Chapter 125 It's alright, someone just lost face.
After the carriage left the Vice Minister's residence, it turned a corner and soon entered the main street.
The street was exceptionally lively today, with red lanterns hanging in front of shops along the street, bearing various birthday wishes such as "Long Live the Emperor" and "Peace and Health."
The county magistrate of Xin'an opened the car window, lifted a corner of the curtain, and looked outside.
The ground was covered with a thin layer of snow, with crisscrossing tire tracks and footprints of all sizes.
She also remembered the year she came to Beijing; it had snowed that year too.
That was the first time she had ever seen snow; it was light and fluffy, and it melted quickly when it landed in her palm.
In the blink of an eye, more than a decade has passed.
Her gaze shifted from the snow on the ground to the lanterns lining both sides of the road, and she couldn't help but laugh, "These lanterns are so festive; if you didn't know better, you'd think it was New Year's."
“His Majesty’s birthday celebration is even more lively than the New Year,” Xu Zecheng said, noticing her leaning out again. “Be careful not to catch a cold.”
Princess Xin'an glanced back at him and said reproachfully, "You only make me worry; you're not as considerate as Granny Xu."
The hand warmer was steadily radiating heat, along with a faint, almost imperceptible fragrance. The scent was delicate and elusive, yet precisely because of this, it was all the more delightful.
Princess Xin'an thought that when she returned from the palace, she could ask Granny Xu where she bought the face powder.
Xu Zecheng smiled and said, "I will also give Granny Xu a monthly allowance so that she can take care of you every day."
Princess Xin'an was amused by him. She lowered her hand and leaned against Xu Zecheng.
Xu Zecheng put his arm around her shoulder, and after enjoying the quiet atmosphere for a while, he suddenly whispered in her ear, "In another half month, it will be the anniversary of Che'er's death."
Princess Xin'an opened her eyes, which had been closed. A hint of displeasure flashed in her eyes, but she quickly concealed it.
"Yes, another year has passed. If it weren't for that accident, that child would still be alive and well."
Xu Zecheng sighed softly: "That child is too stubborn. He had already been put on the carriage, but he jumped off by himself."
As a result, he broke his neck from the fall.
When they returned to Beijing from Jiaozhou, everything went smoothly until Xu Che caused a problem.
The child refused to acknowledge his mother no matter what, and outsiders assumed that he had been separated from his mother since childhood and was not close to her.
But they later learned that the child was convinced his mother was a fake. He even once evaded his wet nurse and ran to the Prince's residence to find Prince Ying'an, but was eventually brought back by the Prince's heir.
At that time, Xu Zecheng knew that this child could no longer stay by his side.
Even though it was his first child.
Over the years, he has felt guilty whenever he thinks of that child.
If that child were still alive... if...
He stopped thinking about it. The premise that the child was alive was that none of this had happened yet, but it had already happened.
Xu Zecheng was immersed in his memories of his son, but Princess Xin'an felt her face getting itchier and itchier. At first, she thought she could just bear it because of her makeup, but after a while, she couldn't stand it anymore and gently scratched it with her neatly manicured nails.
But the itch seemed to seep into my bones, and no amount of scratching could relieve it.
Seeing that she had scratched two red marks on her cheek, Xu Zecheng grabbed her hand and frowned, asking, "What happened?"
My face is a little itchy.
"You can't scratch it, it will leave marks."
Princess Xin'an couldn't help but lose her temper: "Then what do you suggest we do?"
Xu Zecheng pressed his palm against her itchy cheek and then slowly massaged it, and the itching subsided.
"Alright." After the itching disappeared, Princess Xin'an finally smiled, her eyes filled with admiration as she looked at Xu Zecheng. "My husband really knows how to do things."
Xu Zecheng smiled without saying a word and adjusted the hair ornament on her head.
The carriage gradually slowed down, and Xu Zecheng lifted the curtain and looked outside. They had arrived at the palace gate.
The two people inside the carriage straightened their clothes a little, and after the carriage came to a stop, Xu Zecheng got off first.
When the Princess of Xin'an got out of the car, Xu Zecheng reached out and helped her down onto the car seat.
At the same time, several other carriages also stopped.
