Chapter 306: The Imperial Court
She followed Princess Grandma along the long, red carpet.
Although Mianmian had a face very similar to Princess Huiyun, their temperaments were worlds apart.
When Princess Huiyun unleashed her full aura, she could draw countless gazes.
When she appeared, it was hard for people to look away.
Therefore, no one noticed the short child behind the princess.
Of course, Jiang Feng noticed.
However, he was in the ranks on the side and could not greet her.
Meng Qingshe also noticed, but his train of thought was unique.
“This aura of Princess Grandma, in the old man’s words, should be thrown onto the battlefield. Let the enemy freeze for three breaths, unable to recover, then take the chance to slash, slash, slash! A complete victory!”
Mianmian followed Princess Grandma as they walked forward.
Because she wanted to see the Imperial Court, she accidentally thought about how these were the leaders of the country; the thought was too sensitive and got blocked by censorship for a whole night o(╯□╰)o.
As a result, when they reached the very front, before she could curiously see the Emperor, she saw Father first.
At this moment, Mianmian felt very distressed.
She no longer had the heart for sightseeing.
If everyone is kneeling and I am kneeling, it seems like nothing.
If everyone is kneeling and I am standing, I might look to see who has less hair.
But if everyone is standing and I am kneeling, this feeling is very scary.
I am not afraid of falling, I am afraid of being the only one who falls.
Seeing Father kneeling, just one glance was enough.
Mianmian’s eyes became moist.
She tugged on Princess Grandma’s clothes and looked up at her.
Large drops of tears fell from her eyes.
The princess just looked down at the little one.
Seeing her face covered in tears, she recalled that since meeting this little one, she had been nothing but a whirlwind of trouble, never showing a hint of hesitation.
She was as lively as boiling water, always bubbling.
She seemed afraid of nothing; even when talking in her sleep, she would shout, “Princess, please perform acupuncture!” She actually wanted to needle the princess even in her dreams.
But at this moment, seeing her face covered in tear stains, her eyes filled with terror and sorrow, Princess Huiyun felt heartbroken beyond measure.
If not for her, if she hadn’t recognized her child, how much suffering would they have endured?
It was her fault, it was her fault.
She could not undo the past suffering; recalling it felt like being sliced by a thousand knives.
But now, whoever dared to touch her child, she would move against their entire family.
She was mad.
Seeing the guards step forward to seize her child, she drew her sword in front of the entire Imperial Court and the Emperor.
“Who dares touch my child!”
Jiang Mianmian saw that everyone seemed frozen by Princess Grandma’s actions.
She took the opportunity to run to Father’s side and knelt before him.
Jiang Changtian knew he wouldn’t die; at most, he would suffer some torment.
He was used to being tormented, so he wasn’t worried; it was just a small matter.
Seeing the princess arrive, he didn’t feel much warmth in his heart.
But seeing that the princess had actually brought Mianmian along, and seeing Mianmian kneeling before him, Jiang Changtian broke down.
He cursed Princess Huiyun in his heart for having no brains.
He could suffer, he could be trampled on, he could beg for pity.
But he did not want his little daughter to see this scene.
He just wanted to see his little daughter acting lawless, as if she had a tail, every day grand and happy.
He didn’t want Mianmian to see this.
Jiang Feng could; they were both men, and men should bear reality.
Jiang Feng would understand, he would comprehend.
But Mianmian wouldn’t understand.
Jiang Changtian felt he was an ugly clam shell, whose greatest purpose was to nurture a round, shining pearl—she was innocent and naive, curious about everything in the world, happy, and clever.
At this moment, the pearl rolled to his side, cautious, with golden beans hanging in her eyes.
Jiang Changtian’s heart completely broke down, and he cursed the princess hundreds of times.
Although he was kneeling, he still pulled Mianmian into his embrace.
“It’s okay, it’s okay, Father is fine, don’t be afraid, really, it’s fine.”
Just a moment ago, when he knew he was to be taken to the Ministry of Justice, his appearance of despair and hopelessness was ninety percent acting.
But at this moment, seeing his little daughter, he was truly distressed.
He could not bear for his child to suffer even a little grievance, not even a tiny bit; his eyes turned red.
“Father.”
