Chapter 300: Chapter 300: Jade Pendant
The Emperor looked at Su Jin, "What is going on here?"
Su Jin glanced at Princess Shouning and said, "Princess Shouning snuck out of the palace. Just as I was shopping with a maid, she harbored resentment and bribed several thugs to capture me and the maid."
"In the end, the thugs saw through their disguise as women and sold them to Baihua Building. We spent ten thousand taels to redeem her," Su Jin said.
"Bai... Baihua Building?"
Just hearing the name, one could tell it was not a reputable place.
The Emperor was furious.
Princess Shouning began to cry, "Father, please calm down, I know I was wrong."
"Summon the Empress for me!" The Emperor was extremely angry.
Eunuch Fu quickly went to relay the message.
Su Jin said, "Don’t forget to ask the Empress to bring ten thousand taels in a silver note."
Eunuch Fu, "...."
Inside the Phoenix Palace, the Empress was pacing back and forth, anxious.
She was forbidden to leave the palace by the Emperor to copy the palace rules and couldn’t go out.
But every day, she would send a trusted nanny to check on Princess Shouning.
Today, when the nanny went to visit, she discovered that Princess Shouning was not there. A palace maid dressed in Princess Shouning’s clothes was copying the palace rules, pretending to lose her temper and refusing to see anyone.
The nanny became suspicious, rushed in, and found out it was a palace maid.
Princess Shouning had snuck out of the palace.
With only a palace maid accompanying her, the Empress was worried about her encountering danger outside, feeling as anxious as ants on a hot pan.
"Don’t worry, Your Majesty, the Princess is blessed and will be fine," Nanny Zhou comforted the Empress.
"Did you send people to look for her?"
"This matter cannot be blown up; the Emperor must not find out!" the Empress said, clenching her hands.
"Rest assured, Your Majesty, the ones sent out are trusted, tight-lipped, and the Emperor will not know," Nanny Zhou assured.
The Emperor was busy with state affairs, and Princess Shouning was confined.
The Emperor would not go to Fengyang Pavilion, so naturally, he would not find out about Princess Shouning sneaking out.
The Empress still felt uneasy and planned to send someone to inform Duke Chong and ask for help in finding her.
Before she could speak, a little eunuch walked in.
The little eunuch stepped forward and bowed.
"Your Majesty, the Emperor has summoned you to the Imperial Study," the little eunuch said.
The Empress frowned, "Do you know why the Emperor called me to the Imperial Study?"
"Princess Shouning has returned to the palace," the little eunuch said.
The Empress’s heart sank back into her chest, and then rose to her throat, nearly jumping out.
"Is the Princess with the Emperor?!" the Empress’s voice rose several pitches.
"It was the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion who escorted the Princess back to the palace," the eunuch replied.
The Empress, "....!!!"
This was exactly what she feared would happen!
Her heart in her throat, the Empress hurried to the Imperial Study.
But upon arrival, there was no sign of Su Jin in the Imperial Study.
The Emperor sat on the Dragon Chair, with Princess Shouning kneeling on the ground, crying.
The Emperor’s icy gaze swept over, making the Empress feel a chill down her spine.
Kneeling beside Princess Shouning, the Empress admitted her fault to the Emperor.
Next door, in the side hall.
Su Jin and the others were having lunch.
Enjoying their meal heartily.
The Emperor was too angry to eat, and when the Imperial Kitchen asked him to dine, he ignored it.
But Su Jin was hungry.
Originally planning to go for lunch, they happened to run into thugs which delayed them. Although they ate a bit at Baihua Building, that had long been digested.
Su Jin rubbed his stomach, and the Emperor bestowed the Imperial Banquet upon them.
Reproving one’s son in the hall, teaching one’s wife on the pillow.
The Emperor didn’t want his stern side to be known by the younger generation, so sending them away allowed him to reprimand freely.
For a noble princess to sneak out during confinement, causing harm but ending up in peril herself, nearly disgracing the Royal Family.
The Emperor would hardly let it slide.
Thirty strokes of the cane, plus Princess Shouning must memorize the palace rules.
