Chapter 208: The Princess Wields Absolute Power in Hepu

The candlelight flickered, casting light on Shen Shen Qianxi's regretful face; he suddenly slapped his forehead, his heart filled with post-fear.

Only then did he realize he had been truly impulsive, truly confused! Fortunately, no great disaster had yet been caused.

He shook his head, his voice carrying a touch of relief mixed with a touch of regret.

"The second letter was not sent; only this old minister knows of this matter."

Upon hearing this, Jun Jun Zijin's tense shoulders instantly relaxed, and she let out a long sigh:

"This is excellent. This matter is of great consequence; not a single whisper must leak out again. Otherwise, given the current situation, my brother's position would surely be perilous."

Her willow brows furrowed slightly, her eyes full of worry; once this matter leaked, Jun Chengcai's life would likely hang by a thread.

Shen Shen Qianxi hurriedly nodded in agreement, his eyes filled with respect:

"The Princess has considered everything thoroughly. This old minister will depart for the capital tomorrow to personally inform Your Majesty and Her Majesty of this matter. Once everything is arranged, we will welcome the Highness's return. For this period, I beg the Princess to take extra care of my Highness."

Jun Jun Zijin responded:

"Minister Shen, rest assured; I will surely protect my brother completely. Minister Shen, you must be careful on your journey; everything is entrusted to you."

At this moment, Jun Chengcai, who had been silent, finally spoke, his voice trembling slightly:

"Are they... well?"

His heart was worried about his parents far away in Eastern Zhou; they were the people closest to him in this world.

Shen Shen Qianxi understood whom he was asking about; instantly, the light in his eyes dimmed, and his voice lowered a few degrees:

"Your Majesty and Her Majesty miss the Highness; they have fallen ill from deep sorrow, and their condition is not good."

Jun Chengcai felt as if an invisible giant hand had tightly grabbed his heart, causing waves of sharp pain, and he felt an impulse to return immediately to Eastern Zhou.

He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white from the force, his eyes full of pain and struggle.

Jun Jun Zijin looked at him with some worry and softly comforted him:

"Brother, now is not the time to return; we must plan for the long term."

Having said this, she turned her head to look at Shen Shen Qianxi and asked about the current situation in Eastern Zhou.

Shen Shen Qianxi carefully recounted everything he knew.

From the power struggles in the court to the undercurrents surging among the common people, not a single detail was overlooked.

Jun Chengcai and Jun Jun Zijin listened with extreme seriousness; every piece of information at this moment could become the key to breaking the deadlock in the future.

After Shen Shen Qianxi finished speaking, Jun Chengcai took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down:

"Minister Shen, when you return, tell my father the Emperor and my mother the Empress that I am very safe here. Prince Yong is ambitious; they are currently constrained by Prince Yong, making their actions difficult, so tell them not to rush for the moment, to prevent Prince Yong from harming them."

Shen Shen Qianxi clasped his fist and bowed:

"Highness, rest easy; this old minister will surely deliver the message. However, the Highness must also be extra careful; although this place is temporarily stable, Prince Yong has many claws and fangs."

Jun Chengcai nodded slightly:

"I have my own judgment."

Jun Jun Zijin summoned several bottles of medicine from her space:

"Minister Shen, your journey is long; I have some pills here that can ensure your safe and smooth passage. There are also some pills that trouble Minister Shen to deliver to the Emperor and Empress; they will benefit their health."

Shen Shen Qianxi took the pills, examined them carefully, placed them in his bosom, and said with tears of gratitude:

"The Princess has a miraculous hand and a benevolent heart; these pills will surely solve the urgent crisis for Your Majesty and Her Majesty."

Jun Chengcai was also deeply grateful. The three discussed for a long time; the candlelight gradually grew weak, and the night outside the window grew deeper.

The road ahead was thick with thorns, but for the harmony and stability of Eastern Zhou and Emperor Tianqi, and for Jun Chengcai's parents, he must return to do what he ought to do.

Early the next morning, the east turned fish-belly white; Jun Chengcai's figure was already practicing Wu Gong under Fei Ying's guidance, sweat soaking his robes, yet it could not extinguish the fire in his heart.

The sword tip danced; every swing carried the sound of breaking the air, and every strike seemed capable of piercing the darkness before dawn.

"Brother, be careful with your body during morning exercise."

Jun Jun Zijin stood at the side of the field, a few degrees of approval flashing in her eyes.

Jun Chengcai stopped his movements, panting slightly, looked at Jun Jun Zijin, and a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth:

"It is nothing; I know what I am doing. The current situation forces me; I must have the ability to protect myself; I cannot rely on you forever."

The morning light was faint, the thin mist had not yet completely dispersed, shrouding the Jun Manor in a silence.

Who could have foreseen that this seemingly ordinary morning would stir up a storm of waves.

Before noon, the imperial gift procession arrived in a grand manner; this time, the rewards for Jun Jun Zijin were so numerous they were breathtaking.

Gold and silver utensils shone dazzlingly in the sunlight, night pearls emitted a soft halo, and precious antiques were arranged neatly.

Besides gold, silver, jewelry, brocade, pearls, night pearls, jade, and antiques.

They even granted her the executive power, legislative power, usage rights, and construction rights over her fiefdom, Hepu!

It is well known that Princesses and Princesses do not possess actual executive and legislative power over their fiefdoms.

They can only collect taxes periodically and have some permissions and management to indirectly influence local affairs.

The rights the Emperor bestowed upon Jun Jun Zijin were truly the great powers a Prince holds over his fiefdom, equivalent to giving her a small country.

Such an arrangement was absolutely not the Emperor's momentary whim.

After the eunuch finished reading the edict, the guards and maids present, and the entire Jun Manor, fell into a deathly silence; immediately, they began to whisper and discuss in low voices, their eyes full of shock and envy.

Jun Jun Zijin held the imperial edict with both hands, feeling that the bright yellow scroll weighed a thousand pounds.

"Master, this is a tremendous good thing!"

Guazi's face was full of excitement, her eyes sparkling.

"From now on, in Hepu, you will be just like a Prince, saying one and it is done!"

Jun Jun Zijin gently shook her head and sighed:

"The greater the power, the greater the responsibility on one's shoulders, and the greater the danger around one."

Power and risk have always been equal; a Princess with a fiefdom can enjoy wealth for a lifetime.

Your Highness, how many heads have not been safe simply because of the suspicion from above.

And now that she possesses such power... who knows how many eyes are watching her; a single misstep means eternal damnation.

But the situation allows her no retreat; she has no choice but to advance.

Compared to the bustling activity of Ao Xue Courtyard, An Xiang Pavilion was exceptionally quiet.

Quan Quan Tianyi and Jun Jun Yiyi's wedding is set for the sixth day of the first lunar month; today is already the fourth, leaving only one day.

Yet no one in the Jun household appeared busy. Because Jun Jun Yiyi is a concubine-born daughter and merely a side consort of Prince Yi Wang Fu.

Furthermore, with the Emperor and Empress watching from above, Xiang Xiang Junzheng, who was already unenthusiastic about Jun Jun Yiyi's marriage, was even less willing to make a spectacle.

Lady Zhou and Jun Jun Shuyan, due to that deceased child, already hated her intensely and naturally had no desire to organize the wedding for her.

Thus, Jun Jun Yiyi's departure for marriage involved nothing more than her donning a wedding gown herself, while Prince Yi Wang Fu brought a small sedan chair. There were no banquets, not even drums or music; she was simply carried out of the gate in silence.