In the Qian'an Palace, Ning Xihua knelt quietly below the palace.
She was a little surprised when Emperor Shao Yuan suddenly summoned her, but then she understood.
Although Yuchang Pavilion was under control and everyone inside was silenced on the day she was captured, the fact that Yuchang Pavilion was sealed and all the guards from Prince Ning's Mansion were dispatched made for a rather large commotion.
Ordinary people didn't know that she was captured, but Emperor Shao Yuan must have heard about it.
"I heard that you have been unwell recently. I wonder how you are doing now?"
Ning Xihua lowered her head, secretly sighing that Emperor Shao Yuan's question was so tactful.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am now in good health and have recovered as before."
Emperor Shao Yuan nodded, not worrying that she was lying. After all, whether the jade was intact or not could be known by a single test. And judging from the attitude of the crown prince, the thief had indeed failed.
As for the follow-up of this matter, it was not his business. For the sake of Princess Yuexi's reputation, they would not let him make the decision, so he naturally pretended not to know about it.
"Before Prince Ning went to the Northern Frontier, I asked you about your marriage. I wonder what you think?"
Ning Xihua replied respectfully, "Of course I want to marry the man of my dreams, but if Your Majesty arranges a marriage for me, no matter who it is, it will be a blessing for me."
Emperor Shao Yuan narrowed his eyes. This answer was exactly the same as that of the old fox Prince Ning.
"I wonder who you are thinking of?"
"I dare not say."
Emperor Shao Yuan smiled and said, "Why not? Prince Ning has already told me everything."
Ning Xihua looked embarrassed and said softly, "I do have a crush on His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, but the position of Crown Princess is related to the East Palace and even the court. It is no longer a family matter, so I dare not hope for it."
Emperor Shao Yuan, however, looked different, and his words contained a hint of guidance.
"During the autumn hunt, you sacrificed yourself to block an arrow for the crown prince. At that time, I promised King Ning to fulfill your wish. You can use this as an excuse to ask me to marry you to the crown prince."
Ning Xihua, however, bowed her head and said, "I dare not. That arrow was an accident. Your Majesty promised me a favor, which I am ashamed to accept. Moreover, the Crown Prince's marriage involves many things. I dare not embarrass Your Majesty with this favor."
She complained in her heart that if she dared to ask Emperor Shao Yuan for a marriage on this basis, with his suspicious character, he would probably suspect that Prince Ning's Mansion and Su Bi had already colluded with each other.
Emperor Shao Yuan's expression eased slightly when he heard this. "Now your father is fighting for the country on the front line, so your marriage cannot be neglected. Don't worry, I will give you a husband of your dreams."
Ning Xihua kowtowed again to express her gratitude.
…
In the evening, Emperor Shao Yuan was still considering Ning Xihua's marriage on his way to Hanzhang Palace.
He had previously sounded out Prince Ning's intentions and knew that if he gave the prince a marriage, Prince Ning would surely comply with Ning Xihua's wishes and would not complain.
Moreover, Prince Ning is currently at the frontline in the Northern Frontier. Making his daughter the Crown Princess would reassure him and the 300,000 soldiers in the Northern Frontier, allowing them to focus on serving the country and avoid having other thoughts.
However, he was always bothered by the fact that the Duke of Zhenguo and the Prince of Ning were related by marriage. Even though the two families were far apart in power, it did not dispel his concern about the fact that they both held a large number of troops.
While Emperor Shao Yuan was still struggling, he inadvertently smelled a pungent smell of smoke coming from the west.
"Go check what's going on, is there a fire?"
The young eunuch immediately went to investigate, and soon came back to report: "I went to see, it was His Royal Highness the Crown Prince burning paper in the Yong'an Palace..."
Offering sacrifices in the palace is a big taboo, but His Royal Highness the Crown Prince went to the palace to burn paper for no reason. This...
The young eunuch looked at Emperor Shao Yuan and dared not say any more.
Emperor Shao Yuan suddenly thought of something and changed his route, heading towards Yong'an Palace.
