Yunchu’s Vengeance - Chapter 250
Chapter 250 - The Princess Selects a Husband
After the people in the grand hall had nearly all arrived, a sharp, piercing voice rang out from a young eunuch. The Emperor, the Empress, and the Empress Dowager walked in from the main entrance and took their seats at the highest dais, prompting everyone present to bow in unison.
Immediately following this, the various princes and imperial sons led the foreign envoys into the hall.
Envoys from a total of eight minor states had been sent to offer tribute at court, with three of those countries having dispatched princes and princesses in an impressive display of grand pomp.
The entire group offered formal greetings to those seated at the highest position using the official language of the Great Jin Dynasty.
"Everyone, please dispense with the formalities," the Emperor said, beaming with a smile. "Have a seat, everyone. Taste the fine food and wine of our Great Jin, and enjoy our dynasty's songs and dances."
A troupe of enchantingly dressed beauties filed into the hall, beginning to play music and dance right in the very center, driving the lively atmosphere to its absolute peak.
Yun Chu sat side by side with Du Ling.
After eating until she was about eighty percent full, Du Ling pulled Yun Chu over to chat: "Look over there, that is the Princess of Rednan. It is said that this princess came to our Great Jin this time specifically to select a husband, thereby continuing the friendly exchanges between the Rednan Kingdom and the Great Jin."
Yun Chu looked over and saw a princess dressed in crimson robes, wearing a snowy-white fox-fur collar around her neck. Her head was adorned with glittering pearls and jade hairpins, yet it did not look the least bit cumbersome; instead, it revealed a certain innocent and charming naivety characteristic of a young maiden.
A man capable of marrying a foreign princess had to at least come from an aristocratic or noble background.
Yun Chu searched her memories, but completely failed to recall who this princess ultimately married in the end.
In her past life, she had truly been single-mindedly devoted to being a virtuous wife and loving mother while completely ignoring the outside world. It was only natural that she ended up meeting such an outcome.
As she was thinking this, she felt someone staring at her.
Following the direction of that gaze, she locked eyes with the Empress Dowager's steady, icy-cold pupils.
She curved her lips into a smile and raised her wine cup toward the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager gripped her cup tightly, suppressing her surging fury.
Back at the Jinying Palace, if Chu Yi had not suddenly appeared, her Rui'er would have already consumed Yun Chu's heart-blood, and his illness would surely have been cured by now.
What a pity!
It was simply such a pity!
The cup in her hand was nearly crushed to pieces. The Empress Dowager channeled the lingering anger in her heart into the wine cup, finally calming her expression somewhat as she spoke: "Rui'er, what do you think of that Princess Guli?"
Chu Rui merely glanced at her, his voice exceptionally flat: "Not much."
The breath that the Empress Dowager had managed to force down with such difficulty surged back up again, and she said coldly: "Princess Guli is the apple of the Rednan King's eye. Her coming to Great Jin this time is to choose a good husband for herself. If you were to marry Princess Guli, then the entire Rednan Kingdom could be at your disposal."
Chu Rui said nothing more, merely lowering his head to drink his tea.
If there weren't so many people present here, the Empress Dowager would certainly have been unable to resist smashing the wine vessel in her hand.
This was the very grandson of her own flesh and blood whom she had raised with her own hands, the child she had nurtured sip of milk by drop of blood. And now, he completely disregarded her authority.
What should be done with a child who had slipped out of control?
Abandon him?
How could she bear to?
Was there any other person more suitable?
The Empress Dowager picked up her wine cup and drained it in one gulp.
She suddenly understood: no matter how reluctant she was to let go, she had no choice but to abandon him.
If the person died, then truly everything would be gone.
Therefore! It was imperative! That Rui'er father a child before he died! Who he married did not matter; what mattered was leaving behind an offspring so that they could plot grand schemes anew.
The Empress Dowager's face blossomed with a benevolent smile: "Since you are unwilling, then let it be."
Chu Rui still wore little expression, sitting alone there sipping his tea as though he existed in an entirely different world from the people around him.
After the song and dance performance concluded, Princess Guli requested on the spot to perform a dance for the Emperor as a tribute.
Dressed in a bright red dancing skirt, her head full of jingling pearls and jade, the young maiden moved with a spirited, agile grace. As she danced, it carried a distinct and captivating exotic flair.
Many of the unmarried noble young men in the hall practically had their eyes glued to the princess.
Holding bells in her hands, the princess swiftly glided past those men, leaving behind the fragrance uniquely belonging to the Rednan Kingdom.
