Chapter 537 Wedding Gift
Prince Yu picked up an ebony chair inlaid with marble and sat down, glancing at Concubine Ling who was sitting on the wide couch.
Concubine Ling was seen wearing a gold and gem-studded hairpin on her head. Two golden threads stretched out on both sides of a lotus bud, with a egret standing on the tip of one and a dragonfly flapping its wings on the tip of the other. It was named "One Egret, Integrity".
Ever since Emperor Jing'an bestowed this headdress on Concubine Ling, it has won Concubine Ling's heart. She wears it on her head almost every day, and when paired with a kesi skirt, it makes her look more elegant and radiant.
How can he be honest at all?
Prince Yu looked at it and suddenly twitched the corner of his mouth, not knowing whether he felt it was ironic or just found it funny.
"What else can your Majesty say?" Prince Yu said cryptically, "Your Majesty has asked me to choose an auspicious day to welcome Princess Guangning into the palace."
Concubine Ling clenched the handkerchief in her hand, but she was unwilling to give in.
Ever since Prince Yu turned fourteen, she had been selecting his princess and concubines. It's no exaggeration to say that over the years, she'd pored over the roster, carefully selecting several daughters of distinguished family background, age, character, and appearance, only to end up marrying an unloved princess from another kingdom.
But what can I do if I am unwilling?
Who told Prince Yu to commit a crime and marry Princess Guangning to save his life?
"If the Third Prince inherits the throne, neither of us will survive." Concubine Ling slowly lowered her eyes, a dark glint flashing in them. She gritted her teeth and said, "Among the Emperor's sons, the Third Prince is the least likely to become the crown prince. Yet, he has caught the Emperor's eye and will be the ultimate winner."
As she spoke, Concubine Ling looked towards the lattice window and saw two birds standing on the branches outside the window, chirping, just like her and Empress Yuanrong when they were still in the boudoir.
The two of them lay on the wide couch by the window, their heads touching, chattering about private matters.
Bright sunlight streamed through the window onto them, illuminating the small world they were in. The two of them exchanged words, but their eyes met and they smiled together, their smiles brighter than the spring flowers outside the window.
For a moment, she thought they would be good sisters for life and have endless things to talk about.
Now, time has passed and the two are separated by Yin and Yang.
Concubine Ling withdrew her thoughts and brought up the past, a rare occasion: "The Emperor and Empress Yuanrong were deeply in love. Since Empress Yuanrong and I were close friends, she would push the Emperor to me when her little days came."
"Later, the Emperor remembered my life-saving grace to Empress Yuanrong and treated me with some sincerity. Besides Empress Yuanrong, I was the most favored person in the harem."
"Until Empress Yuanrong died in childbirth, the Emperor distanced himself from me and began favoring other women in the harem. Although the Emperor didn't say it, I knew in my heart that he was blaming me. He blamed me for staying by Empress Yuanrong's side but not saving her."
"But I... I don't know. I didn't know that the imperial physician made a mistake and gave Empress Yuanrong a blood-activating decoction that was given to another concubine as a labor-inducing decoction."
Concubine Ling once suspected that Emperor Jing'an suspected her of murdering Empress Yuanrong.
Although she was jealous of Empress Yuan Rong many times, and even had some dark thoughts in her heart that she couldn't help but feel, when she saw Empress Yuan Rong standing in the light and shadow, smiling and waving at her, calling her by her nickname: "Hey, look what good things I have prepared for you."
She no longer had any thoughts.
Because Empress Yuanrong was the only person in the world who called her by her nickname, and the only person who treated her well. Her brothers were useless and only dragged her down, and they would never treat her well like Empress Yuanrong, without expecting anything in return.
Empress Yuanrong treated her with unique kindness, which completely wrapped up her inherently despicable heart.
But Empress Yuanrong still died.
With the death of Empress Yuan Rong, the wall of warmth that enveloped her heart collapsed.
Her originally despicable and greedy heart was completely eroded by power.
In order to pave the way for her son, she forgot their past sisterhood and used Empress Yuanrong again and again to gain benefits for herself in front of Emperor Jing'an.
