Ling Hua truly didn't mean to trouble Qin Huan intentionally this time; she had a genuine matter at hand. Just before she left her home, she received an urgent report concerning the grain transport service.
The report stated that two hundred thousand dan of military grain, which was being transported from the Huai River to the troops stationed in Liangzhou, was detained as it passed through Youzhou, on the grounds that the troops in Youzhou were also out of supplies.
The Wen Family of Youzhou is the family of the Crown Princess Consort.
If anyone said to her that this wasn't premeditated, that the Crown Prince wasn't instructing them from behind, she wouldn't believe how the Wen Family would dare to withhold military grain.
She clutched the urgent report and pondered for a while before instructing, "Prepare the carriage; I need to see His Majesty at the Imperial Palace."
This matter was naturally something she had to inform His Majesty about.
But telling His Majesty wasn't the goal; the goal was to ensure that the two hundred thousand dan of grain reached the troops in Liangzhou without issues. Otherwise, the hard-earned trust they had established with Zhou Wu would be severed.
Having gone to such lengths, not to mention the waste if it were severed, just to say
if Xiao Zhen couldn't win the trust of the Liangzhou General Zhou Wu, couldn't bring him over to his side, then he would lose a great source of support. Moreover, if Zhou Wu, due to the lack of grain, were to reluctantly switch allegiance to the Crown Prince, then the troops spread over thousands of miles in Youzhou and Liangzhou would all fall under the Crown Prince's command. One could imagine, with Xiao Zhen left without a single soldier in the northwest, how much more difficult the coming days would become.
Liuli also understood the gravity of the situation and immediately ordered the carriage to be prepared.
Ling Hua bathed, changed her attire, and after getting organized, she took the carriage to the Imperial Palace.
Midway, Ling Hua found a rare moment to remember her appointment with Qin Huan and said to someone outside the carriage, "Hefeng, send someone to Juxian Building to inform Qin Huan that I will reschedule with him another day."
Hefeng complied.
Liuli whispered, "Miss, aren't you going to tell the Second Prince?"
"Telling him is useless; he cannot show his hand in matters concerning military authority and grain, not even the slightest. To avoid arousing His Majesty's suspicion," Ling Hua shook her head.
Liuli said anxiously, "If His Majesty summons the Crown Prince over this issue and the Crown Prince insists that Youzhou lacks military grain, and if His Majesty sides with the Crown Prince, and this batch of grain is given to Youzhou first, Miss, can you win against the Crown Prince?"
"It's merely snatching food from the tiger's mouth; the more ruthless one wins," Ling Hua sneered. "It's not like I haven't contested with him before. Although His Majesty is inclined toward the Crown Prince, he too has a weakness."
Liuli looked at Ling Hua.
Ling Hua's sneered faded as she said indifferently, "The balance of power, the idea of checks and balances, is His Majesty's weakness. Otherwise, His Majesty wouldn't have supported the Ling Family or me in the past; wasn't it just about finding someone to check the Crown Prince's power? Oh, the affection of an Emperor for his son."
Liuli understood in an instant.
When Miss sounded the gong to initiate a lawsuit in the past, she was suing the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, but in reality, it was against the Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace. The fall of the Grand Tutor was a heavy blow to the power of the Crown Prince, and from then on, they became enemies.
However, Miss was not afraid of becoming enemies with the Crown Prince. After all, at the age of six, the Second Prince saved Miss's life, and Miss had long chosen to side with the Second Prince.
Ling Hua arrived at the Imperial Palace by carriage, presented her palace pass, and entered smoothly.
She had His Majesty's special permission to visit the Imperial Palace and meet him at any time, without the need to submit a request in advance, so she went directly to the Imperial Study.
The little eunuch Little Wangzi, the Crown Prince's personal attendant, stood outside the Imperial Study waiting. Upon seeing Ling Hua, he turned his head away, pretending not to see her, and showed her the back of his head.
Liuli thought to herself that the Crown Prince must have received the news and had come to wait for Miss ahead of time.
Today was a tough battle.
Eunuch Zhao came out from outside the Imperial Study, smiling as he greeted Ling Hua with a bow and amiably said, "Miss Ling, good day. His Majesty invites you inside."
