Chapter 420 Kneel for an Hour to Wake Up

The emperor knew from the beginning that giving it to a noble would definitely not work, and the empress dowager would definitely not agree, as that would be too much of an embarrassment to the Shen family.

But he still said in public that he would give her a noble status just to bargain with the Empress Dowager.

Are you not satisfied with the status of a noble?

Then I will give you a favor and give you the position of concubine.

If you are still not satisfied, then you are being shameless.

This is not some conspiracy.

It can even be considered an open conspiracy.

But this is often the case, it doesn’t matter whether it is an open conspiracy or a secret conspiracy.

It doesn't matter whether the plan is sophisticated or not.

Most importantly, it’s effective!

The most important thing is to achieve your goal before the other party reacts!

The Empress Dowager had also reacted by now.

When he looked at the emperor, the anger in his eyes became even stronger.

But the Empress Dowager also knew in her heart that even if she was dissatisfied at this time, there was nothing she could do.

If you continue to pressure the emperor at this time, not only will you not get what you want, you may even drive the emperor too far, and end up losing everything.

The Empress Dowager took a deep breath and nodded slowly, "Since the Emperor has said so, then let it be! The Emperor has really grown up—"

"Mother," the Emperor interrupted the Empress Dowager, "I grew up more than ten years ago."

He has been the emperor for more than ten years, and the Empress Dowager is only now lamenting that he has grown up. Isn't it ridiculous?

The Queen Mother was almost choked to death by these words.

I originally wanted to use my emotions to suppress the emperor, but unexpectedly, I was directly blocked by the emperor.

It seems that the fact that she took Shen Lirong away, let Shen Lirong give birth to the child, and kept it secret until today really made the emperor angry.

However, anger is only temporary.

She still understands her own son.

As long as she is given time, she will definitely be able to convince him!

The Empress Dowager thought so in her heart and did not continue to maintain the stalemate.

The Empress Dowager's Shou'an Palace has been cleaned up and decorated quite decently.

Although it's not particularly good, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.

The emperor and empress accompanied the empress dowager to Shou'an Palace, and the prince also accompanied them.

As for other concubines and children, the emperor did not allow them to follow.

No matter how big Shou'an Palace is, it's still limited. There's no need for everyone to come here. Not only will it be crowded, it's also noisy.

Furthermore, the emperor knew in his heart that the empress dowager had no interest in those concubines and children.

Whether they are there or not is actually not important to the Empress Dowager.

As expected, the Empress Dowager didn't see those people following over, and she just glanced at them indifferently, not even interested in asking.

After the Queen Mother took her seat, she waved to Shen Lirong, “Lirong, come here quickly and meet your cousin.”

Shen Lirong is in her early thirties this year.

She is quite pretty.

It's just that she was dressed in simple and elegant clothes, which made her gorgeous appearance less beautiful and more gentle.

Shen Lirong walked gracefully before the emperor and bowed, "Greetings, cousin!"

Her voice is consistent with her appearance, both charming and gentle.

When the emperor looked at Shen Lirong, his eyes were exceptionally calm, even indifferent.

"Although I am indeed your cousin by blood, this is the Imperial Palace! Although you haven't been officially canonized yet, you are still considered a concubine in the palace.

Since you have entered the harem and become a concubine, you must abide by the palace rules. The first rule is to understand the difference between the monarch and the minister. I am the monarch, your heaven. Considering that this is your first offense, I will not punish you this time. You must remember this and never make the same mistake again, otherwise, don't blame me for being cruel.

After the emperor finished speaking, Shen Lirong's face was as pale as paper, and her body was trembling slightly.

Before, Shen Lirong just bent her knees slightly.

But now, after hearing what the emperor said, he immediately knelt on the ground and saluted respectfully.

Seeing Shen Lirong kneeling on the ground, the emperor showed a satisfied expression, and praised her highly, "Not bad! Although you have been away from the capital for more than ten years, you have not forgotten the rules of etiquette. It seems that you have not been idle all these years and have been practicing."

This sounds like a compliment, but in fact, it is not the case at all.

The emperor's words were very clear. He was telling everyone present that Shen Lirong had always been thinking about returning to the capital and entering the palace as a concubine.

If he didn't have this idea, how could he remember the rules of the palace at all times, and even remember clearly how to perform etiquette.

Shen Lirong also understood what the emperor meant, her eyes turned red, and tears almost fell.

I originally thought that I could finally follow the Empress Dowager back to the palace, and that good days were finally coming.

But I didn't expect that I would be in such a difficult situation with the emperor just after returning.

In front of the Queen.

Is it really possible that what the Queen Mother said will come true?

The emperor hates her so much...how could he possibly give her respect?

How could she possibly depose the crown prince for the sake of her and her son?

Shen Lirong closed her eyes and suppressed the complicated thoughts in her heart.

Regardless of whether it succeeds or not, now that I'm back, I can only take it one step at a time.

The Queen Mother watched all this, with a storm in her eyes.

