Proud Feather

Chapter 63 Mother Queen
After a lot of trouble in the afternoon, Chu Ling finally returned to Nanming Palace with the emperor personally seeing him off.

The emperor repeatedly warned the princess not to be sad or worried, and asked the court official to come and treat her personally. He prescribed a prescription for medicinal food for her before he left with peace of mind.

Chu Ling smiled as she looked through the medicinal materials, fabrics, and rare antiques bestowed upon her by the Emperor. "It's a delight to earn so much just by pretending to be sick!" It was even more delightful to earn it from Concubine Shu.

"Princess," Zheng Qiu said, "Her Majesty the Consort sent a set of colored glass ornaments, saying they are for your enjoyment. Would you like to accept them?"

"Take it!" Chu Ling felt no guilt at all. What Concubine Xian got today was much more valuable than just a set of ornaments.

Zheng Qiu agreed and asked someone to move things into the warehouse.

When I came back after settling down, Chu Ling was already writing.

She writes seriously and her handwriting is getting better and better.

Zheng Qiu stared at it for a long time, and unconsciously a look of nostalgia appeared in his eyes.

"Qiuniang, what are you thinking about?"

Zheng Qiu came back to her senses and found that Chu Ling had stopped writing and was looking at her with his chin propped up.

"Princess……"

Chu Ling said, "You've been a little quiet lately, Qiu Niang. Is there something I did wrong that made you unhappy?"

Zheng Qiu quickly denied: "How could that be? The princess did such a great job that I can't believe it."

Chu Ling smiled, put down his pen, and put away the copybooks one by one.

Zheng Qiu came over to help and couldn't help but praise: "The princess's handwriting has improved so quickly, it's already quite good."

Chu Ling thought to herself, of course, she had practiced for eight years, but her body was not yet adapted to it, and she didn't dare to write too well.

As he was collecting them, Zheng Qiu suddenly stopped, pointed at one of them, and said with emotion: "The words 'Princess' look very much like 'Empress'."

"is it?"

Zheng Qiu continued, "The princess has been reminding me of you lately, whether it's when she bravely stepped forward to investigate a case or her performance in Yongchun Palace today."

Chu Ling was a little surprised: "Qiuniang, are you saying that I've been acting like my mother lately?"

Zheng Qiu nodded. She had rushed to Yongchun Palace upon hearing the news, just in time to see Chu Ling feigning illness. She was startled at first, but only realized what was happening when Chu Ling chased the imperial physician to inquire about Concubine Shu's injury.

Chu Ling was even more puzzled. "Everyone says that my mother is virtuous, knowledgeable and well-mannered. I am both overbearing and rude, and I act pretentiously. How can I be like her?"

Zheng Qiu smiled and looked at her lovingly: "Princess, how could you be overbearing or rude? This is called being decisive and resolute. Besides, when dealing with such a villain, you must fight back tooth for tooth."

Having said that, what she said... Chu Ling keenly realized that she might have misunderstood something.

The palace was quiet, and all the outsiders had been sent away by Zheng Qiu. She spoke slowly, "It's been so long since the Empress passed away that no one remembers what she looked like. Sometimes when I hear others mention the Empress, I get a little confused. Is that the Empress? It seems not. But everyone thinks it's her. I guess the Empress recorded in history books will look different too, right?" The sadness in her words was moving, and Chu Ling called out softly, "Qiu Niang..."

Zheng Qiu put away the calligraphy, took out a scroll from the cabinet, and gently unfolded it. It showed a beautiful woman, sitting quietly before flowers, holding a fan in her bare hands.

This is the image that Empress Feng left to the world, quiet and gentle, but what Zheng Qiu remembered was her high-spirited spirit as she rode a horse with a sword in her hand.

She didn't want to say it before, but the princess's behavior recently made her feel that there were some things she could say.

"The princess has loved playing and making merry since she was little. She learned horseback riding and archery quickly, and is also good at polo and pitching pots. But Your Majesty is good at literature but not at martial arts. Has the princess ever wondered why?"

Chu Ling replied, "Although my father wasn't good at martial arts, Taizu and Taizong were both cavalry emperors. Furthermore, my maternal grandfather was a military commander, so it's not surprising that he passed the throne to me!"

"Exactly. The old Duke was a military commander. The Feng family is full of heroes. The princess' uncles, with the exception of Duke An, who was born with a deficiency, are all renowned warriors." Zheng Qiu changed the subject, "Then what about the queen? Born into a family of military commanders, how could she be any worse?"

Chu Ling seemed to be thinking: "So, mother is actually very good at archery and horse riding?"

Zheng Qiu nodded. "Your Majesty is not only skilled, but her bravery may be an exaggeration, but she is no less capable than your uncles. When the old Duke was still alive, he personally praised her. Although the Feng family has many children, it is Your Majesty who can truly inherit his legacy. When His Majesty's fiefdom was remote, he often fought against the Western Wei. Your Majesty even personally took up arms and commanded the central army."

Chu Ling was greatly surprised: "It's actually like this..." She suddenly understood what Zheng Qiu said in his early years. No wonder her mother had no time to serve her mother-in-law. More than 20 years ago, there were frequent wars with the Western Wei Dynasty. She was so busy with military affairs that she probably rarely even set foot in the backyard.

Then she was puzzled: "Why has no one ever told me this? My father only said that my mother is both talented and virtuous, and is virtuous and capable."

"Perhaps being brave and warlike isn't a good word for a queen, right?" Zheng Qiu said calmly, her gaze softening as she looked at her. "However, I'm sorry to say this, the princess is better at judging people than the queen. The queen didn't recognize the villain at first, but the princess knew it at a glance."

Is she talking about Consort Shu? Chu Ling gave a wry smile. This wasn't something she saw on her own; she learned it through the pain she suffered in her previous life.

Zheng Qiu glanced outside and lowered her voice, "As a servant, I shouldn't be so nosy. But seeing how the princess has been acting these days, I think she's become suspicious. To be honest, Princess, I've felt something's amiss since the Crown Prince's accident. Do you think she can really stay quiet for more than a decade, considering the ways she's been vying for favor?"

Chu Ling whispered: "Qiuniang, do you know something?"

Zheng Qiu said, "The Second Prince's marriage to the Marquis of Jingping was arranged when he was young, and she was able to be crowned a concubine thanks to the Marquis of Jingping's efforts."

Chu Ling knew the first thing, but she had never heard of the second. So, was Concubine Shu's backer always the Marquis of Jingping?

Zheng Qiu continued, "When Your Majesty was in the Qiandi Palace, the Marquis of Jingping was just a guard in the palace. He later rose to power. Now the Marquis of Jingping's Mansion is very popular, replacing the former Duke of Anguo's Mansion. Who knows how much conspiracy he has behind the scenes."

"Also, Xue Wang and Marquis Jingping are old acquaintances. They were once two of His Majesty's most trusted confidants. You must be on guard when you use the Imperial City Division."

A chill ran down Chu Ling's back.

She didn't completely trust Xue Wang, but she still looked down on his entanglement with Jingping Hou. As a confidant who had left the Qiandi Palace together, who knew how much contact they had had over the past decade.

"Qiu Niang, why didn't you say these things earlier?"

"I have nowhere to complain," Zheng Qiu said softly, "but Princess, don't worry too much. Xue Wang has feelings for you from the past. After all, Your Majesty is his master. As long as Your Majesty is on your side, he won't dare to do anything wrong."

Having said that, if you cannot be completely loyal, then you are not loyal at all!
"Yongchun Palace, Jingping Marquis Mansion..." Add to that the Imperial City Bureau, whose side was unclear, and she had to face such a coalition of interests.