As her thoughts drifted here, Concubine Ling's voice gradually became hoarse. "It was only after I had you that the Emperor's attitude towards me softened. However, not long after, Concubine Xian also announced good news. She must have a prince by her side, and she has been competing openly and secretly with me."
"Only the Third Prince's mother, Consort Dong, was a mere Zhaoyi. While Consort Xian and I were battling it out, she secretly gave birth to a little prince. Consort Xian and I were united in our wrath against Zhaoyi Dong, withholding her palace food, clothing, and other expenses, which ultimately led to her death."
"The Third Prince must have remembered me and is just waiting to settle accounts with me once he gains power."
At this point, Concubine Ling grabbed Prince Yu's arm, somewhat uncontrollably. "Jing'er, we've made too many enemies. If you don't reach that position, even without the Third Prince's intervention, one person would crush us to death."
Since they embarked on the path of fighting for the throne, there was no turning back.
This was the first time that Prince Yu heard Concubine Ling mention Empress Yuanrong in a serious manner.
Before this, Concubine Ling would only mention Empress Yuanrong in front of Emperor Jing'an.
At other times, Concubine Ling was even reluctant to mention Empress Yuanrong.
Prince Yu was impatient to listen to this. In the deep palace, people were fighting for power.
If you don't harm others, someone will naturally harm you.
"According to the Great Zhou ancestral system, one must be at least twenty years old to rule, and my Third Prince is only thirteen." Prince Yu took Concubine Ling's words to heart, knowing that once the arrow is shot, there's no turning back. His gaze was stern. "Father is in good health and can rule for at least a dozen more years. Even if he wants to pass the throne to my Third Prince, he'll have to wait until he's old enough to rule. No one can predict what will happen in the meantime."
"Jing'er, you're right. There's still another six or seven years to go... Mother is being too hasty." Concubine Ling saw hope again, and the haze that had gathered in her heart dissipated, and she regained her rationality. "Take Zhao Yi for example. His bloodline is not pure, so he shouldn't be able to become emperor of Northern Qi. But the Northern Qi emperor's other two sons died."
Prince Yu removed Concubine Ling's hand from his arm and said, "Mother, you have lost your composure."
Concubine Ling calmed down and said coldly, "You are the most resourceful and courageous of the princes, and the most suitable to be the crown prince. But because of what you did to the people of Qingzhou and his nephew, your father has determined that you are a cruel person who will do anything to achieve his goals."
"I finally understand. The Emperor didn't appoint you as Crown Prince. Besides wanting to find a benevolent emperor to protect the Great Zhou, there's another crucial reason. He's afraid you might become too ambitious and launch an attack on Northern Qi in the future."
"It's true that Yizhen saved him, but as a daughter of the royal family, all the sacrifices she made for the Great Zhou were her due. However, your father, remembering Yizhen's kindness, has completely turned his heart towards his nephew."
"You are his own son, but he can't see anything you do for him."
Prince Yu folded his fingers together and gripped the teacup tightly, his face expressionless and unusually calm. "There's no need to mention this matter anymore. I have my own plans."
Concubine Ling stopped talking and was about to ask about Princess Guangning's affairs, but she saw Prince Yu glance in one direction.
She quickly realized that someone was monitoring Yanxiang Palace.
Concubine Ling stopped talking and asked about Princess Guangning's preferences. She also talked about some personal matters. She invited Prince Yu to have dinner with her and then sent a palace maid to escort him out of the palace.
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After Prince Yu left Yanxiang Palace, he refused to allow Huichun to see him off and walked towards the palace gate alone. However, he stopped when he passed a small path paved with bluestone.
In front of him, he saw a young boy holding a brocade box in his arms, looking towards him frequently.
This person is actually the third prince.
"Royal brother." The young boy saw Prince Yu and a hint of timidity flashed in his eyes. But thinking of the brocade box in his arms, he bravely walked up to Prince Yu and handed it to him with both hands: "I heard that Royal brother is going to marry the Royal sister-in-law. This is the gift I prepared for you. I hope you like it."
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