Mountain and River Festival 287. Enthronement Ceremony

"What are you doing here?" Concubine Liu Gui, who was unable to sleep due to the pain, raised her head and saw Zhen Ning standing at the door with a pale face looking at her. She said unhappily.

Princess Zhenning came in and silently placed the medicine bottle beside the bed. Concubine Liu Gui glanced at him and said calmly, "Apply the medicine to me."

Princess Zhenning bit her lip and wanted to say something. Seeing Concubine Liu lying on the bed covered in blood, she finally went to treat her wounds. Concubine Liu's injuries were extremely serious. Not only were she beaten with a stick and bleeding, but she was also whipped in Prince Ding's mansion. Although it was painful at first, it was still bearable, but after returning, it gradually became more and more painful as if it hurt to the bone. This made Concubine Liu extremely painful. Concubine Liu, who also knew some martial arts, guessed in her heart that it was probably the guards of Prince Ding's mansion who executed her. Thinking of this, her hatred for Ye Li and Prince Ding's mansion became more and more intense.

Princess Zhenning carefully tore off her torn clothes. As a princess, she didn't know how to handle these things, so it was inevitable that she hurt Concubine Liu. Fortunately, Concubine Liu knew that she couldn't find anyone else to help except Zhenning, so she had to grit her teeth and bear it.

After cutting open the clothes stained with dark red blood, the bloody mess in front of her almost made Princess Zhenning want to vomit. She had to clean the wounds and apply medicine with shaking hands. Then she started to deal with the whip wounds that didn't look too serious. After dealing with these, the delicate girl's face was already covered with sweat.

The medicine Princess Zhenning brought was a top-grade healing medicine. Although she still felt pain after taking the medicine, Concubine Liu Guifei gradually found it bearable. She lay on the bed with her eyes closed and felt drowsy. "You can go back. Come back tomorrow night and bring some clean clothes."

Princess Zhenning bit her lip and whispered, "Mother, Zhenning...can't come over tomorrow."

"What do you mean?" Concubine Liu opened her eyes and asked in a cold voice.

Princess Zhenning said, "Just now, when I came back, I met Xiao'er. Mother... Mother, you should be careful. The Empress Dowager wants to kill you."

Concubine Liu stared at her daughter and asked, "Who told you?" Princess Zhenning shook her head and said, "I just heard a passing eunuch in Yu Garden say it. He said... Mother, you have offended Prince Ding, and the Queen Mother wants to kill you."

Concubine Liu narrowed her eyes, gritted her teeth and said angrily: "It is indeed him! What did your brother say?"

Princess Zhenning shook her head and refused to speak. How could Concubine Liu not understand? Although she felt a little depressed because of her son's ruthlessness, she quickly put it behind her. She looked at Princess Zhenning with a smile and said, "I'm in trouble now. You siblings are afraid that I will bring trouble to you, so you also want to distance yourself from me, right?"

Princess Zhenning looked at the woman in front of her with a sad look on her face. She was smiling like a flower but she felt cold for no reason. Perhaps they wanted to distance themselves from her because of this, but more of it was because of their biological mother's ruthlessness. And what she had done, how could they, as children, accept it calmly?

Soon, Concubine Liu Gui stopped smiling, looked at Princess Zhenning and sighed. She said earnestly, "I understand why you did this. As your mother, I have never loved you since you were little. You should just take care of yourself."

"Mother..." Princess Zhenning looked at her sadly.

Concubine Liu raised her hand and pulled her to her side, whispering, "I only ask you to send me two sets of clean clothes in two days. I have been proud all my life, and even if I am going to die, I want to die cleanly. I will never let those bastards laugh at me!"

"Mother..." Princess Zhenning sobbed, "Don't worry, mother, tomorrow night... tomorrow night Zhenning will send clothes over."

Concubine Liu Guifei's eyes flashed with satisfaction, and she said softly, "Don't worry. If you go out for two consecutive nights, you might be discovered. In a few days, will the new emperor ascend the throne?"

