Chapter 230: Two Women Sharing One Husband

There are no real secrets in the palace, unless the emperor sitting high on the dragon throne spares no effort to issue a death order to keep it secret.

Princess Yongming made some inquiries and found out the whole story clearly.

So, at the family dinner, while toasting each other, they told the emperor what Gu Huai had done in Changhe County as a joke.

"Gu Huai is young and full of energy, and has had little experience. Once he was appreciated by the emperor's younger brother, he lost his sense of propriety and acted a little too flamboyantly."

Princess Yongming twisted up her handkerchief and wiped the corners of her mouth, sighed softly, and spoke with sincerity.

He paused, his face hesitant.

The emperor, wearing a bright yellow straight-collared robe and a wide belt with a black auspicious cloud pattern around his waist, is middle-aged, with traces of time on his eyes and eyebrows, which makes him look more majestic.

"You can talk as you please, sister."

In the light of the lamp, Princess Yongming's brows were tightly knitted, and her white hair at the temples was shining, making her look particularly kind and compassionate.

"Your Majesty has granted the Crown Prince the Imperial Sword, which gives him the power to execute first and report later. This is a testament to your Majesty's generosity and generosity in supporting the younger generation."

"Prince Gu should be careful with his words and actions, and do his best to repay the great grace of heaven."

"However, if the young man is too indulgent and acts rashly, the people who do not know the truth may misunderstand your majesty's tolerance of the sons of nobles, and then misjudge it as ignoring the law and hastily disposing of human lives, which will undoubtedly damage your majesty's reputation."

"This matter can be big or small, but since ancient times, wise ministers and wise rulers have always been wise. Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it."

At this point, Princess Yongming seemed to realize that she had made a mistake and hurriedly added, "This is the opinion of my sister, a woman. It should not be taken seriously."

The emperor's eyes were dim and his mood was unpredictable.

He murdered his nephew and rebelled, and came to power illegitimately.

Over the years, even though the court officials kept their mouths shut, everyone had their own story in their hearts.

Therefore, what he wanted most was the reputation of being benevolent, wise and magnanimous.

Duke of Zhen.

The emperor lowered his brows and silently played with the jade cup in his hand.

Princess Pingning, who came to the banquet with Grand Princess Yongming, added, "The son of the Duke of Zhenguo is really a bit lawless."

"It's only been a short time since I left Beijing, and I've already encountered a case of forcing a prisoner to death. I don't know what disaster will happen if time goes on."

"Could it be that the Duke of Zhenguo has become senile and confused?"

"Even if you can't wait to let Gu Huai stand out and gain a foothold in the court, you have to teach him what he should be taught. How can you let Gu Huai act recklessly and let down the emperor's uncle's appreciation?"

Different from the twists and turns of Princess Yongming, Princess Pingning directly pointed the finger at the disloyal and rebellious Duke Hanzhen.

Princess Pingning is a member of the royal family and a descendant of a noble family. It's not that she can't part ways amicably and forgive others when possible.

However, she felt sick to her stomach because of the series of actions that Gu Shen took after she got engaged to Duke Zhenguo.

She made up stories to slander her, saying that she was in an emotional relationship with the Duke of Zhenguo, and revealed the old correspondence between her and the Duke of Zhenguo. She openly and secretly mocked her for being self-deprecating and shameless, and claimed that she would take her into the mansion as a concubine.

She is the Princess Pingning and her mother is the Grand Princess Yongming. She can tolerate this tone, but her mother will not allow her to tolerate it.

Her mother brought her directly into the palace and knelt outside the Qiande Palace, asking Emperor Wencheng to make the decision.

Emperor Wencheng and Empress Xie issued an imperial decree to reprimand Gu Shen, and the old matter came to an end.

But her reputation was eventually ruined, and her mother had to lower her standards and marry her off to a poor student who had passed the imperial examination.

The Duke of Zhenguo was fickle first and then failed to discipline him, so it is only natural for her to bear grudge and add insult to injury.

It's ridiculous to say that twenty years later, all grudges have been forgotten. Gu Shen has become a model of noble ladies in the capital, always talking about rules and etiquette.

