Brocade Robe Unparalleled

Chapter 161 A Woman's Lament

In the depths of the Wenren Mansion, in the inner chambers of a woman's quarters.

Princess Yongchun sat opposite Wenren Yue, her little face puffed up with anger, and said indignantly, "Sister Yue, I've heard everything. That Chen Yu is so bold! He actually dared to talk about you like that and gossip about Grand Secretary Wenren!"

News of the conflict between the two Sixteen Guards of the Jingye Division had already spread to every corner of the capital.

Even Princess Yongchun, who lived deep within the palace, heard the palace maids talking about it this morning.

The thought of Chen Yu daring to embarrass Sister Yue in front of so many people made her furious.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Her cheeks puffed out and her chest heaved. "I only made some contributions and gained some favor from Father Emperor, yet you are so arrogant and dare to bully even you! I'm so angry!"

Wenren Yue calmly poured a cup of tea, gently pushed it in front of her, and said in a nonchalant tone, "It's common for opinions to differ on official business. I'm not angry, so why should you be?"

"But he can't say that about you!"

Princess Yongchun, seeing Wenren Yue's calm demeanor, assumed she was simply aloof and unwilling to argue, and felt even more aggrieved for her. She said, "Sister Yue, you have too good a temper, that's why he dares to be so presumptuous. No, I can't just stand by and watch you suffer!"

She jumped up and stormed outside, saying as she went, "I'm going to find him and settle the score with him. I'll make him apologize to you!"

Wenren Yue tried to stop her, but Princess Yongchun had already run away like a gust of wind.

She gazed in the direction where Princess Yongchun had disappeared, a hint of helplessness flashing in her cool eyes. In the end, she simply shook her head and did not actually get up to chase after her.

This was all just a show.

Letting her make a fuss makes the play seem more real.

At the Chen residence, Lin Xuan was on leave today and did not go to the Jingye Division, but instead stayed at home to cultivate.

He had just circulated his inner energy for one cycle when the courtyard gate was forcefully pushed open from the outside with a loud bang.

Princess Yongchun stormed in, her pretty face frosty and her almond eyes wide. She rushed straight to Lin Xuan, her slender fingers almost poking his nose, and scolded, "Chen Yu, how dare you act so arrogantly!"

Zhiqin, Siqi, and several other maids followed behind her, their faces filled with helplessness.

The princess suddenly burst into the house, and they couldn't stop her, nor did they dare to.

Lin Xuan slowly straightened up, cupped his hands in greeting to Princess Yongchun, and said in a calm tone, "I was unaware of Your Highness's arrival. What brings you here?"

Princess Yongchun was even angrier at his nonchalant attitude. She puffed out her chest, put her hands on her hips, and demanded, "Did you insult Sister Yue at the Commandery yesterday? I order you to go and apologize to Sister Yue right now!"

Lin Xuan remained calm and said, "Your Highness, this is official business of the Jingye Division. My opinion on the handling of the case differs from Lord Wenren's; it was not an insult..."

Princess Yongchun interrupted him, shouting, "Stop making excuses! What you did has already spread far and wide. Not only did you mock Sister Yue, but you also dared to mock the Grand Secretary! How dare you!"

With her hands on her hips, she tried to look as fierce as possible and threatened, "Don't think that just because Father Emperor appreciates you and has granted you this marriage, you can be arrogant. I'm telling you, go apologize to Sister Yue right now, or else... or else I'll tell Father Emperor that you're bullying your colleague and have him dismiss you from your post!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Xuan clasped his hands slightly in a fist and said, "If Your Highness wishes to dismiss me from my post, there is no need to trouble His Majesty. I will go to the Commandery to resign immediately..."

Before he finished speaking, he had already taken a step forward.

However, after taking only two steps, he stopped again.

Princess Yongchun gripped his wrists tightly with both hands and said urgently, "No, you can't resign!"

She knew in her heart that if she really let this guy go to Chen Bing to resign, Chen Bing would definitely complain to the Emperor, and in the end, she would be the one punished and confined to her quarters...

Princess Yongchun was both angry and helpless. She sadly discovered that he couldn't do anything about Chen Yu. This guy not only didn't give her any face, but also threatened her with resignation at the drop of a hat. The worst part was that if he resigned, she would be the one punished...

She came in full force, but could only slink away. Before leaving, she pointed at Lin Xuan and said angrily, "You, you just wait!"

