5 guesses
◎When King Zhao discovered that she was a girl, he imprisoned her in the palace and humiliated her at will.◎
They met face to face so directly, without even a place to hide on the street.
Gu Ningxi unconsciously squeezed the oil-paper bag in her hand, hung it in front of her, and then shifted it to her left hand.
She thought for a long time and finally found a way to greet him: "Your Highness, where are you from?"
Lu Jing paused, then answered her, "Wangyun Tower."
"Oh, that's right." Gu Ningxi knew Wangyun Tower. The layout of the third floor was based on the blueprints she had modified back then. However, she had never been there since Prince Zhao left the capital.
"Then take care, Your Highness." She forced a smile.
Xie Qian, who was standing behind Lu Jing, was completely bewildered by this meaningless conversation. He pondered over it again and again, but couldn't quite grasp the deeper meaning behind it.
"Um."
Seeing that Gu Ningxi was indeed fine, Lu Jing did not stay any longer.
After King Zhao rode away, Li Ping drove over to pick up his master.
He opened the carriage door for Gu Ningxi and said, "I didn't expect you to meet His Royal Highness Prince Zhao here. What a coincidence."
"It's nothing special," Gu Ningxi said as he stepped onto the carriage. "Wangyun Tower is not far ahead."
It seems that I have to find another place to discuss matters with my cousin next time.
The evening breeze blew, cooling the pastry, but it could not blow away the embarrassment and awkwardness.
The carriage curtain was lowered, and Gu Ningxi recalled the romantic dream in her dream again, but the person she loved was right in front of her.
She touched her red earlobe and sighed silently.
…
The full moon was bright, and the candles in the study of Leyouyuan were still lit.
Hearing the familiar footsteps, Gu Ningxi covered the writing on the desk.
"Mother." She called out with a smile.
Mrs. Meng brought a maid to serve a bowl of Tremella and Snow Pear Soup, which was sweet and refreshing and soothing to the lungs.
She said with concern, "It's so late, why don't you rest yet?" Xier had accompanied her for dinner tonight, and had been busy in the study.
Gu Ningxi was vague: "The Ministry of Industry still has some matters to attend to, it will be done soon."
The maid Rutong served the soup and left. Madam Meng watched her daughter having her midnight snack, her eyes full of love.
The pens, ink, paper and inkstone were piled up in a mess on the desk, and Mrs. Meng couldn't stand it and always wanted to help tidy it up.
"Let the kid do it himself." Gu Ningxi protected his books and quickly stacked a few of them to make room for them.
Mrs. Meng smiled and shook her head, then looked at the packed bookcase behind her daughter.
She was not very literate and only had a vague understanding of the household account books, and she had no special skills.
But she loved watching her daughter read. In the past, Xier would always tell her stories from books after school.
The soup wasn't a large portion, so it was best enjoyed at night. Madam Meng advised, "After bathing, go to bed early. Don't tire yourself out. There's always work to do, one thing after another."
Gu Ningxi nodded and replied obediently, "I understand, child."
Mrs. Meng was satisfied. She watched her finish her midnight snack and gave her a few more instructions before leaving with her maid.
When the footsteps faded away, Gu Ningxi breathed a sigh of relief and pulled out another piece of paper from under the book. The paper was a bit messy with scribbles, and only she could understand it.
She sorted out her thoughts and still started from the dream.
Setting aside this as nonsense, if the dream were true, the palace coup in the dream must have been a sign of the entanglement between Prince Zhao's palace and the Eastern Palace. Prince Zhao, having never ascended to the throne, had resorted to such desperate measures. As a minister of the Eastern Palace, she must have deeply offended Prince Zhao by reaching this stage of the coup. Such is the nature of factional strife: the victors triumph over the kings, and the victors take their place. She might have been exiled, or even executed. But Prince Zhao, realizing her female identity, imprisoned her in the palace and subjected her to unbridled humiliation.
She certainly didn't want to end up like this. Being involved in the struggle for the throne was not her wish, so right now, she couldn't afford to offend King Zhao any more because of the affairs of the Eastern Palace.
And if the dream was false, then she shouldn't have had too much contact with Prince Zhao's Mansion while assisting the Eastern Palace. Otherwise, neither the Eastern Palace nor the Xuanping Marquis' Mansion would let her off easily.
Gu Ningxi circled a word, "The safest approach is to avoid matters within Prince Zhao's palace if possible. If it's not necessary, it's best to avoid Prince Zhao as much as possible."
She knew this was only a medium-term strategy, but she had no way of bypassing the Eastern Palace and reconciling with Prince Zhao. She had considered requesting to be exiled, but her mother was in the capital, and she couldn't leave her mother alone in the Marquis' Mansion.
Since you can only be in the midst of right and wrong, at least for now, this path will not lead to big mistakes.
…
Recently, the government has been peaceful, the weather is clear and the air is fresh, and a father and son are playing chess in the imperial study.
