Chapter 53 Fate plays tricks.

"Alright, alright, what death penalty? It's just the death of a princess, it won't matter. I'm not so easily condemned to death. Aren't you and Father going to save me?"

Ling Zhenli said these words unconsciously, and then fell into deep thought.

Xue Haoting was pleased to hear this and replied, "Yes, you're right. You don't need to be afraid of anything, Ali. As long as my father and I are here, you can do anything you want, even commit regicide. We will stand by your side."

No.

wrong.

Ling Zhenli fell into deep self-doubt.

She killed Pei Chanlian simply because she found her annoyed and felt she wouldn't face any punishment after killing her.

How could she possibly have the audacity to accuse Xue Wenmian of framing her parents? Wasn't she just like Xue Wenmian, a despicable and ruthless executioner...?

"Ah Li, what are you thinking about? You seem so lost in thought."

Xue Haoting's words interrupted Ling Zhenli's thoughts. Ling Zhenli seemed to wake from a dream, looked at Xue Haoting, and replied, "It's nothing."

"Remember to sit with your mother at the banquet. It's getting late, I can't stay with you any longer, I have to go in and keep an eye on things."

"Oh, go ahead."

I almost forgot, Xue Haoting is the Minister of the Imperial Household Department.

Forget it, everyone looks out for themselves. There's nothing wrong with her killing people. If she doesn't kill Pei Chanlian first, is she supposed to wait for Pei Chanlian to kill her?

She should stop blaming herself.

*

Pei Chang'er has made Pei Cong the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince's investiture ceremony and the Emperor's enthronement ceremony will both be held today.

Ling Zhenli, dressed in casual clothes, darted among a group of people dressed in the court attire of noblewomen, and finally found Cui Yuerong with great difficulty.

"Mother, Pei Le has made Pei Cong, a mere child, the crown prince. Did Father not try to dissuade him?"

Cui Yuerong tugged at Ling Zhenli and whispered, "Pei Xuanlin has already been deposed. He's hiding safely in Jiangnan, while you're still in the capital. To save your life, we had no choice but to agree to let Pei Cong become the crown prince... The new emperor will also posthumously confer the title of emperor upon the consort."

"What?! This crazy woman." Ling Zhenli laughed in anger. "She might as well posthumously confer the title of emperor on all eighteen generations of the Yang family's ancestors."

Cui Yuerong sighed, "Pei Xuanlin's army is pressing in, but the Chen family still controls Chang'an. Let's not talk about that for now."

"Mother, could you please send me out of Chang'an? I want to go to Jiangnan to find Pei Xuanlin..."

"We don't even know Pei Xuanlin's exact location yet, so don't run around. Just stay in the capital city. I heard from your father that the new emperor specifically asked you to come to the palace as a lady-in-waiting. Don't be afraid. Your brother often comes to the palace. If you need anything, just ask him for help. Also, the new emperor has given you special permission to go home tonight."

"I'm afraid it wasn't a special permission, but rather my father's request."

As the two were talking, several eunuchs came over.

The eunuch first bowed respectfully, then said solemnly:

"The deposed Crown Princess Xue, His Majesty requests your presence. The enthronement ceremony is about to begin. Please come with us immediately."

Ling Zhenli stared wide-eyed, somewhat taken aback.

Cui Yuerong stepped forward and said with a smile, "Your Excellency, has His Majesty said what it is?"

"Replying to Madam, His Majesty only said he wanted to see the former Crown Princess. We know nothing else. Deposed Crown Princess, please proceed?"

"Mother... Mother."

Ling Zhenli remembered Xue Haoting's words and was afraid that Pei Shang'er might really want her dead. She was terrified and looked at Cui Yuerong with reluctance.

"Since His Majesty wants to see you before the coronation ceremony, then there's nothing to be afraid of. Go ahead."

Only after receiving Cui Yuerong's reassuring reply did Ling Zhenli calm down and follow the eunuch to the Taiji Hall to meet the emperor.

...

On the white jade steps in front of the Taiji Hall, the new emperor Pei Chang'er, dressed in a crown robe with tassels veiling his face, stood atop the Danbi, with all the officials bowing their heads below.

Ling Zhenli knelt beside her and kowtowed to her.

"Long live the Emperor!"

"The officials haven't even offered their congratulations yet, but you've already given them yours. Get up." Pei Chang'er didn't even look at Ling Zhenli directly.

After Ling Zhenli stood up, a palace attendant presented her with a set of official robes.

Pei Chang'er glanced at her sideways: "Xue, I will grant you the rank of sixth-grade Shangyi, in order to manage the etiquette of the palace, because you were once the Crown Princess."

"Xue, why aren't you thanking the emperor?" a eunuch reminded her from the side.

Ling Zhenli had no choice but to perform another deep bow: "This concubine, Xue, thanks Your Majesty for your grace."

It seems Pei Shang'er already knows that Pei Chanlian is dead.

"Alright, get up."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Ling Zhenli stood up, her heart still pounding, wondering what Pei Shang'er was up to.

"In a moment, you will carry the Crown Prince and walk behind me." Pei Chang'er turned around, flicked her fingertips, and gently lifted Ling Zhenli's chin with her nail polished nails, leaning closer. "I would rather see you submit than kill you. How interesting it would be. If Pei Xuanlin knew that his wife bowed down to me and shouted 'Long live the Emperor!' how angry he would be."

Ling Zhenli remained completely calm and instead replied with a smile, "Yes, Your Majesty is wise."

"snort."

Pei Shang'er found Ling Zhenli's submissive demeanor uninteresting and let her go. The auspicious time was approaching, and she needed to prepare in advance.

