Chapter 163 Yun Bailian's Request
In order to gain credit and harm the regent, the prince did something as stupid as robbing military rations, and he is still in the Chu State.
On the other hand, he was a meritorious official who assisted in transporting back 200,000 shi of military rations.
The Regent is now in the northwest, resisting foreign enemies and deterring all directions.
The emperor is not a fool. At this critical juncture, he is afraid that he cannot comfort the regent princess. How could he scold him just because of a few words from the White Lotus Spirit?
Yun Bailian was basically running into the gun.
Sure enough, the emperor coughed twice and rubbed his forehead vigorously:
"Crown Princess, since you have already married the Crown Prince, you should follow the royal family's rules and regulations. It is indeed you who overstepped your authority in this matter. Why don't you apologize to the Regent Princess!"
Yun Qingqing curled her lips without a smile, waiting to see the show.
"Ah? Father, I..." Yun Bailian raised her head in confusion, still wanting to explain herself with indignation in her heart.
The emperor slammed the teacup in his hand onto the table, interrupting her words with a bang.
"Crown Princess!" The emperor's voice was almost squeezed out from between his teeth.
Yun Bailian trembled all over, and then she noticed the emperor's gaze at her, which was gloomy and angry. She was startled and knelt down.
"Yes... Bai Lian was unruly, please forgive me, aunt." She suppressed her shame and knelt in front of Yun Qingqing, bowing her head to apologize.
Yun Qingqing looked at her quietly without saying anything.
Yun Bailian believed that she was deliberately humiliating her, and she clenched her fists so tightly that her nails almost dug into her palms.
"Aunt, I know I was wrong. I was too outspoken and offended you. Please forgive me!"
While she admitted her mistake pitifully with tears in her eyes, she secretly exerted force with her hand under her sleeve and crushed something.
Yun Qingqing frowned, a clear light flashed in her black eyes, and she narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Huh? It's almost winter, and there are still butterflies?" Defei said suddenly in surprise.
The emperor looked in the direction Concubine De was looking, and sure enough, there were more than a dozen butterflies of various sizes and colors flying out from the flowers.
What was strange was that these butterflies actually flew straight to Yun Bailian and circled around her without leaving.
Yun Qingqing curled up the corners of his lips in a sneer.
As soon as she saw Yun Bailian today, she felt that something was wrong with her. She was just an ordinary person who had some luck and married into the royal family and gained some nobility.
But now Yun Bailian was surrounded by a strong aura.
However, the luck was mottled and chaotic in color, just like a hodgepodge. She could tell at a glance that it was not Yun Bailian's at all.
I was wondering why Xu Suyao's luck was stolen but I couldn't directly figure out the identity of the thief.
Oh, so this is where the problem lies!
Yun Qingqing's face was cold and she didn't say a word, but Yun Bailian was no longer anxious. She bit her lips and was about to cry, straightening her back pitifully.
Colorful butterflies danced around her, making her look like an immortal.
Concubine De couldn't help but feel pity and said:
"Your Majesty, please let the Crown Princess get up first. The weather is cold now. Don't let her kneel down and get sick."
"Well...My beloved concubine is right." The emperor walked down the stairs to smooth things over. "Crown Princess, please stand up. There won't be a next time!"
"Ahem, give the Regent Princess a seat!" He was really worried that Yun Qingqing would not give him face, so he quickly asked her to sit down first.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Yun Qingqing recalled that Xiao Changheng respected and loved his royal brother the most, so he became more polite to the emperor.
After sitting down, she asked directly:
"I wonder why your majesty wants me here?"
She now understands that Concubine De is just a tool.
After all, she is a female member of the royal family, and the regent is not in the capital, so it is somewhat inconvenient for the emperor to summon her directly, so he summoned her in the name of a concubine in the harem.
The emperor looked at Yun Bailian and saw that the butterflies were still dancing around her and refused to leave. His expression softened a lot.
"Well, royal brother's wife..." The emperor looked at Yun Qingqing and spoke happily.
