Chapter 92 Lady Fu (1/2)
When the soldiers finished beating the early morning drum, Prince Jing returned to his camp and put on his armor. Then he went to the training ground.
Luo Ding ran to Yun Shang and asked, ”Mister Xiao, several soldiers were asking me about the people that you caught yesterday. What do I tell them?”
Yun Shang smiled at him. ”Just tell the soldiers that they are the thieves who stole our Map of Army Distribution. And tell them that the map has been found.” Then Yun Shang walked into the tent. Zhao Yingjie and his mother were no longer in the Prince's tent. Since Yun Shang didn't bring many things when she came, there was not much for her to pack. So she just looked around for a while. Then she walked to the table and wrote something on a parchment. After that, she left the tent.
”Bring my horse here.” Yun Shang said to Luo Ding.
Luo Ding nodded. ”Mister Xiao, are you leaving the camp? I'll fetch your horse for you.”
After a while, Luo Ding led the horse to her. Yun Shang smiled at Luo Ding and mounted. ”Tell the Prince that I'm leaving.” Then she raised her whip and dropped it fiercely. The horse neighed and took Yun Shang far away from the tent.
Luo Ding frowned. ”Isn't he just going out of the camp? Is it necessary to tell His Highness about that?”
When Prince Jing returned from the training ground, Luo Ding decided to tell him about Yun Shang's leave, even though he was still confused about why he needed to do that. ”Your Highness, Mister Xiao asked me to tell you that he left...”
As soon as Luo Ding finished his sentence, he saw Prince Jing's face change. Prince Jing quickly mounted the horse that was nearest to him and galloped to the gate of the camp with his armor still on.
However, it was already late. Even at the horse's fastest speed, Prince Jing could only see Yun Shang's silhouette from the mountain behind Xiyi Town. Yun Shang rode with several servants. Prince Jing grit his teeth in frustration. He squinted when he thought the girl on the mountain turned around to look at him.
Then his mouth curved into a smile. Ning Yun Shang, this is the last time that I let you get away from me.
Prince Jing's eyes darkened. He stood there and kept watching the figures until they disappeared. Then he slowly rode back to the camp.
”Of the Heaven's will and by His Majesty's command, to bring peace to the country after the accident on the day of the Winter Solstice, Princess Hui Guo went to Ning'guo Temple to pray and bring back their holy treasure. Now that Princess Hui Guo has returned with the White Conch, she has shown her sincerity. His Majesty is grateful for what she has done. The Princess will be rewarded with ten bolts of the finest brocade, three pearls from the South Sea, and a pair of jade ruyi*.” The shrill voice of the eunuch rang through the Palace. Yun Shang led her maids to kneel and kowtow three times before respectfully accepting the Imperial Edict from the eunuch. ”Long live His Majesty.”
(TN* Ruyi is a long S-shaped handle with a head fashioned like a fist, cloud, or lingzhi mushroom. It is a talisman that symbolizes power and good fortune.)
Then Qin Yi helped Yun Shang stand. Yun Shang smiled and put a golden bead into the eunuch's hand. ”Thank you for your trouble.”
The eunuch's eyes widened. He smiled and said, ”No trouble. No trouble at all. Congratulations to Your Highness. His Majesty treasures the White Conch very much. He even mentioned holding a grand ceremony for it and letting the Masters from the Temple give their blessings.”
Yun Shang smiled. ”The blessed object deserves to be treated respectfully.”
After the eunuch left, Yun Shang handed the Imperial Edict to Qin Yi and smiled. ”After the excitement at the frontier, it is a little hard for me to adjust to the boring life here. Qin Yi, tell me what has been going on in the Palace all these days.”
Qin Yi smiled. She took the tea from another maid and put it on the table beside Yun Shang. ”Nothing special. The Empress is still in recovery. Although His Majesty withdrew the guards outside Qiwu Palace, the Empress still isolates herself. Some ladies went to pay their respects but none managed an audience with the Empress. So no one visits the Empress anymore. But even so, the ladies in the imperial household still have something to do. They were busy ingratiating themselves with Lady Ming. What's more, Grand Councilor Li sent a girl to the Palace earlier. Now the girl has become His Majesty's favorite Lady.
”Oh?” Yun Shang was surprised and turned to Qin Yi, ”A girl sent by Grand Councilor Li? What's her name?”
Qin Yi smiled and answered, ”Her name seems to be Li Fuyi. I've heard that she's the Grand Councilor's youngest daughter...”