Is the emperor slapping Shen Lirong in the face?

No!

The emperor was clearly slapping her in the face!

The Empress Dowager's face darkened. "Emperor, Lirong has been away with the child for so many years, and now she's finally back. Not only do you not care about her, but you're also making things so difficult for her. Aren't you afraid that Lirong and the child will be sad?"

"What are you talking about, Mother? When did I ever embarrass her? Wasn't I just praising her?"

The Queen Mother: “….”

The Queen Mother took a deep breath and said, "Then let Li Rong get up first! It's been so long, and you haven't even asked the child a single question!"

The emperor nodded noncommittally, "Since the Queen Mother has told her to get up, then get up!"

Shen Lirong stood up from the ground, not daring to cry, but her eyes were red, and it was obvious that she was very sad.

The Queen Mother waved to the young man beside her.

"Huai Jing, what are you still standing there for! Come up and meet your father!

"Emperor, I gave Huai Jing the name. What do you think?"

"There's nothing wrong with the name my mother gave me."

Chu Huaijing walked forward step by step, with a stern face, his hands hanging at his sides, his fists clenched.

Anyone who sees him now knows that he is very angry.

Chu Huaijing walked forward and looked at the emperor with angry eyes.

"Why are you bullying my mother?"

There was originally a smile on the emperor's face, but after hearing this, it disappeared completely.

"Are you questioning me?"

Chu Huaijing's eyes widened. "For so many years, you ignored us mother and son. Now that we are finally back, not only do you not care about me at all, but you also give my mother the status of a mother and humiliate my mother in public. Why?"

After Chu Huaijing finished speaking, everyone present was dumbfounded.

What's going on?

Is he questioning and blaming the emperor?

Who gave him the courage?

Even the empress dowager would not question the emperor like this in public. Where did he get the courage from?

The Empress Dowager looked at the Emperor's dark face and hurriedly smiled to smooth things over. "Emperor, please don't be angry. Don't argue with the child. Huai Jing's greatest strength is his filial piety. He loves his mother, so he said these words!"

The Emperor looked at the Empress Dowager disapprovingly. "Mother, you've been away from the palace for years. How could you forget that the Emperor's dignity cannot be offended? If I had spoken to the Emperor like this when I was still a prince, I'm afraid neither of us would be alive today!"

This simple sentence blocked everything the Empress Dowager wanted to say.

Although I don't want to admit it, I have to admit that what the emperor said is absolutely right.

The royal family values ​​the relationship between ruler and subject, and father and son.

First there is the relationship between ruler and subject, then there is the relationship between father and son.

Even if Chu Huaijing was a prince, daring to offend the majesty of heaven like this would be a crime of great disrespect and he would be punished.

"Emperor." The Empress Dowager's voice softened. "Huai Jing didn't grow up in the palace, so he doesn't know many of the rules. I will teach him slowly in the future. Don't bother with him. Forgive him this time!"

"Your Majesty, what you said is wrong! The prince is a role model for all the subjects. If this gets out and everyone follows suit, how can I continue to rule as the emperor? But Your Majesty also said that this is my son after all. He just returned to the palace, and it was an unintentional mistake. The punishment cannot be too severe."

The emperor hesitated for a moment, as if thinking.

After a moment, the emperor smiled and said, "Then let him kneel outside Shou'an Palace for an hour to wake himself up. It will also help him understand what etiquette and propriety are.

He grew up by his mother's side, and his character today is a result of his mother's deep responsibility. She also knelt with him for an hour to clear her mind.

"emperor!"

"Your Majesty, you've been exhausted all the way. Have a good rest. We have a family dinner tonight! I still have government affairs to attend to, so I won't stay here long!"

Seeing that the emperor was about to leave and would not change his mind, the empress dowager had no choice but to turn her attention to the queen.

"The Emperor has important matters to attend to, so please go ahead. The Empress is here to accompany me!"

"I'm afraid that's not possible." The emperor stopped and looked at the empress dowager. "Is the queen still planning a family dinner tonight, or is she not planning to host it?"

The Empress Dowager was almost furious.

Is this asking her?

This is clearly a threat to her!

Unfortunately, she was constrained by the emperor.

This time when she returned to the palace, she wanted to be high-profile and let everyone in the court know about Huai Jing's existence and see Huai Jing's style.

A family dinner is a good opportunity and we must not miss it!

There was no other way, so the Empress Dowager could only wave her hand, "Never mind, if that's the case, the Queen can get back to her work! I believe in the Queen's abilities, and I'm sure she'll be able to organize a great family banquet."

The Queen smiled and nodded, "Of course, don't worry, Mother."

The emperor took the queen and Chu Huaixu out of Shou'an Palace and went straight back to the queen's palace.

As soon as she returned to her palace, the queen's face turned completely cold.

"When my mother left the palace, she was under the pretext of praying for Xu'er's well-being. But since she came back, she hasn't said a word to Xu'er! She's deliberately trying to embarrass Xu'er!"