The childish voice was muffled, mixed with a hoarse tone.
One sound could make a person’s tears fall.
It was like a parting of life and death.
Many court officials saw this scene and inexplicably felt their hearts tremble, turning their faces away.
Although they might also be perpetrators, they could still empathize.
If one day they became prisoners, perhaps their children would never even get to see them.
And the Emperor sitting on the dragon throne was completely stunned.
He saw Princess Huiyun arrive in full regalia.
He had aged.
But Princess Huiyun was not old at all; her face remained the same, even more beautiful.
More radiant than the image in his mind.
And what broke him down was the little girl who walked out beside Princess Huiyun.
To be honest, the appearance of that little girl was the true image of Princess Huiyun that the Emperor remembered in his heart, the most profound one.
Because life was difficult back then, in the deep palace, every step was taken with caution.
A large part of the courage he had to survive at that time was given by that little girl.
She was happy every day, chasing after him, calling “Imperial Brother, Imperial Brother.”
She was innocent and naive.
She was ignorant of worldly affairs.
She was the softest part of his heart.
She was the cleanest part of his heart.
Even the strange, twisted love that followed originated from this time; he wanted to protect his sister, feeling that all men in the world were not good people, that none were worthy.
He was not worthy either.
However, that was the peak of his absurdity.
The Empress Dowager had died, no one in the world could restrain him, there were no shackles, and he developed that crazy idea.
But before his eyes, there was Princess Huiyun at her most beautiful.
And surprisingly, there was also Princess Huiyun at her most pure, as a child.
The little Princess Huiyun ran to Jiang the Second’s side, knelt beside him, and called “Father” in a soft, sweet voice, and she cried.
At this moment, the Emperor seemed to return to his youth.
Princess Huiyun cried; he had been punished, kneeling in the Imperial Garden, and Princess Huiyun knelt beside him, cautiously calling “Imperial Brother.”
At this moment, the Emperor only felt as if ten thousand arrows were piercing his heart.
The rain of arrows shot by the Empress Dowager many years ago shot into his heart once again, leaving it riddled with holes.
Yet this time, the person drawing the bow was himself.
The Emperor could be dazed, hurt, stunned, or traveling through time.
The court officials could empathize and tremble.
But Prime Minister Lu could not be dazed, nor would he empathize.
He did not understand the situation before him.
Why had Grand Princess Huiyun come out?
What was she doing with a sword?
Who was her son?
As the Prime Minister, and as the person in charge of the case of Jiang the Second just ordered by the Emperor, Prime Minister Lu naturally had to handle things immediately.
Where did this child come from?
The princess had actually brought Jiang the Second’s child to the Imperial Court.
Prime Minister Lu instinctively felt something had changed.
He made a prompt decision: “Take him away.”
Princess Huiyun saw the old man in front of her actually trying to harm her child in her presence.
She thrust her sword at the old man.
Princess Huiyun—the Chu-surname, extreme sports enthusiast, intermittently mentally ill, spiritual spring water drinker—was so fast with her sword that it was impossible to defend against.
With one strike, she stabbed Prime Minister Lu, and she said, “You dare hurt my child?”
Prime Minister Lu looked down in disbelief, staring at the sword in his chest.
He never expected that in front of the entire Imperial Court and under the Emperor’s very nose, he would actually be run through by a sword??
He was Prime Minister Lu, the number one Prime Minister in the world.
He was afraid of assassination when traveling because the families he had killed off due to power struggles could circle the capital.
Therefore, he was always protected by guards in front and behind when traveling.
Even when at home, he was surrounded by guards, so assassinations could never get close to him.
Prime Minister Lu knew how to protect himself.
Because there were indeed ignorant people who wanted to assassinate him.
They were always caught before they could reach him and then cruelly executed, punished according to the law.
But now, in the public eye, with everyone witnessing, he had actually been stabbed through by the princess.
Why were weapons allowed in the Great Court?
Where were the guards?
Why kill him?
Prime Minister Lu looked down at the sword in his chest, eyes wide with fury; he still had a stack of memorials to approve from last night…
Thank you for reading + listening 🙂 I hope you all liked my translations. If you enjoyed my work, please consider buying me a Ko-Fi 😉
