Chapter 290: Testing
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
After coaxing the two children to sleep, Xiao Jin followed Su Ying to the front courtyard.
A thin, fair-skinned middle-aged man walked in.
“Your servant Zhang Shuming hereby pays his respects to Your Highnesses.”
“Caretaker, please rise.” Xiao Jin said to Su Ying, “Eunuch Zhang followed me when 1 was still in the palace. After I left the palace, he followed me out. When 1 went to the border, 1 let him go back to recuperate. Now that there’s no one watching over Prince Qi’s Manor, 1 can only ask Eunuch Zhang to come back first.”
Zhang Shuming quickly raised his head to glance at Xiao Jin. Su Ying saw that his eyes were red-rimmed. “It is my fortune to still have the opportunity to come back and serve Your Highnesses. Your Highness, don’t worry. 1 will definitely do my best to share your burden.”
“Mm-hmm. Then I’ll have to trouble you. In the future, whatever Princess Consort Qi asks you to do, just do accordingly.”
Zhang Shuming bowed to Su Ying then. “Yes, Your Highness.”
Zhang Shuming’s return meant that the control of Prince Qi’s Manor was back in their hands.
The people that Xiao Jin trusted were probably not cowards. Zhang Shuming would make proper arrangements for the remaining people sent by Emperor Kangze.
To everyone’s surprise, Emperor Kangze’s Imperial edict appointing Xiao Jin as the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards was delivered to Prince Qi’s Manor the next day. He was to take up the post immediately.
“Your Highness, what does His Majesty mean by this?” Jiang Yang looked at the Imperial edict and was puzzled. Could it be that the Emperor was no longer afraid of His Highness because the latter had handed over the tiger tally?
That couldn’t be. There were still so many soldiers in Jin City in the hands of His Highness.
Jiang Yang didn’t understand, but Xiao Jin understood. If Xiao Jin didn’t do anything, he could do almost no wrong. Appointing him as the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards seemed to give him real power, but the position of deputy commander was meant to be used to undertake responsibility. If anything happened, even if it was just two eunuchs fighting in the palace, the Emperor could blame the Imperial Guards for not maintaining order in the palace.
This appointment edict was intended to take control of Xiao Jin.
“Let’s go and take a look at the new post.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
After Xiao Jin changed into his official robe, he left the manor with Jiang Yang.
Just as Xiao Jin left, another group of people from the palace arrived.
“Your Highness, someone from the palace came. They said that the Empress wants to see Your Highness and wants Your Highness to enter the palace for a chat.”
Su Ying’s eyelids twitched. The Empress was Xiao J tie’s biological mother. Back then, when “she” had spared no effort to pester Xiao Jue, the Empress had sent someone to warn her. In other words, the Empress would feel disgusted even if she looked at Su Ying. Thus, she wouldn’t allow Su Ying to enter the palace if there was nothing important lest she had to look at Su Ying that eyesore.
“Not going.”
Aunt Zhao carried some snacks into the room and said softly, “Your Highness, the Empress wants to see you. Even if you refuse this time, she will find another reason to make you enter the palace. Why don’t you let your old servant here follow you into the palace to take a look?”
Su Ying would be entering the palace publicly, so the Empress couldn’t do anything to her.
Su Ying frowned impatiently. If not for the fact that she had to come back to retrieve that small amount of stuff, she really wouldn’t be willing to come back and deal with those people who were full of tricks up their sleeves.
“Then I’ll listen to you, Aunt Zhao.”
Right now, the entire Prince Qi’s Manor was under their control, but before leaving the manor, Su Ying still mobilized a team of guards to guard the two children’s courtyard.
“Your Highness, please make haste. Her Imperial Highness is already waiting for you in the palace.”
Su Ying boarded the horse carriage and headed straight for the gates of the palace.
This was her second time here, and just like before, she was filled with repulsion.
After entering the palace, there were palace maids waiting outside.
