The sedan chair stopped in front of Weiyang Palace. Song Yaozhu took out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes, which were a little red. Then she sobbed a few times and was supported by Caijin all the way. She cried and said, "Please, Your Highness, do justice for me!"
She cried all the way to the inner palace of Weiyang Palace. The Noble Consort, sitting high on the main seat, saw her disheveled appearance, with red bloodstains all over her skirt and her hairpins askew. She couldn't help but feel a sense of schadenfreude.
But she still said anxiously, "Oh dear, how did you get injured like this! Quickly, summon the imperial physician!"
"Your Majesty, you must do me justice! Princess Yongle stormed into our palace and started smashing things without saying a word! Waaah, she doesn't want me to have an easy time!"
Seeing her in such a miserable state, the Imperial Concubine thought to herself, "Yongle was too lenient. He should have scratched your face to save me the trouble of looking at you."
"Tell me what happened slowly, and I will help you."
Before she could finish speaking, Eunuch Gao announced from outside the door, "His Majesty has arrived!"
The group rose and bowed again.
"I finished my official duties early today and was thinking of having dinner with the Imperial Concubine. Why is the Princess Consort of Xiaoyao here as well?" Yuwen Wuji spoke in a grand manner, but suddenly his eyelids twitched. "Why is this all covered in blood?"
The Imperial Concubine thought to herself, "This vixen looks so much like Xie Wanqing. Could it be that the Emperor came here because of her?"
"Your Majesty, it concerns Yongle. My sister hasn't explained in detail yet, so please listen now that you're here!"
Wiping away her tears, Song Yaozhu recounted how she had kindly helped Princess Yongle find a husband. "I never expected Princess Yongle to be so resistant. I was just meddling! Waaah! But I can't stand it. Every time I attend a banquet with the Prince, the Princess clings to him. I know I come from a humble background and cannot compare to the Princess's noble status..."
Seeing her weeping so bitterly, Yuwen Wuji's heart clenched, and he roared, "Summon Yongle to the palace!"
The young eunuch hurried off to deliver the imperial decree, just as the imperial physician arrived. Palace attendants helped Song Yaozhu into the inner palace to have her wounds bandaged.
"Imperial Physician, will this leave a scar?"
After treating the wound, the imperial physician took out a box of Jade Bone Regenerating Ointment from his medicine chest. "I'm giving the Princess a box of Jade Bone Regenerating Ointment. Just apply it more often when you get back."
"With so much blood lost, is one box enough?"
Imperial Physician: "..."
Even if your injury is on the sole of your foot and you don't need this ointment, this box is enough!
But he still took out another box and handed it to her.
"Imperial Physician, is there any more?"
"......"
This box is worth a lot of money! How did they end up trying to get a bargain at the Imperial Hospital?!
"Your Highness, water overflows when it's full!" Please tone it down a bit!
Song Yaozhu pouted and said, "Okay, okay, then remember to bring me more next time we meet!"
The imperial physician was speechless; they actually wanted to do it again!
Before long, Princess Xuan brought Yongle into the palace. She had already heard what had happened from Granny Feng, and she brought Yongle into the palace to apologize in front of the Imperial Concubine.
"Yongle is too impulsive. I will definitely teach her a lesson when I get back!" Princess Xuan said in a low voice.
"You've been teaching her for over a decade, and Wanqing even gave Granny Feng to her, but look at her, she's still so disrespectful!" Yuwen Wuji said angrily.
Yongle shivered as she hid behind Princess Xuan. Song Yaozhu, who was limping out of the inner palace, couldn't help but laugh when she saw her current wretched state.
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger! I am incompetent; it is my fault!"
When Yongle saw his mother so humble and submissive, and saw Granny Feng prostrate on the ground, and Song Yaozhu's limping appearance so pitiful, he was speechless, feeling both wronged and angry.
"Uncle, how could you listen to her side of the story! She deliberately stepped on the broken porcelain to slander me!"
Song Yaozhu immediately said in a panic, "It was because I lost my footing, it has nothing to do with the princess."
Yuwen Wuji was even angrier. He slammed his fist on the table and roared, "You did something wrong and you don't even know how to repent! The Princess Consort of Xiaoyao didn't say anything! And you actually turned around and blamed me! Yongle, I've spoiled you too much. From today onwards, you are confined to the Prince's residence. You can leave when you've learned proper manners!"
Yongle stared wide-eyed at Song Yaozhu in disbelief.
This woman said she came to complain, but she didn't say anything!
“Your Majesty, what matters right now is Yongle’s reputation!” the Consort interjected. “Yongle lost his temper and caused this mess because his reputation was damaged.”
Yuwen Wuji let out a heavy breath. He knew that the Xuan Prince's estate had taken in many impoverished scholars. He had thought that the Xuan Prince harbored rebellious intentions and wanted to use this opportunity to cultivate his own power, but he never expected that it was all for the sake of his good-for-nothing niece.
But with the Princess Consort of Xiaoyao involved, he couldn't help but worry whether this was a smokescreen by Xie Liwei.
His sharp, eagle-like gaze swept over the crowd as he said, "In that case, let the Prince Xuan's residence continue to take in those scholars, but make a big fuss so that everyone knows about them. That way, the people will just think that the Prince Xuan is kind-hearted."
Princess Consort Xuan said in a panic, "Your Majesty, I will definitely explain to those candidates that it was His Majesty's idea. His Majesty couldn't bear to see them go to the capital for the imperial examinations and suffer from hunger, so he provided them with such accommodations."
The Emperor's words were merely a test for Princess Consort Xuan; how could she dare to actually agree? If Prince Xuan's reputation was better than the Emperor's, then their family wouldn't be far from moving out of the capital!
Sure enough, the Emperor's mood improved considerably after hearing Princess Xuan's words, and he said, "That's fine, but if word gets out, your estate might not be big enough to house you..."
"Your Majesty, I will immediately have the manor expanded to provide a safe haven for those scholars!"
"How can I let you contribute both money and effort? Here's what we'll do: you transfer that estate to me, and I will send someone to take it over. Once I've taken over the estate, no one outside will dare to gossip about Yongle anymore."
Princess Xuan could not refuse, and said, "Princess Xiaoyao has suffered today. If there is anything you want, just tell me and I will make sure to compensate you properly."
Song Yaozhu glanced at Princess Xuan, then at the Emperor, and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I have a request."
The Emperor looked at that pale little face and his heart softened. He simply said, "Speak, and I will grant your request!"
"I also want to learn etiquette. Since the princess also wants to learn, why don't the princess learn with me?"
"Which nanny did you hire?"
"I haven't invited her yet, but she's not a nanny. She's the daughter of the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Stud, and now the wife of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Shen Qingyu. I've spoken with Madam Fang at several banquets, and I truly admire her manners. I'm going to talk to her about it."
The Imperial Concubine frowned. Why did Song Yaozhu mention Shen Qingyu?
Yuwen Wuji thought for a moment. The Shen family was the most etiquette-conscious family, and Shen Qingyu's manners were undoubtedly impeccable. It was reasonable for Song Yaozhu to ask her to teach them. So he said, "There's no need for you to invite her. I will arrange for her to teach you."
He then said to Yongle, "If you still don't learn your lesson this time, I will lock you up for life!"
Yongle shuddered and dared not say a word.
That hateful Song Yaozhu! That's so hateful!
"It's getting late, let's serve the meal!" Yuwen Wuji looked at everyone in the hall. "We're all family, stay and eat together."
Song Yaozhu wondered, why hasn't Xie Liwei arrived yet?
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