The emperor led a group of people to the hunting grounds behind the palace early in the morning.
When Yuan Yao left, the emperor had not yet returned from his hunting trip.
A number of people were waiting outside the hunting grounds.
Several temporary stands, their sides obscured by curtains, were set up. The bright yellow ones were where the emperor's concubines sat; the lotus-pink ones were where noblewomen sat; and the dark blue ones were where several older officials were enjoying tea and discussing philosophy...
Danqing pointed to the stone-blue stands and said, "Princess, that slightly plump man with a round face and a mustache is the Minister of Revenue."
Yuan Yao looked in the direction Danqing was pointing.
The high-ranking official, holding a cup of tea, looked absent-minded and kept glancing towards the exit of the hunting grounds.
Yuan Yao asked Danqing to put her down so she could walk on her own.
The area surrounding the hunting grounds is a medium-sized grassland, suitable for activities such as horseback riding, playing football, and archery.
Before the morning dew had dried, Yuan Yao carried her delicate embroidered shoes to tread on the dewdrops on the tips of the grass.
Danqing followed behind, saying helplessly, "Princess, be careful not to catch a cold."
Yuan Yao lowered her head and said, "It's alright, I know what I'm doing. Just wait for me here, you don't need to follow me."
Just as we were approaching the exit of the hunting grounds, we heard the sound of horses' hooves.
The emperor, dressed in a neat, fitted-sleeve casual robe, dismounted with the help of his attendants.
He must have done something indescribable last night, because his eye bags are bigger than usual, and his dark circles are more pronounced...
She's only just turned thirty, yet she looks so dejected and gloomy.
Fortunately, he caught quite a lot of prey and was in a good mood.
Upon seeing the emperor, the Minister of Revenue hurriedly stood up and greeted him with a smile: "Your Majesty is truly skilled!"
The emperor glanced at him and said, "Minister Xu, why don't you go and shoot a few arrows?"
The Minister of Revenue cupped his hands and said, "I am ashamed to say that my health has deteriorated in recent years and I can no longer ride a horse."
"Come here." The emperor reached out his hand to him.
The Minister of Revenue quickly raised an arm.
The emperor lowered his hands, placed his arm on Xu Qing's hand, and said in a hoarse voice, "I remember, Minister Xu, you are just a few years away from reaching the age of fifty?"
"Yes." The Minister of Revenue smiled and said, "Consort Wan is already twenty-three, and I am indeed not young anymore."
Upon hearing the mention of Consort Wan, the Emperor lowered his eyes slightly and said in a hoarse voice, "Last night, Consort Wan happened to mention to me that besides herself, Minister Xu has another young daughter who has just come of age?"
Last night, it was Consort Wan, Xu Wanzhi, who served the Emperor...
"Yes." The Minister of Revenue said respectfully, "My daughter Yunzhi has been raised in seclusion since childhood. Yesterday, when she learned that the Ninth Prince was holding a fish banquet, she specially asked her mother to come to the palace to relax."
Raised in seclusion since childhood?
The emperor lowered his eyes: "Minister, you have indeed raised two fine daughters."
His voice was devoid of emotion.
The Minister of Revenue paused for a moment, then released his grip on the Emperor's hand and knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty, I am terrified. If Consort Wan has failed in her duties, I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness..."
Just then, Yuan Yao happened to walk over.
She hung her head and gave a perfunctory curtsy: "Good morning, Your Majesty..."
The emperor looked down at her: "Yuan Yao, how come your little shoes and skirt are all wet?"
Upon hearing this, Yuan Yao glanced down and said aggrievedly, "So what if it's wet? Anyway, no one cares about Yao'er..."
A hint of surprise flashed in the emperor's eyes: "What does this mean?"
Yuan Yao blinked, tears welling up in her eyes: "They said...they said Father is going to get married and doesn't want Yao'er anymore..."
The emperor's face darkened, and he asked in a hoarse voice, "Who told you this?"
Is A Yuan getting married?
How come he didn't know?
Who will A Yuan marry?
On the ground, the Minister of Revenue touched his aching knee.
The morning dew was cool, wetting his robes. The chill seeped into his knees, making him shiver.
Just then, Yuan Yao opened her innocent big eyes, glanced at him, and asked the emperor, "Your Majesty, does this gentleman have something to discuss with you?"
Or... should I tell you later?
"No!" Without a second thought, the emperor said to her, "Tell me now what exactly happened."
"Oh..." Yuan Yao sniffed pitifully, her little voice trembling: "Yao'er didn't see Father when she woke up early, so she went out to look for him."
Unexpectedly, on the way, he overheard several people talking...
Just as Yao'er was about to leave, she heard them say that yesterday afternoon, behind a rockery, they heard two women talking.
One of the women said she was going to marry my father, but what would happen to Yao'er after she got married?
Another woman told her that once she married into Qianhua Palace, she would send Yao'er away...
Towards the end, Yuan Yao was so heartbroken that she cried.
The more the emperor listened, the darker his expression became.
On the ground, the Minister of Revenue tried his best to control himself and not let himself tremble.
The emperor's voice was cold and hoarse: "Is there anything else?"
Yuan Yao's face was covered in tears, looking both pitiful and aggrieved: "Your Majesty, are you really going to bestow a marriage upon my father?"
Father has married. Will his wife really drive Yao'er out of Qianhua Palace?
Poor Yao'er, nobody wants her anymore, waah..."
She had originally intended to just put on an act, but when she thought about the Ninth Prince's attitude towards Xu Yunzhi, she truly felt the desolation of having a stepmother and then a stepfather.
For a moment, she felt extremely wronged.
Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably.
As Yuan Yao started crying, many people on the grassland turned to look in her direction.
Upon hearing the sound, the Empress had someone help her walk over: "What's wrong, Princess?"
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, I was rude..." Yuan Yao cried her eyes out.
Seeing this, the emperor was at his wit's end: "Yuan Yao, don't cry..."
At this moment, Yuan Yao asked again, "Your Majesty, I've heard... in the Great Qi, if a man touches a woman in public, he has ruined her chastity and must marry her, is that true?"
“Of course,” the empress said before the emperor could speak. “A woman’s reputation is of utmost importance, and since a man has ruined her reputation, he must take responsibility for her.”
As expected of the Empress...
Yuan Yao wiped away her tears and asked through sobs, "Then...what if a woman confesses her love to a man in public? Who ruins whose reputation?"
As soon as she finished speaking, the Minister of Revenue lost his kneeling position and swayed to the side.
A quick-thinking eunuch reached out to help him up, saying, "Your Excellency, be careful."
At this moment, Yuan Yao, hiccuping from crying, asked, "Is this sir... also a minister?"
The Minister of Revenue wiped away a bead of cold sweat: "Yes..."
"Waaah..." Yuan Yao burst into tears again: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, I heard that the young lady who was going to marry my father and who was going to drive Yao away, her father is also a Minister..."
"Bang!"
The Minister of Revenue collapsed to the ground.
Li Deshan exclaimed in surprise, "Ouch! Sir, your head is bleeding!"
The Minister of Revenue forgot his pain and glared at Yuan Yao, both angry and anxious.
That little girl is really causing trouble!
How did Wanzhi and Yunzhi's words get to her?
Yuan Yao met the Minister of Revenue's gaze, and her face immediately showed fear. She frantically clung to the Emperor's leg, saying, "Your Majesty..."
What happened?
The voice of the Ninth Prince came coldly.
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