Chapter 497
Seconding
Chapter 497 Seconding
At dawn, the sound of bells from the Bell and Drum Towers echoed through the air.
Princess Liyang slowly walked down the stairs, put her ceremonial robes back on, applied a light dusting of pearl powder to her face, and repainted a crimson plum blossom between her brows.
Chen Ji stood on the first floor of the meeting hall and looked up at her: "Why didn't Your Highness delay the time today?"
Princess Liyang smiled and said, "His Highness the Crown Prince of the Southern Dynasty has condescended to come to the Huitong Hall to discuss the alliance. If I were to cause any more trouble, it would make me seem rather ignorant."
Chen Ji stepped aside to make way: "The carriage is ready."
As Princess Liyang passed by Chen Ji, she asked lightly, "Where is Miss Zhang Er? I'm about to leave Ning Dynasty. Don't you plan to see me one last time? Perhaps this parting will be the last time we ever meet."
Chen Ji said sincerely, "It's best not to see him."
Princess Liyang, who was about to get into the carriage, turned around immediately upon hearing this and pretended to be angry: "You men are the most heartless. I truly consider you two as friends."
Chen Ji replied absentmindedly, "Maybe."
Princess Liyang glared at him and got into the carriage. Madam Lu left, and Chen Ji drove the carriage alone, escorted by the Imperial Guards, to the Court of State Ceremonial.
Chen Ji pondered silently. Did the Crown Prince have some backup plan in mind, wanting him to escort Princess Liyang to the Chongli Pass? What other trump cards did the Crown Prince hold?
At this moment, Princess Liyang sat in the carriage and whispered through the curtain, "Lord Chen, do you know what a crown prince of a country is?"
Chen Ji said calmly, "The orthodox one."
Princess Liyang smiled and said, "That's right. Throughout history, the crown prince has always been the most dangerous. In my Jing Dynasty, which has lasted for thousands of years, countless crown princes have died before ascending the throne, yet so many people still vie for the position, all because of the word 'legitimate.' As long as these two words exist, countless people will rush to compete for it, and countless people will rush to assist it, because it is the most exciting business in the world."
Chen Ji calmly asked, "What does Your Highness wish to say?"
Princess Liyang said earnestly, "Your Southern Dynasty Crown Prince has been cultivating for over twenty years. Even though you are under house arrest in Zhongcui Palace, you are still not to be underestimated. Lord Chen, please be careful. Success is just around the corner. I don't want to die on the way back to Jing Dynasty. Please help me."
The Honglu Temple and the Huitong Hall are only two alleys apart, and you can get there in the blink of an eye.
Officials from the Court of State Ceremonial were waiting at the gate. Chen Ji stopped the carriage and lifted the curtain for him, saying, "Your Highness, rest assured, nothing will happen."
As Princess Liyang alighted from the carriage, she whispered, "Lord Chen, if we are truly in danger, do not abandon me. Believe me, as long as I live, there will always be something I can do to help you."
After saying this, she was helped down from the carriage by Xiaoman, raised her head and walked into the Court of State Ceremonial, where she transformed back into the proud Princess Jingchao in front of the officials.
Just as Chen Ji was about to get back into the carriage, the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies stopped him with a smile: "Such an important matter, how can the Magistrate of Wuxiang County not go in? This matter cannot be done without you."
Chen Ji frowned: "Isn't His Highness the Crown Prince here?"
The Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial pulled him inside, saying, "His Highness has gone to Renshou Palace. You will be in charge today."
Tables and desks had already been set up inside the Court of State Ceremonial, with officials from the Court of State Ceremonial sitting at the end of the table, spreading out paper to draft a "record of the peace talks." The record of the peace talks was to detail the terms of the talks, and not a single word could be omitted.
Princess Liyang had already taken her seat, but the main seat opposite her was still empty. The Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies placed Chen Ji in that seat and said with a smile, "Once we have drafted the document, we would like to invite the Magistrate of Wuxiang County to review it carefully."
