bestfiction Chapter 897 May you live a long and healthy life!
Chapter 897 May you live a long and healthy life!
Back at the Princess's residence, Jiang Zhiyi, Wen Qingqing, and Sheng Yunjiao were roasting chestnuts around the stove.
As soon as Lu Yangyang entered the room, she smelled a rich aroma of chestnuts.
"It smells so good!" Lu Yangyang walked over quickly. "Why did you suddenly think of roasting chestnuts?"
Sheng Yunjiao peeled a chestnut and put it in her mouth. "Zhiyi specially brought this back from the southwest and saved it for you. As soon as the Imperial Guards outside dispersed, Zhiyi said you would definitely be back later, so we started roasting it first. How is it? Isn't it just right? There's also hot milk tea that's been brewed, with chestnut pieces and sweet potato balls, and some with rose petals. Can you smell it?"
Lu Yangyang looked at the small ceramic stove warming on the stove and said impatiently, "Hurry, hurry, I haven't eaten anything all day, I'm starving."
Jiang Zhiyi walked up to her, her eyes smiling, "It's good that you're alright."
Even though they had made thorough preparations for the Third Prince's rebellion, they couldn't prevent the danger of swords striking without mercy. Right now, they were gathered around making milk tea and roasting chestnuts, but just half an hour ago, they were anxiously pacing around, afraid of hearing bad news.
Lu Yangyang smiled at her, opened her arms, and hugged her. "Of course it's okay. We still have so much more to do. I not only want to live, but I also want to live to be a hundred years old."
Sheng Yunjiao hugged their arms: "Then it's a deal, let's all live to be a hundred years old!"
Wen Qingqing peeked out: "How can a hundred years be enough? Even if I borrow another five hundred years from heaven, it still wouldn't be enough for me!"
The group burst out laughing.
Sheng Yunjiao pulled Lu Yangyang down to sit and handed her a cup of hot milk tea. "Drink something hot to warm yourself up. Why didn't your second brother come back with you?"
"He's back. He got a pardon from His Majesty, and His Majesty has allowed the Sheng family to return home. He's packed his things and gone to the north." Lu Yangyang said to Sheng Yunjiao, "Second Uncle is an official in the south. I don't know how His Majesty will arrange things. For safety's sake, you should go back and tell Second Aunt to go back to her parents' home for a while, or she can go back to her hometown with her relatives. As long as His Highness can return in triumph, he can come back to the capital again."
“My mother knew I wanted to go to the north, but she didn’t stop me. She packed our things and then took people back to the Wang family in Jinling. Because of my maternal grandparents’ status in Jinling, even if my father stopped being an official, he could still protect my parents. She told me not to worry or be afraid, and to boldly do what I wanted to do.” Sheng Yunjiao’s eyes were slightly red. “She also said she would wait for me to bring Yan Yue back in Jinling!”
Lu Yangyang patted her shoulder, "Second Aunt has always been very perceptive. After we pick up Xiaoli, we'll go to Jinling together."
“Okay, okay, I can also take you to the Valley of the Medicine God. Haven’t you always wanted to visit the Valley of the Medicine God?” Wen Qingqing said.
"Come on, let's use milk tea instead of alcohol and wish our wishes come true!" Jiang Zhiyi raised her glass.
The four of them gently clinked their cups together and drank the milk tea in one gulp.
Since Lu Yangyang entered the palace, the princess's mansion has been tense for many days. Today, she finally returned, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
As Sheng Yunjiao and Wen Qingqing chatted, they went to the side to play a drinking game and riddles.
Jiang Zhiyi clinked her cup with Lu Yangyang's. "I asked my elders in the capital. More than twenty years ago, when His Majesty was still a prince, he went to the battlefield. Xiao Chong was his deputy. However, he only stayed at the border for half a year before returning. At that time, the relationship between Northern Yan and Great Zhao was already very tense. Not long after, a great war broke out. The northern lands suffered repeated defeats, and the two armies were deadlocked at Shunhe, which led to the later peace talks."
Lu Yangyang seemed thoughtful. "His Highness told me that he was the one who spread the rumor that Lin Wuji was the son of Crown Prince Chongwen. Xiao Chong sent someone to find Lin Wuji and said that Lin Wuji was his son, but in reality, if you saw the two of them, you would find that they did not look alike. This is very likely a deception. So, let's make a bold assumption: if Lin Wuji is actually His Majesty's son, and His Majesty's son with Empress Dowager Dugu of Northern Yan, then considering their ages, the only time they could have crossed paths was when His Majesty went to the border."
“Xiao Chong only has the confidence to protect the Xiao family after someone takes the blame, because he holds such a huge secret of His Majesty’s.” Lu Yangyang looked at Jiang Zhiyi. “Given His Majesty’s personality, even for the sake of face, the Duke of Xiao committed such a heinous crime that could lead to the extermination of nine generations of his family. On the day of the trial, he should have executed the entire Xiao family. But he only imprisoned them. He even made an excuse not to deal with Consort Xiao. If it weren’t for the Third Prince’s self-righteous rebellion, His Majesty would probably have found an opportunity to release Consort Xiao. It’s a pity that the Xiao family is under guard now and there’s no chance to get close. I bet that someone in the Xiao family knows the truth of what happened back then. I just don’t know who Xiao Chong, that old fox, will put this secret on. Obviously, Consort Xiao doesn’t know, otherwise she wouldn’t have been willing to die. Xiao Tianshi probably knows, but he’s already dead. It won’t be easy to get the truth out of the remaining Xiao family members. As a trump card, it must be hidden very deep.”
"But if that's really the case, then the whole thing about Crown Prince Chongwen going north as a hostage was probably a setup from beginning to end," Jiang Zhiyi said in a low voice. "Empress Dowager Dugu of Northern Yan came from a noble family. Since the establishment of Northern Yan, all the chief consorts have come from the Dugu clan. The Dugu clan's status in Northern Yan was enough to influence the situation. When Empress Dowager Dugu was in her prime, she should have married one of the princes as his principal wife, but she chose to marry the old King of Yan. After the old King of Yan occupied Youzhou and became emperor, she became the first empress of Northern Yan, and then the empress dowager."
"After that, she controlled the court for nearly twenty years. The current Emperor of Yan is her stepson and a puppet she supported. It is said that he is also her favorite minister. In short, the real power holder in Northern Yan is not the old and senile Emperor of Yan, but Empress Dowager Dugu. She has great power and it is normal for her to want to find her biological son. However, the princes of Northern Yan probably do not think so."
"It seems the Northern Yan court is quite lively these days," Lu Yangyang mused. "No wonder they're in such a hurry to start a war."
Jiang Zhiyi nodded and said, "Only by fighting can one seize power. It is clear that the princes of Northern Yan are already impatient. But if our guess is 50% correct, then we must be careful. Could this great battle be another trap, another battle like the Battle of Chenzhou?"
"Misfortune and fortune are intertwined; what is a predicament may also be an opportunity." Lu Yangyang's eyes were exceptionally clear and firm in the glow of the charcoal fire. "Without destroying Northern Yan, the North will never have peace. We should fight for this cause without hesitation."
Jiang Zhiyi raised her hand, "I have no regrets even if I die!"
Lu Yangyang gently clapped her hands together, "I would have no regrets even if I died!"