The idle and prodigal young nobles were frightened by the situation before them. When they saw the soldiers with fierce expressions and sharp weapons, they became even more apprehensive and obediently dismounted from their horses.
In the capital city, many prominent families liked to display their family emblems on their carriages, but from these carriages, they couldn't guess which family's members were inside. The strict regulations of the carriage structure and the presence of the soldier guards were not the treatment ordinary noble families would receive.
They anxiously waited, but apart from the surrounding soldiers, no one in authority came forward to speak with them. The only thing they could do was keep their heads down and pray that nothing would happen to this young lady.
After a while, a man of extraordinary demeanor approached them. A strange sense of relief arose in their hearts, despite his visibly displeased expression. As he drew closer, they promptly apologized, hoping to find out his identity.
"Please rest assured, I am not an unreasonable person. Please go ahead," he said.
The prodigal young nobles couldn't help but feel puzzled. They were just surrounded by an imposing force moments ago, but now they were being let go so easily?
"Really?" one of the young gentlemen looked at Hua Changkong skeptically, "I wonder..."
"Naturally, yes," Hua Changkong sighed. "Gentlemen, you are young and impulsive. How could I bother with you?"
The prodigal young nobles breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that this person truly had no intention of pursuing the matter further.
"Therefore, once my younger sister recovers from her illness, I will personally visit each of your residences."
The prodigal young nobles: "..."
Was he planning to tattle to their parents of their misdeeds?
It was too cruel, excessively so. How could there be such a sinister person in the world? They weren't afraid of compensating with silver or medicinal materials; what they feared was the trouble reaching their families. If that happened, they would no longer have peaceful days.
"Rest assured, in front of your elders, I will only state the facts truthfully, without exaggeration," Hua Changkong arched his hand toward the several pale-faced prodigal, "Gentlemen, please leave."
With the words spoken to this extent, who would dare to leave?
"What has happened?" Just as the prodigal young nobles were apologizing, a man dressed in a black silk robe, riding a spirited horse, arrived slowly.
Hua Changkong glanced at the spirited horse beneath the man in the black robe but remained silent.
"Greetings, Your Highness Ying Wang," Upon seeing Ying Wang, the prodigal young nobles seemed to regain their composure and hurriedly bowed.
"Ruidong, what are you all doing here?" Ji Minghao, noticing some commotion on the street, came over and found his cousin and a few noble prodigals looking dejected, surrounded by soldiers.
"Your Highness," Tian Ruidong appeared somewhat embarrassed, especially when he saw the Prince riding without anyone leading the horse.
This matter, whether big or small, would be troublesome if it implicated Ying Wang in the "galloping through the market" incident.
Seeing his cousin hesitant to speak, Ying Wang turned his gaze to Hua Changkong, "May Benwang1In ancient China, the term "benwang" (本王) was used by princes or imperial sons to refer to themselves. It can be translated as "this prince" or "this imperial son" in English. The term "benwang" indicated their royal status and distinguished them from other individuals. Princes were typically addressed as "benwang" in official and formal contexts, especially when speaking to individuals of lower rank or when referring to themselves in the third person in the presence of the emperor. know the identity of this young gentleman? This is not a suitable place for conversation with people coming and going. Could you, for Benwang's sake, have these soldiers withdraw first?"
"Your Highness, you have misunderstood. This subordinate has no intention of preventing these young gentlemen from leaving," Hua Changkong smiled. "It is these young gentlemen who insist on staying to apologize to me, which puts me in a difficult position."
The prodigal young gentlemen: "He is right. It is our insistence to stay and apologize."
If we don't apologize, he will come to our estates and complain. Who can tolerate that?
Ying Wang frowned. He knew well what kind of person his cousin was on regular days. Would he really take the initiative to apologize to someone?
"Third Young Master, something bad has happened! Xianzhu is coughing up blood!"
"Your Highness, my younger sister is seriously ill. Please forgive this subordinate's impoliteness," Hua Changkong turned and returned to the carriage, "We must return to the estate immediately."
As he let down the curtain of the carriage, Hua Changkong turned his head and glanced at Ying Wang on horseback, quickly withdrawing his gaze expressionlessly.
