The Crown Princess Is Jealous Again - Chapter 3
“What if Prime Minister Song becomes your Imperial Tutor? What do you think?” the Empress tentatively asked.
“Prime Minister Song?” Xiao Beitang frowned. “He’s upright, I’ll give him that, but far too rigid… Always wearing a stern face. No, no, definitely not.” She shook her head.
“Then what about Grand Marshal Wei Ran?”
“That old man looks like he’s ready to kill someone at any moment. So fierce. No, not him either.”
“This one’s no good, that one’s no good—aren’t they all senior ministers with deep experience? Do you mean to say none of them are fit to teach you?” Emperor Jing rebuked her.
Xiao Beitang scowled at him. The Empress quickly stepped in to smooth things over.
“Then let me keep looking,” she said gently.
“No need, Mother. I don’t want any of them. It’s getting late. I’m leaving.” She rose abruptly and walked away without looking back.
“Tang’er, Tang’er…” The Empress watched her daughter’s retreating figure, then turned to glare at Emperor Jing with a frown.
“Xiao Jing, I worked so hard to calm her down. Why did you have to say something to upset her again?”
She gave the Emperor a few annoyed punches. He endured them with a wry smile and pulled her into his arms.
“Yanyan, we can’t keep indulging her like this.”
“Then what do you suggest?” she asked angrily.
“Don’t get upset. Let me think. There has to be a way.” The Empress furrowed her brow, deep in thought.
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The next day, Emperor Jing was playing a game of Go with Prince Chu, and the two began talking about their children.
“Lin’er is just as useless,” Prince Chu said with a laugh. “I worry about him all the time.”
The Emperor placed a stone and sighed.
“At least you have Zhong’er. He’s a filial child.”
Prince Chu chuckled.
“Zhong’er used to be mischievous too. It wasn’t until he married and had children that he settled down. He’s grown dependable now—I no longer need to worry about him.”
The Emperor paused mid-move and murmured,
“Marriage…”
“Hmm?” Prince Chu didn’t catch that.
“You’ve reminded me,” the Emperor said, a spark lighting in his eyes. “Arranging a marriage for Tang’er, getting her married early—it might not be such a bad idea.”
Prince Chu looked puzzled.
“Isn’t it a bit too soon, Your Majesty?”
“She’s sixteen now,” the Emperor said without hesitation as he placed another stone. “It’s young, yes, but not unheard of for marriage.”
Prince Chu looked back at the board and exclaimed,
“Ah! How did I suddenly end up in such a desperate position?”
The Emperor grinned proudly.
“Brother, you underestimated me. Just one more move, and I’ll wipe out all your pieces in this corner.”
He gazed down at the board, deep in thought.
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That night, the Emperor returned to the Kunning Palace reeking of wine. The Empress hadn’t seen her in such a drunken state in a long time.
Half-drunk, the Emperor ended up wrapped around the Empress in bed.
She burrowed into the Empress’s arms with a hint of grievance.
“Yanyan, do you still remember the vows we made back then? I once promised to take you across mountains and rivers, to see the world. But now I’m stuck in the court—I fear that dream may never come true.”
“What’s happened to make you feel so aggrieved?” The Empress, still basking in their intimacy, gently stroked the Emperor’s back.
“I thought if Tang’er could take on responsibilities, I’d abdicate early and travel the world with you…” She studied the Empress’s face, speaking with faint disappointment.
“Why this sudden change of heart?” the Empress asked, surprised. She had never heard such talk before.
They had met in the martial world; the Empress had long grown weary of palace life.
The Emperor sat up suddenly, putting on a solemn face.
“This isn’t a whim. I’ve thought about it for a long time.”
The Empress was moved. She too longed for those days again—wandering the land, accompanied by rivers, mountains, and the moon.
She said softly,
“But Tang’er is still young. If we burden her now, how can we bear it?”
