Chapter 45
This face does not resemble Sheng Yu or the Empress, but due to years of interaction, it carries the unique temperament of the Emperor and Empress in every gesture.
Ling Wu raised her hand and lightly flicked the Second Prince's forehead. "You stinky second brother."
The second prince obediently covered his forehead, feigning grievance: "Jiaojiao hurt your second brother. Unless Jiaojiao blows on it for you, your second brother will embarrass you by crying out in public in Jiaojiao's name."
As he spoke, he secretly glanced at Ling Wu, wanting to know if he had successfully deceived Jiao Jiao, unaware that he had caught the eyes of the noble ladies on the other side of him, who were all stunned!
Is this the arrogant and unruly second prince who beat up the minister who favored his concubine over his wife?
Is this the Second Prince who was punished by His Majesty with twenty strokes of the cane and remained silent?
Ling Wu knew that she wouldn't be able to easily change the Second Prince's decision to come to the autumn hunting grounds with just a word, so she wasn't too surprised.
As she passed the Second Prince and caught sight of that handsome and gentle figure in moon-white robes from afar, Lingwu's eyes lit up with a bright smile.
She got off her seat and jogged over, calling out, "Big brother..."
The Crown Prince quickly bent down and caught Lingwu.
"Why are you still so naughty? What if you fall and get hurt?" The Crown Prince's tone was full of obvious doting.
Despite being glared at with jealousy by everyone else, the crown prince remained extremely gentle.
He hugged Lingwu tightly, and when he looked at the Second Prince, he felt a moment of guilt, but soon all that remained was warmth.
"Second brother is bullying Jiaojiao." Lingwu pointed her little finger at the Second Prince and complained to the Crown Prince in front of him.
The Crown Prince looked over and smiled gently, "It's good that your rough skin didn't hurt Jiao Jiao's hands. How could you possibly feel pain?"
The second prince pursed his lips but didn't dare to argue with the crown prince. He felt utterly bored at the moment, having not gotten his hands on Jiaojiao Chuichui.
Meanwhile, the noble ladies in the distance were even more excited by the arrival of the Crown Prince. Putting aside his status as the heir apparent, his character alone was enough to win their hearts.
As the prince spoke, he sat down to the lower right of the main seat.
In the Great Sheng Dynasty, the right side was considered the most honorable, and below him were the three princes and the fifth princess.
As for Lingwu, she was always held in the arms of the Emperor and Empress in turn, and there was even a small seat on one side of the head table specifically for Lingwu to sit on.
Logically, this would be opposed by the court officials, but when Sheng Yu took Ling Wu to the Imperial Study to listen to their reports on government affairs, there were always a few light and childlike words that could enlighten them to solve that difficult problem.
This made everyone extremely envious, and they secretly resented that Ling Wu wasn't a man.
So when Ling Wu sat there, they would only make excuses for her.
For example, she's still young...
Lingwu had no interest in the throne. She had been an emperor countless times in the mortal world, and this time her wish was not to become an empress. Besides, the life she had in this body would only last for ten years.
In her previous life, Bai Mihan only lived for a mere ten years after Sheng Lingwu's passing.
The life-swapping process consumed another half of his lifespan, leaving him with only five years. In addition, the emperor's essence blood also left him with just ten years.
As for the cause of Bai Mihan's death in her previous life, she also learned from the Jinghong Brush that it was the Empress who was responsible.
Moreover, Sheng Yu didn't have much time left to live at that time.
After Sheng Yu's death, the Crown Prince ascended the throne, eleven years after the Second Prince's passing.
The third prince, due to his disability, was granted the title of a leisurely prince and, together with his mother, the virtuous concubine, went to his fiefdom, which was a thousand miles away from Shengjing, and never returned to the capital.
The fourth prince and Consort De died in the struggle for the throne. Amidst years of war, the fifth princess was sent to the desert for a political marriage. Her mother cried until she went blind and eventually died in despair.
The prince born to Bai Mihan in her previous life was also executed along with her by the Empress with a white silk ribbon.
Returning to the present moment of brotherly love and harmony, everyone is filled with joy.
This day was clearly the last splendid scene of the previous life.
From that day onward, only gloom prevailed...
At this moment, when Sheng Yu and the Empress arrived hand in hand, the Crown Prince, who was holding Ling Wu, trembled slightly with his fingers for a moment and remained silent for a long time.
Seeing this, the Second Prince secretly nudged the Crown Prince, "Brother!"
