Chapter 2, Queen Wang

Both Wang and Princess Changyang paused momentarily, then quickly used this conversation to smooth over the situation. Changyang said seriously: "Indeed, Fifth Sister-in-law, last night when the people from the Empress's palace passed by the Four Seas Pond, they encountered Eldest Sister secretly bringing a young companion behind the rockery..." She cleared her throat, "At that time, everyone was separately detained by the Empress, and since it was already late, no one came to inform Fifth Sister-in-law. Now, Eldest Sister is likely to enter the palace soon, and if she still has someone with her, today could be... this..."

The matter was entrusted to the queen, and both of them still had trust in Wang's abilities. Changyang did not wish to stay any longer, fearing that if Pingjin arrived and learned that she had leaked information, there would be no end to the trouble, and a scene might ensue. Therefore, he nodded to Wang and said, "Elder sister, when you come over later, if we are here, it may be inconvenient for Fifth Sister-in-law to speak clearly. It would be better for Yuanxiu and me to go to the Taiji Hall first."

Wang quickly tidied up his appearance while walking towards the main hall, instructing, "Please hurry up."

However, the husband has become unreliable, and it is even more important not to offend the sister-in-law, especially Yuanxiu

Yuan Xiu asked with a serious expression: "Does the Empress Dowager appear to know about this matter?"

Changyang had no objections, only adding: "The identity of the person in the carriage must not be disclosed to anyone." In other words, if the person in the carriage is discovered, they must be silenced by any means necessary.

Moreover, some would search the streets for beautiful young boys, and if one appeared, they would be forcibly taken into a sedan chair, their eyes covered with a cloth, and brought into a private chamber. After a brief encounter, they would be returned to their original place. Many young men in Chang'an even boasted about the number of times they had been taken away. Over the course of a century, the officials had grown accustomed to this practice and were too lazy to report it.

In total, there was an elderly woman accompanied by two young palace maids. This elderly woman was a long-time attendant of the Empress Mother. Upon discovering the situation, she instructed the two maids not to make a sound and reported to the Empress Mother only after sending everyone else away. Now, the three of them are being kept in the Empress Mother's inner chamber. According to the elderly woman, although the eldest sister thought she had chosen a secluded corner by the Four Seas Pond, unnoticed by anyone, she was unaware that during the years she had been married, some buildings in the palace had been relocated. Therefore, that artificial hill was actually near a shortcut. The elderly woman was concerned that the eldest sister might be seen by others and might inadvertently shout out, so she coughed a few times discreetly to scare them away before reporting to the Empress Mother. "As Changyang spoke, she couldn't help but complain about Pingjin, saying, 'If it weren't for the fact that one of the people we encountered was a knowledgeable elderly woman, who knows how many people would already be aware of this just because of those two young palace maids!"

Yuan Xiu's expression fluctuated between gloom and brightness for quite a while before she regained her composure. Princess Changyang was unaware of the matter concerning Consort Zhao Li and thought that Yuan Xiu was merely upset by Princess Pingjin. After all, Princess Changyang's biological mother, Empress Dowager Yang, was still alive, and Empress Dowager Zhao Xian had never raised her. Thus, it was of no concern to her, which is why she still appeared to be in good spirits even during her mourning.

Wang and Yuan Xiu were indifferent to the sexuality of the young servant. Wang instructed the palace maid who had just poured tea: "Xing Niang, go and call a guard from outside the hall to come in"

In the Hall of Governance, Wang had just dabbed her lips with a handkerchief and signaled the palace maid to remove the breakfast when she heard an announcement that Princess Changyang and Princess Yuanxiu were coming together. She couldn't help but be taken aback; she was still unaware of the matter concerning Princess Pingjin. Like Yuanxiu, she assumed that her two younger sisters-in-law had come regarding the incident of Emperor Fengchun staying overnight in the Hall of Wanchun, and a trace of bitter laughter crossed her lips.

Although Changyang took pleasure in others' misfortunes, she felt that the royal family was shamed by her actions. The Tang Dynasty was known for its open-mindedness, and while the words of the former Princess of Shanyin had indeed drawn constant criticism from historians, the princesses of the current dynasty were truly no different from the princes. While the husbands of princesses were not allowed to take concubines or keep secret lovers, the princesses themselves faced no such restrictions. It was not only the princesses; even the county and district princesses commonly kept male favorites as soon as they reached maturity.

"Qiu Fengxiang is there, so there should be no mistakes." On Changyang Road, Qiu Fengxiang was the close eunuch appointed by Emperor Xianzong to Fengchun. Since Fengchun preferred Yutang more, after ascending the throne, he made Qiu Fengxiang the deputy to Yutang. Although his position was not as high as Yutang's, he was extremely capable and literate, managing the imperial palace and the six ministries in an orderly manner. "Sister-in-law Wu, there is no need to rush; we will go over and take a look right away."

Wang concealed the pain in her heart and first instructed everyone around her, except for her most trusted confidant, to withdraw. Only then did she reveal a reassuring smile: "Changyang must have misunderstood and misinterpreted the situation. How could your fifth brother be that kind of person?"

