
There are countless parents who dote on their children, but they all share one common trait.
You can criticize me, but if you criticize my child, that's unacceptable.
Krish728
Author's Note:
The assassin: I think the next target should be the Minister of Justice.
"Today's luck is not bad," Hua Liuli held the birthday spinning tops and lucky dolls given to her by the vendors and said to Hua Changkong, "To receive such gifts on the first day of the Lunar New Year means we'll have good fortune throughout the year."
"Hmm, you're right, little sister," Hua Changkong reached out and touched the spinning top and lucky dolls, then sat cross-legged with a serious expression.
"Do you sense anything?" Hua Changkong asked.
"Those people are after me," Hua Liuli said, a little puzzled, "According to normal thinking, even if someone wanted to retaliate against the Hua family, their main target should be you, not me, as people always think that sons are the pillars of the family, so it doesn't make sense to ignore the son and only target the daughter."
Hua Changkong replied, "You truly are my dear sister."
"Of course," Hua Liuli put the spinning top and dolls aside and poured a cup of tea for Hua Changkong, "Do you have a sister closer to you than me?"
"Everyone knows that the Hua family hasn't had a daughter born for three generations. You are the only little flower sprout in a hundred acres of forest. It's possible to target you as a top priority since rarity holds value," Hua Changkong picked up the teacup and took a sip, "Our parents had three sons, so I'm no longer a rarity."
Hua Liuli furrowed her brow. Could it be that the Jinpo Kingdom had covertly dispatched someone to seek revenge? But the Second Prince of Jinpo Kingdom was still held in Great Jin as a hostage, and their Emperor had signed a surrender letter, effectively ending the war. If something were to happen to her, wouldn't the Jinpo Kingdom fear the wrath of Great Jin, ultimately leading to their own defeat?
Even if they weren't afraid of their Second Prince dying in Great Jin, they should still fear Great Jin launching another attack. What was the purpose of sending someone to ambush her now? Did they feel that the punishment inflicted by the Hua family wasn't enough?
This didn't align with Jinpo Kingdom's current interests. The frightened Emperor of the Jinpo Kingdom wouldn't dare to do such a thing.
"Did you offend someone in the capital?" Hua Changkong recalled the events of the past month and glanced at his sister's expression cautiously, "Did you have a conflict with any young ladies?"
"People's thoughts are inscrutable; who can truly understand how others perceive me," Hua Liuli shook her head, "The young ladies in the capital have diverse personalities, but they are all very astute. Even if they harbor grievances, it would only lead to petty conflicts. They wouldn't stoop to such actions."
The interpersonal relationships in the capital were extremely complex, making it highly unlikely for someone to attempt a public abduction without expecting to be quickly exposed. Even the most impulsive Jiamin Junzhu wouldn't do such a foolish thing.
"Have you ever considered that you might have earned someone's resentment by thwarting their plan to assassinate the Crown Prince?" Hua Changkong speculated another possibility, "You inadvertently disrupted the plot to assassinate Lin Huizi, aided the Crown Prince in capturing the assassin, and also unintentionally saved Tian Ruidong's life a few days ago."
"Isn't all of this just a coincidence?" Hua Liuli felt a little aggrieved. She had sensed something was off about that palace maid and acted on it. Should she have let her approach the Crown Prince?
If something were to happen to the Crown Prince right under their noses, how big of a trouble would it be? Moreover, the Crown Prince was handsome and attentive. How could she just stand by and watch him get hurt?
"Try to stay indoors as much as possible until our parents return to the capital," Hua Changkong advised, "If you want to go out, take Yuan Yi and Yu Rong with you."
"Alright," Hua Liuli nodded. Since then, she openly declined all the invitations for the beginning of the new year.
However, Hua Changkong couldn't be as leisurely as Hua Liuli. He not only had to visit families with whom his parents had connections but also engage with scholarly students, keeping himself occupied.
He had participated in the autumn imperial examinations in Qinghan Prefecture, where conditions were harsh, and the overall level of the scholarly students was lower compared to other regions. Despite his impressive performance in the examinations, he was still considered average among the scholarly students in the capital.
