Chapter 38: Arriving in the Northwest

On the fifth day of the sixth month in the fortieth year of the Dayu era, Emperor Kangzhi passed away, and the entire nation entered a period of mourning.

The Crown Prince led the imperial relatives and the civil and military officials in seven days of kneeling before the spirit, personally presiding over the funeral rites and escorting Emperor Kangzhi's remains into the coffin.

Once the mourning period concluded, the Crown Prince transported the imperial coffin to the imperial mausoleum on an auspicious day personally divined by the State Preceptor.

On the first day of the seventh month in the fortieth year of the Dayu era, under the repeated tearful protests of his ministers, the Crown Prince forced himself out of the shadows to hold his coronation ceremony. He changed the era name to Sheng'an, honored his biological mother the Empress as the Holy Empress Dowager, invested the Crown Princess as the Empress, and appointed his legitimate son as the Crown Prince. The remaining children and concubines were bestowed titles according to regulation.

The Minister of Rites was so busy his feet were practically hitting the back of his head, yet he still reminded, "Your Majesty, how shall the various vassal princes be rewarded?"

The late Emperor had six sons and four daughters in total. Princess Yingde had died on the battlefield and was posthumously honored as the Grand Princess Yingde. Of the remaining three marriage-alliance princesses, two had already passed away, and one had long since severed ties with Dayu, making it unnecessary to grant her a title.

Regarding the late Emperor's six sons: the second son, Prince Xuan, guarded the Northwest; the third son, Prince Ming, had died young; the fourth son, Prince Ning, had been frail and bedridden since childhood, with imperial physicians declaring he would not live past forty; he was granted a fertile region in the south as his fief. The fifth son, Prince An, guarded the Northeast; the sixth son was not yet ten years old, and with his biological mother having passed away early, he was being raised personally by the Empress Dowager.

"The late Emperor's progeny was sparse. The Princes are my own brothers and have rendered great service to the Dayu empire; I cannot treat them poorly," Emperor Sheng'an said. "Pass the decree: elevate the Princes to the rank of First-Class Imperial Prince and grant them purple jade belts." He paused. "Appoint Prince Xuan as the Grand Marshal of the Northwest Military, commanding three hundred thousand troops, and incorporate Ning Province into Prince Xuan's fief."

The Minister of Rites bowed to receive the decree and withdrew.

The Empress Dowager stepped out from behind the curtain, her face filled with worry. "Is it too impulsive for the Emperor to grant Prince Xuan such immense military power?"

Emperor Sheng'an helped the Empress Dowager sit in a chair. "In the past, it was because I misunderstood my second brother that I committed many wrongs. Father has already disciplined me." Thinking of the earnest teachings of the late Emperor before his death, Emperor Sheng'an's eyes reddened. "My second brother and I are brothers of the same mother. If I cannot even trust him, whom else in all the world can I trust?"

Seeing that her son had reached a clear understanding, the Empress Dowager finally felt at ease. Previously, when her two sons were estranged and the eldest constantly opposed the second, she, as their mother, had been caught in the middle, her heart feeling as if it were being seared in a raging fire.

As Empress, she had been forced to stand by the Crown Prince, often favoring him and suppressing Prince Xuan; every time she recalled her past favoritism, she could not sleep at night.

"Since the Emperor has figured it out, I am relieved," the Empress Dowager said, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief. "How does the Emperor intend to arrange Prince Xuan's family?"

"My second brother's service in the Northwest is already incredibly taxing. I cannot bear to see his family separated from him. Now that Father's funeral has concluded, I have sent men to Prince Xuan's manor to deliver the decree, permitting his family to travel to the Northwest to reunite."

The Empress Dowager nodded repeatedly. The mother and son shared many heartfelt words, and the atmosphere was more harmonious than ever before.

Upon receiving the imperial decree, the household of Prince Xuan was overjoyed. The Princess Consort of Prince Xuan immediately ordered the packing of belongings, striving to finish as quickly as possible to depart early.

Nanny Song and Nanny Li directed everyone in the Bidan Courtyard with frantic efficiency.

Tang Zhao wanted to help, but Nanny Song chased her back, complaining that she would only get in the way, leaving her with no choice but to sit and drink tea.