One of the carriages was decorated in an elaborate and luxurious manner, with even the curtains embroidered with gold thread. Upon seeing this carriage, Princess Xin'an frowned.
This is Princess Puning's carriage. Princess Puning has always been at odds with her and has humiliated her in public on several occasions.
Sure enough, a short while later, Princess Puning, tall and dressed in gorgeous clothes, stepped down from the carriage.
Princess Puning glanced around and immediately spotted Princess Xin'an and Xu Zecheng beside her.
She ignored the prince consort behind her and strode toward the two of them.
"Xin'an, it's been a long time." Although she was speaking to the Princess of Xin'an, her gaze remained fixed on Xu Zecheng.
Xu Zecheng seemed oblivious, and respectfully bowed to the other party: "Your humble servant greets Princess Puning."
"Lord Xu, there's no need for such formalities."
Princess Xin'an, seeing that her eyes were practically glued to Xu Zecheng, said in a somewhat cold tone, "Princess, today is His Majesty's birthday. It would be inappropriate to be late."
Princess Puning saw through her little scheme at a glance and sneered, "Xin'an, look at you! Where did your courage to snatch someone from me back then go?"
The county magistrate of Xin'an frowned and remained silent.
Princess Puning, regardless of whether she was happy or not, looked her up and down a few times, and finally her gaze landed on her face: "Why do I think you've become quite ugly?"
“You…” Princess Xin’an held back for a long time before she managed to refrain from losing her temper in public.
At this moment, the prince consort finally stepped forward, adopting a very humble posture: "Princess, it's time to go to the palace to pay your respects to His Majesty."
Princess Puning hummed in agreement and raised her hand, which her husband quickly caught, his manner no better than that of a palace eunuch.
Xu Zecheng glanced at him and then looked away. Back then, this prince consort was also a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) in the same year as him. He was also a man of great literary talent and romantic flair. Unfortunately, after marrying the princess, he could only spend his life with this unfaithful and dissolute princess.
His situation at that time was not much better than the other party's.
After Princess Puning entered the palace gates first, Princess Xin'an spoke up: "Husband, let's go into the palace together."
After entering the palace, the two walked briskly towards Yongshou Hall. Along the way, Xu Zecheng encountered several colleagues and their wives, and stopped to exchange a few words with them.
Today is different from the past; they appear much more relaxed than when they attend court.
As they were talking, they suddenly heard the guards behind them shout in unison, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"
The group quickly turned around, splitting into two groups to make way.
The Ming King, dressed in a black python robe, strode over. Xu Zecheng and the officials immediately bowed in greeting. The Princess of Xin'an County, standing behind Xu Zecheng, also bowed along with the others.
The King simply grunted in response and ignored them.
After the Ming King passed by, the group stood up, but out of the corner of their eyes they caught a tall figure slowly approaching.
Bai Xiuming wore a black robe underneath a dark red, wide-sleeved outer garment, and even his hair ornament was inlaid with rubies. Although his handsome face was expressionless, he was still pleasing to the eye.
Bai Xiuming passed by them silently, without making a sound.
The group didn't greet them, but pretended not to see them and turned their faces away. The women, however, stared intently.
After everyone had gone far away, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites spoke up in a low voice: "This Lord Bai is dressed quite appropriately for the occasion and knows how to understand the Emperor's intentions. No wonder he is valued by His Majesty."
"Brother Wang, you are mistaken. You should find a good father."
After that person finished speaking, everyone laughed in unison.
On the day of the execution, the officials in the court all agreed to the execution of the Prince of Xiling and did not react much to the impeachment of Bai Xiuming by Prince Kang. However, after the incident, different voices emerged in the court.
Some officials believed that no matter what, the Prince of Xiling was Bai Xiuming's biological father. As a son, how could someone who sent his own father to his death be worthy of serving in the same court as them?
The Hanlin Academy reacted most strongly, while the Censorate, on the other hand, showed little reaction.
However, the matter was already settled, and when the emperor heard rumors in the court that Bai Xiu's life was in danger, he directly issued an edict reprimanding the Hanlin Academy scholar, and the rumors were forcibly suppressed.
Although many people were dissatisfied, the emperor's attitude was too tough, so they could only talk about it privately among their colleagues.
