Love Lock

Chapter 185 He shouted, "Good riddance!"

The eunuch's shrill voice pierced people's eardrums.

"Immediately cancel the marriage alliance with the Turks. The Court of State Ceremonial shall properly accommodate the delegation, allowing them to come and go as they please, without any mishaps!"

Officials from the Court of State Ceremonial and all the palace servants in the courtyard knelt down to receive the imperial decree, while Princess Yujia and the Turkic delegation stood frozen in place.

She saw Lord Cui's hands trembling in his sleeves, and saw the teaching nanny's shoulders suddenly relax.

After announcing the imperial decree, the eunuch was about to leave when Lord Cui strode forward, a heavy silver ingot sliding out of his sleeve.

"Please wait, Your Majesty...?"

Lord Cui wanted to ask His Majesty what was wrong, and why it was the Imperial Noble Consort who issued the decree.

The eunuch accepted the silver, but his eyes drifted toward Princess Yujia. "Lord Cui, you should go into the palace and see for yourself! I know nothing about this."

The elder tribal chief of the Turks, He Shu, also stepped forward quickly and asked, "Sir, what is the reason for canceling the marriage alliance?"

The father-in-law shook his head with a stern face, "We don't know."

He Shu pressed on urgently, "Then... does the Turks' pleas for peace still stand?"

This was the issue that Chief He Shu was most concerned about. He had never wanted to be involved with Princess Yu Jia, and canceling the marriage alliance suited him perfectly.

However, the gifts offered by the Turks in exchange for peace had already been sent to the Great Jing court. If the peace treaty was invalid, he had to find a way to get the gifts back.

The father-in-law shook his head again: "I don't know."

"Father-in-law, what about the grain and cloth sent to the Turks?" Princess Yujia asked.

Facing Princess Yujia, the eunuch still politely replied, "Your Highness, this should also be cancelled."

Princess Yujia was stunned. In just that instant, she went from a princess about to be married to a foreigner who didn't know where to go.

Beside her, the teaching assistants and palace maids packed their trunks at an astonishing speed; one young palace maid even accidentally knocked over a rouge box.

The officials of the Court of State Ceremonial, who had been busy for most of the night, were all rushing back to find out what had happened in the palace. No one paid any attention to her anymore, as if she and the Turkic delegation no longer existed.

Princess Yujia looked at the suddenly empty Honglu Temple and felt a great emptiness in her heart. She slumped back into her chair, feeling like an abandoned object, ignored by everyone.

The decree stated that people were free to come and go as they pleased.

She was free, but the grain, cloth, and looms she had obtained in exchange for the Turks vanished into thin air.

The people on the grasslands will still shiver in the wind and snow, hoping for a life with enough food and clothing.

Now that their hopes have been dashed, they seem to have no choice but to pick up their swords and bows again and invade the borders of Dajing once more.

She clearly remembered that on her way here, outside Yong'an City, the battlements of those fortresses stood like menacing fangs, and the city walls gleamed with a cold, hard blue light in the sunlight.

Furthermore, with the "peanut" being such a mysterious and powerful weapon, the Great Jing now has no chance of defeating the Turks if they invade Yong'an City again.

Facing the bronze mirror, Princess Yujia blankly removed the jewels from her head one by one, and then took off her bright red wedding robe.

"Princess, what should we do now?" Chief He Shu asked softly as he approached.

Princess Yujia turned to look at Chief He Shu, whose face was full of vicissitudes, but said nothing.

Yes, something big has clearly happened in the Great Jing's palace. What should they do now? And what should the Turks do?

While Princess Yujia was in a daze, they didn't see that several carrier pigeons carrying letters flew out from the depths of the palace and flew straight to the princely residences of the various prefectures of Dajing.

The sudden and violent deaths of the Emperor and Empress in the palace were no less sensational than the explosion at the Marquis of Champion's mansion that day.

If this matter were to spread, it would surely cause a huge uproar in the government and among the people.

Upon hearing the news, all the civil and military officials rushed to the palace that night. With the mediation of Prime Minister Wei, the officials and the Imperial Concubine reached a consensus.

That is, the matter should be suppressed for the time being, and the death should not be announced. This is to avoid turmoil in the court and to prevent those with ulterior motives from taking advantage of the situation.

Emperor Jing died young, and his children were all too young to assume the great responsibility.

However, a country cannot be without a ruler for a day. The Imperial Concubine and Prime Minister Wei made a last-minute decision and urgently summoned the princes of various regions to return to the capital. They planned to select a worthy successor from among Emperor Jing's brothers to shoulder the heavy responsibility of the state.

With the veteran minister Wei in charge, the situation in the palace was quickly brought under control. However, the streets outside were unusually lively, even more so than on the day of the explosion at the Marquis of Champion's residence.

On the streets, yamen runners and imperial guards from the Jingzhao Prefecture patrolled and conducted strict checks. But the restaurants, teahouses, noodle stalls, and small eateries were still packed with customers.

Because the incident occurred in the palace, the gossip, though subtle, far surpassed the food and wine on the table.

The Drunken Immortal Winery was equally bustling, with patrons chattering about the palace explosion and the raging fire the previous night.

