Di Huang Shu Chapter 19

    Ren Anle had a momentary daze, as she looked at An Ning and lightly spoke with a slight curve in the corner of her mouth, "Oh? Princess, who do you think I look like?"

    "I went to Mount Tai with my master to learn martial arts when I was five years old. I was only summoned down the mountain by the emperor once," An Ning's voice was quiet and filled with an imperceptible sense of nostalgia in the silent night. "You should know that eleven years ago, a young lady from a prominent clan came to the capital, and the emperor treated her with the same courtesy as a princess. At that time, there was no princess of an appropriate age in the palace, so even I was summoned back from Mount Tai to keep her company."

    Ren Anle's pupils, hidden in the darkness, deepened in color, and her voice sounded ethereal: "Everyone in the world knows of her - the highly esteemed young lady from the imperial family, bestowed with a name by the founding emperor himself, the cherished pearl, Di Ziyuan. So, does the princess imply that I bear a striking resemblance to Di Ziyuan?"

    Han Ye's steps, as he approached, came to a halt.

    An Ning was surprised by Ren Anle's bluntness. She nodded and shook her head, and the wine jug in her hand spun around before quietly landing on the wooden table. "You don't look alike, but your temperaments are quite similar," she said.

    Ren Anle raised her eyebrows, and between her eyebrows emerged a touch of roguishness.

    Di Ziyuan is very intelligent. Although I was unwilling to admit it at first, I have to admit that in any aspect, even though I studied with the best Tai Fu in the palace, I am still inferior to her."

    太傅 (tài fù) - "Tai Fu" - is a Chinese term that traditionally refers to a high-ranking official in the imperial court, who holds the title of "Grand Tutor" or "Grand Preceptor" and serves as a mentor to the emperor or crown prince. 

    "When young, one may be promising, but not necessarily in adulthood. Princess, you should have a far-sighted vision. Di Ziyuan was imprisoned in Mount Tai for ten years. In terms of intelligence and achievements, she is no match for you, Princess." With a lazy sip of her wine, Ren Anle smiled playfully.

     "I always feel that it's not the case, you are just like her, appearing gentle and harmless on the surface, but actually have a wicked heart. It was like that in the gambling house, and it was the same in Lingxiang Tower just now." An Ning shook her head, her voice clear and powerful, "Ren Anle, you're no easier to deal with than the little girl from the Di family back then."

    "I'm the biggest female bandit in southern Jin," Ren Anle laughed, as if completely at ease. "Comparing me to her isn't exactly a compliment to Di Ziyuan." She then asked, "I heard Di Ziyuan only stayed in the capital for a year. I didn't expect the princess to have such a strong memory of the girl from ten years ago."

    "Women from the Di family are always different, aren't they?" An Ning blinked mischievously and sighed, "If the Di family were still safe, she would have become my sister-in-law long ago, and there would be no room for you to jump around here. An Le, you should give up. The emperor won't welcome you to the Eastern Palace."

    "Oh? Why?" Ren Anle responded noncommittally, her voice lazy.

     "I heard of your accomplishments on the frontier. Not only are you attractive and talented, but you also possess the ability to govern. The Crown Prince will not waste your talents and will let you enter the Eastern Palace to become a cefei who cannot participate in politics."

    侧妃 (cèfēi) - side consort (a lower rank than the empress or the primary consort)

    "An Ning, it seems like you have more to say than just this."

    "Also...there's also Di Ziyuan," An Ning's voice was clear and resolute. "Not only because this marriage was arranged by the founding emperor, but also because the crown prince would never give the position of princess consort to any woman in the world, even if he falls in love with someone in the future."

    There was a long silence before An Le chuckled lightly and said, "An Ning, how can you be so certain that even the promise of exchanging half the kingdom cannot be kept, let alone the will left behind decades ago? The Crown Prince will become the ruler of Yunxia in the future. How could he really achieve such an extent for Di Ziyuan? There are things in the world that cannot be done and are also difficult to do. But I, Ren Anle, insist on giving it a try.'"

    Finishing her words, she raised her head, drank all the wine in the pot, and stood up. Her ink-black dress stained the ground with a soft shine, and she looked down at the royal princess who still appeared melancholy. "The past is already gone, I am not Di Ziyuan, and I cannot fulfill your dreams of reminiscing about the past," she said. "Princess, people only live for a short time in this world, it's better to let go."

    An Ning's expression was complicated as she watched the distant figure of Ren Anle leisurely walking away, letting out a soft sigh.

    How can she let go? Her mother, the empress, died early, and at that time the crown prince was still young, while her teacher was far away in Mount Tai. Although she was brought back to the palace, there was no one to take care of her, and she suffered a lot in secret. She still remembers to this day the imperial princess who looked like a porcelain doll standing in the ice and snow, wearing a white fur coat, raising her chin and sternly admonishing the Consort Qi who had forced her to kneel.

