The Red Chamber: Starting from Saving Xue Baochai

Chapter 135 Shen Yuan Must Be Responsible

Emperor Yuanzhen raised his hand and said with a smile: "Huaizhong, sit down and talk."

To the emperor, this matter was just a trivial matter. As he could use it to show his favor to his favorite minister, he naturally would not object.

"Approve Huaizhong's request." Emperor Yuanzhen turned to Dai Quan and ordered, "Immediately issue an order to allow Jia Yuanchun, the female historian of the Chengqian Palace, to leave the palace and return home to spend time with her parents."

The order was concise and without too many words, he agreed to Shen Yuan's request.

"Yes." Dai Quan bowed and went to announce the decree. It was not a big deal, so he only needed to convey the order orally.

Shen Yuan looked at Emperor Yuan Zhen and said with gratitude: "I thank your majesty for your grace."

This was indeed a trivial matter for Emperor Yuanzhen, so he did not say much about it, but instead brought up another matter.

"I heard that Huaizhong had some conflicts with the Beijing camp today."

The farce that happened in the New Army Guard camp in the morning naturally did not escape the eyes and ears of Emperor Yuan Zhen. Now that he had met Shen Yuan, the emperor would of course inquire about it.

Shen Yuan's face was slightly stern when he heard this. Just as he was about to reply, he saw Emperor Yuan Zhen continue: "I have heard the details. Huai Zhong did nothing wrong."

"The lieutenant commander of the Beijing camp was indeed reckless in his words and deeds. Huaizhong beat him, and I will also fine him one year's salary as a punishment. This matter is over. The most urgent task is to reorganize the Beijing camp. Huaizhong and Wang Qing, your uncle and son-in-law, should cooperate sincerely to realize the dream of a strong army in the Great Zhou Dynasty as soon as possible."

Emperor Yuanzhen made his final decision on the matter, placing all the blame on Lieutenant General Wu Peng, and also tried his best to avoid direct conflict between Shen Yuan and Wang Ziteng.

As far as the military reform of Yu Jingying was concerned, this was just a minor episode and there was no need to miss out on major events because of it. A minor punishment for Wu Peng could be considered a warning to Wang Ziteng.

The emperor intended to downplay the matter in order to resolve the conflict between Shen Yuan and Wang Ziteng. In the heart of Emperor Yuanzhen, he actually favored Shen Yuan more.

But Shen Yuan does not have enough qualifications, so Wang Ziteng is the only one who can be used to reorganize the Beijing camp.

Wang Ziteng's role is only at the moment, Shen Yuan is the future of the Great Zhou's powerful army.

Shen Yuan understood what he meant and said respectfully, "I will obey your majesty's order."

On the other side, time goes back to an earlier time.

Yuanchun changed into the clothes that Baoqin had brought, and the master and servant returned to Chengqian Palace.

After entering the palace and about to go back to his room, he was stopped by someone.

"Yuanchun." The person who spoke was Concubine Wu's personal nanny.

Yuanchun was still thinking about the beautiful scene in the locust tree forest, but she was suddenly stopped and panicked.

"Aunt Zhao Zhao."

"The Imperial Concubine asks you to pass through."

"Yes." Yuanchun responded and followed Nanny Zhao to the main hall, with Baoqin following behind.

Arriving at the main hall, Yuanchun took two steps forward and bowed to Concubine Wu: "Your Majesty."

"Here you go, sit down."

Yuanchun responded and sat down beside him, standing behind him with her zither in her arms, still holding the torn ruqun in her hands.

Concubine Wu looked Yuanchun over, her eyes finally falling on the hand holding the zither, and asked in confusion, "What are you holding in your hand?"

She knew that Yuanchun had just gone to meet Shen Yuan, and now seeing her coming back with the girl Baoqin holding something that looked like a dress, she was naturally curious.

When Baoqin heard this, her delicate hands trembled, and the skirt in her hands almost fell to the ground.

Yuanchun's face flushed with red, and she was flustered for a moment. She whispered, "My skirt was accidentally torn by a branch."

As for when and where the cut happened, she couldn't say in detail.

Seeing the shy and timid look of the girl, Concubine Wu's eyes flashed with a meaningful look. She did not ask about the matter in detail, but asked: "Then how did Shen Yuan respond?"

"Brother Yuan will go to ask His Majesty for permission."

Hearing this, Concubine Wu felt an indescribable emotion in her heart. She was silent for a moment, and then her tone returned to calm: "Forget it, since you have decided to leave the palace, if Shen Yuan can really get His Majesty's order, I will not stop you. If you want to leave, go ahead."

Although he tried his best to keep his tone calm, his words revealed a sense of reluctance.

After all, she had been by her side for more than seven years, and there was a ten-year age difference between them. In her heart, Concubine Wu really treated Yuanchun as her own daughter.

Therefore, Concubine Wu's heart was extremely conflicted over the years. She had been in the palace for more than ten years and knew very well that the harem was lonely and cold.

