Chapter 13 Shengdu is not allowed to go back home?
Chen Yu sat like this, his clothes tugged at, until the fourth watch, fearing that even the slightest movement would sever the remaining ties between him and Qi Xin. He had already taken a decoction the night before, and it had taken him until the latter part of the night to settle down. He had also been walking around with her all day, and his body was already somewhat exhausted. He finally found peace of mind by reaching for her fingertips before finally closing his eyes and falling asleep.
Unconsciously, Chen Yu drifted into a foggy, white place, surrounded by a dead silence. He tried to move his body, wanting to see more clearly, only to find that he was only wearing his underwear, with his hands tied behind his back, kneeling on the ground. The inside of his open shirt was already covered with several bloody whip marks.
In the thick fog, the faintly visible iron bars and the iron torture device beside them were very familiar to him.
Is this - the imperial prison?
How did I end up back in this place?
Before I could think about it, a golden-red skirt caught my eye, with a silk ribbon embroidered with phoenixes dangling from it. A familiar yet cold voice came from above:
"My Lord, are you here? Are you all right?"
Chen Yu was filled with fear, and suddenly broke out of the nightmare. He seemed to have lost his voice and was numb like a puppet, unable to calm down for a long time.
His action just now caused the table to creak. Qi Xin frowned slightly, slowly opened his eyes, raised his hand uncomfortably to block the beam of light that was piercing straight in, and said vaguely:
"Master...father?"
Chen Yu finally woke up from his dream, and then realized that he was still holding her fingertips, and then he stood up reflexively.
Qi Xin rubbed her aching shoulders and neck, and said weakly: "We both slept here yesterday? You didn't..." She seemed to just remember the truth she suddenly learned last night, and the unfinished words were blocked in her throat.
What else can I say?
It's clear to everyone that they've been used and are now worthless.
Only I am still shamelessly waiting for others to change their minds...
It's really ridiculous!
I am the eldest princess of Da Sheng. Even if I need help, there is no need for me to be so humble. Since he is obeying the orders of my father and it is also for Da Sheng, why should I do this?
Anyway, we will be people walking on two parallel lines in the future, so let's part ways amicably.
Qi Xin stood up, adjusted his clothes and hair slightly, and said indifferently: "Since Marshal Shen is ready, please set off immediately. Don't delay my return to the palace."
Chen Yu choked, and trying hard to suppress his expression that was about to collapse, he responded solemnly:
"Your Majesty's Imperial City Army has been waiting for you at the post station along the way. It is not convenient for me to show up in Shengdu at this time. I must follow Your Majesty's order and escort Your Highness to the Imperial City Army. Since Your Highness has made up his mind, please follow me on your journey."
Chen Yu only felt that she was strangely silent throughout the journey, not even asking about his future whereabouts. But it was better this way, the relationship ended here, and his life was no longer in his own hands. It was better to break off now and cleanly than to suffer with him in the future.
But he still followed closely, following the imperial army, watching her arrive safely at the foot of Shengdu City, and then quietly disappeared into the dense forest outside the city.
Shengdu, outside Tai'an Gate.
The gongs and drums are deafening, the accompaniment is solemn, the Ba Liu trees remain the same, and the ministers are in their trance.
When Shengdu was first built, it already had four gates, but their names were passed down orally, and naturally there were many errors. Later, with the passage of time and the many dynasties that followed, it was not until the reign of Emperor Shengde that the names of the four gates were finally confirmed and personally inscribed on a plaque to announce them to the world.
To the east is Tai'an Gate, to the west is Yongle Gate, to the south is Suining Gate, and to the north is Changyu Gate. Each of them has its own profound meaning and is naturally a place for negotiation among the people.
When Qi Xin first got married, she left from the East Gate, Tai'an Gate. Now, she was chosen by the current emperor to enter from Tai'an Gate as well. It has a beginning and an end, which means perfection.
Qi Xin walked forward slowly and saw some familiar faces. After all, these were the people who saw him off during the marriage. However, there were so many palace servants, and they were so new that he could no longer recognize them.