A moment later, Princess Yongchun, filled with resentment and frustration, returned to Wenren Yue's boudoir.

When she returned, she wasn't as energetic as when she left. Instead, she hung her head, her steps were heavy, and even the way she pushed open the door was filled with a sense of dejection.

Wenren Yue remained seated in the same spot, seemingly unchanged. She looked up at Princess Yongchun, understanding the situation but not revealing it. She simply asked softly, "What's wrong?"

Princess Yongchun quickly walked to Wenren Yue's side, sat down with a wronged expression, pouted, and said in a tearful voice, "Sister Yue, that Chen Yu is so awful! I asked him to apologize to you, but he not only refused, he also threatened me..."

She put her hands on her hips, mimicking Lin Xuan's tone, and said in a muffled voice, "If Your Highness wishes to dismiss me from my post, there's no need to trouble His Majesty. I will go to the Commandery to resign immediately..."

Then, she lowered her head in defeat and said helplessly, "If I don't stop him, he will definitely go to Chen Bing again, and Chen Bing will complain to Father Emperor, and Father Emperor will punish me again..."

Princess Yongchun looked up, her bright almond-shaped eyes filled with defeat, her voice tinged with unprecedented confusion and helplessness: "Sister Yue, why is he like this? I'm a princess, why isn't he afraid of me at all..."

She was born into a privileged family and was pampered. Everyone in the palace, and even the powerful and influential in the capital, treated her with deference.
Unfortunately, Chen Yu was unyielding, acting like a child who would threaten her with resignation at the drop of a hat, making all her threats seem like hitting cotton, leaving her feeling extremely frustrated.

Seeing Princess Yongchun's angry, aggrieved, and almost crying appearance, a smile quickly flashed across Wenren Yue's cold eyes, before she regained her composure.

She gently patted Princess Yongchun's hand, comforting her, "If he were such an opportunist and timid person, His Majesty wouldn't value him so much. He has no background, yet he dares to argue with you and me on reason. Doesn't that prove he's not a sycophant and has his own principles? What the court lacks now is precisely such a loyal and upright minister..."

She and Lin Xuan were just acting, and she didn't want Yongchun to hate her because of this.

Wenren Yue's words were like a clear spring, extinguishing some of the anger in Princess Yongchun's heart.

She thought about it carefully and realized that what Sister Yue said made sense. That guy was indeed very different from those who flattered her to the extreme. No wonder her father valued him so much.

She looked at Wenren Yue and asked curiously, "So, that's how he made you cry that day too?"

Wenren Yue was slightly taken aback, but could only nod and say, "Back in the Southwest, we had some differences in our philosophies..."

Princess Yongchun said, "Is it about the new salt law? When you heard about the new salt law, you immediately went to find him..."

Wenren Yue nodded again: "Yes."

Princess Yongchun was about to say something when she suddenly sniffed and exclaimed in surprise, "What's that smell? It smells so good..."

Wenren Yue's eyes flickered, then she looked at her and said, "Yongchun, you should go back to the palace first. I need to prepare for my cultivation."

Yongchun nodded and said, "It's good that you're not angry. I'll come see you again in a couple of days..."

After watching Princess Yongchun leave, Wenren Yue lightly leaped to another courtyard.

Lin Xuan's lunch is ready.

Wenren Yue sat down opposite him and said, "Yongchun is only doing this for my own good, so don't take it to heart."

Lin Xuan nodded slightly.

She's a princess; even if he's upset, he can't do anything to her.

He and Princess Yongchun were both helpless against each other.

Lin Xuan had just sat down and hadn't even picked up his chopsticks when Zhiqin's voice came from the inner courtyard entrance: "Young Master, Li Langzhong from the Ministry of Rites has arrived. He says he wants to check on the wedding arrangements with you..."

Lin Xuan had no choice but to stand up and say to Wenren Yue, "You eat first."

Watching Lin Xuan leave, Wenren Yue didn't touch her chopsticks, but instead put them down and waited.

Zhiqin looked at Lin Xuan descending from the sky, feeling very puzzled. Why did the young master lock the inner courtyard door at mealtimes and not use the family cook to prepare meals? The aroma of food wafting from the inner courtyard every day suggested that the young master seemed to have superb culinary skills.

They could only guess that, as important figures in the Jingye Division, they might have some strict requirements regarding food.

In the front hall, Lin Xuan met Li Wenyuan, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, once again.