Chen Ji said calmly, "And then?"
The Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies replied, "Then came the signing."
Princess Liyang sat opposite her and smiled slightly: "In this vast Ning Dynasty, there isn't even one who dares to sign an alliance treaty, for fear of bearing a thousand years of infamy. Your crown prince is really cunning. He was the one who negotiated the peace talks, but he didn't show up when it came time to sign the alliance treaty?"
The Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial's expression changed: "Don't slander the Crown Prince of the Ning Dynasty!"
Princess Liyang retorted, "Did I say something wrong?"
At this point, she turned to Chen Ji and said, "Lord Chen, I advise you not to sign. This matter has nothing to do with you. You, the Crown Prince of Ning Dynasty, should do it."
The Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies patiently said, "Your Highness also wants to take Yuancheng back as soon as possible, so why bother with the affairs of my Ning Dynasty?"
Princess Liyang leaned back in her chair and sneered, "I am a princess of the Jing Dynasty. What do you mean by sending a baron to sign an alliance with me? You should exchange statuses on an equal footing, otherwise I will not sign."
The officials of the Court of State Ceremonial looked at each other in bewilderment. Princess Liyang's request was perfectly reasonable and justifiable, and it would not be wrong to make it no matter where she went.
Seeing that the peace talks had stalled again, the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies gritted his teeth and strode out a moment later. He returned an hour later, covered in sweat, with the Imperial Guard and the Crown Prince following behind him.
Chen Ji stood up and gave up the main seat. The Crown Prince said softly, "Lord Chen is quite capable. He has managed to get Princess Jingchao to speak up for you. Anyone who doesn't know better would think that Lord Chen is a baron of Jingchao."
Princess Liyang said casually, "I'm not speaking up for anyone, I'm just following the rules. Everyone says the Ning Dynasty values etiquette, but how come they're not as polite as a princess from the Jing Kingdom? Are you saying one thing and doing another, saying one thing to my face and doing another behind my back?"
The Crown Prince remained unperturbed, smiling slightly as he said, "Your Highness is joking..."
At this moment, the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies brought over a document and reminded him, "Your Highness, let's sign the treaty."
The covenant was made in four copies. The Crown Prince wrote his name, "Zhu Chunwen," on the four copies and then pressed his fingerprint and the seal of the heir apparent.
The Minister of State Ceremonies then presented the covenant to Princess Liyang. Princess Liyang wrote her name "Yuanyin" on the covenant, and then casually dipped her palm in cinnabar ink and pressed her complete palm print onto the covenant.
Princess Liyang smiled and said, "Since I didn't bring my seal, I'll just make sure my palm print is complete." The Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies led everyone to the backyard, where an earthen altar had been set up early, and a pit had been dug next to it. One document was buried in it to inform the Earth God, and another document was burned in a brazier to inform the Heavenly God.
The remaining two copies were kept by Jingning and stored in their respective ancestral temples, and announced to the public.
After finishing these tasks, the Crown Prince politely bowed to Princess Liyang and said, "Your Highness, please return to the Huitong Hall to rest. The Marquis of Wuxiang County will accompany me to the palace to discuss the matter of escorting Your Highness out of Chongli Pass."
Princess Liyang glanced at Chen Ji and nodded in agreement: "Okay."
……
……
Inside the Forbidden City.
The prince walked in front, Chen Ji behind, and the two passed through the golden tiles and red walls without speaking, as if there was no need to speak anymore.
As they passed the Fengxian Hall, the Crown Prince suddenly sighed, "Lord Chen, I miss the time we spent in Guyuan. You saved me twice, and I promised you the position of Right Guard of the Eastern Palace. I thought it would become a legendary tale, but after returning to the capital, it seems everything has changed."
Chen Ji ignored him.
The Crown Prince continued speaking to himself, "Lord Chen, I truly admire you. You are a member of the Chen family, and Grand Secretary Chen is my teacher. You should be the closest of friends. How did things turn out like this? This also puts Grand Secretary Chen in the middle..."
