Volume 2: Residence in the Capital Chapter 206: Not on the same path after all
Some people say that when people get older, their hearts become softer, and they naturally feel pity for the elderly and the poor, or in other words, they feel pity for the elderly and the weak.
However, both the Queen Mother and the Emperor scoffed at this statement. If you want to have the space to feel compassion for others, then you must first ensure that you are strong. Otherwise, how can a person with nothing help others after showing pity? In addition, the old and the weak also need to be pitied. If they are the kind of old people who are thieves because they are not dead, or the weak who are ungrateful, then it is simply helping an ungrateful person!
Therefore, although the Empress Dowager and the Emperor provided relief to members of the royal family, there was only one prerequisite: they had to be respectful and polite.
For example, the emperor personally promised that the princesses would choose husbands together with the two princesses of marriageable age. Their fathers and grandfathers all stood firmly on the side of Emperor Ruizong, the current empress dowager and the emperor until their death. As for the other families, such as Prince Sihe, whose son had just been expelled from the clan and was seriously ill, he did have two daughters, but who would care about this?
The reason given by the emperor also effectively shut up the civil and military officials. Isn't it natural for a father to choose a husband for his daughter? And for an orphan girl in the same clan who has no father to officiate at the wedding, isn't it natural for the emperor, as the real head of the royal family, to officiate at the wedding? As for other county lords and daughters with lower titles, no one wants the emperor to take care of everything.
Because that means the court might have to spend a lot more money!
Although such an event had a great impact, it was mainly concentrated among the children of officials, so the common people only discussed it a little, not as strongly as when it was heard that the prince's consort was selected from the seventh rank and below and the families of scholars. However, the emperor just said it casually, and the Ministry of Rites was busy until their legs broke. Because the preliminary application and preliminary screening were entirely their responsibility.
After Chu Kuan, the eunuch in charge of writing in the Imperial Household Department, came to the Minister of Rites with a smile on his face and copied a list of more than a hundred candidates, some people who wanted to make some small moves gave up. If the initial screening eliminated some useless people, it would be fine. But if it eliminated people who might be favored by the emperor, the consequences would be unimaginable.
In this chaotic atmosphere, even though the last Yuehua Tower Literary Contest of Princess Yongping had just ended a few days ago, no one cared about how the talented scholar who won the first prize but was ignored would feel. Even the attention Princess Yongping herself received was not as great as this incident. At most, people would discuss behind her back who would be the winner of this talented princess.
That afternoon, when the sedan chair that came out of the palace finally landed at the gate of Duke Zhao's mansion, the gatekeeper learned from the guard who the visitor was, and was naturally stunned.
You know, although the Zhu family is strictly speaking both a noble family and an in-law family, Princess Yongping and the eldest daughter have been at odds for many years. Unless it is a big day like the lady's birthday, Princess Yongping will never visit.
Several gatekeepers ran inside to report, and some came forward to greet the sedan chair, saying some irrelevant flattering words. It was not until Madam Li and Madam Jiang came out at the same time and brought the words of the lady that they let it go with a sense of relief. Madam Jiang arranged the accompanying guards and servants, and finally, only two palace maids followed Madam Li to escort the sedan chair and went straight in.
When Princess Yongping stepped down from the sedan chair on the high ladder, the first thing she saw was the woman standing at the entrance of the hall to greet her. To her, compared to the lady who she saw several times a year on various occasions, the woman in front of her, who was wearing a long autumn-scented dress, with no jewelry between her shiny black hair and a pair of white jade bracelets on her wrists, looked very unfamiliar.
However, facing that somewhat indifferent look, she instinctively trembled in her heart, then lowered her head, slightly bent her knees, and whispered: "Auntie, long time no see."
Even though she had returned to the Duke of Zhao's mansion from Zhaoming Temple, it was Zhu Ying who had been running around and attending banquets to show her presence these days, while Jiu Niang had stayed at home. At this time, she naturally felt that the address of Princess Yongping as her aunt was extremely unfamiliar. She was stunned for a moment, and then she reached out her hand to help.
But the moment her hand was about to touch the person, Princess Yongping took a step back like a snake or scorpion.