Some scholars specifically instructed their juniors to take care of Hua Changkong. Initially, these juniors did it to appease their seniors and elders, but after truly interacting with Hua Changkong, they were won over by his charisma and became genuine friends.
The younger generation in the capital had limited knowledge about the Hua family. They were unaware that if the Hua family sincerely sought friendship, they could easily gain the favor of others.
In just a month, even those scholars who didn't hold a favorable view of the Hua family didn't hesitate to praise Hua Changkong.
At the same time, they also lamented in their hearts how such a talented scholar ended up being from the Hua family. It was truly a case of the heavens being blind.
"I heard that the Hua siblings encountered some villains yesterday and almost got abducted, but fortunately, the vendors and commoners around helped and prevented the villains from succeeding."
"No wonder the capital has strengthened its guard today. I heard those villains weren't ordinary people; they were assassins."
"That's too dangerous. Thankfully, the Hua siblings are safe."
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Madam Du took her daughter to visit her maiden family. Since her Second Brother was married to Princess Shunan and resided in the Princess's residence, they also returned to the Yao family's ancestral home.
Princess Shunan briefly sat in front of the elders and then left. As an Imperial Princess1"皇家公主" (huángjiā gōngzhǔ) means "royal princess" or "imperial princess," denoting a princess who belongs to the imperial family or holds a high-ranking position within the royal hierarchy. It signifies the noble and privileged status of a princess within the context of a monarchy. In this case. this Imperial Princess is the current Emperor's sister and the previous Emperor's daughter., even sitting for a short while was considered a face-saving gesture towards the elders.
The Yao family had more daughters than sons, so the women of the family gathered together to discuss the interesting events happening in the capital, finding solace in being together rather than venturing outside.
Jiamin Junzhu had a high status among the younger generation in the family, so they sought to please her. Aware of her dislike for Hua Liuli, their words carried a subtle tone of sarcasm.
"Who knows if Hua Liuli has provoked someone outside?"
"Exactly. That kind of scheming woman..."
"Stop speaking ill of others," Du Xiuying stood up, her expression turning cold, "The Hua family has been fighting on the battlefield for generations, not for you to mock their daughter."
The few young girls who had been badmouthing Hua Liuli had slightly displeased expressions.
Du Xiuying didn't want to argue with them and turned to leave.
"Du Xiuying," Jiamin Junzhu called her, raising her chin, "Are you intentionally creating disputes with me?"
Knowing that she didn't approve of Hua Liuli, Du Xiuying's support for Hua Liuli was clearly causing a rift between them.
Du Xiuying turned back and furrowed her brow at Jiamin Junzhu, "Anyone who doesn't cater to your every whim is deemed to have a problem with you. Unfortunately, there are far too many people in this world who can't get along with you."
Jiamin Junzhu's complexion changed as she struggled to respond. After a moment, she said, "Spare me your lectures. Do you not know how close the Crown Prince is to her?"
"What does it have to do with me?" Du Xiuying retorted.
"Don't you know..."
Du Xiuying turned and walked away, completely ignoring Jiamin Junzhu's attempt to finish her sentence.
Enraged, Jiamin Junzhu muttered under her breath and said with a stern face, "With such behavior, she wants to marry into the imperial family? Maybe in the next life."
"You said those criminals are assassins?" After reading the case report, the Prefect of Jingzhao shook his head while holding a teacup, "We can't handle this case. Let's transfer it to the Ministry of Justice."
"Daren, Minister Zhang from the Ministry of Justice said that if we send more cases their way, they will set the dogs after us."
"Nonsense! The dogs of the Ministry of Justice eat better than you lot on a regular day. They won't have any appetite for you. Just transfer the case," the Prefect of Jingzhao firmly decided to wash his hands of the matter.
Interpersonal relationships in the capital were complicated, and given his position, he couldn't handle this case. It would be more appropriate to hand it over to the Ministry of Justice, as they had access to classified information and possessed greater intelligence to deal with it effectively.
Upon receiving the newly transferred case from the Prefect of Jingzhao, the Minister of Justice cursed in anger, "On the first day of the Lunar New Year, can't the Jingzhao Prefecture handle anything on their own? They keep dumping cases on us. Do they think the Ministry of Justice is a dumping ground?"
