Concubine Xu was deposed and even her name was removed from the royal genealogy. On the day of her burial, only a few low-ranking officials from the Ministry of Rites were responsible for her funeral.
In fact, if the emperor had not shown any dislike for Prince Huai, she might not even have been qualified to be buried in the concubine's tomb.
King Huai understood that, rationally speaking, he should not go to his mother's funeral.
But on the eve of his mother's burial, he recalled again and again the scene when his mother, disliking him for eating too much and being stupid, gave him the food in her bowl while he was imprisoned in the palace.
Early the next morning, he changed into plain linen clothes, took off his golden crown, and replaced it with coarse linen. Princess Huai saw all this and did not stop it.
Jiuzhu stood on the palace tower and saw King Huai supporting Concubine Xu's coffin and walking out of the side back door of the palace.
The master told her that after arriving in the capital, if there are things she doesn’t understand, she should see who the final outcome of the matter benefits.
She thought Concubine Xu was ruthless and cruel to King Huai, but after her death, everyone blamed her and sympathized with the poor King Huai. No one would make a fuss about King Huai's life experience anymore, nor would anyone pin the crime committed by Concubine Xu on King Huai.
Her evil proved King Huai's innocence.
Jiuzhu glanced at King Huai in the funeral procession again. At this moment, she really hoped that Concubine Xu had shown kindness and love to King Huai before her death.
Perhaps only Concubine Xu herself knows the truth.
And she was just a spectator.
"Little pig." Prince Chen climbed the stairs and walked to Jiuzhu's side: "Are you watching Xu's funeral procession?"
Jiuzhu nodded: "My eldest brother is carrying his mother's coffin."
Prince Chen did not say anything, but reached out and pinched the bun on Jiuzhu's head.
"Your Highness, you pinched my hair again." Jiuzhu looked at him suspiciously: "The ceremony of enthroning the crown prince is approaching, Your Highness, are you... nervous?"
"You're kidding. How could I be nervous?" Prince Chen denied it flatly. "Your Highness grew up in the capital and has seen everything. How could he be nervous about the ceremony of enthroning the crown prince?"
"Okay." Jiuzhu reached out and took off the hairpin from her bun, and put her head close to the prince's chest: "I'll give it to you to pinch, as you like."
"I am luckier than my father." Prince Chen pressed her into his arms: "I met you when I was young."
"Your Highness is wrong." Jiuzhu stretched out her white and tender fingers and waved them in front of Prince Chen, objecting to his statement: "Luckily, I am the one."
Prince Chen chuckled. He was young and frivolous, and did things based on his own preferences without considering the consequences.
But now, he wants to be the best person in Jiuzhu's heart.
Because he didn't want this girl who was running towards him with full of expectations, thinking that the prince who was shining in her heart, to become mottled, and he didn't want to destroy the beauty in her heart completely.
There are always people saying that love is to show the worst side of yourself to the other person.
But he didn't understand. After tearing it open, he felt relieved and happy, but would the person who was full of expectations feel disappointed and sad?
Why can’t love be about striving to be the best in the other person’s heart?
His little pig is so silly and innocent, and his eyes are full of light.
How beastly must he be to be willing to dim the light in her eyes?
Under the shadow of the trees in the palace building, Concubine Wei stopped and looked up at Yun Duqing and Ming Jiuzhu who were snuggling together.
"I heard that Xu was defeated by the Queen and Princess Chen?" Concubine Wei turned her head and looked at Princess Jing, who lowered her eyebrows and looked docile. "You can go back to your parents' home in the next few days and talk to your family about this."
Princess Jing was silent for a moment: "Mother, the past between my uncle and Xu was just an impulse when we were young. We haven't had any contact in these years."
"When did I say they were still in contact?" Concubine Wei put her hand on her daughter-in-law's wrist and said, "You are a dull person and tend to think too much. As a prince's consort, this is not good."
"Mother is right." Princess Jing lowered her head even more.
Concubine Wei was very satisfied with her obedience and said, "Among the five princes, only you and Princess Huai are virtuous and decent. The other princes' wives are not good enough."
