Crossing the Mountains

Chapter 127 Secret Summoning
Through the fine, luxurious beaded curtain, Tan Huaike performed the Mohe etiquette, placing the backs of his hands together, bending his index fingers to pinch his thumbs, and drawing a line from his brow to his chest before bowing and saying, "Princess Alan of Mohe Kingdom respectfully inquires about the well-being of Her Majesty the Empress of Daxuan."

Xu Guanbai had said that when she first entered the palace, she followed the etiquette of the Mohe royal family for all her visits. It wasn't until after her marriage to the Third Prince that she switched to the etiquette of the Da Xuan dynasty. So Aisha taught her the etiquette of the Mohe royal family, and Xu Guanbai taught her the etiquette of the ladies of the Da Xuan dynasty. After a long period of practice, she can now do it with ease.

At first glance, she seems to be the real Princess Mohe.

The Empress dismissed everyone else, leaving only a trusted female official to attend to her. The official gently lifted the beaded curtain and stepped out of the inner room, her crimson and gold-embroidered skirt trailing on the ground, bringing a calming fragrance to Tan Huai Ke and Xu Guan Bai.

As Xu Guanbai said, the Empress had a kind face and did not have the arrogance of a superior at all.

She and His Majesty were childhood sweethearts, and she was once a renowned beauty in Andu. Now, she is the mother of two adult princes, and her age is evident; her figure is slightly plump, yet she possesses a unique, dignified, and elegant beauty.

Since it wasn't a formal occasion for attending court, her clothing and makeup were very casual. Her hair was loosely tied up in a bun with almost no adornments, making her appear as if she were just an ordinary beautiful woman chatting with them.

The Empress sat down at the table where tea, snacks, and food had already been laid out. She gestured for them to take their seats and said gently, “Princess Alan is unwell and has come all the way from Fengyi County to the palace. She must be very tired from the journey. Come, sit down and rest. There’s no need to be so formal.”

Tan Huaike returned the greeting: "Thank you, Your Highness."

"Guanbai, you must have suffered a lot on this trip to the border. You've lost a lot of weight. I've had someone prepare your favorite pear and meatball soup. Eat as much as you like while it's hot."

"It is Guan Bai's willfulness that has caused Your Highness unnecessary worry."

After the two women had caught their breath and eaten something, the Empress got down to business and said to Tan Huaike, "I know you are in a difficult situation, unwell, and recently poisoned. I shouldn't have invited you here so hastily. But this matter is of great importance, and some things must be clarified face to face. Otherwise, if misunderstandings arise and things go wrong later, it will be difficult to handle."

Tan Huaike sat upright and said solemnly, "Your Highness, please speak."

The Empress stated bluntly: "Back then, Mohe's marriage procession was completely slaughtered, and the real Princess Alan was already dead. The Zhenxi Army, under the Crown Prince's orders, forcibly suppressed the matter. I also resisted the criticism in the court and sent Guanbai to Hexi to try to make amends. Do you know what we went to such lengths for?"

"In order to ensure the continuation of this marriage alliance, to secure real power for the Third Prince, and thus to solidify the position of the Crown Prince," Tan Huai Ke, being in the thick of it all, no longer needed to play dumb or beat around the bush with the Empress.

"That's right," the Empress said. "Just the other day, Cong'er's title was decided. Once the marriage ceremony with Mo He is completed, His Majesty intends to bestow upon Cong'er the title of Prince of Qin, grant him a golden book and seal, an annual stipend of ten thousand shi of grain, an official residence, and a fiefdom encompassing twelve prefectures west of Andu, covering the four prefectures of Hexi and Yangguan."

"King Qin..." Xu Guanbai's heart skipped a beat. Qin, Jin, Qi, and Chu are the highest ranks of princes. The bestowal of the title Qin shows that His Majesty intends to give the Third Prince an important position and is willing to give the Eastern Palace some confidence.

"This title wasn't given for nothing," the Empress continued. "The Ti Nu Iron Cavalry is becoming increasingly arrogant in the western border. They pretend to be friendly on the surface, but they have repeatedly harassed the border of Da Xuan. Afterwards, they use the excuse of being bandits to shirk responsibility. Their wolfish ambitions are obvious. Cong'er has been given this title and fiefdom, so she must take on the important task of pacifying the conflicts in the western border."

