Chapter 844: Are You Blind?
Today I saw Yun Jiao.
Her beautiful face and serene demeanor clearly reflect the affluent and contented life she has been nurtured by.
And then I think of myself now, emaciated, having lost my beauty, and afflicted with ailments, never able to have children again.
She hates!
She couldn’t wait to see this woman’s reputation ruined!
Unexpectedly, not only did Yun Jiao hit her, but questioned her so sharply that she couldn’t utter a word.
Yun Jiao aggressively pursued, "You impersonate the princess, which is a capital offense, yet you dare to question my son’s lineage?"
"My son, You Er, resembles his father as if they were cast from the same mold, are you blind?"
The ladies and mistresses sitting below exchanged looks, none of them had seen the Grand Secretary’s son, unsure if he indeed resembles the Grand Secretary.
They pondered that Princess Shoukang wouldn’t utter baseless words, and whenever they encounter that child, they must scrutinize who he resembles.
Princess Shoukang was not to be trifled with, as she couldn’t argue against Yun Jiao, she raised her hand to slap Yun Jiao.
Yun Jiao caught her wrist and flung it aside forcefully.
Princess Shoukang sternly scolded the palace maids following her, "Are you dead? Standing there watching me being bullied, not moving?"
The palace maids hesitated, seemingly wanting to step forward but dared not to.
After all, if they dared to lay hands on the Prime Minister’s wife, the princess wouldn’t be able to protect them.
Seeing her maids not responding to her commands, Princess Shoukang, in a fury, turned to Empress, saying, "How do you manage the six palaces? I am a princess of Great Chu, and you stand there watching me bullied by this vile woman."
The Empress scowled, "Madam Jiang is a sworn sister to me, who are you calling a vile woman?"
She never liked this suddenly returned princess.
In just a few days since her return, she demanded the best in everything for her attire, food, and daily use, exceeding regulations, rivaling the Empress herself.
Moreover, her arrogance was repulsive.
She organized this banquet not for Princess Shoukang, were it not for the Emperor’s suggestion, she wouldn’t have taken on this task.
Princess Shoukang was once unruly, and during her years in Jin Country, she was tormented, filled with hostility. When she heard the Empress’s words, she fiercely glared at her, "Fine, just wait, I’ll go report to my brother the Emperor!"
Empress did not fear her complaints, knowing how much the Emperor relied on the Duke of England and the Grand Secretary now.
The Duke of England once knelt before the Emperor, saying that once the Chu Country’s army reaches Huining and destroys Jin Country, he would retire.
He talked long with the Emperor on that day, stating he didn’t crave power, only wished to fulfill his ambitions and reclaim all that Great Chu lost.
The Emperor believed him and entrusted the military command of the Forbidden Army entirely to the Duke of England.
It’s essential to know that control over the Forbidden Army has always been held by the Emperor.
Previously, Great Chu frequently reassigned military generals to prevent them from rooting forces in the army, consolidating personal power.
(Except for General Wu of Southern Frontier, no one else could handle the place besides General Wu.)
And Chief Minister Jiang, more esteemed by the Emperor.
In recent years, Chief Minister Jiang implemented numerous measures, reducing farmers’ taxes, curbing land annexation, rectifying salt affairs, imposing heavy taxes on major merchants, and restricting merchants from buying land.
The national strength visibly flourishing in these years, the Emperor is ambitious, planning to reclaim the capital within a decade.
The Prime Minister’s wife is naturally much more important than a useless princess.