Upon hearing about the critically ill Xianzhu inside the carriage, even Ying Wang had to retreat to the side and let the carriages pass.
After the carriages had gone far, Ying Wang wondered in confusion, who could this person be?
"Did you get a good look at the countenance of Ying Wang?" Hua Changkong sat cross-legged on the blanket inside the carriage and asked Hua Liuli, who was leaning on a cushion, enjoying the service of a maid.
"En," Hua Liuli didn't even flinch.
“What do you think?”
"His looks are not even half as good as Third Brother's," Hua Liuli pretended to cover her chest, "The water and soil in the capital city are truly terrible. I suddenly feel dizzy and short of breath. I feel so uncomfortable that I might faint."
"In the recent letter that His Majesty wrote to Father, it seemed like His Majesty was trying to matchmake you with the Eldest Prince..."
Hua Liuli immediately sat up straight, "Third Brother, Ying Wang is not handsome, and he can't distinguish right from wrong. Marrying such a man would make one age quickly."
Before understanding the whole situation, he wanted people to give him face, unknowingly offending people. It's not just that he doesn't look good, he isn't smart either.
Hua Changkong agreed with his sister's 'judging people by their looks', "Being with a man who is not handsome all day long would indeed be a hardship for you. Even if you weren't sick, you would feel suffocated. So rest assured, our family will not let you marry Ying Wang."
Upon hearing this, Hua Liuli lazily lay back down, "I suddenly don't feel dizzy anymore, and my chest isn't as tight. I can have some light refreshments now."
This time, Hua Changkong brought his sister back to the capital city ahead of schedule. One reason was that he needed to participate in the imperial examination after the beginning of spring. The other reason was to let his sister become familiar with the environment of the capital city early on.
Soon, his father, mother, and second brother will return to the capital. He wants to help gauge the situation in the city.
Looking at his pampered little sister, Hua Changkong didn't tell her that the family never intended for her to marry into the royal family. Among the men of the royal family, who could have only one Wangfei? Today they take a concubine, tomorrow they fight for the throne, They would even have a list of virtuous requirements for the Wangfei.
Why should his little sister, whom the Hua family cherishes, suffer in the royal family? It would be much better for her to live comfortably as a Xianzhu, marrying a suitable man if there is one, or enjoy the company of handsome men if not. How great would that be?
The Hua family had achieved remarkable military merits, and the Emperor bestowed them with an estate in the capital. Perhaps to avoid any misunderstandings, the Emperor did not bestow them with servants but rewarded them with a wealth of gold, silver, and jade artifacts. The Ministry of Works even renovated the entire estate.
The Hua family had already sent people in advance to decorate and furnish the estate, so the siblings only needed to move in.
On that day, the main gate of the Hua estate was wide open, adorned with red lanterns. Within a couple of hours, many officials in the capital learned that someone from the Hua family had returned, although they were unaware of who it was.
The next morning, the officials living next to the Hua estate saw the palace sending carriages to pick up the Hua family and bring them to the palace.
To show respect for the great hero, Emperor Changlong not only wanted to personally meet Hua Changkong but also invited the most noble woman in the palace, the Empress Dowager, to receive the Hua family's only daughter.
The Empress Dowager was the Emperor's birth mother, with a kind and generous nature. Understanding the Emperor's intention to give face to the Great General, she happily agreed and even had several high-ranking concubines accompany her.
"The young girl is sensitive, so when the guests arrive, you all should be friendly towards her and not frighten her," the Empress Dowager worried that these concubines, who were usually engaged in palace intrigue, might cause trouble. She specifically instructed them, "The Great General has put his head in line and shed blood for our Great Jin. We must not let his children suffer in the capital."
"Empress Dowager, please rest assured. Chenqie does not have a daughter of her own and have always envied those who do," Consort Xian quickly responded. "When the Young Lady from Hua family arrives, Chenqie will treat her as Chenqie's own daughter."
The other concubines secretly rolled their eyes. This woman who kept saying she wanted a daughter was the same person who had always been proud of giving birth to the Eldest Prince.
