Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Confession
"Why did you send a letter so suddenly?" Daiyu arrived at Prince Zhongshun's mansion. As soon as she entered the house, Princess Zhongshun stood up to greet her and pulled her to sit down. "It just so happens that I found a jade hairpin these days. It's soft and smooth, and it's perfect for you."
As she spoke, Xia Jin came up carrying a small box.
Inside was a hairpin carved from mutton-fat white jade. The hairpin was slender, like a crescent moon or a thin bamboo branch, with faintly visible bamboo leaf patterns. The head of the hairpin was carved into a half-opened magnolia, and the calyx was inlaid with a very small and light amethyst. It was not eye-catching or ostentatious, but it exuded character and spirituality, which was indeed the best match for Daiyu's temperament.
Daiyu looked at the hairpin, which was not cheap in terms of both jade material and workmanship, and felt guilty and uneasy.
"Try it on." Seeing that she was hesitant to move, Princess Zhongshun smiled and reached out to take the hairpin, wanting to put it on her head.
Looking down, he saw that although she was smiling, she looked a little nervous. He waved his hand to let the people in the room leave and asked, "What's wrong? Could it be that someone at Rongguo Mansion is giving you trouble?"
"No." Daiyu didn't act like a spoiled child by embracing Princess Zhongshun as usual. Instead, she lowered her head and whispered, "I have something I want to tell the Queen."
"What's the matter?" Princess Zhongshun put her arm around Daiyu's shoulders and said with a smile, "Is there anything you can't tell me?"
Daiyu hesitated for a moment before saying, "Your Majesty asked me before if I had any requirements for my future husband. I didn't know then, but now I do."
"Is he elegant and graceful? Or talented? Or gentle and refined?" Princess Zhongshun asked in surprise. "People in this world always say that marriages are arranged by parents and matchmakers, but in my opinion, while private marriages are forbidden, at least the two people should not be too far away from the person they like. Otherwise, how will they live together for the next few decades?"
"He comes from a good family, is tall and has an imposing bearing. His facial features resemble his mother's, with picturesque eyebrows and a resolute look in his eyes. He doesn't look feminine, but rather appears even more handsome." Daiyu couldn't help but smile as she spoke of Wu Tianyue. "He also has a good personality. On the surface, he may seem to dislike this and look down on that, but in reality, he's very gentle and kind."
The more Princess Zhongshun listened, the more she felt something was wrong. This was not based on any standards at all; this person simply existed. But she also felt that this was impossible. Yu'er stayed in the backyard all day long, so how could she have the chance to meet a man from outside the family? Suddenly, she remembered that the darling of the Rongguo Mansion was still living in that garden.
Thinking of this, he felt unwilling. The boy was from the second wife's house. If his biological father could inherit the title, he would be worthy of it if he asked someone to help him. But his biological father was a minor official, and the old lady of the Jia family was partial to him. After she left, it would be strange for the first wife to look down on the second wife. Moreover, the boy was neither good at literature nor martial arts. There were rumors that he hated economics and officialdom, and believed that officials were traitors and parasites. If it was just someone else, he might appreciate him a little, but it was absolutely impossible for him to be his son-in-law.
But...looking at Daiyu's expression, Princess Zhongshun felt embarrassed. Yu'er was only a teenager, the age when love first blossomed. If she objected, she might even think that man was better. So after a long struggle, she frowned and said, "There are many people like this in the world. I'll hold a flower viewing party one day and invite those young men of the right age. You can hide behind the screen and take a look first. You'll have more to compare with."
Seeing her so calm, Daiyu knew she wasn't thinking about Wu Tianyue. She bit her lip and said directly, "My Lady, I'm talking about... the Prince."
Princess Zhongshun was stunned for a moment, and the hairpin in her hand fell to the ground with a "snap" and broke into two pieces.
Daiyu knew she couldn't accept it, so she stood up and was about to kneel, but Princess Zhongshun grabbed her and asked, "What did you just say?"
"Yu'er... and the prince... are in love with each other."
Daiyu's voice was very soft, but every word was clear, hitting Princess Zhongshun's ears and making her dizzy.
"My Queen!" Daiyu hurriedly supported her.
"Must you be in love?" Princess Zhongshun was still in disbelief. "Do you know what you're saying?"
"Yu'er knows."
Looking at Daiyu's determined eyes, Princess Zhongshun gritted her teeth and said, "You know?"
As he spoke, he stood up suddenly: "Then you know if this gets out, Yue'er is a man, others will only regard this as his romantic affair, at most they will make a few jokes, but they won't be so gentle to you!"
"I know. I also know that with the two emperors ruling the country, everyone in the court is worried. Those like Lord Shi who don't want to participate in the struggle for power have all been exiled. This shows that the situation is on the verge of breaking out, and the royal family is at the center of the vortex. Even the noble lady doesn't want me to marry, let alone the prince's palace." Daiyu's eyes were filled with tears, but she still said stubbornly, "But this is my choice. I can bear any consequences myself."
Princess Zhongshun gazed into her clear eyes, impressed by her intelligence, and thought of the cautious and stubborn little girl back then. She had raised her for many years to make her so positive and cheerful, and she knew how to fight for herself. In the end, she was reluctant to say a harsh word to her.
Seeing that she was silent, Daiyu tried hard to suppress her tears: "I came here just to talk to you about this matter. You don't have to consider me. It's your freedom to agree or not, but I won't give up."
Princess Zhongshun sighed and didn't answer. She only said, "Let Wu Tianyue come to see me tonight. Why did he push you out and hide himself when it came to your relationship?"
