Chapter Fifteen: There Is Always a Reason

Accompanied by Li Yan, Zhao Yu gleefully carried the painting “Hibiscus and Golden Pheasant” toward the inner palace. Paying her respects to Empress Zheng was something Zhao insisted on doing every day. It was common knowledge that the Empress harbored political ambitions, but so what? In her position, it would be abnormal not to have private interests. As long as she treated him sincerely, what did it matter?

Perhaps Zhao himself was unaware, but over time, he had unconsciously come to regard Empress Zheng as his own mother.

An authentic piece by Emperor Huizong! What a pity—if he could take this painting back to the future, why bother working at all? Simply lying at home, spending money and enjoying life would be more than enough for a lifetime…

“Your Highness, you must be careful of the Crown Prince!”

Li Yan suddenly blurted out this remark, abruptly interrupting Zhao’s reverie and reminding him of the true purpose behind his father the Emperor summoning him to the palace.

He glanced about; the nearest eunuchs were several paces away. Lowering his voice, he asked, “What do you mean by that?”

“Your Highness may not know, but the Dowager Empress of Liao wishes to marry her niece to the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince did not agree at first, but for some reason, he changed his mind. However, this time the Liao envoys objected, and it’s said they’ve been making inquiries about Your Highness. It seems the Crown Prince, unable to stomach it, went to the Emperor with complaints…”

Li Yan rattled on at length before Zhao managed to piece it all together.

The girl he had met must surely be the Dowager Empress’s niece, the one called Xiao Yiyi. She must have slipped into Song disguised, for if a princess from another nation were to travel openly, Song would have made the appropriate preparations to receive her.

That girl was certainly bold, daring to sneak out to see her future husband. But compared to himself, the little princess must have quickly judged who was superior…

At this, Zhao couldn’t help feeling a little smug—after all, he was better than Zhao Huan. But to accuse him of flirting with the girl was surely a baseless slander.

He recalled that, owing to the matter of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, Song and Liao had long been at odds. Later, when the Jurchens rose to power, they even sent envoys by sea to seek an alliance with Song against Liao. In such circumstances, how could Zhao Huan possibly marry a Liao princess?

And Zhao Huan, who knew from where he’d heard such rumors, believed that the Liao princess was actually interested in him, and, consumed by jealousy, went to the Emperor to denounce him.

The whole affair sounded awkward and absurd—what kind of nonsense was this? This future Emperor Qinzong was growing ever more contemptible.

With this in mind, Zhao cupped his hands in gratitude to Li Yan. “Many thanks, Lord Li. I shall remember your kindness today. I’ll be sure to repay you in the future.”

This was precisely what Li Yan had been waiting for. He laughed heartily and returned the salute. “Your Highness flatters me. I shall pay a visit to the Grand Commandant’s residence and see about securing your savior. Farewell!”

“Take care, Lord Li!”

Zhao bid Li Yan farewell with humility, watching his figure recede into the distance. Yet, the thought from before crept back into his mind…

“That old eunuch, having hoarded so much from the people—would he really keep it all at his own estate? How could I find it?…”

Zhao never claimed to be a paragon of virtue; he knew full well that a good man should not be too soft-hearted, lest he be struck down by fate.

Just because Li Yan had helped him, should he forget all the man’s misdeeds? That would be a joke.

On reflection, better to make use of that wealth for something meaningful than let it fall into the hands of others after Li Yan was eventually punished and his estate confiscated…

Empress Zheng was growing impatient. The Emperor had seldom summoned Zhao before; even when they did meet, it was only for a few perfunctory words. This unusually long audience was clearly out of the ordinary.

Having managed the inner palace affairs for years, nothing escaped the Empress’s notice. In fact, she had learned of the matter before Zhao himself.

Once Zhao entered, knelt, and paid his respects, Empress Zheng dismissed the maids and eunuchs, then beckoned him closer.

With a stern face, she asked, “Yu’er! What is this about Xiao Yiyi?”

Zhao knew how well informed his mother was, but he wished she would let the matter rest—sometimes, the more such things were discussed, the more likely they were to become true, even if they weren’t.

He could only smile wryly. “Mother, it’s nothing but baseless rumors…”

To reassure her, he retold how he had met Xiao Yiyi—though he discreetly omitted the incident with the bandits, not wanting to worry her.

Upon hearing this, the Empress’s expression cleared, but she spoke bitterly: “That Zhao Huan may look learned and polite, but he is truly malicious at heart. I will not let this pass.”

“Mother, let it be! Nothing serious has happened. Father is wise and discerning; how could he be deceived? I suspect the Crown Prince is simply jealous of me, which is why he acted as he did.”

“Hmph! You may be forgiving, but others may not appreciate it. By the way, I’ve prepared some gifts for you. After leaving the palace, pay a visit to Minister Zhou.”

“Who is Minister Zhou?”

“You wretched boy! Minister Zhou is your future father-in-law. Let me tell you, this time you mustn’t stir up trouble or shirk the marriage. I want to hold a grandchild soon! Besides, if you don’t start a family, how can your father entrust you with important responsibilities?”

Zhao understood that, in these times, marriage was seen as a sign of a man’s maturity. But his mother’s intentions were surely more than just seeing him settled.

Ah, let her arrange things as she wishes! In any case, it wouldn’t hurt to visit his betrothed—if she turned out to be unattractive, he’d be the one to suffer…

Bidding farewell to the Empress, Zhao left the palace and returned to his own residence. Li Yan had already gone to see Gao Qiu; if all went well, Lin Chong should soon be released, and the household needed to make preparations.

Zhao planned to set aside a courtyard for Lin Chong and his wife and let them stay for a time.

His mind was occupied with these matters, so much so that he paid no attention to his surroundings. Upon reaching his gate, he dismounted and handed the reins to a guard, when suddenly someone called out behind him.

“Brother Yu!”

The voice startled Zhao—it was unmistakably familiar, that of the Khitan princess, Xiao Yiyi.

Turning, he saw her standing across the street, her smile as radiant as ever. Judging by her attire, she appeared to be preparing for a journey.

Despite Li Yan’s explanation and his own deductions, Zhao was still unclear about the true relationship between Xiao Yiyi and Zhao Huan.

It’s hard to refuse someone who greets you with a smile, and Zhao had to admit that he was genuinely fond of Xiao Yiyi’s spirited character.

Besides, she wasn’t yet Zhao Huan’s wife—and even if she were, after Zhao Huan had slandered him to the Emperor, he owed him some trouble in return.

With this in mind, Zhao walked over with a smile. “I never expected someone so young to have such secrets. What’s with the traveling clothes? Are you leaving?”

At his question, a trace of sadness appeared on Xiao Yiyi’s face. She nodded softly. “Yes. I ruined my aunt’s plans—if I don’t return, I’ll be in even more trouble.”

Her pained expression struck a tender chord in Zhao’s heart, and he blurted out, “Since you’re leaving, let me buy you a drink—to see you off.”

At this, Xiao Yiyi’s eyes suddenly sparkled…