Everyone having played the game of palace intrigue, who would be fooled by such words?
However, what no one expected was that the daughter of the Great General did not enter the palace because she fell ill.
"She's sick? Could it be due to the hardships of the journey and the cold weather?" The Empress Dowager couldn't help but feel somewhat worried.
"Although Xianzhu has a delicate constitution, she was in good spirits throughout the journey. However, yesterday when we entered the capital, she encountered some trouble caused by a few young nobles riding recklessly in the city, which frightened her. In addition..." The person delivering the news appeared somewhat hesitant.
"What else?" The Empress Dowager's expression turned serious.
"The Hua family’s Third Young Master witnessed those young nobles riding recklessly in the city, which violated the laws of Great Jin, so he stepped forward to dissuade them. Unexpectedly, His Highness Ying Wang happened to come by," As the person delivering the news spoke, he quickly knelt down, "This matter has nothing to do with Ying Wang. However, due to Xianzhu's naturally timid nature, she thought she had offended Ying Wang, and in her anxious state, she coughed up some blood. Since then, upon returning to the estate, she had been bedridden."
"Who are those young nobles?" Although this matter involved Ying Wang, the Empress Dowager didn't give up on pursuing further information. It seemed she had made up her mind to seek justice for the young lady from the Hua family.
"Apparently, it was the Second Young Master of the Tian family and his friends."
Those present were extremely smart and skilled. Soon they reconstructed the whole scene in their minds.
The noble paternal family members of Consort Xian caused a disturbance by riding recklessly in the city, scaring the young lady who had just arrived in the capital. The Hua family's Third Young Master, who was her older brother, couldn't bear to see his own sister being wronged, so he stepped forward to reason with the young nobles. However, Ying Wang came to assist the members of his maternal family, which led to the young lady coughing up blood due to anxiety.
The concubines and consorts all turned their heads to look at Consort Xian. She had just claimed that she would treat the young lady as her own daughter, but now her daughter had been wronged. Why wasn't she immediately seeking justice for her?
Consort Xian: "..."
The disgraced Consort Xian returned to her chambers and was so angry that she broke a jade hairpin.
"Your Highness, how can someone be so delicate? Could it be that the daughter of the Hua family deliberately pretended to be ill to frame Ying Wang?" A palace maid whispered softly, "Otherwise, how could such a coincidental thing happen?"
"She's an unmarried girl. Pretending to be weak and sick brings no benefit unless she doesn't want to marry. If news of her delicate constitution spreads, which young man in the capital would dare to marry her?" Despite her extreme anger, Consort Xian still had her wits about her, "Go to the Tian estate and make sure they discipline their younger generation properly."
It's truly remarkable. The Hua family's daughter was perfectly fine, but she fell ill due to her own family's actions upon entering the capital. How could she face others after this?
Inside the Hua residence, Hua Liuli leaned against the window, reclining slightly as she caught a few snowflakes that drifted in. With a sigh, she said, "I was scared by those reckless young nobles yesterday. My chest still feels a bit tight."
"You're right, those reckless young nobles truly deserve a lesson. Young Miss, as precious as you are, how could you withstand such impudent and frightening behavior?" Yuan Yi skillfully continued the conversation.
Hua Liuli looked up at the sky again, her face filled with melancholy as she sighed softly, "I remember back in Qinghan Prefecture, whenever it snowed, Father would personally go out hunting..."
"Nubi2"Nubi" (奴婢) is a term used in ancient China to refer to a servant or a maidservant. It is a humble and respectful way for a servant to refer to themselves when addressing someone of higher status. understands," Yuan Yi turned and walked to the outer room, speaking to the maid, "Third Young Master wants to have hot pot. Instruct the kitchen to prepare it earlier."
Since their Xianzhu had a delicate and weak constitution and had no appetite due to missing her loved ones, it must be the Third Young Master who wanted to have hot pot.
Krish728
Author's Note:
Hua Liuli: I dare to act.
Hua family members: We dare to cooperate.
Yuan Yi: Today, our Xianzhu is still a fairy-like Liuli.