Therefore, she did not want to see Yuanchun follow in her footsteps, but she also hoped that this gentle and considerate girl could always be by her side to ease her loneliness.

At this moment, Concubine Wu was both happy and sad. She was happy for Yuanchun, but also sad for herself.

Yuanchun could sense the loneliness hidden in Concubine Wu, and she couldn't bear it, so she said softly, "If I have the chance, I will go to the palace to see the queen."

Having said that, after she left the palace, she no longer had the status of a female historian, so how could she enter the palace at will? And it was even more impossible for Concubine Wu to leave the palace, so it was not easy for the two to meet.

When Concubine Wu heard this, her heart warmed. This gentle and kind girl in front of her still cared about her.

"If you really leave the palace, I will give you a token. Although you cannot enter the palace frequently, you can still come once every two or three months with this token."

When Concubine Wu said this, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind. If she could adopt Yuanchun as her adopted daughter, wouldn't she be able to summon her whenever she wanted?

But she cannot decide this matter alone.

In the hundred years of the Great Zhou Dynasty, there have been emperors and concubines who adopted the daughters of meritorious officials as their adopted daughters. However, they must have been the legitimate daughters of the meritorious officials. Moreover, once this girl was adopted as a daughter by the emperor or concubine, she would become a princess and enjoy the same honor as the daughter of a prince.

Although Yuanchun is the legitimate daughter of the Jia family, the Jia family has not made any contribution to the court since the death of Daishan Gong, and the emperor has no good feelings towards these descendants of military merit. How could he agree to adopt Yuanchun as his adopted daughter?

Thinking of this, Concubine Wu sighed secretly and put the idea aside for the time being.

Yuanchun could feel the loneliness of Concubine Wu the most. After hearing what Concubine Wu said, her beautiful eyes were full of tears and her voice was choked with tears. She said softly: "As soon as there is a chance, Yuanchun will go to the palace to see the queen."

Concubine Wu smiled and said, "You, girl, speak as if you can definitely leave the palace. Let me make it clear in advance that if Shen Yuan cannot obtain the imperial decree, I will not mention this matter to His Majesty. You can just stay in Chengqian Palace with peace of mind."

There is one more thing that Concubine Wu did not say. If this is true, she will do her best to make Yuanchun her adopted daughter.
At this moment, a palace maid hurried into the hall and reported: "Your Majesty, Eunuch Dai is here to announce the decree, and he is already outside the hall."

Yuanchun was startled when she heard this. The internal minister's coming at this time was most likely an imperial decree from Brother Yuan. She didn't expect him to come so soon. A feeling of warmth and joy surged in her heart.

When Concubine Wu heard this, she did not feel too much in her heart, perhaps because she had expected it. Now that the dust had settled, she felt relieved and no longer had those previous entanglements.

"Follow me to receive the order."

Concubine Wu stood up and walked out of the palace. Nothing happened as expected. Dai Quan had indeed conveyed the emperor's oral order to allow Yuanchun to leave the palace.

After receiving the order, he returned to the inner hall again.

The atmosphere became more cheerful at this time, and Concubine Wu became calmer. She accepted the result calmly and was happy for Yuanchun in her heart.

Concubine Wu looked at the beautiful and graceful girl and said with a smile, "Yuan girl, it's as you wish."

Yuanchun met Concubine Wu's warm eyes, and she felt reluctant to leave, so she called out softly, "Madam."

"Well, no matter what, it's a happy event for you, and I'm happy for you too."

As she spoke, Concubine Wu took out a gold-rimmed ivory plaque from her bosom, handed it to Yuanchun, and said in a gentle voice: "Take this plaque, and come and see me when you have a chance."

Ever since she entered the palace as a concubine, she seldom referred to herself as "I". She would either call herself "this palace" or "your concubine" in front of the emperor.

The word "I" she uttered at this moment was indeed full of emotion. She really regarded Yuanchun as a relative.

Yuanchun was also overwhelmed with emotions at this moment. The scenes of her past support and care for Concubine Wu quickly emerged in her mind, and her beautiful eyes were filled with pearls.

The girl stood up, walked forward, prostrated herself on the ground, and kowtowed to Concubine Wu to thank her for taking care of her over the years.

When Concubine Wu saw the scene, her emotions, which had been trying to calm down, suddenly became turbulent. Her nose felt sore and she burst into tears.

"Get up, I told you to be happy today." He tried to hold back his sobs and said, "You should be happy."

Yuanchun kowtowed respectfully, paused for a while, and then slowly stood up.

Looking at the ground again, it was clearly stained with tears.

The girl stepped forward and took the ivory plaque from Concubine Wu, calling her "Madam" with gratitude.

"Come, sit down." Concubine Wu pulled Yuanchun's hand and sat beside her with her arms around her. "Okay, stop crying. Let's not cry anymore."

"Yeah." Yuanchun took a handkerchief and wiped the dew from the corners of her eyes.

