History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Chapter 293 Zhao Zhi Hit Someone, the Eldest Princess Unleashes Her Power
After Yuanzhenjun left the palace, he heard faint reprimanding voices coming from inside: "My aunt is so noble...you are all too spoiled..."

Noble? Yuan Zhenjun loathed the word "noble," and every time she heard it, tears welled up in her eyes. Back then, the late emperor, in order to win over Liu Chang, a member of the Liu Song imperial family who had surrendered, married her to Liu Chang's son, Liu Chengxu. Liu Chengxu was ugly and born with a hunchback. If she was truly noble, why did no one respond to her voice of resistance, and why did no one show her any pity?

Fortunately, she was resilient and outlived Liu Chengxu. However, she didn't have many years of peace before she was targeted by Feng Su, the younger brother of Empress You. Since she was a noble princess, why didn't the late emperor carefully investigate Feng Su's character and ask if she was compatible with him? Why did he force her to marry Feng Su simply because that vile Empress You spread rumors that she and Feng Su were in love?
Today she's acting "noble" again. If His Majesty truly respects her as his aunt, and often speaks words of respect for elders to the guards, would a mere attendant dare to contradict him to his face?

She's already gone, and I deliberately let her hear some harmless scolding. If I didn't think about it, I wouldn't care, but once I did, it really chilled my heart.

The guard Chen Saojing, carrying a lacquer box, hurried after them.

"Princess, please wait! Princess, please wait! I am Chen Saojing, a guard of the Zhai Palace. His Majesty has ordered me to deliver a jade comb to the Princess, saying that the relationship between aunt and niece should be as close as the teeth of a comb. His Majesty also said that the Princess has suffered injustice in the past, and that Minister Wang is a good match for her. The Princess can rest assured and prepare for the marriage."

“Back when I was in the Eastern Palace, I noticed that Your Majesty’s hair was a little disheveled, so I combed it for you and told you that aunt and niece are forever close, as close as the teeth of a comb. It turns out that Your Majesty still remembers.” Yuan Zhenjun took the lacquer box, bowed in the direction of the Zhai Palace to express her gratitude. She had been upset earlier, but she only cried in her heart and kept a hard face. Now she was no longer angry, and her eyes were red.

Chen Saojing hesitated before speaking, then said, "Princess, there's no need to stoop to Zhao Changshi's level. However, Zhao Changshi is indeed a capable person. Ever since she came to serve, the other guards and I have been giving her the cold shoulder at every turn. His Majesty has bestowed upon her a higher status than Zhao Changshi used to be. As for the future... sigh."

Yuan Zhenjun: "What did you just say your name was Chen Sao?"

Chen Saojing lowered her head in alarm, not daring to refuse, and replied, "Jing."

Yuan Zhenjun's face showed disgust again, and she didn't even give the scoundrel a glance as she left.

Hmph, a mere hairdressing guard dares to stir up trouble right under her nose! He actually wants to use her to get rid of Zhao Zhi, which makes her even angrier than Zhao Zhi's ungratefulness... Let him be angry, she's used to being angry after all these years.

Yuan Zhenjun's eyes suddenly softened and brightened as the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Wang Su, walked towards her. She smiled and waited for him to arrive, thinking to herself that exchanging years of unhappiness for a perfect husband was worthwhile.

Wang Su bowed and said, "Greetings, Princess."

Yuan Zhenjun remained silent and took three steps forward. The distance was so close that Wang Su's ears turned red, and he had no choice but to abandon his bowing posture.

He glanced at her quickly.

Just then, he saw Yuan Zhenjun looking down at his belt as if he were drunk without any wine.

"Your Highness, I have urgent business to attend to..." Wang Su's words were abruptly cut off.

Yuan Zhenjun raised her hand slightly, hooking her little finger around the belt hook in the center of his belt: "You go about your business. I'll come to your residence tomorrow and give you a new belt hook."

She left with a heart full of joy, leaving Wang Su unable to recover for a long time. Once his agitation subsided, he hurried to the fasting palace.

After the Prince of Rencheng was dismissed from his post, the court did not fill the position of Right Minister for the time being. The Left Minister, Yuan Jia, spent his days drinking and doing nothing. The responsibility of managing the government affairs of various provinces and departments, as well as supervising all officials, fell entirely on his shoulders.