"No," Daiyu defended Wu Tianyue, "I wanted to tell the Queen in person that you treat me so well, but I and the Prince..."
Princess Zhongshun felt uncomfortable. To her, Daiyu was like herself without having to be involved in the power struggle. She didn't want Daiyu to be tortured by these mundane trivialities like herself.
But she also understood that young people's love was the most sincere, pure, rare, unforgettable, and selfless. No matter how others tried to stop it, they could not extinguish the fire in their hearts. She felt powerless in an instant and fell into the chair.
Daiyu was not afraid of her getting angry or being beaten or scolded, but she was afraid that she would get tired of her and distance herself from her. Finally, she couldn't help crying: "Madam, please hit me..."
Princess Zhongshun reached out to wipe her tears, still saying nothing.
Daiyu's tears fell like pearls from a broken string. She sobbed and grabbed Princess Zhongshun's hand, crying inconsolably.
Princess Zhongshun saw her crying so miserably, sighed, and coaxed her, "Go back and rest first, and let me think about it."
Daiyu tried to calm herself down and was about to say something when she heard Princess Zhongshun call out to Xia Jin: "Send the young lady down to rest."
Xia Jin was waiting outside the house. Upon hearing this, she hurried in and helped Daiyu out.
Seeing her insistence, Daiyu bowed and went downstairs, looking back every step of the way.
The maid from the outer room came into the room to serve and saw the hairpin broken into two pieces on the ground. She thought of Daiyu's red and swollen eyes, and did not dare to say anything. She picked it up silently.
Princess Zhongshun sat blankly on the kang, her mind racing. She didn't want Daiyu to marry into the royal family. Even if she had her to protect her, she would definitely suffer a lot of grievances in the future. Moreover, the royal family only had one legitimate son, and Daiyu's body...
I also thought of Daiyu crying just now. She was usually a sensitive, thoughtful, and very stubborn person. Once she set her mind on someone, she would stay with him until death.
Princess Zhongshun couldn't help but feel a headache. For the first time, she realized so clearly that Daiyu was not her biological daughter. She was not like herself in weighing the pros and cons. But it was because of her personality that she liked her more and more. She no longer regarded her as a tool to save her son, but loved her deeply.
Thinking of this, Princess Zhongshun sighed, turned around and saw the maid putting away the hairpin, and said, "Bring it here for me to see."
The maid hurriedly showed it to her. Princess Zhongshun picked up the two pieces of broken jade and examined them for a long time. She saw that the break was right in the middle of the hairpin. With a little modification, it might become a pair of short hairpins. She ordered, "Find someone to recarve it so as not to ruin the artistic conception."
Xia Jin had already sent Daiyu downstairs to wash up and came back. Hearing her talk, she hurried forward and carefully took the hairpin.
Just as he put it away, he heard Princess Zhongshun grit her teeth and say, "Go see if Wu Tianyue has returned home. If he has, ask him to come over."
The maid serving outside hurriedly took the order and went down to pass on the message.
In the evening, Wu Tianyue came back from work and heard that Princess Zhongshun was waiting for him. He knew that Daiyu had confessed. He was afraid that his mother would be angry and hurt Daiyu, so he didn't even have time to change his clothes and hurried to the main courtyard.
As soon as he entered the room, Xia Jin led his men out and closed the door. Princess Zhongshun didn't even look at him and scolded him, "Kneel down."
Wu Tianyue knew that he had done something wrong and did not dare to defend himself, so he knelt down quickly.
"Do you know why I asked you to kneel?"
"I know." Wu Tianyue took a deep breath and confessed, "I am wrong. I forced my sister to hide it from my mother. Please punish me."
"You still know that she is your sister!" Before he could finish his words, the whip in Princess Zhongshun's hand fell on him.
Wu Tianyue said nothing, lowered his head and let her hit him.
Princess Zhongshun beat him for a while and then got tired. Seeing that he was kneeling straight but refused to give in, she thought of how Daiyu was so stubborn during the day. She sighed deeply, threw away the whip, and sat on the chair, panting.
Wu Tianyue saw that his mother's face was full of fatigue, and she seemed to be several years older than before. He knelt forward and said, "Mother..."
"Do you know the consequences of what you've done?" Princess Zhongshun interrupted him coldly. "If someone finds out, do you know what price Yu'er will have to pay?"
Wu Tianyue used to either study or accompany the prince to banquets. Although he knew that men and women should not touch each other, those were cold words in books. He just wanted to be careful not to be discovered, so he dared to be with Daiyu.
It was just that in the past few months, he started to come into contact with different people and stayed in the countryside for so long. Poverty made many things more straightforward and bloody. He had seen and heard a lot in these days, and gradually understood the constraints and injustices of this world on women. So after listening to the words of Princess Zhongshun, Wu Tianyue lowered his head in shame.
"If we're discovered, Yu'er will either marry you, but then bear the name of a secret marriage for the rest of her life, and be criticized wherever she goes. Or she'll remain single for the rest of her life, living a miserable life of seclusion and worship. Or, even worse, that'll be..." Princess Zhongshun didn't want him to answer, and said sternly, "Tell me, which of these outcomes can you bear?"
Wu Tianyue's straight back bent down: "My son knows his mistake..."
"Yu'er is indeed outstanding. I don't blame you. It's human nature to admire young women." Princess Zhongshun continued, "But you should never, ever, deceive her into being with you without telling me..."
Before he finished speaking, there was a commotion at the door, and the next moment, Daiyu rushed in.
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