"Three days left. In three days, my tenth brother will ascend the throne." Princess Zhenning replied.

Concubine Liu Gui nodded and said, "Okay, you can come over then. As for your grandfather and your brother... don't tell them, lest they be unhappy." Princess Zhenning nodded and said, "I understand, mother, don't worry. I'll leave first."

"Go ahead." Watching Princess Zhenning disappearing step by step outside the door, Concubine Liu Gui's originally gentle eyes gradually turned cold, and the smile on her lips became more and more cold and weird. Wanting me to die... is not that easy!

Three days passed in a flash, and during these three days everyone was busy preparing for the new emperor's coronation ceremony. Naturally, no one was in the mood to pay attention to a woman who was imprisoned in the cold palace and demoted to a noble.

On the day of the ceremony, the entire Great Chu Imperial City was filled with joy, and even the sorrow of the previous emperor's death was completely washed away. Such a grand celebration during the mourning period certainly caused dissatisfaction among many scholars, but the enthronement of a new emperor is basically a national ceremony, not to mention that the new emperor is still young, and everything is presided over by the regent. Now that the Great Chu is in trouble both internally and externally, it needs some happy events to shock the world, so many people acquiesced.

As the Prince and Princess of Ding, and the leaders of the Mohist Army, Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li naturally had to attend the coronation ceremony. However, they did not attend as subjects or hosts, but as guests along with other envoys who came to congratulate. This certainly disappointed many of the old officials of Da Chu, but it also made more people feel relieved.

Even though the power of the Chu State was not as strong as before, it was still a great country. Almost all the countries that could make it sent envoys to offer congratulations. Although some people, such as the King of Zhennan, Princess Anxi, and the Emperor of Beirong, did not come in person, they still sent envoys of high status to come, which was not considered rude.

Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao sat side by side at the front of the seats specially prepared for envoys from various countries. They were both wearing white clothes with silver patterns. Just sitting there casually was enough to attract everyone's attention. Moreover, they each held a cute little baby in front of them. Although no one knew who the little baby in Ye Li's arms, who was dressed in white and delicate like a jade figure, was, most people knew who the child in Mo Xiuyao's arms, who was also handsome but with a hint of arrogance, was. The prince of Ding Wangfu, the only heir of Mo Xiuyao, the young master of the Mo family army - Mo Yuchen. A child whose name was so domineering and extraordinary, destined to be noticed by the world from birth.

"Grand Princess." There was still a long time before the ceremony officially began, and the Grand Princess came over with the help of the palace maids. Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao hurriedly stood up to greet her. The Grand Princess waved her hand and said, "Forget it, since you are a guest, there is no need to be polite." The old man's eyes, which were full of wrinkles and flashing with wisdom, flowed with deep regret and helplessness, as well as a hint of sadness.

"Xiao Yuchen, do you still recognize me?" The eldest princess asked with a loving smile as she looked at Mo Xiaobao who was held in Mo Xiuyao's arms.

Mo Xiaobao blinked and nodded, "Hello, Grandma Royal Aunt."

"Hey..." The eldest princess responded happily, "Little Yu Chen still remembers the imperial aunt? Why doesn't he come to play with the imperial aunt? Do you think she's too old?" Mo Xiaobao looked at the eldest princess and said seriously, "Yu Chen has to study and learn martial arts, so he can't go out to play. The imperial aunt should come to our house to play, so that Yu Chen will have time to play with her."

"You little rascal." The eldest princess laughed and scolded. She looked at Mo Xiaobao with regret, it was a pity that the royal family did not have such a smart child.

"Grandma, this is my new friend. You can call him Xiaodai." Mo Xiaobao introduced him in a very adult manner, and even omitted Leng Junhan's last name. The eldest princess squinted her eyes and looked at him carefully, and smiled: "This child looks like a well-behaved child." Ye Li smiled and said: "Xiaobao is not young anymore, so the prince and I thought of finding a playmate for him."