When the musical number and dance came to an end, the Emperor laughed heartily: "I wonder how Princess Guli thinks the men of our Great Jin compare to those of the Rednan Kingdom?"
Princess Guli placed a hand over her chest and replied respectfully: "The men of Great Jin excel in handsome appearances. However, in terms of physical stature and strength, they fall short of our Rednan warriors. But—"
Her tone shifted abruptly, and her shifting gaze landed upon a certain man seated in the grand hall.
"Of course, Great Jin has its warriors as well. In him, I saw the strength that belongs to Great Jin."
The person she was looking at was none other than Chu Yi.
"The princess has a discerning eye. This is the Third Prince of our Great Jin Dynasty, Prince Pingxi," a minister chimed in. "Prince Pingxi has wiped out fierce bandits all across our Great Jin; calling him the premier warrior of Great Jin is no exaggeration at all."
A smile touched the corners of Princess Guli's lips: "Prince Pingxi, a pleasure to meet you."
Chu Yi cupped his hands in greeting: "Princess Guli, a pleasure."
"Oh my, looks like she's taken a fancy to Prince Pingxi," Du Ling whispered into Yun Chu's ear. "The Fifth Prince is still too young right now, leaving Prince Pingxi as the only eligible prince of marriageable age. If Prince Pingxi were to marry Princess Guli, he would be on equal footing with Prince Gongxi."
The Crown Prince had married the Grand Tutor's eldest legitimate granddaughter; both of his secondary consorts were legitimate daughters from second-rank official families, not to mention the backing of the Empress's maternal clan, the Gongsun family. No matter whom Prince Pingxi married, it would still fall short of the Crown Prince.
Meanwhile, Prince Gongxi's primary consort was the secondary daughter of a Grand Academician. If Prince Pingxi were to marry a foreign princess, his power and influence would be on par with Prince Gongxi's.
Yun Chu steered the conversation away: "When is Xiao Ying's wedding scheduled? I'll have to go drink a cup of wedding wine."
"Ah—" Mentioning this matter, Du Ling let out a sigh. "Originally the wedding was set for the coming spring, but Xiao Ying's fiancé suddenly fell ill, and the sickness is quite severe. They even had imperial physicians come to examine him, and they said it's highly likely he won't make it through this winter."
Yun Chu's fingers paused: "Is it really that serious?"
Du Ling nodded: "Perhaps Xiao Ying simply has no affinity for marriage in her destiny. Oh well, let it be; it's not like the Du family cannot afford to raise a daughter."
Xiao Ying had taken a fancy to the Fourth Prince of her own accord, and the Fourth Prince died.
The Du family had then chosen the son of the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief for Xiao Ying, and he seemed unlikely to live long either.
Things predestined by fate could not be resisted by human effort alone.
Yun Chu spoke up: "Have you had a divine physician look at him?"
Du Ling shook her head: "We sent several consecutive letters to Qingzhou, but there's been no news at all. Divine Physician Si is probably off traveling."
Yun Chu noted this matter in her mind, planning to ask Madam Wu later to find out where Young Master Wu had gone following Divine Physician Si.
Speaking of Young Master Wu, Yun Chu felt a profound sense of fortune.
In her previous life, the entire Wu family had perished due to a strange illness. In this lifetime, she had sent Young Master Wu ahead of time to stay by Divine Physician Si's side. Several months ago, Young Master Wu had sent a letter stating that the afflictions on his face were slowly ulcerating and healing, and his health was gradually improving.
They say that prolonged illness makes one a doctor; having been sick for so many years, Young Master Wu had developed quite a bit of research in curing illnesses. Upon arriving in Qingzhou and living within Divine Physician Si's apothecary, he was immersed in it day in and day out, growing increasingly knowledgeable and developing an almost obsessive fascination with the craft. Consequently, Divine Physician Si had kept Young Master Wu by his side as a disciple.
Once the palace banquet concluded, Yun Chu dispatched someone to the hot spring estate to inquire about the situation with Madam Wu.
Standing on the stone steps of the grand hall, Chu Yi watched with his eyes as Yun Chu's figure vanished down the palace pathway.
At that moment, a charming and lively young maiden suddenly appeared before his eyes: "Prince Pingxi, what are you looking at?"
Chu Yi's expression turned exceptionally cold.
However, when his peripheral vision caught sight of Prince Gongxi, Chu Mo, approaching not far away, the icy corners of his lips curved into an arc resembling a smile—though that smile failed to reach his eyes in the slightest. He opened his mouth: "Princess... what does the princess require?"
He truly could not remember whether this princess was called Guli or Guyue, so he could only gloss over it vaguely.