H! GVCP Chapter 19

 Chapter 19: The Emperor and Empress

"When I was at home, I wasn't very reasonable either, often relying on the doting of my Father and Mother to bully my brothers. As long as I didn't hurt anyone, they would let me have my way."

As Yu Lingzhao said this, her face wore a well-timed expression of shame, "It was all due to my own naughtiness."

Emperor Jianyuan, on the contrary, found this quite interesting. "Your Father and Mother truly dote on you."

"As Your Majesty says, I am extremely favored at home," Yu Lingzhao admitted frankly. 

"But there was one time I accidentally hurt someone, and Father punished me severely. He said that even in play, there must be a limit; hurting people at every turn reflects poorly on the upbringing of the Prince’s Mansion. He made it clear that punishing me was for the sake of the Mansion's dignity, and also to make me act more cautiously in the future."

"Therefore, I know that Your Majesty's punishment of the Princess stems from the heart of a compassionate father. And showing no offense toward my minor temper is the hallmark of a sovereign father's grace."

Yu Lingzhao’s eyes were full of admiration and her smile was sincere, showing not a trace of a guilty conscience.

Emperor Jianyuan stared at Yu Lingzhao for a moment. 

Just as Deng Cang and Yu Xunyang both thought the Emperor was about to fly into a rage, he suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha! Good! Interesting! This is the first time I've heard such an explanation. You are quite clever; no wonder your father likes you."

Yu Lingzhao gave a defenseless smile, appearing genuinely proud of Emperor Jianyuan's words.

Emperor Jianyuan looked at Yu Lingzhao and added, "I like your personality as well. If you have time, come to the palace often. Go pay your respects to the Empress more; she should like you very much."

Yu Lingzhao obediently agreed, her eyes shining like stars, clearly happy to have gained Emperor Jianyuan’s favor.

Being busy with state affairs, Emperor Jianyuan did not keep the Yu siblings in Wenhua Hall for long and directly had someone escort them to the Empress’s Weiyang Palace.

On the way there, Yu Xunyang shot several glances at his sister, and Yu Lingzhao returned a reassuring look.

From what she had seen today, Emperor Jianyuan did not currently harbor a strong intent to destroy the Prince of Zhennan’s Mansion.

Carefulness makes for a long-lasting ship; she either had to gain Emperor Jianyuan's trust, or... 

Yu Lingzhao glanced back at Wenhua Hall, suddenly feeling that the hall looked somewhat dark and gloomy. 

She withdrew her gaze; perhaps there was another way.

In Weiyang Palace, the Empress had long since received word from Emperor Jianyuan that the young siblings from the Prince’s Mansion were coming to give thanks, and she had ordered Yuechan to prepare some snacks and refreshments.

When the little eunuch announced that County Princess Mingzhu and the Third Young Master had arrived to pay their respects, Yuechan nodded and had them led inside.

Weiyang Palace was the Empress’s residence. 

Upon entering, one could feel that the palace was understated yet luxurious everywhere, with carved beams and painted rafters. 

Even a single stone on the ground was in its proper place, conveying a strong sense of order.

However, the trees and flowers in front of the hall allowed Yu Lingzhao to see a faint vitality, a spark of life different from the deathly stillness of this massive imperial palace.

Yu Lingzhao recalled that this Empress had also given birth to two children, but neither survived. 

Her maternal family had also gradually declined following the successive deaths of her father and brother.

Now, only two nephews remained of the Empress’s maternal clan; to support the once-illustrious household, they were still far from enough.

Entering the main hall of Weiyang Palace, Yu Lingzhao saw the Empress seated at the head, wearing her phoenix crown and palace robes, possessing a natural majesty without even trying.

"This subject daughter/this subordinate official greets the Empress. May Your Majesty enjoy ten thousand blessings and golden peace."

Yu Lingzhao and Yu Xunyang knelt together. The siblings had outstanding poise, and even a simple kowtow was more pleasing to the eye than that of others.

The Empress lowered her eyes to look at the young siblings kneeling before her. 