Seeing this, Jiu Niang's mouth corners drooped slightly, and then she said lightly: "I don't dare to call you princess. I didn't know you would come here suddenly. I had a cough when I got up early, and I was not feeling well, so I asked me to wait for you here. I also apologize to you, princess. Yingying went out for a banquet this morning, and she has to check the accounts in the afternoon, so she is not here at the right time."
After Princess Yongping subconsciously took that step back, she knew that she had done the stupidest thing in the world. Even though she was not as heartless as Zhu Ying, who did not even notice such a thing, but noticing it did not mean showing it, especially at this critical moment. She bit her lips tightly, but finally found that she could not make up for it.
Could she still say to Jiu Niang, "I'm sorry, I just lost my mind?" As for why she lost her mind, it was because she thought you might be my biological mother? You know, when Concubine Yu went to Zhaoming , except for the few years when she was too young, she was always taken along. Later, she almost always used various reasons to shirk, and in the end, Concubine Yu only took Zhu Ying with her.
She bowed her head deeply and said in a low voice: "I am not here to see Zhu Ying... I am here to see the lady and your aunt."
When Jiu Niang saw Princess Yongping, she already had such a guess in her mind. She nodded lightly, then turned around and led the way. Although the person behind her might be her own daughter who she had given birth to with great difficulty, she was already disappointed after Princess Yongping treated her coldly at a young age and later avoided her. Even though Concubine Yu apologized again and again, she had already made up her mind about one thing.
Her only daughter was Zhu Ying, to whom she owed a lot. And the one she felt most sorry for was her future son-in-law Zhang Shou, who had been kept in the countryside because of the Queen Mother's taboo. As for Princess Yongping, who had been a pampered daughter since childhood and doted on by thousands, but who had always kept a distance from her, how could she be so high up as to marry her?
Princess Yongping followed Jiu Niang into the main room of Qing'an Hall with mixed feelings. After walking around the screen, she saw the old lady leaning on the couch in the middle, seemingly resting with her eyes closed. On the pedal in front of the couch, a little girl was massaging the old lady's legs. The old lady only slightly opened her eyes when she seemed to hear their footsteps.
But then she sat up straight with the help of two maids beside her, and then she put on her slippers and got down to the ground.
Seeing this, Princess Yongping hurriedly took two quick steps forward, stepped forward and said, "I am a junior, please don't be too polite."
"It's rare for the princess to come. I've neglected her."
The lady bowed slightly and nodded, but she waited until Princess Yongping took her seat before she sat down. When Jiu Niang came over and stood beside her, she gently pulled her daughter-in-law's hand, and after a moment's hesitation, she leaned forward and sat beside her. She then snatched the beauty stick from the little girl's hand and beat her legs again and again. She did not stop him, but just smiled at Princess Yongping.
"Princess, you are about to get married. How come you have time to come here?"
The four words "good things are coming" were like sharp steel needles, instantly piercing Princess Yongping's heart. She did her best to put aside all her worries, raised her head and looked directly at the lady and said, "Aunt, I know that coming here today is really presumptuous and abrupt, but although I told my father, he didn't take it seriously. I...I don't want to get married!"
The lady had already anticipated Princess Yongping's intention, and what she heard at this time was not unexpected. After all, if Princess Yongping had a lover, given the emperor's character, as long as it was not some random person, he would certainly be happy to help. But Princess Yongping said that she didn't want to get married, so the emperor naturally wouldn't agree.
She leaned on the big pillow and looked to both sides. She saw that Madam Li immediately left quietly with Yutang Yulan and the two little girls. The two palace maids who had just come in with Princess Yongping also hurriedly left. She then said softly, "Princess, are you worried that Concubine Yu will be lonely after you get married, or are you worried that you will no longer be the apple of the emperor's eye after you get married?"
The first half of the sentence was exactly what Princess Yongping wanted to say, but the second half of the sentence hit her heart again. She gritted her teeth and wanted to deny it outright, but the lady didn't give her a chance at all.
"Ever since you followed the emperor out of the palace, and held the Yuehua Tower Literary Contest under the pretext of appreciating talent, and the competition was for writing contemporary essays instead of poetry, I knew you were very conceited. Of course, if you were a prince, you probably wouldn't be so blatant. You probably thought that since you were a princess and Concubine Yu didn't have a son, the emperor wouldn't mind."
