A few days after Jun Chenyi ascended the throne, he conferred the title of "Princess Zhenguo" upon Deng Youning. It was said that this title had been unanimously agreed upon by all the civil and military officials. During the rebellion led by Jun Wenci, it was almost entirely Deng Youning who turned the tide; her contributions were indisputable.
Deng Youning herself did not think much of it. To her, it was merely a change in title. As a Princess, she received no salary. The treasury of the Dongji Kingdom had already been drained by the previous emperor, and with the aftermath of the war requiring funds for countless projects, she had proactively declined to take any stipend from Jun Chenyi. On the contrary, much of the profit from her shipping business was frequently funneled into supporting Jun Chenyi. The role of Princess, for her, was truly a worry-filled one.
Once the tribute goods from Nanxin passed through the rigorous inspections of the Dongji imperial court and everything was confirmed to be in order, Jun Chenyi finally allowed Prince Si to return home. To ensure Prince Si did not die on Dongji soil, Jun Chenyi specifically tasked his own confidants along with Deng Yan'an to escort him. With Prince Si heading back to Nanxin and Prince Yi unable to stir up any further trouble while remaining in Dongji, the latter also began packing his things to return to his own country. However, before leaving, he had to see Li Tianzhuo one last time.
Chapter 211