Chapter 18 The Lanterns Are Still Acceptable
The emperor's majestic voice boomed like thunder.
"A joke?" His face was ashen. "The New Year's sacrifice to Heaven is a major national event. How dare you utter such arrogant words and speak so recklessly about the gods under the lamps? Is this how the Prince Qing's family teaches its children?"
Princess Suxin knelt down abruptly, trembling all over, "Your Majesty, please forgive me, I was confused for a moment..."
"Foolish?" the emperor sneered. "I think you're incredibly audacious! Guards, immediately escort Princess Suxin back to her residence and confine her to her quarters for six months! Prince Qing has failed in his duty to raise his daughter; he shall be fined one year's salary!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Princess Suxin's body went limp, and she almost fainted.
Several strong old women grabbed her with both hands and forcefully helped her up. Her face was as pale as paper, and she didn't dare to look up, but she could clearly feel that the gazes of the people around her were like sharp swords, piercing her body and drawing blood.
Before the punishment came, she never imagined she would end up like this.
Zhao Ruxuan stood a few steps away from her, her feet twitching slightly, unable to suppress the urge to step forward and plead for mercy. Lin Yunshu cursed under her breath, "Idiot," grabbed her, and held her hand firmly, her gaze exceptionally stern.
Zhao Ruxuan was stunned by that gaze. Her reason gradually returned. She moved her lips but did not make a sound. She slowly lowered her head and shrank behind her.
Lin Yunshu gazed at the bright yellow figure from afar through the crowd, her eyes dark and unreadable.
When the Emperor looked at Meng Lingyao, his expression softened slightly. "Miss Meng is deeply virtuous and adheres strictly to etiquette. I am very pleased. I hereby bestow upon her a copy of the Imperial Book of Rites and a pair of jade discs!"
Meng Lingyao lowered her eyes and bowed to express her gratitude for the emperor's grace.
She pursed her lips slightly, a sense of unease creeping into her heart. She had thought it was just a quarrel between young women, but she hadn't expected it to provoke the emperor's fury.
The phrase "failure to properly educate one's daughter" is tantamount to ruining a woman's future, and even all the female members of the Prince Qing's family lineage will be implicated.
A ruler's heart is unfathomable; this is no exception.
As the banquet progressed, Meng Lingyao became even more cautious. Xie Chengyu soon returned to his seat, appearing unremarkable. Meng Lingyao didn't ask any further questions and waited patiently until the banquet ended.
The emperor's mood seemed unaffected; on the contrary, he was even better. He drank several cups with the princess, and after the banquet, he insisted that she stay and drink a hangover soup before she was allowed to leave.
He had never liked the taste of hangover soup, but now, as he drank it, a rare smile appeared on his lips.
"Your Majesty is in a very good mood today." The eldest princess sat beside him and personally poured him a cup of tea.
The emperor picked up his teacup and took a sip, saying, "That old scoundrel Prince Qing, relying on being my elder brother, has been doing all sorts of underhanded things behind my back all these years. Even his children are outrageous, and I have to teach them."
The eldest princess smiled slightly, "Su Xin was indeed a bit reckless, causing trouble at the very beginning of the new year, which is really unbecoming."
"She's not the only one who's been disrespectful!" the emperor sneered. "The Prince Qing's mansion has become increasingly unruly in recent years. Do they really think I don't know what they're up to?"
Two years ago, Prince Qing's eldest son, while drunk, dared to speak rudely, implying that the current emperor's ascension to the throne was illegitimate. If the emperor hadn't been concerned about his reputation, he would have been dragged out and beheaded long ago. How could he have allowed Prince Qing to leave the capital and live in a remote area as punishment after a few tearful pleas?
"If all these young people in the capital were to fly in formation like geese, I would have no more worries."
“That Miss Meng is also quite good; intelligent, quick-witted, and knows how to conduct herself appropriately—a promising talent.” He paused briefly, then suddenly added, “It’s just a pity she’s the daughter of a fourth-rank official…”
The emperor shook his head before he could finish speaking.
The eldest princess raised her eyes, "Your Majesty means..."
"If she were to become the prince's principal wife, her family background would be slightly inferior; at most, she could become a concubine."