Yun Qingqing's eyelids twitched. What was the old emperor going to do? He remembered to call her "sister-in-law" at this time?
"In fact, it was the Crown Princess who suggested that you come here today." The Emperor continued, "She said that she wanted to make amends for the Crown Prince and contribute to Daliang, but she hopes to get your help."
"Oh?" Yun Qingqing glanced at Yun Bailian and looked at the butterflies thoughtfully.
It came to the door on its own accord, it seems that the White Lotus Spirit is very confident this time.
"Crown Princess, now that everyone is here, just tell us what your plans are." The Emperor said expectantly.
Yun Bailian seemed to have learned his lesson this time, and bowed politely and said:
"Father, the Imperial Master once said that I am destined to be a phoenix. As long as I pray sincerely, I can bring peace to the country and bring blessings to the people of Daliang."
"So when I heard that the two rivers were flooded this year, causing no crops to be harvested and the people to be displaced, I thought of asking the emperor to issue an edict to offer sacrifices to the heavens and pray."
Having said this, Yun Bailian raised her hand casually, letting a butterfly land on her fingertips. She smiled, as if she was accustomed to this scene.
Seeing the emperor's surprised look, as if he was looking at an auspicious sign, she continued:
"I am willing to take on the responsibility of offering sacrifices and pray for the people of Liangjiang, so that the coming year will be good weather and the people will live and work in peace and contentment."
The emperor was naturally happy to hear her say this:
"The Crown Princess is so thoughtful about the common people! But..."
He was a little confused again.
"What does this have to do with the Regent Princess? Why did you invite her here as well?"
Yun Bailian smiled and said:
"The Grand Master said that if we can find a woman whose horoscope matches mine to assist me in the sacrifice, it will surely satisfy the gods and bring more blessings to the people."
"Then the Imperial Master calculated a horoscope. The princess and I... the Imperial Aunt both grew up in the Yun Mansion, and I recognized it right away. So I wanted to ask the Imperial Aunt to agree to help me preside over the sacrifice and pray for the people."
Yun Qingqing had basically understood her plan and sneered in her heart.
Is it because the luck of being a lady from an aristocratic family can no longer satisfy her, so she has set her sights on the civil and military officials?
Asking me to be her deputy is clearly a trap she is trying to dig for me to fall into.
Haha, that’s nice to think about.
The emperor did not notice the problem at all. Instead, he nodded in appreciation and turned to Yun Qingqing and said:
"I think Bai Lian's proposal this time is good. She really cares about the people of Daliang. How about the Regent Princess assisting her this time?"
Yun Qingqing immediately stood up and bowed to the emperor:
"Your Majesty, when praying for blessings, do the people on the altar have to be sincere and focused in order to gain the approval of the heavens?"
"Of course." The emperor didn't know what she meant by asking this question.
Yun Qingqing had no expression on her face:
"Oh, then I can't help you."
The emperor's mouth twitched, feeling a little embarrassed:
"Ahem... why?"
Yun Bailian rushed to say:
"Don't you want the people of Daliang to live and work in peace and prosperity? Why are you unwilling to join me in praying for the people?"
"Or is it that... the Imperial Aunt is just holding a grudge against me for the offense I caused her earlier and is seeking revenge?"
Yun Qingqing glanced at her calmly, then turned to the emperor and said:
"I am also thinking about the common people, so anyone can perform the sacrifice, but I must not do it!"
The emperor saw that she was serious, his expression eased a little, and he said in surprise:
"What do you mean by this? Explain it to me clearly."
Yun Qingqing said seriously:
“I’m afraid of heights.”
emperor:……
He really didn't expect this reason.
Yun Bailian's eyes sparkled, and she covered her lips in shock and said:
"Ah? Is that the reason? Actually, the altar is more than ten feet high. I am also very scared when I think about standing on it. But how can I ignore the common people just because I am afraid?"
"I believe that as long as the Imperial Aunt sincerely wants to pray for the people and share the Emperor's worries, she will definitely be able to overcome her fear of heights."
"Unless... unless the Queen Auntie doesn't actually want the country to be peaceful and prosperous!"
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