The Gilded Cage - Chapter 123
Promise – I Can’t Help It If It’s Come To This (3)
Inside the house, Cui He was still waiting for her. Seeing the other’s ashen expression, she asked nervously, “Your Highness, is there something wrong?”
Chu Ning shook her head and sat down weakly on the couch, instructing her to close the door to block all the eyes outside, before she sighed with relief and said in a low voice, “I’m fine, you don’t have to worry, but something will indeed happen soon.”
She briefly recounted what she heard from Duke Lu’s mouth and what Xiao Yu himself had said just now.
“There is such a thing as this!” When Cui He heard this, her eyes were full of anger, but she had to control her voice, “At first, the Prince went to great lengths to marry Your Highness, and now after using her, a more useful one appears, and he immediately wants to discard you!”
Chu Ning patted her hand, poured her a cup of tea with her own hands, and said softly, “What’s the hurry? He is so, but it gives me the opportunity, soon. I will be able to go along with the flow and leave him.”
After saying that, she told the other her plan.
Chu Ning put away the expression on her face, and her gaze became firm. In addition to Zhao Yanzhou to protect, she also had two young cousins who survived.
The two children had been placed in Chuzhou for the past two years, studying with a local great scholar, all of which Xiao Yu knew about, and she had no doubt that he must have arranged for someone to keep an eye on them there.
At this time, she must not annoy him.
……
The actual fact was that Xiao Yu did not push her.
The next few days, as before, he was busy with his own business every day, leaving early and returning late, but he did not make her come to serve him. He left her alone in her bedchamber and even specially instructed his chamberlain to send three meals a day to her house to see that she had used them properly before resting as if he was worried that she would not think about her meals.
Until the sixth day, Xu Rong came.
It was because he saw that she was slow to reply, so he couldn’t hold back and helped Xiao Yu to persuade her.
“Your Highness, can you listen to my words?”
Chu Ning sat at the side, gently raising her hand to make sure he didn’t have to be polite, but her words came out with a thorn in her side, “I don’t think there are many days left when I can hear this ‘Your Highness’ from Duke Xu.”
Xu Rong’s face stiffened, “Your Highness, be serious. I am acting for the future of the Crown Prince.”
Chu Ning’s back was straight and she sat silently.
Xu Rong was a little embarrassed, and only after a pause did he continue, “As the saying goes, ‘the future is long’, if the Crown Prince cannot ascend to the throne, what use would Your Highness have for the present false name? The Prince’s heart is with Your Highness. This is better than anything. When the Prince becomes successful in the future, Your Highness will not worry about not getting a title. After all, they are the original couple. When the time comes, I will be the first one to write a letter, begging the Crown Prince to correct the name for Your Highness.”
“Squire Xu does not need to be like this. In these two years, you have had a lot of ill will towards me and Eunuch Zhao, you and I are clear.”
This time, Xu Rong’s face really could not stand it.
With a cold face, he rose and said, “Your Highness need not be so whiney. The Chu family has long been gone, and if it weren’t for the Prince’s kindness, there would be no place for Your Highness in the Eastern Palace. Your Highness has been in the Eastern Palace for more than two years but has not been able to give birth to a son or daughter for the Crown Prince. The Prince is the crown prince, and the importance of the heir, I think it is not necessary for me to elaborate for Your Highness. If Your Highness does not take the initiative to give way, then you can blame me for not showing Your Highness any mercy.”
He lowered his voice and continued, “Moreover, I remember that Your Highness has always valued Eunuch Zhao and the remaining two young gentlemen of the Chu family, so you should think about the others in everything.”
This was almost a bare threat.
Chu Ning pondered for a moment as to not attract suspicion, then took a deep breath, fiercely rose, and soberly said, “If I do not agree, you will hurt them?”
Xu Rong sneered, “Your Highness does not need to ask knowingly.”
After a moment of silence, she turned away, as if she was discouraged, and said in a low voice, “I know now. I will relent. Only you have to tell me exactly what to do.”
When Xu Rong saw that she seemed to have given in, he eased his face and slowly straightened up, responding, “That’s good, it’s not in vain that the Crown Prince repeatedly instructed Lady Zhao not to treat you half harshly for Your Highness’ sake. Your Highness only needs to agree. The other things, I will arrange, when the time comes, Your Highness only needs to take the initiative to the Emperor to give up the consort position.”
