Chapter 28 (Revised)
It is a fact known throughout the country that Emperor Yongchao and Empress were extremely loving.
Throughout history, emperors often maintained three harems, six courtyards, and seventy-two concubines, but devoted devotion was rare. However, the current emperor favored only the Empress. Even after she remained childless for years, he refused to accept a single concubine. Instead, the emperor defied popular opinion and adopted a son of the imperial clan as his heir, unwilling to expose the Empress to even the slightest criticism. This deep affection between the Emperor and Empress is truly a legend of the Eternal Dynasty.
Therefore, the Queen's birthday was a top priority for everyone in the palace. The Saint, while not particularly concerned about his own birthday, was obsessed with the Queen's, hosting a grand banquet in the palace every year, inviting relatives and important officials.
Although the Chu family was currently disliked by the Saint, they hadn't been forgotten about this grand occasion. Furthermore, the Crown Prince had personally invited them, so refusing to go would seem somewhat arrogant. Furthermore, the current situation in Pingzhou was unclear, so the Chu family felt it was best to remain humble and low-key.
After all, it was the first time to attend the Queen's birthday banquet in the capital, so the Chu family felt that they should be more careful when giving birthday gifts. When Chu Miaomiao was about to go into the city to find Jiang Yingyue to inquire about the Queen's preferences, Jiang Yingyue came to the door with the birthday gifts she had prepared.
"The Empress is in the habit of practicing calligraphy, so I found a piece of high-quality pine soot ink for you as a gift. It's neither ostentatious nor dismissive, so it's just right."
Jiang Yingyue opened the gift box, and a black ink strip engraved with a proud plum tree lay quietly inside.
Chu Miaomiao was deeply moved by her friend's thoughtfulness. Just as she warmly shook Jiang Yingyue's hands to express her gratitude, Jiang Yingyue smiled stiffly and retracted her hands, explaining sheepishly:
"Actually, this is what His Royal Highness the Crown Prince wanted. I originally wanted to take you to the market to see if I could find some interesting antiques."
Chu Miaomiao was stunned: "Did the prince order you to prepare this?"
"No, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince prepared it himself, then asked my brother to bring it home and then pass it on to you." Jiang Yingyue shook her head. "He must have known that you would have a headache preparing a birthday gift, so he prepared it for you in advance."
When Jiang Yingyue said this, the smile on her face became more playful: "Thanks to you, this is the first time I know that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has such a thoughtful side."
Chu Miaomiao was touched, but felt a little embarrassed by Jiang Yingyue's teasing. She coughed lightly once or twice and said, "How much is this ink? Please help me send the money back."
Jiang Yingyue only smiled faintly. "Perhaps His Highness would be happier if you went in person." Then she sighed and continued, "His Highness has been busy lately and hasn't been in a good mood. My brother is a little worried too. Originally, he should have delivered this birthday gift in person."
Even Jiang Weiqiu, who is a noisy person, is worried about Wei Zhen. Could it be that Wei Zhen is really in trouble now?
Since their last farewell at Yuyin Temple, Chu Miaomiao has been staying in this manor and refusing to go out, and Jiang Yingyue is in school at the academy every day and it is not convenient for her to communicate with her, so she has almost cut off contact with the outside world and naturally has no idea about Wei Zhen's current situation.
"What happened?"
In fact, before coming here, Jiang Yingyue was told by Jiang Weiqiu not to talk nonsense in front of Princess Pingyang and not to reveal any news about the Eastern Palace to the princess.
But after some hesitation, she decided to just ignore her brother's words.
It was obvious to everyone that the Crown Prince loved Princess Pingyang, and Princess Pingyang wasn't indifferent to the Crown Prince either. How could one deny their feelings for something that hadn't even happened?
The second brother said that the Crown Prince was too greedy, wanting both the kingdom and the beauty, and he wouldn't even dare to dream about it. But Jiang Yingyue had a certain respect for the Crown Prince in her heart.
Why would he give up his hard-earned position so easily? Meeting someone he loves amidst a sea of people is no easy feat, but this is a gift from heaven, so why should he give it up? The prince's willingness to fight for it was a remarkable courage that both impressed and envied her.
Therefore, she also wanted to stand on the side of the prince, wanted to help him, wanted to see how far he could go. Being able to devote one's all to a relationship, no matter what the final result, at least there should be no regrets or regrets.
"Your Highness, everything has been really going wrong lately."
Jiang Yingyue poured herself a cup of tea and told Jiang Weiqiu about the prince's recent situation that she had learned from him in recent days.
*
Wei Zhen was already troubled by the sudden arrival of his family from Ye County in Beijing under the arrangement of Prince Su. At the same time, the crimes committed by his biological parents in Ye County by taking advantage of their power were presented to the emperor one by one.
Although the sage only asked Prince Su to investigate the matter and did not take any measures against the Ye County family members who had already entered the capital, Wei Zhen still felt quite uneasy.