For the Empress’s failure in teaching her daughter, the Emperor took away her Phoenix Seal, to be returned only when Princess Shouning learned the palace rules by heart.
After punishing them, the Emperor dismissed them.
Eunuch Fu went to the side hall, finding that the entire table of Imperial Banquet had been devoured, faintly twitching the corner of his mouth.
What an appetite.
Usually, it’s just the Emperor dining alone.
Before and after eating, things remained the same.
Xingxing chewed on a chicken leg and looked at Eunuch Fu, asking, "Did the Emperor punish Princess Shouning?"
"The Emperor, in a fit of anger, confiscated the Empress’s Phoenix Seal," Eunuch Fu said with a smile.
Confiscating the Phoenix Seal was the most severe punishment for the Empress.
Su Jin was quite satisfied with such punishment.
Having eaten their fill, they went to the Imperial Study to see the Emperor.
The ten thousand taels in a silver note that the Empress brought was rewarded to Su Jin by the Emperor.
But it wasn’t just Su Jin who saved Princess Shouning; there were also Xie Jingchen and Su Chong...
Prince NanAn and the others stood there, setting aside the bruised corners of their mouths, each was outstanding, future pillars of the state.
Eunuch Fu stood beside the Emperor, waiting for the Emperor to reward them.
"Bring out the set of jade pendants I cherish and reward them," the Emperor said.
"Your Majesty, but those are your most treasured..."
"My mind is made up, go fetch it," the Emperor said.
With the Emperor’s insistence, Eunuch Fu could only obediently retrieve the jade pendants.
Eunuch Fu came over with a brocade box in both hands.
The Emperor opened the brocade box, revealing nine meticulously arranged jade pendants inside.
The Emperor took a jade pendant in his hand, gently rubbing it with the pad of his thumb, his eyes seemingly moist.
Out of nine jade pendants, the Emperor kept one.
The remaining eight were given to Xie Jingchen and the others.
The jade pendants were designed for men, so Su Jin didn’t take one, each of the others, including Prince NanAn took one.
The jade pendants were of fine quality, top-grade, but they had seen better ones.
Considering the Emperor’s expression, clearly, the jade pendants held unique significance.
Each took one, leaving two more.
Eunuch Fu handed the brocade box to Su Jin without hesitation.
The Emperor put down the jade pendants and said, "Go and raid Baihua Building for me."
This was akin to converting the reward into an opportunity, which Prince NanAn and the others readily accepted.
Eunuch Fu escorted them out of the Imperial Study.
Holding the brocade box, Su Jin asked, "Is there a story behind these jade pendants?"
Eunuch Fu sighed.
"These nine jade pendants were carved from the same piece of jade, of equal weight."
"The Emperor himself selected the jade, sketched the design, initially planning to present them to the Late Heir of Duke Chong and Marquis Jibei’s younger second lord upon their triumphant return, symbolizing brotherly unity, but unfortunately..."
Sadly, the jade pendants were carved, but the Late Heir of Duke Chong and the others were forever lost on the battlefield.
These nine jade pendants have been treasured by the Emperor, only those closest by his side know the significance behind them.
The Emperor kept one.
If Eunuch Fu guessed correctly, whoever receives that jade pendant in the future may well be the Crown Prince.
The Emperor hopes they can be united as one.
United with the Crown Prince.
Su Chong played with the jade pendant in his hand and said, "The Emperor has quite a few brothers."
Eunuch Fu chuckled, "Not as many as you’d think, when the Emperor proposed this, Marquis Jibei’s younger lord said he breaks jade pendants as if eating, and if the Emperor didn’t prepare three to five pieces for breakage, their brotherhood wouldn’t last."
Su Chong, "...."
Why does this sound so familiar?
Xingxing said, "Then the Emperor should have made him some in copper. Our Marquis breaks jade pendants easily, so Madam crafted him several in copper, very durable."
Eunuch Fu, "...."
He always thought the jade pendant worn by Marquis Dongxiang at the waist had a peculiar color, turns out it was copper.
Marquis Dongxiang was adept at managing wealth.
Dongxiang Marquis’s wife managed the household well indeed.
Su Chong suddenly remembered.
Doesn’t this sound just like something his father would say?