The princess’s residence would take some time to renovate, so Princess Hongnong would still need to stay at the Fu residence for now.
The young emperor was very close to Princess Hongnong, so he kept her to dine with him. After the meal, Princess Hongnong found an opportunity to dismiss the attending servants before she could quietly speak with the young emperor.
“I see the palace eunuchs are quite obedient. Does Your Majesty have freedom?”
The young emperor nodded. “Though the General is somewhat strict, she instructs me in matters of governance. The palace eunuchs are all respectful.”
Princess Hongnong lowered her head to request forgiveness. “Please forgive this subject’s presumptuous offense, Your Majesty.”
The young emperor was puzzled. “What offense has Imperial Sister committed?”
“May I know Your Majesty’s daily schedule?”
This was prying into the emperor’s whereabouts, which was indeed an offense.
But the young emperor knew Princess Hongnong was concerned for him and didn’t mind. He described in detail what he had to do each day, and couldn’t help but complain somewhat in his words.
No matter how precocious he was, he was still a youth.
What youth enjoys reading books, practicing martial arts, and having to review various political reports and provide handling opinions?
Every day, forget about playing—even his sleep time had been compressed. The young emperor now felt sick at the sight of memorials and drowsy whenever court was held.
But everyone said Zhao Hanzhang was doing this for his own good, and as long as he did well, he could take personal control of the government in the future.
But the young emperor had witnessed many power transitions and felt that even if Zhao Hanzhang currently had no intention of seizing power, she would change in the future.
Who could refuse the wonderful feeling that power brought?
Even someone as lazy as him sometimes thought that it would be nice if he could be a genuine emperor—then he wouldn’t have to attend court if he didn’t want to, wouldn’t have to review memorials if he didn’t want to. Who could force him?
Princess Hongnong listened in a daze, her heart slightly surprised. She hadn’t expected Zhao Hanzhang to be teaching the emperor so diligently—this was beyond her expectations.
Hearing the young emperor’s complaints, Princess Hongnong frowned and said to him, “The General has the heart to instruct Your Majesty, and Your Majesty should study diligently. In the future when you take personal control of the government, the entire Dajin will depend on Your Majesty’s governance. The realm has been in chaos for many years, and the common people have longed for stability for many years. Please do not disappoint the people of the realm, Your Majesty.”
Hearing this familiar admonition, the young emperor couldn’t help but feel suffocated. He suppressed the anger in his chest and turned his head to the side. Everyone told him to study well with Zhao Hanzhang.
But they hadn’t considered whether he could still live if he truly learned everything well.
Moreover, did they really think those things were so easy to learn?
He wasn’t a genius. Every day he had to listen to so many lessons and attend court discussions—how could he possibly remember so much?
The atmosphere became somewhat strained.
Princess Hongnong didn’t have many memories of this young cousin, let alone the young emperor of her. The two of them relied entirely on their blood relationship and Princess Hongnong’s contributions to Dajin to maintain their connection.
But this connection could be considered thick or thin, depending on how the parties involved viewed it.
And the young emperor was at precisely the age most prone to rebelliousness, and didn’t value kinship that much.
If it hadn’t been for Zhao Hanzhang coming to see him last night and earnestly discussing Princess Hongnong’s contributions to Dajin and her difficult life over these years, he wouldn’t have spent so much time seeing her.
Princess Hongnong wasn’t foolish and could naturally see the young emperor’s indifference. She didn’t continue admonishing him but rose and said gently, “It’s getting late, and Your Majesty may still have coursework to complete. This subject will take her leave.”
The young emperor perfunctorily said, “I cannot leave the palace, so I can only trouble Imperial Sister to enter the palace more often to see me.”
Princess Hongnong agreed, indicating that she would certainly enter the palace often to visit the emperor.
In fact, even if he didn’t invite her, she would enter the palace frequently. In Luoyang, half of her honor came from Fu Tinghan, and the other half came from her imperial identity.
