"Yes, when people are in a desperate situation, they will burst out with extremely powerful strength." The Dali Temple official nodded in agreement, not hiding his admiration for Princess Chen at all: "It is precisely because of this that people are moved by the princess's righteous act."
Ming Jiyuan smiled and nodded: "My sister grew up in a Taoist temple and was taught by the immortals. She has a kind personality. How could she stand by and watch someone die without helping?"
Upon hearing this, the officials of the Dali Temple were moved for a long time. They were indeed members of the Ming family. Both men and women had such noble character.
No wonder there have been rumors recently that Prince Chen has made great progress since he got engaged to the daughter of the Ming family. It seems to be true.
"The Ming family is noble and righteous." He bowed to Ming Jiyuan before turning around and leaving.
Ming Jiyuan looked at his departing back and straightened his sleeves. He was serious about praising his sister.
"Jiyuan." The Dali Temple official walked up to Ming Jiyuan and handed him a file: "These are records of some cases in the Dali Temple over the years. Take them and have a look when you are free."
"Yes, sir."
"By the way, I have to go to the Cabinet's confidential office tonight to guard the place. You can come with me." The Dali Temple official said gently, "Most of the officials on duty are acquainted with you. Don't be nervous."
"Thank you, sir!" Ming Jiyuan bowed deeply. He was not a fool. His superiors took him to the cabinet's confidential office to guard, which meant that his superiors were going to use him.
The Cabinet Confidential Office has a special status, and no one except a trusted minister of the emperor can interfere in the affairs of the Cabinet Confidential Office.
Throughout the country, countless government decrees had to go through countless debates among members of the Cabinet’s Confidential Affairs Office before they could be issued.
For a young official like him with little experience, it is a great honor to be brought here by his superiors to stand guard at night.
The Cabinet's Confidential Office was built on the west side of the Suzaku Gate. In order to prevent the previous dynasty's mistake of "taking down everyone at once", each department would only arrange two officials to be on duty every night.
Sitting in the carriage heading from the Dali Temple to the Cabinet's Confidential Office, Ming Jiyuan lifted the carriage curtain and looked out for a few seconds.
"Time flies. More than a decade ago, I was still a fifth-rank doctor. At night, the people would shut their doors and windows and not dare to speak loudly." The Dali Temple official sighed, "After Your Majesty ascended the throne, the people's lives have been getting better and better. Even at night, it is a prosperous scene."
Ming Jiyuan lowered the curtain and looked up at him.
"Prosperity is hard-won. When our generation grows old, I'm afraid not many of us will remember the disaster of that year." The Dali Temple Minister directly used the word "disaster" to describe the events at the end of Xian De's reign, which shows that he disliked the late emperor very much and even dared to say it in front of other officials.
"When people get old, they tend to talk a lot." The Dali Temple official laughed and said, "Don't take it to heart."
"I understand your intention, sir." Ming Jiyuan said solemnly, "We should do the same and take it as our responsibility to protect the peace of the people of the world."
The Dali Temple official smiled, patted him on the shoulder, and made no secret of his admiration: "Young and promising, young and promising."
"Those old families may have fallen, but even a broken ship still has a few pounds of nails. The smooth passage of this verdict is all thanks to someone above us." The Dali Temple official leaned against the carriage wall, calmly asking, "Who do you think it is?"
Ming Jiyuan shook his head.
"It's Prince Chen." The Dali Temple Minister sighed: "For Prince Chen, it is more beneficial to win over the noble families than to offend them, but he chose to make the decision for the common people."
Considering that Prince Chen was his brother-in-law, Ming Jiyuan did not speak in response.
"In fact, I was a little surprised that the Prince of Chen would choose to take action." The Dali Temple Minister observed Ming Jiyuan's expression: "Perhaps, we have misunderstood the Prince of Chen before."
Ming Jiyuan twisted his waist. It was Prince Chen who was misunderstood. What did the Lord mean by looking at him like that?
"Jiyuan, go back and persuade your father to look more at the merits and strengths of Prince Chen. After all, he is your son-in-law, right?"
Wow, after going through so much trouble, he ended up waiting for him here.
How outrageous were the rumors that my father hated Prince Chen that even his superiors came to mediate?
"Prince Chen is actually a good boy."
Ming Jiyuan silently glanced at his superior. Three years ago, this person said that Prince Chen was willful and reckless. Now he has become a good boy?
When Prince Chen woke up, it was already bright outside. He turned his head and saw that the other half of the bed was empty. He rubbed his forehead and sat up: "Someone come."
"Your Highness." Yang Yiduo walked into the room with the palace servants waiting for him: "Are you awake?"
