Spring arrives and the land smiles

Entering the courtyard at dawn, the first rays of the sun shine through the window lattice.

Today is the regular morning prayer day, which happens every three days. Only on days like this, when one has to get up early, can Qingyan be fortunate enough to see this beautiful spring morning.

The morning court session was at 3:45 AM, so Qingyan was reluctantly pulled out of Ningyuan's arms at the crack of dawn.

"Let me sleep a little longer, just a little longer," Qingyan mumbled indistinctly.

"No." Ning Yuan rolled out of bed, opened the window, and let in the cool air.

It was that same awful way of waking her up again. Qingyan opened her eyes, glared angrily at Ning Yuan by the window, and gritted her teeth as she said, "Get up, get up."

Zhui'er had been waiting outside the door for a long time. Upon hearing Qingyan's voice, she led a group of palace maids, carrying basins and clothes, into the room one after another.

"Put it down." Qingyan rolled out of bed.

Zhuier understood immediately and led the palace maids out.

Outside the window, the wind brought in a chill, ruffling Ning Yuan's disheveled hair and making him appear slightly weary.

"Come on, put this on," Qingyan said, opening a long robe for him.

"Mm." Ning Yuan smiled and let her take care of him.

"Am I dressed well?" Qingyan asked as she tidied him up.

"Mmm." Ning Yuan blushed.

"The color you chose is also quite nice, isn't it?" Her voice was still gentle and soft.

"Mmm." Ning Yuan's face was still red.

"Am I a good wife?" she asked, adding a touch of allure.

"Mmm." Ning Yuan was already blushing.

"Then why did you open the window to wake me up?" Her voice suddenly changed 180 degrees, it seems Qingyan has quite a temper when she wakes up.

Gentleness was indeed an illusion.

Having known her for ten years, how could he possibly misunderstand her personality? Ning Yuan shook his head, reached out and hugged her, placing a kiss on her forehead.

"Okay, I was wrong."

"Hmph, using her good looks to seduce people, she always uses this trick." Qingyan thought resentfully, yet she found it quite effective.

"Okay, I forgive you." Qingyan pouted and smiled.

Before long, the two finished getting ready, had breakfast, and left Caiyi Hall, heading straight for Fengtian Hall.

Under Wang Huaisheng's high-pitched voice announcing the order, civil and military officials stood in the main hall according to their rank. Qingyan, being the crown prince without any official position, stood to the left of Emperor Longqing.

On the high platform, Qingyan scanned the entire audience, her gaze finally settling on Huang Ding, who was seated among the military officers.

Huang Ding seemed to sense Qing Yan's gaze as well. Risking great disrespect, he looked up at the person above him, then immediately lowered his head again.

"All of you, rise." The Longqing Emperor waved his hand. "The Duke of Ningguo has just recovered from his old illness and should not stand for long. Please sit down."

Having just been officially recognized last night, Ning Di was overwhelmed with gratitude for the exceptional treatment he received today.

When the Longqing Emperor showed such favor, everyone's thoughts immediately returned to the previous night, recalling Huang Ding's heavy resignation out of regret.

Murphy's Law tells us that if a person fears becoming the target of public criticism, then he will inevitably become the target of public criticism. Huang Ding is the best example of this.

Huang Ding knew he couldn't escape, so he stepped forward to request permission to speak.

"Your Majesty, my old illness has recently relapsed, and I am feeling weak and exhausted. The Lifeng Battalion is busy with military affairs, and I am afraid I will be unable to manage it. Therefore, I request to resign. I hope Your Majesty will grant my request." Huang Dingxin said each word with great reluctance.

As soon as Huang Ding spoke, Qingyan secretly glanced at the emperor on the throne. Although she tried her best to conceal her actions and intentions, Wang Huaisheng still noticed. However, Wang Huaisheng pretended to be nonchalant.

"Has Minister Huang been examined by the imperial physician?" Emperor Longqing asked.

“Your Majesty, this is an old ailment of mine; it will be fine with some rest,” Huang Ding replied.

"In that case, I grant you a period of rest and recovery before returning to your post." Emperor Longqing waved his hand, signaling Huang Ding to leave.

Huang Ding returned to his seat, momentarily at a loss for what to do.