"Lord Chen, how have you been?" This neighbor, who had visited Lin Xuan before, was all smiles, his tone a mix of official business and familiar warmth. He said, "I have come to check on the wedding arrangements and all related matters with you, Lord Chen, on His Majesty's orders and the Minister of the Ministry."

Lin Xuan clasped his hands slightly and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Lord Li."

Li Wenyuan said politely, "I dare not accept such praise; this is the Ministry of Rites' duty."

He spread out the thick set of regulations in his hand and explained them to Lin Xuan in detail, clause by clause:
"Lord Chen, this wedding will be conducted according to the rites for a marquis. The process consists of six steps: betrothal, asking the name, auspicious date selection, presenting betrothal gifts, setting the wedding date, and the wedding ceremony itself. His Majesty has already decreed that the first five steps will be handled jointly by the Imperial Household Department and our Ministry of Rites. You only need to appear on the 'wedding ceremony,' which is the wedding day." "This is the betrothal gift list prepared by the Imperial Household Department. Please take a look."

"The betrothal gifts will be delivered to the Zhao residence in three days, accompanied by officials from the Ministry of Rites and palace eunuchs, with a grand procession leading the way."

Li Wenyuan handed over a more detailed list, which included gold and silver utensils, silks and satins, and rare antique paintings, all meticulously crafted by royal artisans. It was a dazzling array of items.

Lin Xuan discovered that the betrothal gifts were even more generous than those Lu Feng had shown him before.

He was somewhat surprised and said, "Commander Lu showed me the betrothal gifts before, and it seems that this is not the correct set. Could it be that Lord Li has taken the wrong set?"

Li Wenyuan smiled and said, "I didn't make a mistake. Lord Chen may not know, but after the Jingye Division's grand competition, His Majesty raised the standards for your betrothal gifts by one level. Many of the betrothal gifts are newly added, so they are naturally more generous than before..."

He looked Lin Xuan up and down and said, "Perhaps it was Lord Chen's valiant performance in the competition that reached His Majesty's ears, which made His Majesty pay more attention to Lord Chen and raise the scale of your wedding by one level..."

In fact, not only Lin Xuan was surprised, but the officials of their Ministry of Rites were also surprised.

The established regulations have been upgraded again, which has never happened before.

But this also further demonstrates His Majesty's high regard for this Lord Chen.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will become a rising star in the court in the next few years.

Lin Xuan looked at the thick regulations and list, nodded, and said calmly, "Thank you, Lord Li. Everything will be handled according to the regulations."

The betrothal gifts were even more generous this time. He couldn't help but think, how wonderful it would be if such a grand wedding were prepared for Qingluan.
Unfortunately, he had no say in his own marriage.

After seeing Li Wenyuan off, Lin Xuan returned to the inner courtyard and saw that the food on the table was untouched. He looked at Wenren Yue and asked, "Why aren't you eating?"

Wenren Yue picked up her chopsticks again and said, "I'll wait for you to join me."

Lin Xuan sighed and said, "Tell me, why would His Majesty suddenly decide to bestow a marriage upon me?"

Wenren Yue paused slightly as she picked up some food. Having grown up in an official's family, she naturally knew some of the rules of the court.

This is actually a common tactic His Majesty uses to control his subjects. He was originally all alone, but by allowing him to marry and have children in the capital, he gained a weakness and something to hold onto, and from then on, he could only wholeheartedly serve the court.

These rewards are real rewards, but so are the chains.

Thinking of Lin Xuan's forced marriage, she couldn't help but think of herself.

Perhaps in the near future, His Majesty will issue a marriage decree, and she too will have to marry someone she doesn't like or even hates. When she looks at Lin Xuan again, she can't help but feel a sense of shared misfortune...

……

Three days later, a grand betrothal ceremony caused a sensation throughout the capital.

Whether they were ordinary citizens or powerful figures in the capital, everyone's attention was drawn to the street leading to the residence of Zhao Runzhang, the head of the Ministry of Rites.

When the auspicious hour arrived, led by officials from the Ministry of Rites and escorted by palace eunuchs, the grand betrothal procession set off from the Imperial Household Department, passing through streets with red carpets laid out early in the morning, accompanied by music, and headed towards the home of Zhao Runzhang, the head of the Ministry of Rites.

As the procession passed, crowds thronged the streets, and exclamations of amazement filled the air.

"Look, those are the betrothal gifts for Miss Zhao!"

"Goodness, you only see this level of betrothal a few times a year."

