“Oh, does something this trivial really need the Marquis to trouble himself?” Hua Chun smiled sweetly as she cut in.
The main hall fell silent for a moment. Old Master Hua and the concubines behind him were stunned speechless, and even He Chang’an paused, glancing at her before saying hesitantly:
“The Prime Minister is truly open-minded, no doubt because your conscience is clear.”
“Naturally.” Hua Chun nodded, smiling with a bit of foolishness. Only when she noticed everyone around her looked rather uneasy did she blink and look earnestly at the man before her: “What did the Marquis just say?”
The crime of deceiving the emperor?
He Chang’an raised an eyebrow, looking at her blank eyes, and laughed helplessly: “Didn’t you hear me?”
“…My apologies, I was a bit distracted just now.”
Having such a dazzlingly handsome man standing right in front of her was enough to blank out her mind just from looking at his face, and with the conversation going so pleasantly, who would have guessed he’d drop such a bombshell so calmly? Couldn’t he give a little warning?
Torn between laughing and crying, He Chang’an said: “Today Noble Consort Hua petitioned before His Majesty, accusing the Prime Minister of the crime of deceiving the emperor regarding the renovation of the Hua family’s back courtyard. Does the Prime Minister have anything to say?”
“Oh, that matter.” Relieved, Hua Chun patted her chest: “I never deceived the emperor. Before continuing the courtyard renovation, I asked His Majesty for permission, and His Majesty agreed — only then did the Hua family dare begin construction.”
“Oh?” He Chang’an looked puzzled: “Then why would the Emperor say he knew nothing of this?”
“That…” Hua Chun sighed: “Perhaps that day was too rushed and His Majesty simply forgot. But Jinghua did indeed petition the Emperor, saying he wished for ‘a settled heart, a place to belong, spacious living quarters, and a household in good health.’ Only after His Majesty personally consented did I dare have people begin the work.”
A settled heart, a place to belong, spacious living quarters, a household in good health.
He Chang’an carefully recited these sixteen characters once, his eyes smiling: “So that’s how it was.”
The Emperor had agreed to let the family have spacious living quarters — wasn’t that, in effect, agreeing to the expansion? Noble Consort Hua interfering with the Hua family’s construction had never made sense to begin with. Hua Jinghua’s move, playing this word game right in front of the Emperor, was audacious, but it held up.
To charge the Prime Minister with a crime, the Council Ministers would first need to be consulted, and once they traced the cause, they certainly wouldn’t side with Noble Consort Hua. Whether by reason or by principle, Hua Jinghua would not be punished — it would only make the Emperor resent her a bit more. But then again, it hardly mattered — the Emperor had never liked Prime Minister Hua anyway, and seized any chance to try to finish her off. Whether he resented her more or not made no real difference.
Nodding, He Chang’an said: “Since it’s all just a misunderstanding, then I shall explain it to His Majesty on the Prime Minister’s behalf.”
“Thank you, thank you.” Hua Chun hurriedly rose and bowed: “The Marquis is truly reasonable and understanding!”
Reaching out to steady her, He Chang’an said: “If you truly wish to thank me, why not find time to treat me to a couple of drinks instead?”
Huh? Hua Chun froze, glanced up at him, her eyes darting about, the tips of her ears reddening slightly.
According to the laws of transmigration, a handsome man was always destined to be the second male lead! He was always destined to fall for the female lead! Looking at this man’s refined and handsome face before her, if he really did end up doting on her the way it happened in TV dramas, rushing out to protect her at any critical moment, staying single and waiting for her no matter whether she ever married — wouldn’t that be thrilling?
Classmate Hua Chun secretly delighted inside, her mind flashing through countless scenes of a deeply devoted second male lead sweeping the female lead into a three-hundred-sixty-degree spin in the air, petals falling all around; or a moonless, pitch-dark night where he arrived cloaked in starlight, sweeping her up and flying elegantly over the palace walls! The moment that person looked up, he would dazzle half the realm.