Seeing her wavering, the Emperor quickly added,
“Yanyan, you still see Tang’er as a child, but she’s not. She knows right from wrong, and what she wants. If we find her a worthy teacher and a good marriage match, by the time she’s twenty, she’ll be fit to rule.”
“You want to arrange a marriage for her?” The Empress instantly saw through her thoughts.
The Emperor sheepishly buried her face in the Empress’s arms.
“Yanyan, sixteen is young, yes, but it’s old enough for marriage.”
“Do you already have someone in mind?” the Empress asked calmly.
The Emperor looked at her in surprise—she hadn’t expected her to agree so easily. She stammered,
“The Prime Minister… he’s upright, clean in governance…”
The Empress couldn’t help but laugh. She caressed the Emperor’s face and gently said,
“Take your time. No rush.”
The Emperor gathered herself and said clearly,
“His daughter, Song Qingqian—I mentioned her to you before. She’s talented, beautiful, and of excellent character.”
“Song Qingqian?”
“That’s right.”
“Isn’t she just over twenty?”
“Twenty-two.”
The Empress murmured,
“Six years older than Tang’er…”
Fearing she would back out, the Emperor quickly said,
“It’s only six years—not a big deal. In fact, Tang’er could use someone older and steadier to help rein her in.”
But the Empress shook her head after thinking it over.
“Tang’er won’t agree.”
“Yanyan, we can’t let her have her way in everything.”
Still, the Empress shook her head.
“It won’t work. Tang’er is stubborn. If we force this on her, the household will know no peace.”
Seeing her plan unravel, the Emperor wasn’t ready to give up.
“Then how about you meet Song Qingqian first? If you like her, we’ll decide from there. What do you say?”
“You mean summon her to the palace?”
The Emperor nodded.
“In a few days, hold a garden gathering and invite noblewomen. Make sure to name her specifically.”
The Empress thought for a moment.
“In the past, when I’ve hosted such gatherings, she never came, not even once.”
“Then this time, send the invitation personally—make it clear you’re asking for her, and she should come with her mother.”
“Very well.” The Empress agreed.
In the Emperor’s arms, she traced circles on her chest and asked softly,
“Why did you agree so quickly today?”
The Empress gently brushed her hair aside and sighed,
“Xiao Jing, it’s not that I favor Tang’er. You and I both know how much those past events hurt her. I ache for you—but I ache for her too. She’s our only child. I’ve spoiled her these past years because I just wanted her to be happy.”
“But today… I saw your hair turning white…” She stared at the Emperor for a long time before saying this gently.
The Emperor shifted to embrace her in return.
“Yanyan, don’t be sad. It’s just a few white strands.”
The Empress shook her head in her arms.
“I just feel… that our time is running out. Whether or not we can ever leave the palace again doesn’t matter—but we won’t be able to protect Tang’er forever. That’s why I’ve started thinking seriously about these things.”
“Thank you, Yanyan. I know it’s hard for you—caught between me and Tang’er. I’m grateful.” The Emperor held her tighter.
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Two days later, the Empress personally sent out invitations to the families of senior officials for tea and scenic appreciation in the palace. She rarely hosted such events—usually only once a year—so receiving the invitation was considered a great honor.
However, Song Qingqian stared at the invitation for a long time in silence. Her mother asked,
“Qingqian, do you not want to go?”
Gazing at her name, boldly printed on the card, Song Qingqian said,
“Mother, the Empress has never invited this way before. This time she named me specifically—it feels suspicious.”
Her mother smiled.
“Perhaps it’s because your father holds significant power in court, and the Empress holds our family in high regard.”
Still, Qingqian remained uneasy.
“Perhaps.”
“I’ll have a new dress made for you tomorrow. Your usual clothes are too plain—like a female scholar. Not fitting for a palace gathering.”
“Thank you, Mother.”
“Now don’t stay up too late reading. Rest your eyes.” Lady Song patted her daughter gently before leaving.
Song Qingqian’s eyelids, as if in response, fluttered with a faint unease.