The idle and prodigal young nobles were frightened by the situation before them. When they saw the soldiers with fierce expressions and sharp weapons, they became even more apprehensive and obediently dismounted from their horses.
In the capital city, many prominent families liked to display their family emblems on their carriages, but from these carriages, they couldn't guess which family's members were inside. The strict regulations of the carriage structure and the presence of the soldier guards were not the treatment ordinary noble families would receive.
They anxiously waited, but apart from the surrounding soldiers, no one in authority came forward to speak with them. The only thing they could do was keep their heads down and pray that nothing would happen to this young lady.
After a while, a man of extraordinary demeanor approached them. A strange sense of relief arose in their hearts, despite his visibly displeased expression. As he drew closer, they promptly apologized, hoping to find out his identity.
"Please rest assured, I am not an unreasonable person. Please go ahead," he said.
The prodigal young nobles couldn't help but feel puzzled. They were just surrounded by an imposing force moments ago, but now they were being let go so easily?
"Really?" one of the young gentlemen looked at Hua Changkong skeptically, "I wonder..."
"Naturally, yes," Hua Changkong sighed. "Gentlemen, you are young and impulsive. How could I bother with you?"
The prodigal young nobles breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that this person truly had no intention of pursuing the matter further.
"Therefore, once my younger sister recovers from her illness, I will personally visit each of your residences."
The prodigal young nobles: "..."
Was he planning to tattle to their parents of their misdeeds?
It was too cruel, excessively so. How could there be such a sinister person in the world? They weren't afraid of compensating with silver or medicinal materials; what they feared was the trouble reaching their families. If that happened, they would no longer have peaceful days.
"Rest assured, in front of your elders, I will only state the facts truthfully, without exaggeration," Hua Changkong arched his hand toward the several pale-faced prodigal, "Gentlemen, please leave."
With the words spoken to this extent, who would dare to leave?
"What has happened?" Just as the prodigal young nobles were apologizing, a man dressed in a black silk robe, riding a spirited horse, arrived slowly.
Hua Changkong glanced at the spirited horse beneath the man in the black robe but remained silent.
"Greetings, Your Highness Ying Wang," Upon seeing Ying Wang, the prodigal young nobles seemed to regain their composure and hurriedly bowed.
"Ruidong, what are you all doing here?" Ji Minghao, noticing some commotion on the street, came over and found his cousin and a few noble prodigals looking dejected, surrounded by soldiers.
"Your Highness," Tian Ruidong appeared somewhat embarrassed, especially when he saw the Prince riding without anyone leading the horse.
This matter, whether big or small, would be troublesome if it implicated Ying Wang in the "galloping through the market" incident.
Seeing his cousin hesitant to speak, Ying Wang turned his gaze to Hua Changkong, "May Benwang1In ancient China, the term "benwang" (本王) was used by princes or imperial sons to refer to themselves. It can be translated as "this prince" or "this imperial son" in English. The term "benwang" indicated their royal status and distinguished them from other individuals. Princes were typically addressed as "benwang" in official and formal contexts, especially when speaking to individuals of lower rank or when referring to themselves in the third person in the presence of the emperor. know the identity of this young gentleman? This is not a suitable place for conversation with people coming and going. Could you, for Benwang's sake, have these soldiers withdraw first?"
"Your Highness, you have misunderstood. This subordinate has no intention of preventing these young gentlemen from leaving," Hua Changkong smiled. "It is these young gentlemen who insist on staying to apologize to me, which puts me in a difficult position."
The prodigal young gentlemen: "He is right. It is our insistence to stay and apologize."
If we don't apologize, he will come to our estates and complain. Who can tolerate that?
Ying Wang frowned. He knew well what kind of person his cousin was on regular days. Would he really take the initiative to apologize to someone?
"Third Young Master, something bad has happened! Xianzhu is coughing up blood!"
"Your Highness, my younger sister is seriously ill. Please forgive this subordinate's impoliteness," Hua Changkong turned and returned to the carriage, "We must return to the estate immediately."
As he let down the curtain of the carriage, Hua Changkong turned his head and glanced at Ying Wang on horseback, quickly withdrawing his gaze expressionlessly.