The Grand Princess did not ask about Leng Junhan's identity, but nodded with a smile and said, "It's better to have someone to accompany him. It's not good for a child to be alone. I thought that after the Tenth Prince ascends the throne, I would select a few children of the right age from among the nobles to accompany the Emperor in his studies."

Ye Li smiled and said nothing. The idea of ​​the Grand Princess was naturally very good. If the Tenth Prince was capable, these children would become his confidants in the future. I was afraid that it would not be that easy. However, since they came as guests, they naturally could not ask about many things. The Grand Princess was just talking casually. She had participated in political affairs in her early years. She was not a woman who was raised in the deep palace and did not know the world. Naturally, she understood the current actions and difficulties.

"Xiu Yao, I heard that you intend to save the one in Zhangde Palace?" The Grand Princess looked at Mo Xiu Yao and asked.

Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, "Where did you hear this rumor, aunt? What does this have to do with our Dingwang Mansion? Xiuyao said he would not interfere, so he kept his word."

The eldest princess had also watched him grow up, so it was naturally not so easy to fool him. She stared at him and said, "Tell me the truth, what is your intention in keeping her? I don't believe you have any feelings for her." Mo Xiu Yao lowered his eyebrows and smiled, and said lightly without hiding anything, "No matter how much the imperial aunt cares about the new emperor, after all, she lives outside the palace and is out of reach. The new emperor needs someone to protect him... otherwise..."

"She? Is it okay?" The eldest princess frowned.

Mo Xiuyao smiled and said, "As long as she knows that she will be well only if the new emperor is well, then it will be fine. Although the one in Zhangde Palace is an amateur in politics, she has been in the deep palace all her life. She is probably more knowledgeable than you, my aunt, about the things in the harem. She was able to protect the two brothers in that environment and let them grow up safely and ascend to the throne of the empress dowager. How can my aunt know that she can't do it this time?"

As if convinced by him, the Grand Princess nodded, "Even so...why does Xiu Yao care so much about the new emperor?"

Mo Xiuyao laughed out loud, "I just don't like Mo Jingli. The love between them as mother and son has been almost gone after all this time. As long as the royal aunt gives her a satisfactory bargaining chip, as long as she is still alive, Mo Jingli will always be the King of Li."

Hearing this, the Grand Princess seemed to be thinking deeply. She knew that the relationship between the Queen Mother and Prince Li was tense, but she was not sure whether the Queen Mother could control Prince Li.

A few heavy drum beats sounded, and the auspicious time for the coronation ceremony had arrived. The people who were originally whispering to each other sat up straight and stared at the end of the huge red carpet with dragon patterns in front of them.

A child of only six or seven years old came strolling in surrounded by a large crowd. The Queen Mother, wearing a gorgeous and elegant court dress, walked beside Mo Suyun, holding the obviously timid child in one hand. From this moment on, she was no longer the Queen Mother, but the Grand Queen Mother.

Seeing so many adults staring at him, Mo Suyun instinctively wanted to retreat. But one of his hands was firmly held by the Queen Mother, and he couldn't move. The Queen Mother looked down at him and whispered, "Don't be afraid, the Queen Mother will accompany you."

The little child was wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, but he looked pitiful, as if he was abandoned. However, he had made some progress and did not cry in such an occasion. The Queen Mother's eyes flickered, and she reminded him lightly: "Do you remember what the Grand Princess taught you?"

"Remember..." Mo Suyun whispered, looking at the Empress Dowager in front of him with some fear. It seemed that remembering the very amiable Grand Princess gave him some courage, and he nodded seriously. The Queen Mother said: "It's good to know, let's go. The Grand Princess is also watching you from below."

Mo Suyun nodded and let the Queen Mother lead him to the high dragon throne. Although he was still very scared, he no longer thought about running away like before. When passing by the table where the Grand Princess, Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li were sitting, Mo Suyun's eyes lit up and he looked at the Grand Princess and wanted to say something. The Grand Princess smiled at him lovingly and shook her head. The child bit the corner of her lip a little aggrievedly and followed the Queen Mother forward.

