Chapter 27 "Whispering Sweet Moments + Whose Love Letter..."
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Tokens of Love ==
Qin'er then walked in from outside, and gave a perfunctory bow, saying, "Your Highness, Your Highness's Consort."
Princess Zhaoning had already guessed that this vile woman was doing it on purpose, and her eyes were practically spitting fire. But the scene from just now still lingered in her mind, because she had never seen His Highness treat anyone so gently before, tying up their hair and drawing their eyebrows—that was something only loving couples would do.
Princess Zhaoning was both angry and jealous, but unfortunately, they were the rightful husband and wife, while she was nothing.
But this doesn't mean she'll be bullied by the servants of Prince Cheng's mansion. Once she becomes Prince Cheng's concubine, her first priority will be to drive these servants out of the mansion.
Princess Zhaoning gave a symbolic curtsy, saying, "This humble woman greets Your Highness and Your Highness's Consort."
Upon hearing this, Su Wanyue told Qin'er to take Princess Zhaoning to the outer room first, and that she would come later.
"Princess Zhaoning, this way please." Qin'er bowed slightly, and Princess Zhaoning raised her chin and walked away arrogantly.
Princess Zhaoning drank tea in the outer room for quite a while before Xiao Yu and Su Wanyue finally arrived.
After breakfast, Xiao Yu went to his study to handle official business. As soon as he left, Princess Zhaoning became completely dejected, but the people in Zixia Palace saw through it but didn't say anything.
Su Wanyue and Princess Zhaoning had nothing to say to each other. Su Wanyue silently drank the tea in her red jade cup. Princess Zhaoning, with her sharp eyes, caught a glimpse of the pink mark on Su Wanyue's fair neck. Princess Zhaoning felt a surge of hatred, her fingers stiffening. Was Su Wanyue deliberately showing off to her?
The more hatred she harbored in her heart, the more amiable she appeared on the surface. Princess Zhaoning smiled innocently and asked, "Sister Weiyang, what do you usually do at the Prince Cheng's residence?"
"Besides looking at the account books, he plays the zither and chess. What about the princess?"
Princess Zhaoning said that besides talking with her sister, the Crown Princess, she also played the zither and chess, just like Su Wanyue, in the Eastern Palace.
Princess Zhaoning glanced at her and asked with some curiosity, "Does Your Highness like playing chess?"
Su Wanyue smiled faintly, "Your Highness's chess skills are superb, but whether you like it or not, I don't know."
Princess Zhaoning seemed unable to bear her cold attitude. She pouted and asked somewhat unhappily, "Does Sister Weiyang not like Zhaoning?"
Su Wanyue: "..."
Su Wanyue pursed her lips and asked her why she thought that way. Princess Zhaoning immediately fell silent.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye. During her three days at the Prince Cheng's residence, Princess Zhaoning visited Su Wanyue almost every day, and she would specifically choose to come when Xiao Yu was present.
Su Wanyue didn't say anything, but the maids of Zixia Palace were already feeling uncomfortable, especially Chunzhi and Xiatang. "Your Highness, when the Empress asked Princess Zhaoning to stay at Prince Cheng's residence, she clearly said that the princess should accompany Your Highness. But Princess Zhaoning doesn't come during the day, and only comes when His Highness is here. Anyone who doesn't know the situation would think that Princess Zhaoning came for His Highness."
She wasn't going there for Xiao Yu. Whenever Xiao Yu was around, Princess Zhaoning would smile and stare at him. But as soon as he left, her face would fall, and she would ask Su Wanyue for her leave.
Su Wanyue didn't say anything, and was about to speak when Qingyi came over. His expression was somewhat strange, and he cupped his hands to Su Wanyue, "Your Highness, His Highness has returned."
Seeing his strange expression and incoherent words, Chunzhi tentatively asked, "Does Your Highness wish to invite our Princess Consort over?"
"His Highness..." Qingyi didn't know how to explain to Su Wanyue, so he said directly, "Why don't you come with me first, Your Highness?"
Su Wanyue then followed Qingyi to the bamboo garden in the front yard, where the man stood with his hands behind his back, dressed in a moon-colored brocade robe, with a handsome face and an unparalleled demeanor.
He just stared at Su Wanyue like that. Su Wanyue was a little puzzled, and walked towards him lightly as a swallow. "Your Highness, what's wrong?"
Xiao Yu's lips curled upwards, revealing a gentle smile. "Take the Princess Consort somewhere."