The women did not understand Bai Xiuming, nor did they know the inside story, let alone what their husband was laughing about. Only the Princess of Xin'an knew.
After the incident involving the Prince of Xiling, Xu Zecheng went home and told her about it. In his words, he looked down on Bai Xiuming and called him a treacherous minister.
The group thought Bai Xiuming was far enough away and speaking softly enough, but little did they know that their words had reached the ears of the father and son walking in front.
After hearing what the men said, King Ming clicked his tongue and said, "These officials are not only ugly, but they are also jealous of my son. They really don't know how to appreciate beauty."
Bai Xiuming glanced at him, too lazy to pay him any attention.
“Young people should wear fresh colors. If you don’t believe me, go back and ask His Majesty. He will surely think you look good today.”
“My official robe is still the same color and fresh. If Father hides my official robe again, I will never go to the palace again.”
"I know, you're only a few years old, why are you so long-winded?"
Bai Xiuming twitched his lips and gave up on reasoning with him.
After entering Yongshou Palace, the two went to Changqing Palace, where the emperor and empress were.
All the princes and princesses, as well as relatives close to the emperor, were in Changqing Palace at this moment.
In the past, Prince Ying'an would not have had the opportunity to enter the palace, but this year, with Prince Kang and Prince Shun both suffering misfortune, he was recommended by the princes of the imperial clan to serve as the Grand Master of the Imperial Clan. Although the emperor did not accept the offer, he still gave him treatment different from the past.
Looking at the emperor surrounded by princes and princesses, Prince Ying'an wondered if his daughter and son-in-law had successfully entered the palace. The other day, the princess consort had been talking about Xin'an. After the palace banquet, it would be good to have his daughter and son-in-law return to the palace together.
No one noticed that Prince Ying'an was distracted. The emperor exchanged a few words with his children and relatives, and before long, more than half an hour had passed. At this moment, the chief eunuch came to report that the auspicious time was approaching and it was time to start the banquet.
Everyone in Changqing Palace took their leave, as they needed to return to Yongshou Palace first. Then, the Emperor and Empress, surrounded by palace maids and eunuchs, headed towards Yongshou Palace.
Princess Xin'an entered the banquet as the wife of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and her seat was not among the front. She was not dissatisfied with this position and even chatted with the wife of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites next to her with a sense of ease.
After the two chatted casually for a few minutes, the princes entered the hall and took their seats. Princess Xin'an immediately spotted Prince Ying'an.
Prince Ying'an was also looking around, seemingly searching for her. Unfortunately, her seat was a bit out of the way, and Prince Ying'an didn't see her, so he had to return to his seat.
Princess Xin'an thought to herself, "My father actually met His Majesty before the banquet today. It seems that the rumors I heard before are very likely to come true. After the New Year, my father will be recommended as the head of the clan."
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but feel a surge of joy. Her father had become the Grand Master of the Imperial Clan, and perhaps he would even have a chance to be promoted to a Prince. Who knows, she might even have a chance to be promoted to a Princess.
However, it's too far off to talk about these things now. Princess Xin'an pulled her wandering thoughts back and waited patiently for a while longer before the Emperor and Empress finally entered the banquet.
After the two were seated, the Crown Prince, followed by the many princes and princesses below, as well as officials from various regions, stepped forward one by one to present their gifts.
The birthday gifts presented by the officials were mostly not expensive, but each one was ingenious. The emperor appeared relaxed and seemed quite satisfied with the gifts.
After the officials finished presenting their gifts, it was the Prince of Dongping and the Prince of Beihuang who were away from the capital and had not yet returned that were left to wrap things up.
Both princes presented lavish gifts, almost twice as valuable as the birthday gifts of previous years, seemingly to express their attitude to the emperor.
The court officials and princes were filled with mixed feelings, but none of them dared to say anything at this moment.
After the gifts were presented, the emperor said a few words of blessing for national prosperity and peace, and then announced the start of the banquet.
Palace maids gracefully carried various dishes, music began to play, and dancers danced in the hall, creating a joyful and peaceful atmosphere.
Princess Xin'an felt that annoying itch again. With people watching, she had no choice but to turn to the side and cover herself with her sleeve.
