Chapter 247.1: Hello Chang’an
Chapter 247.1: The sun was fine, perfect for travelling
Hearing the servant’s announcement, Chang Kuo’s hairs stood on end and he immediately went on full alert.
He glanced around the mourning hall as if searching for a place to hide. The only possible choice seemed to be the coffin standing in the hall — but that would be too offensive, too disrespectful. The thought flashed through his mind and he silently muttered Amitābha in repentance.
He grabbed his daughter’s arm and marched for the exit, urging, “Go — Father has matters to discuss with you.”
But no matter how fast they hurried, as they stepped down the stone steps out of the mourning hall they ran straight into the Grand Princess of Xuan’an and her daughter.
Chang Kuo’s foot paused and his expression froze.
The Grand Princess looked imperious and languid; she slowly surveyed him from head to toe.
Chang Kuo felt irritated under her gaze; the feeling showed on his face — he frowned but said nothing.
The Grand Princess had no intention of speaking either. The two of them seemed to be observing a tacit rule in silence: the one who speaks first loses.
Seeing this, Chang Suining quietly counted in her head.
Three years old...
The two of them together couldn’t be any older than that.
Split it up, each gets a year and a half.
With two one-and-a-half-year-olds present, the duty of opening one’s mouth naturally and rightfully fell to her and Li Tong.
“Your Highness the Grand Princess, Sister Tong.”
“Grand General Chang.” Li Tong bowed to Chang Kuo, then looked to Chang Suining. “Young Miss Chang, are you going back now?”
Chang Suining nodded.
“Wait a moment, Ning Ning.” The Grand Princess’s gaze landed on Chang Suining and for the first time looked gentle. “No need to hurry home. Let me go in and offer an incense — I have a few things to say to you.”
Chang Suining naturally agreed.
The Grand Princess then took Li Tong into the mourning hall to pay respects.
“Let’s go.” Chang Kuo tugged at his daughter.
Chang Suining didn’t move. “…We promised to wait until the Grand Princess left.”
“Why wait for her? What proper business could she possibly have!” Chang Kuo waved the remark away without concern. “That woman is no good — stay away from her in future or she’ll corrupt you!”
Chang Suining looked at him and lowered her voice, curious: “This is my aunt — do you know her better than I do, Father?”
Chang Kuo’s face changed — he’d actually forgotten that relationship for a moment!
He was more absent-minded than an outsider!
“Fine, I’ll go…!” He released his daughter and tried to leave on his own.
Chang Suining hauled him back.
She pulled him to the corridor and, reading his expression, treated the stubborn man as if she held a rope tied to a bull.
Under the corridor she looked him in the eye. “The Grand Princess personally led troops to support Hezhou and helped a great deal. If you avoid her like this, Father, isn’t that rude?”
Chang Kuo answered with righteous indignation: “She helped Hezhou — she looks after Xuanzhou’s interests. What has that to do with me, Chang Kuo?”
Hadn’t she said herself: when you beat the dog, check the owner!
In any case, he was not the dog she meant.
“But she’s someone I invited.” Chang Suining looked at him. “And she even helped rescue Brother.”
“That doesn’t count as help! Who asked her to do it —” Chang Kuo’s voice abruptly stopped; then he said, “She meddled on her own, I never asked for her help!”
Chang Suining was momentarily speechless. “If you keep acting so unreasonable, Father, I’ll really start imagining things.”
“Imagine what!” Chang Kuo’s expression flickered: “We simply don’t get along… our natures clash, we can’t talk!”
“You even know her ‘bazi’?” Chang Suining stared. “What, have you secretly matched charts with her?”
“…!” Chang Kuo’s expression twisted. “Nonsense!”
“I don’t know what grudge you two have,” Chang Suining said helplessly, “but someone helping you is a fact. Your behavior makes people laugh. It even embarrasses me.”
Chang Kuo’s expression grew complicated.
If a subordinate caused his lord to be embarrassed, that would be disloyal and shameful — what kind of subordinate could one keep?
“Weren’t you supposed to be thinking about the future?” Chang Suining went on. “Someone as important as the Grand Princess — you shouldn’t make enemies of her or refuse to form ties. You don’t have to fawn, but you shouldn’t push her away either.”
Chang Kuo clenched his fist again and swallowed down his thoughts about loyalty and dishonor.