*So, I'm really going to the Northwest,* Tang Zhao thought, cradling her cup and swinging her feet. In her previous life, when she went to the Northwest for market research, she had taken some time to wander around. There were towering snow mountains, endless grasslands, countless cattle and sheep, galloping horses, and powerful Northwest men.

Disturbed by the commotion, Gu Ci walked out into the corridor. Seeing the woman's starstruck and longing expression through the window, his lip twitched.

Among all the noble sons and daughters of Dayu, which one hadn't acted as if they were dying at the mere thought of going to the Northwest? Even his sister-in-law had spent a full six months in bed the first time she went there. This was the first time he had seen someone looking forward to it.

Gu Ci did not shatter Tang Zhao's beautiful illusions. People, after all, need to be beaten by reality.

Unaware of Gu Ci's malicious intent, Tang Zhao was happily pondering whether her first meal in the Northwest would be a whole roasted lamb or Lanzhou pulled noodles.

The Prince Xuan's manor was impoverished. The Princess Consort wished she could simply pack up the entire manor and take it with her, but reality would not allow it; she could only pack the essentials.

After Gu Liu finished handing over his duties at the Ministry of Personnel, he returned to find that the manor had been stripped down to just a few elderly servants and the load-bearing walls. Deeply impressed, he couldn't help but suggest, "There's no need to take the doors."

The Princess Consort ignored her spendthrift son. The Consort of the Heir, Lady Ming, whispered, "Mother received a letter from Father saying the Northwest manor has been uninhabited for too long and is in total disrepair—even the windows and doors are rotten. He warned Mother to prepare for the cold winds."

Gu Liu pressed a hand to his forehead.

Lady Ming continued: "Mother's point is that since we aren't coming back in this lifetime anyway, it's a waste to leave things here; we might as well take them all. Resources in the Northwest are scarce; even with money, you can't buy good things."

Not to mention, the manor had no money.

"My sister-in-law even wanted to move the persimmon tree in the courtyard. The guards tried to pry it up and only got halfway through before the Fifth Prince promised to find another persimmon tree in the Northwest to convince her to stop."

Gu Liu: "..."

Three days later, over a hundred heavily laden carriages stopped in front of the manor. The Heir of Prince Xuan assisted the Princess Consort and the Consort of the Heir into their carriages, spent half a day instructing the serving maids, and ordered guards to surround them in multiple layers before he felt at ease.

Gu Ci looked at his eldest brother. He hesitated for a long time, preparing to reach out, only to see Tang Zhao lift her leg and stride onto the imperial-bestowed Princess's carriage in a single bound, without even needing the step.

Her maid followed suit. A maid named Dongmei waited until the others were on the carriage, then leaped up, snatched the reins from Chaohui, and clearly intended to drive the carriage herself.

Chaohui turned to look at her mistress.

After a moment of indifference, Gu Ci arranged the guards and turned to leave without a word.

The convoy set off. Chaohui guarded them with trepidation for half a month, but seeing Dongmei increasingly take on the mannerisms of an old carriage driver, she finally felt at ease.

The carriages swayed along for another month until they finally arrived at Lanzhou City in the Northwest just as the leaves were turning yellow.

Since Prince Xuan guarded the Northwest and could not easily leave his camp, he had specially dispatched a trusted general to meet them three hundred miles outside Lanzhou.

"Thank you, General Han."

"The Princess overstates it," Han Wencheng said. "I am here by the Prince's command to welcome the Princess into the city."

Five hundred soldiers shouted in unison, "Welcome the Princess into the city!"

The carriages had traveled day and night, arriving at the Prince's residence within Lanzhou the next morning.

Tang Zhao, the Princess Consort, and the Consort of the Heir worked busily all day before they could finally settle in.

Exhausted in both body and mind, Tang Zhao hurriedly ate a few bites of food after her bath and fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

Looking at the study, which was as neat and clean as new and indistinguishable from the Luoyang manor, a strange feeling flickered in Gu Ci's heart.

*That woman is quite calculating.*

Gu Ci pulled up the silk quilt. His mind, which had been tense for over a month, finally relaxed, and he fell into a deep sleep shortly after.