The Four Treasuries of Books

  ***book***

  The queen saw the eldest princess looking outside and couldn't help but smile, "You want to see her that much?"

  "The daughter was hearing someone being praised like this for the first time, and couldn't help but be curious." The Empress Dowager leaned against the Queen's side, cleverly saying: "I thought there was only one woman like Ruyi in all of Daliang, I didn't expect a second one to appear."

  The queen smiled slightly, and Lin Qingyan was indeed able to hold up the main branch of the Lin family alone after Lin Jiang's death.

  Someone came in and reported: "Reporting to Your Highness and Princess, the county lord's daughter has entered the imperial harem."

  The queen smiled at the elder princess and said: "Now you can see her."

  Lin Qingwan led Lin Yuhong into the palace to pay her respects. The two had studied the imperial etiquette for quite some time, and after they finished their bows, the Empress Dowager personally came forward to help Lin Qingwan up, sizing her up with a smile: "Indeed, she's a beauty, just as Rong said."

  Lin Qingwan smiled elegantly: "Not as beautiful as Your Highness."

  Yuán Huá gōng zhǔ tiāo méi, tā hái shì dì yī cì tīng rén kuā tā měi lì, rěn bù zhù xiào wèn, "mèi mèi guǒ zhēn jué de wǒ měi lì?"

  Translation:

  The princess Yuán Huá raised an eyebrow. This was the first time she had ever heard someone praise her beauty. She couldn't help but smile and ask, "Does my sister really think I'm beautiful?"

  Lin Qingwan nodded sincerely, "A beauty is in her temperament, how many people in this world can match up to Your Highness?"

  Yuán Huá gōng zhǔ hā hā dà xiào qǐ lái, duì cǐ mǎ pì hěn shòu yòng, "Rú Yīng yí dìng méi shǎo yǔ nǐ qǐ wǒ."

  Translation:

  The Princess Yuan Hua burst out laughing and found this flattery very pleasant, "Ru Yi must have not been idle with you."

  These flatteries all hit the right spot.

  "Alright, alright," the queen smiled: "Don't make things difficult for Ruan Jiaojiao."

  She beckoned to Lin Yuhong and said: "Is this your niece? She's really good-looking."

  Lin Yuhong's face turned slightly red as he stepped forward to pay his respects, only then walking up to the Empress.

  The queen liked the pretty girl and, seeing her so delighted, said: "I have heard your aunt speak of you; for two years past I have received a picture from you every year. Can you do something more this year?"

  "Technically speaking, I've made some slight progress, but to create a good painting still depends on luck; if Your Ladyship likes it, I'll do a few more for you."

  "That's a good feeling, I like your painting, unlike Yuan Hua, whose paintings are getting more and more pretentious."

  "Mother, you've got a new favorite and forgotten about me, your old love." Princess Yuanhua pulled Lin Qingwen with a smile: "Just in time, we sisters will make a pile together. By the way, how long do you plan to stay in the capital this time? I'll take you on a good tour of the city."

  "It may be just a few months, Your Majesty will live forever after that I will go back. If it's long," Lin Qingyue raised her eyes and said: "The return date is uncertain, we must get news of Princess Ruoyi before daring to leave."

  The queen and Yuenuo Gongzhu were taken aback, asking: "What news about Rong'er?"

  Lin Qingwan's eyes showed sadness, and she asked: "Does the empress and princess really not know?"

  The two of them exchanged a glance and furrowed their brows, asking: "What do you know?"

  Lin Qingwan's face flashed with surprise, as if she had thought of something, her complexion changed, hesitated for a moment, and still knelt down: "Your Majesty the Empress, I beg to see His Majesty."

  The queen's smile slowly fell, and she stared at Lin Qingyan with a stern expression. Lin Qingyan knelt down with her head lowered, motionless.

  Lin Yuhbin was startled and hastily retreated to kneel beside his aunt.

  The queen looked at her niece and nephew for a while, then said coldly: "Your Majesty is busy with state affairs, I will report to you."

  Lin Qingwan bowed her head and said, "Your Majesty, I thought that the matter of Hongzhou was tacitly approved by Your Majesty, which is why I was anxious in my heart. But today, seeing that you and the princess are completely unaware, I realize that I have been using human sentiment to measure the mind of a noble person. That's why I requested an audience with Your Majesty, after all, the matter of Hongzhou concerns the safety of the Great Liang."

