A Good Country Wife
Chapter 424 - 418_1

Chapter 424: Chapter 418_1

Princess Yongle and Lady Roujia, having revealed their identities, naturally couldn’t continue to stay around. If targeted with ulterior motives, their safety would have been at risk. Therefore, they agreed to Judge Zhou’s proposal and let him escort them back. After this incident, it was certain that their sneaking out couldn’t be kept secret, so they no longer had any concerns. However, the palace found out sooner than they expected. They had barely returned to the Princess Residence when a palace eunuch arrived with an edict, summoning them to enter the palace.

Princess Yongle’s face fell, but she still arranged for Lin Yue to go back first, as there was no need for her to accompany them to the palace. After all, the eunuch who came with the order didn’t expressly require Lin Yue to enter the palace. It would suffice for herself and Lady Roujia to see the Emperor. They hadn’t caused any serious trouble, and even if her imperial brother was displeased, at most they would receive a light punishment. They wouldn’t come to any harm, but Lin Yue was a different case. After all, her status was too low, merely a commoner, and she wouldn’t be able to withstand her imperial brother’s reproach.

"Yueyue, you go back first. Later on, if you want to hold a gathering, just tell Lady Roujia, and she will come to the palace to inform me. When the time comes, Lady Roujia and I will both be there to support you." Princess Yongle had also learned from Lady Roujia about Chen Ruyu and Zhang Peilan, but she had never heard of these two women’s names herself; she only knew they were daughters of subordinates. However, hearing that those two women were still arrogant and didn’t forget to cause trouble for Lin Yue, attending to bolster her was a must, and it would be a good chance to join the fun.

After spending the day together, shopping, frolicking, and even brawling, the friendship among them had quickly deepened. They were all straightforward characters and found their company exceptionally cordial and enjoyable. Princess Yongle now considered Lin Yue one of her own.

"Thank you, Princess. Then I will head back now. But won’t His Majesty blame us for what happened today?" Lin Yue knew well that Princess Yongle, being the Emperor’s blood sister, would be safe, but still, it was necessary to show concern.

Princess Yongle waved her hand generously, having mentally prepared for the consequences of revealing her identity today. "Don’t worry, it will be all right. The worst that could happen is a scolding, followed by being confined. It’s the same old routine every time. I’ll just treat it like listening to a monk chant scriptures, in one ear and out the other."

"Pfft!" Lin Yue couldn’t hold back her laughter upon hearing Princess Yongle’s words, and Lady Roujia also found it amusing. The Emperor really had his hands full with such a sister. The Eunuch who had come with the edict stood there like a wooden figure, as though he hadn’t heard a word Princess Yongle said. However, the slight curl of his mouth and the laughter in his eyes betrayed his emotions.

"Then, Your Highnesses, I will take my leave now. I’ll send someone to inform you once the date for the banquet is set."

Upon leaving the Princess Residence, Lin Yue finally breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, the Princess was kind-hearted enough to consider her situation, allowing her to leave first. Otherwise, once in the Imperial Palace, facing His Majesty himself, there was no telling what the Emperor’s temperament would be like. If His Majesty were not so sagacious and decided to punish her, an unrelated party, she truly couldn’t have borne it.

Having gone to the Princess Residence today, Lin Yue, reassured by the princess’s promise to send someone to escort her home, had watched Erhu leave first. However, with Lin Yue still absent after such a long time, although he knew Lady Roujia treated Lin Yue well and that she was good friends with Jiang Ziqi, Erhu still felt a bit uneasy. He thought that if his wife didn’t come back after a while longer, he would visit the Princess Residence to inquire about the situation.

"Erhu, I’m back; where are you preparing to go?" Lin Yue was just reaching the door when she saw Erhu getting ready to drive the carriage out and asked.

Zhao Erhu saw Lin Yue return and his face brightened with joy, "I was worried because you hadn’t come back for so long. I was just about to go to the Princess Residence to pick you up."

"What’s there to worry about? Didn’t the Commandery Princess say she would send someone to escort me back? But today really did bring a host of incidents. Come on, let’s go inside, and I’ll tell you all about it." Lin Yue had been through so much today that she had been on tenterhooks the whole time. Seeing Zhao Erhu finally relaxed her, and she let him lead her into the house.

At the Imperial Palace, Princess Yongle and Lady Roujia indeed faced a tirade from the Emperor. The situation was somewhat better for Lady Roujia, who simply listened in silence, while Princess Yongle, unable to hold back, argued with the Emperor, further enraging him.

"Reckless child! Have you no sense of your position? Daring to sneak out without even a guard by your side. What if you had met with true villains? With your meager martial arts skills, you should count yourself lucky you only encountered some local ruffians. And to drag Roujia into this! Duke Mu and his wife passed early, leaving only her line in this world. If something had happened to her, how would I deal with you!" Huangfu Jing was truly at a loss with his sister of the same mother. She could not be left out of sight for a moment without courting disaster.

"Brother Emperor, don’t be angry. Aren’t I alright? And with the sky so clear and the world so bright, it’s not as if there’s a horde of villains and masters lying in wait for me. If that were truly the case, it would only mean that your realm is not at peace and that you are not a good emperor. You can’t blame me for that," said Princess Yongle, feeling quite justified.

Lady Roujia could only resign herself to her fate upon hearing Princess Yongle’s words. It was already a wrongdoing on her part, and yet such words were spoken. It could only be because she held the status of the Emperor’s own sister, and the Emperor well knew her nature, otherwise, these words would be tantamount to gross insolence. But having been said, it wouldn’t be easy for the Emperor to overlook Princess Yongle’s involvement now. Despite this, Yongle felt her speech was insufficient and continued on.

"Brother Emperor, don’t be angry. I’m only speaking the truth, inconvenient as it may be for you to hear. And don’t think I’m unaware, Brother Emperor, that you often venture out in disguise yourself. I merely went for a stroll on the streets, so what’s wrong with that? You’re like those officials who can start fires but forbid the common folk from lighting lamps. That’s not right," she persisted.

The Emperor, caught off guard by Princess Yongle’s retort, did not know how to respond, "Utter sophistry! My incognito visits aim to inspect the people’s welfare, which is hardly the same as what you’ve done. You’re growing less reasonable by the day, and I can’t be bothered to argue with you now. You will return to the palace this instant and reflect upon your actions behind closed doors. Without my permission, you are not to step foot outside the palace. Whoever dares to abet your misadventures will face stern punishment."

Having finished, the Emperor looked at Lady Roujia, who stood beside Princess Yongle, "Roujia, you go back as well. This is the only time I will tolerate such behavior. If you wish to go out in the future, you must be accompanied by guards. If something were to happen to you, how could I ever live up to Duke Mu’s trust? If such an incident occurs again, I will bring you to live in the palace."

"Yes, your subject’s sister will not dare again. I take my leave," said Lady Roujia as she backed out, giving Princess Yongle a look that said she’d better look out for herself. She surely did not wish to live in the palace, where every part of her life would be regulated and even her freedom to come and go would be nonexistent.

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