What did you guys do?
In the small kitchen of the inner palace, the maid who had been serving Xiao Mingxue stormed back in with a bowl of dessert, fuming. "I told you to use the finest candied dates and flower dew, what did you use? Her Highness the Princess has been pampered by the Imperial Concubine since childhood, what delicacies hasn't she tasted? You tried to fool her with third-grade dried dates?"
"Oh dear, sister," the cook in the kitchen looked at her helplessly, "Where are the candied dates? They were all taken by the palace maids and eunuchs to exchange for money long ago. As for the flower dew, forget about it. The top families in Jiangnan are fighting over the flower dew produced there. How could a fallen princess be worthy of enjoying this? If I could find it, I would exchange it for money too."
The palace maid turned pale with anger.
"Sister, what are you doing?" The cook looked at her suspiciously. "The Empress Dowager has already issued the decree, the outcome is decided. Do you still think she can marry into the Jiangnan? She's definitely going to be a bridegroom to the Southern Barbarians. You know what happened to those awful places. How many princesses from previous dynasties were married there and what became of them? Some were even boiled and eaten. Do you still want to continue following her?"
"What do you know?" The palace maid calmed her anger and glared at the other woman, saying, "Given our current situation, what can we do with more money? Don't you know what the situation is like in the capital? We don't even know if those people outside are human or ghosts. If we stay in the palace, we might be gone any day. And if we leave the capital, who would dare to go out without protection?"
"So you really plan to go to the Southern Barbarians as a dowry maid?" the other person asked curiously.
"Pah! You're the one who'd go to the Southern Barbarians!" the palace maid spat, then whispered, "What do you know? Why was it an imperial edict from the Empress Dowager this time, instead of a direct decree from the Emperor? With the Emperor's power, if he wanted a marriage alliance, why would he need to be so secretive? This is clearly leaving himself an escape route!"
"Leave yourself an escape route?"
" The King of Qin of Jiangnan wasn't appointed by the court; he earned his title through sheer force. How could Jiangnan possibly accept such a disgrace Southern Barbarians ignorant barbarians dared to covet his wife? I'm telling you, there will definitely be a commotion. I've already received word that people from Jiangnan have arrived!"
"Someone's here?" The cook's eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Yes, I heard they're almost at the capital. I reckon it'll be in the next day or two, and the excitement is about to begin."
"Was it the King of Qin who came in person?"
"That's the proper etiquette," the palace maid whispered. "Theoretically, we should come to welcome the princess back in person, but in the capital these days, it might be difficult for her to come personally. It all depends on what position our princess holds in people's hearts."
The two whispered to each other, unaware that Xiao Mingxue was right outside the door.
She came to the small kitchen because she was hungry. It was dark and she didn't dare to wander around, but it's easy to get hungry at night in winter, so she thought she would get some pastries here to tide her over. Little did she know that she would overhear the two people talking about her.
She was now in a difficult position to go in. She had originally planned to leave immediately, but when the other person mentioned Jiangnan and the King of Qin of Qin, Xiao Mingxue stopped in her tracks.
The Empress Dowager's edict during the day truly shattered her worldview; at that moment, she was filled with despair.
She could understand why her mother, who had once protected her in the palace, had died tragically and why he hadn't come to visit her—after all, a major incident had occurred in Jiangnan at that time. But now, she herself was about to be in danger. Would he come?
Hearing the palace maid say that it was an imperial edict from the Empress Dowager, there was still hope for a turnaround, and a sliver of warmth rose in his previously despairing heart.
But as the other party said, whether or not he could personally come to pick her up depended on his or her status in her heart.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Mingxue gave a wry smile.
What place did she hold in his heart?
They'd only met once and made a marriage agreement; if anyone truly held a high place in someone else's heart, it was probably her status as a princess.
In fact, when her mother learned that she was to marry a newly appointed scholar, she was happy for her. She believed that such a man was relatively weak in the face of the royal family, and that she would be able to live a good life after marrying him.
Actually, I didn't expect that scholar to be very capable. Even if he remained a minor official in Jiangnan, it would be fine. I had long wanted to go out and see the world. I had heard about the picturesque scenery of Jiangnan many times and longed for it many times, but now it seems that I really have no chance.
When she heard that Chen Qing had been granted the title of King of Qin before the New Year, she was not happy, but worried. The more capable the scholar was, the less he would value her status as a princess, and now, apart from that status, she had nothing else to offer.