Princess An is frivolous, the Fourth Prince's wife flew away alone when faced with danger, and Princess Chen seems too naive. With such a character, she will regret being the Crown Princess sooner or later.
"My daughter-in-law is ashamed."
"Don't be ashamed." Concubine Wei smiled faintly on her serious face: "I am very satisfied with you."
"The weather is good today, you can go back to your parents' home in the afternoon."
"yes."
Princess Jing returned to her parents' home and stayed there for nearly an hour before Du Qingke came back.
He was wearing a plain robe and a crown with a silver hairpin. When he saw her, he just gave her a few simple instructions and then sat beside her without saying anything.
"Master, there are stains on your outer robe. Take it off and change." Mrs. Du saw the stain on the hem of his clothes and took the initiative to speak: "I'll ask the servants to change you into bright clothes..."
"No need." Du Qingke raised her eyelids and said lightly: "I don't like bright-colored clothes these days."
"Okay." Mrs. Du smiled awkwardly and didn't mention changing clothes anymore.
The second master and second mistress of the Du family sat beside their daughter, Princess Jing, pretending not to have seen this scene. They asked about their daughter's life in the palace to ease the awkwardness in the atmosphere.
"Please rest assured, father and mother. Everything is fine with my daughter in the palace." Princess Jing took a sip of tea and said, "I just didn't expect that my fifth brother's wife, who seemed innocent and kind, would be ruthless in eliminating her opponents."
"Where do you get that from?" Father Du frowned, "Then stay away from her."
"When Concubine Xu died, her funeral was kept simple. Not only was she not posthumously awarded a title, but her name was even removed from the royal genealogy." Princess Jing sighed, "To outsiders, it may be because Concubine Xu did something to anger His Majesty. In fact, she was forced to death by Ming Jiuzhu and Empress Su."
Du Qingke looked up at Princess Jing.
Sensing that her uncle had noticed what she said, Princess Jing struck while the iron was hot: "I don't know what means Queen Su and Ming Jiuzhu used to lure Concubine Xu into a trap. They took the opportunity to force Concubine Xu to admit all the guilt, and in the end she had no choice but to commit suicide."
"Empress Su... do you have such a trick?" Du Qingke touched the mutton-fat jade pendant on her waist, smiled with an ambiguous meaning, and said, "It's getting late. As a princess, I'm afraid my niece can't stay outside the palace?"
"I didn't expect it to be so late." Princess Jing stood up and said, "Thank you for reminding me, uncle. I should go back to the palace."
"Please." Du Qingke sent Princess Jing to the carriage, turned around, took off the silver hairpin that tied her hair, and threw it under the tree roots with an expressionless face.
"Master." Madam Du bent down and picked up the silver hairpin: "You have worked hard all day, go back to your room and rest."
Du Qingke looked at her palm, frowned, said nothing, and turned back to the yard.
"The Fifth Prince's wife has such strategic means, her master must have an extraordinary background."
He called his adviser and said, "Go check the backgrounds of the five prince's wife's two masters."
As long as a person appears in the world, he will leave clues, unless he falls from the sky.
"Your Highness, you should get up and change your clothes."
Before dawn, Prince Chen was awakened by the palace servants. He glanced at Jiuzhu who was sleeping soundly with a quilt in her arms, and reached out to pinch her nose.
"Your Highness." Jiuzhu sat up in a daze and glanced out the window: "It's not dawn yet, let me sleep a little longer." After saying that, she fell headfirst onto the bed, hugging the quilt.
"Hey!" Prince Chen put his arm around her waist and said, "Today is the ceremony to crown the crown prince. You have to accompany me."
"You lied to me." Jiuzhu tried to open her sleepy eyes. "I have seen the procedures of the enthronement ceremony arranged by the Ministry of Rites. The princess does not need to be present when enthroning the prince."
"That was the prince before. I am different." Prince Chen bent down and kissed her on the cheek: "Becoming a prince is a big responsibility and has a lot of meaning. Without you by my side, I always feel like something is missing in my heart."
