Chapter 988: Chapter 465 – When Husband and Wife Meet (First Update) Chapter 988: Chapter 465 – When Husband and Wife Meet (First Update) The Emperor looked at her with a shadow of grief in his eyes, a look that said he knew all along!

Empress Dowager Zhuang flatly denied it, “I did not, when have I ever been unable to go play cards?”

The Emperor continued his grievous complaint, “Then it’s just that Mother doesn’t want to get up early.”

Empress Dowager Zhuang: When did your brain become so sharp!!!

Years of habit of rising early were lost in just one year in Bishui Alley, when it comes to this, it’s rather helplessly ironic.

In the end, the Emperor still agreed that Empress Dowager Zhuang should no longer attend the morning court, he, after all, is the Emperor, and no matter how much he trusts Empress Dowager Zhuang, he still craves to rule alone.

This was a contradiction of feelings.

Living to her age, what could Empress Dowager Zhuang not understand?

It’s normal for a sovereign to have such feelings, otherwise if everyone were like the Crown Prince, offering unconditional and bottomless indulgence and trust in someone, in the end, whether they would hand over the country to the one by their side if asked?

To be an Emperor, or rather, to be a benevolent ruler is not a bad thing at all. It’s fine to be gentle where one should be, but one must never lack the ambition of a monarch.

However, the Emperor did not agree unconditionally to Empress Dowager Zhuang’s request to refrain from attending court, she must agree to include him in her card games, the kind that happens three or four times a month.

And she must carve out time every day to deal with state affairs with him.

—-The solitary time with Mother in the afternoon!

Empress Dowager Zhuang didn’t really relinquish all her power, she just stopped attending the morning court, that’s all. She still had to play her tricks in private.

Xiao Liulang got a promotion, but the salary was still not enough to afford the monthly rent for the young monk.

Alas, with so many children at home, the burden is heavy.

…

Hanlin Academy, Xiao Hen got off duty and spotted a carriage parked across the alley.

The coachman was a stranger, and the carriage was unfamiliar.

But his instincts told Xiao Liulang that the owner of the carriage was waiting for him.

With no one around at the moment, he didn’t bother disguising himself and walked directly over with great strides.

Without asking much, the coachman put down the wooden stool.

He hesitated for a moment, then Princess Xinyang slightly lifted a gap in the curtain.

Xiao Hen was slightly taken aback, then stepped into the carriage.

He sat down across from Princess Xinyang, who then said to the coachman, “Let’s go to the Medical Hall.”

“Yes.”

The coachman cracked his whip, and the wheels started to turn.

Princess Xinyang’s complexion looked a bit better compared to when she had just returned to the capital; today, she even seemed to have a hint of rosiness, and the gentle smile in her eyes was almost spilling out, though she was not smiling much with her lips.

“I’ve come to see you,” she said.

“Mhm.”

Someone felt a little discomfort.

Princess Xinyang smiled slightly, looking at his right foot, “I saw you walking just now, is your leg better?”

“Yes, it’s better,” Xiao Hen responded vaguely, without concealing the truth.

Being apart for so long, it’s quite difficult to return to the past level of closeness, especially since she had deeply hurt him. Princess Xinyang actually felt more awkward than Xiao Hen, but she didn’t show it outwardly.

Princess Xinyang smiled again, pointing at the cane beside him, “Then why not throw this away?”

“I’ll discard it in a few days,” Xiao Hen said.

“Oh.” Princess Xinyang instantly understood; nobody knows her child better than a mother, could she be unaware of what he was planning?

How children grow beyond their mother’s control.

He had never shown such concern for a maiden back when he was betrothed to Wo Linlang.

Princess Xinyang lowered her gaze to hide her amusement, then changed the subject, “Have you heard about Zhuang Yuheng joining the cabinet?”

“I have,” said Xiao Hen.

Princess Xinyang added, “It was Grand Tutor Zhuang’s idea. Joining the cabinet as a seventh-rank Zhongshu meant a demotion in title but a promotion in status.”

So all the official ranks were settled.

Xiao Hen was not surprised that Princess Xinyang knew these internal details–ever since he was a young lord in Zhaodu, he often saw all kinds of jaw-dropping inside information in Princess Xinyang’s study room.