Princess Zhaoning was unaware that Xiao Yu and Su Wanyue had already left the manor. After strolling around the back garden of the Prince Cheng's manor, she returned to her guest room and sat for a while before heading to find Su Wanyue. She had heard His Highness say last night that they would be having lunch at Zixia Palace today, and of course she didn't want to miss this opportunity.
"But His Highness and the Princess Consort are not in Zixia Palace today." Just as Princess Zhaoning was happily heading to Zixia Palace, the maidservant spoke up cautiously.
"Where is His Highness?" Princess Zhaoning frowned, clearly displeased.
"Your Highness, His Highness has caught a cold today and is resting in the front courtyard, where His Highness the Princess is taking care of him."
Upon hearing this, Princess Zhaoning's expression immediately changed, and she stood up abruptly. "What did you say? His Highness is ill?"
"Yes, I heard that His Highness is not seeing anyone right now. Only the Princess and the physician are allowed to enter the Bamboo Garden," the maidservant immediately explained.
Princess Zhaoning's expression twisted slightly; it seemed that "not seeing anyone" meant not seeing anyone else.
“Then I can take care of Your Highness.” Princess Zhaoning looked somewhat disappointed and couldn’t help but feel discouraged. “But Your Highness won’t even see me.”
The maid behind her had a subtle expression. It seemed that His Highness Prince Cheng hadn't said he liked Princess Zhaoning. Was their princess overthinking things?
Princess Zhaoning opened and closed her mouth with a pursed expression, as if she wanted to go to the palace to ask the Empress to make a decision for her. Her maid was startled and hurriedly tried to stop her. How could she go to the Empress like this?
"The front courtyard said that His Highness Prince Cheng will not see anyone. This is not to deliberately target the princess, but to treat everyone equally. Even if the princess goes to see the Empress, it will be useless."
Princess Zhaoning was an unrestrained person, and she was getting annoyed by being repeatedly obstructed. "Then what do you suggest we do now?"
The maid, her forehead beaded with cold sweat, tentatively said, "This servant feels that His Highness Prince Cheng is unwell and needs to rest. Why don't you wait until His Highness has recovered before you go to pay your respects to him?"
“What you said makes sense.” Princess Zhaoning was persuaded, but she was still not quite willing to give up and felt restless and frustrated.
Little did they know that the person who should have been resting in the mansion had already left the capital.
Su Wanyue didn't know where this person was taking her. Once she got into the carriage, she started flipping through a book, engrossed in reading. In the past, she would close her eyes and pretend to sleep as soon as she got into a carriage, but today she was slowly brewing tea, her demeanor elegant and leisurely.
Two hours later, the carriage stopped, and Qingyi's voice came through the carriage curtain, "Your Highness, we have arrived."
Xiao Yu gave a faint "hmm" and got off the carriage first. Qin'er was about to help Su Wanyue down when Xiao Yu stretched out his long arm and pulled the woman off the carriage. Everyone lowered their eyes and looked down at the ground. Su Wanyue did not expect him to do such a thing and frowned slightly.
The scene before her surprised her even more, for it was a remote, even somewhat desolate place. Clumps of sycamore trees stood beside the temple. Unlike the bustling Guimin Temple, which was always filled with people and incense offerings, this temple was rarely visited. Su Wanyue couldn't understand why he had brought her here.
He's been getting weirder and weirder lately...
Su Wanyue's eyelashes trembled slightly, and her voice was soft and melodious: "Your Highness, what is this?"
Xiao Yu was a man of his word and never liked to explain himself to others, but he was more patient with his wife. He said casually, "Your Highness will find out soon."
Qin'er helped Su Wanyue inside. The first thing that caught their eye was the Yue Lao tree covered with red ribbons. This temple was the Yue Lao Temple.
Qin'er subconsciously glanced at Su Wanyue's expression. His Highness's meaning was already very clear, but...
Su Wanyue was taken aback when she saw the matchmaking tree adorned with red ribbons and love knots. "Why did Your Highness bring me here?"
Xiao Yu smiled and gave her a deep look.
Xiao Yu has never been particularly interested in women, but in the past few days, he suddenly realized something: he wanted the woman in front of him to stay with him forever, no matter who she had in her heart before marrying him, she would only ever be his queen.
"Your Highness, you may not know this, but this Temple of the Old Man Under the Moon was built at the beginning of this dynasty. Its Old Man Under the Moon tree is extremely efficacious. It is said that if two people in love hang a red ribbon and a love knot on the Old Man Under the Moon tree, they can stay together for a long time and grow old together." Qingyi explained to Su Wanyue with a smile.