"Let's talk about something happy." Concubine Wu regained her smile, hoping to have some good thoughts before parting, and said softly: "Speaking of which, you are not young anymore, and it's time to talk about marriage after returning home."

When Yuanchun heard this, she blushed and said softly, "I'm not in a hurry to get married."

"Don't worry. You'll be twenty soon. If you don't hurry, you'll be an old maid." Concubine Wu said, "Before, it was because you were in the palace and you had a mission at home. Even if you wasted your time, you couldn't do anything about it."

"But the situation is different now. When you return home, you should decide on your lifelong affairs as soon as possible. This is the most important thing."

"Your Majesty, I..." Yuanchun didn't know how to respond for a moment when the Imperial Concubine mentioned her marriage in person.

Concubine Wu tried to test him, "Among your majesty's princes, the third prince has not yet married a principal wife, and the fourth prince has not even taken a concubine. If you are interested, I can come forward to mediate. I'm sure they won't want to offend me."

Since the death of the previous empress, Emperor Yuanzhen has not appointed another empress. All matters in the harem are actually handled by Concubine Wu. She is the highest-ranking concubine in the palace and is the de facto master of the harem.

When the four princes saw her, they all respectfully called her mother.

If Yuanchun only had a relationship with the Jia family, it might be a little difficult for her to become the prince's principal wife. But if she had the background of Concubine Wu, the possibility of her marrying the third or fourth prince as his principal wife would be very high.

But Yuanchun was startled when she heard this, and said hurriedly, "Your Majesty, you can't do that."

She didn't know why she was so nervous and was so anxious to refuse. Perhaps it was because she had experienced the loneliness of the palace and wanted to get away from this quagmire.

Maybe there are some thoughts at work that she herself is not aware of.
When Concubine Wu saw Yuanchun's anxious look, she couldn't help but smile and patted the back of the girl's hand to comfort her.

"Don't worry, I just said it casually. Everything depends on your willingness." Concubine Wu said with a meaningful smile: "You are so anxious to refuse, do you have someone in mind?"

"No, no." Yuanchun was suddenly asked this by Concubine Wu. The figure of the young man flashed through her mind and her eyes became a little unnatural.

How could she think of him? She was too shameless. He was her brother-in-law.
Concubine Wu was very sensitive and noticed the girl's strangeness. She joked, "Who did you think of just now?"

"No." Yuanchun was stared at by Concubine Wu with a burning gaze, which made her feel even more uncomfortable. She also felt a little guilty, so she explained softly, "I just don't want to finalize the marriage so hastily."

Without thinking too much, Concubine Wu could guess who Yuanchun had just thought of.

In recent days, apart from meeting Shen Yuan a few times, Yuanchun has not seen any other man, of course, not counting the routine delivery of bird's nest porridge to Emperor Yuanzhen.

Moreover, every time the two of them talked about Shen Yuan, one could clearly feel a strange light flashing in Yuanchun's eyes.

"You and that Shen Yuan..." Concubine Wu deliberately dragged out the words, observing the changes in the girl's expression.

Sure enough, Yuanchun couldn't help but panic again, and her beautiful face was tinged with a faint blush.

Concubine Wu continued, "Besides talking about your leaving the palace, what else happened between you two before?"

"Nothing."

Under Concubine Wu's repeated probing, Yuanchun became increasingly flustered and could only deny it without any confidence.

Seeing the girl's expression, Concubine Wu's smile became more playful. She looked at Baoqin below and ordered, "Baoqin, unfold the dress in your hand."

"Your Majesty," she said, holding the zither, was suddenly stared at by the Imperial Concubine. Her heart leapt into her throat, and she was even more panicked than her daughter.

"Hmm?" Concubine Wu pretended to be stern and said, "My words are no longer effective?"

"I dare not!"

Baoqin was just a little girl, how could she withstand Concubine Wu's imposing manner? She had to spread out her skirt in her hands.

Concubine Wu only took a glance, then turned to look at the embarrassed Yuanchun, covered her mouth and laughed, "Yuan girl, was your whole body seen by that young man?"

Yuanchun's face turned red with shame and she bit her pink lips, not knowing how to explain.

Concubine Wu laughed for a while, then suddenly turned serious and said solemnly, "How can this be allowed? My innocence has been tarnished for no reason. How can we just let it go? Shen Yuan must take responsibility."

"Ah?" Yuanchun heard this, her eyes widened, her face full of surprise, she couldn't believe it and said, "Brother Yuan is my cousin's husband, how can you..."

Then he continued in a soft voice: "What happened today was just an accident. Brother Yuan didn't want it to happen, and no one else saw it at the time."

As the saying goes, those who are involved are often confused, while those who are not involved can see things clearly. When Concubine Wu saw Yuanchun trying to exonerate Shen Yuan, she could see what the girl was thinking. Perhaps these thoughts were hidden deep in her heart, and she herself was not even aware of them.

"Putting this matter aside, what does Yuan think of Shen Yuan?"

(End of this chapter)