A sixth rank is better than no rank at all.

However, just as Ling Zhenli was catching her breath, the eunuch reminded her to hurry up and catch up with the Crown Prince Pei Cong's entourage.

...

As the master of ceremonies chanted long and drawn-out calls, Pei Chang'er, guided by the honor guard, entered through Chengtian Gate.

She wore a crown, the tassels of which swayed gently with her steps. The patterns on her robes shimmered in the morning sun, and the dragon patterns on her jade belt were lifelike.

In the square in front of the Taiji Hall, civil and military officials stood according to their ranks.

Officials of the third rank and above wore purple robes and jade belts; officials of the fifth rank and above wore scarlet robes and silver belts; officials of the seventh rank and above wore green robes and bronze belts; and officials of the ninth rank and above wore blue robes and iron belts. Holding their tablets, they lowered their heads and waited for the arrival of the new emperor.

With another shout, thousands of officials knelt down in unison, their foreheads touching the ground.

Pei Shang'er walked slowly through the crowd, watching the court officials kneel before her. Her ancestors had walked this path before her, and now it was her turn.

Ling Zhenli held the infant who had just been named crown prince in her arms. Pei Cong was still fast asleep in his dream. He was already the master of the world.

In front of the Taiji Hall, the nine-tiered red steps symbolize the supreme status of the emperor.

Pei Shang'er ascended the steps one by one. After the edict of succession was read, Pei Shang'er formally received the jade seal and tally symbolizing imperial power.

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Pei Chang'er stood on the high platform in front of the Taiji Hall, looking down at the kneeling officials and the distant city of Chang'an.

At only fifteen years old, she ascended to the pinnacle of power. After all her hardships, she finally achieved success. No one could have imagined that the girl who was trampled on ten years ago would become another emperor in the long river of history.

"All of you, rise." Pei Chang'er raised her hand to signal, her voice not loud but full of authority.

The officials rose one after another, still maintaining a respectful posture.

After the imperial edict appointing Pei Cong as crown prince was read aloud, everyone saw that the woman holding the new crown prince and bowing three times and nine times to the emperor was the deposed crown prince's wife, Lady Xue.

Everyone lamented the cruel twist of fate.

The coronation ceremony lasted a full day.

Ling Zhenli served as a maid to Crown Prince Pei Cong for a whole day.

It's better to have Pei Xuanlin by her side. With him around, she has never suffered such grievances.

That night, Pei Chang'er was writing large characters in the Taiji Hall to celebrate the birthday of Old Madam Cui when she noticed Ling Zhenli lost in thought. She then spoke up to remind her:

"Xue Yingyue, how could you fall asleep while I was looking after a child?"

"Your Majesty, I did not doze off."

"..." Pei Chang'er suffered a heart attack.

Ling Zhenli, accustomed to her high and mighty position as the Crown Princess, especially after becoming certain that Pei Shang'er wouldn't dare to kill her, became even more indifferent to trivial matters. Though physically in the palace, her heart had long since flown to Jiangnan.

Pei Shang'er dismissed the palace maids and eunuchs.

"Xue Yingyue, instead of thinking about getting promoted and making money in the palace, all you think about is when your man will come back?"

Ling Zhenli retorted quickly: "Don't you spend your days in the palace plotting possession and resurrection? Aren't you always thinking about bringing men back?"

To become emperor?

Throughout history, how many women have been able to control political power, let alone become emperors?

"If becoming emperor were that easy, you would have done it long ago instead of waiting until now."

“I’m only fifteen, isn’t that early enough?” Pei Chang’er said, her expression gloomy. “But sitting alone on this dragon throne is really meaningless.”

Ling Zhenli still felt some pity for Pei Shang'er and wouldn't kick her while she was down. She stepped forward and said, "There are so many men in the world. You are already the emperor. Why are you so greedy for one of them?"

Pei Shang'er sighed: "You don't understand. Yang Chengxiu is different to me. When I was young, the palace servants would beat and scold me at any time and not give me food. It was Yang Chengxiu who took care of me and I survived. Without him, I wouldn't exist."

Ling Zhenli shook her head. She had previously thought that Xiao Chongheng was different to her, but after meeting so many men, she realized that Xiao Chongheng was just so-so.

"People are given specific meanings at specific times. You're only fifteen. Your youth has just begun. You have a long life ahead of you. Are you afraid you won't meet another man who will leave a deep impression on you?"

Pei Shang'er knew that Ling Zhenli's words made sense, but she just couldn't accept the facts: "Then what about you? Who were you deeply in love with? I know you're not the real Xue Yingyue. Didn't you love anyone before you became Xue Yingyue?"

Having come this far, Ling Zhenli no longer hid anything from Pei Shang'er and said frankly, "I loved Xiao Chongheng."

"So you really are... Never mind, Xiao Chongheng is just a pretty face, what's there to be attached to? Falling in love with Xiao Chongheng is the end of my life." Pei Chang'er gave a bitter smile.

Ling Zhenli smiled too.

"Yes, no woman who falls in love with Xiao Chongheng has a good ending. I've already suffered once, and I don't want to go through that again. I won't let myself repeat the same mistake."

"Suffering? What suffering? Did he not take responsibility for you and marry Pei Chanlian?" Pei Chang'er asked curiously.

"Yes, it was right after I miscarried and lost my daughter," Ling Zhenli said in a calm tone, her words piercingly painful.

Pei Shang'er was stunned when she heard this.

A note from the author: My Weibo account is @薄荷奶绿超级甜 (Minty Milk Green Super Sweet), welcome to visit me there!