Chapter 543 Requesting for Permission
The carriage drove into the clamor amid the tolling of funeral bells.
The Lantern Festival was so lively that unless you were very close to the palace, you couldn't hear the funeral bells at all.
After the death of the Empress Dowager, music was banned inside and outside the palace for a hundred days. However, the Lantern Festival was halfway through tonight, and it was also the day when Xiao Huaijin would enthrone the Crown Prince and pray for Empress Zhao Yuan, so it couldn't just stop abruptly.
The laughter and joy continue.
Chen Wan sat in the carriage, listening to the endless noise around him, and always felt that something was not right. The Jingbei Palace was not far from the imperial palace, and it was not so noisy. The carriage had been traveling for so long, it should have arrived long ago.
Chen Wan wanted to lift the curtain to look outside, but she was sitting in Xie Jingyu's arms, so not only could she not reach the curtain, but a certain gentleman's hands were also not honest, and he was fiddling around with her waist.
Shen Wan grabbed his hand and said, “Aren’t we going back to the Jingbei Palace?”
After strolling around the streets for half a day and going into the palace again, she felt that it was enough and she could go back.
Xie Jingyu said, "I chartered a boat and will spend the night on it."
Shen Wan said, "If I don't go back at night, what will happen to Mo'er Ran'er?"
Xie Jingyu buried his head in Shen Wan's neck. "At this hour, they have already gone to bed. You will have plenty of time to accompany them after leaving Beijing."
"You stay with me tonight."
It is true that he is a jealous person.
How can you be jealous of your own child?
However, thinking that Xie Jingyu would be leaving Kyoto in the next two days to find the princess, Shen Wan felt extremely reluctant to let him go.
Although there is no need to worry about Xie Jingyu's safety, they don't know when he will be back. They have never boated on the lake at night, but today is not a full moon night.
Chen Wan was still thinking about boating on the lake, when a certain gentleman had already put his hand into her clothes. By the time Chen Wan realized what he was going to do and prepared to stop him, it was too late.
It was late at night, but there were still many people on the street, and the carriages stopped and started. Chen Wan bit her lips hard to prevent herself from screaming.
If they can do whatever they want in a carriage, how much more so on a boat?
A beautiful night.
When he woke up the next day, he felt like a broken man. Both Shanhu and Yinchuan, the two maids, were not on the boat. A certain master was helping Chen Wan change clothes. It turned out that as long as he took off clothes enough times, he would know how to put them on.
Shen Wan's eyes flickered with fire as he asked, "When are you leaving?"
Xie Jingyu pinched Shen Wan's nose, "Why do I feel like you can't wait for me to leave Beijing?"
She was reluctant to let him leave Beijing, but she was overwhelmed by his reluctance to leave Beijing every day, and she couldn't stand him tossing her back and forth.
What I’m more afraid of is what if I get pregnant again?
She hasn't wanted to have another child in the past three to five years.
She even felt that having Mo Erran'er in her life was enough.
It’s better to set off early and bring the princess back as soon as possible.
But she couldn't say it out loud if she thought so in her heart, otherwise she might not even be able to get off the boat today. Shen Wan said, "Am I not worried about my mother?"
Xie Jingyu said, "I haven't told the emperor about this yet."
Chen Wan knew that Xie Jingyu was not in a position to speak to the emperor. The princess ran away from home, and Xie Jingyu was going to leave her and the two children behind to go find the princess. The emperor would not be happy if he knew about it.
But deceiving the Emperor, the princess's identity is special after all, and there is no guarantee that it will be exposed one day...
She should talk to the emperor.
Shen Wan said, “The Queen Mother has passed away, and we should go to pay our respects.”
After having some breakfast on the boat, the two got off. Chen Wan felt that her steps were weak. Xie Jingyu wanted to accompany her in the carriage, but Chen Wan didn't dare. Thinking of last night when they were in the carriage... her face was burning.
I won’t ride in a carriage with him anymore!
Shen Wan stood beside the carriage and asked, "Are you riding the horse or should I?"
Giving a choice is the same as not giving it.
Chen Wan can barely walk properly, how can he still ride a horse?
A certain gentleman can only ride the horse by himself.
It's a rare occasion for Kyoto to hold a lantern festival, and everyone had a great time last night, so it was getting late, and the usually bustling streets were much quieter.
