Chapter 1061: Leaving Xiangping
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Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The content of this letter was a guarantee that Yin Huaixi had written after sending her to Quanzhou to officially visit the Xie Residence and have a secret discussion with her maternal grandfather.
He would not be disloyal, would not have any l.u.s.t, and no children would be born after his death. They would be a pair for the rest of their lives.
Emperor Xianzong, who was loyal to only his wife, and his father, King Li of Zhou, added to the credibility of this doc.u.ment.
People liked to swear to the heavens. Those who respected the heavens and feared the earth naturally followed their heavenly oaths and restrained themselves.
For those who disrespected the heavens and feared the earth, oaths were empty words.
However, very few people swore on their ancestors and relatives, because no one could bear the consequences of betraying their ancestors.
Those who respected the heavens and feared the earth were loyal.
Those who respected their ancestors and feared their relatives only cared about themselves.
The development of the North was based on the Xie family’s huge connections, channels, and family wealth. Without these, everything would be meaningless.
She seemed to have done a lot, but the Xie family had sacrificed even more for her. All her confidence came from Yin Huaixi and the Xie family.
Yin Huaixi gave her the courage to take a gamble.
The Xie family had given her the capital.
In order to help Yin Huaixi, the Xie family had spent generations of wealth. However, there were no promises of wealth and power on this thin piece of paper.
Old Madam Xie patted her back. “Long ago, the Jiazhou Residence colluded with the King of Liang and schemed against our family. Our family can’t be alone anymore. Now, our family can establish ourselves in Liaodong under the protection of King Yue Fei. Our family is also intact. This is already the best outcome.”
If they had no more money, they could earn more.
However, if they were gone, they would be nothing left.
“Everyone says that people’s feelings change easily.” Yu Youyao cried and fell into her grandmother’s arms. “Grandmother, I’m afraid. I don’t want to return to the capital. I want to stay in the Yu Garden forever…”
She and Yin Huaixi had been separated for more than a year.
More than 400 days and nights had pa.s.sed. They were as long as every sleepless night that concerned her. They were long and made her suffer.
Princess Liyang’s heart-wrenching words still left an indelible crack in her heart.
Old Madam Xie held back her tears. “Silly child, you and King Yue Fei were bestowed a marriage by the Empress Dowager. When the new emperor ascends the throne, he will establish the country, communicate his morals, and take charge of the world with great virtue. If the emperor and empress are united, their virtue will be boundless. King Yue Fei has only entered the capital for more than a month. Everything in the capital has yet to be settled and the matter of his ascension has yet to be settled, but he can’t wait to send someone to bring you into the capital. It’s obvious that he’s also worried about you. I hope you can enter the capital as soon as possible.”
Since ancient times, when a new emperor ascended the throne, he had to prepare for the coronation, offer sacrifices to the heavens, and perform ceremonies to announce the divine teachings of the ruler and the orthodoxy of the world. After that, he had to organize the court, pardon the world, and issue new policies.
It would take at least three to five months for the royal court to function again before he could care about anything else.
Yu Youyao only cried. Old Madam Xie did not persuade her. She just hugged her and stroked her back.
Nestled in her grandmother’s arms and smelling her rea.s.suring scent, she was in a daze as she realized that the sky had not fallen and the ground had not caved in. There was nothing to cry about.
No matter what, the Xie family would always be on her side.
Seeing that her emotions had stabilized a little, Old Madam Xie said, “Your maternal grandfather, your eldest uncle, and aunt plan to accompany you into the capital.”
Her family was also worried about her entering the capital alone.
Yu Youyao felt a little relieved.
Old Madam Xie sighed softly. “The family’s merchant ship will be entering the capital soon. If, if King Yue Fei goes back on his promise, you…” She paused and gritted her teeth. “At that time, you’ll take a merchant ship overseas. I won’t let you suffer.”
Yu Youyao finally smiled and hugged her grandmother coquettishly.
Yin Huaixi had caused a huge commotion when he brought her into the capital. Not only did he ask Eunuch Zhu to prepare the etiquette for the Eldest Princess, but he also asked the commander of the Hidden Dragon Army to personally lead a thousand elite troops to escort her.
As soon as the group arrived in Xiangping City, the news had already spread like wildfire.
