Chapter 410 Leather Play Causes Trouble
Because there were many foreign officials here, Jiang Deshun could not say much.
He only whispered in Zhaohua's ear, saying briefly,
"The princess fell into the water, the situation is not good."
Later, on the way back to the palace, Jiang Deshun told Zhaohua the details of the disaster.
"Today, after the Emperor had his morning court session, he had some free time, so he went to the Shangshufang to ask about the homework of Prince Huan and the Second Prince. The Emperor was very satisfied with the performance of the two princes, so he allowed the two princes to take a day off today.
The two princes were about to return to the palace after leaving the Shangshufang, but when they passed by the Imperial Garden, they happened to meet the maids taking three princesses to play in the Imperial Garden. Princess Ruoxin and Princess Jinyue asked their brothers to stay and play with them.
Originally the children were just flying kites and picking flowers, but then Sergey, who was by my side as usual, passed by with a lot of puppetry in his hands..."
"Leather play?" Zhao Hua asked in confusion, "What is that?"
Jiang Deshun explained: "It is an old custom in Mongolia. They use the finest calfskin, seam it with soft brocade, make it into a pullover, then draw various animals on it, and embellish it with various jewels, making it look lifelike from a distance.
Wearing this skin and pretending to be an animal is an essential part of Mongolia's large-scale sacrificial ceremonies. Ruchang missed his family after not seeing them for a long time in the palace, so he made these things and wanted to take them back to his own palace for the palace maids to play with and relieve their homesickness.
Children are now at the age when they love to play and explore new things. When they see such rare things, they will definitely want to play with them. It’s no wonder that they are not doing anything unusual.
So Zhaohua continued to ask: "What happened next? How did the princess fall into the water?"
"Sergi left the puppet show's clothes behind and let the children choose their favorite animal designs to put on. Then they chased each other in the imperial garden and played hide-and-seek. The maids didn't keep a close eye on them, and the children fled in all directions and disappeared. The maids were afraid that something might happen, so they hurriedly called the guards to look for them, but still..."
Jiang Deshun's eyes were red, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Princess Jinghe fell into the Imperial Lake for some reason. When she was found, she was already dying..."
Hearing this, Zhao Hua felt relieved.
But I don't feel lucky at all.
She felt relieved because her children, Sister Wan's children, were all safe and sound.
She was not happy because although Jinghe was the daughter of Queen Jiarui, she was not like Queen Jiarui in the least.
Although she is a bit withdrawn on weekdays, she still takes care of her two younger sisters, Jinyue and Ruoxin.
As they are both children, Zhaohua also expressed his concern from the bottom of his heart:
"How is the princess now?"
"When I left the palace to look for the Empress, the imperial doctors were still trying their best to treat the patient. The Emperor was furious about this matter. He immediately issued an order to punish the maids who took care of the prince, and also criticized Ru Changzai... The Emperor said that if anything happened to Princess Jinghe, Ru Changzai would be executed..."
Perhaps Jiang Deshun could not agree with Xiao Jingheng's way of doing things this time, so he hurried to find Zhaohua to persuade him.
"Empress, this matter has nothing to do with Ruchangzai. The emperor is angry and I dare not persuade him, but...if the emperor really punishes Ruchangzai because of this matter, and if the Mongolian tribes know about it, I am afraid it will be difficult to explain..."
Zhao Hua nodded slowly after hearing this and said firmly, "I understand, but nothing is more important than the princess's safety. Send someone back to the palace as soon as possible."
The carriage sped along, and the journey that would normally take an hour was completed in less than three quarters of an hour.
Zhao Hua was helped down from the carriage by Yunshan. He looked up and the first thing he saw was the faded gold characters "Shou Kang" on the door.
Jinghe had always been raised by the Queen Mother. After the Queen Mother passed away, Jinghe was sent to Shoukang Palace where Prince An's mother, Concubine Jinggui, lived.
At this moment, Zhaohua hurried into the courtyard.
But he was seen kneeling in the middle of the spacious courtyard, looking very awkward, his face covered in grease from the scorching sun.
Next to her hand was a stack of clothes used for leather drama.
Zhaohua glanced at the clothes briefly.
The workmanship is very fine, and the animal hair on it looks like it was plucked from a living creature and then glued back one by one.
If a person was covered in such skin, it would not be uncommon for him to be mistaken for an animal in the dark of night.
Ruchangzai, who was dazed by the sun, also saw Zhaohua.
She seemed to have found a life-saving straw, and hurriedly kowtowed to Zhao Hua and said:
"Your Majesty, please save me! This matter has nothing to do with me! The children insisted on wearing the clothes. If they asked for them and I was unwilling to give them, I am afraid that if the Imperial Concubine Chen knew about it, she would definitely scold me again."
As she spoke, she seemed to remember the slap Ning Wanshuang had given her before, and she unconsciously covered her face, crying even more loudly:
"I originally intended to let my own maids wear these clothes so that they would remind me of the princess. I have no intention of harming the princess. Your Majesty, please believe me!"
Faced with her crying, Zhao Hua didn't even bother to look at her and just walked straight past her.
As usual, I was dazed for a moment, but I understood Zhaohua's attitude.
Yes, this is a matter of life and death for the eldest princess, and Xiao Jingheng's power remains undiminished. Who would be willing to plead for her and do such a thankless and stupid thing at this time?
But just when she was hopeless,
Suddenly, a smoky blue handkerchief fell in front of my eyes.
She looked up in shock and dumbfounded, only to see Zhao Hua standing ten feet away from her, raising his eyebrows at her coldly.
"Don't you always say that Mongolian women are as courageous and brave as men? Pick up your handkerchief, wipe your tears, and don't bring shame to your motherland."
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