The only people she could recognize were her fourth sister, Princess Jinghe Qi Ling, her uncle, Prince Yuyang Qi Ye, the Minister of Rites Wen Shao, the Junior Secretary of the Dali Temple Murong Fei, the Grand Secretary of the Dali Temple Lan Xiwu, and the Imperial Censor Xirang...
After all, her father, who was related to her by blood, had decisively married her to the Yue Kingdom. How could she expect others to have mercy on her?
At this moment, she was still wearing the lotus pink dress she had worn at the Ningbei National Defense Army camp. Although it did not reflect her princess's dignity, it made her look much more graceful than before.
Princess Jinghe, who was in the center of the crowd, glanced at her with disdain, crossed her arms in front of her chest, neither greeted her nor spoke, just standing there quietly.
Having heard of the feud between Princess Jialing and Princess Jinghe, the ministers present watched from the sidelines, daring not to utter a word. The imperial turmoil was unfathomable, and unless absolutely necessary, no one dared to openly align themselves with one camp and bring unwarranted disaster upon themselves.
Just when the ministers were at a loss, a light voice rang out, but its tone was solemn and dignified. The owner of the voice walked directly to Qi Xin, lifted his robe that was almost dragging on the ground, knelt on the ground with dignity, and performed the highest etiquette of Dasheng to greet the princess:
"Your Highness, Princess Jialing, respectfully welcomes you back to the capital and your homeland!"
Then, voices rose one after another, one after another, gradually becoming an overwhelming force:
"Your Highness, Princess Jialing, respectfully welcomes you back to the court!"
"Your Highness, Princess Jialing, respectfully welcomes you back to the court!"
"Your Highness, Princess Jialing, respectfully welcomes you back to the court!"
…
Qi Ling's nails dug deep into her flesh beneath her wide sleeves, her lower lip already bleeding from being bitten. Her eyes seemed to be filled with poison, enough to send chills down anyone's spine. But she knew she couldn't lose her composure in such an occasion. Her father cared most about the nation's reputation. Even if she had to pretend, she had to do it until she was behind everyone else and then find an opportunity to deal with Qi Xin.
Prince Qi Ye of Yuyang noticed Qi Ling's reaction and quickly approached the woman kneeling in the front, bowing to Qi Xin and saying:
"I am a novice and have never seen a big scene. I offended Your Highness. I beg for your forgiveness."
Qi Ye kowtowed nervously, his men secretly poking the woman, and whispered:
"How can you be so ignorant of the rules? Why don't you apologize quickly?"
The woman was obviously not convinced and retorted with her neck raised:
"What crime have I committed? Princess Jialing went to the frontier for the sake of her country, which was a noble and heroic act. You are so despicable that you are looking down on her and snub her to the Fourth Princess, and you are deliberately ignoring her. I am not afraid! Even if I were to die here today, I would make this clear to you, so as not to let this talented person feel disappointed!"
Qi Xin raised his chin and looked proudly at Qi Ling who was not far away. His gaze was like a cold blade drawn from its sheath, piercing straight into her eyes, but his voice was directed to Qi Ye who was at the edge of her skirt:
"Uncle, it's been a while since we last met. How have you been lately?"
Qi Ye was still in shock, still curled up, his voice trembling: "How dare I, how dare I trouble Her Royal Highness, the Princess, to worry about you. As long as Her Royal Highness, the Princess, is well, I will be at peace."
Qi Xin flicked her sleeves behind her and said in a clear voice, "My uncle works tirelessly every day, worrying about the country, the harmony of the royal family, and the well-being of the people. His hard work and contributions are truly great. When I return to the palace, I will report this to my father. Please don't let this loyal member of our dynasty suffer!"
"I dare not, I dare not. I hope Her Royal Highness the Princess will understand."
Qi Xin ignored him and bent down to lift the chin of the woman who had just stretched her jaw. She felt that her face was very unfamiliar.
"You are quite courageous. Tell me, who are you?"
