Meanwhile, Prince Ning was already in the palace.
He and Emperor Guangqi sat facing each other on a soft couch, with a heavy, carved box made of golden nanmu wood placed in front of them.
This is a rare artifact from the previous dynasty that Prince Ning found while traveling all over the country. It is said to be a jade hairpin that the emperor of the previous dynasty personally crafted for his concubine.
As Emperor Guangqi listened to Prince Ning's introduction, he reached out and picked up the jade hairpin from the wooden box, playing with it in his hand: "You travel all over the country every day just to collect these things."
Prince Ning looked at him with great interest, his eyes full of anticipation: "Yes, besides incense, it's this. This is a jade hairpin that I obtained with great effort. I had only heard about it in storybooks before. Now that I have seen it in person, I have traveled a long way to give it to you."
"Doesn't Your Majesty find this novel?"
Emperor Guangqi remained silent for a moment, sensing the glint in Prince Ning's eyes, and finally nodded silently: "Yes, it is quite novel."
"It's good that you're back. You've just arrived in time to attend this year's Fengshan ceremony. This year's Fengshan ceremony is extremely grand, and I will personally travel to Heyan Mountain with the Tibetan envoy."
Heyan Mountain is located on the outskirts of Beijing. Legend has it that it is the site of the dragon vein of the Great Qian Dynasty. There is an ancient temple on the mountain with a history of thousands of years. The monks who have attained enlightenment and practiced martial arts rarely appear in the world.
Upon hearing this, Prince Ning suddenly raised his head and looked into the emperor's eyes, his tone becoming serious: "Heyan Mountain is also where the Crown Prince used to cultivate."
Upon hearing the mention of the Crown Prince, Emperor Guangqi's expression instantly became subtle. He casually tossed the jade hairpin in his hand back into the box he had just left, without uttering a word.
Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger; if anyone else could sense the emperor's obvious displeasure, they would be kneeling and begging for mercy right now.
Prince Ning was Emperor Guangqi's younger brother, born of the same mother; there was no closer relationship in the world.
He sighed and reached out to grasp the emperor's hand again: "Your Majesty, the past was the business of the Han family. Now, Your Majesty's sister-in-law... the deposed empress has also passed away. At that time, the crown prince was only five years old and did not understand anything."
“You left him to cultivate on Heyan Mountain for so long, and before he even came of age, the Western Rong rebelled. At that time, you were worried that there would be no one in the court to defend it, but he went directly there.”
As Prince Ning spoke, his previously carefree face became more serious: "You haven't seen each other for over a decade, how can you still look like father and son?"
Emperor Guangqi looked at him coldly: "The way you're speaking so earnestly right now makes you look like an old father, even older than me."
He grasped Prince Ning's hand in return, raising an eyebrow slightly: "You've been traveling all over the country for so many years, yet you haven't met anyone Xin Yue?"
Prince Ning was more than twenty years younger than the emperor and was the last child of the late emperor. In terms of age, he was about the same as the other princes in the capital and should have been married and had children.
Prince Ning's face stiffened, and he abruptly withdrew his hand: "Now that the Empress Dowager is no longer urging us, you shouldn't either. Isn't it enough that the Great Qian Dynasty has you to carry on the family line?"
A hint of doubt crept into Emperor Guangqi's eyes: "Do you have a preference for women?"
Prince Ning's eye twitched violently: "Your Majesty, please don't look at me like that. I actually met a woman in the capital today, and I found her rather interesting."
The Guangqi Emperor's eyes showed even greater scrutiny: "Whose daughter is she? I will bestow a marriage upon you."
Prince Ning's eyes deepened, and after a moment's pause, he smiled and shook his head: "The most important thing now is the Fengshan Ceremony. If we're talking about it, the Crown Prince should be able to attend the Fengshan Ceremony, but he's currently on the frontier and can't make it back in time."
Emperor Guangqi shook his head, his tone somewhat cold and hard: "There's no need for him to come back. If I were truly angry with him, I wouldn't have kept his position as crown prince. He should be content."
Prince Ning tilted his head and looked at him: "You're content as the crown prince? But what if you were a son?"
"I heard that the Crown Prince was ambushed on the frontier some time ago. Are you aware of this news?"
The Emperor nodded, his expression devoid of emotion: "Of course I know. Fortunately, He Jingyan from the Marquis of Anding protected him, which prevented the Crown Prince from being injured. Otherwise, it would have been him who was escorted back to the capital after falling into a coma."
"He failed to protect his subordinates, and ultimately he was useless."
When Prince Ning heard that Emperor Guangqi was even blaming the Crown Prince for this matter, his heart turned as cold as iron.
He looked embarrassed, but dared not try to persuade him any further: "General He is still unconscious?"
The emperor sighed: "He hasn't woken up yet, and the Marquis of Anding's residence is in complete chaos."
Upon hearing this, Prince Ning also felt a pang of regret: "It's a real shame about the Marquis of Anding. Those who should have come out couldn't, while those who shouldn't have were running around the capital..."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Guangqi gave him a strange look: "What do you mean by that?"
Prince Ning shook his head: "The eldest son of the Marquis of Anding sacrificed himself for the country and protected the Crown Prince, but the second son is like an empty-headed bum."
"His face was handsome, and I thought he was someone of great talent, but I never expected him to be all show and no substance."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Guangqi recalled He Yunze's face and shook his head: "I feel the same way. This man is extremely intelligent and quick-witted. He seems to have seen a lot, but I don't know why he always does things that I can't understand."
"If He Da is still lying on his bed like this, it won't get better. The position of the Marquis of Anding's heir will ultimately belong to He Er. It is the royal family that has wronged the Marquis of Anding's mansion, and I have no choice but to tolerate it."
The two were discussing He Yunze's affairs, while He Yunze, clutching the prescription in his hand, dismounted from his carriage in front of the Jingzhao Prefecture.
He stood in front of the carriage, looking up at the imposing plaque hanging high above the Jingzhao Prefecture, and hesitated for a moment.
It wasn't until Song Xizhi's calm face involuntarily appeared in his mind that he suddenly felt a surge of impulse.
He Yunce took a deep breath and went straight into the Jingzhao Prefecture.
At this moment, Song Ruoan was kneeling in the courtroom, tears streaming down her face as she looked up at the Prefect of the Capital.
The Prefect of the Capital was also staring at her, feeling extremely troubled: "Song Ruo'an, are you going to admit it or not?"
Song Ruoan stubbornly raised her head, refusing to admit anything: "I don't admit it, this is Song Xizhi's false accusation!"
“Your Excellency is wise. When Song Xizhi was researching that incense, I already had that incense. My husband can testify to that.”
"Furthermore, the incense I gave to my mother-in-law, grandmother, and even other ladies in the capital has a history of more than ten years. It was not stolen from Song Xizhi. Those ladies can also testify to this."
Song Ruoan's face was deathly pale, her lips were dry, and her throat was completely hoarse: "I am the second young mistress of the Marquis of Anding's mansion, and the daughter of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites. If you, sir, want to punish me, you must produce irrefutable evidence!"
"Otherwise, not only me, but even my husband and father would not agree!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
