Abandoned Woman Busy Farming

Chapter 2748 - 2749: Kidnapping and a Left-Behind Note

Bai Ruozhu bit her lip; it really was a pity about this Miss.

"But she’s already made up her mind. You can’t persuade her; what use is there in coming to me?" she asked.

Empress Yazi smiled. "I want to ask you to take her to Zhongyuan. If she refuses, I’ll have someone knock her out and carry her onto the ship. After she’s gone out for a turn, maybe she won’t be so stubborn anymore. If it’s convenient, help her find a good husband in Danliang Country."

"Knock her out and carry her onto a ship?" The corner of Bai Ruozhu’s mouth twitched. Empress Yazi really could come up with ideas.

"This isn’t a trivial matter. If we can’t explain it clearly, it becomes our Zhongyuan delegation kidnapping a Princess of Fusang, which touches on conflict between the two Countries. I truly can’t casually agree to you." Bai Ruozhu thought a moment and said.

Besides, the Crown Prince was going as well. He was going to Danliang precisely to let go of his forbidden feelings for his own younger sister. If Princess Ya’an went too, wouldn’t that make things worse?

"There are so many promising young men in Fusang. You help pick one for her, have His Majesty issue a Holy Edict bestowing the marriage. A princess wouldn’t defy an edict, would she? Why go to such lengths?" she added.

"I..." Empress Yazi suddenly didn’t know what to do either. "This child was ruined by me. She’s sensible and filial. If I hadn’t said those things to her back then, but I..."

She started to cry, dabbing at the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief.

Bai Ruozhu kept silent. There were many things one could be softhearted about, but many things one could not rashly promise others.

In the end Empress Yazi could only plead, "Then think it over again. I won’t disturb you for now."

Bai Ruozhu nodded. "You should also try to talk to her again, or try my suggestion."

Issuing a Holy Edict was such a simple matter; it shouldn’t be that difficult, right?

After Empress Yazi left, Bai Ruozhu chatted a few words with Sa Tian, and only then learned there was another layer of reason behind it.

It turned out that the rule at this time was that if a woman of the Imperial family was betrothed to a man of the Imperial family, she would forever remain one of the Imperial family. As descendants of the heavenly gods, how could they remarry?

None of the aristocrats dared to marry such a princess, unless she was sent to marry abroad from the very beginning. But the betrothal between Princess Ya’an and Prince Wen De had spread throughout Kyoto; who didn’t know?

For the Emperor to issue an edict bestowing her in marriage would also violate Imperial family regulations. Even if the edict was forced through, the man’s family who received it might not be willing. The marriage might turn into a feud.

"How about this: tomorrow you enter the Palace and help me invite Princess Ya’an to come have tea and Dimsum. I’ll talk with her." Bai Ruozhu said.

"Yes. My lady is truly kind-hearted." Sa Tian said with a smile.

Bai Ruozhu glared at him. "Don’t tease me. I’m still helping you arrange to join the Fusang Delegation—watch out or I won’t take you."

Sa Tian’s smile grew even broader. "My lady would not."

Bai Ruozhu also smiled, took the prepared medicines, and headed to Zhaoti Temple.

"Master Abbot, I’ll be leaving soon. These medicines are for you. Once you finish them, you should be more or less healed. It’s just a pity you can’t return to how you were before." Bai Ruozhu handed the medicine box to Master Puru.

"A burn is a burn. I’m already very grateful to be alive; matters of appearance don’t really matter." Master Puru said with a chuckle.

"Also, once we leave, it might be many years. I’ll have to trouble you to look after Luan Xin." Bai Ruozhu added.

Master Puru smiled. "That’s as it should be. I plan to have him inherit my mantle. The concubine on his father’s side is pregnant again; he’ll soon have heirs to inherit the family business, and he’s finally willing to let go."

Bai Ruozhu nodded in relief, hoping that this time Luan Xin could attain perfection earlier in his cultivation.

