Thirty-two is mother [5700 plus more]

  Zhang Yan dragged the bronze sword all the way to the north gate of Chang Le Palace, looked up and asked the guards standing on the palace gate tower, "Has that Liu Jing left the palace?"

  The fully armored guard looked out from above and saw a five or six year old girl holding a bronze sword stained with blood and dust, her face filled with an air of killing intent. The strange combination made him pause for a moment before he recognized the girl as the daughter of Xuanping Hou, who was being raised in the imperial palace, and the most favored granddaughter of the empress dowager. Not daring to be slow, he replied, "Lord Liu entered the palace at midnight and has not come out yet."

  Zhang Yan nodded slightly, with a stern expression holding her sword standing in front of the gate, she took out a handkerchief from her bosom to wipe the sweat on her forehead.

  However, at this time, a middle-aged man in a black robe and lacquered hat walked out from the north gate, exchanged his credentials at the palace gate, and Zhang Yan suddenly stood up, recognizing him clearly as Liu Jing, the Marquis of Jianxin, who had proposed to Emperor Gao that he should take Princess Ru Yuan to marry off to the Xiongnu.

  For a moment, Zhang Yan thought of Lu Yuan's reluctance, the cruelty of his death, and felt an extraordinary anger in her heart. She didn't know where she got the strength from, but she picked up the bronze sword that she couldn't lift before, pointed the blade at him and shouted, "You're surnamed Liao."

  Inside and outside the palace gate, there was an eerie silence. From officials to guards, everyone stared in stunned silence at the delicate girl holding a blood-stained bronze sword, facing the high-ranking officials of the imperial court, frozen in place, unable to react.

  "Is it you who wants my mother to marry off to the Xiongnu? You heartless killer, do you know how deep the love is between my parents? My mother just gave birth to my younger brother, and our family was harmonious and happy. But because of your one sentence, our family is torn apart." Zhang Yan walked up to Liu Jing, the cold bronze sword blade reflecting Liu Jing's face, and then her guards reacted, rushing over to stop Zhang Yan.

  Zhang Yan's small body was pinned down by the sturdy Southern Army guards, unable to move. Her hands still refused to let go of the sword hilt, her beautiful phoenix eyes wide open, staring fixedly at Liu Jing, kicking her legs, "If you have the ability, why don't you take your own daughter to be married off?"

  "Halt!" the leading guard shouted, knocking the bronze sword out of Zhang Yan's hand. However, he didn't dare to hurt the emperor's granddaughter, so he used a lighter force.

  "It sounds like this is the Zhang daughter of the Xuanping Marquis's household?" With a sword pointed at his face, Liu Jing was unperturbed and glanced at Zhang Yan twice before saying calmly, "If my daughter can be married off to appease the Xiongnu, I am willing to send her."

  "Hahaha," Zhang Yan laughed loudly, "Have you ever asked your daughter if she's willing?" Her voice was low and mournful, "She's just your daughter, what has she owed you or wronged you that you can decide her whole life like this? Lou, did you see that?" Her gaze shifted to the bronze sword on the ground, "The blood on the sword is my mother's. My mother said, if you insist on sending me to marry into the Xiongnu tribe, then send my corpse instead. Are you determined to drive our family to ruin and destruction before you'll stop?"

  Liu Jing's body shook slightly, and he lowered his head to carefully examine the bronze sword that had just threatened his life. The blade was stained with a large patch of blood, which had already congealed into a dark red color, revealing how great a determination Lu Yuan Chang had made at the time.

  It was not until then that he truly extinguished Emperor Gao's idea of marrying his eldest daughter to the Xiongnu.

  "What a ruckus!" A stern rebuke came from afar, and Liu Ying hastily arrived from the Eastern Palace, pulling Zhang Yan out of the hands of several Southern Army soldiers. Her face was as cold as frost. "Zhang Yan, you are too ignorant of the heights of heaven and the thickness of the earth. Is this a place where you can casually throw your childish temper? Pointing knives and swords at court officials, do you know that based on this alone, the Court Censor can punish you?"

  Zhang Yan fell to the ground with a thud, stubbornly saying, "A Yan knows A Yan is reckless, but A Yan doesn't regret it. Every word A Yan said was sincere. Even if given another chance, A Yan would still say the same thing."

  Liu Ying looked at her raised neck, got angry and dizzy, turned around and ordered the guard beside him, "Take Zhang's wife to my East Palace, unless Xuanping Hou comes to take her away, she is not allowed to come out half a step."

  "Alright." The two men responded, bending down to take Zhang Yan's hand. Zhang Yan shook them off and glared at them, "No need for you to escort me, I'll go myself." Ignoring them, she walked away on her own towards the east.

  "Lord Liu," Liu Ying turned around and smiled at Liu Jing, "A Yan is just a child who doesn't understand things, don't mind her."

  Liu Jing bowed his head and cupped his hands, "Your Highness is too kind, Zhang's wife was indignant for her mother's sake, it was indeed a filial act. Although I am stubborn, I wouldn't make things difficult for her. I bid farewell."

  He turned around and slowly walked towards the North Temple, Liu Ying looked at his back, and suddenly felt that this straight minister who always had a straight back, had some hunchback in this moment.

