Greetings, Ninth Uncle

Chapters 104 - 105

With the dark-red court attire as the backdrop, Cheng Yujin's exquisite face looked even more picturesque. Focusing on tying the leather belt, her expression was very serious, a total opposite to the casualness she showed when pulling out her hair from her collar just now.

The crown prince's court attire symbolizing power and a beauty who stood right in front of him, dressing him with her own hands. At this moment, their distance was very close. As long as he closed his hands, she would be trapped in his embrace.

Cheng Yujin finished buckling the leather belt. Next, she took the knee cover, jade pendant, silk rope, and other small accessories, tying them one by one to the belt. Finished, she took two steps back and took the court cap from the last tray. She then raised her head and smiled at Li Chengjing: "Your Highness, please lower your head."

Li Chengjing glanced at her deeply and then lowered his neck. Cheng Yujin put the cap on top of his head, wrapped the black rope behind his ears, then tied it at his chin.

With this, everything was ready. Ciqing Palace's servants were already waiting outside, standing with their eyes down. Li Chengjing said: "I'm leaving. It's still early. You don't have to send me out. Go back to sleep."

Cheng Yujin shook her head again. She took a thin cloak from a palace maid's hand and draped it over herself, saying: "I want to send Your Highness off personally."

Li Chengjing yielded. The couple walked until the front gate of Ciqing Palace, where Cheng Yujin stopped. Ciqing Palace was not far from the morning court site, so Li Chengjing walked instead of using a hand-drawn carriage. He took two steps and looked back. He saw Cheng Yujin, draped in a blue cloak and with a lantern in her hand, standing in front of the palace gate.

At this moment, the sun had begun to rise. The first rays of dawn fell upon Cheng Yujin, warmly and softly. She stood under the dim light, surrounded by palace maids on both sides, with the palace red walls and green tiles as a background, like a star that had mistakenly fallen into the world.

Seeing Li Chengjing turning back, Cheng Yujin nodded and smiled slightly: "Your Highness, I am waiting for your return."

After Li Chengjing was no longer visible, Cheng Yujin returned to the palace. It was still dim outside, but Cheng Yujin couldn't sleep again, so she took a bath and got dressed. Afterward, she read a book in the study until it was time to pay respect to Empress Dowager Yang and Empress Yang.

The Emperor ruled the country with filial piety, and he respected his di mother Empress Dowager Yang. As the Crown Princess, paying respect to the two women was part of Cheng Yujin's daily routine. Cining Palace was located in the west while Ciqing Palace was in the east. The distance between the two palaces was not small. When Cheng Yujin's arrived, the palace gate was already full of waiting servants.

Cheng Yujin recognized two of the sedan chairs as Empress Dowager's and the Empress'. Empress Yang was Empress Dowager Yang's blood-related niece, so it was not surprising for the Empress to come to Cining Palace. As for the other one, very few people in the country were qualified to use Empress Dowager's sedan chair.

Cheng Yujin entered the palace hall. Sure enough, she saw many 'familiar' faces. Besides the Empress, who sat by the Empress Dowager's side, there were also Senior Grand Secretary Yang's wife Yang Qian-shi, Empress Yang's elder sister Yang Yan, and Yang Yan's daughter Dou Xiyin.

After Cheng Yujin came in and saw the dazzling scenery of Yang family's full appearance, she merely glanced around and chuckled inwardly. She wasn't surnamed Yang, yet dared to enter the door. Others might call her a sheep entering the wolves' den, or a dove occupying the magpies' nest.