Emperor Mingde placed a piece, shook his head and sighed, "Your chess skills haven't improved much."
Lu Jing was not good at chess, but he had just played two games with his father at his father's request when he came to pay his respects in the afternoon.
The game was almost decided, but Emperor Mingde had no intention of continuing. Instead, he personally took Lu Jing to review the game.
He was the one who taught the Crown Prince and King Zhao how to play chess. He was also much more patient with this child than with his other sons.
Lu Jing's eyes fell on the chessboard, not wanting to dampen his father's interest.
All the memorials retained by the Ministry of Personnel have been returned. The Crown Prince is responsible for taking care of minor court affairs, so Emperor Mingde has a free afternoon.
The sound of chess pieces falling was crisp, and Emperor Mingde asked, "You just returned to the capital. Is Prince Zhao's Mansion to your liking?"
The entire palace has been expanded by more than 30%, and Lu Jing does not have the time to take a closer look.
He just said, "Thank you for your concern, Father."
The emperor chose not to discuss government affairs today; the father and son exchanged a few small talks and drank a cup of tea.
Lu Jing went to see the sky outside, but Emperor Mingde said, "The moon is full on the 16th, so stay in the palace to have dinner tonight."
The steward beside the emperor was so smart that he had already ordered the imperial kitchen to prepare it.
Lu Jing put down the teacup: "I understand."
Emperor Mingde received a satisfactory answer. There was no need for further words between father and son. He nodded and said, "Go, and come back soon."
He ordered his attendants to accompany Prince Zhao to Lizheng Palace. Lu Jing stood up and said, "Your son will take his leave first."
…
The Lizheng Hall is second only to the Taiji Hall in size in the palace. Logically speaking, such a magnificent hall should not appear so deserted.
Because Lizheng Hall was the bedroom of the late Empress Yiwen, it had been vacant for eleven years since her passing. The palace was cleaned daily by the palace maids, who kept it in pristine condition.
Hanging in the main hall is a portrait of Empress Yiwen when she was young. She was born in the Zhending Palace in Hedong and was known as the "most beautiful woman in Hedong" before she got married.
She married Prince Lu Hong of Jin at the age of seventeen, firmly established herself as the Princess of Jin, and gave birth to a son.
Sadly, beauty is often envied by fate. Two years before her husband ascended the throne, Empress Zhen had already been bedridden. On the first day of Emperor Mingde's ascension, he issued an edict declaring her empress and performed a ceremony to confer her the title, thus ensuring her full status as empress. Three days later, the imperial physicians were unable to save her, and the Empress passed away, leaving behind a twelve-year-old son. Deeply heartbroken, His Majesty personally composed a eulogy for his beloved wife, and the Ministry of Rites proposed the posthumous title "Yiwen."
Qing Mao, the maidservant leading the Lizheng Palace, led the other palace staff in paying their respects, her tone unable to conceal her excitement: "This servant greets His Highness, may His Highness live long and well."
She was the personal maidservant of Empress Zhen and watched Prince Zhao grow up.
"Aunt, please stand up."
Except for Qingmao, all the old people who served Empress Zhen in the past were working in Lizheng Palace.
Lu Jing asked a few questions about Li Zheng Palace's recent situation, and Qing Mao answered them one by one. Even during the three years when His Highness was away from the capital, no one in the palace had troubled them.
Every year, the inner court organizes the Queen Mother’s birthday ceremonies in a dignified manner without any neglect.
After brewing tea, Qingmao and the others did not disturb His Royal Highness Prince Zhao any further and all retreated outside the palace to serve.
The hall was spotlessly clean, and Lu Jing found a chair to sit down.
He actually didn't have many memories of Lizheng Hall; his mother had only lived here for a little over half a month.
The furnishings in the palace were as luxurious as before, and he just wanted to find a place in the palace to sit quietly for a while.
All the things that the Queen Mother used during her lifetime were placed in the Lizheng Hall as they were, and the three storerooms in the back hall were filled with her wedding dowry.
When Empress Yiwen got married, the Zhending Palace was at its peak. She was given an innumerable dowry and a team of fifty cavalrymen.
The Zhending Prince's Palace was marrying off its only legitimate daughter, wishing her a life of peace and prosperity. The wedding procession stretched for miles, and the dowry was loaded onto the ship in more than a dozen batches. Even knowing the rich dowry would be, no bandit dared to attempt to steal the dowry midway, thus offending both the Jin and Zhending Prince's Palaces.
Empress Zhen had been married for many years but had only one child. In her last two years, she set aside a storeroom to prepare a gift for her future daughter-in-law. She prepared for her daughter-in-law the same way the palace had prepared for her.
Perhaps she knew that she would not live to see her son get married, so she made arrangements early.
The woman in the portrait in the main hall has starry eyes and white teeth, and every ornament and item is exquisite, as if she were in her best years.