"Daren," Pei Jihuai consoled, "These captured individuals are assassins. I suspect they are related to several previous cases."
"Have they been interrogated?" Minister Zhang's expression turned grave. If this was indeed an assassin organization and it was connected to several previous cases, it indicated a grand conspiracy that loomed over the capital.
Those involved in this case were merely a cog in the larger conspiracy.
The Crown Prince, Consort Xian, Ying Wang, Ning Wang, the Tian family, the Chen family, and the Hua family...
Were the princes plotting against one another, or was it the influence of a foreign country?
"After conducting several investigations, we have determined that these assassins are all highly ranked and their leader goes by the codename 'Wu San'."
"Assassins have rankings?" Minister Zhang was surprised.
Pei Jihuai paused for a moment, feeling that the focus of the conversation shouldn't be on this.
"Do we have any relevant information on the assassin with the codename 'Wu San'?"
"It is rumored that he has an ordinary appearance but exceptional hearing abilities. He ranks third in the world of assassins."
"Who is the first?"
"The assassin who failed to assassinate the Crown Prince last month."
"Oh..." Minister Zhang instantly lost interest, "It seems these assassins aren't that impressive," he remarked. He had heard that the assassin from the Eastern Palace was accidentally tripped and subdued by Fushou Junzhu.
An assassin who could be tripped up by a powerless Junzhu—ranked first? It appeared that the assassin world lacked talented individuals.
Pei Jihuai felt that this topic should not continue. He feared that Minister Zhang would delve into analyzing the employment status of assassins, so he hastily changed the subject, "Daren, His Majesty has sent out invitations for a state banquet that will take place two months from now. Numerous envoys from various countries will be arriving in the capital. We will need to assign some of our Ministry of Justice personnel to ensure security."
"I understand," Minister Zhang sighed.
The Great Jin Empire had engaged in a century-long war with the Kingdom of Jinpo. The decisive victory over Jinpo not only ensured the safety of the borders but also served as a warning to other neighboring countries.
The significance of hosting this state banquet by His Majesty was profound.
Hence, utmost caution was essential to prevent any mishaps before the banquet, especially involving the Hua family, who had made significant contributions. They must be kept out of harm's way.
Upon learning that Hua Liuli had almost been abducted by assassins, the Empress Dowager became extremely worried. However, with the New Year just having passed, she couldn't immediately fetch Hua Liuli back to the palace. All she could do was send a lot of calming medicine for Hua Liuli.
During these days, Hua Liuli received many things, including gifts from the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, the Crown Prince, as well as from consorts and other princes. Even those noble families with connections to the Hua family sent gifts.
"The Du family estate has actually sent something as well?" Hua Liuli picked out the gift list from the pile and was somewhat surprised, "Doesn't Imperial Tutor Du dislike Father?"
When the current Emperor was still the Crown Prince, Hua Yingting, her father, had been his study companion. Imperial Tutor Du always believed that Hua Yingting would have a negative influence on the Crown Prince and treated him coldly.
The two families have had little interaction in recent years. Hua Liuli even thought that if Imperial Tutor Du hadn't already retired, he might have joined Lin Huizi in accusing her father of warmongering.
"Nubi heard that the Du family might have a Crown Princess candidate," Yuan Yi tidied up the messy gift list, "Perhaps they're attempting to improve relations with our Hua family in advance."
"Is that so?" Hua Liuli suddenly felt sympathy for the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince had a carefree personality. He even sneaked food during the grand ceremony of worshipping the heavens. It wouldn't be easy for him to marry into a family like the Du family. How would he fare in the future?
"It's only circulating in a small, private circle," Yuan Yi pondered thoughtfully, "Who knows if it's true or false."
Hua Liuli shook her head. Judging from the current situation in court, it would be a good choice for the Crown Prince to marry into the Du family. The Du family's daughter would be a perfect candidate for the Crown Princess, not to mention a perfect choice for the future Empress. However, considering the Emperor's indulgence towards the Crown Prince, he might not appreciate others meddling in his son's affairs.
There are countless parents who dote on their children, but they all share one common trait.
You can criticize me, but if you criticize my child, that's unacceptable.
Krish728
Author's Note:
The assassin: I think the next target should be the Minister of Justice.
