Chapter Forty-Eight
When Wen Weili thought that the emperor would not let her off easily this time, Emperor Duanmu Qing seemed unwilling to deal with Wen Weili easily. Instead, he smiled and told the eunuchs around him about Wen Weili's "mistake".
"Then... Your Majesty, what should be done with Miss Wen?" The eunuch secretly guessed the emperor's intention, thinking that the eldest lady of the Wen family would probably not be able to escape the fate of punishing her entire clan. He couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Compared with all the girls in the capital, the eldest lady of the Wen family was indeed an interesting person. If she died in the palace today, who knows how much fun the city would lose.
"Bring up Miss Wen." Emperor Duanmu Qing's tone was surprisingly gentle when he mentioned Wen Weili. He specifically instructed the eunuchs, "Tell those rough guys not to hurt her."
"Yes." The eunuch did not expect the emperor's attitude to be so nice. He was confused and puzzled, and hurriedly found the guard to tell him not to be violent towards the eldest daughter of the Wen family.
Following the emperor's order, a blue-robed guard brought Wen Weili into the palace. He did not tie her up or force her forward, but invited her into the palace with a hint of respect.
"Why don't you kneel when you see me?" Duanmu Qing said with a smile, not caring about Wen Weili's cold eyes towards him.
"Why should I kneel?" Wen Weili's question scared the guards in the palace to death. They were afraid that this girl would anger the emperor and ask them to be buried with him.
Duanmu Qing laughed out loud when he heard Wen Weili's words, and waved his hand to signal everyone to go out, leaving only Wen Weili in the hall.
"There's no need to resort to any tricks, Duanmu Qing. If you want to execute me secretly, you'd better give me a quick death so as not to let me down for 'taking care' of your son!" Wen Weili really didn't understand why Duanmu Qing in front of her had such a weird attitude, and his eyes revealed a look that made her uncomfortable.
"You," Duanmu Qing said, feeling both angry and amused. As an emperor, he had almost never been treated like this before. However, this was the girl he had doted on, and he knew Wen Weili's temper, so he could only smile and say, "Do you still remember what I told you when you were little?"
When I was a kid...
As Duanmu Qing spoke, Wen Weili gradually recalled the first time she entered the palace. She was only four years old at that time, and it was also in the spring and summer. Suddenly, many guards in uniform green uniforms and several maids with faces as stiff as boards came to her house. Later she learned that these were the eunuchs and the consul aunt in the palace, and the emperor had specially ordered to bring little Wen Weili into the palace.
Little Wen Weili was at an age when she was fearless. Seeing her mother talking to the leading guard with a smile on her face, she ran out from behind the door and asked the guard in a baby voice, "Big brother, where are you from? If you are Lu Yao, do you want to stay at my house?"
The leading guard couldn't help but smile as he listened to the childish words. "What a thoughtful child! I'm sure His Majesty has heard of Miss Wen's reputation and ordered us to come and fetch you."
After hearing the guard's suggestive words, Madam Wen gently touched little Wen Weili's bun and whispered, "If Your Majesty has mercy on her, why would he really want to take this child into the palace?" She reached out to straighten her daughter's collar, which was slightly wrinkled from playing, and stared at her daughter's face, which was 80% similar to hers. Her fingertips slid across the child's tender skin, and a slightly red mark was easily left on the snow-white face.
Little Wen Weili's eyes were steady and moist as she stared at her mother. Her little face swayed silently with her mother's movements, like a well-behaved rag doll. It wasn't until Mrs. Wen finally smiled and pinched the soft flesh on Little Wen Weili's face that Little Wen Weili smiled sweetly and said, "Mom, I'm out playing. I'll be back soon."
"Okay, good child," Madam Wen said, not caring at all that she had become a bit strange in the eyes of others, and personally brought little Wen Weili to a palace maid. "This child is very well behaved. You must take good care of her."
The maid was stunned by Madam Wen's words and hesitated, not knowing how to respond: "Your servant, your servant..."
"Don't worry, sister," Xiao Wenweili tilted her head back, removed a hairband adorned with tiny pearls from her small bun, and handed it to the palace maid. "As the saying goes, 'A mother worries about her child even when he is a thousand miles away.' Mother's love for me has simply grown a little stronger. Please forgive me."
"I dare not!" The palace maid knelt down quickly to apologize, "Miss Wen is of noble status, how can she address me as a sister!" As the palace maid knelt down, a group of palace servants waiting behind her knelt down one after another, like frightened birds, fearing that they would lose their lives just for the task of bringing Miss Wen into the palace.
Little Wen Weili looked at the kneeling people and for some reason felt a strange feeling. Perhaps it was anger, or perhaps it was a bitterness that made her want to cry. However, she knew that this was not the time to express such emotions. Instead, she turned around, looked at Madam Wen, and said with a smile, "Mother, you see, the palace is all about following the rules. What's wrong with this?"
"Yes," Madam Wen nodded, signaling the maids behind her to help the palace maids up one by one. "The palace has always been the best, and this is the custom. Everyone, get up."
They were delayed for a while at the Wen family because of Mrs. Wen. The palace servants were afraid of missing the time, so they arranged for the guards along the way in advance, and indeed, Miss Wen was sent to the palace smoothly.