The third prince's maternal family was declining, and the emperor intended to find him a wife from a prominent family with a strong enough in-laws to maintain the balance between his two sons.
The emperor sighed.
His second son was honest and straightforward, while his third son was mediocre. He was not very satisfied with either of his sons.
The eldest son was young at the time, but he already showed great talent and potential, but he died before he could grow up...
Thinking of this, the emperor felt a pang of sorrow.
The princess lowered her eyes, her fingertips gently stroking the edge of the teacup, and casually mentioned, "It is said that Meng Shaoqing only has one wife, the couple has a very deep affection for each other, and they only have this one daughter, whom they have always doted on like a precious jewel."
“I’m afraid—” she laughed, “I wouldn’t be willing to let her become a concubine.”
The emperor scoffed, "Even if she marries my son as a concubine, she will be more noble than the principal wife of an ordinary family, let alone a concubine who is listed in the imperial genealogy."
Even so, he had already dismissed the idea. The Meng family was not considered a top-tier noble family, but they were quite prestigious among the Qingliu faction. If he were to forcibly take the Meng family's only daughter as a concubine, it would make the royal family appear to be abusing their power, which would likely damage the royal family's reputation.
He waved his hand and said, "Forget it, let's not talk about this for now."
In this vast world, surely one can find a good woman?
Seeing that he was not very interested, the princess said no more, only saying, "It's getting late, I should take my leave."
The Emperor nodded. "It's late and the dew is heavy. Be careful on your journey, Your Majesty."
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty."
Outside the palace gates, the night was deep.
Pei Xu, holding his horse, waited by the side. When he saw the princess come out, he stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Highness, the carriage is ready."
The princess did not answer, but looked up at the sky and said, "It has been a long time since I have seen such a beautiful moon. I want to ride back to the manor."
Pei Xu frowned slightly. "The road at night is difficult to travel, and Your Highness has been drinking today. It would be safer to travel by carriage."
The princess said impatiently, "He won't die from the fall. If he did, it would be peaceful." The last part of her sentence was spoken very softly, almost inaudibly.
Pei Zhi, who was waiting by the carriage, instantly had tears in her eyes and hurriedly said, "Your Highness, it's the New Year, you mustn't say such unlucky things."
Seeing her like this, the princess softened her expression, "I drank too much and was talking nonsense, but you took it seriously."
She teased, "And you're talking about me? It's the first day of the lunar month, and you're crying nonstop. Isn't that unlucky?"
Pei-Chih turned her back and hurriedly wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.
Pei Xu remained silent for a few moments, then instructed his guards to bring a gentle steed. After watching her mount the horse properly, he and several guards rode off together.
The night wind was chilly, and the long street was silent. The eldest princess gripped the reins and suddenly spoke, "Just now His Majesty mentioned that Miss Meng is well-mannered and intelligent, and he intends to ask for her hand in marriage for the Third Prince. However, her family background is ultimately lacking, and at most she can only be a concubine."
Pei Xu paused slightly in his grip on the reins, his expression remaining unchanged. "Your Majesty has your own considerations."
The eldest princess glanced at him sideways. "Yanxing, do you think Miss Meng would be willing?"
Before Pei Xu could respond, she continued, "That girl, Lingyao, is a smart one. She probably doesn't want to miss out on a bright future."
Pei Xu pondered for a moment and said, "Given Miss Meng's personality, I'm afraid she wouldn't want to marry into the royal family. Besides, the Meng family only has one daughter, so Mr. and Mrs. Meng Shaoqing probably wouldn't be willing either."
Given Meng Shaoqing's daughter's habit of sending a package of pastries to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, which even the Court of Judicial Review could hear about, how could they bear to let Miss Meng step into a dangerous place?
The eldest princess smiled slightly, "If His Majesty insists on this, the Meng family can do nothing about it."
Pei Xu turned to look at the Princess, his gaze indifferent, "Your Highness is fond of Miss Meng, and surely you wouldn't stand by and watch her fall into such a predicament."
The eldest princess chuckled softly, her tone enigmatic, "Perhaps."
Pei Xu was slightly taken aback, as the eldest princess rarely spoke ambiguously.
Before he could ask further, the eldest princess suddenly inquired, "Were the lanterns in the Imperial Garden beautiful today?"