For a fleeting moment, she seemed to see her former spirited self and her brother. She was momentarily dazed.

Yuechan didn't know what the Empress was thinking, but County Princess Mingzhu and the Third Young Master had been kneeling for a bit too long.

She shifted her steps slightly and coughed softly.

The Empress returned to her senses and raised her hand. "Rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Yu Lingzhao stood up and looked up slightly, standing gracefully before the Empress. That peerless little face fell into the Empress's gaze.

The Empress looked at Yu Lingzhao for a while and smiled. "You are indeed the daughter of Cui Mufan. You are even more beautiful than she was in her youth."

Cui Mufan, the current Consort of the Prince of Zhennan and the biological mother of Yu Lingzhao.

Yu Lingzhao had not expected the Empress to suddenly mention her mother; she followed with a sweet smile, "Does Your Majesty know my mother?"

Looking at Yu Lingzhao’s aura of pure and lovely innocence, the Empress’s heart couldn't help but soften; people always tend to have extra patience for those who are beautiful.

"Naturally. Before your mother was married, she was the number one beauty in the capital."

"Thank you for the compliment, Your Majesty. When I return to the South, I will certainly tell my mother; she will be very happy." Yu Lingzhao smiled at the Empress once more.

The Empress hadn't expected Yu Lingzhao to be so lively; clearly, during their last meeting, the young girl had been exceptionally well-behaved. 

"Your courage has grown quite a bit."

There was a hint of probing in these words. Yu Lingzhao did not rush to refute them; instead, she raised her hand to touch the spot where she had been injured, quickly lowering it again as she said with a normal expression, "I have been recuperating at home lately. I am very grateful for the treasures Your Majesty bestowed; I have caused Your Majesty much expense."

Seeing that she didn't shy away from the topic at all, the Empress felt somewhat curious. 

"Aren't you afraid I might hold you accountable? I am, after all, Qing’an’s legal mother."

These words did not frighten Yu Lingzhao, but they gave Yu Xunyang a start; his expression became visibly tense. Seeing this, the Empress laughed softly, "Look at your brother; that is a normal reaction."

Yu Lingzhao hadn't initially noticed her brother's reaction, but hearing the Empress’s words, she turned back to look at him.

Seeing that he was tense and looking at her with concern, she gave him a reassuring smile before turning back around.

"Thank you for the reminder, Your Majesty, but I feel that the Empress will not make things difficult for me," Yu Lingzhao stated. 

"The supplements sent from Weiyang Palace are rare; if you were angry with me, you would not have sent me such good things."

The Empress was quite interested in Yu Lingzhao’s self-confidence. 

She added, "My private treasury has plenty of treasures; spending a little for the sake of appearances is no trouble. You should know, Qing’an often comes to pay her respects to me, and I am very fond of her."

The Empress was usually steady and dignified; Yuechan was stunned, as she had never seen her tease a young girl like this.

Yu Lingzhao pursed her lips and smiled, "Then please allow me to come and pay my respects often too, Your Majesty. I am good-looking; if Your Majesty finds me pleasing to the eye, you won't be angry anymore."

The Empress was also moved to laughter by Yu Lingzhao. 

Looking at the arrogant demeanor of this peerlessly beautiful girl, she truly couldn't describe her current feelings.

If her Luochun had lived, she should have been such a dazzling young girl as well.

The Empress was smiling, but a trace of a tear flashed in her eyes. When Yu Lingzhao looked up, she thought she had misseen it.

But in the next moment, the Empress called her forward, confirming that the glimmer in her eyes had not been an illusion.

"Come here, let me have a proper look at you."

The Empress beckoned to Yu Lingzhao. 

Yu Lingzhao rose and walked slowly to stand before the Empress.

The Empress looked at the girl's skin, white as snow. When she saw the faint traces of a wound remaining on her temple, her gaze darkened and her tone became somewhat stern: "Did the Head Physician not give you an ointment to remove the scarring?"

>>H! GVCP Chapter 20