Very nice. Very poetic.
But before she could imagine the rest of the scene, He Chang’an said with a smile: “The Prime Minister is a rare person in Yanjing who doesn’t go along with worldly ways, incorruptible and disciplined. I have long admired your name and have always wished to befriend you. If we are kindred spirits, perhaps we might even become sworn brothers.”
Sworn brothers, not sworn spouses.
A shiver ran through her, and Hua Chun snapped back to her senses, lowering her head to look at her own chest.
She had forgotten — this body was meant to be a man for the rest of its life, not the female lead. Correctly speaking, it might even be the male lead. She, a woman wearing the identity of a man, still wanted to have a proper romance with someone?
Forget it. Never mind the second male lead — he might well end up being a romantic rival instead, say if she took in a wife of her own someday, she’d still have to guard against being cuckolded by him.
Having come to understand this reality, Classmate Hua Chun felt quite dejected, but forced herself to cheer up and cupped her hands toward He Chang’an: “That’s naturally no trouble at all — thank you for the honor, Marquis.”
“Then I’ll head back to the palace to report.” He Chang’an nodded.
“Take care on your way out, Marquis.”
Old Master Hua, who had been standing dumbstruck nearby, hurried over and gave her a push, signaling her to see the guest off.
Understanding, Hua Chun followed He Chang’an out, escorting him all the way to the gates of the Hua estate.
“A close call, but all’s well that ends well!” Madam Wan, no one knew when she had also come to the main hall, only emerged from behind the curtain pressing a hand to her chest once she saw the Marquis leave, and shot Concubine Ren a glare.
Concubine Ren, still shaken, did not, for once, start quarreling with her, but instead walked tremblingly to kneel before Hua Zhengrong.
“This concubine knows her wrongdoing!”
“Your mistake nearly brought great disaster upon our Hua family!” Having held it in for a long while, Hua Zhengrong finally dared to lose his temper, glaring at Concubine Ren: “No matter how you and Liufang usually feud, how could you speak carelessly in front of the Emperor! If the Hua family were destroyed, what good would that do you!”
Trembling from his shouting, Concubine Ren choked out: “This concubine… this concubine only wrote to Liuying asking whether His Majesty might also let her renovate the Yong’an Hall. My lord, you know full well that Liuying, despite being a Noble Consort, doesn’t even have a palace hall befitting her rank — she’d be a laughingstock to so many…”
“Is it your place to meddle in palace affairs? Stay properly in your quarters — you’re fined a month’s allowance, and you’re not to leave the estate!”
Hua Chun had just come back and caught this roar from Old Master Hua.
What did it mean to lose the wife while losing the soldiers too — Concubine Ren could never have imagined things would turn out this way. Hua Zhengrong rarely lost his temper, but when he did, he showed no mercy at all. She was, after all, the birth mother of a Noble Consort, yet here she was, docked a month’s pay and confined to quarters — how would the household mock her now?
Just thinking of how Madam Wan would ridicule her, Concubine Ren’s tears would not stop.
Standing at the doorway taking in this pitiful scene, Hua Chun sighed and went over: “Concubine, there’s no need to be so upset.”
How could she not be upset? Concubine Ren looked up at her, not daring to glare, but full of grievance.
“Try to think on the bright side of things.” Hua Chun said: “Sometimes you think you’re already miserable enough, but actually someone else is worse off than you.”
Madam Wan, surprised, came over and tugged at her sleeve, whispering: “Have you gone mad? This woman has schemed against you plenty in the past, and you’re comforting her?”
Concubine Ren also clearly did not appreciate it: “Who could possibly be more miserable than me right now? It’s easy for the eldest young master to talk without feeling the pain himself.”
“I mean it.” Hua Chun looked at her: “Slandering the sitting Prime Minister — Noble Consort Hua will certainly be punished by His Majesty. Compared to the punishment my father gave you, Noble Consort Hua’s will surely be far worse. Doesn’t that thought make you feel a little better?”