Chapter 53 Clouds Rolling (Part 7) "The dignified Crown Prince cannot perform sexual acts..."
When the imperial procession passed Yuanhui Hall, the emperor called for a halt.
The sedan bearers stopped walking. Through the palace walls, the clear, melodious laughter of the women inside could be heard clearly. Just then, a bluebird flew by in the sky, its song perfectly timed.
The emperor raised his hand to stop the eunuch who was about to loudly proclaim the order, then alighted from his sedan chair and walked inside. The eunuch beside him understood and gestured to the palace servants to keep quiet.
A faint scent of rouge and face powder permeated the palace gardens, yet it did not appear vulgar. The ladies-in-waiting had been in the palace for some time, and under the careful tutelage of the court ladies, they had undergone a complete transformation, their manners and speech now perfectly refined. Now, as if the court ladies were absent, they seemed to have become a little more unrestrained.
The emperor stood silently behind a pillar, observing, and then realized that one of the people in the commotion was the leader.
The woman wore a light summer dress, and a splash of apricot red fell onto the crabapple tree. By then, the crabapple blossoms had already faded, and the tree was full of lush greenery; she seemed like a single, vibrant red branch on a jade tree.
"He Qingxi, get down quickly! The female official will be back soon and will punish you again..."
The vibrant colors on the tree stirred, a hint of drunkenness tinged with a charming languor: "...On horseback? The founding emperor conquered the world on horseback, and my father taught me to ride. Unfortunately, I can't ride anymore once I enter the palace. I still want to be a heroine..."
The emperor could no longer hear what the others were saying.
Suddenly, some things from more than twenty years ago came to mind, so long ago that he almost thought he would never remember them again in his life.
Heroine.
Before marrying him, a girl once dared to ride the fiercest red date horse. With a flick of her whip, the sharp wind shattered a pool of brilliant sunset clouds on the horizon.
She loved wearing fitted outfits, and she would draw her delicate, willow-leaf eyebrows thickly until they became bold and imposing. With a flick of her wrist, she would smile freely, her eyes sparkling like a galaxy, clear and bright.
He admired the woman's free spirit and tried every means to make her his wife. But she was forced to restrain her nature, and her dignified and beautiful dress locked away all her youthful impetuosity.
It seems that from the moment he lifted the red veil, from the moment he drank the nuptial wine with her, he could no longer see the girl's smiling face.
After several years of marriage, their affection for each other had grown over time, but he could never recapture the passionate infatuation of his youth.
No girl will ride a horse against the wind across the long street again, and no girl can draw such beautiful thick eyebrows as she does.
He tried to reminisce on many nights after she disappeared, only to find that the girl's youthful arrogance was not for him, her joy was not for him, and her brimming eyes were not for him either.
He was simply greedy, so greedy that he destroyed himself without realizing it.
The emperor approached in a daze, then asked the woman in the tree with a smile, "Do you really know how to ride a horse?"
"Yes, I will." He Qingxi turned around and saw an unfamiliar face, but the emperor's usually calm and composed heart stirred slightly.
.
The emperor took a woman named He Qingxi to the training ground and returned home late when he was done enjoying himself.
The once quiet imperial harem suddenly erupted in excitement. Within a single day, the name of Lady He was known throughout the palace. Over the years, countless concubines had been favored, but none like He Qingxi, who came from humble beginnings yet was immediately granted the title of concubine. Not to mention, she possessed skills that others lacked.
The disputes in the inner palace naturally did not involve the Eastern Palace. Yan Chao simply smiled and said, "Princess Yongjia was truly wronged by the scolding she received."
Anyone with eyes can see that He Qingxi is acting as a stand-in for Empress Wenshu.
Afterwards, Consort Ning of Yongning Palace secretly sent something to the East Palace: a cluster of bright red peonies, perfectly in season. Yan Chao picked it up, took a deep sniff, and was filled with a refreshing and invigorating fragrance.
Upon closer inspection, a peony with a slightly lighter color was found among them, with a small note hidden in its stamen that read "Kunning Peony".