Chen Ji interrupted, "Your Highness."
The crown prince asked in confusion, "Hmm?"
Chen Ji calmly said, "Shut up."
The Crown Prince's gaze gradually calmed down: "I believe there is room for maneuver between us."
Chen Ji ignored him.
Upon arriving at Renshou Palace, the Crown Prince suddenly turned around and asked, "Lord Chen, is there really no room for negotiation? If you are still angry, I will do everything I can to make amends."
Chen Ji passed by him and walked straight to the outside of Renshou Palace, loudly proclaiming, "Your subject, Chen Ji, Baron of Wuxiang County, pays his respects to Your Majesty."
Wu Xiu's delicate voice came from Renshou Palace: "Summon the Crown Prince and the Baron of Wuxiang County to an audience."
The two stepped into Renshou Palace and knelt on the ground. The cabinet ministers and ministers were all present in the palace, and Emperor Ning sat cross-legged behind a gauze curtain, his face obscured.
At this moment, the Crown Prince spoke first: "Your Majesty, the alliance has been concluded. We respectfully inform Heaven, Earth, and Man that Princess Liyang and Yuancheng can now be returned. I believe that the Marquis of Wuxiang County should lead the Imperial Guards to escort them. The Marquis of Wuxiang County has repeatedly performed outstanding feats, giving the Imperial Guards a completely new look. They have never failed or lost their integrity. It would be more prudent for them to escort them."
The officials exchanged glances and looked at the cabinet ministers on the embroidered stools.
Zhang Zhuo pondered for a moment and then said, "The Imperial Guards are depleted and have not had a chance to rest since returning from Chongli Pass. It would be better if they were escorted by the Imperial Guards' Third Battalion."
But as soon as he finished speaking, Grand Secretary Hu didn't even lift his eyelids, and retorted in a hoarse voice, "That's not appropriate. The three Imperial Guards have never trained for ceremonial duties."
Zhang Zhuo looked at Grand Secretary Hu: "Is it true that you have never been trained, or do you just not want to bear this infamy?"
Grand Secretary Hu slowly raised his eyelids and looked at Zhang Zhuo with bright eyes. Although Zhang Zhuo had entered the cabinet, he had been keeping a low profile these days and had never clashed with the other cabinet ministers.
Today, however, he seems to have changed his personality and is no longer keeping a low profile.
The next moment, Emperor Ning slowly said from behind the gauze curtain: "Alright, stop making noise in Renshou Palace and don't disturb the Three Pure Ones... Let the baron of Wuxiang County lead the Imperial Guards to escort them."
Chen Ji had no choice but to loudly proclaim, "As you command!"
The Crown Prince slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, but before he could finish, Chen Ji spoke again: "Our dynasty has a long tradition of imperial leadership in military campaigns. What is now called peace talks is actually the Jing Dynasty's initiative to seek peace. I request Your Highness to preside over this matter and accompany me to Chongli Pass. Firstly, Your Highness should personally receive the Jing Dynasty's warhorses, demonstrating our military might and national power. Secondly, Your Highness should personally welcome the captured soldiers and civilians back to the capital, showcasing our benevolence. Those soldiers and civilians have been captured for over seven years. If Your Highness personally welcomes and comforts them, the border troops will surely be greatly encouraged."
The prince's pupils contracted, and for a moment he didn't know how to refute it.
Before he could react, Grand Secretary Hu said, "I second that proposal."
Zhang Zhuo followed closely behind: "I second that opinion."
The Crown Prince turned his pleading gaze to Grand Secretary Chen and Grand Secretary Qi, and also looked at the other cabinet ministers and officials.
However, at this moment, Grand Secretary Chen slowly spoke up: "I second that proposal."
The crown prince stood there, stunned.
This time, it was the officials' turn to be surprised. The Chen family had actually abandoned the crown prince for Chen Ji?
Emperor Ning, seated on his throne, slowly spoke: "In that case, let the Crown Prince make the trip."
(End of this chapter)