"Where's the princess?" Prince Chen lifted the quilt and got out of bed: "Prepare water, I want to take a bath."
"The hot water is ready. Your Highness, please go to the bathing room." Yang Yiduo replied, "Just now, news came from the West Palace that Concubine Zhao was unwell, and the princess went to visit her with Miss Chunfen."
"Is there anything wrong with Concubine Zhao's health?" Prince Chen paused.
"As you get older, your body will inevitably be prone to illness." Yang Yidu lifted the gauze curtain to prevent it from hitting Prince Chen's head.
Prince Chen recalled what Concubine Zhao said to him and Ming Xiaozhu when they were painting in the peach forest.
He looked up and saw the full moon lamp hanging from the beam.
The full moon lights during the day are still very beautiful.
However, last night was its most beautiful moment.
"Your Highness, the princess ordered this lamp to be hung up. If you don't like it, I will hang it somewhere else." Yang Yidu saw that the prince was staring at the full moon lamp and was worried that he had a problem with it.
"No." Prince Chen shook his head: "It's good to hang it here."
He likes it.
When I saw Concubine Zhao again just a few days later, she looked like she had aged several years rapidly.
"Madam Concubine." Jiuzhu held Concubine Zhao's hand and said, "Did you use medicine today? Has the imperial physician come?"
The skin and flesh hang loosely on the hand bones, and have long lost their elasticity. That is the sign of aging.
"It's the same old problem. The people below are ignorant and actually asked you to run all the way." Concubine Zhao struggled to sit up, but Jiuzhu stopped her: "Concubine, lie down and don't catch a cold."
"I've been in the palace all day, so I don't have anything to do." Jiuzhu helped her cover the quilt: "Come sit here with the concubine, and you can touch the little fat cat."
"Meow." The fat cat lying on the table made a lazily sound, jumped off the table, and finally jumped onto Jiuzhu's knees.
Jiuzhu reached out and touched it gently, and it made a purring sound.
"It likes you very much." Concubine Zhao seemed to want to say something, but looking at the lazy cat, she didn't say it.
"It's raining outside again?" She heard the sound of raindrops.
"Yeah." Jiuzhu saw that Concubine Zhao seemed to want to listen to the sound of rain, so she stood up to help her open the window and turned to look at her with a smile: "It's beautiful."
The woman in front of the window was wearing a sky-blue dress, and her smile was even more hazy and beautiful than the rain outside the window.
Concubine Zhao laughed along, "Yes, it's beautiful."
The palace maid brought in the boiled medicine. Concubine Zhao sat up and drank the medicine in one gulp with a calm expression.
These bitter medicines cannot delay a person's aging.
"Princess, can I read to you?" Jiuzhu took a book from Chunfen's hand. On the cover were printed the words "The Domineering Prince Fights the Evil Demon" in large letters.
"Those books about various things are not suitable for people who are sick." Jiuzhu turned the pages of the book: "These folk stories are more interesting."
Concubine Zhao stared at the book in Jiuzhu's hand in a daze. She was originally a winemaker and had no interest in advanced studies. But in this deep palace, concubines like her have no choice.
This was the first time since she entered the palace that someone had spoken frankly to her that folk tales were interesting.
"Yes, folk tales are interesting."
After saying this, she felt happy.
"Then I'll start reading to you now." Jiuzhu lowered his head and read the contents of the book.
When she was reading, she did not follow the rules of scholars. Instead, she was more like a storyteller. Her tone was lively and interesting, and even her expression changed along with it. Concubine Zhao was amused by her and laughed out loud.
When the old nanny who served Concubine Zhao saw this scene, she lowered her head and her eyes were red.
Half an hour later, Concubine Zhao fell asleep. Jiuzhu closed the book, gently covered Concubine Zhao with a quilt, lowered the gauze curtain, and left the room.
"Princess." The old maid came over, holding an umbrella in her hand: "It's raining outside, I'll take you there."
"The Concubine is in need of someone to serve her, so you don't have to be polite to me." Jiuzhu took the umbrella from her hand and said, "If you are missing any medicinal herbs, just send someone to tell me. Even if I don't have them, my mother will definitely have them."
Hearing Princess Chen mention the Queen in such an intimate tone, the nanny understood that it seemed that the relationship between the Queen and her daughter-in-law was as good as the rumors said.
Princess Chen insisted that she didn't want her to see her off, so she had no choice but to fetch a few umbrellas and give them to Princess Chen's followers and servants.
"I'll hold the umbrella myself. Be careful not to get yourself wet." Jiuzhu raised her hand to let the little palace maid who was about to hold the umbrella for her step back. The little palace maid looked no more than fourteen or fifteen years old, and it would not be good for her to get wet in the rain.
