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Chapter 480 Trust (I)

That night, Jiang Shaohua stayed in Jingyang Palace.

Empress Dowager Zheng was also good at winning people's hearts. The bedroom where Jiang Shaohua lived was kept clean and elegant. The midnight snacks sent by the palace servants were all Jiang Shaohua's favorites.

Yin, Zhu, Tu and Bai all entered the palace to serve Jiang Shaohua in terms of food, clothing and daily life. Chen Jinyu followed him every day and also lived in Jingyang Palace. As for Song Yuan and other personal guards, they were settled elsewhere and there is no need to elaborate on them.

Jiang Shaohua had been running around all day, exhausting his physical and mental energy, and only now did he show signs of fatigue.

Yin Zhu looked distressed and said, "The princess has to get up early tomorrow to pay respects to the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager, so she should go to bed early tonight!"

Jiang Shaohua hummed, put his head on the soft pillow, and fell asleep quickly.

At five o'clock the next morning, Jiang Shaohua woke up.

There was no martial arts training room in Jingyang Palace. There were so many people in the palace that it was inconvenient for her to practice martial arts. So she just practiced a set of boxing in the bedroom. The bedroom was quite spacious, and Jiang Shaohua moved around as lightly as a swallow.

After practicing boxing, Jiang Shaohua washed, dressed, had a hearty and delicious breakfast, and rushed to the "battlefield" full of energy.

First, he went to pay his respects to Empress Dowager Zheng, and exchanged pleasantries with Princess Baohua, Princess Dongping, and Princess Huaiyang. The princess's study companion Fan Jianing had been missing, so Jiang Shaohua asked casually, "Why didn't Miss Fan come to the palace?"

Princess Baohua glanced at Jiang Shaohua and said, "Jianing is sixteen this year, and has reached the age for marriage. It is inconvenient for her to come to the palace as a companion. She has not been to the palace for two months."

Fan Jianing was one year older than Jiang Shaohua. As the granddaughter of General Fan and the niece of Consort Fan, Fan Jianing was the most distinguished lady in the capital. There were very few young men who could match her, and most of them worked as secretaries around the emperor. For the sake of marriage, the Fan family took Fan Jianing out of the palace.

Jiang Shaohua's expression did not change, he smiled slightly and said: "Miss Fan is outstanding in talent and learning, beautiful and virtuous, the Fan family must be a family with a daughter that hundreds of families would love."

Empress Dowager Zheng laughed and continued, "That's right. After that girl Jianing left the palace, the Fan family has been crowded with people."

Fan Jianing was outstandingly beautiful, and more importantly, General Fan became the top person in the military when he took charge of the border troops. There were many people who wanted to become relatives with General Fan.

The Princess of Dongping County glanced at Jiang Shaohua and suddenly said, "Speaking of which, the Zheng family was originally discussing a marriage with the Fan family. Minister Zheng was suddenly impeached, and the marriage had to be put on hold. Otherwise, cousin Shaohua would have heard the good news."

In the eyes of the Princess of Dongping County, Jiang Shaohua rejected Zheng Chen and Wang Jin because she insisted on marrying a son-in-law. This was nothing, as Zheng Chen could still marry a noble lady. How could Jiang Shaohua not feel jealous after hearing such news?
Unfortunately, Jiang Shaohua didn't even raise his eyebrows, and replied with a faint smile: "Mr. Zheng is both civil and military, and he and Miss Fan are a perfect match."

Princess Dongping was about to speak, but Empress Dowager Zheng glanced at her with a slightly unhappy look. Princess Dongping immediately shut up.

The Lady of Huaiyang County was not a worry-free person either. She smiled and said, "In terms of age, Sheren Wang is one year older than Sheren Zheng. He is already eighteen this year. He has not yet arranged a marriage, and I don't know what kind of girl he will marry in the future."

Princess Baohua lowered her eyes to hide the sadness in them.

