That evening when Yuan Cheng returned, he asked, “Liu Bao’er came?”
Hearing him not even call her princess, Mo Zi’s eyes rolled. “Yuan Cheng, how did Liu Bao’er so coincidentally end up being rescued by you?” In this era when horses and carriages were the means of transportation, a hero saving a beauty who also happened to be a childhood sweetheart—the probability of that occurring was about the same as winning the lottery.
Yuan Cheng sat down to eat. “You’ve met her. What do you think?”
If this were an ordinary married couple, this would simply be prior consultation about taking a concubine.
“Very gentle temperament, soft-spoken too. You can tell she’s a kind person. However, as a princess of a nation, she’s somewhat too humble and accommodating. Outside, rumors are spreading like wildfire saying you’re going to marry her as a concubine, yet before me she doesn’t mention it once—only repeatedly talks about repaying gratitude.” Mo Zi picked up food for him. “Poor Xiao Yi had no show to watch.”
“What show did she want to see?” Yuan Cheng smiled.
“She comes to demand you take responsibility, demands I step aside. If I refuse, she fights with me.” Mo Zi wanted to add a second bowl of rice. Yuan Cheng helped her take it to fill. “In the end, not a single cold or harsh word. The time she stayed was just right—not long, not short—impossible to find fault with. I think her maid seems very intelligent.”
“Yu Xiang.” Yuan Cheng told Mo Zi the maid’s name. “Originally the daughter of a scholarly clan family, sent into the palace to accompany the princess, then she stayed in the palace ever since. Liu Bao’er’s birth mother’s status wasn’t high, and she herself has no schemes, but Yu Xiang has planned much for her. That the common people know the name of Heavenly Heart Princess is entirely due to this woman’s covert arrangements.”
“Such devoted loyalty is indeed rare.” Good masters always have loyal servants.
“I’ve placed the emperor under house arrest in Mingjing Garden. I’m not moving against him for now because in the southern two provinces, his father-in-law—that is, the empress’s father Jiang Hua—commands heavy troops and is resisting forcefully. That land is fertile and abundant in resources. With a river in front and sea behind, it can attack, defend, and retreat. I neither want to fight head-on nor let Jiang Hua escape to the islands and become a hidden danger.” The last hard bone to crack required waiting for the right opportunity.
“I thought only good masters had loyal servants. I never imagined even an emperor who brought disaster to the country and people would have someone swearing to defend him to the death.” Foolish loyalty?
Yuan Cheng shook his head. “Jiang Hua wouldn’t swear to protect the emperor to the death. He’s only plotting for his own interests.”
“So there’s still room to negotiate terms?” Not killing the emperor, treating the princess courteously—a thought flashed through Mo Zi’s mind. “You have other plans for Liu Bao’er, don’t you?” Not merely because she’s beloved by some common people.
“Though I’ve already established a family and dote on my wife to the heavens, do people see me as a good person?” Yuan Cheng smiled with a cunning look. “Useless captives—am I keeping them as bodhisattvas to worship?”
Mo Zi looked at him steadily, thinking: yes, recently seeing more of his gentle and affable side, she’d almost forgotten his cunning side. He had been a prime minister, someone skilled at manipulating power and playing opponents in the palm of his hand.
Yuan Cheng noticed her gaze. “What, you think I’m too ruthless?”
“No.” Mo Zi certainly wouldn’t think so. “I just feel I’ve married a good husband. Quite pleased with myself.” The most fortunate thing for a woman in this world is nothing other than: you’re full of shortcomings, yet you found a husband who makes you perfect inside and out.
“I also feel I married the right wife. Not only do I not need to worry about anything I do, but I also have her helping the tyrant in his tyranny.” If peaceful and prosperous times don’t come, will the two of them bear eternal infamy?
“Right now I thought of a phrase.” Mo Zi had been loving spicy food lately. “Villains in collusion. Perfectly suited to match ‘helping the tyrant in his tyranny.'”
Yuan Cheng laughed heartily. “Only by your side am I never lacking in joy.”
