A life of two souls traveling through time

The carriage left Ziyuan Garden and continued towards the imperial mausoleum. Inside the carriage, Luoying gazed thoughtfully at the lotus flowers in the basket, while her maid Helian remained indignant.

"The Princess Consort must speak to Her Majesty the Empress about the two brothers-in-law's rude behavior today."

"How dare you instigate me, the Princess Consort, to sow discord between the Empress and the Imperial Uncle!" Luo Ying snapped back to reality, her gaze sharpening. Though her words were harsh, her tone remained calm, clearly indicating that she did not truly intend to blame this loyal maid.

"This servant wouldn't dare, but the two imperial brothers-in-law have really gone too far today. This servant was so angry that I spoke rudely. Please calm down, Your Highness!" Seeing the princess's solemn expression, He Lian regained some of her composure from her anger, then knelt down and kowtowed to admit her mistake.

"Now that you've left the palace, you should remember to be even more careful with your words and actions. If a careless remark is overheard by someone with ulterior motives, the consequences could be unimaginable." Luo Ying sighed softly, reached out to help the maid at her feet to her feet, and continued, "Today's matter is neither trivial nor major. After all, Ziyuan was previously managed by the Rong family. Although Her Majesty the Empress bestowed it upon me, I haven't been going out much since the Prince left, and Ziyuan has been left idle again. Today, although the two Imperial Brothers-in-law were impolite, I didn't give them a kind look either. If I were to turn around and make a scene in front of Her Majesty the Empress, it would only make me seem restless."

The Rong family is related to the imperial family. Although Luo Ying is the Princess Consort of Han, she is ultimately just a widow who relies on the protection of the royal family for survival. Even though she usually addresses the Empress as a sister, it is obvious in the Empress's heart who is closer to her and who is less so. Moreover, she has other plans in Xiyue Kingdom and must not devote her attention to entanglements with the Rong family.

"I will certainly keep Your Highness's teachings in mind, but I feel sorry for Your Highness for the injustice you suffered today." He Lian nodded repeatedly after listening, but still couldn't help but mutter a sentence.

"This little grievance is nothing." Luo Ying felt a warmth in her heart, and only smiled calmly on her face. Then she did not say anything more, but leaned against the table and closed her eyes to rest.

He Lian silently stepped aside, hesitated for a moment, and then whispered a reminder: "The imperial mausoleum is heavily guarded, and the Princess Consort has not requested permission from the palace. It seems inappropriate for her to go and visit the Dowager Consort without authorization. Besides, the Dowager Consort harbors resentment towards you because of the Prince's death. If she sees you, she will surely..."

“It’s been so long, I should go and fulfill my filial duty on behalf of the Prince. It’s just a meeting, I don’t think it’s a big deal.” Before He Lian could finish speaking, Luo Ying opened her eyes again, her eyes slightly red, and sighed.

She was well aware of the rules of the imperial mausoleum. Her deliberate actions today were intended to use Consort Meng to escalate the situation and attract Yan Qiao's attention.

The carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the mausoleum gate. He Lian, following orders, took the token bestowed by the Empress and got off the carriage. The guard of the mausoleum looked troubled when he learned that it was Princess Han who had come to visit Consort Meng. He walked around He Lian, approached the carriage, and respectfully bowed, saying, "Princess Han, please forgive me. The imperial mausoleum is a very important place. Unless the Princess has His Majesty's decree, I dare not let you pass."

Being stopped by the guards was expected. Luo Ying calmly stepped down from the carriage without making a sound. Sunlight shone on her, her white dress fluttered, and with each step she seemed to create a lotus flower, like a goddess descending from heaven to earth, instantly making everything else pale in comparison.

The tomb keeper and his guards were instantly stunned by the sight, their hearts fluttering at the sight of Princess Han's ethereal beauty. They had long heard of Princess Han's unparalleled beauty and her ability to topple kingdoms, and seeing her today, they found it to be true; even Chang'e in the moon could not compare.

