Chapter 283: Establishment of a Vice Queen
Although Xiao Jingheng's handling of Prince Rui won the approval of the subjects all over the world, Concubine Chen was very dissatisfied with the matter.
She asked Xiao Jingheng why he didn't kill King Rui to vent his anger.
Xiao Jingheng also said helplessly: "I don't want to, but I also have my own helplessness."
Concubine Chen shook her head with tears in her eyes, "Did my father and brother die in vain?"
"No, I will not let your father and brother die in vain. I promised you that I will avenge your family's blood feud."
Xiao Jingheng called out to the outside of the door, and Jiang Deshun immediately led several palace servants in.
They each held a large black box covered with a white cloth.
Xiao Jingheng held the concubine's thin shoulders, moved closer, and lifted the white cloth covering her.
After seeing clearly what was inside, Concubine Chen screamed in fear.
“Ah! This… this is!”
Xiao Jingheng held her steady and was about to take down the next one, but Concubine Chen stopped him by touching her chest.
"Your Majesty, I cannot bear to see these dirty things..."
What was placed in the black box was not other objects, but bloody human heads.
The one that Concubine Chen just saw belonged to Princess Rui.
During the night banquet in the palace, Concubine Chen had met Princess Rui several times.
At this moment, she was so frightened that her face turned pale, and she huddled in Xiao Jingheng's arms, trembling.
"Didn't the emperor spare the lives of his family members?"
"Forgive? Humph." Xiao Jingheng snorted, and said in a dignified manner:
"If I forgive them, how can I be worthy of you? There are so many eyes watching from the previous dynasty, I can't do anything rash to King Rui. But I must avenge your father and brother!"
He said this with sincerity and anger in every word, as if Concubine Chen's family were also his family.
Having lost her father and brother, Concubine Chen was extremely sad.
Fortunately, she still has a husband who truly loves her, can protect her and make decisions for her.
She pressed closer to Xiao Jingheng, her tears wetting the cloud pattern on his dragon robe.
"Your Majesty... From now on, you will be the only one left for me..."
"Don't worry. I'm here to protect you and won't let you suffer any more injustices."
Jamel Xiao kept stroking her back to comfort her.
"I have ordered someone to bring your mother back to Kyoto. First, to prevent her from being alone in Qinling Mountains and missing her. Second, she is in Kyoto. If you miss your family in the future, you can always call your mother to the palace to stay with you."
The mother's family has the honor of entering and leaving the harem at any time, which is something that even the queen does not have.
Concubine Chen unconsciously hugged Xiao Jingheng tighter.
I heard him say, "The queen has been immoral. I think after the southern tour, your position should be promoted."
Concubine Chen was surprised for a moment.
Above the Noble Consort is the Imperial Noble Consort.
The status of the Imperial Noble Consort is the same as that of the Vice Consort, and is completely different from that of ordinary concubines.
Although Concubine Chen was unable to let go of the death of her father and brother,
Although it was Xiao Jingheng who ordered their execution, he was also restrained by the pressure of the government and the calculations of King Rui.
After all, it wasn't what Xiao Jingheng really thought.
How could she bear to blame the man who also loved her so deeply, since she admired Xiao Jingheng as much as Concubine Ruchen?
"I don't care about status or anything like that. As long as the emperor can always be by my side, I will be satisfied."
The rain in Suzhou lasted for nearly a month.
After the matter between the Ning family and Prince Rui was settled, the sky gradually cleared up.
Xiao Jingheng looked at the sunny day outside the window and said:
"The rain has stopped. Tomorrow I will have the queen sent back to the palace. I know you are very sad about the death of your father and brother, and I am also very upset. I will accompany you on the southern tour, and you will accompany me, and we can relax together. After all, no matter how sad we are, we have to live our lives."
Concubine Chen was immersed in the fantasy bubble that Xiao Jingheng had created for her day after day and couldn't extricate herself.
As if as long as her young man's affection for her still exists,
No matter how difficult the days are, she can always get through them on her own.
*
On the other side,
While the queen was worshipping Buddha in her room, Shuang Ruo rushed in in a panic.
"Your Majesty, something bad has happened! The Emperor... the Emperor wants to confer the title of Imperial Consort upon Ning after returning to the capital!"
"What did you say!?"
When the queen heard this, she was so frightened that she almost lost her soul.
The Buddhist beads in her hand were torn apart by her, and the beeswax beads fell to the ground, making a crisp sound.
"Imperial Noble Consort? The position of Imperial Noble Consort is the same as that of Vice Empress. In all dynasties, Imperial Noble Consort is only appointed when the Empress dies or is seriously ill! I am still alive and well, does Your Majesty think that I am dead?!"
She almost shouted these words, and Shuang Ruo was so frightened that she quickly closed the doors and windows and stepped forward to comfort him:
"Your Highness, you can't say such unlucky words. You are the emperor's legitimate wife. Even if the position of the imperial concubine is noble, she is just a concubine..."
"When the Holy Emperor's Imperial Noble Consort Duanyu was alive, Empress Jianing was driven to despair and committed suicide. Who doesn't know this? When Ning Wanshuang was still a concubine, she dared to be disrespectful to me. If she becomes an Imperial Noble Consort in the future, won't she overthrow me!?"
As she spoke, the queen heard rustling noises coming from outside from time to time, and she became more and more unhappy and said:
"What's all the commotion outside?"
Shuang Ruo said in embarrassment: "The rain has stopped... The emperor said that he will send you back to Kyoto tomorrow, and the servants are packing up..."
The queen collapsed on the ground, wailing in despair:
"Your Majesty... do you dislike me so much? I am your queen, your legitimate wife!"
"Don't be too sad, Empress. Now that things have come to this, we must inform the master after we return to the capital and ask him to join the court officials to persuade the emperor. Seeing the emperor like this, I think..."
"No need to alarm the previous dynasty!"
The queen wiped away her tears, suddenly stood up, ran to the wardrobe like crazy, and threw the luxurious clothes all over the floor.
"Your Majesty, what are you doing?"
The queen ignored him and finally took out a locked brocade box from the innermost part of the wardrobe.
She hid the key in an empty box of watercolor in the drawer of her dressing table.
She took out the key, opened the lock with trembling fingers, and took out a wrinkled yellow paper.
Looking at this, she laughed crazily again:
"Hahaha! The emperor praises Ning, but Ning has to obey him! I want to see if Ning can still love the emperor after reading this memorial!"
He pushed and urged Shuang Ruo,
"Go, call all the concubines to me! Tell them that I will be returning to Kyoto tomorrow, and have them come and see me off! Go quickly!"
After Shuang Ruo left, the Queen held up the memorial and read its contents again and again.
The smile on his face became more twisted and sinister.
"Ning Wanshuang, you dare to think of replacing me with this ghost-suppressing talisman? You are crazy! You are dreaming!!"
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