Mo Zi blinked. “Who’s amusing you? I don’t find it funny at all.”
Yuan Cheng’s laughter grew even louder. After this bout of laughter passed, he said, “If Liu Bao’er takes the initiative to show goodwill, stabilize her for now. Before Li Yan returns, we still can’t make a move.”
“Understood.” Mo Zi didn’t ask about Yuan Cheng’s overall plan. She hadn’t asked before, and she didn’t inquire now either—only doing what she wanted to do and what he hoped she would do.
By this time, she also no longer worried anxiously about whether he would become emperor, because she believed such a person of firm will wouldn’t easily change his forward path. She only needed to wait quietly. Just as Yuan Cheng already knew everything that had happened at the treasure site, yet hadn’t asked a single question about Yuan Qiao Niang’s death. He trusted her, just as she trusted him.
As the Dragon Boat Festival approached, the borders remained tense, but the common people living in Song territory had basically resumed daily life. Local government offices proactively organized Dragon Boat Festival activities—such as dragon boat races, zongzi competitions, and grass-fighting markets—encouraging people to actively celebrate the festival.
Yang City welcomed distinguished guests—Jiang Hua’s son, Jiang Shu. He brought five hundred guards, led by Li Yan, representing his father to visit his brother-in-law and sister, and to discuss matters of the southern two provinces with Yuan Cheng.
Earlier, Yuan Cheng had appeared together with Mo Zi in almost all occasions. The people of Yang City, originally unaccustomed to women discussing politics, had come to view it as normal. Jiang Shu was a very tactful person and had also accepted it after several encounters. Not only that, he was also very good at currying favor. Whenever Mo Zi invited him, he definitely attended. What a coincidence—every time he went, Liu Bao’er would also be there. As everyone knew, Prime Minister Yuan’s wife enjoyed boat tours on the river, so the city’s common people often saw scenes of them discussing matters eloquently on the water. Soon, the rumor that the Third Princess would become Prime Minister Yuan’s concubine split in two, saying that Commander Jiang’s son was infatuated with the Third Princess, and with the man unmarried and woman unwed, the two were even more compatible. After all, having such a kind and noble princess become a concubine would rather lower her status, especially since everyone could already see clearly that Prime Minister Yuan and his wife had deep affection, so it wouldn’t be easy to insert someone between them at this time. In just a few days, this second version of the beautiful tale became mainstream. Princess matched with prime minister—outdated.
In the blink of an eye, tomorrow would be the Dragon Boat Festival. Yuan Cheng issued an official document stating that all officials of Yang City should bring their family members to the riverside to watch the dragon boat races, and welcomed the common people to come join the festivities together. Among those formally invited were Nande’s emperor and empress, as well as Third Princess Liu Bao’er and Jiang Shu.
When Mo Zi heard Yuan Cheng say preparations for tomorrow’s festival celebration were complete, she suddenly had the thought that it was tomorrow. “Jiang Shu will leave after the Dragon Boat Festival. Will you agree to the father and son’s request?”
Jiang Hua wanted Yuan Cheng to grant him the two provinces in the name of an enfeoffed prince, promising that after Song territory established its dynasty and founded the nation, he would pay tribute and taxes to it for generations. On this basis, borders would be open, trade and commercial exchange would never be prohibited, and aside from land ownership, it would be no different from ordinary provinces and counties.
As Yuan Cheng had said, Jiang Hua only considered his own interests. He hadn’t raised any demands to improve the situations of Nande’s emperor and his own daughter. Instead, standing in Yuan Cheng’s position, he vigorously denounced official corruption, the emperor’s weak incompetence, the empress dowager’s and treacherous ministers’ abuse of power, and praised his merit in rescuing the common people from dire straits.
“That depends on tomorrow.” Yuan Cheng indeed had a premeditated plan. “Mo Zi, do you know besides the Jiang father and son possessing elite troops, what’s another reason I’m unwilling to attack by force?”
