"Master Yao, how about pinning a branch of red plum blossom here?" Rong Youtang, who was looking at the painting, said with a smile. Seeing a painting is like seeing the person. A branch of red plum blossom can barely offset some of the longing.
Nie Bingyu lowered her eyes and opened her mouth to speak several times, but she kept it back. At this point, it seemed meaningless to say anything. "Master Yao, please add the blooming peach blossoms. I want two copies of this painting. Thank you for your hard work, Master Yao."
"Thank you, mother. When I go to Maple Country, I will plant wintersweets and peach trees there. When the peach blossoms are in full bloom, I will come back to see you, okay?" Rong Youtang picked up a piece of peach blossom pastry, watched Nie Bingyu cooperate and took a bite, then continued.
In this simple painting, flowers from two seasons bloom at the same time. Peach blossoms and plum blossoms are both different and similar, but in this painting, they complement each other so well.
After winter comes spring, but what happens after spring? Is it a reunion or a series of separations?
"Prince Fengguo is joking. I was inconsiderate at the beginning. I didn't expect that a joke would cause so much dispute. It is indeed my fault." The Darong Emperor Rong Guangyi forced a smile. He was very annoyed when facing the polite but aggressive Di Fengyu.
When had the dignity of a ruler ever been trampled upon like this? This boy was young and impetuous, and he had no idea of his own limitations.
Di Fengyu's laughter echoed in the quiet imperial study, unrestrained and uninhibited, and her words did not forget to add fuel to the fire. The already tense atmosphere seemed to be even more tense.
"Sir, don't joke around. It's better not to make jokes like this in the future. If the two princesses marry this prince, what will Fengyu do?"
After letting out a mouthful of nausea, Di Fengyu felt relaxed both physically and mentally. On the other hand, Rong Guangyi threw away the precious and hard-to-find glass cup that he once treasured.
"Di Fengyu, you really don't know your place!" Rong Guangyi was furious. Suddenly he thought of the fifth princess who was about to be married, and he took his anger out on her.
The loyal eunuch went out for a while and actually brought the painting back. "Your Majesty, the Fifth Princess doesn't seem to have any complaints. She just asked the painter to paint a picture of her and the Queen this afternoon, saying it would be a souvenir."
"She knows how to be open-minded. She sent someone to Kunning Palace to tell them that I will go to see the queen today." Rong Guangyi saw the woman in the painting and said something inexplicably, not knowing what she was thinking.
As soon as the words came, Nie Bingyu paused while packing her things. She looked at herself in the bronze mirror. Her once smooth face now had a few more wrinkles, but what had changed more was her personality.
"Nie Bingyu, you are really boring. I am the ruler of the world, why are you pretending?" Feeling that Nie Bingyu was resisting his closeness, Rong Guangyi became a little impatient.
If the painting hadn't reminded him of the past, he really had no interest in setting foot in Kunning Palace. He couldn't match her youth and beauty, nor could he compare with her understanding. It would be a complete nuisance to him.
Nie Bingyu didn't want to say more and slapped Rong Guangyi directly, catching him off guard. She scolded him coldly, "Rong Guangyi, you have no heart."
Yeah, Rong Guangyi didn't have a heart. If he had, he'd be eaten by a dog now! His mistakes were borne by others, and even when they stepped on his face, he was still thinking about the same thing.
"Nie Bingyu, you are so bold." Rong Guangyi covered his face with one hand, full of disbelief, and stretched out his other hand to hit back.
Nie Bingyu smiled and squeezed Rong Guangyi's hand. Years of forbearance suddenly burst out. "Why am I so bold? Rong Guangyi, think about You Tang. She's a weak woman. She went to marry alone because of you. What about you? What have you been doing?"
"Aren't these your things to take care of? What does it have to do with me? If you can't be the queen, then let someone else be it." Rong Guangyi struggled to break free and walked out angrily.
The emperor and the empress parted ways on bad terms, and the emperor stayed in the imperial concubine's palace. The next day, an order was issued to reduce the fifth princess's dowry by half, and this order was not allowed to be questioned.
"Your Majesty, for the sake of the Crown Prince and the Fifth Princess, you should be patient." Qiuhua choked a little. It was not her original intention to be patient and give in, but it was indeed the best policy.
Rong Chen galloped all the way, his face covered with dust and frost, but his voice was so firm, "Your Majesty, you are right. I don't need you to give in."
"Chen'er, you're back." Nie Bingyu sounded a little tired, but she didn't regret what happened yesterday. She couldn't pretend to be nice.
Rong Chen quickly stepped forward and knelt down, "It is my unfilial son who has caused my mother to worry."
"Chen'er, get up. Mother is fine. It's You Tang. Your father is really heartless." Nie Bingyu felt a chill on her back. This was the person she once loved, the person she once believed would grow old together.
Rong Chen stood up and slowly walked to Nie Bingyu's side. "Mother, you don't have to worry about these things. I won't let You Tang suffer any injustice."
"Your Majesty, the Fifth Princess is here too." The palace attendant at the gate came in and announced, and Rong Youtang ran in, followed by her.
Rong Chen looked at his sister whom he hadn't seen for a long time, feeling a little dazed, but more of it was heartache. As the crown prince of Darong, wasn't the current situation a sign that he was too weak?
"Youtang pays his respects to the Queen Mother. Brother Royal, you are back too." Rong Youtang was still smiling, as if he had not heard the news from the palace.
The Queen made the Emperor unhappy, and innocent people were affected, including the Fifth Princess. People's hearts are really ridiculous, and the change in wind direction is really chilling.
"You Tang, marry him with peace of mind. With the emperor brother around, you won't be bullied." Rong Chen said in a hoarse voice. You won't be bullied. The country is weak. Even with the protection promised by Di Fengyu, how can you not be bullied?
Rong Youtang nodded meekly and said comfortingly, "Mother, Brother Emperor, don't worry, Youtang is not a child anymore. I will take good care of myself."
Growing up is so hard. The laughter, playfulness and fighting in the past have turned into silent separations and careful instructions. The atmosphere in Kunning Palace is so dead that even if Rong Youtang pretends well, he can't hide it.
Willow trees are sprouting new buds, peach blossoms are in full bloom, a palace banquet and an imperial edict are at stake, but Rong Youtang's life is at stake.
"Thank you, Prince Feng." At the Ten-Li Pavilion, Rong Youtang held Di Fengyu's hand as they stepped down from the carriage, looking back at the capital city they had never left.
She was a princess, and even though she had no worries about food and clothing since she was young, she had no freedom. But now, when she walked out of the deep palace, she was only heading to another cage, and even that place was even more restricted and difficult to move.
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