As soon as he entered the palace, Emperor Shao Yuan waved his hand to signal the eunuchs who followed him to be silent, and then he quietly walked out of the door.
I saw Su Bi kneeling in the hall, throwing paper into the brazier.
"Mother, it has been so many years. If it weren't for this portrait, I would have almost forgotten what you looked like."
As Emperor Shao Yuan had not appointed a successor, Yong'an Palace was unoccupied, and the tablet of Empress Ruijia was temporarily enshrined here. Su Bi also hung a portrait of her in the middle.
The woman in the portrait is gentle and beautiful, with a pair of smiling eyes looking out of the painting, and she looks dignified and gentle.
Emperor Shao Yuan recognized it. It was the painting he had made for Bai Muxia when she first entered the palace. When they were newlyweds, they also had a period of loving and harmonious time...
"Today is your birthday. I suddenly miss you, so I can only come and burn some paper for you."
Su Bi lowered her head, her facial expression unreadable, but her voice was very low.
"Mother, sometimes I wonder if I were not the crown prince. If I were not the crown prince, wouldn't I have so many troubles?"
He smiled bitterly, "If she wasn't the crown prince, could I boldly tell my father that I love her and ask for his blessing in marriage without having to worry about being misunderstood or suspected by him?"
Su Bi reached out and threw another stack of papers into the brazier.
"Mother, I have to tell you secretly that I have a girl I like. If you were still alive, I would definitely like her too. But the girl I like has a prominent family background, so I am afraid that I will not be able to be with her."
He kowtowed towards the tablet and said softly, "In fact, I have never blamed you and my father. I just regret that you left so early and that I have become so estranged from my father. Even my grandfather... well, let's not talk about it."
Su Bi inside the door was still chattering about some trivial matters to Empress Ruijia, but Emperor Shao Yuan outside the door looked a little dazed.
It turned out that today was Bai Mucha's birthday. He had hardly remembered how many years it had been since she had gone there.
Bai Mucha, who had just entered the palace, was gentle, charming, elegant and dignified. They also gambled on books and drank tea together, and she was very kind to him.
When did it start to change?
Maybe it was when there were more and more concubines in the harem, maybe it was when a crown prince was appointed, or maybe it was when the Ryukyu Kingdom became more and more powerful and the Duke of Zhen became more and more powerful.
The two of them drifted apart, and the woman eventually died.
Emperor Shao Yuan looked at Su Bi, who was kneeling in the hall and muttering to himself, and a feeling of long-lost guilt came over him.
This child was Bai Muxia's last thought, but he owed him a lot.
Not only had he been a hostage in the Ryukyu Kingdom for seven years, but after he returned, he was not given much attention. Fearing that his health would be affected, he was even moved to the Linhua Palace, and was given a Weiyuan for comfort.
If the Princess of Ryuk had not humiliated the Crown Prince in public at the birthday banquet, thus damaging the prestige of the country, he would not have thought of letting him take on the role of Crown Prince and escort the envoys to set the record straight.
Although he has not yet decided who will inherit the throne, he is still the crown prince, but he is so weak that even a woman he likes dare not tell him.
On the other hand, in Hanzhang Palace, Concubine Sun wanted to marry the fourth princess to Qin Songfeng, and also wanted to marry Ning Xihua to Su Xu.
Forget it, after all, he is his child, and he has made contributions by being held hostage in the Kingdom of Liu. This has fulfilled his wish, and it can be regarded as compensation for him and Bai Mucha...
Emperor Shao Yuan sighed and quietly left Yongle Palace with his attendants.
Inside the hall, Su Bi was still throwing paper money into the brazier. The burning flames illuminated his cold eyes that no one could see.
Mother, you see, sometimes the dead are more useful than the living.
Since you left so early, it might not be a bad thing that you don't have to see him acting so hypocritically anymore.
The next day, Emperor Shao Yuan issued an imperial edict.
I have heard that Ning Xihua, the daughter of Prince Ning and Princess Yuexi, is kind and honest, with outstanding character and appearance, and is both beautiful and intelligent. She has now been appointed as the Crown Princess and an auspicious day has been chosen for the wedding.