Upon hearing about the critically ill Xianzhu inside the carriage, even Ying Wang had to retreat to the side and let the carriages pass.
After the carriages had gone far, Ying Wang wondered in confusion, who could this person be?
"Did you get a good look at the countenance of Ying Wang?" Hua Changkong sat cross-legged on the blanket inside the carriage and asked Hua Liuli, who was leaning on a cushion, enjoying the service of a maid.
"En," Hua Liuli didn't even flinch.
“What do you think?”
"His looks are not even half as good as Third Brother's," Hua Liuli pretended to cover her chest, "The water and soil in the capital city are truly terrible. I suddenly feel dizzy and short of breath. I feel so uncomfortable that I might faint."
"In the recent letter that His Majesty wrote to Father, it seemed like His Majesty was trying to matchmake you with the Eldest Prince..."
Hua Liuli immediately sat up straight, "Third Brother, Ying Wang is not handsome, and he can't distinguish right from wrong. Marrying such a man would make one age quickly."
Before understanding the whole situation, he wanted people to give him face, unknowingly offending people. It's not just that he doesn't look good, he isn't smart either.
Hua Changkong agreed with his sister's 'judging people by their looks', "Being with a man who is not handsome all day long would indeed be a hardship for you. Even if you weren't sick, you would feel suffocated. So rest assured, our family will not let you marry Ying Wang."
Upon hearing this, Hua Liuli lazily lay back down, "I suddenly don't feel dizzy anymore, and my chest isn't as tight. I can have some light refreshments now."
This time, Hua Changkong brought his sister back to the capital city ahead of schedule. One reason was that he needed to participate in the imperial examination after the beginning of spring. The other reason was to let his sister become familiar with the environment of the capital city early on.
Soon, his father, mother, and second brother will return to the capital. He wants to help gauge the situation in the city.
Looking at his pampered little sister, Hua Changkong didn't tell her that the family never intended for her to marry into the royal family. Among the men of the royal family, who could have only one Wangfei? Today they take a concubine, tomorrow they fight for the throne, They would even have a list of virtuous requirements for the Wangfei.
Why should his little sister, whom the Hua family cherishes, suffer in the royal family? It would be much better for her to live comfortably as a Xianzhu, marrying a suitable man if there is one, or enjoy the company of handsome men if not. How great would that be?
The Hua family had achieved remarkable military merits, and the Emperor bestowed them with an estate in the capital. Perhaps to avoid any misunderstandings, the Emperor did not bestow them with servants but rewarded them with a wealth of gold, silver, and jade artifacts. The Ministry of Works even renovated the entire estate.
The Hua family had already sent people in advance to decorate and furnish the estate, so the siblings only needed to move in.
On that day, the main gate of the Hua estate was wide open, adorned with red lanterns. Within a couple of hours, many officials in the capital learned that someone from the Hua family had returned, although they were unaware of who it was.
The next morning, the officials living next to the Hua estate saw the palace sending carriages to pick up the Hua family and bring them to the palace.
To show respect for the great hero, Emperor Changlong not only wanted to personally meet Hua Changkong but also invited the most noble woman in the palace, the Empress Dowager, to receive the Hua family's only daughter.
The Empress Dowager was the Emperor's birth mother, with a kind and generous nature. Understanding the Emperor's intention to give face to the Great General, she happily agreed and even had several high-ranking concubines accompany her.
"The young girl is sensitive, so when the guests arrive, you all should be friendly towards her and not frighten her," the Empress Dowager worried that these concubines, who were usually engaged in palace intrigue, might cause trouble. She specifically instructed them, "The Great General has put his head in line and shed blood for our Great Jin. We must not let his children suffer in the capital."
"Empress Dowager, please rest assured. Chenqie does not have a daughter of her own and have always envied those who do," Consort Xian quickly responded. "When the Young Lady from Hua family arrives, Chenqie will treat her as Chenqie's own daughter."
The other concubines secretly rolled their eyes. This woman who kept saying she wanted a daughter was the same person who had always been proud of giving birth to the Eldest Prince.