Your words are unbelievable. Why did Father Emperor refuse such an easy opportunity to seize power? Why is he so protective of Huang Ding? Did Father Emperor not intend for the Ning family army and the Zhong family to fight to the death?

Now, Qingyan no longer concealed her feelings and stared directly at Emperor Longqing.

As if he knew, the Longqing Emperor glanced back at her, his eyes expressionless.

The Duke of Ningguo, seated below, was as calm as the Longqing Emperor, which was baffling.

Qingyan's gaze darted back and forth between the two of them, and she suddenly realized the truth, but the conclusion completely chilled her to the bone.

If the fish dies and the net breaks, that's the fish and the net's problem; the angler should simply sit back and enjoy the view.

She is the crown prince, and for Yu Ningyuan, that's a marriage proposal. A royal daughter cannot be discarded like water spilled from a cup, therefore she cannot be another man's wife.

Even if Emperor Longqing wasn't present last night, he must have been fully aware of the whole story. Her use of her position as crown prince to coerce Huang Ding likely didn't escape Emperor Longqing's notice.

When the snipe and the clam fight, she, as the fisherman, should remain a bystander. If she takes sides, she will be accused of cheating.

Qingyan slowly withdrew her gaze from Emperor Longqing, feeling as if all the strength had been drained from her body. She was only supported by a sliver of remaining consciousness to keep herself from collapsing.

Later, Shangguan Hexiu, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies and Qingyan's cousin, submitted a memorial regarding the matter of contacting the State of Qiu Rong. Qingyan was in a daze when she heard this, and it wasn't until the Longqing Emperor ordered her to make preparations that she came to her senses, bowed, and accepted the order.

Before Qingyan could return to her original position, the Duke of Ningguo slowly rose from his square-armed official's hat chair and bowed: "Your Majesty, the journey to Suizhou is long and fraught with danger. Although Qiu Rong has presented a letter of state on the surface, we must be wary of their disloyal intentions. I have served in Qiu Rong for ten years and know them well. To ensure a safe journey, I am willing to personally escort the Princess."

"It is rare to find such loyalty from the old general, but he is still recovering from his illness and should not travel far," Emperor Longqing said calmly after glancing at him.

"My son can serve as my deputy general and accompany me." Duke Ningguo gestured for Ningyuan to step forward.

"In that case, permission is granted." Emperor Longqing waved his hand.

"Your Majesty," Cheng Xueli said calmly as he stepped out from the ranks, "Among the twelve vanguard battalions of the Capital Garrison, the Lifeng Battalion is the most elite. If they escort the Princess, along with the old general and the young general, there should be no chance of failure."

Even the Minister of War hasn't said a word, so what's with this Minister of Revenue making such a fuss? Qingyan stared at Cheng Xueli for a few moments but didn't notice anything amiss.

"It's a pity that General Huang is unwell and cannot share the Emperor's burdens," Cheng Xueli said, shaking his head in a pretentious manner.

“The Lifeng Battalion is indeed an elite force, and I originally intended to send this battalion to Suizhou. Now that Minister Huang is unwell, Minister Li,” Emperor Longqing turned to Li Fangfu, the Minister of War, who was seated in the hall.

"The minister is here."

"Is there a suitable candidate to temporarily assume the duties of the Lifeng Battalion Commander?"

"Your humble servant believes that General Li Zhangwu of Huaihua is capable of this position." Li Fangfu seemed to have been prepared for this.

According to Lingfeng Pavilion, Li Fangfu is a man of Prince Jin. Huang Ding is useless, so Prince Jin naturally won't let any opportunity slip by. Just as Qingyan was about to recommend a candidate, Prince Jin bowed and stepped forward from the assembly.

“Your Majesty, General Li Zhangwu of Huaihua once served as my deputy. He is brave and resourceful, a rare talent. With him leading the Lifeng Battalion to escort Her Highness the Princess, she will surely be safe.”

"This humble general will certainly do his utmost to protect the Princess," Li Zhangwu immediately stepped forward and declared.

Ten years ago, Li Zhangwu was Huang Ding's deputy general, the second person besides Huang Ding who deserved to die. Qingyan felt like her eyes were spitting fire as she looked at them.

