Princess Yong'an blushed at the Emperor's blatantly teasing gaze. "This wasn't my decision," she said, her voice trembling with embarrassment, even the proud and arrogant Princess Yong'an was embarrassed by her words.
The Emperor noticed two blushes quickly spreading across An Ke's face and knew that once Ertai returned, if he asked for her hand in marriage, it would be time to arrange a marriage for the two children. This was for the best, and it would put his mind at ease.
But she didn't think that way. Her younger brother was often away from the capital. When An'an was little, she often came to the palace. She was like a cute little dumpling, always smiling and loved by everyone.
As An'an grew up, she became very strict with herself and was frequently praised by various ministers. The Emperor was also proud, feeling a sense of honor. Although she was his niece, the Emperor had never shown such care for his own daughters.
The thought of An'an getting married now saddens not only Prince Rui but also the Emperor. They even lamented how quickly time had passed, feeling as if An'an was just a toddler learning to speak yesterday, and now she's getting married.
Thinking this, the Emperor's eyes welled up with tears. "Alright, I know what you're thinking. If he comes back to ask for permission, I certainly won't make things too difficult for him. But as for your father's matter, he'll have to find a way to get through it himself."
The Emperor wasn't just enjoying the spectacle; after all, Prince Rui was An'an's father, and he had the right to know. Besides, Prince Rui only had this one daughter, whom he doted on like a precious jewel. Although Prince Rui was often away from the capital, he never missed sending her a letter home every month.
Even along the way, various rare and precious treasures would be sent. If Ertai wanted to marry An'an, he would have to get past the emperor's younger brother.
An Ke seemed lost in thought. The Emperor, seeing An Ke's pensive expression, smiled faintly. "Young love, this is it," he thought. "I was young once too." Naturally, he wanted them to be together.
Anke stayed in the Hall of Mental Cultivation for a long time that day. If he hadn't been thinking about Qing'er, he probably would have stayed for dinner.
*
Time flies, and more than ten days have passed in the blink of an eye.
Yongqi and Benjamin have returned to the palace with the evidence they gathered from their door-to-door investigation. It turns out that both the neighbors and the midwife who delivered Xia Yuhe clearly stated that Ziwei was born in the eighth month of the Renxu year.
The Emperor sat on the dragon throne, silent and lost in thought. After a long while, he finally spoke in a hoarse voice, "Go to the Imperial Clan Court and summon Xiao Yanzi and Ziwei." In the end, he had wronged Yuhe.
Upon receiving the imperial decree, the young eunuch naturally headed straight for the Imperial Clan Court.
*
Imperial Clan Court
After being imprisoned for several days, Ziwei and Xiaoyanzi were no longer the same as when they were first locked up. In this Imperial Clan Court, without the Emperor's decree, naturally no one harmed them.
The people in the harem had no interest in harming these two. The Empress had long since stopped caring about such matters and had no time to bother with them. Rather than meddle in these things, she was better off enjoying the flowers and playing with the birds.
Consort Ling is barely able to protect herself, let alone visit them at the Imperial Clan Court. Consort Yu cares nothing for them, only for her son who is away from home.
Xiao Yanzi and Ziwei thought they would be released safely after being locked up for a few days, but they were locked up for ten days without any news. The two gradually became dejected.
They were not mistreated in terms of food, and their living conditions were better than those in ordinary prisons. However, they were constantly in a state of perpetual fear, not knowing when their punishment would come. As a result, they lost a lot of weight while in the Imperial Clan Court.
At first, Ziwei cried day and night, but gradually she became numb from crying, and her eyes started to hurt. She gradually became stronger.
So when they first heard the imperial decree from the young eunuch, the two were somewhat dazed. Then came overwhelming joy; it seemed the Emperor had investigated thoroughly and was about to release them.
After quickly tidying themselves up, the two happily followed the young eunuch to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Looking at the two people before him, it would be a lie to say that the Emperor was not moved. Although he had many daughters, the time he had spent with them all combined did not equal the time he had spent with Xiao Yanzi in the year since she entered the palace.
Ultimately, Xiao Yanzi was his source of joy, and Ziwei was his daughter with Yuhe. But such a matter of obscuring royal bloodlines couldn't be handled lightly; it would destabilize both the imperial court and the harem.
Looking at the two gaunt men, the Emperor said in a deep voice, "Yongqi and Benjamin have spent more than ten days investigating the truth thoroughly. Ziwei is indeed my daughter with Yuhe."
