Dao Companions Help Me Live Forever

Chapter 38: The Princess's Plea (Please continue reading!)

The backyard of the palace.

"Your Highness, these are today's documents. Minister Cui said that these matters cannot be delayed any longer, and he hopes that Your Highness can make a decision soon," said two well-dressed and capable palace officials as they placed a basket of documents in front of the princess.

After the death of the Prince, the responsibility of handling all the affairs of the palace fell on the princess, or more accurately, on the Crown Prince. However, since the Crown Prince was still young, the princess had to act as regent.

The Prince was not an ordinary idle prince; he held real power as a prince with a fiefdom. He was like a state within the country, with authority that was beyond imagination.

However, his power only extended to ruling over ordinary people.

And that's why he died.

In such a situation, an ordinary person would be delighted to have such power in their hands. But the princess did not love power; on the contrary, she was tired of political affairs.

So when faced with this basket of documents, she simply waved her hand and said, "Next time, tell Minister Cui not to bring them to me. Let him handle these matters himself. I don't understand these things."

Minister Cui was the chief official of the palace, in charge of many affairs. He had always been the right-hand man of the Prince.

Although his official rank was not high, in terms of actual power, it was almost equivalent to that of a prime minister. Even the local governors had to show him respect.

The princess was not an ignorant woman; she had read history books and knew the harm of excessive interference by officials in government affairs.

But she was more afraid of not doing things well and tarnishing the Prince's reputation, causing the people to curse at her.

Her thinking was simple: no matter how much power Minister Cui wielded, he would not dare to offend her and her son.

For now, the governance of Changning County still relied on him, and it would not be wise to change personnel in the face of the threatening rebels.

So, she and her son would enjoy a few years of leisurely life first, and when the Crown Prince grew up, they would take back the power.

If they were really pushed to the limit, they could simply pack their belongings and take the Crown Prince to the capital.

Although the Prince's power would definitely be lost in that case, they could still enjoy wealth and prosperity for generations to come.

"Yes, Your Highness," the two palace officials seemed to have anticipated this response and respectfully bowed before retreating. However, before leaving, they couldn't help but cast a curious glance at the woman standing behind the princess.

Who was this young lady from? How could she be so intimate with the princess?

"Yulan, you saw it too. After the Prince left, all the matters have been piled onto me. I can't even catch my breath, and wrinkles are appearing at the corners of my eyes," the princess said as she looked at the radiant and even more beautiful Yulan, thinking of Yu Xian's gentle and handsome face, feeling a hint of envy.

"Didn't he say he would be back in a month? Why did he stay away for so long? Did Chen Xiao use some means behind the scenes?" she asked.

"Well, um..." Yulan hesitated, not knowing how to respond.

She was not a person who lied, but she also couldn't directly tell the princess that Yu Xian had taken her to their hometown and they had done nothing during those months.

Especially now that the Prince had passed away, it made Yu Xian's negligence even more apparent.

The princess waited for a while, but Yulan didn't say anything that made sense.

She couldn't help but tap Yulan's head and jokingly scolded, "It's only been a short time since you left my service, and you're already not willing to tell me the truth. Men are not good creatures. Now that you're so protective of Yu Xian, be careful that he will abandon you in the future."

Hearing the princess's teasing, Yulan immediately gathered her courage and boldly retorted, "No, he won't. My husband will never abandon me."

"You call him your husband?" the princess looked puzzled.

Yulan smiled happily, "My husband has officially married me, and he even accompanied me to meet my parents."

The princess laughed and said, "No wonder you didn't want to tell me the truth. So, it seems like you haven't been idle during these past few months."

Yulan's face turned pale instantly.

How did she unknowingly sell her husband?

But then she thought, she was no longer the princess's maid now. Yu Xian had said that she was no longer anyone's servant, and with him by her side, she had nothing to fear.

So Yulan took a deep breath, and her fear gradually dissipated.

The princess saw all of this and developed a slightly better impression of Yu Xian.

