She handed the note over. "See for yourself!"
Initially, Huangfu Xian hadn't paid it much mind, but upon seeing the contents of the note, his expression changed. He looked at Zhao Jiaqi in surprise.
Could the Emperor intend to take the Zhenguo King's family as hostages? Had he brought them here without their knowledge?
Was it what he was thinking?
Huangfu Xu saw more clearly than Xian Wang. He had no doubts and directly stated, "The Emperor's intention is not what it seems. The Princess Consort and the King must be careful."
"It's late to say we sent you the imperial decree, perhaps he forgot. But you had only just left your fiefdom when he sent people to fetch your family. This is no coincidence, but a premeditated plan!"
Zhao Jiaqi slowly closed her eyes, trying to quell her anger, her mind racing for a solution.
Huangfu Xian also dropped his playful demeanor, speaking with utmost seriousness. "Sister-in-law, we must plan this carefully. I suspect the Emperor won't hide them away directly, but will send them back to the King's manor!"
Zhao Jiaqi scoffed. "As you say, send them to the manor. After the Emperor's grand wedding, when the King and I can return to our fiefdom, the elders and children will remain in the capital. Isn't that being a hostage in disguise?"
The children were her bottom line. If the Emperor dared to toy with her nerves by targeting her bottom line, then she wouldn't mind poking Huangfu Yifan's nerves a little.
Huangfu Xian and Huangfu Xu exchanged glances, their minds also whirring.
Fan Zehao was known for doting on his wife and protecting his children. The Emperor's abrupt decision to bring the child here clearly showed a lack of trust, an attempt to exploit Fan Zehao's weakness to coerce him.
However, based on their understanding of Fan Zehao, he was the type to dislike being revered and was never polite to those who threatened him.
"Sister-in-law, elder brother, if you need my help in any way, please don't hesitate to ask. Our two families are close kin, and I will undoubtedly help!"
Huangfu Xian spoke the honest truth. Moreover, he had also understood Huangfu Yifan's sinister nature. Living under him required extreme caution.
If one lived under Fan Zehao, as long as the common people were safe, it was fine.
He was not a suspicious person, nor someone who meddled in others' affairs. As long as his wife and children were safe, nothing else mattered in his eyes.
Compared to Huangfu Yifan, they would prefer to live under Fan Zehao!
"Thank you for your kindness!" Zhao Jiaqi said wearily, then left.
Her mind was no longer on these two princes. She was entirely consumed with thoughts of her child's well-being.
In private, she sent someone to the骠骑将军府 (Piaoqi General's Manor) to see if Pinting's family was like hers, if their family members had also been summoned by the Emperor.
Fan Zehao returned that evening, an air of dissatisfaction about him, with Xia Zhi following behind. Seeing her head bowed, Zhao Jiaqi knew her husband had learned from Xia Zhi that the children were coming to the capital.
She waved to Xia Zhi. "You go prepare the Prince's official robes. He'll need them tomorrow!"
Before Xia Zhi could speak, Fan Zehao said gruffly, "This Prince will wear armor to the palace tomorrow!"
Seeing that the Prince and Princess Consort had something to discuss, Xia Zhi withdrew from the room, but still followed the Princess Consort's instructions to prepare the official robes.
Once Xia Zhi had left, Zhao Jiaqi rose from the bed and sat beside Fan Zehao, patiently coaxing him.
"Why do you have to do this? The situation isn't certain yet, and if you go rashly, what if you fall into his trap!"
"Wife, the Emperor is suspicious and impatient. He's not even a fraction as good as the former Emperor. I didn't think he was such a sinister person before, but after ascending the throne, people change. Even if we are honest and law-abiding, so what? Can we still not withstand his suspicion of us?"
What Fan Zehao said was quite true.
However, at this moment, they were in the capital, under his watchful eye, and had to be extra cautious.
"Alas, let's wait and see. A few days won't matter. Since they're already here, it won't be easy for them to go back. Instead of confronting him head-on, let's observe the situation first before making any plans!"
Fan Zehao looked at his wife, her brow furrowed with worry. His anger subsided by half, but he couldn't suppress the hatred for the Emperor in his heart.
He squeezed her hand. "Don't worry too much. Things will work out in the end."
Whether they would work out or not, she didn't know, but the path ahead was certainly winding.
"Fan Xudong and Pinting are also upset tonight. Their eldest uncle, aunt, and their three children have also been summoned. They'll likely arrive in the capital with our family. You should have the servants tidy up the courtyard these few days. Second brother's family will be here tomorrow so we can look out for each other!"
Zhao Jiaqi listened and kept it in her heart.
Looking out for each other... it probably wasn't that simple. It seemed he and Fan Xudong had discussed something.
The next day, shortly after Fan Zehao entered the palace, several carriages stopped outside the manor. The crests on the carriages belonged to the 骠骑将军府 (Piaoqi General's Manor). Seeing the Princess arrive, Da Zhuang immediately opened the gate and welcomed her into the manor. The remaining carriages entered the Prince's residence through a side gate.
Pinting ran all the way to the matriarch's courtyard. Seeing Zhao Jiaqi, she rushed forward and pouted, her voice full of grievance. "Sister-in-law!"
"It's no use calling me 'Big Mama', I have a headache myself right now!" Zhao Jiaqi immediately cut her off.
Pinting had learned about her sister-in-law's situation from Xia Zhi. She slumped dejectedly onto a chair, picking at the armrest. "Sister-in-law, you're so resourceful, can't you think of a solution that satisfies everyone?"
"What are you filling that head of yours with?" Zhao Jiaqi retorted.
What good would it do for her to think of a solution?
The initiative was no longer in their hands, but in the Emperor's. Now, it all depended on what the Emperor intended to do!
The King's manor was shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere, as if an unseen wind was swirling, waiting to erupt.
The servants dared not even breathe, serving with utmost caution.
Fan Zehao, having returned from his audience with the Emperor, had a slight upward curve to his lips, a look of triumph on his face. This further perplexed Zhao Jiaqi.
"It seems your discussion with the Emperor went very smoothly!"
Fan Zehao snorted. "I was quite happy. Whether the Emperor was happy, I don't know!"
She could tell that she wouldn't get a straight answer from Fan Zehao. Turning to Fan Xudong, she asked, "Second brother, tell me, what's happened to my elder brother!"
"The Emperor reprimanded my elder brother today, saying he went to war without receiving the imperial decree, and asked why he didn't return the captured cities of the Jin kingdom. My elder brother silenced him with a few words. The Emperor's face turned as colorful as a palette, it was truly a sight to behold!"
Zhao Jiaqi's eyes flickered. At that time, waiting for an imperial decree to go to war would undoubtedly have given the Jin kingdom a chance to breathe.
It was like a certain war, where the enemy had already set up their cannons and were about to fire.
Then, their side would implement some red tape, kneeling to report to a minister, "Sir, we are ready, please grant permission to fire." Before they could even finish, they would already have taken an enemy cannonball, dying unjustly!
"The situation on the battlefield is ever-changing, and no one knows what will happen in the next moment. Furthermore, a general in the field has the authority to act. If one were so rigid, the Yun Kingdom would have long been devoured by others!"
Fan Xudong also felt that his sister-in-law was right. He also felt a sense of injustice. "At that time, General Xiao Ce had gone missing, General Fang was severely wounded, and only Deputy General Zhang Heng was left. Could he withstand the enemy's high-spirited army?"