Lu Jing stared at the portrait for a long time. His mother loved beauty and also liked pretty dolls.
When the young master of the eldest branch of the Xuanping Marquis's mansion entered the palace, his mother held the delicate, jade-like doll and teased it for a long time, even giving away her jade pendant. Children from other aristocratic families did not receive such an honor.
My mother was good at painting, and when the Jin Prince's Palace set up a girls' school, she personally went there to teach for a few days.
Thinking of the past, a faint smile unconsciously appeared on Lu Jing's lips.
The afterglow of the setting sun slanted into the palace, bathing the entire imperial city in golden light.
…
Outside the Taiji Palace, General Manager Li Ji waited eagerly for a long time and finally saw the appearance of His Royal Highness Prince Zhao.
Seeing that it was almost time for dinner, if His Royal Highness Prince Zhao did not return, he could only go to Lizheng Palace to invite him.
"This old servant pays his respects to His Highness Prince Zhao," Li Ji said with a smile, "Your Highness, please come in."
The kitchen is ready, and the Empress and the other two princes have also arrived. His Majesty is hosting a family dinner today, which will begin at 1:00 PM.
As the sunset lingered, Lu Jing could hear the relaxed laughter and conversation from inside before he even entered the main hall, and the atmosphere was full of joy.
Ever since the country was first established, Emperor Minghe knew that it was destiny that had come to power, and his joy was beyond words.
With Lu Jing's arrival, the conversation in the hall stopped temporarily, and Prince Huai Lu Chen also stood up.
Lu Jing first bowed to the Emperor and Empress at the top of the table: "Your son greets His Majesty, Father, and may Your Majesty long live the Queen Mother."
"Get up quickly."
Empress Yao sat beside Emperor Minghe, dressed today in a wide-sleeved, silver-red brocade gown adorned with phoenix-shaped silk threads. She had always disdained extravagance, and her black hair was adorned with few pearls and jade, save for a golden phoenix-shaped hairpin bearing a pearl at her temple, signaling her status as the Empress.
Even among peers, the crown prince took the first seat on the left, nodding his head in greeting to his fifth brother. Prince Huai, Lu Chen, was next in line, addressing Lu Jing as "Royal Brother." He was Empress Yao's youngest son, and though he and Prince Zhao were of similar age, only three months apart, the two brothers had played separately since childhood.
Queen Yao smiled gently: "Okay, everyone, please sit down."
Lu Jing went to his seat, facing the Crown Prince and Prince Huai.
The meal was already being prepared in the side hall. Empress Yao said, "Qi'an hasn't been back to the capital for a long time. I wonder if his taste in food has changed."
The kitchen was preparing according to the old routine, and was worried that there might be some omissions.
Lu Jing smiled and said, "Mother, you worry too much."
His courtesy name was chosen by Emperor Ming He before he came of age. At that time, the Central Plains had not yet been unified, and the Turkic Khan in the north was eyeing him covetously. With the Jin Dynasty under attack from all sides, Emperor Ming He hoped that his children, who were on the battlefield, would be safe and sound.
The palace dishes were served as usual, and Empress Yao specifically instructed her maids to serve the dishes to Prince Zhao. They enjoyed a pleasant dinner, but it was already getting late, and the time for locking the palace gates was slightly delayed.
Lu Jing took his leave first, and the Crown Prince and Prince Huai also stood up upon seeing this.
Emperor Minghe and Empress Yao sat together. Qi'an was a well-behaved child and did not want to stay in the palace any longer.
His bedroom in the palace had been decorated, but he had not stayed there for a long time.
Empress Yao consoled him, "Qi'an has just returned to the capital, and I'm afraid he still has some matters to take care of at home."
Emperor Minghe thought of the questions he had asked in the afternoon and guessed that the decoration of Prince Zhao's Mansion was not to his liking.
He sent a message to Li Ji: "Summon the Minister of Works to the Imperial Study tomorrow afternoon."
"I obey your order."
…
"Your Highness."
The invitation to the banquet in the Eastern Palace was delivered to Prince Zhao's Mansion two days ago, and the invitation was written by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince himself.
Sun Jing has ordered people to find out the guest list of the Eastern Palace in the past two days and respectfully present it to His Royal Highness Prince Zhao.
Sun Jing was one of the stewards that came with Empress Zhen's dowry. Ever since His Royal Highness Prince Zhao was crowned king and established his own palace, he has been managing affairs in Prince Zhao's palace.
In addition to His Highness, the Eastern Palace also invited many generals under King Zhao, all of whom were meritorious officials on the battlefield.
There were few other important officials in the court. The Crown Prince acted cautiously, adhering to his duties as a son and a minister. The rest were officials from the Eastern Palace, mostly from the younger generation.
The banquet was scheduled for February 19th. Lu Jing checked the list and said calmly, "Okay."
【Author’s words】
The next update will be on Wednesday at 9 o'clock
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