  Yuán Huá gōng zhǔ jīng yà, "Hóng zhōu chū shì le?"

  Translation:

  "Princess Yuan Hua was shocked. 'Something has happened in Hongzhou?'"

  The queen stared at Lin Qingyan for a long time before she understood that her entry into the capital was not just about the wine, no wonder, the list of people congratulating the emperor's birthday had been presented early on, and Lin Qingyan was not among them, nor was there a place set for her at the palace banquet, but suddenly she appeared.

  I don't know what happened in Hongzhou either.

  Thinking of Zhong Ruyi's attitude when she entered the palace last year, and thinking of Hongzhou's geographical location, the empress also felt a slight sense of urgency in her heart.

  Although I don't know what's going on, it's clear that whatever is happening is enough to bring Lin Qingyu all the way to the capital from a thousand miles away.

  The queen glanced at her maid with an expressionless face, and the maid quietly retreated.

  The queen remained silent for half a moment before speaking up, her words laced with implication: "Lin Guizhi and General Zhong's relationship isn't shallow, is it?"

  Lin Qingwan bowed her head and said, "I have long admired General Zhong's great name since I was in the inner chambers. Fortunately, after being taken as a sworn daughter by Your Majesty and the Empress, I had a spiritual connection with her for a long time. It wasn't until last year that we met and formed a sisterly bond."

  Lin Qingwan slightly raised her head to look at the Empress, "We have both a sisterly bond and a deep understanding of each other. If she's in trouble, I should naturally rush to her aid."

  "Would you even defy the emperor himself?"

  Lin Qingwan knocked her head and said: "I naturally dare not disobey Your Majesty, I just hope to be able to do something for her one last time."

  "What's going on in Hongzhou after all?" A thick voice sounded from behind.

  The queen and the princess saw the emperor coming in with a gloomy face and hurriedly stood up to pay their respects.

  Lin Qingwan and Lin Yuheng also hastily turned around to pay their respects, Lin Qingwan also took the opportunity to secretly hold Lin Yuheng's hand and patted it comfortingly.

  Although this action was secretive, it still couldn't escape the eyes of the three keen individuals. The emperor and empress's faces remained stern, but their discontent in their hearts dissipated a bit.

  The emperor stepped forward and said, "Speak up."

  Lin Qingwan continued to kneel, looking straight at the emperor, "I dare ask Your Majesty, is it your order to seal off the roads leading out of Hongzhou, so that no news can be leaked?"

  The emperor frowned, "What are you talking about? Why should I do this?"

  Lin Qingwan's face changed greatly, "It wasn't you, then who has the ability to do such a thing?"

  She spoke like a frightened child: "Your Majesty doesn't know, I have a nephew who went out to study, but disappeared in the area of Ezhou. Of their party of six, only two escaped and brought back this official letter and document."

  He took out the letter from his bosom and presented it.

  The eunuch hastily took it and, after examining it, presented it to the emperor.

  The emperor opened it and his complexion changed slightly. This was an urgent military report. He stood up with a "huh" and asked, "Where did this come from?"

  "They were obtained from two soldiers of the Hongzhou Army. Some people chased and killed the soldiers, saw them and intervened with a pipe, but brought trouble upon themselves. In the end, four people disappeared, only two escaped, and the pursuers entered Jiangnan. Coincidentally, they were seen by the guards in my mansion, but those who pursued them were all dead men, and after being caught, they all took their own lives."

  As Lin Qingwan spoke, the emperor's face grew increasingly unsightly.

  "...Whether it was me, Zhou Cishi or Lu Gong, no one who was sent to Hongzhou and the capital has returned. Having no other choice, I had to personally go to the capital," Lin Qingyu said with a face full of shame: "I rushed along the way, and on the road, I couldn't help but think wildly, thinking that it was..."

  The emperor's face turned ugly, "Did you think that I wanted to get rid of General Zhong and seize the military power of the Zhong family?"

  Lin Qingwan's face flushed with shame as she said, "It is the heart of a minister, Your Majesty. If you were truly such a person, then at the time of General Qi's death in battle, you would not have allowed Rong Er to take over the Zhong family army. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."

  Looking at Lin Qingwan who still looked quite young, the emperor's expression slightly eased.

  The Four Treasuries of Books