So he brought her to the Temple of the Matchmaker today to hang red ribbons and love knots with her.
Su Wanyue unconsciously clenched her fists. In fact, she felt that this was not the kind of thing he would do. He was clearly the kind of person who was only interested in the country and its people. What was wrong with him?
They became husband and wife, and their love was unwavering.[1]
Upon seeing these two lines of poetry, Su Wanyue clenched her fists even tighter, suddenly recalling the tenth year of Chang Le in Nanqiong. That year, Su Wanyue was only one year away from her coming-of-age ceremony. She went out to stroll through the lantern festival and met Lu Qingchen halfway through. The two naturally released lanterns together to pray for blessings. Coincidentally, the lantern that Su Wanyue released that year sank to the bottom.
Because the lanterns had sunk to the bottom, Su Wanyue's interest in strolling through the market was not very high. When the two walked to a library, Lu Qingchen suddenly stopped and handed Su Wanyue a jade pendant. Su Wanyue looked at him in puzzlement. The gentle and refined Lu Qingchen blushed for the first time and bowed to her earnestly, saying, "I have long admired Princess Ziluo and wish to be with you for life."
For Su Wanyue, the past six months in Beili felt like a lifetime.
Su Wanyue gently bit her lip, not wanting the man to notice anything amiss, and took the love knot.
Qin'er sighed silently in her heart. The princess and the prince were undoubtedly a good match, but the problem was that the princess was not the real Princess Weiyang. The princess and the prince were destined to be together but not to be together.
Xiao Yu easily hung the love knot on the treetop. Su Wanyue, being slender, had to put in more effort to hang the love knot. She tried twice but failed. Just as Su Wanyue was about to stand on tiptoe to hang it, the man grasped her wrist and stretched it slightly. The love knot was then hung on the matchmaking tree. The two identical love knots intertwined and hung on the same treetop.
A gentle breeze blew by, and Qingyi smiled at Qin'er, saying, "Congratulations, Your Highness and Your Highness's Consort."
On the way back, the two began to play chess. Su Wanyue played white pieces, and Xiao Yu played black pieces. On the chessboard, it seemed that the white pieces had surrounded the black pieces, and it looked like a winning situation. However, in the last moment, the black pieces could easily launch a decisive attack and win the game. Su Wanyue guessed that he would definitely win in the last moment, and her emotions were written on her face. Xiao Yu smiled and said, "I will give the princess a three-piece handicap."
Su Wanyue, however, did not want him to give in. Her eyes sparkled, "Once I've made my move, I won't back down."
Xiao Yu raised an eyebrow and chuckled. The two continued playing chess leisurely. Su Wanyue, having maintained one posture for a while, lifted half of the carriage curtain with her delicate hand and realized that this was not the direction back to the capital at all. A hint of surprise appeared in Su Wanyue's eyes. "Where is Your Highness planning to go?"
"This is my private residence." Xiao Yu lazily placed a piece on the board and spoke slowly.
As if knowing what she was going to ask, Xiao Yu spoke first: "I have already asked the palace for leave. We will return to the capital in a few days."
"Is it because of Princess Zhaoning?" Su Wanyue was taken aback upon hearing this and asked subconsciously.
Xiao Yu: "Your Highness has worked hard these past few days."
Su Wanyue wasn't stupid; she naturally understood his unspoken meaning. "This concubine thanks Your Highness."
Xiao Yu's private residence was built in the suburbs of the capital, surrounded by mountains and water. Upon entering the mansion, there was a stone arch bridge with a babbling spring under it. Schools of small koi carp swam there. The front yard was full of all kinds of flowers, which bloomed in full glory even in late autumn.
Su Wanyue clearly liked this place; her eyebrows and eyes twitched slightly.
Xiao Yu: "Does the Princess like it here?"
Qingyi quickly added, "Your Highness, you may not know this, but no one else has ever set foot in His Highness's private residence."
Xiao Yu glanced at Qing Yi indifferently, and Qing Yi immediately covered her mouth and stopped talking.
Xiao Yu led Su Wanyue on a tour of the entire mansion. Su Wanyue liked the mansion very much, and even thought that if she had seen this mansion earlier, she would definitely have decorated her boudoir in the Southern Prince's Mansion like this. Su Wanyue's expression showed a bit of regret.
"Where does the Princess intend to stay tonight?"