The Crown Prince then realized what was happening, and as their eyes met, the Second Prince felt a momentary tremor in his soul.
The eyes of his elder brother, whom he had admired since childhood, were filled with complex emotions, a mixture of reluctance and pain. In a daze, he even felt that his brother was looking at another person through him.
Thinking of this, the second prince lowered his eyelids.
So the secret letter he intercepted that day was real?
Does my brother really intend to kill me?
Lingwu stepped down from the Crown Prince's embrace and tugged at the Second Prince's sleeve as she walked to his side. Seeing that he had come to his senses, Lingwu tiptoed and raised her small hand to rub the Second Prince's forehead, which she had lightly flicked earlier.
Seeing the sadness and bitterness in the Second Prince's eyes, Lingwu blew on his forehead.
The second prince, unaware of what was going on, still leaned down to look Ling Wu in the eye.
The little dumpling stroked his head and said, "Don't be afraid, Second Brother. Jiaojiao will protect you all."
The second prince was stunned. After realizing what Ling Wu was doing, his ears turned bloodshot, but in the end he could only reply in a hoarse voice, "Yes, brother believes in Jiao Jiao."
The prince suddenly felt a severe tightness in his chest.
He clenched his fist until a dull, sharp pain shot through his palm, bringing him back to his senses. Finally, he lowered his eyes to conceal the gloom within.
The Empress Dowager had been blinded by hatred for the past ten years. Even with the presence of Jiao Jiao, though wavering, she was still unwilling to easily give up her long-standing scheme.
He looked around, and when some courtiers met his gaze, they immediately nodded respectfully.
That's true. Over the years, it's no longer just the Empress Dowager's scheme; she's been forced forward by a group of people.
I wonder if the Empress Dowager will regret it?
After calming the Second Prince down, Ling Wu returned to the head of the table.
The Empress and Sheng Yu seemed to have overcome their estrangement and were now filled with sweetness.
Ling Wu pretended not to know the undercurrents and the dark thoughts hidden in the eyes of the Emperor and Empress.
As the autumn imperial examinations were about to begin, Lingwu shook her head and refused the two men's attempts to feed her. She then made a plea in her babyish voice: "Father, Mother, Jiaojiao wants to go too."
But the two of them immediately refused in unison: "No way!"
After saying that, they each found an excuse.
“It’s too dangerous, not to mention there aren’t any suitable foals for Jiaojiao.” Sheng Yu frowned.
"Besides, Jiaojiao can't ride or shoot, so even if there's a pony, it won't work," the Empress added.
Ling Wu, however, was not afraid at all. She raised her little arm and pointed at the Second Prince, "Second Brother can..."
"No!" Before the words were even finished, the Empress abandoned her usual gentleness and immediately refused!
Sheng Yu, unaware of the situation, said, "The waiter's archery skills are indeed impressive..."
The Empress insisted, "Your Majesty, if Jiaojiao gets hurt, I'm afraid I'll cry myself blind!"
But Lingwu pursed her lips and lowered her eyes, showing the only time in the past four years that she was unhappy.
Sheng Yu quickly lowered his head to coax her, "Jiaojiao, you can go if you want, but your second brother is always impulsive. If you really want to go, why don't you let your eldest brother take you with you, okay?"
Ling Wu still didn't raise her eyes, lowering them to hide the brilliance in her large eyes, her fair and lovely face full of sadness.
Then, a tear fell and landed on the back of Sheng Yu's hand.
"Plop—" The heat made Sheng Yu's heart ache.
"Okay, okay! Jiaojiao, don't cry. It was Daddy's fault, Daddy's fault. Our Jiaojiao is the best, Jiaojiao is the bravest. Jiaojiao can do whatever she wants, okay? Jiaojiao, don't cry. Daddy is naughty. Jiaojiao will hit Daddy!" Sheng Yu coaxed her while frantically trying to soothe her.
This was the first time Jiaojiao had cried in all these years.
The Empress never expected that she would cry simply because Jiao Jiao and Xiao Er were not allowed to enter today.
A wave of mixed emotions washed over me.
Did Jiao Jiao sense that something bad was going to happen today, which is why she cried?
So, is Jiao Jiao really a little fairy who came to stop her?
However, this tear was truly precious, and it made her feel a pang of heartache.
"Jiaojiao, don't cry. It's all your mother's fault. If you want to go, go with your second brother. Although he is reckless, he is quite good at riding and archery."
"My dearest child's tears are precious, especially with so many people here. If others see this, they'll laugh at our little crybaby."
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