Chapter 164: Pleasing

Words : 1545 Updated : Sep 19th, 2025

Because she said Xie Jingchen doesn’t have medical skills, going is pointless, so she simply doesn’t let him go? Su Jin was left speechless by Xingxing’s line of thinking. If Xie Jingchen doesn’t go, and the two of them run off to the border to save Old Master Xie, people will say they’re out of their minds. Moreover, the military camp is a restricted area, without Xie Jingchen leading the way, they can’t even get in, right? Just as Su Jin was about to speak, a Hidden Guard came in and said, "Young Master Xie, the Emperor has summoned you to the palace." Xie Jingchen frowned slightly. He lifted his foot to walk out. Su Jin followed. The Hidden Guard hurriedly said, "Eldest Young Madam, the eunuch delivering the message has instructed that you should not go." Su Jin, "...." "Who doesn’t want my lady to enter the palace this time?" Xingxing’s face showed displeasure. "It’s the Emperor," said the Hidden Guard. "...." Xingxing looked at Su Jin and asked, "What do we do now that the Emperor doesn’t allow you to enter the palace?" "Then we just won’t go," Su Jin said indifferently. "If you don’t go into the palace, you can’t curry favor with the Emperor to get him to make you a princess," Xingxing said. "...." The Hidden Guard silently followed Xie Jingchen. The way Eldest Young Madam and her maid try to please the Emperor is truly unique. The Emperor, having been stung by bees, even lowered the Imperial Banquet several levels. If the Emperor weren’t truly afraid, he wouldn’t have specially instructed the eunuch delivering the message. Su Jin was exasperated with Xingxing. Her father, Marquis Dongxiang, said one thing, and she always remembered it. She had no interest in being made a princess. Xie Jingchen went to the front courtyard, and upon seeing that he was alone, the eunuch delivering the message breathed a sigh of relief. The little eunuch drove the carriage, while Xie Jingchen rode a horse to the palace. Inside the Imperial Study. The Emperor was reviewing memorials. Xie Jingchen entered and greeted the Emperor. The Emperor closed the memorials and signaled Eunuch Fu to give the letter delivered by the guard to Xie Jingchen. Eunuch Fu handed the letter to Xie Jingchen, smiling, "Young Master Xie, there’s no need to worry, the Great General is already fine." Xie Jingchen knew then that the letter was to report safety, and promptly took it. He skimmed the letter from beginning to end, and seeing the Old Duke’s stamp on it, he was finally relieved. But he hadn’t expected that the one saving his father would be Su Jin. Of course, Su Jin hadn’t gone to the border, but the Antidote Pills she made were taken to the border by Marquis Dongxiang. On the way to the border, after Marquis Dongxiang learned Old Master Xie had been wounded, he left the main force and went to the military camp with Marquis Jibei in advance. When Su Jin and Xie Jingchen saw him off, they prepared a large box of items; Marquis Dongxiang didn’t look at what was inside, but he knew there were family letters. Old Master Xie was poisoned, and Marquis Dongxiang feared he might not survive. In case he couldn’t be saved, seeing his son’s family letters before dying would be a comfort. Marquis Dongxiang then had the box opened to retrieve the family letters for delivery to the military camp. This revealed that it was a box full of medicines, bottles, and jars, along with Antidote Pills. Just as Old Master Xie was poisoned, with the mindset of using a dead horse as a living one, Marquis Dongxiang brought the Antidote Pills and hurried to the military camp. Then, those Antidote Pills saved General Xie. After reading the letter, Xie Jingchen felt something was amiss. His father was cured, which was a good thing. The Emperor could have directly sent someone to deliver the news to the Duke Mansion; why summon him to the palace and show him the letter? Did the Emperor not want this news to be known by others in the Duke Zhen Country Mansion? What’s there that can’t be known? Xie Jingchen thought of Princess Nanzhang and then the Emperor’s favor towards Su Jin. Xie Jingchen looked at the Emperor and asked, "Does the Emperor know about Princess Nanzhang scheming against Su Jin and ending up unlucky herself?" The Emperor, "...." Eunuch Fu, "...." "There are actually people who dare scheme against the Eldest Young Madam?" Eunuch Fu admired their guts. "What’s going on?" the Emperor asked. Seeing the Emperor’s and Eunuch Fu’s reactions, Xie Jingchen knew he guessed wrong. But since