She was taken aback at first, wondering where Consort Ning had gotten the peonies from Kunning Palace. After a moment's thought, she had a rough idea. So she put down the peonies, looked at the darkening night outside the window, and decided to go to Yongning Palace first.
Unexpectedly, Lan Huaien stopped him in the street as soon as he stepped out. Yan Chao got out of the carriage and saw him hurriedly bow: "Your Highness has urgent business, which involves Your Highness's lifelong happiness. Please come with me."
Lan Huaien looked at her in surprise: "The entire court and the harem know, how could you be the only one who doesn't know?"
Yan Chao realized what was happening and glanced behind her. Liang Lu was also looking at her with a puzzled expression. She calmed herself down and asked Lan Huaien, "But what is His Majesty's decree?"
"Not really. His Majesty, Consort Ning, and Consort Ming are currently in Yuanhui Palace. They mentioned Your Highness several times just now, so I took the liberty of quietly inviting you over."
Consort Ming is He Qingxi. In just a few days, she was able to serve the emperor, which shows how much favor she received.
Yan Chao lightly twirled her fingers in her sleeve, secretly pondering that since the emperor was willing to bring Consort Ming along when discussing her affairs, he was probably also willing to listen to what she had to say.
Seeing that she remained unmoved, Lan Huaien added, "If Your Highness truly wishes to marry a Crown Princess, you need not concern yourself with this now. Just wait for the imperial decree to be issued tomorrow, and your wish will be fulfilled."
Yan Chao finally looked up at him with mixed feelings, remained silent for a long time, and then instructed the person behind him: "Go to Yuanhui Palace."
Liang Lu responded, then turned to give Fifteen some instructions before calling for the sedan chair to be lifted. He remained somewhat worried as he followed Yan Chao. He kept a close watch on Lan Huai'en, determined not to allow him to get even a step closer, even though he was to accompany the Crown Prince's carriage.
Yan Chao sighed softly. She was not without vigilance, but Lan Huaien had described the situation as so tense that she had to first figure out what was more important.
However, when the group arrived at Yuanhui Hall, they happened to encounter the imperial carriage just as it was about to leave.
Consort Ning walked beside the Emperor, her face gloomy. Consort Ming was led by the Emperor's hand, her thin gauze robe trembling gently in the evening breeze, making her appear even more frail and delicate, though her eyes could not hide her lively and charming spirit.
As dusk settled, a half-moon, pale and bright, was already embedded in the dark blue sky. Palace lanterns were gradually lit up along the long street outside the palace, and in the layers of shadow, the faces of the people were somewhat gloomy and inscrutable.
The emperor was somewhat surprised to see the crown prince, and when he turned his head, he saw Lan Huaien beside her, and immediately frowned in displeasure.
Just as he was about to speak, Consort Ming, whom he was holding, suddenly struggled cautiously: "Your Majesty, you're hurting my grip..."
The emperor was slightly taken aback. He loosened his grip and noticed that she had hurriedly pulled her hand back as if in a fit of pique, which left him feeling somewhat empty.
When she looked back again, Consort Ming had finally suppressed the cunning and grievance in her eyes, looking at him with a composed expression, without any fear. The Emperor chuckled; in all these years, there had been very few concubines in the palace who were as prone to throwing tantrums as she was.
"It's getting late, I'll have someone escort you back."
The emperor gestured for the eunuch to follow, then turned away. Consort Ning also took her leave, glancing worriedly at Yan Chao before departing.
Yan Chao had finished his greetings and stood there by himself.
"Has something happened, Your Highness?"
The emperor was speaking to her, but his gaze was fixed on Lan Huai'en. Lan Huai'en bowed, folded her hands, and stepped forward, preemptively replying, "Your Majesty mentioned establishing a Crown Princess, and I thought that His Highness the Crown Prince must be present if an edict were to be issued. Therefore, I took the liberty of inviting His Highness here first..."
"eventful."
The emperor frowned and uttered two words, but did not blame him. He then ordered the carriage to be moved away.
"Your Highness, please accompany me for a walk. Lan Huai'en can come along."
The two agreed.