Su Wanyue looked around and saw a pavilion built by the water on her right. She wanted to stay there.
Xiao Yu naturally agreed.
Su Wanyue and Xiao Yu settled down in the mansion. Midway through, a guard came to report something to the man, so Su Wanyue took Qin'er to the pavilion outside to admire the moon.
The moon is cool and clear tonight. A servant thoughtfully brought out a plate of pastries, a plate of fruit, and a cup of milk tea. Qin'er smiled and said:
"Your Highness, this servant feels that His Highness treats you very well."
Otherwise, their princess would worry about Princess Zhaoning again. With Princess Zhaoning gone, their ears could finally have some peace and quiet.
It can only be said that Qin'er couldn't appreciate Princess Zhaoning's personality.
Human hearts are made of flesh and blood. The Empress was right when she said that Prince Cheng of Beili was no less than Young Master Lu.
Su Wanyue was enjoying herself immensely. She looked up at the half-moon in the sky, her eyes seemingly filled with stars.
When Xiao Yu arrived, he saw this scene. Qin'er was facing Xiao Yu and was about to bow when Xiao Yu raised his hand to stop her. Qin'er quietly retreated to the pavilion.
“The princess enjoys moon-gazing,” Xiao Yu said softly as he approached Su Wanyue, placing an arm around her slender waist.
Perhaps because of the tender and intimate atmosphere tonight, Su Wanyue smiled and nodded, and Xiao Yu's lips curled up.
The next day, Xiao Yu accompanied Su Wanyue to ride horses in the back mountain. In the afternoon, Su Wanyue and Qin'er brewed peach blossom wine. In the evening, the couple played chess in the pavilion. They spent the day like this, celebrating at their private residence for two nights. Since he still hadn't mentioned returning to the capital, Su Wanyue asked:
When does Your Highness plan to return to the capital?
"The princess wishes to return to the capital," Xiao Yu said in a deep voice, his expression unchanged.
Su Wanyue certainly didn't want to go back, but the situation in the capital was complicated, and she couldn't keep using the excuse of illness indefinitely. If someone discovered that she hadn't actually caught a cold but had come to a private residence in the suburbs, she feared she would be exploited by those with ulterior motives. Su Wanyue frowned slightly and said:
"I am worried that if Your Highness stays here for too long, something might happen in the court."
Seeing her earnest expression, Xiao Yu chuckled softly, his voice gentle, "It is my good fortune that the Princess is concerned about the fate of the nation."
"Once someone arrives, we can return to the capital."
Waiting for someone to come over...
Su Wanyue suddenly realized that he brought her here not only to keep her away from Princess Zilu, but also for other purposes.
Although Su Wanyue was curious, she did not intend to ask. She never inquired about things that others were unwilling to talk about, lest she annoy them.
Xiao Yu, waiting for her to ask: "..."
Xiao Yu restrainedly pinched the bridge of his nose and told her who that person was, and Su Wanyue understood instantly.
==Second Update==
At dawn, the Hall of Mental Cultivation was brightly lit. Several maids were helping the Emperor change his clothes. The Emperor had not summoned any concubines to his bedchamber the previous night. Eunuch Zhou entered directly from outside the hall and said, "Your Majesty, the people from Prince Cheng's residence say that His Highness Prince Cheng is unwell and will not be able to attend court today."
The Emperor narrowed his eagle-like eyes, his voice carrying an imposing authority without anger, "How many days has it been?"
"It's the third day." Eunuch Zhou lowered his voice. If he could sense something was wrong, how could His Majesty not? The reason given by the Prince Cheng's residence was that His Highness had caught a cold and therefore could not attend court. But a cold shouldn't last for several days in a row, right? Besides, His Highness is healthy and has never caught a cold before.
"It's the third day," the Emperor repeated, and Eunuch Zhou lowered his head even further.
Before the court session, the emperor ordered Eunuch Zhou to take the imperial physician to Prince Cheng's residence to examine Prince Cheng's pulse. Obviously, after Eunuch Zhou arrived at Prince Cheng's residence, he did not see Prince Cheng and had to go to the palace to wait for the emperor's instructions.
The Emperor immediately summoned Nan Shao to the palace and ordered him to investigate where Prince Cheng had gone.
The Imperial Guards were no pushovers either. Within half a day, they discovered that Prince Cheng had taken Princess Cheng to a private residence in the suburbs of the capital. This residence was actually owned by Prince Cheng's family, and no one except Prince Cheng had ever entered it.