The matter of today is of great importance, so I kindly ask Fifth Sister to immediately send someone to wait at the palace gate, to observe when Eldest Sister's carriage enters the palace. Find a reason that does not raise suspicion, and invite Eldest Sister to the Hall of Governance, while also keeping an eye on the carriage

However, the birth mother of Princess Pingjin, Lady Lu, had a contentious relationship with Grand Consort Yang during her lifetime. As the first daughter of Emperor Xian, Princess Pingjin, despite being of illegitimate birth, was granted the title of Princess upon her marriage. While Emperor Xian was alive, she was favored among the princesses, second only to Yuanxiu. The two husbands she married were not from ordinary families. Grand Consort Yang hoped to use this situation to make her suffer, yet she was also concerned that Pingjin's uncles might join forces with her in-laws to create obstacles for Prince Qi and Changyang. She was particularly wary of being retaliated against by Pingjin, who might use the grievances between Lady Lu and herself to her advantage. Therefore, she advised her daughter to take advantage of their shared residence in Fengyang Pavilion to bring Yuanxiu, the beloved younger sister of Emperor Fengchun, into the fold.

However, while openness is encouraged, when it comes to filial piety, even Fengchun does not dare to take it lightly. The Wang family is aware that he actually only stayed in the Wanchun Hall until the early hours of the day. Consort Zhao was then gently awakened and, in the dark, attended to him as he quietly slipped back to the Ganlu Hall.

Since her time as a princess, she has been unable to manage the Zhao family, let alone this time

Princess Changyang shares the same sentiment. Princess Pingjin is a woman, and this matter falls within the realm of the imperial harem. Although Fengchun is the emperor, it is indeed difficult for a younger brother to broach such matters concerning his elder sister. This should have been handled by the empress first.

In contrast, the actions of Princess Chang at pingjin m.hetushu.com are truly astonishing, akin to the grace and tranquility cultivated by Wang's family under the exclusive favor of Concubine Zhao, which inevitably pales in comparison.

In the Dream Tang system, following the demise of the late emperor, the crown prince ascended to the throne, with his mother naturally becoming the empress dowager. The other consorts without children were sent to the royal temples outside Chang'an to engage in religious practices, praying for the late emperor, while those with children were taken out by their offspring for support. Empress Dowager Yang was supposed to accompany her son, Prince Qi, to Qi, but due to her chronic illness, she was granted special permission by the late emperor to remain in the capital for medical consultations at the Imperial Hospital. Furthermore, as there were not many consorts in the palace at that time, Empress Dowager Yang did not move out of the Tai Chi Palace but continued to reside in the Anren Hall.

"... ... How ... ... ?" Coming from the Wang family, though not as favored as Consort Zhao, she still firmly held the position of the primary wife. Her ability to read the room was naturally exceptional. Upon witnessing this scene, she immediately realized she had misspoken, yet she had only uttered a single sentence and was unaware of where she had gone wrong. The three exchanged glances for a while, and then Yuan Xiucai quietly said: "Fifth sister-in-law, what Seventh sister is referring to is related to Eldest sister. It seems that the Empress Dowager is concerned about today's official worship, hence the news has been kept under wraps. Fifth sister-in-law, you are unaware, and upon hearing Seventh sister's words, you mistakenly thought Fifth brother had done something wrong."

However, Yuan Xiu lost her biological mother at the age of three, yet she was raised by Empress Dowager Zhao Xian herself. The affection from twelve years of nurturing is hardly inferior to that of a biological mother. Yuan Xiu has always been strong-willed; how could she tolerate the disrespect shown by Princess Pingjin towards her adoptive mother

Yuan Xiu and Chang Yang were taken aback

That works. Wang took on such a hot potato of a task; he would either offend Changyang, Yuanxiu, or even Fengchun, or he would upset Princess Pingjin. He was already quite troubled, and seeing them about to leave, he thought it would be much more convenient to speak in front of Pingjin later, so he naturally did not stop them. He even said, "I might be a bit late, so I would trouble you to go ahead and lend a hand, to prevent any oversight or mistakes from the palace attendants."

Fifth Sister, do you know! Changyang and Yuanxiu have entered; Changyang is older, so Yuanxiu did not speak. She only heard her say with barely concealed anger, "The Empress Dowager has recently passed away, and the entire nation mourns. Yet last night, something utterly shameless occurred in the palace, truly unheard of!"

Wang was astonished: "Is this really the case?"

Yuan Xiu frowned slightly, about to remind her that time was of the essence and to avoid unnecessary words

"Do not be hasty in your anger; first consider how to handle this matter," urged Princess Changyang, who was known for her impatience. After a moment of silence, she pressed on, "Today, the Empress Dowager's coffin is being transported from the palace to Jingling, and all officials must pay their final respects at the Taiji Hall. If news leaks out at this time and the entire court becomes aware, our family's reputation will be utterly tarnished by our elder sister!"

Yuan Xiu discerned her intentions, but considering that Lady Yang was perceptive, she did not solely focus on making things difficult for Pingjin. Even if it meant escalating the situation, she was willing to go along with it.

Yuan Xiu turned her head to glance at the copper leak. It was the time between the end of the tiger hour and the beginning of the rabbit hour, so there should still be time. She stood up and said, "Let us go see Fifth Sister-in-law together"

Moreover, the actions taken by Pingjin in this matter are truly excessive