Upon hearing these words, Ziwei couldn't help but shed a single tear. The tear slowly streamed down her cheek, falling to the ground and forming a teardrop. He hadn't forgotten his promise; he still remembered her mother, and all of her dying questions had been answered.
The Emperor felt guilty, and seeing Ziwei's appearance, he felt a lump in his throat. "Why didn't your mother come to the capital to find me when she was alive? Why did she entrust you to find me before she died?" This was a point the Emperor had never understood. If she recognized him, why didn't she come to Beijing to find him back then?
Ziwei opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say. She didn't quite understand why her mother hadn't come back then. She figured it was probably because her mother still harbored resentment and didn't want to come. And since she had lost her mother and had no one to care for her, she had no choice but to travel all the way to Beijing.
Seeing Ziwei speechless, the Emperor lost interest in asking any further questions. He rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on, and after a moment, said, "Alright, no need to say anything more. Since you are my daughter, I will naturally acknowledge you. This is also a kind of compensation for Yuhe."
Ziwei was overjoyed and was about to speak when she heard the Emperor say again, "But the crime of deceiving the emperor cannot be treated lightly. Otherwise, if everyone were to imitate this, wouldn't I have so many more daughters? The death penalty may be waived, but punishment is inevitable. A country has its laws, and a family has its rules."
Ziwei couldn't defend herself. It was true that she hadn't crossed that mountain, and it was also true that she had asked Xiaoyanzi to take her to ask the Emperor. They had conspired to reveal this secret later; every cause has its effect.
Ziwei lowered her head and obediently replied, "Yes."
"In that case, I hereby sentence you to 40 strokes of the cane at the Shenxing Division, to copy the 'Rules for Women' and 'Palace Rules' one hundred times, to kneel in the sun for a full hour every day, and to be confined to the Shufangzhai for a month, as a warning to others." The Emperor closed his eyes; this was the lightest punishment he could think of for Ziwei. He had to maintain appearances, otherwise the harem would descend into chaos, and everyone would be able to deceive the Emperor.
As if resigned to her fate, Ziwei kowtowed to the Emperor, saying, "Thank you for your grace, Father Emperor." In recent days, she had heard from the Imperial Clan Court that the Mongol prince had already departed, but she had also heard that he had not taken any royal or imperial daughters with him. Ziwei's heart gradually calmed down.
The Emperor turned to Xiao Yanzi, who was overjoyed for Ziwei, and said, "Xiao Yanzi, I am deeply moved by your act of delivering the token for Ziwei, but this is not a reason for you to confuse the royal bloodline. Considering your willingness to risk your life to deliver the token, I grant you permission to leave the palace." This palace was ultimately not suitable for Xiao Yanzi. Since she was not his daughter, he had no need to keep her here.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Yanzi, who was always willing to leave the palace, said something completely out of character, "Father Emperor, are you going to abandon Xiao Yanzi?" Xiao Yanzi's eyes were filled with tears. She was an orphan outside the palace, but after entering the palace, she felt the love of the most noble man in the world for her.
Although it was unintentional at the time, she sometimes felt secretly pleased, and she experienced what it meant to have a father. This was a feeling that no one else could give her.
The Emperor looked coldly at Xiao Yanzi, "Since you are unwilling to leave the palace, you are not my daughter either. How can you stay in this palace?"
Xiao Yanzi wanted to say that she should also be considered her daughter, but looking at the Emperor's cold expression, she couldn't bring herself to say it.
"If you are unwilling to leave the palace, then you will just be a palace maid in this Forbidden City. You will have to learn all the palace rules and etiquette from scratch, and then follow the nanny's assignment to go to various palaces. Are you willing to do that?" The Emperor always knew that Xiao Yanzi was free-spirited and undisciplined. How could she stand the rules and regulations of the palace? This was also forcing her to leave the palace voluntarily.
Surprisingly, Xiao Yanzi still had the mind to bargain with the Emperor, "Father Emperor, I..."
Before Xiao Yanzi could finish speaking, Li Yu interrupted her, glaring at her angrily, "How dare you! How can a commoner call the Emperor 'Father'?" Li Yu looked down on Xiao Yanzi at this point.
She always clamored to leave the palace, asking if her departure date could be extended for a few more days. Now that she's allowed to leave, she's unwilling. Could it be that wealth and luxury have blinded her? Does she want to enjoy all the riches and honors in the palace?