I have become a better me because of you.
So I also hope that you will be with me at important moments.
"Okay." Jiuzhu threw the quilt aside, jumped off the bed, and grabbed King Chen's hand: "I'll go with you."
Yang Yidu, who was serving nearby, wanted to say that this was against the rules.
But when he saw His Highness and the Princess bending over to put on their shoes together, head close to each other, he swallowed his words.
The dragon and phoenix carriage to welcome the prince was just outside the Qilin Palace. Under the somewhat surprised gaze of the ceremonial officer, Prince Chen took Jiuzhu and got into the carriage together.
Facing the various looks from the ceremonial officials, the Prince of Chen was very confident.
There are dragons and phoenixes on it. What's wrong with the prince and the princess sitting together?
The ceremonial officials were only surprised for a moment and then accepted the King's behavior.
When His Royal Highness the Prince of Chen came to pick up the bride, they were already very surprised. So what was the big deal that he was just taking the future Crown Princess along on the dragon and phoenix chariot?
The bottom line is meant to be lowered and broken.
The dragon and phoenix chariot stopped at the Zhengyang Palace, where Prince Chen changed out of his princely clothes and put on the princely robe with dragon pattern.
"Little pig." He put on the prince's robe, waved away the ceremonial officer who was tying the four-claw dragon jade pendant for him, and stretched out his hand to Jiuzhu: "You tie it for me, okay?"
"Okay." Jiuzhu walked up to him, ready to act like a ceremonial officer, half squatting to tie the jade pendant for him, but he reached out and held her arm.
"Don't squat, tie it like this." He bent down so that Jiuzhu, who was a head shorter than him, was the same height as him: "You and I are husband and wife."
"Hurry up." He took the opportunity to pinch Jiuzhu's face: "The golden crown on your head is heavy, and I am very tired bending over."
Jiuzhu smiled softly and solemnly tied the jade pendant for him.
The two looked at each other. Prince Chen stood up straight, turned around, took out a nine-tailed flying phoenix hairpin from the box, and inserted it into Jiuzhu's bun with his own hands.
"Is it sinking?" he asked.
"Chen." Jiuzhu nodded, and the phoenix wings fluttered gently.
"It's right that it's heavy." Prince Chen held her hand and whispered in her ear, "The Crown Princess' Phoenix Coronet is heavier than this. For the sake of your brain, I specially replaced the Phoenix Coronet with a Nine-tailed Phoenix Hairpin."
Jiuzhu narrowed her eyes in a smile. She stood on tiptoe and reached out to help Prince Chen to adjust the golden crown: "Your Highness, you look very beautiful today as well."
"Walk."
"Where are you going?"
"Go to the main hall of Zhengyang Palace."
The ceremonial officer opened the door for the two of them and watched them walk hand in hand towards the main hall.
"Sir, this is against the rules. Do you want to..."
"Hush." Another ceremonial officer whispered, "The Crown Prince even brought the Nine-tailed Phoenix Hairpin that only the Crown Princess can wear, which means that Your Majesty and the Queen are also aware of this."
Your Majesty and the Queen have no objections. How could they have any objections?
They are from the Ministry of Rites, and the Crown Princess is the daughter of the Vice Minister of Rites. People from the same family will never make things difficult for each other, not to mention that the Emperor, Empress and Crown Prince are all happy about it.
The main gate of Zhengyang Hall was opened, and civil and military officials were lined up neatly on both sides, with the emperor and empress sitting high at the top.
The edict enthroning the crown prince was read out together by an old prince of the royal family and the Minister of Personnel Ming Jinghai.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess are welcome to enter the palace."
All the civil and military officials turned sideways and bowed towards the door.
Yun Duqing, wearing the prince's robe with a four-clawed dragon pattern, and Ming Jiuzhu, wearing the prince's consort's phoenix robe, walked into the palace hand in hand.
It wasn't that there was something wrong with their ears just now. It turned out that the prince really brought the crown princess with him to the enthronement ceremony.
This is the first case in the Dacheng Dynasty!
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