Resisting the Wind and Splendor

The Empress Dowager looked worried: "A-Li..."

“Grandmother, I must explain this matter clearly. Please listen to me.”

Chu Yueli interrupted her, but her attitude was extremely respectful, an attitude that no one could refuse.

The Empress Dowager nodded, her voice becoming even gentler: "Ali, please speak slowly."

"Because it is the end of the year, the defense of the capital is especially important, for fear that some people will take advantage of the end of the year and the beginning of the new year to cause trouble."

Everyone agreed on this point. During the Spring Festival, the capital city was bustling with activity, with many events to be held, such as lantern festivals, temple fairs, and all sorts of other things.

It was indeed a good opportunity for bandits to run rampant.

Before the Empress Dowager could say anything more, Chu Yueli spoke first: "That night I wanted to go out because I heard that there were rebels causing trouble and I needed to reorganize the affairs of the Dragon Guard. But not long after I went out, I felt increasingly heavy-hearted and even fainted several times."

The Empress Dowager listened with growing fear and trepidation.

The child is already in such a state, yet he still went out to run errands late at night. What if he fainted on the road, or what if he encountered thieves? The consequences would be unimaginable!

She held Chu Yueli's hand, becoming more and more nervous the more she thought about it.

Chu Yueli continued, "I wanted to endure it, but I really couldn't bear it. Finally, I remembered Prince Jin."

No one dared to speak, not even Consort Rui.

At this point, the matter between Chu Yueli and Prince Jin had become one of shared glory and shared loss; if any rumors were to spread, Jin'er would not escape blame.

If the Emperor were to punish someone, it wouldn't just be Chu Yueli; I'm afraid even Jin'er would be implicated.

Chu Yueli took a deep breath before continuing, "For the past few years, the Dragon Guard has been managed by Prince Jin. It was only at this year's Autumn Hunt that our Duke's Mansion was fortunate enough to obtain the Dragon Guard's token. But Prince Jin is very experienced in managing the Dragon Guard."

“I simply couldn’t bear it any longer, so I thought that the safety of the capital city could not be compromised and that a capable person was needed to manage it. That’s why I went to Prince Jin’s residence to see him. But it was already late at night, which was not in accordance with etiquette. However, I thought that I was doing this on official business and that I was being completely honest.”

“That’s right! Ali is open and honest, why should she be afraid of what others say?” The Empress Dowager glared at Qin Mingyue, her eyes full of reproach and displeasure.

She deliberately implied that something perfectly legitimate was something shameful.

Qin Mingyue wanted to say something more.

Chu Yueli added, "However, it was indeed late at night then, which made it easy for people to misunderstand. That's why Princess Jin thought that I had some kind of affair with Prince Jin and couldn't help but make a scene."

"This is utter nonsense!" the Empress Dowager sneered.

Qin Mingyue was both angry and aggrieved: "Grandmother, I..."

“But this matter is not really Prince Jin’s fault. Prince Jin and I are also at fault. I dared not reveal the internal affairs of the Dragon Guard, and Prince Jin is a person who does not like to explain, which caused a misunderstanding and made the couple quarrel.”

Chu Yueli squeezed the Empress Dowager's hand, adopting a conciliatory attitude, and said with a smile, "Grandmother, we are all women, and I understand how Princess Jin feels. Princess Jin is acting this way today only because she still blames me. The responsibility for this matter is not entirely on her. Please be understanding, Grandmother, and don't blame Sister Mingyue anymore."

Her gentle, knowledgeable, and magnanimous demeanor was something the Empress Dowager found incredibly pleasing.

In contrast, Princess Jin is noisy and lacks manners; she is far inferior to her.