Xiao Yanzi's lips trembled, and she opened her mouth several times but could not utter a word. "Your Majesty, since you also said that my risking my life to deliver the token was commendable, can I choose to be a palace maid? Even if I have to be a palace maid, I want to go back to Shufangzhai."
Xiao Yanzi and Ziwei looked at each other with teary eyes, as if the Emperor's disapproval was the villain who had separated them.
"Since you've decided to stay in the palace as a maid, I don't want to try to persuade you otherwise. But you'd better think it over carefully. This is your only chance. If you regret it later, there will be no going back." The Emperor shook his head and said coldly.
"Yes, Little Swallow has no regrets." Little Swallow said firmly, but the more determined she was now, the more she would be proven wrong in the future.
"Since that's the case, you can go and learn palace etiquette from the instructor. Once you've passed the test with Granny Fang, you can return to Shufangzhai to serve." The Emperor rubbed his temples. He had thought he could expel Xiao Yanzi from the palace, but now he found her to be like a sticky candy that he couldn't shake off.
"Since you're in the palace, you'll have to accept your punishment from last time as well," the Emperor said coldly. "You offended His Majesty and the Mongol Prince; your intentions are questionable. I order the Imperial Guard to give you 60 strokes of the cane, and you'll be confined to the Cold Palace while you recover. You can go to Granny Fang's place when you're fully healed."
The Cold Palace was nothing like the Imperial Clan Court; at least there was no one there to kindly bring them good food and medicine. It housed either former concubines abandoned by the previous dynasty or people the emperor didn't want to see—in short, everyone inside was mentally unstable and acting erratically.
Xiao Yanzi had been in the palace for so long, yet she hadn't been transferred to the Cold Palace, so she didn't know what the Cold Palace meant. Ziwei, on the other hand, had already learned about the palace's situation during her time as a maid.
Thinking of the concubines in the Cold Palace, Ziwei felt a genuine chill. She couldn't quite imagine what it would be like for such a cheerful and lively girl like Xiaoyanzi in that dark and gloomy Cold Palace.
Just as she was about to plead for mercy, the Emperor gave Ziwei a cold glance, and she was immediately rendered speechless, as if her throat had been choked.
"Alright, both of you, step back and go receive your punishments." The Emperor didn't want to see the two of them anymore, so he could only coldly dismiss them.
After taking Ziwei and Xiaoyanzi away, he looked at Yongqi and Benjamin and told them to go and receive their punishments. Yongqi and Benjamin smiled happily; now that their punishments were over, the heavy burden on their hearts could finally be lifted.
Ever since Yongqi and Benjamin learned about the real and fake princesses, it felt like they had been carrying a heavy burden. Now that the burden has been lifted, they feel an unprecedented and long-lost sense of joy.
*
Ten days or so later
Yongqi and Benjamin's injuries had long since healed, and they were already able to get out of bed and walk briskly. Benjamin was still under house arrest, which made Yongqi seem somewhat lost.
The next day, he heard the news that the army had returned to the capital. Yongqi was genuinely happy for Ertai, who had made a contribution.
Fortunately, the Emperor had not given up on his once most beloved son. He summoned him and asked him to greet the victorious soldiers. Yongqi immediately replied that he would fulfill his father's instructions.
The closer Ertai got to the capital, the more he felt homesick and apprehensive. Although the battle with the Dzungars hadn't lasted long, he hadn't seen the princess for quite some time.
I wonder if the princess has thought of him even once these days? He looks at the princess's little portrait every day, even though the edges of the portrait are already frayed, he still keeps the portrait close to his heart.
“In just one more day, we will be able to return to the capital and enter the palace,” Hailancha said excitedly to Ertai and Fukang’an, speculating about the distance.
But seeing that the two of them didn't seem very energetic, I was completely baffled. Shouldn't they be happy? They can go home!
Hailancha felt that as the commander-in-chief, he had a responsibility to care about the physical and mental health of his generals. So he asked, "What's wrong? We're returning to the capital tomorrow, why do you all look so listless?"
Fu Kang'an was a free spirit, so when someone asked him this, he naturally told the truth: "Others may not know, but don't you know how strict Father is with me? I would rather be on the battlefield fighting than go back to the Fucha Mansion. Besides, when I return to the capital this time, Father will probably give me a severe scolding again."
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