"The Tenth Prince has changed a lot. The teachings of the Royal Aunt in the past few days have not been in vain." Ye Li sighed in a low voice.

The eldest princess shook her head and said, "He's still a long way to go." He is indeed better than when she first saw him a few days ago, but he still has a long way to go to become the ruler of a country. On the way, he needs the guidance and support of a wise master, and no one can be born a wise ruler. I just don't know... whether those people will give him this opportunity.

Mo Suyun was led by the Queen Mother up the high steps, where officials from the Ministry of Rites and Qintianjian performed various complicated ceremonies. Even from a distance, Ye Li could see that the child's small body was swaying from exhaustion and about to fall. However, he did not cry or say anything, but supported himself silently.

Ye Li glanced around and asked in confusion, "Why isn't Li here?" It was logical that Li was the biological mother of the new emperor. After the new emperor ascended the throne, she would be the legitimate empress dowager. It was impossible for her not to attend such an occasion.

The eldest princess shook her head and said, "In order to make the child obedient, the regent had Li locked up." When she said this, the eldest princess's snow-white eyebrows wrinkled, and she glanced at Mo Jingli who was sitting in the front row in the distance, with disapproval in her eyes.

When the new emperor ascended the throne, he placed his biological mother, the Queen Mother, under house arrest. Even if she was the regent and even if it was for the smooth coronation ceremony, it was a bit too much.

The ceremony, which lasted for nearly an hour, finally came to an end, and the exhausted new emperor was taken away to rest. Next was the time for the banquet. Since the new emperor was young, it was naturally hosted by the Regent Prince Mo Jingli. Seeing Mo Jingli raising his glass to toast the guests and courtiers, everyone could clearly feel that the vast world of Great Chu belonged to Prince Li at least for the time being.

A long banquet was not what Ye Li liked, and the two children who were not even six years old could not sit still. After sitting for a while, Mo Xiaobao started to make a fuss about going out to play. Ye Li said something to Mo Xiuyao, and then took the two children to Yu Garden.

In March, the Yu Garden was full of flowers and grass, and the fragrance of flowers filled the air. Countless butterflies were flying among the flowers, attracting Leng Junhan to stare at them with wide eyes. Seeing Leng Junhan's eyes narrowed as if by the flowers and butterflies in front of him, Mo Xiaobao snorted disdainfully. Leng Xiaodai was really ignorant. What was so good about these red and green flowers and the butterflies flying around? The scenery in their northwest was better, and there was also the Lishan Academy full of green bamboos of Taigong and the villa built by Uncle Han's family outside Licheng, which were a hundred times more beautiful than the Yu Garden in the imperial palace.

After ordering the guards to follow her, Ye Li let the two children play happily in the garden. She sat in the secluded pavilion in the garden to relax. Looking at the familiar scenery in front of her, she couldn't help but recall the scene when she was betrothed to Mo Xiuyao and entered the palace for the first time. There were also many things that happened when they occasionally entered the palace when they were newly married. At that time, the Dingwang Mansion was still subject to others' control, but now it can be free and does not have to worry about anyone or anything. And the ambitious emperor at that time has passed away and his ambitions have turned into dust.

The number of people in Yu Garden gradually increased, most of them were noble ladies and daughters of noble families. Although the banquet was lively and interesting, it was boring for men to sit for a long time, so many people came to Yu Garden in twos and threes for a walk.

The pavilion where Ye Li sat was not very hidden, so naturally many people saw her. However, because of the special status of Prince Ding's Mansion, few people dared to come forward and talk. Ye Li didn't care. She didn't know many people in Chujing. Compared with those meaningless greetings, she would rather be alone and comfortable.

"princess……"

When she looked up, she saw someone she knew. It was Qin Zheng's mother, Madam Yu Shi. Ye Li smiled and said, "Madam Qin, please take a seat."

Madam Qin thanked him somewhat reservedly. Although Prince Ding and Princess had brought back Qin Zheng's letter for them when they returned to Beijing, what was said in the letter was not as reassuring as what one heard in person. However, given their status, they could not visit in person without any scruples. Seeing Ye Li in Yu Garden, Madam Qin naturally wanted to come forward to inquire about her daughter's news.