"Thank you, Princess." The little maid hesitated for a moment, then followed the princess holding an umbrella.
The rain before Qingming Festival was a bit cold, fortunately she didn't have to get wet in the rain today.
very nice.
Jiuzhu likes to listen to the sound of rain hitting the oil-paper umbrella, but it’s a bit bad to see her beautiful embroidered shoes get wet by the rain.
The door separating the West Palace from the Harem opened, and Jiuzhu saw Prince Chen, dressed in a snow-white suit and with his long hair untied, standing outside the door holding an umbrella.
"Your Highness." Jiuzhu put away her umbrella and rushed under the umbrella of Prince Chen, smelling the fresh fragrance on his body after bathing: "Why is Your Highness here?"
"I'm here to take you home." Prince Chen tilted the umbrella over her head and chuckled, "I like the moon you gave me."
Jiuzhu reached out and hugged his arm: "As long as you like it."
Noticing that his hair was not dry, Jiuzhu said, "If your hair is not dry, it will give you a headache if you blow dry it. Let's go back quickly."
"No hurry." Seeing her carefully avoid the puddle, Prince Chen put the umbrella in her hand, not wanting to dirty her embroidered shoes, and said, "Come, I'll carry you."
"I'm so sorry." After saying this, Jiuzhu had already laid on his back.
He may sound embarrassed, but his actions are honest.
"Do you like this pair of embroidered shoes?"
"You specially asked the clothing bureau to make this pair of shoes for me. There is a puppy on it." Jiuzhu put one hand around the prince's neck and held an umbrella with the other hand: "I like it very much."
"Ming little dog?"
Jiuzhu lay on his shoulder and laughed, the umbrella was blown all over the place, and the cold rain splashed all over Prince Chen's face.
Prince Chen: “…”
At this moment, Jiuzhu bit his neck gently: "Woof."
The place where I was bitten felt numb and tingling, but it didn't hurt at all.
Prince Chen lifted her up and said, "Looks like she's really a little dog."
Jiuzhu laughed and he laughed too.
"Why did Your Highness choose a white dress today?"
"Tomorrow is Qingming Festival. I will go to pay tribute on behalf of my father. It is not appropriate to wear brightly colored clothes these days." Prince Chen raised his eyebrows: "Why, it doesn't look good?"
"You look good. Your Highness, when you wear light-colored clothes, you look like the bright moon in the sky. Your Highness, when you wear bright-colored clothes, you look like the most beautiful sea of flowers in spring. If you wear dark-colored clothes, you look like the most charming and mysterious night." When talking about the good things about her own Highness, Jiuzhu never lacks nice words: "You look good no matter what you wear."
"Ming Xiaozhu, it's a good thing you didn't become an official in the court."
"Why?"
"If you were an official, you would be the most flattering and treacherous official."
Jiuzhu snorted: "I'm telling the truth."
Prince Chen's heart was moved. He couldn't see Jiuzhu's face, but he could imagine her current expression: "Am I so good in your heart?"
"Um!"
Prince Chen smiled gently. If he hadn’t been carrying someone on his back, he would really have looked like the immortal king that Jiuzhu had described.
"Princess, what's wrong with you?" The maid was shocked to see Sun Caiyao suddenly become motionless and the basket in her hand fell to the ground.
"It's okay, it's okay." Sun Caiyao shook her head a little nervously and bent down to pick up the flower basket.
The Prince of Chen was just wearing white clothes. She couldn't think too much about it. She must not think too much about it.
"The Prince of Chen and his wife have a very good relationship." A palace maid whispered, "They were afraid that the princess would have to walk on rainy days, so they actually carried her on their backs."
"Hush, didn't you notice that the prince didn't even tie up his hair?"
Sun Caiyao's head was buzzing, her eyes went dark, and she fell to the ground.
"Prince's Consort!"
Before she fell into coma, she saw Ming Jiuju jump off King Chen's back and run towards her.
"Your Highness, Your Highness."
Yun Yanze was still asleep when he was awakened by the urgent call of the palace servant. He closed his eyes and suppressed all the emotions in his heart, sat up and lifted the gauze curtain: "What's the matter?"
"The princess just fainted on the palace road. I asked the imperial physician to take her pulse. She is pregnant!"
Yun Yanze showed joy on his face. He put on his outer robe and strode out the door, only to see Yun Duqing standing in his yard holding an umbrella.
He slowed down his pace: "Fifth brother."
"Fourth brother." Prince Chen nodded slightly to him: "Congratulations, fourth brother."