"Do any of you have any objections?" Emperor Longqing surveyed the entire room, but no one spoke.

"Then it's settled." Emperor Longqing waved his hand.

"Dismiss the court." Wang Huaisheng's shrill voice sent chills down Qingyan's spine.

Upon returning to Caiyi Palace, Qingyan received a report from Yunxuan from Qin Mian.

"110,000 dan of grain have been raised."

Yunxuan is indeed a good helper.

Qingyan burned the paper and then wrote: "I will depart for Suizhou tomorrow, with grain supplies on board."

Qin Mian had been waiting outside the door for a long time.

After giving Qin Mian a few instructions, Qingyan's mind raced, and she realized that there was only one last thing left.

"Sicheng," Qingyan called softly.

A figure in black immediately appeared in front of Qingyan.

"Sneak into the palace with Prince Zhao, but be careful not to get caught."

Should this cunning King Zhao be disguised as a palace maid or a eunuch? Certainly not as a guard. Such a golden opportunity—of course, we should make the most of it and play a good trick on him. Qingyan found the thought amusing.

He instructed Zhuier to pack their belongings, and then, remembering that Ina would also be traveling with the group, he decided to take Physician Wang along as well.

Thinking of the news that Yunxuan had quickly gathered grain, Qingyan came to the outside of Jingxin Hall.

This time, Wang Huaisheng wisely refrained from reporting in advance. Presumably, Wang Huaisheng noticed something amiss during the morning court session and pretended to be nonchalant, which likely alerted Emperor Longqing. The subtle relationship between a personal eunuch and the crown prince is naturally a major taboo for the emperor.

"Your Highness." Wang Huaisheng bowed respectfully to Qingyan.

"Please inform him, Eunuch Wang." Qingyan also performed the proper etiquette.

"Your Highness, please wait a moment."

Before long, Wang Huaisheng brought Emperor Longqing's edict and led Qingyan inside.

"Father." Only the father and daughter were in the Jingxin Palace, and Qingyan did not perform a grand ceremony.

"Are you ready to depart tomorrow?" Emperor Longqing asked, seemingly casually.

"Your subject is prepared," Qingyan replied, "but..."

"Hasn't the 110,000 dan of grain already been prepared?" Emperor Longqing put down his vermilion brush and looked up from the memorial.

"Father, you are wise." Qingyan was startled and then knelt on the ground.

“Every year in early spring, the Ministry of Revenue is required to conduct tax inspections to assess last year’s harvest and this year’s planting. The court also sends people to supervise the process. This year, the Court of Judicial Review is on duty. It was originally a minor matter, but the Minister of Judicial Review went in person. Given his current position, if he’s not going to do something for you, then what is his intention?” Emperor Longqing looked at Qingyan kneeling on the ground without any concern and did not tell her to get up. “Jiaojiao, are you guarding against the Ministry of Revenue or against me?”

Qingyan lowered her head, unsure how to respond.

The Longqing Emperor sighed softly: "Get up."

Qingyan gritted her teeth, looked up at Emperor Longqing, but did not get up: "Father, the amount of grain and funds sent south for disaster relief a few months ago was not large, but it was not something that could be mobilized in a day. However, the Ministry of Revenue did not misappropriate military grain and completed the task quietly. After I returned to the palace, Minister of Revenue Cheng Xueli frequently showed goodwill. It was so obvious that I had to be on guard before I could figure out his intentions."

"It was at my behest." Emperor Longqing reached out and helped Qingyan up.

"Father!" Qingyan let him help her up, looking at him in disbelief.

"A talent for learning etiquette can bring peace to the world, and I do not wish to waste such a precious gem." This was the explanation given by the Longqing Emperor.

Wise rulers all cherish talent; my elder brother was like that, and so was my father. Qingyan understood.

"Your subject understands."

"Let Fu Yunxuan go with you. He has made great contributions to the grain procurement this time and will be a great help to you." Emperor Longqing knew Qingyan's thoughts, of course. "However, Qingyan, the Fu family is not the same as the Ning family. You should be careful."

Emerging from the Jingxin Hall, Qingyan stood outside and looked back at the plaque. The three characters "Jingxin Hall" were written by Emperor Longqing himself. The steady and vigorous Han-style clerical script was not a popular font at the time, but Emperor Longqing had an unusual fondness for it.