Mo Zi thought for a moment then answered, “Though I can’t see through your thoughts this time, however, the Jiang father and son seem very capable. Seeing that Jiang Shu is both civil and martial, learned and reasonable, his conduct completely unlike those Nande officials, one can know his father is also a truly capable person. Elite troops and strong generals that Nande’s imperial court couldn’t produce, yet Jiang Hua has them. The land is prosperous without riots, showing the common people’s lives aren’t so terrible.”
Yuan Cheng showed an appreciative expression. “You’ve already answered my question. The Jiang ancestor was a founding elder, the greatest scholarly clan in Nande. They’ve always governed the two provinces by the sea. They don’t interfere much in court matters, pay all heavy taxes on time, and have had many marriage alliances with the imperial family. Therefore, although the court can’t assign officials there, it adopts a laissez-faire attitude. When other provinces were full of starving refugees, the common people of the two provinces could still eat their fill and dress warmly. They hold the Jiang clan in extremely high regard and respect.”
“A nation within a nation?” Mo Zi hadn’t imagined Nande had such a place.
“Almost. When the Song army reached the border of the two provinces, the Jiang clan only defended without attacking, loudly proclaiming they were all Nande people, peacefully resolving disputes to avoid innocent deaths and injuries, forcing us to remain stationary.” Yuan Cheng was troubled by this. “The Song army’s composition is all poor common people. The other side’s slogan of not harming or killing innocent people also resonates with our side. Even if we must fight, we can’t be the ones who make the first provocative move.”
“If we don’t provoke, they must provoke.” Mo Zi smiled. “Calmly enraging the opponent, so you must have arranged it for tomorrow.”
“Mo Zi, will you help me with something?” Yuan Cheng gently massaged her shoulders.
Mo Zi let him massage her very comfortably, eyes narrowing. “If you’re specifically asking, it’s probably not anything good.”
Yuan Cheng’s laugh was low.
At this moment, Liu Bao’er was anxiously deciding what to wear and what accessories to don tomorrow. “Would this gold-thread cloud gauze skirt look too expensive? I don’t know how Madam Yuan will dress. I can’t steal her limelight, yet can’t appear inconspicuous either.”
Yu Xiang held several long skirts in her folded arms, somewhat dazed and distracted.
“Yu Xiang, don’t just stand there stupidly. Hurry and help me decide.” Thinking of tomorrow, Liu Bao’er was both expectant and apprehensive. “How can I make Prime Minister Yuan notice me at first glance?”
Yu Xiang came back to her senses and pulled out a smile. “Princess, don’t you actually feel Young Master Jiang is better? He treats you gently and considerately. Even the blind can see he likes you.”
Liu Bao’er’s heart and eyes were filled with Yuan Cheng alone—how could she listen to such words? “Jiang Shu? I haven’t paid much attention. He’s quite nice to everyone. With war at the front, he can still chat and laugh with Madam Yuan—lacking sense. Also, don’t worry needlessly. Prince Jing and the princess consort promised me they’d find an opportunity to bring this up tomorrow. These days spending time with Madam Yuan, she’s been kind to me. I think she shouldn’t object. Moreover, she’s pregnant and can’t serve Prime Minister Yuan, so she’ll have to select other women for him.” Speaking of this, her small face flushed with shyness.
Yu Xiang didn’t tell her about the rumors in the marketplace. Rallying her spirits, she selected a high-waisted skirt of snow gauze with flying flowers and summer rain. “Madam Yuan mostly wears purple on formal occasions. Princess, you should wear pink and white—both pretty and flattering to your height.”
Liu Bao’er’s eyes lit up. Taking it, she held it up to the mirror. “Your eye is still the best.”
Yu Xiang smiled. “Princess should rest early. Sleep well, and you’ll look beautiful tomorrow.”
Liu Bao’er nodded. After washing up, she lay down on the bed.
Yu Xiang extinguished the lamp and walked back to the adjacent room.
Before long, a black-clothed masked person quietly emerged from Yu Xiang’s room and departed under cover of night.