Pei Xu, not understanding why, simply said, "It's acceptable."
The princess said no more, her smile widening as she lightly urged her horse on, the sound of hooves echoing clearly through the quiet street.
Pei Xu watched her retreating figure, his eyes growing increasingly intense.
After the banquet, Meng Lingyao and her father rode in a carriage home.
The night was deep, but a few lamps were still lit inside the mansion. Madam Zhong was sitting in the warm pavilion, waiting for the father and daughter to return home.
She disliked these occasions and often made excuses not to attend. Fortunately, her husband's official position was not high, so she could simply send a note to the palace, claiming that she was unwell and afraid of bothering important people, and no one paid much attention.
"You're back?" Madam Zhong put down the account book in her hand and gestured for a maid to bring hot tea. "Was the banquet successful?"
Meng Yan was about to reply when Madam Zhong covered her face in disgust, "You reek of alcohol, go wash up. Yao Yao can just tell me."
Seeing the mother and daughter sitting together so affectionately, Meng Yan had no choice but to tidy herself up and change into clean clothes.
Meng Lingyao took the teacup to warm her hands and briefly recounted the events of the banquet. Upon hearing this, Madam Zhong frowned, casually tossed the account book aside, and scolded, "Princess Suxin's scheming is outrageous."
"She's just relying on the power of the Prince Qing's mansion," Meng Lingyao said calmly. "Fortunately, His Majesty is wise and didn't let her succeed."
However, she saw today that the power of the Prince Qing's mansion was probably not easy to borrow.
With ample time for the return journey, Meng Lingyao pondered the matter carefully and felt that the emperor's actions did not seem to be due to Princess Su Xin's breach of etiquette, but rather more like an excuse to make a fuss.
No matter how much the historical records of each dynasty embellish them, there is rarely genuine brotherly affection and respect among the royal brothers; instead, there is more bloodshed and killing.
She poured out her heart to her mother, and Madam Zhong pondered for a moment before saying, "Royal secrets are not for us to interfere with. Whatever the truth may be, we should simply remain impartial and cautious in our words and actions."
She spread her hands, quite frankly, "If we are truly framed, our whole family will perish together, it's nothing."
“Mother—” Meng Lingyao frowned, “You should at least have some good wishes.”
She wished she could follow her father's example and burn mugwort to ward off bad luck.
Madam Zhong chuckled and changed the subject: "How was your meeting with the Third Prince today?"
"They said a few polite words, nothing special."
Madam Zhong nodded. "A member of the royal family is ultimately not a good match."
Meng Lingyao chuckled, "Mother is overthinking it. I had no such intention."
“Of course I know you didn’t,” Madam Zhong sighed, “but I’m afraid others might have ulterior motives.” She paused, then added, “Lord Pei even helped you out of that predicament today.”
Meng Lingyao's lips curled down, "The whole thing started because of him."
Madam Zhong raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"
Meng Lingyao opened her mouth, but for some reason, she didn't want to tell her mother about what happened that day. She casually said, "If he hadn't had a previous grudge against Princess Suxin, why would she have used me as a pawn?"
Taking a sip of tea, she said matter-of-factly, "It's only right that he takes care of it."
A hint of a smile flashed in Madam Zhong's eyes. "You see things quite clearly. However, Lord Pei is upright and honest; he is indeed a gentleman."
Meng Lingyao remained noncommittal, focusing her attention on gently adjusting the tea lid.
Seeing that she was unwilling to continue, Madam Zhong changed the subject, "Since you do not wish to associate with Zhou Yizhi anymore, do you have any other suitable candidates?"
"Spare me." Meng Lingyao frowned. "I've been annoyed by men these past few days, and I really don't want to talk about this during the New Year."
Madam Zhong couldn't help but chuckle: "Alright, alright, I won't say anything then." She gently stroked her daughter's hair. "Get some rest. We're going to visit your maternal grandparents tomorrow."
Meng Lingyao nodded, put on her cloak, and returned to her small courtyard.
After taking her hair out and washing it, she finally let out a long sigh of relief and stared blankly at the candlelight.
I was extremely tired that day.
"It's still more comfortable at my maternal grandparents' house," Meng Lingyao murmured to herself, blowing out the candle.
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