"Pingning, don't talk nonsense." Princess Yongming pretended to stop him.

Princess Qingyu put down the wine glass in her hand lazily and seductively, her eyes moving, "Auntie's words are a bit nitpicking."

"Gu Huai is a newcomer and has some shortcomings. Naturally, he cannot compare to his nephew who has made great achievements and is steady and modest."

The smile on Princess Yongming's face faded instantly.

Princess Qingyu's words were a blatant slap in her face.

Yu Jin is good at eating, drinking and having fun, and is a well-known playboy in the capital.

In order to promote Yu Jin, Your Majesty also assigned tasks to Yu Jin. However, Yu Jin was a useless person and was only a figurehead. He was responsible for his mistakes and rewarded for his merits.

However, Princess Yongming did not think there was anything wrong with it.

Yu Jin is his only grandson, and she has enough wealth to allow Yu Jin to spend money lavishly on food, drink, and entertainment.

Even if we take a step back, it is better than doing evil.

Princess Pingning reached out her hand and patted the back of Princess Yongming's hand through the cover of her sleeves. She then said with concern, "Sister Qingyu, you must take care of yourself when you study hard in the future. The dark circles under your eyes are really scary."

Princess Pingning and Princess Qingyu are of the same generation, but there is a huge age difference between them. Princess Pingning acts like an elder whenever she speaks.

"Oh, right." Princess Pingning covered her lips with her handkerchief. "No matter how handsome and good-looking Gu Huai is, he is already engaged."

"For the sake of sister Qingyu's reputation, please don't meet in private anymore."

The emperor, who had been watching this farce motionlessly, chuckled suddenly. Suddenly, everyone at the family dinner fell silent.

In an instant, the hall was silent.

Only Empress Dowager Xie continued to turn the Buddhist beads with an expressionless face, neither sad nor happy, and the beads made a crisp sound when they collided.

If you look up bravely, the candlelight seems to have pasted gold foil on that elegant and majestic face. The soup on the table is emitting wisps of hot steam, and from a distance, it looks like a lifeless clay statue overlooking the joys and sorrows of life.

It was out of place in every way at this family dinner, yet somehow it blended in strangely.

Speaking of Empress Dowager Xie, she is also a legend.

The legitimate daughter of the Xie family, the Crown Princess, the Empress, and the Empress Dowager.

She was almost going to become the Empress Dowager.

Empress Dowager Xie sighed quietly and stopped turning her Buddhist beads.

"Sister-in-law?" The emperor leaned aside and asked respectfully.

Empress Dowager Xie did not even glance at the emperor, and said coldly, "Grand Princess Yongming is the eldest sister, and her husband died for Emperor Wencheng and Your Majesty."

"Emperor Wencheng did not dare to let her suffer any injustice when he was alive. Your Majesty has given birth to a good daughter, but you ridicule her for the sake of a foreign man."

"Girls should not be kept at home when they grow up. Since Qingyu has protected the boy from the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion to this point, she may have developed feelings for him. Your Majesty might as well help her do a good deed."

"You!" Princess Qingyu was furious and stood up, waving her sleeves.

The emperor's face turned cold. "Qingyu, have you learned the etiquette to the point of a dog's stomach?"

Then, the gaze turned to Empress Dowager Xie, "Your Majesty, you don't know that Gu Huai is engaged to a girl from the Yongning Marquis's mansion."

Empress Dowager Xie raised her eyebrows slightly and said in a steady voice, "Duanhe mentioned the girl from the Yongning Marquis's Mansion when he was serving me in the Buddha ceremony."

"It is said that the girl was raised in the countryside, was ignorant of etiquette and was very artificial. She had many conflicts with the ladies in the capital and could not bear the blame of a royal wife."

"Pingning just said that Qingyu studied hard by candlelight. Even though she was not very talented, hard work can make up for her shortcomings. With such hard work, I think she must have a lot of knowledge about poetry and literature."

I am more suitable to be the emperor of Daqian than Xiao Cheng]