Just when he decided to move his Yejun family to a remote courtyard and temporarily control them to avoid the limelight, an accident happened.
The Duke of Ye actually took the initiative to submit a letter to the palace, saying that he wanted to go to the palace to pay his respects to the Saint, the Queen Mother, the Queen and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
Xu Zizheng brought this news to Wei Zhen when he was told that he could end his inspection of agricultural work outside the capital and return to the palace.
After Jiang Wei Qiu was busy trying to find ways to divert the court's attention to the salt industry in Ye County, Xu Zizheng was responsible for conveying the message.
Wei Zhen did not respond immediately, but just pursed his lips, with annoyance and helplessness revealed between his brows.
Although Xu Zizheng had never met the Duke of Ye's family, he had heard a great deal about their actions since arriving in Beijing from Jiang Weiqiu. Regardless of whether they could be a help to the Crown Prince, he feared they couldn't even remain silent and not cause trouble for him.
As expected, this family from Ye County brought trouble upon themselves.
"Have you found out what the saint said?" Wei Zhen asked with a long sigh.
Xu Zizheng shook his head: "Your Highness also knows that the people serving around the Saint are very secretive and can't get any information out of them."
Wei Zhen's brows were still etched with worry. "I hope they are simply here to pay their respects."
However, there is a saying in this world that goes, "Things don't go as planned," and there is a saying that goes, "What you fear will come true."
Wei Zhen was worried that the family members from Ye County had ulterior motives in entering the palace. If they angered the emperor, he would settle accounts with them and imprisonment would be a matter of a moment.
In this regard, the Yejun family never disappointed Wei Zhen.
In Changqiu Palace.
Wei Zhen tried hard to suppress the rage ignited by the Duke's wife's words, but the glare he directed at her was as sharp as a knife. Even the Empress Dowager, seated at the head of the table, expressed displeasure, her gaze toward the Duke's wife tinged with coldness. Even the Empress, still a child, glanced from Wei Zhen to the Empress Dowager, instinctively sensing a discord between the two.
But the wife of the Duke of Ye was so engrossed in her conversation that she hardly noticed the change in atmosphere. She asked the two charming girls standing behind her to come forward and pay their respects to the Queen Mother and the Empress. Her eager gaze fixed on Wei Zhen, she continued to chatter away:
"These two girls are truly the most beautiful women in Ye County. They have served me for a while and have learned some etiquette. They are truly gentle, charming, and considerate. The Crown Prince has a lot of things to do, and I feel more at ease with them by his side."
The Queen watched Wei Zhen's face turn even paler, and the Queen Mother could barely maintain her polite smile. She blinked in confusion and cast her gaze on the two girls kneeling before her.
Wei Zhen clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning bluish-white.
The wife of the Duke of Ye was still somewhat smug, completely unaware that her words had completely offended the Queen Mother.
The Queen Mother was currently selecting wives for the Crown Prince, Prince Su, and Prince Huai, especially since she already had a suitable candidate for the Crown Princess in mind. Under these circumstances, the Lady of the Duke of Ye County had taken it upon herself to propose sending two people to the Eastern Palace, even as concubines. That would be an insult to the Queen Mother!
Wei Zhen could never have imagined that even his own mother could be so foolish! It was true that they had been so flattered in Ye County over the years that they had lost sight of the meaning of the phrase "careful with words and actions"!
"You guys go back."
Just as the atmosphere became weird, a clear female voice was heard.
The queen looked straight at the girl kneeling on the ground, and her clear eyes looked at the wife of the Duke of Ye, whose smile was frozen.
"Azhen doesn't like girls like this, so don't send them here again."
The Queen Mother's expression eased slightly. Wei Zhen looked at the Queen in surprise. He had been so overwhelmed by his anger that he couldn't think of a proper way to respond. He hadn't expected the Queen to speak up and save him.
The wife of the Duke of Ye County forced a smile, trying to smooth things over. After a long while, she managed to utter, "What are you saying, Your Majesty..."
The Queen didn't care how ugly the face of the Duke of Ye was, and added: "A Zhen has a lover."
This time it was the Queen Mother who looked surprised. She asked, "The Queen knows who it is?"
The empress, who always answered questions without hesitation, told the news she had heard from the sage very honestly: "It's Princess Pingyang."
Although Wei Zhen had been mentally prepared, he still felt a little nervous when the queen said this. But nervousness aside, he had to express his attitude.
The eldest daughter of the Duke of Yingguo's family is indeed the most suitable candidate for the Crown Princess, but he has already decided to give his true heart to Chu Miaomiao and can no longer share it with others.
Wei Zhen stood up, bowed to the Queen Mother, and said solemnly: "My grandson has long had his eyes on Princess Pingyang. I only wish to grow old with her in this life."
Every word is powerful and resounding.
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