The Emperor was clearly furious upon hearing Nan Shao's reply. This son had always been the one who caused him the most trouble, so how could the Emperor not be angry when he suddenly pulled this stunt?
Eunuch Zhou hurriedly brought a cup of tea to the Emperor, saying, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger."
"They're all married men, yet they still act so recklessly." The Emperor's face darkened, and even after drinking tea, his anger remained. "Go and invite Consort Qin over now."
Eunuch Zhou hurriedly went to Chengqian Palace and told Zhang Mama at the palace gate that the Emperor wanted to see the Imperial Concubine. The Emperor's sudden summons clearly indicated that something was wrong. Zhang Mama led Eunuch Zhou inside while whispering to him to find out what was going on.
The Imperial Concubine is the most favored concubine in the palace, and she's also very kind. Everyone in the palace respects her, including Eunuch Zhou. "Granny, you don't know..."
Upon hearing that His Highness had taken Princess Cheng to a private residence in the suburbs of the capital, Zhang Mama's expression changed drastically, and she hurriedly went inside to find Consort Qin.
Consort Qin was admiring her dyed nail polish when she saw Zhang Mama rushing in. She raised a brow with her beautiful fox-like eyes and asked, "What's the matter that you're so flustered?"
Could it be that Princess Zhaoning caused trouble at Prince Cheng's residence? Consort Qin frowned.
"Your Highness, His Majesty requests your presence at the Hall of Mental Cultivation." Zhang Mama's brows were furrowed so deeply they could have crushed a fly. "Also, just now, Eunuch Zhou, who is by His Majesty's side, said that His Highness has not caught a cold at all, and His Highness is not currently at Prince Cheng's residence."
"If Yu'er isn't in the palace, then where is he?"
Consort Qin also found it strange that a perfectly healthy person could suddenly catch a cold and be unable to attend court. However, since her son was sensible, Consort Qin did not take the matter too seriously. Little did she expect that the Emperor would take it to heart.
"I heard that His Highness took the Prince Cheng's residence to a private residence in the suburbs of the capital. Your Highness, do you think we should go and invite His Highness and Princess Cheng back now?"
The person must be invited back, but not in this way. Consort Qin already had a plan in mind.
Consort Qin raised her hand and removed the two flower hairpins from her hair. Zhang Mama was startled by her action. "Your Highness, what is this?"
But after a stick of incense had burned, Zhang Mama understood what the Empress meant. Consort Qin's appearance was already delicate, and with a light blue cloud satin palace dress and a touch of makeup, she looked even more pitiful.
Consort Qin dabbed the corner of her eye with a damp white handkerchief, instantly making her eyes moist. Consort Qin was very satisfied with her makeup and glanced at Zhang Mama with a smile, "Let's go."
"Yes, Your Highness." Zhang Mama followed behind the Imperial Concubine with utmost respect.
Eunuch Zhou was waiting outside the palace. He was taken aback when he saw the Imperial Concubine dressed so simply. However, he had seen all sorts of complicated schemes in the harem. He knew that the Imperial Concubine was trying to gain the Emperor's favor in this way.
Eunuch Zhou said with a fawning smile, "Your Highness, please."
The Imperial Concubine's entourage arrived at the Hall of Mental Cultivation in a grand procession. Eunuch Zhou went in first to announce her arrival before inviting Imperial Concubine Qin in.
Consort Qin bowed to the Emperor and said, "Your Majesty, I greet you."
For the first time, His Majesty turned cold in front of Consort Qin. There was no warmth in his eyes as he looked at her. “I suppose Consort Qin already knows that Prince Cheng took Princess Cheng to his private residence in the suburbs of the capital. Prince Cheng is a steady and reliable man, and I have always placed high hopes on him, but his actions this time have truly disappointed me.”
Consort Qin found it amusing and pondered the Emperor's words in her heart. If the Emperor truly placed high hopes on her son, he wouldn't be so biased towards the Crown Prince. However, Consort Qin didn't say these words aloud. She stood up, holding her handkerchief, looking as delicate as a willow swaying in the breeze. "It is true that Yu'er was too impulsive in this matter, but I think we can't blame Yu'er entirely."
Some things only Consort Qin dared to say; the eunuchs and maids of the Hall of Mental Cultivation were already used to it.
"Oh," the Emperor drawled, his tone unreadable, making it impossible to tell whether he was angry or not.