Ling Hua nodded slightly, straightened her clothes, and with graceful steps, entered the Imperial Study.
The Emperor was happily drinking tea with the Crown Prince, father and son.
"Ling Hua pays her respects to Your Majesty, respects to Crown Prince!" Ling Hua bowed in greeting.
She should have knelt, but having injured her knee when she knocked on the drum to bring an injustice to light years ago, the Emperor, pitying her youth and resolute spirit, had excused her from this kneeling ceremony.
"No need for formalities!" the Emperor said, waving his hand as he looked at Ling Hua with kindness, indicating to Eunuch Zhao to offer her a seat, "How come you are so much thinner than when I last saw you?"
As she sat down, Ling Hua smiled and said, "I'm not used to the flavors of the food in Longxi."
"So, it's hunger that's made you thin," the Emperor laughed heartily. "Now that you are back in the Capital, take some time to nourish yourself properly, don't go out again. How can a young lady like you keep running around outside in the wind and rain? Let others deal with matters that arise. What else are they kept around for?"
Ling Hua nodded, "Your Majesty is right, if there are no special circumstances, I don't plan to leave the Capital this year."
"The matter of Miss Ling's marriage should also be taken care of, should it not?" Crown Prince Xiao Ze chimed in.
"Yes, I remember you're sixteen now. It's time to hurry the marriage," the Emperor said, as if suddenly realizing, "Is that young lad from the Wen Family still behaving?"
"Qin Huan? Under Miss Ling's discipline, he's quite obedient!" Xiao Ze looked at Ling Hua sardonically, "Right, Miss Ling? You've had people watching over your fiancé for three years now. To this day, Qin Huan doesn't even have a concubine."
The Emperor obviously knew about this as well, and laughed as he pointed at Ling Hua, "Look at you, why are you so domineering? But it's surprising that the old lady from the Duke of Anguo's family likes you and has no objection."
"The old lady from the Duke of Anguo's family wouldn't dare to oppose Miss Ling, with her formidable manner. Even if she doesn't like it, she has to keep it to herself." Xiao Ze stared at Ling Hua, "I haven't said anything wrong, have I?"
Ling Hua smiled slightly, meeting Xiao Ze's ironic face with an extremely gentle tone, "Everything the Crown Prince says is correct."
Xiao Ze was taken aback, as if he had thrown a punch into cotton and had the wind knocked out of him.
The Emperor glanced at the Crown Prince, then turned to Ling Hua, "Would the household of the Duke of Anguo dare to have an opinion? They didn't even ask; with Ling Hua's talents and beauty, if it wasn't for the betrothal arrangement, how could the family of the Duke of Anguo have such a chance? Since they've got the advantage, they must endure some discomforts."
Ling Hua laughed, "I have a fondness for cleanliness and don't like sharing a husband. It's also because of Your Majesty's support that I dare to indulge a little in my own way. I don't dare interfere with the Duke of Anguo's family; after all, my fiancé is someone I'll spend a lifetime with, so I must be really careful. I discussed placing someone by my fiancé's side with the old lady, and if she hadn't agreed, I would have called off the engagement back then. When you think about it, it was mutual consideration and mutual consent."
The Crown Prince scoffed at the idea of mutual consideration, mutual consent. Did the Duke of Anguo's family even dare to not be considerate or willing?
The Emperor nodded and didn't pry further, "You came to the Palace today, do you have important matters?"
Ling Hua never visited the Palace unless it was something significant.
Ling Hua nodded, not avoiding the Crown Prince, and said to the Emperor, "Your servant just received urgent news that the twenty thousand stones of military provisions scheduled for transport to Liangzhou have been detained by Youzhou. Youzhou claims it lacks military provisions, but to my knowledge, that's not the case. The Wen Family just sold fifty thousand stones of grain last month. How could a Youzhou that has surplus to sell lack grain? Even if it is lacking, it's merely the shortfall from selling the Court's grain reserves. Thus, your servant lacks the authority to claim the grain back from Youzhou for Liangzhou, given that Youzhou is the Crown Princess Consort's hometown, the Crown Prince's family by marriage. I dare not overstep, so I had no choice but to come to you, Your Majesty."