Chapter 193 The Crown Prince's Strange Movements
"Little thing? How little?"
"A bouquet of flowers, a small stamp or something," Yongning said softly.
Princess Jinyang replied, "These are all minor matters."
Don't make a scene, don't let either side lose face, everything else is fine.
Yongning laughed upon hearing this, and then said:
"Well, I've decided to take the initiative for three months and see if he changes."
If he still ignores me after three months, I'll find someone else.
Upon hearing this, Princess Jinyang thought, "Only three months? You're already so impatient. It seems you're not that interested."
He then fell silent.
“But…but what about my mother…” Yongning asked again.
The Empress Dowager then spoke:
"Just state your thoughts directly."
Ask your mother to give you some time. If things don't work out after that time, then you can look for the next one.
Your mother isn't an unreasonable person; she's just overly worried that you'll get caught up in something you won't be able to get out of.
If she knew you had your own plans and methods, she probably wouldn't object too much.
Yongning nodded in agreement, and immediately smiled again.
“Aunt, I went to see Yuanxi and Yuanzheng yesterday. Yuanxi seems to like me a lot. She even grabbed my sleeve.”
Yongning changed the subject and started talking to the two about other things.
At noon, Yongning ate lunch at the Empress Dowager's place before returning home.
Upon returning, he went directly to see the Empress.
The Empress Dowager ate her meals on time, while the Empress was busy with official business in the morning and ate her meals late.
When Yongning arrived, the Crown Princess and her child were having dinner with the Empress.
Upon seeing Yongning arrive, the palace servants quickly went to serve her rice.
Yongning waved his hand and said, "I've already had a meal at my grandmother's house."
After saying this, he plopped down next to the Empress, looked at her frankly, and said:
"Mother, I have figured out what happened with Du Zhengming."
Upon hearing this, the Empress stopped eating.
"You and the Crown Prince are worried that I am too young and lack judgment in matters of love, fearing that I will not be able to see people clearly and will waste my life."
The Empress remained silent, and the Crown Princess also stopped eating and looked at her in surprise.
Yongning looked at the Empress seriously and said, "I am currently more fond of him, but I am not sure if he is fond of me."
If he could treat me the way I treat him, care for me, look after me, think what I think, and let me be myself.
Then I think age and such are not a problem.
If he can't treat me the way I treat him, and remains cold and indifferent, then I'll find someone else.
"Introduce me to a few promising young men you've got your eye on, and I'll choose from them, how about that?"
Upon hearing this, the Empress suddenly understood what was going on.
Yongning, meeting the surprised gazes of the Empress and the Crown Princess, continued:
"Of course, that's on the condition that you give me six months, okay?"
The Empress sighed: "I am not an unreasonable person, but I feel that Du Zhengming is probably not a good person to live a stable life, and I am afraid that you will suffer in the future."
Yongning nodded: "This morning at the Empress Dowager's place, my aunt and the Empress Dowager said the same thing."
My aunt said that if Du Zhengming doesn't have me in his heart, doesn't think about me, can't think what I think, and can't love what I love.
Being with him makes me unhappy, restrictive, and unable to relax and be myself.
It's better to get rid of someone like that.
I want to marry someone I love and settle down with, not put myself in shackles.
Upon hearing this, the Empress finally felt relieved.
"Yes, your grandmother and aunt are right, that's how it should be."
Then he reached out and touched Yongning's head, saying:
"You've grown up, that's great."
Since you know what you want, your mother will give you six months.
Yongning happily said, "Okay. It's a deal."
The Empress smiled and said, "What else did your aunt say?"
My aunt said I was a golden phoenix in the sky, and should choose to perch on a parasol tree, not fall on the muddy ground.
She also said that my affair with Du Zhengming should not be made public, otherwise it would be embarrassing for both of us.
I think my aunt is right.
Yongning spoke very seriously.
The smile on the Empress's face gradually widened.
The Crown Princess understood, smiled, picked up her chopsticks, and continued eating.