A little boy watched from afar on the veranda as a group of people surrounded a little girl and hurried past. He asked the eunuch beside him, "Xiao Linzi, who is that child?"
Xiao Linzi thought for a moment and then remembered that the Emperor had summoned Miss Wen today. He replied respectfully, "My Lord, that was Miss Wen. His Majesty summoned her at 1:01 PM. I'm afraid it's too late now."
"It's really interesting. He's so anxious, but he's calm and has the leisure to look at me, the prince." The little boy seemed to have found his favorite toy. He smiled and whispered a few words to the eunuch before letting him go.
"Your Majesty, Miss Wen is here!" Following the eunuch's voice, little Wen Weili stepped over the threshold with some difficulty, walked in front of Emperor Duanmu Qing, and bowed to salute.
"No need to bow... Fudong, help yourself up." Before Xiao Wenweili could finish her greeting, the emperor impatiently exempted her from formalities. While ordering the eunuchs to allow her to take a seat, he told Xiao Wenweili to raise her head, "Look up and let me see."
Little Wen Weili didn't feel the dragon energy or dragon might her father was talking about at all. She raised her head and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, are you satisfied?"
Xiao Wen Weili was a little proud. After all, she was a beauty praised by her family since she was a child. Not to mention the Wen family, even when she got together with her sisters on weekdays, she was the most outstanding one.
"Haha..." Duanmu Qing looked at the cheerful expression on Wen Weili's face. Her eyes, like autumn water, reminded him of an old friend. "As expected, Ci'er's child is also so outstanding... Fudong, if Ci'er were by my side right now, wouldn't our family be reunited?"
The eunuch Fudong swallowed hard, quickly glanced at the palace maids in the hall, sighed inwardly, but replied with a smile, "That would be wonderful! I have always dreamed of seeing this scene. If it ever happens, I will die in peace!"
"What nonsense are you talking about," Duanmu Qing scolded Fudong, but there was a smile in his eyes, "If Ci'er can come back..., Fudong, convey my decree: Miss Wen Weili of the Wen family has a pure and gentle nature, and is kind and kind-hearted. I reward you with two pairs of East China Sea red pearls and a plate of bright pearls. You should take all the green silk fabrics that were awarded a few days ago back home to make some beautiful clothes." Duanmu Qing was paying attention to what little Wen Weili said to her for the last sentence, as if waiting for her to say something.
But little Wen Weili simply thanked him obediently, secretly wondering, could that Cuisi cloth be the new pieces of material her mother had acquired a few days ago? It's said to be extremely rare. Could it be His Majesty... No, how could that be... No, her mother was definitely not that kind of woman.
Xiao Wenweili thought of her mother always smiling gently and the strong emotions she expressed towards her father. How could this be?
The shock in her thoughts made Xiao Wen Weili tightly tighten her face. She didn't dare reveal any emotion that she shouldn't have. She still smiled slightly, as if she was truly satisfied with the emperor's reward. Perhaps if she did something wrong, it would bring disaster to herself and her family!!!
Little Wen Weili could not remember clearly what happened afterwards. At that moment, she felt a chill in the palace from the top of her head to her toes, as if her whole body was immersed in ice water in winter. When she was taken back to the Wen Mansion by the guards in a numb state, Mrs. Wen was surprised to find that her daughter had caught a cold outside and fell unconscious the next day.
After that, little Wen Weili was never summoned by Emperor Duanmu Qing again. Even when she entered the palace to accompany the empress dowager, she never met the emperor again. The fact that Miss Wen was rewarded only caused some small discussions in the capital, and then it was like a ripple caused by a stone hitting the water. There were too many new things in the capital, such as the prince had reached the age of marriage, so which lady should he marry as his principal wife?
After this incident, Wen Weili lost her former liveliness and sweetness, and silently buried what she saw and thought deep in her heart. At this moment, Duanmu Qing mentioned the first time they met. How could Wen Weili not remember such a deep childhood memory?
Wen Weili laughed sarcastically, "I thought Your Majesty was a forgetful person! Yet, you remember this little thing so clearly. Could it be that you're still obsessed with your mother?"
Everyone in the hall was almost afraid to breathe. For a moment, it was as quiet as a grave of the dead. The palace servants seemed to be able to see their own miserable end. After hearing such a secret of the emperor's family, there was no way they could survive. Being able to cut off their tongues and dig out their eyes to survive in the world was only an extra favor from His Majesty.
"You really did know," Duanmu Qing clapped his hands softly, calling for the guards to come in and drag the palace maids away. He sighed, "I originally intended for you to marry Huaixin and be my good daughter-in-law. I would definitely treat you like my own daughter. Why did you despise yourself by becoming Huai'er's concubine? It only makes Huai'er so sad. Do you know how many times he has come to see me?"
"Huh?" Wen Weili was even more perplexed. Why, Duanmu Huaixin, would he ask the emperor to rescind his decree? Hadn't they already discussed this? Wen Weili couldn't help but look up at Duanmu Qing, strategizing. She realized clearly that she wasn't the one playing this game, nor was it the emperor, who thought he had it all under control. Someone else was pulling the strings, but she didn't know. Was this person the mantis? Or was it the oriole?
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