Ye Li also understood her thoughts and smiled, "Don't worry, Madam. Zheng'er and the second brother are living very well now. Their child has also begun to be enlightened and is a smart boy. Even if Madam doesn't believe me, she should at least trust the family tradition of the Xu family and will definitely not let Zheng'er suffer any grievances." Not only will she not suffer any grievances, but now the Xu family is very kind to Qin Zheng. Madam Xu wants to pamper Qin Zheng as her own daughter. There is no way, four of the five sons of the Xu family are unwilling to get married. Madam Xu and the second wife regretted that they didn't arrange more child marriages back then. As the only daughter-in-law of the Xu family, and the daughter-in-law who gave birth to the only great-grandson of the Xu family, how can Qin Zheng not be pampered and loved?

Madam Qin smiled a little embarrassedly and said, "Princess, you are joking. How could I not trust you, but..." Ye Li smiled and patted the back of her hand to comfort her, "I understand. It's a pity that there are parents in the world who don't worry about their children. Madam, don't worry. The Xu family and the second brother will definitely treat Zheng'er well. Otherwise, not to mention Madam and Qin Yushi, even I won't agree." Although Xu Qingze's personality is a little cold, he is a good husband. He has never quarreled with Qin Zheng for so many years, and they are so harmonious that Ye Li can't help but envy him. She occasionally has to argue with Mo Xiuyao.

Madam Qin smiled with satisfaction and said, "It is Zheng'er's luck to have a friend like the princess."

"Madam, you are joking. I am lucky to have a friend like Zheng'er."

The two of them were talking happily, and the ladies who were watching from the sidelines also gathered around. Madam Qin and Ye Li naturally changed the topic, chatting with these noble ladies. Beside these noble ladies were beautiful young ladies. Seeing these young ladies being shy, Ye Li couldn't help but laugh secretly.

It turns out that these noble ladies have ulterior motives. They came forward to make false statements, but they really wanted to promote their own daughters. It is true that although it is obvious that Prince Li is in power now, the influence of Prince Ding's Mansion is not so easy to erase. If a girl from a family is favored by Prince Ding, it would be good to be able to marry into Prince Ding's Mansion and have an extra backer in the future. Even if they fail to marry, the only loss is a daughter. These powerful nobles naturally have one or two concubine daughters or even legitimate daughters.

These girls grew up listening to the stories of Prince Ding's Mansion, and they naturally admired the successive Prince Dings. Moreover, Mo Xiuyao's single-minded devotion to Ye Li for so many years was well-known. If they could be favored by such a man, it would naturally be the most beautiful dream in every girl's heart.

Ye Li rarely encountered such a situation. There were women who showed their courtesy to Mo Xiuyao over the years, but most of the time, Mo Xiuyao could dismiss them by himself. The only one she dismissed was Concubine Liu. However, the girls in front of her were not as shameless and persistent as Concubine Liu, so Ye Li could not use the same venomous tongue as Concubine Liu to deal with these girls and noble ladies.

Just as she was helplessly complaining about Mo Xiuyao's attraction to so many women, a mournful scream came from afar. Ye Li was startled and stood up suddenly. Mo Xiaobao and Leng Junhan had just gone in that direction. Leaving behind a word of excuse, Ye Li used her Qinggong to fly out of the pavilion and ran towards the source of the sound.

The noble ladies who were huddled together in the pavilion were startled by the sudden change. When they came to their senses, they saw Ye Li's white figure fluttering away like a butterfly.

"What...what happened?"

"Maybe something happened over there?" someone whispered.

"Let's go take a look too." Someone suggested. Soon, everyone moved their feet towards the direction of the scream outside the pavilion. The pavilion, which was originally bustling with noise, suddenly became quiet. Madam Qin, who was walking at the end, looked at the group of people chasing after Princess Ding, shook her head and followed with a smile.