The Gilded Cage - Chapter 129
The Court Meeting – I would like to ask for permission to enter the Daoist temple for training (1)
At night, Chu Ning did not return to her own bed chamber, but was left by Xiao Yu to sleep with him.
In the darkness, her eyes were closed, and she was dreamingly awake all night, waiting for dawn.
Xiao Yu also did the same thing, tossing and turning for a long time during the night, and having trouble sleeping.
The two of them were lying side by side, but they both chose to be silent until the next morning when the maid came knocking at the door, and then they got up in silence.
Chu Ning, as usual, first served Xiao Yu to get dressed and finish breakfast, and then stood at the door to see him off.
Before he left, he shook her hand tightly, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn’t. He only turned around and left in silence, heading to Taiji Palace to attend the court meeting.
Chu Ning smiled, gently and calmly, turned around, and went back to the house, then changed into a clean and simple robe. Her long hair was adorned simply, her face was not powdered, and only her lips were dotted, but the fairness of her face was enhanced.
She looked at the bronze mirror carefully, then stood up again, with Cui He pushing open the door, “Well, Duke, I will go now. Are you satisfied?”
Xu Rong somehow felt a bit vain under her gaze, but still squinted his eyes and carefully examined her attire, and only after seeing that everything was in order did he step back to make way, bowed and arched his hand, and said, “Your Highness, come this way.”
Chu Ning took a deep breath, slowly stepped down the steps, and rode the palanquin towards the Hall of Hundred Blessings where Empress Dowager Qi lived.
……
In the Taiji Hall, the matters to be discussed at the court meeting were nearing the end, and the matter that Crown Prince Xiao Yu had done in Suizhou was finally brought up.
The dredging of the river in Suizhou was a good thing that will benefit the people, and the irrigation of hundreds of hectares of land will be restored.
“Good, I think such a great merit should be greatly praised.” Another courtier also got up and agreed.
The rest of them waited to see Xiao Kezhi’s reaction.
Somehow, the ministers always felt that the Emperor’s attitude toward the Crown Prince was extraordinarily ambiguous.
He had disposed of many well-known prince’s parties several times, but on the other hand, he was always extraordinarily lenient to the Crown Prince, and even repeatedly said such words as “the foundation of the country,” as if he really wanted to treat him as the Crown Prince to cultivate carefully.
“The prince’s trip is indeed beneficial to the people of Suizhou.” Xiao Kezhi said in a deep voice, “I also think he should be praised.”
Such an attitude left the crowd slightly reassured, and they echoed his words.
On the other hand, Xiao Yu, the prince who was being discussed, had a depressed look on his face, and even when he heard the praise from the crowd, he did not show his joy, but became more and more depressed.
“Your Majesty,” He slowly rose from his seat, bowed his head, and walked to the center, kneeling down in front of dozens of gazes. He said in a deep voice, “I am ashamed. I dare not accept any words of praise.”
“What, you have something to say?” Xiao Kezhi sat up straight and looked at him with a smile.
“Yes.” Xiao Yu heavily kowtowed and made a guilt-ridden appearance, saying sorrowfully, “When I returned yesterday, I heard that the court had mentioned a few days ago that in the past two years since my marriage, I had not been able to give birth to a son or a daughter in order to secure the legacy of the country. I feel guilty, but this matter is all my fault. I have no concubines in the East Palace, and not because of the Crown Prince’s Consort, it is my stubbornness to be unwilling to give up my consort. I am unwilling to have other children before my wife, who had not been able to comfort the ancestors…”
This statement had the intention to excuse the Crown Prince’s Consort.
Squire Xu got up and said, “Your Highness doesn’t have to blame yourself. In the past two years, everyone knows the way Your Highness treats the Crown Prince’s Consort, and Your Highness’s style of cleanliness is a model for all.”
The words fell, and a few people rose to echo.
Xiao Kezhi looked at the people underneath him, and a mocking smile flashed across his lips. Xiao Yu’s words seem to imply that the Crown Prince’s Consort Chu is involved in this matter.
The actual fact was that he was so hypocritical that he could describe all selfish and self-serving actions as selfless. This nephew didn’t have much in politics, but his ability to turn black to white and enlist the hearts of people was not small.
“Get up.” Xiao Kezhi hid the coldness in his eyes, “I never said that my niece-in-law was in the wrong.”
Xiao Yu’s face was still ashen and gray. He got up slowly and glanced outside the hall as if he was waiting for something.
Just when he was about to return to his seat, a servant from outside the hall hurried over and said loudly,: “Your Majesty! The Crown Prince’s Consort went down and went outside the Hall of Hundred Blessings to ask and see the Empress Dowager, and said, ‘I want to voluntarily give up my position as the Crown Prince’s Consort’! The Empress Dowager is unwilling to make a decision and asks the Emperor to send a royal decree!”
As soon as the words fell, there was an uproar in the hall!
This was the first time in this dynasty that the monarchs and ministers discussed the Crown Prince’s family affairs at the court meeting, and it was also the first time that a prince consort wanted to give up her position on her own initiative.
The boulder hanging in Xiao Yu’s heart fell slightly.
Xiao Kezhi waited for the discussion to subside, then tapped on the table with his fingers and said in a deep voice. “In that case, please invite the Crown Prince’s Consort to come here together.”
The servant hadn’t even caught his breath yet, but after hearing this, he hurried out again.
…