After she finished talking with Master Puru, she spent a while feeding the Sika Deer in the temple.

The deer here had been tainted with Spiritual Energy; after eating what she gave them, they would lower their heads in a bow. They were truly adorable. If she had a chance to visit Xinchan Temple again, she would suggest to the abbot that they raise some Sika Deer in the temple.

Thinking of going home, her mood lifted into a flutter. She didn’t know how much Dengdeng had grown, and whether the two little buns might already not recognize her. She hadn’t even heard them call her "mother" yet.

The next day Sa Tian entered the Palace to deliver an invitation, and very quickly invited Princess Ya’an out of the Palace to the Posthouse as a guest.

Bai Ruozhu had Teng Ya set out flower tea and Dimsum, and she greeted her with a smile and invited her to sit.

"Empress Yazi came to see me yesterday." Bai Ruozhu opened directly.

Princess Ya’an was slightly surprised. "What did my mother-consort say? About me?"

Bai Ruozhu was in no rush to answer. "She looks like she’s aged a lot."

Princess Ya’an’s eyes reddened slightly. "She regrets it deeply and has been living in pain. The one I worry about most now is her."

"It’s a sickness of the heart. Staying by her side won’t cure it; it will only make her illness worse." Bai Ruozhu shook her head. "You should think about where her heart-sickness lies. She feels guilty toward all of you, and the one she cannot let go of the most now is also you."

Princess Ya’an’s face turned several shades paler.

Bai Ruozhu went on. "Her body was already damaged by the Poisonous Insect; it’s not easy to make up for that. Now she’s tormented by worries as well, so her physical condition is even worse. Aging is only one aspect; if this continues it might even shorten her life. And your staying by her side doesn’t actually care for her—you only remind her at every moment that if not for the words she said back then, you wouldn’t have wronged yourself by marrying into the Imperial Palace, wouldn’t be a wife in name only to Prince Wen De, and wouldn’t have wasted your youthful years in the Palace."

The tea in Princess Ya’an’s hand spilled out. Flustered, she used a handkerchief to wipe it. The snow-white cloth was stained, yet the water marks couldn’t be completely wiped away.

Bai Ruozhu pressed down on her hand. "Think it over carefully yourself. Sometimes companionship is a good thing, but it doesn’t apply to everyone. Besides, your going away once doesn’t mean you’ll never return to Fusang. At the very least, it can lessen her guilt a little."

"I..." Princess Ya’an was still wavering; she truly couldn’t set her mind at ease about her mother-consort.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside. Yizi rushed in anxiously and said, "My lady, Fangzi’s family has come begging for help. They say Fangzi’s been kidnapped!"

"What!" Bai Ruozhu sprang to her feet and said to Princess Ya’an, "Your Highness, return to the Palace and think it over carefully. Give me your answer in a few days."

Princess Ya’an knew Fangzi, and she grew worried as soon as she heard. "Do you need my help?"

"Let’s see what’s going on first. If necessary, I’ll send someone to deliver a message to His Majesty and Your Highness." Bai Ruozhu said.

Princess Ya’an nodded, rose, saluted, and took her leave.

Fangzi’s father was sweating all over in his anxiety. The moment he saw Bai Ruozhu, he thrust a letter into her hands. "Lord Bai, I know I shouldn’t trouble you, but this letter..."

Bai Ruozhu quickly opened the letter and glanced at it. On it was written in large characters:

Bai Ruozhu, if you want to save her, come in person to San Li Po at Dongling outside the City.

"Go call Lord Jiang back." She gave a brief order, pacing with the letter in hand.

This was clearly aimed at her; Fangzi had merely been dragged in. The one who wrote the letter was eight or nine out of ten Song Yi—no one else would dare be this brazen.

But Song Yi’s goal wasn’t to deal with them. He also didn’t seem to be trying to avenge his elder brother Wu Yunfeng; even more, he wanted to use a plot to control the Fusang Royal Family and become the master of Fusang.