The carriage entered the palace smoothly.
When the empress dowager passed away, people inside and outside the palace mourned. The palace maids wore white flowers on their heads and the palace ladies tied white silk around their waists.
Shen Wan and Xie Jingyu went to Shoukang Palace first to burn incense for the empress dowager.
Princess Yaoguang and Zhao Yunkuo knelt on the ground and burned paper.
Princess Yaoguang didn't know how long she had been kneeling. She was a little shaky. Shen Wan couldn't bear it when she saw it. "Princess Yaoguang has not fully recovered from her injuries. You should take care of your own health. The Queen Mother loves you the most. She won't want to see you exhaust yourself for her."
Princess Yaoguang's nose felt sore, and tears kept falling. "This is my last chance to show my filial piety..."
"Taking good care of yourself is the greatest filial piety."
The Queen Mother was afraid that she would bear a grudge and hurt Princess Yaoguang, so she bowed to her on her deathbed. The Queen Mother's love for Princess Yaoguang surpassed everything else.
Chen Wan didn't try to persuade Princess Yaoguang, but instead addressed Zhao Yunkuo directly, "Princess Yaoguang is only allowed to kneel for half an hour every day. If you can't stop her, I'll beat you with a stick."
Zhao Yunkuo was also very obedient and directly carried Princess Yaoguang, who was kneeling on the ground, away.
After paying homage to the Queen Mother, Shen Wan and Xie Jingyu went to the imperial study.
Imperial study.
The emperor was sitting on the dragon throne, and the Minister of Rites was reporting to the emperor about the burial arrangements of the empress dowager.
Chen Wan and Xie Jingyu waited outside the imperial study for a while. The Minister of Rites came out and greeted them before they entered the imperial study.
The emperor knew that they were here to pay tribute to the empress dowager. Seeing that Shen Wan's eyelids were slightly blue, the emperor asked, "What's wrong?"
Shen Wan shook his head, "I'm fine, I just have something to ask Father..."
The emperor was about to ask what was going on when eunuch Xiao Xizi came in with a memorial. "Your Majesty, the Prince of Jingbei sent someone to give you a memorial..."
emperor,"……???"
Shen Wan, “…???”
Xie Jingyu, “……???”
The prince is at the border. If he has something to report to the emperor, it must be rushed over at least 400 miles. How could it be a memorial?
"Show it up."
Eunuch Xiao Xizi quickly presented the memorial to the emperor.
The emperor took it and opened it, but after taking a quick look, his brows were twisted into a knot.
Shen Wanxin raised it, “Father, what happened?”
The Emperor said, "Princess Jingbei has been kidnapped and has disappeared. Prince Jingbei is unable to leave the border, so he has specifically requested permission from me to allow the Crown Prince to leave the capital to find Princess Jingbei..."
Shen Wan, “…”
Xie Jingyu, “…”
Xiao Huaijin was named the crown prince yesterday, and today the prince’s memorial was delivered to the emperor.
Apparently, this memorial had already been in Kyoto, waiting for the right moment to let the emperor release Xie Jingyu to find the princess.
The emperor naturally did not want Xie Jingyu to leave Kyoto and leave Shen Wan and the child in the mansion, but the missing person was the princess, Xie Jingyu's biological mother. As a son, he must go to find her. The emperor had no reason not to let Xie Jingyu go.
The emperor has always known that the prince and his son are decisive in their actions, but in supporting Xiao Huaijin and overthrowing Xiao Yun, Xie Jingyu took the initiative and pressed forward step by step. The emperor thought he was in a hurry to go to the battlefield. The son of General Wang has been reading military books and learning to read since childhood, so he is eager to go to the battlefield. The emperor can understand.
Unexpectedly, Xie Jingyu was not going to the battlefield, but to find his mother.
How could someone hold Princess Jingbei hostage?
The emperor thought this was unusual.
The emperor closed the memorial and asked Xie Jingyu, "When will you set off?"
Xie Jingyu replied, "Tomorrow."
The emperor asked Shen Wan, "What do you want to see father about?"
Chen Wan said, "This is what I want to tell Father..."
The emperor looked at Xie Jingyu and said, "You are leaving the capital to look for your mother. I cannot stop you from going. The sooner you go, the sooner you can return."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your permission."
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