Consort Qin smiled sweetly, showing no fear of the Emperor's attitude. She spoke with reason and evidence: "Your Majesty, you may not know this, but a few days ago, Zhang Mama, on the Empress's orders, sent Princess Zhaoning to Prince Cheng's residence for a short stay. I thought it inappropriate for Princess Zhaoning to stay at Prince Cheng's residence before her marriage, and I planned to discuss it with the Empress again. However, the Empress claimed to be ill and refused to see me. So, with Princess Zhaoning staying at Prince Cheng's residence, Yu'er and Weiyang will have to go to their private residence in the suburbs of the capital, won't they?"
"The Empress has spoken to me about this matter. She just felt that it was too lonely for Princess Cheng to live alone in Prince Cheng's residence, so she asked Princess Zhaoning to stay there temporarily to keep Princess Cheng company." The Emperor's expression softened as he explained to Consort Qin in a deep voice.
"It would be strange if the Empress were truly so kind," Consort Qin scoffed inwardly, her face feigning a gentle and weak expression. "Everyone in the capital knows that Princess Zhaoning is in love with Prince Cheng. His Majesty and I know that Your Majesty means well, but others don't. The envoy from Nanqiong is still in the capital. If the envoy from Nanqiong knew that Yu'er and Weiyang had been married for less than a year and he was already planning to take a concubine, what would the Nanqiong royal family think?"
Eunuch Zhou looked down at the pattern on the carpet. No wonder the Imperial Concubine was so capable; she had struck a chord with the Emperor in just a few words.
Upon hearing this, the Emperor took Consort Qin's hand and gently comforted her, "It is indeed a matter of the Empress's oversight. Zhao Ning is still unmarried, and it is indeed intriguing for her to live with Princess Cheng like this. I will discuss this matter with the Empress."
Consort Qin relaxed her tense nerves and said coquettishly, "However, Yu'er was indeed wrong in this matter. When he returns to the capital, I will have a good talk with him about it."
Not long after Consort Qin returned to the palace, the Empress was summoned to Kunning Palace. The Empress had not seen the Emperor for several days, and upon hearing the Emperor's summons, she was overjoyed.
However, when she came out, the Empress's expression was clearly not good.
Seeing this, Zhang Mama lowered her head. Only after returning to Kunning Palace did she cautiously ask, "Your Majesty, what did the Emperor say?"
The Empress slammed her hand heavily on the golden nanmu wood table. “His Majesty’s criticism of me for letting Zhao Ning stay at Prince Cheng’s residence temporarily will cause others to speculate. If this gets back to the envoy from Nanqiong, it will be detrimental to the court situation.” “It must be that vile Consort Qin deliberately speaking ill of me in front of His Majesty again.”
Since His Majesty has spoken, Princess Zhaoning certainly cannot continue to live in Prince Cheng's residence. No wonder the Empress is angry. Zhang Mama saw through it but didn't say anything. "Your Majesty, don't be angry. There will definitely be opportunities in the future."
"But His Majesty said that Zhao Ning has reached the age of marriage, and it is time to arrange a marriage for her."
It seems completely impossible for Zhao Ning to become the king's concubine now; her plan has completely backfired.
The fact that the Crown Prince was no match for Prince Cheng was enough to anger the Empress. She, the Empress, had also been repeatedly defeated by Consort Qin, who, along with her son, was specifically there to bring her misfortune.
Zhang Mama poured the Empress a cup of tea and asked her what she planned to do. The Empress gently patted her chest, suppressing her frustration, and said, "What else can I do but bring Zhaoning to the palace first?"
The Empress originally intended to use Zhao Ning to sow discord between Prince Cheng and his wife, because given Zhao Ning's personality, she was sure she could cause chaos in Prince Cheng's household. However, not only did Prince Cheng's household not experience any chaos, but she also received a reprimand from the Emperor and had to sheepishly bring Zhao Ning back, which was truly infuriating.
But no matter how angry she was, the Empress dared not disobey the Emperor's wishes.
Granny Gui went to Prince Cheng's residence again. When Princess Zhaoning heard that she was to return to the palace, she cried and made a scene, refusing to go back. She even wanted to go to the front courtyard to see Xiao Yu and Su Wanyue, but the steward refused her because "His Highness is unwell." Princess Zhaoning had no one to rely on, so she had no choice but to go back to Kunning Palace with Granny Gui. In the evening, she was taken back to the East Palace by her elder sister, the Crown Princess.
Princess Zhaoning returned to the Eastern Palace, and the matter was considered settled. Eunuch Zhou was ordered by the Emperor to go to the private residence in the suburbs of the capital.
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