Everyone having played the game of palace intrigue, who would be fooled by such words?
However, what no one expected was that the daughter of the Great General did not enter the palace because she fell ill.
"She's sick? Could it be due to the hardships of the journey and the cold weather?" The Empress Dowager couldn't help but feel somewhat worried.
"Although Xianzhu has a delicate constitution, she was in good spirits throughout the journey. However, yesterday when we entered the capital, she encountered some trouble caused by a few young nobles riding recklessly in the city, which frightened her. In addition..." The person delivering the news appeared somewhat hesitant.
"What else?" The Empress Dowager's expression turned serious.
"The Hua family’s Third Young Master witnessed those young nobles riding recklessly in the city, which violated the laws of Great Jin, so he stepped forward to dissuade them. Unexpectedly, His Highness Ying Wang happened to come by," As the person delivering the news spoke, he quickly knelt down, "This matter has nothing to do with Ying Wang. However, due to Xianzhu's naturally timid nature, she thought she had offended Ying Wang, and in her anxious state, she coughed up some blood. Since then, upon returning to the estate, she had been bedridden."
"Who are those young nobles?" Although this matter involved Ying Wang, the Empress Dowager didn't give up on pursuing further information. It seemed she had made up her mind to seek justice for the young lady from the Hua family.
"Apparently, it was the Second Young Master of the Tian family and his friends."
Those present were extremely smart and skilled. Soon they reconstructed the whole scene in their minds.
The noble paternal family members of Consort Xian caused a disturbance by riding recklessly in the city, scaring the young lady who had just arrived in the capital. The Hua family's Third Young Master, who was her older brother, couldn't bear to see his own sister being wronged, so he stepped forward to reason with the young nobles. However, Ying Wang came to assist the members of his maternal family, which led to the young lady coughing up blood due to anxiety.
The concubines and consorts all turned their heads to look at Consort Xian. She had just claimed that she would treat the young lady as her own daughter, but now her daughter had been wronged. Why wasn't she immediately seeking justice for her?
Consort Xian: "..."
The disgraced Consort Xian returned to her chambers and was so angry that she broke a jade hairpin.
"Your Highness, how can someone be so delicate? Could it be that the daughter of the Hua family deliberately pretended to be ill to frame Ying Wang?" A palace maid whispered softly, "Otherwise, how could such a coincidental thing happen?"
"She's an unmarried girl. Pretending to be weak and sick brings no benefit unless she doesn't want to marry. If news of her delicate constitution spreads, which young man in the capital would dare to marry her?" Despite her extreme anger, Consort Xian still had her wits about her, "Go to the Tian estate and make sure they discipline their younger generation properly."
It's truly remarkable. The Hua family's daughter was perfectly fine, but she fell ill due to her own family's actions upon entering the capital. How could she face others after this?
Inside the Hua residence, Hua Liuli leaned against the window, reclining slightly as she caught a few snowflakes that drifted in. With a sigh, she said, "I was scared by those reckless young nobles yesterday. My chest still feels a bit tight."
"You're right, those reckless young nobles truly deserve a lesson. Young Miss, as precious as you are, how could you withstand such impudent and frightening behavior?" Yuan Yi skillfully continued the conversation.
Hua Liuli looked up at the sky again, her face filled with melancholy as she sighed softly, "I remember back in Qinghan Prefecture, whenever it snowed, Father would personally go out hunting..."
"Nubi2"Nubi" (奴婢) is a term used in ancient China to refer to a servant or a maidservant. It is a humble and respectful way for a servant to refer to themselves when addressing someone of higher status. understands," Yuan Yi turned and walked to the outer room, speaking to the maid, "Third Young Master wants to have hot pot. Instruct the kitchen to prepare it earlier."
Since their Xianzhu had a delicate and weak constitution and had no appetite due to missing her loved ones, it must be the Third Young Master who wanted to have hot pot.
Krish728
Author's Note:
Hua Liuli: I dare to act.
Hua family members: We dare to cooperate.
Yuan Yi: Today, our Xianzhu is still a fairy-like Liuli.