No matter who Wang Jin married, most likely he would not want to be a consort. Consorts in the Daliang Dynasty could only hold empty posts and idle jobs. Wang Jin had great ambitions, so naturally he did not want to be a gigolo.

The Princess of Huaiyang County originally wanted to stab Jiang Shaohua in the heart, but she didn't know that Jiang Shaohua was indifferent, and it was Princess Baohua who was deeply hurt.

After the girls left Jingyang Palace, they went to Ning'an Palace to pay their respects. When Jiang Shaohua saw the haggard and emaciated Queen Mother Li, she showed her surprise and distress without even trying: "After two years of separation, how come the Queen Mother has become so thin and haggard?"

Firstly, it was because the Li family was suppressed one after another, and she was suffocated by the pressure from the Empress Dowager Zheng in the palace. Secondly, it was because of Emperor Taihe's illness.

It was a bolt from the blue for Empress Dowager Li to learn that Emperor Taihe had inherited the illness of the previous emperor. She cried so much and shed so many tears these days.

In front of Jiang Shaohua, Empress Dowager Li wanted to maintain her dignity and pride, so she said, "I am worried about the emperor's health. I have been losing my appetite and sleep lately, so it is inevitable that I look haggard."

After a pause, he continued, "I didn't expect you to come to the capital. I heard that you went to the palace yesterday to ask Prime Minister Wang to return to the court. You can help the emperor share his worries, which shows that you came to the right place."

For Empress Dowager Li, this was a sign of goodwill.

Jiang Shaohua ignored the slightly stiff tone and less than gentle expression of the Queen Mother Li, and replied with a smile: "This is all my job, I don't deserve the Queen Mother's praise."

After some negotiation, everyone went to Showa-den together.

The illness of Emperor Taihe was no longer a secret in the palace. Princess Baohua was worried, and Jiang Shaohua comforted her softly, "Don't worry, cousin. The emperor is fine. He will get better if he takes care of himself."

Emperor Taikang fainted several times due to overwork and worry, and never woke up again. Given the current situation in Daliang, can Emperor Taihe be allowed to recover slowly?
Princess Baohua couldn't say this in front of everyone, so she cheered up and said, "Cousin Shaohua is right."

The one guarding outside the Showa Hall today is the Secretary of the Central Secretariat Li Boyuan.

When the Princess of Dongping County saw her fiancé, her pretty face blushed and her eyes moved. Li Boyuan also looked at her for a few times, and then said to the girls in a serious tone: "The emperor needs to rest and should not see anyone. Please go back."

Princess Baohua was a little disappointed, but she didn't say anything.

Then, Li Boyuan said, "Princess Nanyang, please stay. The emperor has ordered that you come in to see him."

Girls: “…”

No noise is allowed outside the Showa-den.

After returning to the princess's bedroom, the Princess of Huaiyang County angrily said, "The emperor needs to rest and cannot see anyone, so why can Jiang Shaohua enter the Zhaohe Palace?"

The Princess of Dongping County also felt sorry for Princess Baohua: "Your Highness is the eldest sister of the Emperor. The Emperor does not trust the princess, but trusts Jiang Shaohua instead. This is too ridiculous. Jiang Shaohua's surname is Jiang, but she is actually a woman of another surname. How can she be trusted by the Emperor?"

Yes! This is what Jiang Wanhua and Jiang Yuehua are most dissatisfied with.

They are the real daughters of the Jiang family. As for Jiang Shaohua, she is obviously of the Lu family bloodline, but she took her mother's surname Jiang. Compared with them, she is a little behind in terms of blood relationship.

Princess Baohua looked at Jiang Wanhua and Jiang Yuehua, who were full of discontent, and said softly, "It's because cousin Shaohua offers a large amount of military rations to the court every year, because she can help the emperor solve problems, because she owns the prosperous and peaceful Nanyang County, and because she has a strong military force and loyal officials in the palace."

"If you have this ability and can solve problems for the emperor, the emperor will naturally look at you differently."