    "Consort Qi, Princess An Ning is the daughter of Grand Princess Jing, and she cannot be punished by you. Only the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the Empress can punish her."

    When she spoke these words, her petite figure walked step by step on the snow-covered path of the deep palace, and stood in front of Consort Qi. She supported herself and there was no trace of fear in her eyes.

    Afterward, though they only spent a short year together, Di Zi Yuan taught her the meaning of "Heaven helps those who help themselves."

天助自助者 (tiān zhù zì zhù zhě) Heaven helps those who help themselves- This proverb emphasizes the importance of self-reliance and taking initiative in order to achieve success. It suggests that simply waiting for good things to happen is not enough, and that we must actively work towards our goals in order to receive help and support from the universe.

    In her lifetime, there were only two people whose kindness she could not fully repay. One was her elder brother, the crown prince, who had taken care of her since childhood. The other was Di Ziyuan, who was imprisoned in Mount Tai ten years ago.

    It has been ten years... too long, to the point where the appearance of that child has already been forgotten by her. In her memory, there only remains the clear and powerful voice of the girl and her persistent gaze.

    "An Ning," Han Ye's cold and deep voice suddenly sounded as he walked out from the shadows.

    "Older brother, when did you arrive?" An Ning raised her head in a daze and exclaimed in astonishment.

    "After returning to the capital, you caused a big disturbance in the city without even seeing the Emperor yet, and you even dared to bring along a high-ranking official. Your courage has grown even bolder!" Han Ye gave her a glance and instructed lightly, "Take the princess back to the palace."

    Looking at Han Ye's expressionless face, An Ning stood up and walked briskly two steps before suddenly speaking: "Imperial Brother, how much do you still remember about her?"

    Both of them knew who An Ning was referring to. Han Ye's expression paused slightly, displeased as he said, "Anning, you are meddling too much."

    An Ning frowned and, seeing Han Ye's cold expression, dared not provoke him any further. She followed the attendant back reluctantly.

    Han Ye stood in front of the wine shop, silent and motionless in the moonlight.

    After a long time, he sat in the seat where Ren Anle had just sat, hiding himself in the shadows, and pouring cup after cup of strong liquor into his mouth.

    How much does he remember? He rubbed his eyebrows, that girl, he remembered everything.

    When first arriving in the capital, there was a calmness; when residing in the Eastern Palace, there was arrogance; when interacting with others, there was generosity and composure; when leaving the city, there was reluctance; and when giving a final glance at the Northern City, there was a resolute and cold determination.

    No one knew that ten years ago, during the rebellion of the Di Family, he had gone to the northern city of the Empire. He traveled a thousand miles in haste, just to make sure that the Duke of Jing'an could escape to the faraway border ahead of time. But when he arrived, all he saw was the dark red blood-stained floor tiles in front of the Di Family Ancestral hall... and a small, pale figure kneeling under the temple."

    He was ultimately too late. The Di family, with a total of 132 members, had none left except Di Ziyuan.

    How could he forget? The royal family destroyed everything she had. Even if he, Han Ye, were to die, he could not bear to disappoint Di Zi Yuan again.

    In the study room of the palace, Emperor Jianing threw the memorial on the ground, looking at his eldest daughter standing with her head down in silence. He paced back and forth with anger written all over his face.

    "Entering the gambling house, strolling through the brothels, causing a storm in the entire city, and even bringing along Zhen's Grand Secretary of the Ministry of Justice. An Ning, do you still care about your reputation?"

    朕 (zhèn) - a first-person pronoun used by an emperor or king to refer to themselves

    An Ning did not answer, not even lifting her eyelids.

    The more Emperor Jianing looked at her, the angrier he became. Look at this behavior! If he hadn't cultivated his temperament during his years on the throne, he would have whipped this unfilial daughter long ago.

   " Still need your imperial brother to mobilize soldiers in order to bind you back. Alright, General, you have made progress now. You don't place me, your father and emperor, in your eyes, do you!"

    The roar of Emperor Jianing almost pierced through the study, and Zhao Fu was anxiously standing by the side. However, both the father and daughter were stubborn and unwilling to compromise, making it difficult to handle.

    

    "Father Emperor, my eldest brother's gambling house is making a lot of money. I have been stationed on the border for years and have not been able to save any money for myself. I am struggling to make ends meet. Besides, my reputation is already like this. As a princess, I should be able to attract a good husband. As long as you issue an imperial decree, who would dare not marry me?"

    

    Emperor Jianing couldn't speak for a while, feeling a lump in his throat. He looked at his eldest daughter for a while, snorted coldly, turned around and sat back on his throne, and said quietly: "Very well, since you want to show off your abilities with me, after this reporting duty, you will not return to the northwest."

    An Ning raised her head, her expression finally showing some emotion. "Imperial Father, I am the Northwest Garrison General. How can I not return for a long time?"