“Greetings, Your Highness. This way please, Your Highness.”
After the palace maid bowed politely, she brought Su Ying to Phoenix Abode Palace.
The palace maid led Su Ying straight into Phoenix Abode Palace and told Su Ying to wait outside the entrance for a moment while she went in to announce Su Ying’s arrival.
The Empress did not let her wait for too long and immediately allowed her into the hall.
The Empress, dressed in a vermilion phoenix robe representing her status, sat languidly but elegantly on a chair. The phoenix hairpin on her head sparkled when she turned her head. She was nearly forty years old, but she took good care of herself. She looked to be around thirty.
Su Ying briefly glanced at her before withdrawing her gaze. “Greetings, Your Imperial Highness.”
When the Empress saw that Su Ying didn’t even bow according to protocol, she laughed contemptuously.
How could one say Xiao Jin was not stupid? This woman had clearly caused his fall once, yet when he had the chance to return to the capital, he still brought her back. He was really extremely stupid.
“It has been a long time since Princess Consort Qi offered me a cup of tea. Go. Bring in the tea.”
A palace maid brought a tray of tea cups that had been prepared beforehand to Su Ying.
Su Ying didn’t know what the Empress wanted to do, so she reached out to take the teacup. However, just as her fingertips touched the cup, she felt the cup’s overly hot temperature.
A trace of iciness flashed across Su Ying’s eyes. These women only knew how to play these shameful little tricks.
To the Empress’s surprise, Su Ying picked up the teacup and offered it to the Empress without batting an eyelid.
The Empress was slightly surprised, but she did not show it on her face. In her heart, she only thought that the palace maid had not done her job well, and then she reached out to take the teacup.
“Argh!”
To her surprise, just as her hand touched the teacup, she was scalded and let go of the cup. Su Ying also released her hand at that moment.
The boiling hot tea spilled all over the Empress.
The Empress jumped up after the scalding tea splashed on her.
“Su Ying, how dare you!”
Su Ying slowly straightened up, her eyes looking a little aggrieved. “Why didn’t Your Imperial Highness hold it firmly?”
“You! You clearly did it on purpose. You knew that 1 didn’t hold it firmly, so you let go.” Damn it! This teacup was so hot. How did she manage to hold it without any change in her expression!
This temperature was really nothing to Su Ying. She was a martial arts practitioner, and if she couldn’t withstand even this little bit of heat, how could she still call herself a martial arts practitioner?
“It was clearly Your Imperial Highness who let go first. Was the tea too hot?”
The Empress was absolutely furious. Even though she was wearing a robe, the tea was still scalding hot when it splashed down. She glared icily at Su Ying before leaving with the palace maid down to change her clothes and apply medicine to her burns.
When she returned, she saw Su Ying sitting leisurely in her inner hall, munching on snacks.
The anger that the Empress had just suppressed surged up again. She should have known that Su Ying’s previous personality was already reckless, and now, after she had made a trip to that northern wilderness, she was even more out of control. If she wanted Su Ying to be obedient, she would probably have to use another method.
When she thought of this, the Empress’s expression softened considerably. “I heard that you and Prince Qi stayed in the northern wilderness for a period of time. Did all of you have a hard time there? It’s good that he’s back. 1 watched Prince Qi grow up and treated him like my own son. I am very gratified that he can return to the capital. Oh, right. The jade Ruyi scepter I gave you previously. When you went back that time, did you place it in Prince Qi’s study right away?” Jade Ruyi scepter?
Su Ying’s expression paused slightly as a few scenes flashed through her mind.
That was before Xiao Jin returned from his victory in battle. One day, the Empress suddenly asked “her” to enter the palace. After chatting for a while, she rewarded “her” with a jade Ruyi scepter. She said that this jade Ruyi scepter had been blessed and could bless Xiao Jin’s safe return. She asked “her” to take it back and put it in Xiao Jin’s study..