  He stood for a moment, then turned back and headed towards the Zheng An Hall where the Emperor usually resided. Today, Zhang Yan had caused a big commotion at the Northern Palace, and although Lu E had quickly sent someone to report the news to him at the Eastern Palace, his father, the Emperor, would surely find out soon as well. He would send Zhang Yan back to the Eastern Palace and have her confined, not just to punish her, but also to clear her name. In fact, even if the Minister of Justice were to blame Zhang Yan or even her father, the Marquis of Xuanping, for this incident, it all depended on the Emperor's whim.

  If he let it go lightly, Zhang Yan was just throwing a tantrum like a child, and nothing would happen.

  If he were to pursue the matter further with his words, it would very likely implicate his sister and brother-in-law, and even become a factor affecting their relationship.

  He imagined how furious Emperor Taizong would be when he found out about Ah Yan, but it was really hard to imagine Liu Bang slapping his thigh and laughing in the grand hall without any dignity.

  "This is more like my Liu Bang's granddaughter, arrogant enough." He patted his own shoulder, which had hurried over, and laughed without stopping. Immediately, he looked at himself with dissatisfaction and said, "Unlike you, who clearly hated Liu Jing to death in your heart, but still forced a good face on him."

  Liu Ying was silent for a moment before saying, "Your Majesty is wrong about one thing. I don't hate Liu Jing."

  "Oh?" Liu Bang was taken aback, scrutinizing Liu Ying's expression with suspicion, "You don't hate him, do you actually agree with him, letting your sister marry a Xiongnu?"

  Liu Ying tucked up his sleeves, bowed his head and made a deep bow. Then he stood up, put his hands together in front of his forehead again, and only then did he put them down and sit down in front of the desk at the lower end of the hall: "As a younger brother, I absolutely cannot watch my older sister be married off to a Xiongnu and suffer a miserable life. But as the crown prince, Liu Jing's proposal is merely a national policy, regardless of whether it hurts me or not, I have no reason to resent him."

  Liu Bang fell silent for a moment, then looked at him with a sarcastic smile. "Really not like me," he sighed. "Xing Er, you are too serious and rigid. Which corrupt Confucian scholar taught you to be this way? A great man in the world is happy when he's happy, angry when he's angry. Like you, even if you become an emperor, what's the point?"

  He finished speaking, and without considering how Liu Ying thought about this matter, he stood up and waved his hand, saying, "You can go back now. I know your intention, I have already decided not to make things difficult for your sister again, so why would I make things difficult for such a little girl?" He turned around and walked through the curtains behind the hall, entering the inner chamber, where Qi Yi came up to greet him, happily saying, "Your Majesty, today Li Yu is in high spirits and wants to go horseback riding. Later, we won't let him know, but sneakily go take a look at him, how about that?"

  "Alright, alright, have it your way." Liu Bang hugged her and suddenly said, "Ru Yi is still so childish."

  "What's wrong with being showy?" Qi Yi turned back and scolded, "I just want him to be showy, so I can be happy."

  In the spring of the 9th year of Han Dynasty, on March 20, Liu Bang released Xuanping Hou Zhang Yi who was detained in the court.

  Twenty-two, Liu Manhua, the Princess Ruyuan Chang, who had just awakened from her coma, ignored her weak body and temporary inability to speak, insisted on returning to the Xuanping Marquis's residence, and was unwilling to stay in the Changle Palace for another moment.

  Xuanping Marquis Zhang Jue brought back Princess Chang and her son Yan, and then visited the East Palace to acknowledge and take charge of Zhang Yan, who had been confined. He scolded her severely, ordering her to return to her room and reflect on her actions, not allowing her to step out of the room without his permission. Zhang Yan knew she was in the wrong and meekly accepted the punishment. She spent her days talking with her sister-in-law, playing the zither with a music teacher, and teasing her one-month-old brother, not daring to do anything excessive. Lu Yuan felt heartbroken for his daughter and wrote a letter pleading on her behalf. Zhang Jue comforted her in a soft voice, "I know that Yan is a good child, but she needs guidance. Her recent behavior has been somewhat unbecoming. If I don't discipline her now, it's hard to guarantee that she won't become arrogant and make another mistake. Not every time can we rely on luck, if next time the Emperor turns against us without mercy..." He shuddered at the thought of the unpredictable nature of fate, embracing his wife, "I'd rather she remembers some lessons now than suffer for her own recklessness later."

  Ruyuan Yi was in Zhang Ao's arms, thinking of this narrow escape from death, and didn't feel any lingering fear. She picked up her pen again and wrote, "I know you don't blame Ah Yan in your heart, so I can rest assured now. Fortunately, we won't have to be separated this time." Suddenly, her eyes turned red, "If Father Emperor really doesn't yield until the end, I really, really don't know what to do for the best."

  The soft moonlight poured into the room through the window, and Zhang Ao opened his eyes to gaze at the canopy above. He thought: Lu Yuandai has escaped, I wonder which imperial concubine will replace her in marrying off to the Xiongnu. But this matter cannot be told to Manhua, otherwise, she would feel guilty again.

  Note: Liu Jing originally had the surname Lou, but in the fifth year of the Han dynasty, he was the first to advise Emperor Gao to establish his capital in Guanzhong, and Emperor Gao bestowed upon him the surname Liu.

  Today's second update. Dear, asking for pink tickets as rewards.