The Empress Dowager has spent her entire life enduring humiliation and injustice in the palace, all so that one day her son could sit on that throne, bring glory to the family, and plan for her own future. The Empress Dowager cannot give up all of this because of you.
Looking down at the person in her arms, a trace of guilt flashed across the Empress's eyes, but there was no regret whatsoever. For the sake of future glory, the Empress was willing to sacrifice even her own daughter.
Yongchang had no idea that her trusted mother and brother had given up on her. Hearing the Crown Prince and her mother saying they would find a way to help her, she felt extremely warm-hearted.
After spending half a day in Fengyi Palace and having lunch with the Empress, Yongchang left Fengyi Palace to prepare to leave the palace. She originally had her own residence outside the palace, but she had been in a bad mood lately, so she had been staying in her princess residence.
However, just as Yongchang passed through the artificial hill in the Imperial Garden, he heard two people whispering to each other. The palace maid following behind Yongchang was about to reprimand them when Yongchang raised his hand to stop her.
"Did the Crown Prince really say that?" A palace maid's voice came, her tone full of surprise.
“Of course, would I, a mere servant, dare to spread the Crown Prince’s words?” The other voice was clearly that of a eunuch.
Yongchang stopped listening carefully after hearing the Crown Prince's name. She even thought someone wanted to harm the Crown Prince, but she didn't expect that their conversation would be related to her.
"But Princess Yongchang is the Crown Prince's own sister. Is the Crown Prince really willing to part with her?" The palace maid's voice was full of doubt and confusion.
"What is there to give up or not to give up for one's own future?"
"What does this have to do with the Crown Prince's future?"
"You don't know yet, do you? Today in the Imperial Study, the Emperor asked the Crown Prince whether he wanted the position of Crown Prince or for the Princess to stay in the capital. Isn't the result obvious? The Crown Prince wouldn't give up his position just to keep the Princess in the capital, would he?" The eunuch lowered his voice.
"Really? But the Empress also dotes on the princess. Does that mean the Empress is willing to send the princess away for a political marriage?"
"Not to mention that princesses will all get married and won't help the Empress's power much, the Crown Prince is the heir apparent and will be the one in that position in the future. At that time, the Empress will be the Empress Dowager, so why would she care about princesses?"
Both of them spoke in very low voices, but precisely because of the extremely quiet environment and the fact that they were discussing Princess Yongchang, Yongchang could hear them very clearly.
"So, are the Empress and the Crown Prince really going to agree to Princess Yongchang's marriage to the Zhou Kingdom for the sake of the Crown Prince's position?" the palace maid asked again to confirm.
"Of course, but this matter hasn't spread yet, so you know what to say and what not to say. If this gets to the ears of the Empress or the Crown Prince, be careful, it could cost us our lives." After venting his anger, the eunuch warned again.
"I know, I know," the palace maid muttered.
Soon, footsteps were heard, and the two people disappeared from the spot.
Yongchang stood there, stunned, unsure how to react. A palace maid beside her looked at her worriedly and said, "Princess, I don't know where these palace servants came from, gossiping here. They're probably just talking nonsense. The Empress and the Crown Prince love you so much, how could they do such a thing?"
Yongchang remained silent. She couldn't believe it was true, but the image of the palace maid beside the Empress blocking her way that morning and preventing her from entering, and the fleeting look of avoidance in the Crown Prince's eyes when he saw her, kept flashing through her mind.
"Princess, this servant will go and bring those two people here for further interrogation."
“No need. Let’s go to Fengyi Palace again. I need to ask my mother for clarification.” Yongchang shook her head. She didn’t know who had arranged for these two people to come, and she knew she shouldn’t doubt her mother and her brother, the Crown Prince. However, thinking about everything that had happened before, Yongchang’s heart began to waver.
Yongchang stood still, calmed himself down, and then turned and walked towards Fengyi Palace.
When Yongchang saw the palace servants who were about to bow to him, he waved his hand to signal them to be quiet. The servants did not know what had happened and assumed that the princess had come back to retrieve something, so they all quieted down.
As Yongchang reached the entrance of the inner palace, she heard the Empress's voice from inside, "Caiqiu, go to the storeroom and see what good things are in there. They can be used as part of Yongchang's dowry when she gets married."
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Caiqiu nodded.
When Yongchang heard the Empress say this, he breathed a sigh of relief. His mother was talking about getting married, not a political marriage, which meant that the two people earlier had lied to him.
Just as Yongchang was about to go in, the Empress's next words plunged him into despair: "Going to Zhou will be a difficult journey for Yongchang, as he will be unfamiliar with the place and its people. Try to pick out as many good things as possible."
"Yes, this servant will go right away." Upon hearing this, Caiqiu was taken aback at first, then nodded. As soon as Caiqiu turned around, she saw Princess Yongchang standing at the entrance of the inner palace with a sullen face, and immediately exclaimed, "Princess?"
The Empress immediately looked up and saw Yongchang standing there. The Empress was taken aback and then gestured for Caiqiu to leave.
"Yongchang, didn't you leave the palace? Why are you back?"
"Mother, if I hadn't returned, would I have been kept in the dark all along?" Yongchang looked at the Empress in disbelief. "Mother, didn't you say you would find a way to help me? Why did you lie to me?"
"Yongchang, the Empress Dowager also has her reasons for this." The Empress herself looked troubled.
"What is the reason for your distress, Mother?" Yongchang questioned, his eyes involuntarily reddening. The feeling of being stabbed in the back by a loved one was simply too difficult to accept.
"Yongchang, the Empress Dowager had no choice but to agree to this." The Empress lowered her head, avoiding Yongchang's eyes.
"Mother, what is your predicament? Tell me." Yongchang stared at the Empress, determined to get to the bottom of it.
"Yongchang, your father has made up his mind about this matter, and there's nothing your mother can do about it." The Empress dodged the question, refusing to reveal the reason behind her predicament.
Yongchang felt increasingly heartbroken and desperate as he listened. He wanted to ask the Empress if he was forced to go for the marriage because it would affect the Crown Prince's position.
However, seeing the Empress's evasive gaze, Yongchang moved his lips but never uttered the words.
Yongchang left the palace heartbroken and returned to her princess residence.
Seeing the despair and sadness on Yongchang's face, the Empress felt a pang of sympathy. However, this would not affect her decision. Yongchang was determined to go for the marriage alliance, and the position of Crown Prince absolutely could not be affected in any way.
However, who exactly told this story? Since not many people knew about it, the Empress didn't believe that Yongchang would suddenly return to the palace and overhear it by chance.
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