“I’ve heard that Yuan Shoufu thinks highly of you,” hinted Princess Xinyang with a hidden meaning.

Xiao Hen paused, “It’s hardly admiration, we’ve only met a couple of times and exchanged a few words.”

Xiao Hen understood what Princess Xinyang meant; she was worried whether his inner balance would be thrown off because Zhuang Yuheng was rising through the ranks faster than him. If so, she could use her connections to get him a position in the inner cabinet.

“I am doing well at Hanlin Academy,” Xiao Liulang stated outright.

Some things can be achieved through shortcuts, but some simply don’t need them.

In his view, getting involved in the inner cabinet at this time might not necessarily be a good thing.

Princess Xinyang secretly set her mind at ease.

She had been testing Xiao Hen’s intentions. As a child, Xiao Hen had a strong competitive spirit; he wanted to be first in everything, and indeed, he had the talent to back it up. However, officialdom is like a battlefield; sometimes, one may win the battle, but lose the war.

The character Xiao Hen displayed now came as a quite a surprise to her.

As they were speaking, suddenly, a fast-paced galloping noise came from ahead, followed by a series of piercing shouts as if the rider had crashed into a stand.

“Ah! The horse is out of control!”

The Princess’s coachman exclaimed!

The runaway wasn’t their horse but the other party’s, which was charging recklessly, knocking down pedestrians along the way and showing no signs of stopping.

Just as it was about to hit their carriage, and it was too late to turn around, Long Yi leaped through the air, swishing the roof of the carriage open and grabbing Princess Xinyang and Xiao Hen out.

The carriage was smashed to pieces by the frenzied horse.

Long Yi placed the two of them on a rooftop and then went to grab the coachman who was about to lose his life under the hooves.

“Long Yi, that child!”

A child, petrified with fear, stood stock-still in the middle of the street as the frenzied horse charged towards him.

With one hand holding the coachman, Long Yi reached out for the child with his other hand.

He managed to rescue the child just before the frenzied horse could trample them.

Princess Xinyang breathed a secret sigh of relief, but before she could fully relax, she slipped from the rooftop; as Xiao Hen reached out to catch her, he also fell.

Long Yi, unable to set down the coachman and child in time, swiftly darted over but only managed to catch Xiao Hen; Princess Xinyang slid from his shoulder.

At the critical moment, another tall and mighty figure descended from the sky, wrapping his arms around the soft waist of Princess Xinyang, gently lowering to the ground.

This man had a stunningly beautiful face, with eyes that could captivate souls, he was the Marquis of Xuanping, esteemed by the Emperor as the face of Zhan Country.

Marquis Xuanping, holding Princess Xinyang confidently, cut a handsome figure.

A round of enthusiastic applause erupted from the crowd!

Marquis Xuanping raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Princess, long time no see.”

Princess Xinyang’s face was cold, “Have you had your fun showing off? If so, put me down!”

“Tsk, so charmless,” Marquis Xuanping said with a face full of regret, releasing his mouth and setting Princess Xinyang down.

The frenzied horse had been subdued by Chang Jing, and tonight, Chang Jing would feast on roasted horse meat.

Marquis Xuanping waved his hand to the onlookers, “Alright, break it up, there’s nothing to see here. Haven’t you ever seen a hero save a beauty?”

The corners of people’s mouths twitched; although it was true, blatantly stating it himself was a bit too much. Could he be any less modest?

The crowd eventually dispersed.

Marquis Xuanping glanced at Princess Xinyang, then at the carriage that had been smashed to bits, clicked his tongue and said, “It seems I must subject the Princess to the indignity of riding back in my carriage. Chang Jing.”

Chang Jing drove up a luxurious and ostentatious carriage.

Princess Xinyang didn’t board.

She moved forward to a strange carriage, intending to pay silver to hire it.

Marquis Xuanping, with his arms folded, watched her, “That’s also my carriage.”

Princess Xinyang went on to another modest-looking carriage.

“That is also my carriage.”

“And that’s my carriage too.”

“Ah, yet another one of my carriages.”

Princess Xinyang: “…!!”

Had the Xiao family contracted every carriage on the entire street?