    "With General Shi guarding the north, Qin will not dare to rebel. Your ninth brother keeps clamoring to join the army every day, so I am planning to send him to the northwest to train," said Emperor Jianing in a solemn voice.

    The Ninth Prince is the only son of the Consort Qi and the only grandson of the Left Minister. It seems that this father and daughter pair has their eyes on the military power in the northwest, but they speak in high-sounding and pompous words. An Ning snorted in disagreement and her expression is full of disdain.

     "Father Emperor, when can I return to the northwest?"

      "Don't panic," Emperor Jianing sipped his tea and reopened the memorial, slowly saying, "After you marry a suitable husband and bear a few grandchildren for zhen, you can go as far away as you want."

    Now it was An Ning's turn to hold her breath in anger. She glared at Emperor Jianning for a while, then hastily made a salute and left the study room without looking back, taking large strides. 

      "Ah." As the sound of An Ning's footsteps gradually faded away, Emperor Jianing sighed, "An Ning was very well-behaved in her childhood. I don't know when she became like this. This kind of temperament won't do on the battlefield. Could it be that I still have to let her cause trouble and give me white hair for no reason? Besides, she's already eighteen. Even if she's a noble princess, she still needs to get married."

    Zhao Fu saw that Emperor Jianing was talking to himself incessantly, so he went up to him and poured him some hot tea. He advised him, " Your Majesty, the princess has an extraordinary bearing and would be a match for any nobleman's son. You don't have to worry."

    Emperor Jianing snorted lightly and said, "Of course, it is only natural. Being able to marry Zhen's daughter is a great honor for them." He paused for a moment and spoke in a deep voice, "Has the Crown Prince also left the Eastern Palace?"

    Zhao Fu nodded his head and said, "Hearing the guard's report, it was the Crown Prince who personally ordered the Princess to be sent back to the palace."

    Emperor Jia Ning squinted his eyes and his voice revealed a hint of surprise, "It has been ten years, could it be that someone has truly made him change his mind? This Ren Anle, if used properly, could become a valuable weapon for zhen."

       Zhao Fu's heart shuddered, but he did not answer. He stood quietly behind Emperor Jianing and looked at the dimly lit face of the monarch hidden in the candlelight. He slowly lowered his eyes.

    

    

    

    The heavens were not favoring the capital city, as it rained heavily for a month continuously. Even Princess An Ning's grand spectacle of strolling in the brothel and selecting a top-ranking courtesan was forgotten by the common people of the capital city in the incessant rainy days.

Ren Mansion

    Yuan Shu, dripping wet from the rain, rushed into the study dragging a trail of water droplets behind her. Yuan Qin handed her a cup of hot tea and asked, "You seem agitated. How are things in the western part of the city?"

     "Fortunately, a few days ago, Miss ordered a lot of grain and clothing to be sent over." Yuan Shu was panting and holding the tea cup given to her by Yuan Qin, she took a big gulp and asked, "Where is Miss?"

    "Miss has just returned and is changing clothes in her room. With the increasing influx of outsiders coming to the capital, every government office in the capital is busy." Yuan Shu frowned with worry.

    In the region around the capital, there was heavy rain causing many houses to collapse and farmland to be flooded. The common people had nowhere to turn and could only flee to the capital. However, the number of refugees pouring in was too great.

    As they were talking, Ren Anle appeared wearing a new outfit of crimson red dress with a long flowing skirt, her wooden shoes making a low, deep sound as she walked in. Her long hair was untied and still wet, adding to her overall appearance.

    Yuan Qin let out a cry of surprise, and immediately grabbed a towel. She grumbled as she walked over to dry her hair.

    Ren Anle stood by the window, squinting as she looked at the sky, which seemed as though it was about to collapse: "If it keeps raining like this, I'm afraid there will be problems with the river channel."

    Yuan Shu blinked his eyes, confused, and was about to ask for clarification when Chang Qing hurriedly walked through the corridor with a somewhat hurried pace.

    "Miss, news just came from the imperial city that His Highness the Crown Prince, Prince Mu, and two imperial advisors have been summoned into the palace by His Majesty."

    Ren Anle turned around and said in a deep voice, "What happened?"

     "It is said that there was a surge of commoners who unlawfully entered the palace gates in the capital city. The commander of the Imperial Guard discovered him under the beating of a stick, and it was only then that he reported to the Emperor that he had found on the person a blood letter signed by a thousand people."

    "Blood letter? Were the people who fled from the area around the capital?"

    血书" (xuèshū) - Blood letter, which refers to a message written in blood or a letter containing a threat of violence or revenge.

    

    Chang Qing shook his head and spoke with a somewhat hoarse voice: "No, they are refugees who fled from Jiangnan."

江南 (Jiāngnán) - a region in China south of the Yangtze River. 

 ❊𑁍❊𑁍❊𑁍❊

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