Yu Youyao also knew that she did not know when she would be able to return to the Yu Garden after this trip. She should pack up what she needed to.
This lasted for three days.
Eunuch Zhu couldn’t sit still anymore and quickly saw the Eldest Princess. “His Highness is thinking about the Eldest Princess and hopes that she can enter the capital as soon as possible. Eldest Princess, why don’t you pack up the important things first? Later on, you can send someone to bring the items that are not important to the capital. There’s no need to be in a hurry. Besides, you’ve brought too many things. The journey will be greatly delayed.”
Before leaving, His Highness had repeatedly instructed the Eldest Princess to enter the capital as soon as possible. However, he was also worried that the weather would be cold, exhausting the Eldest Princess’s body. He had repeatedly instructed Eunuch Zhu to take good care of her.
It was also because he was thorough that Eunuch Zhu was sent to pick up the Eldest Princess. His Highness was so worried that it was so obvious. How could he continue to delay?
Yu Youyao held her breath and nodded. “Alright.”
Was there nothing in the capital?
Why did she need to bring so many things?
No matter how much delay there was, it was only a matter of time before they entered the capital.
Yu Youyao stood under the purple elm tree and looked up at the gray sky. She had left the capital at the age of 13 and was already 17 years old. She would turn 18 in the new year.
She had stayed in Liaodong for four years.
Liaodong was bitterly cold, and it was not any better than the capital. However, without the restraints of the rules, she was very comfortable. Now that she was about to leave Xiangping City, a strong sense of reluctance suddenly surged in her heart.
On the day Eldest Princess Shaoyi left Xiangping, the commoners cried. Tens of thousands of people sent her off.
The carriage set off from Xiangping City, pa.s.sing through Fengtian and Jinzhou. It wasn’t until the carriage left Huludao and Liaodong that the farewell team gradually disappeared.
Yu Youyao lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked in the direction of the capital. She felt sad. After five years of leaving the capital, she returned to the capital.
She was going to meet Yin Huaixi soon.
Yu Youyao’s long-lost joy swept away the haze in her heart, and a smile finally appeared on her face.
No matter how confused and helpless she was in Xiangping City, and no matter how hesitant she was, she still missed him and kept looking forward to meeting him.
Yin Huaixi, who was in the palace, was busy.
Thief Liang started a ma.s.sacre in the capital, and the Second and Third Princes were imprisoned in the palace.
The Fourth Prince, who had put on a show of “filial piety” with Empress Ning in the court, had originally wanted to use Empress Ning’s power to rise to power. Unexpectedly, Empress Ning had only used him to stir up trouble in the court. After defeating Concubine Lan, she had given up on him and was “sick” in the palace.
Thief Liang beheaded them in public in the name of the princes fighting for the throne.
The dog emperor’s corpse was also hung at the entrance.
Blood flowed like a river in the palace, and more than half of the palace servants died.
The remaining situation took more than half a month to clean up.
After the capital was settled, many ministers in the court returned to the capital to wait for the new emperor’s edict. Yin Huaixi used some respected and famous old ministers to revitalize the rules of the Imperial Court.
The Ministry of Rites was also preparing for the coronation.
As he was busy eliminating the remaining traitors and those monsters in the capital, he also had to take care of the matters of the eastern and southern borders to prevent the Southern Barbarians and the Dongyi from causing trouble during the change of the new dynasty.
If it weren’t for the fact that there were so many things in the capital that he really couldn’t leave, Yin Huaixi would have personally gone to Xiangping City to pick Yu Youyao up.
The King of Liang and the King of Dongning were captured and locked up in the prison of the Ministry of Justice to be interrogated. Their families and a group of rebels who had partic.i.p.ated in the rebellion were escorted into the capital one after another. Only then did Yin Huaixi arrange for the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Justice, and the Court of Investigation to cooperate in the trial. It was inevitable that their wealth would be confiscated and their families would be exterminated.
All of them were so capable that they even dared to rebel. They were probably extremely rich. If they put their a.s.sets into the treasury, it would be equivalent to three to five years of taxes from the commoners.
The wealth of the world should be obtained from and used by the people.
Eunuch Li came over to report again, saying that the ministers of the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue wanted to see him and report the matter of the coronation.