Princess Hongnong lowered her head and withdrew.
Supporting herself on Ren Hui’s hand, she slowly walked toward the palace gate. Inside the palace city it was very quiet—aside from the occasional patrol of Imperial Guards passing by, it was difficult to see anyone else.
But once outside the palace city, it was different—the imperial city became lively.
Zhao Hanzhang had set up the central administrative offices in the imperial city. Apart from some of her political affairs handled at the Zhao residence, all other government business—central and local operations—were conducted in this imperial city.
So officials and clerks came and went here. When Princess Hongnong had arrived this morning, everyone had been holed up in their offices, but now it was around the eighth hour, precisely when the imperial city’s officials and clerks took their meals and delivered documents, so the traffic was quite lively.
Seeing the vastly different atmospheres inside and outside, Princess Hongnong couldn’t help but stop in her tracks.
Ren Hui also sighed. “When the late emperor was alive, it was rare to see the imperial city this lively.”
This “late emperor” naturally referred to Princess Hongnong’s father, Emperor Hui.
Princess Hongnong said coldly, “Liveliness is good. Liveliness means the ministers are working. When Father was alive, the imperial city was too quiet while the palace city was too lively.”
Ren Hui didn’t dare speak.
Princess Hongnong didn’t need her to speak either. She lowered her eyes in thought for a moment, then said, “Return, and send a visiting card to the Zhao household requesting an audience.”
Ren Hui breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. “Yes, we should meet our in-laws. The young master and the General’s wedding date is approaching.”
Princess Hongnong said, “I was thinking incorrectly before. She is not an ordinary woman, so naturally she won’t be an ordinary daughter-in-law. This marriage is no longer just a union between the Fu and Zhao families—it’s also a marriage between the Sima family and the Zhao family.”
“Since this is a marriage alliance among three families involving the imperial house, the Zhao clan, and the Fu clan, then things must be discussed clearly.”
Ren Hui’s heart tightened, and she stammered, “Dis-discuss what clearly?”
Princess Hongnong said, “Naturally to discuss the interests of the state. Since she now genuinely instructs His Majesty, I only hope she will also genuinely return governance to His Majesty in the future.”
As long as the foundation doesn’t change, it’s fine if she oversteps a bit now—it’s just that Tinghan will be wronged.
Ren Hui’s heart was anxious, always feeling that Princess Hongnong was proposing something extraordinary.
Princess Hongnong hurried back to the Fu residence and immediately wrote a visiting card herself, having someone send it to the Zhao residence before asking, “Where is the young master?”
The servants reported, “The young master left the residence on official business. He said that official matters are busy at year’s end and he cannot spare time to stay long at home, but he sent his close guard captain Shi Hongtu back, saying that the Princess need only summon him if she has any instructions.”
Princess Hongnong frowned. With the wedding approaching, he was still this busy?
Even so, she still summoned Shi Hongtu, and upon learning he was now a fifth-rank General of Brave Resolve, she grew puzzled. But this wasn’t the time to investigate deeply, so she suppressed her doubts and asked, “Where are my son’s account books and funds?”
Shi Hongtu was taken aback and quickly said, “Minister Fu’s internal affairs are all managed by Fu’an. This subordinate doesn’t know.”
Shi Hongtu paused before saying, “If the Princess lacks anything, just tell this subordinate, and I can help the Princess find it.”
He knew that actually Fu Tinghan had almost no private property. His money was basically mixed together with Zhao Hanzhang’s, so expenses mostly went through Zhao Hanzhang’s accounts.
As Fu Tinghan’s guard captain, he also had authority to charge expenses, though Fu Tinghan needed to sign off in the end.
The Princess frowned and didn’t immediately say what she wanted, but instead rose. “Please ask Guard Captain Shi to rest for a moment.”
Once he left, she immediately went to the back courtyard to find Fu Xuan, who was immersed in his books.
—