the Emperor asked, he had to honestly recount what happened at the Great Buddha Temple to the Emperor. Eunuch Fu was thoroughly stunned. Being a person, one should understand the situation. People like Princess Nanzhang, who won’t think things through, are destined to suffer. The Emperor was furious. Duke Chong had long known about Old Master Xie being poisoned and unconscious, and deliberately withheld the information to let Princess Nanzhang scheme against Su Jin, not sending the news to him until today. Border affairs, in his eyes, were less important than some inner-court strife?! General Xie, life or death unknown at the border, yet Princess Nanzhang wasn’t heartbroken and still had thoughts to scheme against Su Jin?! Such ignorance, treating national affairs as a joke, made the Emperor’s eyes blaze with anger, and Eunuch Fu quickly urged the Emperor to calm down. What also enraged the Emperor was a little eunuch coming in to say, "Emperor, there’s more news from the border." The little eunuch was quite puzzled. Usually, there’s not a word for three to five days; today, it’s come three times. Without even looking, they could guess what kind of message it was. The Emperor’s face turned purple with rage, and Eunuch Fu called, "Emperor?" Just as the Emperor was about to say, "Bring the letter up," he swallowed his words. He waved Xie Jingchen off, "You may leave." Xie Jingchen took his leave. As Xie Jingchen left the Imperial Study, the guards delivered the letter inside. The sealed letter tube was presented to the Emperor, who opened it to find an identical letter. If Xie Jingchen hadn’t come this time, the Emperor’s anger would have subsided a bit, since Duke Chong only withheld the letter for about an hour before delivering it to the palace. Now knowing about Princess Nanzhang chanting sutras and praying for blessings in the Buddhist Hall, sending the letter so quickly was obviously to help Princess Nanzhang out of her predicament. This letter— Duke Chong doesn’t withhold it. The Emperor withholds. Agarwood Pavilion, backyard. Su Jin was feeding fish by the pavilion. Upon hearing footsteps, Xingxing turned and saw Xie Jingchen, quickly shouting, "My lady, your husband is back." Su Jin turned back, the sunlight casting a faint halo on her porcelain-white face. In that instant, something seemed to strike Xie Jingchen’s heart, making him feel a tingling sensation. Su Jin stood up and smiled, "You look much better, what did the Emperor say to you in the palace?" Xie Jingchen steadied his mood, "Your Antidote Pills worked, father-in-law arrived at the military camp in time, and my father is now fine." "My father reached the border so early?" Su Jin was surprised. The message takes six to seven days on the road. This meant that six to seven days ago, her father reached the border; that speed was too fast, wasn’t it? Without Su Jin mentioning it, Xie Jingchen hadn’t even realized. How could his father-in-law have known about his father being wounded in the camp? A realization floated to the surface of his mind— There’s a spy for Marquis Dongxiang in the camp. Su Jin sat down, poured herself some tea, and said, "I thought Princess Nanzhang would have to kneel in the Buddhist Hall for at least two days, but it hasn’t even been two hours." Xie Jingchen chuckled lightly. Su Jin looked at him, "What are you laughing at?" "People who fall at your hands don’t get up that easily," Xie Jingchen laughed. "...." Duke Zhen Country Mansion, Buddhist Hall. Princess Nanzhang knelt on a cushion, chanting sutras and praying for blessings. Unlike being punished to kneel, praying allows you to sit and rest when tired. Mrs. Zhao entered with a smiling face and said, "Commandery Princess, you should rest for a while; the master is already fine." Princess Nanzhang abruptly looked at Mrs. Zhao, unable to restrain her joy, "Is the news true?" Mrs. Zhao nodded repeatedly, "It’s true, Duke Chong told me, fearing the news spreading that Eldest Young Madam need not chant and pray, the Duke held onto this news, but it has now been sent to the palace, and soon you won’t have to kneel." Princess Nanzhang felt her legs were terribly sore, and Mrs. Zhao helped her sit down. The moment before the news of Old Master’s safety was sent back, she had to stay in the Buddhist Hall for every moment. Princess Nanzhang waited quietly. She waited for half an hour. Princess Nanzhang grew somewhat impatient, "What’s going on, why hasn’t the news been sent back yet?"

Chapter 164: Pleasing

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