In terms of beauty, the concubine bestowed upon Chen Qing by his father is said to be naturally alluring. In terms of ability, it is said that Chen Qing married a girl named Chen Ying, who is a top student of the academic official Mu Hongqing and is currently the dean of the Jiangnan Academy. Her abilities must be top-notch.
What do I have?
Was she worth him risking his life to come to the capital?
Will he come?
"Hey, have you heard?" In some large inns, some wealthy young men have already started spreading the news.
"The imperial decree has indeed been issued; the Prince of King of Qin's chosen concubine is really going to be married off to a Southern Barbarians!"
"Really?" One of the richly dressed young men frowned. "Our Great Jin Dynasty has been tough on foreign powers for twenty years and has never engaged in marriage alliances. What's going on this time? Marrying off the Southern Barbarians? At least the Northern Wasteland people have learned from our Central Plains and are quite respectable. Those barbarians in the Southern Barbarians are said to have a habit of cannibalism. Can we really marry our imperial princess off to them?"
"Exactly! It's one thing for the princess to be married off, but to marry off someone else's betrothed wife to him is not only a slap in the face to Jiangnan, but also to the royal family!"
"His Majesty is not the same His Majesty as before." Someone lowered their voice and said, "I heard from the old man that since the Duke of Song died, His Majesty's behavior has become increasingly strange, and many people say that demons are causing chaos in the government."
"Shh, don't say things like that!"
"How is that nonsense?" one of the aristocratic scions said, his face flushed. "What a mess the capital is in now! What kind of shady dealings are those eerie Ghost Temple up to? Ordinary people might not know, but you all certainly do!"
When this topic came up, the faces of the group of people all turned extremely ugly.
Many aristocratic families knew that the Ghost Temple was secretly bringing in live boys and girls from other places for blood sacrifices, and they felt that the royal family had gone completely mad!
Human sacrifice was something the previous dynasty didn't dare to do even when it was ravaged by demons. How can such a thing happen in a new dynasty that has only been established for twenty years? How can people not feel disheartened?
"Is your family also looking for a way out?" one of the princes asked, looking at the prince who was drinking.
"Doesn't your family have one?" the drunken scion sneered. "Which family doesn't have a backup plan? The Chen Household of the South Sea has been secretly recruiting for a long time. Which of your families hasn't been in private contact?"
After a moment of silence, the situation in the capital was strange. The Chen Household had also announced the inheritance of the South Sea Dragon Palace, which was an enormous temptation for families of sorcerers. Even many families with bloodlines were tempted.
"This is also a good thing, the legacy of the South Sea."
"What does this have to do with us?" The drunken scion of the noble family interrupted with a sneer, "Do you think we'll get our hands on such good stuff once we get there?"
Everyone: "."
"Ha," the young master stood up, took another swig of wine, and then sneered, "Back then, the Duke of Song stepped forward and established the Yin-Yang Academy, selecting scholars based on their talents. This gave us, those of us with less talent, at least another chance to learn. But once we get to the South Sea, do you think there will be another Duke of Song doing all this?"
For a moment, everyone was speechless. The establishment of the Yin-Yang Academy provided a learning opportunity and access to resources for the less talented members of lower-level sorcerer families. Although they still couldn't compare to the top members, at least they had a path forward.
However, once they go to the South Sea, with limited resources available to each family, without a publicly funded academy like the Yin-Yang Academy, these relatively mediocre students will likely see no light at all.
"I've already applied to the Jiangnan Academy," the drinking student said angrily. "I originally had a very good chance. My mathematical talent is not bad at home, and after a year of intensive study, I was confident that I could pass the exam. But what did the imperial court do? What did that mad royal family do?"
"To insult Jiangnan like that is utterly insane! I received a reply three days ago: Jiangnan Academy Time Stop of students from the capital!"
"You received the news too?" Another member of the family stood up with a wry smile. "Me too. I originally wanted to go and see Jiangnan for myself. Even if I couldn't go to the South Sea, at least I'd have a relatively safe place. I didn't expect the royal family to pull such a stunt. They really want to cut off all the paths for us young masters!"
"But I just heard that the people from Jiangnan are already on their way!"
Suddenly, the arrogant scholar seemed to sober up, his eyes gleaming as he lunged forward at the table. "Brother Du, is what you said true?"
The Du Household already has three students in Jiangnan, and they are usually the most well-informed about things in Jiangnan.
"Yes, I heard it from my cousin's letter. Apparently," the young man surnamed Du lowered his voice, "That Chen Qing has come in person!!"