Lan Huaien turned around and took the palace lantern from the eunuch. Just as he was about to step forward, Yan Chao stopped him: "I'll do it."
The emperor glanced sideways at her, who had volunteered to light the lamp, and remained silent, saying nothing more. Lan Huaien was somewhat surprised; when he handed her the lamp, he inadvertently touched her hand, which was icy cold.
Actually, there were also lights on both sides of the palace road, so it didn't feel dark as we walked.
She lowered her head slightly and walked forward with the emperor, without taking the initiative to speak.
“A few days ago, I received a letter from Prince Su. The messenger traveled thousands of miles to deliver it to the capital, and I found the words to be sincere and heartfelt. He has been a man of few words since childhood, and the letter, though scattered, contained thousands of words of concern. He inquired about all his brothers and sisters in the capital, and when he mentioned you, he even asked if the Crown Prince had married. Prince Su married early, and now his son is five years old, but it is a pity that I have not yet met him.”
The emperor smiled, his gaze lingering on her for at least a snap of his fingers, only to see her remain silent with her head bowed.
Prince Su, whose personal name was An, was the emperor's third son. He and the rebellious Prince Yan Ping were born of the same mother, yet their personalities were completely opposite. The emperor had favored the unrestrained and bold Yan Ping, neglecting the taciturn Yan An. After Yan Ping's rebellion was overthrown and executed, Yan An was also implicated and hastily granted the title of prince before being exiled to a remote fiefdom.
Yan Chao pretended to be confused, knowing the truth: "It's been several years since we last met, and it's rare that Third Brother still thinks of me."
Yan An was a man of deep feelings and strong character. Yan Chao's impression of him was still from six or seven years ago. At that time, Yan An had already lost the emperor's favor, but he still did not forget to save the people around him from their suffering. He made arrangements for all the palace servants before he felt at ease leaving the capital.
However, Yan Chao dared not be certain what kind of person the emperor thought of him.
The emperor paused for a moment, watching her hold the lamp steadily, her expression unchanged.
He frowned and bluntly stated, "Since the beginning of this year, there have been frequent memorials from the court mentioning that the Crown Prince should marry when he reaches marriageable age. You've heard the saying, 'Of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is to have no offspring,' but you've ignored it all? Your surroundings are peaceful and quiet, yet those memorials have passed through the Grand Secretariat, then through the Directorate of Ceremonial, and finally to me. I can't suppress them at all. Originally, it was just a family matter, but now that it's become such a big deal, I feel ashamed."
She stammered, "Your subject..."
"I don't believe you haven't heard the unspeakable rumors that spread about the divination slips last time." The emperor suddenly stopped in his tracks, catching Yan Chao off guard, but fortunately he managed to regain his composure.
She couldn't help but lower her head and take a step back, then heard the emperor say, "Do you really want the whole world to talk about how you, the Crown Prince, are impotent and have homosexual tendencies? I can't afford to lose face like that, and the Great Qi can't afford to lose face like that either."
The emperor approached step by step: "If you don't speak, I will torture Shenwei severely. I want to see what he does all day long while he's with the crown prince."
Yan Chao was startled, a sharp, tingling sensation suddenly rising to his scalp. He looked up abruptly, and saw a hint of impatience on the emperor's usually imposing face.
She had only one thought in her mind: Shen Wei must not be involved. But she also knew that if she tried her best to protect Shen Wei at this moment, it would only arouse the emperor's suspicion.
"Father, please calm your anger. I am used to living a solitary and abstinent life. I..." She swallowed back the words "It has nothing to do with Shen Shaozhan," and hurriedly changed the subject, "This selection is for choosing concubines for the Emperor. It is inappropriate for me to get involved..."
"When the general election hadn't started yet, I asked you, but you still refused. Besides, whether the Crown Princess is chosen from among the selected ladies is not important. Consort Ning and I have already chosen one for you..."
"Your Majesty!" Lan Huaien suddenly interrupted. The emperor was already in a bad mood, and when he was interrupted, he looked at Lan Huaien with a sullen face.
Lan Huaien bowed and whispered, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has deceived the Emperor!"
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