"This Lord Chen of the Jingye Division is truly favored by the Emperor; Miss Zhao is so fortunate..."

"From now on, no one in the court will dare to underestimate Master Zhao..."

The noisy discussions were filled with undisguised envy.

The head of the Ministry of Rites was only a sixth-rank official. In the capital, there were plenty of sixth-rank officials, so he was hardly a prominent figure and didn't even have the right to attend court and meet the emperor.

However, his future son-in-law was no ordinary man.

Although the Sixteen Guards of Jingye were not listed in the regular official system of the imperial court, their power and status were still above that of a fifth-rank local commander of a thousand households, and they were usually regarded as high-ranking officials of the fourth rank.

Not to mention that the Jingye Division was directly under the emperor and held the power of investigation and criminal justice. It was a sharp sword hanging over the heads of all officials. Even a fourth-rank official with great power was unwilling to easily offend a Sixteenth Guard who was currently favored by the emperor and had a promising future.

The area in front of the residence of Zhao Runzhang, a principal official of the Ministry of Rites, was already crowded with people.

When the grand procession of betrothal gifts, adorned with red ribbons and colorful decorations, appeared at the street corner, the onlookers immediately erupted in astonishment.

"One load, two loads, three loads... Good heavens, how many loads of betrothal gifts are these!"

"Those pearls and jades are clearly top-quality goods!"

"And those silks, just looking at them makes them so smooth to the touch, they must be the newest tribute items from Jiangnan!"

"The Zhao family is incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful son-in-law..."

The murmurs and envious voices surged forth like a tide.

The servants of the Zhao family had already been instructed to all go out and maintain order. Although they were all busy and their feet barely touched the ground, their faces were filled with excitement and pride.

This was the first time they had ever witnessed such a grand occasion, and they felt immensely honored.

Inside the mansion, in the main hall.

Dressed in his official robes, Zhao Runzhang tried his best to stand upright, maintaining composure and dignity as he received one official after another.

He was just an insignificant official in the Ministry of Rites, and had never experienced such a grand occasion before. He had only ever seen such a high level of betrothal gifts in the Ministry of Rites' files.

But he felt little excitement; instead, he was somewhat worried.

Such a generous dowry represents His Majesty's utmost favor towards Chen Yu. If their daughter marries into the family and the couple lives harmoniously, all the better. But what if, what if Lord Chen is truly as tyrannical as rumored, and their daughter suffers injustice? Their small Zhao family wouldn't even have the confidence to speak up for their daughter...

Meanwhile, atop the embroidered tower...

Zhao Wan stood by the window, looking through the gaps in the fine bamboo blinds at the busy crowds coming and going in the courtyard below, and the glaring red that was everywhere, but she felt no joy at all.

Today, the Zhao residence is the most festive place in the entire capital.

This celebration originated from her, yet it had nothing to do with her.

She sighed softly, reflecting on her current state of mind, and picked up her pen to write a new poem on the paper.

Partridge Sky - Feelings on Accepting the Gift

Music and song echo from outside the curtains, while brocade boxes, layered and locked, conceal the secluded window. Everyone says the phoenix perches on the golden phoenix tree, but who sees a pure heart nestled in a jade hall?
The powder is cold, the eyebrows are bare, and in the mirror, her temples are frosted with age. The spring breeze cannot unravel the lilac knot, yet it still carries the long, clamorous sound of gongs and drums.

Just as she finished the last stroke of her pen, a maidservant carrying the hem of her red dress hurried upstairs and said, "Miss, Madam requests your presence."

Zhao Wan put down her pen, slowly stood up, and nodded, saying, "I understand..."

After she came downstairs, the maid looked at the still-wet ink on the paper on the table and exclaimed in surprise, "Miss has a new poem again?"

As the most talented woman in the capital, every poem she wrote was admired by countless literati. She secretly memorized this poem and then hurriedly ran down from the embroidered tower.

If you are the first to reveal the young lady's poems to the various poetry academies, you can receive a considerable reward.

The young lady has always tacitly approved of these things.

For this reason, many of the maids in the mansion wanted to serve the young lady.

She slipped out of the Zhao residence through the back door and headed straight for the nearest poetry academy. A moment later, she emerged from the academy with a silver ingot in her pocket and a broad smile on her face...

[P.S.: "The Lady Protects the Emperor" has been adapted into a short drama by Yuewen, and it premiered today on Hongguo. Those interested can check it out.]

(End of this chapter)