"Thank you, Fifth Brother." Yun Yanze looked at Yun Duqing's snow-white brocade with silver patterns and asked, "Why are you here, Fifth Brother?"
"My princess saw my fourth sister-in-law fainted, so she sent her back and is now accompanying her in the room." Prince Chen raised his eyebrows. Did he really want to stand here?
What does it have to do with him if other women get pregnant?
Inside the room, Sun Caiyao looked at Ming Jiuzhu who was sitting on the side and propped herself up to sit up.
"A eunuch has already gone to invite Fourth Brother. I'll take my leave first. The roads are slippery on rainy days, and you're pregnant, so you have to be careful when going out." Jiuzhu stood up and prepared to go out.
Her Highness was still waiting for her in the yard with an umbrella.
Sun Caiyao stared down at her belly in a daze, and slowly loosened her hands that were pinching the quilt: "Ming Jiuzhu, thank you."
Is she pregnant?
Jiuzhu was surprised at how Sun Caiyao addressed her, and looked back at her: "Fourth sister-in-law, you are too polite."
She was busy going out and didn't think much about Sun Caiyao's attitude.
Walking out of the door and coming under the eaves, Jiuzhu waved to Prince Chen: "Your Highness."
Prince Chen shook his head helplessly, walked up to her, and held the umbrella over her head: "Come down."
Jiuzhu jumped down the stairs and fell into his arms. He put his hands on her waist and held her whole body in his arms.
"Today's matter, I have to trouble my fifth brother and sister-in-law."
Hearing the voices, Jiuzhu realized that Yun Yanze was standing under the eaves. She held the Prince's arm, raised the umbrella and looked at Yun Yanze: "Fourth brother, you are too polite. Go and accompany Fourth sister-in-law."
After all, he is a prince, so he is more patient than ordinary people. Even though his wife is pregnant, he still has the patience to talk to others outside the door.
Yun Yanze glanced at her and turned to go into the house.
"Your Highness, you must have waited for a long time." Jiuzhu leaned on Prince Chen and said, "Let's go home."
She looked down at the embroidered shoes on her feet that were stained with mud and sighed. I was in such a hurry to help Sun Caiyao that I didn't notice there was a small puddle nearby and stepped into it.
"It's okay." Prince Chen touched the top of her head and said, "I'll ask them to make you a pair of identical ones."
"Yeah!" Jiuzhu became happy again.
Prince Chen sighed, he was so silly and easy to coax.
The news that the Fourth Prince's wife was pregnant spread quickly.
The mothers of several princes had different reactions. Only Empress Su specifically called Jiuzhu to her side and told her a lot of things that the woman was too young and not suitable for having children.
His words were full of love for her.
The next morning, before daybreak, Prince Chen went to Taiyang Palace, changed into the prince's robe embroidered with dragon patterns, and rode the dragon chariot to the Circular Mound.
Qingming Festival is originally a festival for worshiping ancestors, but the emperors of the Dacheng Dynasty believed that some ancestors would become immortals in heaven after their death, so they would first go to the Circular Mound to worship the heaven, and then go to the Fangze Altar to worship Hou Tu.
Behind the dragon chariot, four princes rode on horses, and behind them were civil and military officials in official robes.
Prince An wiped the rain off his face.
The youngest prince sat in the dragon chariot that represented the emperor's travels, and his four older brothers followed him on horseback, in the Qingming drizzle.
The matter of currying favor with someone is imminent.
"The rain is getting heavier." King Huai noticed King An wiping away the rain and said sourly, "When we get to Fangze Altar later, our clothes will probably be soaked."
It is better to ride on the dragon chariot, where you are protected from the wind and rain.
Prince An felt that something was wrong with what he heard and did not dare to respond.
King Huai also realized that what he said was a bit inappropriate, and turned to look at Yun Yanze: "Fourth brother, I haven't congratulated you on becoming a father yet."
"Thank you, big brother." Yun Yanze looked very energetic, and even his smile seemed sincere.
"Yes, congratulations." An Wang Zhaoyun Yanze bowed and congratulated.
"Having a child is a great joy, but..." Prince Jing muttered softly, then came to his senses, bowed quickly, and apologized timidly: "I'm sorry, I said something wrong."
Offering sacrifices to Heaven and Earth is a major event, and the prince cannot easily perform this task on behalf of the emperor.
Unless, he is the crown prince.
Today, my father asked Yun Duqing to go to Taiyang Palace to change into the prince's robe and wear the golden dragon crown. He also arranged for him to travel with the emperor's ceremonial guard. This is equivalent to announcing to everyone in the world that he wants to make Yun Duqing the crown prince.
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