At that moment the Grand Princess stepped from the mourning hall and peered down the corridor. Seeing Chang Kuo still there, she immediately drew her gaze back, graceful and composed as she walked toward them.
“Your Highness.” Chang Suining bowed.
Chang Kuo shifted his stance and looked out into the corridor.
The Grand Princess inclined her head and asked in a soft voice, “Are the injuries better?”
“Much better — only surface wounds.” Chang Suining replied. “Thanks to Your Highness’s personal aid, Hezhou would surely have fallen to Xu Zheng otherwise.”
They had offered thanks many times over the past days, but she still needed some topic of conversation — after all, their current interaction was only one move in the silent game of one-upmanship between the two older people.
The Grand Princess’s visit was ostensibly to offer condolences, but it was clear she’d timed herself to make this meeting unavoidable.
As for “there’s something to say to you” — that was obviously not really the point.
“That’s not correct.” The Grand Princess, hearing Chang Suining’s modest words, replied seriously: “If I hadn’t learned that Xuanzhou mobilized its troops, Xu Zheng wouldn’t have rushed here in such haste. Without his arrival, that battle would have had no suspense — you would have already won.”
Chang Suining: “But if you hadn’t shown up, Xu Zheng wouldn’t have withdrawn to Jiangning.”
“But I was only able to come because of the letter you sent.” The Grand Princess looked at the young girl with genuine praise in her eyes. “That credit is yours… You’re remarkable — so young yet so thorough in planning, so reasonable and loyal. Truly impressive.”
Chang Suining accepted the praise with a touch of shamelessness and, knowing where the credit belonged, deflected: “…All thanks to Father’s teaching.”
The bridge had been placed — the Grand Princess smoothly shifted her gaze to Chang Kuo.
Sensing that look, Chang Kuo still stared out at the corridor but could not hide a trace of silent pride. “My daughter — natural talent.”
The Grand Princess: “Yes, it must be natural. She doesn’t look like someone any elder at home could’ve taught.”
Chang Kuo turned to her, affronted. “What do you mean by that?”
Was she implying his child couldn’t have been taught by him?
The Grand Princess replied lightly, “What meaning could I have? I was only echoing your praise — is that wrong?”
Chang Kuo’s face reddened.
The Grand Princess gave him a sidelong glance. “Mind yourself. Don’t get so worked up you faint again; that would be a disgrace.”
Chang Kuo pointed a finger at her. “You—”
“Ah—” Li Tong suddenly exclaimed and hurried over to Chang Suining. “Sister Chang, I just remembered — I have something to show you!”
She grabbed Chang Suining’s hand and dragged her away from the scene of conflict.
Outside the long corridor Li Tong rummaged in her sleeve but came up empty-handed.
Chang Suining began to feel sorry for her.
Li Tong panicked for a moment, then seized some snow, quickly rolled it between her hands, and presented it to Chang Suining with a smile. “Sister Chang, look — I made you a little rabbit. Do you like it?”
Chang Suining took it. “…I do.”
From inside the corridor a quarrel could still be heard.
Li Tong hurriedly said, “Sister Chang, don’t worry. I’ve often heard the maidservants at my mother’s side say my mother and Grand General Chang are very close — they quarrel a lot!”
She laughed it off without surprise: “As the saying goes, couples quarrel at the head of the bed and make up at the foot…”
Her voice faltered, then she corrected herself: “Ahem, what I mean is — scolding is love…”
She paused again.
Her mouth ran ahead of her brain; the brain struggled to catch up.
The two of them looked at one another; Chang Suining was silent while Li Tong cleared her throat, embarrassed. “…In short, they’re both bristly but soft-hearted. Quarrels aren’t a big deal.”
Chang Suining nodded: “…Understood.”
If Li Tong continued, her mouth would surely force her brain to strike, and the two of them would be driven to distraction.
Meanwhile Chang Kuo, not wishing the younger people to hear unpleasant words, dragged the Grand Princess further away for private talk.
When Chang Kuo finally stopped, the Grand Princess let go and snapped angrily, “What are you trying to do!”
“What do you think you’re doing!” Chang Kuo shot back. “You came while I was away from the capital and lured away my two children. Now you keep my son back… Li Rong, you’re acting treacherously — taking advantage of others. Do you know what propriety and shame are?”
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