"If he is willing to give you a status, then it's good. But as someone who has been through it, let me give you a piece of advice," the princess said.

"What?" Yulan asked in confusion.

"Have a child early. A woman's beauty fades, and so does her affection. Only a child is one's own guarantee," the princess said with deep emotion.

Back then, she was just the daughter of a minister of rites.

The Prince couldn't forget her after a chance encounter and, in order to marry her, he gave up the throne and asked the late emperor for permission to marry her. They came to Changning County early.

Prince Fu doesn't love the country, but loves beautiful women, which deeply moved her.

However, after entering the prince's residence for less than two years, the prince's interest in her diminished greatly.

Fortunately, after giving birth to the prince's heir, the prince's attitude improved significantly. Although he didn't dote on her as much as before, they treated each other with respect.

Yulan couldn't help but touch her belly, secretly distressed.

How could she not understand the importance of having a child?

But unfortunately, her belly was not cooperative, wasting so many opportunities.

Just when the atmosphere became somewhat gloomy, the princess suddenly thought of something and asked,

"Yulan, can you promise me something?"

Unconsciously, the princess had changed her way of addressing herself.

Yulan quickly replied, "Please tell me, Your Highness. Yulan will definitely agree to anything she can do."

The princess treated her with great kindness, and she had long wanted to repay the princess.

The princess smiled faintly and said, "It's a simple matter. I want to let Yu Gong stay in the prince's residence and protect Heng'er as he grows up smoothly.

I can let Heng'er become his disciple and let him take charge of the internal affairs of the prince's residence, overseeing all the internal affairs."

One day as a teacher, a lifetime as a father.

When the crown prince becomes a disciple, this ceremony must not be taken lightly.

"Ah?"

Yulan's face was full of astonishment, hesitating for a moment before saying,

"Your Highness, Yulan cannot make decisions for the prince, but Yulan can promise Your Highness to persuade the prince to agree."

Just then, a maid's voice came from outside the door.

"Your Highness, Yu Gong requests an audience. Would you like to see him?"

"Let him come in."

The princess ordered, smiling at Yulan,

"It's a coincidence. I can ask Yu Gong about it. Yulan, will you help me?"

Yulan nodded helplessly.

Not long after, guided by the maid, Yu Xian arrived.

This time, the door was not closed.

After all, the princess was a woman, and it wouldn't look good for her to be alone in a room with a man.

"Your Highness, I'm sorry for coming back late."

Yu Xian apologized with a cupped fist.

The princess sighed, "It's fate. Yu Gong, you don't have to blame yourself. Since Yu Gong is back, I have a request. Please agree to it."

Before Yu Xian could refuse, the princess repeated what she had just said and gave a glance to Yulan at the same time.

Yulan could only speak up with a brave face,

"My lord, the princess is working so hard alone in the prince's residence. Let's help her. Without the princess, Yulan wouldn't be where she is today, nor would she have met my lord."

Yu Xian didn't directly answer, but instead asked,

"Why did the princess choose me? With the power of the prince's residence, there must be many martial arts masters and heroes willing to take on this task.

After all, my reputation has never been good."

The princess pondered for a moment and replied, "I guess it's a feeling."

"A feeling?"

Yu Xian couldn't understand this answer.

The princess seemed to enjoy seeing Yu Xian's bewildered expression and said playfully,

"I think Yu Gong is a good person, so I wanted to give it a try."

After all, even if the result is not good, it won't be much worse.

She doesn't ask for much, just for the crown prince to grow up safely and without worries. Yu Xian, who is powerful and has no ties, is a good candidate.

In addition, the heroic rescue that day gave Yu Xian a different feeling in her heart.

Yu Xian paused for a moment and nodded,

"I can agree to Your Highness's request, but besides that, I want Your Highness to agree to one more condition from me."

"What is it?"

"I want all the inheritance related to cultivators in the Prince Fu's residence!"

Yu Xian showed his true intentions.

(End of this chapter)