Calm down? How can anyone calm down in this situation! Qingyan's mind grew heavy.

In the distance, Ning Yuan stood waiting for her amidst the falling blossoms. His warm lotus-colored robe was made even more exquisite by the blossoms. It was rare to see Ning Yuan dressed like a young master from a noble family. It turned out that this valiant man could be so alluring when he dressed up like this. Qing Yan felt that she was quite fortunate to have him.

"What are you laughing at?" Ning Yuan greeted Qing Yan, who was walking quickly towards him, only to find her grinning foolishly.

"I'm so happy," Qingyan replied casually. "With such a handsome husband like you, shouldn't I be secretly delighted?"

"Yan'er, you're being naughty again." Ning Yuan avoided Qing Yan's gaze, blushing slightly.

“Ningyuan,” Qingyan stopped joking and said, “Father has permitted Yunxuan to go to Suizhou with him,” then paused and continued, “along with the 110,000 dan of grain he raised.”

"So, very good."

Although they both hoped that Yunxuan could go with them, at this moment, the two were not on the same page about Yunxuan.

One hundred and eleven dan of grain were collected by Yunxuan in just a few days in early spring, a time when grain collection was not usually done. Yunxuan had done it without anyone noticing anything amiss. This was either due to Yunxuan's exceptional abilities or the immense power of the Fu family.

Today, it seems Emperor Longqing has tacitly approved of the 110,000 dan of grain. Of course, this implies not only the grain but also the Fu family. But that last sentence just now left Qingyan with a lingering fear. Even if Fu Yunxuan is truly devoted to her, that's only his vow, not the entire Fu family's. The Fu family belongs to Fu Yan, not Fu Yunxuan. What good is being the eldest son and grandson? With the status of the crown prince, she, Shen Qingyan, will forever remain an unregistered wife in the Fu family's genealogy, never becoming the matriarch. Of course, given the Fu family's current status, they can't defect, but they can remain neutral. If she, the crown prince, turns out to be an incompetent ruler, then the most righteous thing the Fu family can do to protect themselves is to remain neutral.

Thinking back to when he became the crown prince, whenever he had a headache, Yunxuan would take care of it for him. He seemed to have never worried or felt anything was wrong. But today, his father’s words made Qingyan’s alarm bells ring.

The Fu and Cheng families were given to her by her father, and only the Ning family army was loyal to her. In addition, the Empress Shangguan's maternal relatives had to rely on her. Apart from the Prince of Jin's faction, everyone else was indeed watching and waiting. If she, as the crown princess, could not stand firm now, she would probably have no place to stand even after her father passed away.

"Yan'er, what are you thinking about?" Ning Yuan called out to Qingyan in a low voice as they walked all the way to Xuanhua Palace without her making a sound.

"It's nothing." Qingyan came back to her senses and saw that she had already reached the entrance of Xuanhua Palace. Not knowing how to tell Ning Yuan about her worries, she simply said nothing and let Ning Yuan lead her into Caiyi Palace.

"Is Yan'er worried about Yunxuan?" Ning Yuan guessed.

Qingyan shook her head, turned around and held Ningyuan's hand, saying, "Father Emperor's tacit approval of Yunxuan's grain collection today is a reminder to me. Even if the Fu family allows their eldest son and grandson to enter the palace, it may not be that simple. What I'm worried about is that Yunxuan's entry into the palace as a consort is more Yunxuan's own idea than the Fu family's."

"Is Yan'er worried about losing the support of the Fu family?" Ning Yuan understood immediately.

“Ningyuan,” Qingyan leaned against him, “What I’m worried about is that if I don’t become stronger, I will eventually lose the support of the Fu family.”

"Yan'er, don't worry, I'm here for you." Ning Yuan hugged her, feeling a pang of heartache.

“Ningyuan, I am the Crown Prince, and I should act like one.” After saying this, Qingyan stepped out of Ningyuan’s embrace and went straight into the small study in the inner chamber.

Ultimately, I need to walk this path step by step on my own. Those who offered help in my time of need are already by my side, and as for those who added to my success, whether they come or not is not something I need to force.