“I was unaware of the rules of the imperial mausoleum; it was my recklessness. Please forgive me, sir!” Luo Ying feigned a bewildered expression and nodded slightly to the mausoleum official. Then, her brows furrowed, and she took out an exquisite jade conch necklace, sighing sadly, “Recently, while sorting through the prince’s belongings, I came across this jade conch necklace. I learned from the servants that it belonged to the Dowager Consort. Today, I thought of using the excuse of returning it to its rightful owner to pay my respects to the Dowager Consort and to show my filial piety on behalf of my prince. I wonder if you, sir, could be so lenient?” As she finished speaking, tears welled up in the corners of her eyes, making her appear quite pitiful.

"This..." The tomb keeper glanced at the jade conch necklace in Luo Ying's hand, still somewhat troubled, but no longer had the heart to refuse her outright.

"Rest assured, my lord, I will only meet the Empress Dowager in the side hall for a short while and will not linger. If His Majesty inquires about it afterward, I will take full responsibility, and it will have nothing to do with you, my lord." Seeing the other party hesitate, Luo Ying quickly added.

"Your Highness's filial piety is admirable, I understand. Please allow me to inform the Dowager Consort first." The official guarding the tomb pondered for a moment, and when he looked up, he inadvertently met Luo Ying's bright and clear eyes. He almost fell for her, hurriedly bowed, and left in a hurry.

Seeing this, Luo Ying secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then tightened her grip on the jade conch necklace, a resolute glint in her eyes.

Inside the Imperial Study in the palace, Prince Qing, along with his son Yan Yuan and Dongmen Junhong, were reporting to Yan Qiao on the pre-battle military preparations.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, all provisions have been prepared." Prince Qing said.

"The troops have been assembled in the eastern border, and scouts are deep into enemy territory to investigate the movements of the Jing Song army." Dongmen Junhong stepped forward and bowed.

"Very good!" Yan Qiao said, striding to the large wall chart. She nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Dongmen Junhong and Yan Yuan and instructed them:

"This time, the commander-in-chief of Jing Song is Xia Yangxiu. He is a seasoned old fox who has been through countless battles. We must not be careless."

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty!" Dongmen Junhong and Yan Yuan both bowed and said.

"Uncle, set up several more grain transfer stations, just in case," Yan Qiao said to Prince Qing, her phoenix eyes slightly shifting.

"Yes," Prince Qing replied respectfully.

Then, Yan Qiao picked up a thin, long stick and pointed it to two places on the map, saying:

"This operation will proceed along two routes. Junhong and Ayuan will lead the main force to attack the western part of Jing Song, while the Prince will provide support from the north. According to our spies, Jing Song has been in close contact with Yu Hai, Xuan Meng, and Zhong Shan recently. In case these three countries join forces to help Jing Song, the main force of the Prince's army must remain in the northern border. You must be aware of this."

"Understood!" As soon as Yan Qiao finished speaking, the other three responded in unison.

It wasn't until nearly noon that Prince Qing and his son, along with Dongmen Junhong, left the Imperial Study. Eunuch Qin, who was waiting outside, rushed forward to greet them with a smile. After the three had gone some distance, he hurried back into the Imperial Study and anxiously reported to Yan Qiao:

"Your Majesty, someone just came to say that something has happened to Princess Han!"

"What's wrong with her?" Upon hearing this, Yan Qiao immediately dropped the memorial in her hand onto the imperial table, a hint of tension flashing in her phoenix eyes.

"Princess Han trespassed into the imperial mausoleum today to see Consort Meng, and was injured on the head by Consort Meng. She has now been sent back to the palace for treatment," Eunuch Qin replied cautiously after a moment's hesitation.

Yan Qiao's heart clenched, and his hands on the imperial table froze. At this moment, he had no time to question her or blame her for trespassing on the imperial mausoleum. He was only worried about her injuries. In his anxiety, he noticed that Eunuch Qin was still waiting in front of him, so he ordered in a deep voice, "What are you standing there for? Send the imperial physician to take a look!"

Seeing that the emperor's expression was becoming increasingly displeased, Eunuch Qin dared not be negligent and hurriedly agreed, leaving the imperial study and sending someone to the Imperial Hospital.