Princess Yongping never expected that her thoughts could be hidden from those smart people, but when she was exposed so bluntly, she couldn't avoid being ashamed and angry. At this time, she simply said bluntly: "So what? The queen regards all the concubines and princes and princesses in the palace as thorns in her eyes and flesh. If I can't show my value, won't I be at her mercy?"
"The Queen Mother and the Emperor are still here." The Lady Dowager simply uttered a few words. Seeing Princess Yongping was speechless, she smiled and said, "Princess Deyang's situation is much worse than yours, but how did she do it? The Third and Fourth Princes are still princes after all, and the Emperor even personally enlightened them. If you say they are under more taboos than you, but how did they do it?"
"Princess, this is not the Han and Tang dynasties. Even if you are well-educated, you can't recruit countless talents. Even if you recommend talents and the emperor wants to use them, he will never make an exception. So, you should stop. If you really appreciate someone or like someone, tell the emperor directly. With the emperor's love for you, his daughter, he will definitely agree."
Princess Yongping could no longer sit still. She stood up and said angrily, "I have admired more than one person, but I just hope that they can be pillars of the court. I have never thought of marrying them! I am not Zhu Ying, who only sticks to people like taffy because of their good looks! Why do women have to marry? Why can't women be officials and govern the country!"
Seeing that the lady narrowed her eyes slightly and her expression turned cold, Jiu Niang threw the beauty stick at random, her face full of anger. Princess Yongping knew that not only had her purpose of coming here today become completely in vain, but she also deeply offended them. However, the resentment and grievance in her heart all burst out at this moment.
"You think I'm a princess. I'm the only daughter of my mother, and my father dotes on me. So I have a good life in the palace... But my father's love is just like floating duckweed! My mother has always been indifferent to me for so many years. No matter how much I treat her with all my heart, she never seems to feel it. It seems that Zhu Ying is more like her daughter than I am!"
"So, you have always been jealous of Yingying." Jiu Niang sneered and said something that shocked and angered Princess Yongping. However, she had been in this temper for so many years and didn't care about angering this princess.
"Yingying's personality is very clear about what she likes and dislikes, and she never hides it, so many people like her, and there are also many people who dislike her. The emperor likes her because she likes her straightforwardness without any pretense, and the queen mother has always been very cold to me, but she also likes Yingying because she is just like the queen mother and the old lady in the past, vigorous and decisive, and doesn't care what others think."
When she said this, a faint smile appeared on her face. "I used to live in Zhaoming Temple because of a momentary anger. Every time she came to see me, she would chatter about her own affairs, no matter how big or small. Every time, she would beg me to come back. When I remained silent, she would also lose her temper, but the next time she came, she was still the same Yingying, without any resentment."
"A person who speaks out when he has something on his mind and is always forthright and cheerful, and a person who keeps his things to himself and pretends to please others, do you think your father and mother, with their many years of experience and vision, can't tell the difference? Do you think they like Yingying more just because Yingying might be their biological daughter?"
Princess Yongping was already on the verge of collapse because of what Jiu Niang said. Although she tried her best to keep steady, she fell back into her chair when she heard the lady's next words.
"Yingying is a carefree person, so she never thought much about the past before she met Ah Shou. After she met Ah Shou, she just stood up for Ah Shou and never thought about whether there was any other hidden story behind the three of you being born on the same day. I don't know where you heard it or if you noticed it, I just want to tell you one thing."
"Since we did that back then, no matter if there are doubts or evidence in the future, you are the daughter of the emperor and Concubine Yu, Princess Yongping. Yingying is the daughter of Jing'er and Jiu Niang, the eldest daughter of our Duke Zhao's mansion. The emperor has made a promise and will never go back on it, and the same goes for Jing'er and me."
At this point, the lady sat up straight again and said calmly, "So, whether you don't want to get married or you don't like the candidates, you shouldn't come here, but should tell the emperor clearly. If you think a woman should not just take care of her husband and children, then you should tell the emperor instead of coming here to ask us for help. Outsiders have no right to interfere in the affairs of the royal family!"