The innkeeper, Yang Haibo, was busy running around, barely touching the ground. But Tang Xiaotong, in a private room on the second floor, was fast asleep, completely undisturbed.

He said he would slowly drink until Chenshi (7-9 AM) today, looking in the direction of the palace and listening to the grand ceremony bells, as if he were personally sending Princess Yujia into the palace.

In fact, before dusk had even fallen, he was already completely drunk after drinking all afternoon and knew nothing about what was happening outside.

When he woke up, it was already sunset. The afterglow of the setting sun slanted through the window and onto the table, making the wood grain exceptionally clear.

Tang Xiaotong felt a splitting headache and her throat was so dry it felt like it was stuffed with sand.

He propped himself up, his head heavy, and listened to the noisy sounds of drinking games, the shouts of waiters, and the faint whispers from the street.

"Last night in the palace..."

"Shh, keep your voice down..."

These fragmented conversations drifted into his ears, only making him more confused.

He slowly opened his eyes, and through the haze, he noticed that there seemed to be a woman standing in front of him. Her figure was backlit, but her outline was strangely familiar.

The wildflowers on her braid swayed gently with her movements, and the silver ornaments on her Turkic clothing made a soft, crisp sound.

Am I... still dreaming?

Tang Xiaotong muttered to herself, rubbing her sore eyes hard.

When he opened his eyes again, the figure was still standing there, even giving him a familiar smile.

"Jade...no, Princess?"

Tang Xiaotong's voice was hoarse from a hangover. He called out in disbelief, his fingers unconsciously gripping the edge of the table.

The pain of the splinter piercing his palm told him it wasn't a hallucination, but reason prevented him from believing it.

He turned to look at the sky outside, and for a moment, he mistook the sunset for the sunrise.

At sunrise, shouldn't Princess Yujia be in the palace holding her marriage ceremony? Why is she here?

Princess Yujia's smile was somewhat melancholy as she gently stroked the wildflowers on her braid.

"The marriage alliance has been cancelled," she said softly, her voice sounding as if it came from a great distance.

"Cancelled?" Tang Xiaotong suddenly sat up, the movement so abrupt that the chair made a screeching sound.

He then noticed the princess's red and swollen eyes, clearly from crying. "What happened? Why..."

Princess Yujia bit her lower lip, her fingers twisting together.

"Last night, a deafening noise suddenly came from the palace, and a fire broke out. This morning, a palace eunuch came to the post station to deliver an imperial decree, saying that the marriage alliance was canceled."

Tang Xiaotong then realized that he had missed something so important: "A deafening sound? How come I didn't hear it?" He slapped his forehead in frustration, feeling that his hangover had made his mind a little sluggish.

"You...you're drunk." Princess Yujia's cheeks suddenly flushed red, and her gaze darted away, not daring to look at him.

Upon hearing this, Tang Xiaotong looked down at her rumpled robes and then smelled the strong smell of alcohol on her body. She was so embarrassed that her ears burned.

He immediately got up and embarrassedly straightened his wrinkled robe.

He knew that Princess Yujia must have gone to Jinxiufang to look for him; it was the people at Jinxiufang who told her to come here.

“When I arrived, people outside were saying that the commotion in the palace last night was the same as that at the Marquis of Champion’s residence that day, and that His Majesty the Great Jing might have already…” Princess Yujia said cautiously.

"What?" Tang Xiaotong exclaimed in shock. Then, a look of joy appeared on his face, and he almost shouted, "Good riddance!"

He certainly knew about the events at the Marquis of Champion's residence; not a single person survived. That meant Emperor Jing might have also perished, which was why the marriage alliance was cancelled.

"You...you sit here for a while, I'll be right back." Tang Xiaotong excitedly pointed to the chair next to him, and after Princess Yujia sat down, he smiled and ran out.

It's very noisy and chattering outside.

He went downstairs and walked around the lobby of Zuixianniang Restaurant. Sure enough, he heard the patrons talking about the explosion that happened in the palace last night.

Yang Haibo was serving drinks to customers with a tray when he happened to pass by him. Seeing that he had sobered up, he mouthed, "Did you see that?"

Tang Xiaotong nodded quickly. He knew Yang Haibo was asking about Princess Yujia.

Yang Haibo winked at him, as if trying to convey some message, before smiling meaningfully and saying, "Go on!"

Tang Xiaotong understood immediately, turned around and ran back to the private room upstairs.

He remembered that when he hadn't blacked out yesterday, Yang Haibo was against his admiration for Princess Yujia, and was even afraid that he would bring it up.

After all, Yu Jia was a princess sent for a political marriage; for her to steal a woman from the emperor was a grave offense.

But judging from Yang Haibo's sudden change in attitude, he guessed that Emperor Jing would definitely meet the same fate as Marquis Guanjun.

Back in the private room on the second floor, Tang Xiaotong rubbed her hands together with joy, unsure of what to say.

Princess Yujia said with a sorrowful expression, "I came... to say goodbye to you."

"bid farewell?"

Tang Xiaotong's heart suddenly sank.