"My maternal clan has declined, which has led to the Crown Prince losing his command of the army. Back then, the Crown Prince went to great lengths and paid a heavy price to instruct the Zhenxi Army to cover up the evidence of the princess's death. If it weren't for the marriage agreement between Cong'er and Mohe as a bargaining chip, which gave us a glimpse of His Majesty's intention to divide military power, even the Zhenxi Army would probably not have been willing to give in to the Crown Prince."

"Fortunately, the situation has been stabilized for now. I know that you are just an innocent substitute who was dragged into this. But now that the die is cast, the substitute must also be indistinguishable from the real thing."

“But Your Highness, I am ultimately just a princess in disguise. At most, I can only hold out until the wedding. If this drags on any longer, those who plot against the princess will seize upon it, and I will become a burden to the Third Prince,” Tan Huai Ke said. “Besides, I am just an ordinary citizen. How could I possibly be the Princess Consort of Qin? Once this matter is over, I will return to being a law-abiding merchant and live a peaceful life.” “With the Zhenxi Army under your control and having pacified the western border, what do you have to fear from those people’s slander? Even if you deny everything then, what can they do to you?”

Xu Guanbai hesitated, but ultimately said nothing.

Tan Huai Ke rose and bowed in the Mohe etiquette: "Your Majesty, even if Da Xuan acquiesces to my substitution, Mohe may not let this loophole go. Your Highness may not know, but the internal strife in the Mohe court is no less than that in Da Xuan, otherwise they wouldn't have remained silent for so long after the princess's death. The two countries were supposed to form an alliance. If we create discord because of this substitute princess, giving Ti Nu an opportunity to sow discord, wouldn't that be a loss?"

The Empress was silent for a moment, then sighed, "You say you are just an ordinary commoner, but in my opinion, with such insight, you are worthy of the title of Princess Qin. Your father and brothers died tragically because of the marriage alliance, but because they were involved in court struggles, they could not see the light of day and could not take revenge. Do you harbor resentment?"
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Tan Huaike suddenly looked up.

They really do know everything.

She thought she had hidden her grievances and resentment well in front of these superiors, but little did she know that she was as naked as if she had been seen through long ago.

But their aspirations were too insignificant in the face of the monarch and the state.

No one cared about their deep-seated hatred. With a single order from the crown prince, hundreds of lives were wiped out in the desert. If even a princess was treated this way, what chance did these insignificant commoners have?

Tan Huaike shook his head: "I don't resent it, because I know that what I'm doing is fighting against those murderers. But to completely bring them down, we still need to wait for the right opportunity."

"If you don't take what Heaven has given you, you will suffer the consequences. Are you really not going to be the princess?"

"Your Majesty, Princess Alan has come to marry into the royal family, and the Third Prince has been granted the title of King and will command troops to guard the Hexi border. Even if Princess Qin passes away due to illness, the alliance between the two countries is already established, and with Prince Mohe fulfilling his promise, we can still jointly resist Ti Nu. As for Mohe, with Da Xuan as his backing, the eldest prince can also gain more support. Everything is going smoothly, and this is the least costly approach."

"Alright, since you've all made your plans, then so be it," the Empress said helplessly. "It's just a pity for Cong'er, who will become a widower right after getting married. His fate is similar to yours; perhaps it's fate."

This refers to her identity as Tan Huai Ke. The other party clearly knows her inside and out, so it's not surprising that they know these minute details. But to compare the Third Prince to her, a widow from a prominent family, is truly mischievous on the part of the Empress.

Having said all she could say, the Empress did not offer any further advice. She instructed a female official to fetch a medicine bottle and handed it to Tan Huaike, saying, "Although we cannot avenge your father and brothers yet, we have found the sorcerer who intended to poison you. This is the antidote. After you pass away, please remove the remaining poison from your body as soon as possible, and do not let it truly harm your health."

The antidote! Wouldn't that save Fufeng a lot of trouble?
It seems the investigation at the Crown Prince's residence has been quite effective...

After thanking the Empress, Tan Huaike, carrying the antidote, prepared to leave with Xu Guanbai, but then heard the female official say, "Lady Xu, Princess Mohe has been properly welcomed back and her etiquette has been properly taught. You can now report back."

Xu Guanbai paused for a moment, then had no choice but to bid farewell to Tan Huaike: "I'm sorry I can't accompany you back."

Tan Huaike nodded: "It's alright, you've already done enough for me."

Thus, Tan Huaike left the palace alone.
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Next chapter: Wax pellets, wax pellets again.