The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 1)

Chapter 195 - Care

The Cabinet has expressed interest in having Cui Ying Shu take over as the Left Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Works and the Lesser Minister of the Treasury. The King of Zhennan's residence has also heard some news regarding this matter. The Princess of Zhennan is pleased that both Yuan Hong and Ye Jingchuan are able to avoid blame. Upon hearing this news, she only smiled and personally served a cup of tea to the King of Zhennan, sighing somewhat: "Going around in circles, that little girl seems to be the most clever person. Not only did she manage to keep the Changning Marquis's residence uninvolved and avoid suspicion, but she also brought such joy to her maternal family..."

The King of Zhennan took a sip of tea and set it down. Hearing this, even his usually serious face couldn't help but show a hint of a smile: "A little girl who can keep your precious son in check and make him willingly run errands back and forth—what kind of fool could she be?"

He was joking again about Ye Jingchuan's antics in teaching Shen Qingrang a lesson, and how he had returned yelling about going to the Changning Marquis's residence. The Princess of Zhennan found it both amusing and irritating and couldn't help but defend her son: "It sounds like he's only my son; aren't you also indulging him?"

Fortunately, although Ye Jingchuan was somewhat reckless and impulsive, he was not a purely reckless person. This time, he managed to outsmart Chen Xiang and Xing'an, capturing Shi Tongzhou and then going to find Cen Biliang.

The Princess of Zhennan looked at the King of Zhennan with pride: "Moreover, he hasn't become a dandy, and he's loyal to the country. Why shouldn't I treasure him?"

However, the smile on the King of Zhennan's face gradually faded as he glanced at the official documents on the table and suddenly sighed.

Ye Jingchuan indeed hadn't become a dandy and was filled with passion, but he still had the nature of a youth. If it weren't for the Crown Prince's son and that little girl negotiating in Tongzhou, he wouldn't even have enough lives to lose.

"He is so eager to go to the battlefield; do you really have the heart to let him?" He looked earnestly at the Princess of Zhennan and emphasized again: "Although the incident at Zijing Pass involved Xingfu and Shi Tongzhou, it still shows that Jingchuan is young and inexperienced, and cannot withstand provocation. Are you really at ease letting your precious son go to the battlefield?"

The situation with the Japanese pirates along the Fujian and coastal regions is frequent and much more dangerous than guarding a pass, where real blades and arrows are unavoidable. After the incident at Zijing Pass, the King of Zhennan indeed started to consider sending Ye Jingchuan out for training.

The Princess of Zhennan bit her lip and made up her mind after a moment: "He has no interest in the imperial examinations. If he doesn't take this path, won't he just lead a mediocre life? The title is his elder brother's; if he doesn't work hard to carve out a path for himself, can we protect him for a lifetime?"

It was because of such considerations that she was willing to agree to send Ye Jingchuan to guard the city with Yuan Hong.

The Princess of Zhennan's words happened to resonate with the King of Zhennan's thoughts. He looked at his wife with admiration and nodded after a moment: "If that's the case, let's go along with his wishes. Whether he can make a name for himself will depend on him."

While he was willing to let his son go out to achieve merit, the Princess of Zhennan couldn't bear to let him truly start from being a mere foot soldier. Hearing this made her somewhat anxious: "Weren't we supposed to say that if he really wanted to join the army in Fujian, he should first let Cui Shaoting know?"

After all, Cui Shaoting is the Governor of Fujian. To put it bluntly, he is the local big shot; if Ye Jingchuan could find a job under him, it would be easier for him to rise to prominence.

"Although we should say it, when people leave, the tea will cool. Cui Shaoting will probably be promoted soon, and then his words may not hold much weight in Fujian anymore." The King of Zhennan coughed lightly, seeing that the Princess of Zhennan seemed somewhat surprised, and sighed: "This incident at Zijing Pass has caused quite a stir. Although the Emperor usually does not favor military matters, if others are riding on his head and causing a ruckus, it becomes a different story. Given the situation at Zijing Pass, it's easy for the Emperor to become suspicious about other passes in the Northwest as well. If I'm not mistaken, after thirty years, a new Three Borders Commissioner will emerge."

Thirty years ago, the formidable Three Borders Commissioner was none other than the previous King of Zhennan. Nowadays, among the military officials in the court, the only one capable of both fighting and leading troops, and who also comes from a proper military background, is Cui Shaoting. Thus, when the Cabinet first hinted at this, the King of Zhennan quickly sensed the opportunity and began to identify potential candidates.

The Princess of Zhennan listened with some confusion, but she could tell that Cui Shaoting was about to take up the position of Three Borders Commissioner, which left her somewhat surprised. If this were true, the Cui family would undoubtedly rise in status again.

"Regardless, we owe a lot to that little girl from the Changning Marquis's residence this time." The Princess of Zhennan steadied her thoughts and pondered briefly before saying, "She has helped us so much; it wouldn't be right for us to show no gratitude at all. Although it's difficult with the Empress Dowager, at least we're not completely helpless... How about I take Jingchuan to the residence tomorrow to pay a visit, and also check in on their matriarch?"

In matters of assistance, it's all about reciprocity; the more exchanges, the closer the relationship becomes.

Not to mention, in the future, Ye Jingchuan will still need the Cui family's support in Fujian. Even if it's just for the sake of maintaining a good relationship with the Changning Marquis's residence, it is indeed necessary to strengthen ties.

The King of Zhennan felt this move was somewhat unnecessary. Although Princess Rongcheng was indeed the Empress's daughter, there was also Princess Duanhui from the Song family, who shared a deep bond with the Emperor. What Princess Rongcheng could assist with, Princess Duanhui might also be able to help.

However, it still represented an attitude. After some thought, he nodded in agreement.

His considerations were more complex than those of the Princess of Zhennan. Given the current situation, while the Song family seemed inclined to ally with the Crown Prince, their intentions were not very obvious, and they could easily withdraw at any time. Yet, the King of Zhennan's residence had already been tightly bound to the Crown Prince due to Princess Rongcheng, making it difficult to move.

Jingchuan, this boy, was so worried for Sixth Miss Song, and behind her stood the formidable Cui family. If he deepened his ties with the Changning Marquis's residence, it could genuinely lead to a marital alliance in the future, adding a layer of security for the Crown Prince and the King of Zhennan's residence.

After they had talked for a while, they heard outside that the prince consort had arrived, and they exchanged surprised glances—Ye Jingkuan usually worked at the Capital Commander's office at this hour; why was he back now?

Ye Jingkuan was straightforward, hastily greeting them before succinctly stating, "His Highness the Crown Prince is seriously ill..."

The King of Zhennan had received this news earlier as well, and upon hearing it, he thought the imperial physician must have reached a diagnosis. He was shocked and stood up, staring intently at his son.