"With the marriage alliance cancelled, there's no need for the delegation to stay here any longer. They will depart for the Turkic Khaganate the day after tomorrow."

As she spoke, she took out a sachet from her bosom and handed it to Tang Xiaotong: "This... is for you."

Tang Xiaotong took the sachet, and her heart skipped a beat when her fingertips touched the woman's cold fingertips.

The sachet is embroidered with a galloping horse, the stitches are fine and dense, clearly showing that a lot of thought and effort was put into it.

"then you……"

Tang Xiaotong bit her lip, wanting to persuade her to stay, but realized that she didn't seem to have the right to do so.

Princess Yujia frowned even more deeply. "But... the grain and cloth that were agreed upon with His Majesty Dajing have all been cancelled."

Princess Yujia's voice began to tremble, "Without these winter supplies, what will happen to the people on the grasslands... the elderly and children..."

Tang Xiaotong looked at the princess's reddened eyes and felt a pang of pain in her heart.

He reached out to wipe her tears as if possessed, but stopped abruptly halfway and clenched his fist instead.

He thought for a moment before speaking, "Princess, don't worry, I...I have an idea!"

"What?" Princess Yujia looked up with tearful eyes.

"How about I take you to Beiguan?"

Tang Xiaotong's eyes suddenly lit up: "I'll go to Cangzhou to see the Princess. The Princess is a good person. I'll ask her for help and see if she can find a way to expand the business to the grasslands. If she can, I'll ask the Princess to arrange for me to trade with the grasslands!"

"Really?" Princess Yujia's eyes lit up, but then dimmed again: "Is...is this appropriate? Won't it implicate you..."

"What's inappropriate about it!" Tang Xiaotong slammed his hand on the table, making several empty wine jugs clatter. "I'll go talk to my brother right now."

Princess Yujia looked up at him in shock: "You...do you know what this means? This trip could be..."

"I know." Tang Xiaotong took a deep breath, suddenly reached out and grasped the princess's hand. This time, he did not back down.

“I know the grassland environment is harsh, I know the journey is fraught with danger, and I know I may never come back.” His voice grew firmer and firmer. “But more than any of that, I am more… more afraid of never seeing you again.”

Princess Yujia's tears finally fell, dripping onto their clasped hands. "Fool..." she choked out, "You're such a fool..."

Tang Xiaotong smiled; it was the first genuine smile he had shown in days.

“Then it’s settled. I’ll pack my things and arrange everything in the capital. I’ll depart with the delegation the day after tomorrow.”

Downstairs, the noise of the drinkers was still deafening, while outside the window, the afterglow of the setting sun shone through the paper window, casting long, long shadows of the two people.

Just then, the sound of the waiter's hurried footsteps and calls came from outside.

"Manager Tang, someone outside is looking for you. They want to discuss business matters with you."

Upon hearing this, Tang Xiaotong gently released Princess Yujia's soft wrist and said in a gentle voice, "Please wait here for a moment, and allow me to go down and take a look."

Princess Yujia nodded slightly, a sweet smile in her eyes.

She watched Tang Xiaotong's departing figure and unconsciously raised her hand to her heart.

The feeling was strange. Ever since she met Tang Xiaotong in the capital, Zhao Zun, who had once haunted her dreams, had gradually faded from her memory like morning mist, becoming increasingly blurry.

Perhaps this is what people in Dajing often refer to as fate!

Tang Xiaotong saw Lin Yuanshan pacing anxiously downstairs at the stairwell, carrying a pile of gifts.

He found this place after asking around at Jinxiufang.

Seeing Tang Xiaotong come down the stairs, Lin Yuanshan
He immediately put on a big smile and presented the exquisite sandalwood gift box in his hand.

"Manager Tang, I apologize for disturbing you." Lin Yuanshan bowed respectfully. "I am Lin Yuanshan from Lin's Cloth Shop. I have come to pay you a visit today. I have prepared some small gifts, please accept them."

Tang Xiaotong's gaze sharpened slightly. She did not accept the gift offered by the other party, but simply said, "So it's Boss Lin from the end of the street."

When Lin Yuanshan saw that Tang Xiaotong seemed to recognize him, his face immediately lit up with joy, and his tone became even warmer.

"Manager Tang knows about our Lin's Cloth Shop? That's wonderful! To be honest, I've noticed that Jinxiufang's clothing and fabrics have novel and unique styles, standing out in the capital. I've come today to ask if we can source our goods from your shop?"

"this problem……"

Tang Xiaotong gently stroked the jade ring on her finger, her gaze thoughtfully sweeping over Lin Yuanshan's expectant face.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a while. I’ve heard there’s a chamber of commerce in the capital, and I’ll go and pay a visit to the person in charge tomorrow. At that time, all cloth merchants are welcome to come and discuss wholesale matters.”

"Really?" Lin Yuanshan was overjoyed upon hearing this, his worried expression easing. "That's wonderful! Our Lin's Cloth Shop will definitely..."

“However…” Tang Xiaotong suddenly raised her hand to interrupt him, “All fabric shops are welcome to come and negotiate, except for Boss Lin… your fabric shop is not an option.”

Please comment, favorite, and vote! Thank you for your support!