"I am Qi Tian, the daughter of Qi Ye, the Prince of Yuyang."
"So it's Princess Xiang Ning. Seeing is believing. The princess's appearance is even more elegant and refined than that lady by the Xiang River."
"Your Highness is so kind."
"Today, this princess has to return to the palace to report. If Sister Xiang Ning visits the Princess's Mansion someday, I will line the streets to welcome her." Qi Xin stood up, gave instructions to his attendants, and returned to the palace in the sedan chair.
"Farewell, Your Highness!" Qi Tian was still lying on the ground with some regrets, but was then pulled up by Qi Ye, pushed to his feet, and knelt in front of Qi Ling, saying in a chilling voice:
"Princess Jinghe, please forgive me for having some family matters to attend to. I'm afraid I won't be able to invite you to our house for a small gathering today. Please allow me to take care of them, and then I'll come to your house with my daughter to apologize in person. Is that okay with you?"
Qi Ling twitched her lips, which were already oozing purple blood, and said sympathetically:
"Since the Emperor's uncle is busy, A-Ling will not bother him any more. It just so happens that my elder sister is back in the palace today, so we sisters can catch up on our conversation. This time, A-Ling has broken the Emperor's promise, so the Emperor doesn't have to take it to heart."
Qi Ye grabbed Qi Tian, who could no longer hold back, and bowed again:
"Your Highness is magnanimous. I was inconsiderate. Please go on with your work. I will take my leave now."
Qi Ling waved her hand, signaling him to leave.
After getting the approval, Qi Ye quickly got up from the ground, grabbed Qi Tian's sleeve and took her to the carriage, and ordered the coachman to flee from this dangerous place.
On the sedan chair, Qi Tian pulled out his sleeves, straightened his clothes, and asked in confusion, "What are you doing?"
"What? You!" Qi Ye had been holding a grudge for a long time. He raised his wrist high, expecting a slap to come down, but in the end he lowered it helplessly.
Qi Tian stared wide-eyed, looking at the scene in disbelief:
"Father, you want to hit me? Why? You've never hit me since I was a child. What kind of mistake have I made now to make you so angry?"
"You good-for-nothing! Don't you think the mess you've made isn't big enough?" Qi Ye's voice rose several degrees unconsciously in his rage. Then, realizing something was wrong, he opened the curtain, looked around for a long time, and then lowered his voice and said, "There are too many people on the official road, let's talk about it when we get home!"
Yuyang Palace.
The gates of the mansion were tightly closed, but no one knew that there was chaos everywhere inside.
"Your Majesty, when has the princess ever suffered such a crime? Please show mercy!"
"Your Majesty, the princess is kind-hearted, you can't blame her like this!"
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, if the princess knew about this, she would definitely feel sorry for the princess."
…
Under the repeated pleas of the people in the mansion, Qi Ye stopped whipping and roared:
"Tell me, are you wrong?"
"My daughter is innocent, why should I acknowledge her?"
Qi Ye looked at her bloody back, still stubborn and refusing to give in. He rubbed his cheeks fiercely, then slowly sank down and sat on the ground, leaning against her side. He adjusted his breathing, stroked her hair, and spoke earnestly:
"Tiantian, I'm sorry for keeping you trapped in the palace for so long. You've never seen the outside world, and you don't know how terrifying people can be. The eldest princess and the fourth princess have always been at odds. To protect themselves, the court officials should follow the golden mean and not take sides. Your actions now clearly tell everyone that you support the eldest princess. So what do you want your father to do? He and you are related. The choice of either of us represents the entire Yuyang Palace. And what you're doing now is tantamount to roasting your father on the fire!"
The author has something to say:
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ps——
Tiantian: Woohoo, Xiaojiu Xiaojiu, I’m finally here
Qi Xin: Honey, don’t call me by that name.
Tiantian: Ah, you don’t love me anymore? Do you want me to call you Your Highness? Your Highness~
Qi Xin: [Cracks open]
Chen Yu: (hiding behind the curtain and taking a look) [Pathetic]
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