At the Dali Temple, Du Zhengming had just received the material for the chicken-blood stone seal.
I was surprised to hear that Princess Yongning had sent it, and I didn't know what it meant.
She glanced again at the lotus flowers on the table. After a night, one of them had bloomed, while the other two were still buds.
The delicate pink and white flowers reminded Du Zhengming of Yongning, who wore a peach-colored flower in her hair that day.
After thinking for a long time without figuring out what it meant, he had no choice but to accept the stone and put it in his sleeve.
But on this day, whenever Du Zhengming looked at the case files, his gaze would linger on that lotus flower.
But he himself was unaware of it.
The Crown Princess relayed what Yongning said to the Empress to the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince smiled after hearing this: "Aunt, apart from being blinded by her feelings about Ling'er, she is very clear-headed about everything else."
Look how well Yongning has been taught!
After that, he stopped caring about Yongning's affairs.
Princess Yongning then began to think every day about sending things to Du Zhengming.
Today I'll give you a fan pendant, tomorrow an incense burner, and the day after an inkstone...
Before he knew it, Du Zhengming’s office was filled with things sent by Yongning, and he thought of Yongning more and more often.
**
In mid-July, the weather was so hot it felt like being on fire.
Xiao Ling was very unhappy to be summoned to the palace in the middle of the morning.
But upon seeing the Crown Prince, he heard the Crown Prince hurriedly say:
"The eldest prince has made some unusual moves."
He then handed the note to Xiao Ling.
There were two messages in total, one from Wei Ningyan and the other from Ye Jing.
Wei Ningyan's statement reads: "The Crown Prince is discussing a rebellion at his residence, scheduled for the seventh day of the eighth month."
He was being watched by the eldest prince, making it difficult to send messages out.
After that, timely messages could no longer be delivered; one had to act according to circumstances.
Ye Jing's report stated: "The Crown Prince has sent a letter instructing him to secretly lead troops to meet up with him before August."
"Does Your Majesty know?" Xiao Ling asked.
"We already know, and we've already gathered people this morning to make arrangements."
"What about the northern border? Is there any movement?" Xiao Ling asked.
"Prince Rui has recalled both of his sons, and there is still no news regarding military matters."
Three days after their conversation, news arrived from the North.
[Personnel in the North are being frequently redeployed, all converging on the southern front.]
The emperor had been on guard against this move from the beginning and quickly arranged for the Right General of the Imperial Guard to lead an expedition, deploying 200,000 troops along the northern border.
The situation in the court instantly became turbulent and unpredictable, with the court officials being urged around like frightened donkeys by the emperor.
Not only are they busy in the imperial court every day, but they also have to go home and work overtime after leaving the office.
As a result, business at Tianxinglou and Wenroufang has also declined significantly.
The patrols of the Imperial Guards on the streets of the capital have become more frequent.
Although the common people did not understand politics, they could sense from the tense atmosphere that something big was about to happen.
There were far fewer idlers strolling around the streets.
After listening to Xiao Ling talk about the eldest prince at home, Xie Yunyu couldn't help but sigh.
"Once this war starts, how many more people will die?"
Do you think this country and its people are really that tempting?
Does the eldest prince really not consider the bond between father and son, nor the well-being of the people?
"Not even considering Consort Shu in the palace?"
Xiao Ling scoffed at Xie Yunyu's question:
"The eldest prince? He's a madman."
He treated human life like a game; what were ordinary people to him—mere weeds, grains of sand?
Xie Yunyu said, "He wasn't born crazy, was he?"
"Of course not, he was taught by that madwoman, Consort Shu."
Xiao Ling sighed deeply at this point:
"The Consort Shu's success and downfall both stemmed from her ruthless methods."
Xie Yunyu looked up at him and asked, "Oh, what do you mean?"
"Consort Shu was born of the principal wife, but her father favored his concubine over his wife, and her and her brother's status was precarious when they were young."
Life in the mansion was precarious, with each day hanging in the balance.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com