She used the method that Xu Zecheng had used, pressing her face with one hand and gently massaging it.
Xu Zecheng was busy dealing with his colleagues and couldn't pay much attention to her. Her attention, however, was focused on the persistent itching, and she had no interest in talking to anyone around her.
She rubbed it for a while, experiencing alternating relief and itchiness for nearly an hour. Meanwhile, the palace was bustling with activity; the emperor and empress were talking, and the two even clinked glasses.
Suddenly, the itching disappeared, and something seemed to fall down. She felt a cool sensation on her face.
But there was no cold wind blowing around her, so why did she feel cold on her face?
Princess Xin'an was puzzled and before she could look down, a piercing scream ripped through the entire hall.
After a brief moment of panic, everyone in the hall looked toward the source of the screams, and then Princess Xin'an saw a series of horrified faces all turned toward her.
She heard someone exclaim, "What kind of monster is that?"
Some of the women even rolled their eyes and fainted.
The emperor was a little too far away to see clearly what was happening, so he asked the Ming King, who was sitting to his lower left, "What happened?"
King Ming glanced in that direction and calmly said, "It's nothing, someone has lost face."
The emperor was stunned for a moment, wondering if he had misheard.
"What's gone?" he asked again.
The king drank the wine in his cup and told him, "Your face is gone."
The emperor prided himself on his extensive knowledge and experience, believing that nothing could sway him. Even when an assassin tried to kill him at a palace banquet, he remained unmoved. But today, he truly didn't know how to react.
At his birthday banquet, someone's face fell?
Listen to this, is this even normal?
Fortunately, the emperor was only stunned for a moment before beckoning to the crown prince and Bai Xiuming, who was sitting next to the crown prince.
The two rose at the same time and went to the emperor's throne.
The emperor instructed, "Crown Prince, go and settle the court officials, and make sure they are not disturbed by the women. Tell them to keep quiet."
The Crown Prince respectfully replied, "Your subject obeys."
The emperor then looked at Bai Xiuming, a hint of helplessness on his face: "Go and investigate what exactly happened."
He was eager to know whether this was an accident or a special birthday gift from someone.
It's best if it has nothing to do with the King of Dongping and the King of Beihuang, otherwise...
When the emperor and empress were escorted away from Yongshou Palace by the imperial guards, the crown prince had already arranged for people to escort the court officials and their female relatives who were not involved in the matter away from Yongshou Palace, while the imperial relatives were left at the end.
The Imperial Guards stood watch inside the palace. Although some were dissatisfied, they dared not say anything.
The Prince of Ying'an and his family were still looking around, seemingly trying to find traces of the Princess of Xin'an, but unfortunately they were destined to be disappointed.
Bai Xiuming was standing in front of the Xin'an County Princess's table at this moment.
Behind him were the courtiers who hurriedly left, not daring to glance in his direction. After they left, the hall was littered with cups and plates, and the joyous atmosphere was gone.
At this moment, Princess Xin'an realized that what had fallen was her face. Her eyes were filled with terror, and she covered her face with her hands, trembling.
Xu Zecheng stood to one side, his face full of fear and surprise, seemingly unable to accept what was happening.
The court officials and their families sitting next to them did not leave, but were instead asked to move aside. The wife of the Vice Minister of Rites who had screamed earlier was quite frightened and was helped to sit down by a palace maid to catch her breath.
After staring at the miserable face of the Princess of Xin'an for a long while, Bai Xiuming finally spoke. His expression was normal, and his tone was even calmer: "Princess of Xin'an, why don't you tell me who you really are?"
"I...I am Xin'an! Bai...Bai Xiuming! Someone is trying to harm me! Someone must be trying to harm me! That's why I've become like this!" Princess Xin'an cried out. Her screams alerted Prince Ying'an, but they were stopped by the Imperial Guards as soon as they got up.
"Lord Xu, is there anything you wish to say to me?" Bai Xiuming then looked at Xu Zecheng.
Xu Zecheng glanced at the Princess of Xin'an and said confidently, "I believe that the Princess must have been framed by a villain."
Bai Xiuming seemed to find their reactions amusing and chuckled, "Very well, I like people who are stubborn. Since neither of you wants to admit it, let's test your bloodlines first."
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