When Wang Su arrived at the palace, he saw Zhao Zhi standing to one side being whipped. The one whipping her was Kou Meng, a guard outside the palace.

A dozen eunuchs were washing the floor tiles. The water must have been mixed with a lot of spices, but it still couldn't mask the nauseating stench of feces.

The eunuch Wang Yu came out and led the way for Wang Su.

Wang Su asked, "What happened?"

Wang Yu replied in a low voice, "Just now, Attendant Zhao beat Chen Saojing and even dumped a chamber pot from the guards' quarters on Chen Saojing's head. Chen Saojing was confused and didn't know to change into clean clothes before complaining. Look what he's done to the palace." He saw Wang Su glance at Zhao Zhi and then explained, "His Majesty punished Attendant Zhao with twenty lashes."

Wang Su thought that although Kou Meng was also a fierce warrior, judging from the results of last year's Mangshan martial arts competition, Kou Meng's strength was far inferior to Zhao Zhi's. These twenty lashes were ostensibly a punishment, but in reality, a lenient one. It seemed that the rumors were true; His Majesty's favoritism towards Attendant Zhao was now as great as his previous favoritism towards Zhao Xiu.

The reappearance of treacherous officials is a disaster for both the court and the people!

After the two entered the hall, the twenty lashes were finished. Kou Meng picked up the whip and reminded Zhao Zhi, "It's easy to guard against a stupid and wicked person, but a treacherous old fox who is neither fair nor motherly is truly dangerous."

Of the many eunuchs who served His Majesty closely, only Wang Yu was old.

Zhao Zhi: "I understand. I'll spar with you in my spare time."

Kou Meng was overjoyed! It is very difficult for a warrior to improve his martial arts skills. The best way is to spar with warriors who are stronger than himself and strengthen his shield by taking hits.

Before long, Wang Yu escorted Minister Wang Su out. He bowed and watched Minister Wang leave, then saw Zhao Zhi blocking his way and asked, "What brings you here, Attendant Zhao?"

Zhao Zhi: "If you ever speak ill of me to any other court official again, I'll beat you into the same state as Chen Saojing!"

Wang Yu's usual smiling face was gone: "I don't understand..."

"Just listen, you don't need to understand!" Zhao Zhi threw out a threat and continued to patrol the imperial guards.

Actually, even without Kou Meng's reminder, she sensed something was off when she overheard the old eunuch talking to Minister Wang.

Just after the Eldest Princess left the Zhai Palace, Chen Saojing offered to comb His Majesty's hair, then recounted the past when the Eldest Princess had combed His Majesty's hair. His Majesty then bestowed a jade comb upon the Eldest Princess and ordered Chen Saojing to deliver it. After Chen Saojing left, His Majesty punished her by sending her to inspect the Imperial Guards.

When His Majesty issued the orders to bestow a gift and to punish someone, the old eunuch was in the palace.

So, when Chen Saojing returned from her errand, she beat that man because she must have encountered Chen Saojing while inspecting the imperial guards and discovered something. Wang Yu, who has been shrewd for most of his life, surely could guess the reason? Why did she only say half of what she was saying to Minister Wang? Wouldn't Minister Wang think she was arrogant and conceited, like a treacherous minister like Zhao Xiu?
If you want to frame her as a sycophant, then you'll have to bear the sycophant's revenge.

The conversation is divided into two parts.

Half an hour later, Princess Chenliu's carriage, having left the palace, arrived in Yongkang Lane and stopped in front of the closed gates of the Prince of Rencheng's mansion.

Although the gates of the mansion were closed, there were gatekeepers waiting.

Just as the gatekeeper was about to ask if the princess had come to pay her respects to Prince Rencheng, the princess and her personal maid took out baskets of eggs from the carriage and, with a shout of "Beat!", threw all the eggs onto the gate of the prince's mansion.

It stinks!

They're all rotten eggs!
Prince Yuan Yu of Guangling rushed over to see what was going on, and Princess Chenliu scolded him, "You're no better! You must have gotten involved in bullying my husband too!"

Yuan Yu turned around on the spot, wailing as she fled: "How many years has your husband been dead! Wasn't it you who wished for his death? What does it have to do with me? Ah, ah, ah—"

He couldn't outrun the princess; at close range, the stinky eggs all hit him on the head.