On the eighth day of April, the emperor left the palace and went to the Taimiao to pray for the people. This was a custom established in Daning State, and the route was also arranged in advance by Leng Yu according to the rules of previous years.
As the royal daughter-in-law, Luo Lan naturally had to travel together. In addition to Leng Yu, there were also Leng Xi, Leng Ming, and ministers of some status in the court.
Among the several princes, only Crown Prince Leng Yun and his Crown Princess Wu Linlin were not on the list, and no one dared to mention them in front of the emperor.
After the emperor's dragon sedan left the palace, it went along Longsheng Street and headed straight for the Taimiao.
At this time, the people who had already learned the news were gathered on both sides of the street, waiting for the emperor to arrive. This was a rare opportunity in the year to see the emperor, and the people naturally did not want to miss it.
After a while, the bustling crowd quieted down, and a row of soldiers holding long swords hurried over and built a human wall to block the people behind them.
At the same time, Leng Yu, the national defense general of Daning Kingdom and the regent with the highest status in the court except the emperor, came out slowly from the street corner wearing a dark green gown and a serious expression on his face while riding on a tall horse. Behind him, there was a group of people in gorgeous costumes. These people surrounded the emperor's dragon chariot and walked slowly forward. Further behind, there were several carriages, one of which was the one Luo Lan was riding.
Luo Lan, wearing a blue-white long dress, sat in the carriage with a serious face. Sometimes she lifted the curtain door to look out, and sometimes she frowned and closed her eyes, thinking about something.
After a while, she opened the curtain door and asked softly,
"Ahong, where are you?"
Ah Hong glanced forward and replied in a low voice:
"We're almost at the entrance of Wangxiang Tower."
Luo Lan frowned, and said slowly with a serious expression:
"Go ahead and take a look! Come back and tell me if there's any movement."
"Yes, Princess." Ahong took the order and walked forward.
The people all secretly looked up at Leng Yu, who was riding on horseback with a serious face, Leng Xi, who had a calm face, and Leng Ming, who was a little excited and looked around from time to time.
At this moment, there was a commotion in front of the crowd. Suddenly, a disheveled woman appeared from nowhere. She broke through the soldiers' obstruction, knelt down in front of everyone, and cried loudly:
"Your Majesty, please help me. I am wronged."
Seeing this, Leng Yu waved his hand with a cold face. The marching team stopped immediately after seeing his gesture. He rode his horse to the woman and let the horse circle in place. He asked sternly:
"Since you know that the person in the dragon chariot is the emperor, yet you still dare to make a noise here, you are truly audacious."
The disheveled woman kneeling in front of the crowd was Xiaoyu, who previously lived in Prince Yu's mansion.
She looked pale and horrified at Leng Yu, crying loudly:
"I want to see the emperor. I am wronged. I beg the emperor to help me."
"Hmph! The Emperor is busy with countless affairs. If you have a grievance, go to Shuntian Prefecture and beat the drum. Lord Yu..."
As soon as Leng Yu finished speaking, Yu Shiming, dressed in official uniform, quickly came up to the crowd and said sternly to Xiaoyu, who was kneeling on the ground:
"How dare you, a common woman, stop the emperor in the street? If you have any grievances, go to Shuntian Prefecture and beat the drum to complain. I will naturally stand up for you."
Xiaoyu looked at Yu Shiming and shook her head vigorously. "Shuntian Prefecture can't intervene in my affairs. Only the emperor can. Please let me see the emperor!"
"Humph! There's nothing in the capital that Shuntian Prefecture can't handle. You, a common woman, really don't know how high the heavens are and how deep the earth is."
Hearing this, Xiaoyu looked up at Yu Shiming and said word by word, gritting her teeth:
"What I want to say is related to the Crown Prince. Can Shuntian Prefecture intervene?"
Hearing this, Yu Shiming was stunned for a moment. He looked up at Leng Yu and asked angrily with a sullen face,
"The prince? Do you recognize the prince?"
"I not only recognize the prince, but I know him very well. So I beg you gentlemen to let me see the emperor. Only the emperor can make the decision for this woman!"
The emperor, sitting in the dragon chariot, was somewhat displeased when he heard this, but because he was in front of the people, he could only speak coldly to Liu Xi outside:
"Call the people over here."
Liu Xi responded and trotted over, whispering to Leng Yu:
"Prince Yu, the Emperor wants her to come over for questioning."
Leng Yu's eyes flickered, and then he said loudly to Xiao Yu:
"The Emperor has called you over. Don't talk nonsense in front of the Emperor. Be careful not to offend him."
Xiaoyu nodded, hurriedly got up from the ground, and followed Liu Xi directly to the emperor's dragon chariot. Without saying anything, she knelt on the ground again and began to cry.
"Your Majesty, please help me and ask the prince to return my child to me."
Xiaoyu's words instantly clouded the emperor's originally calm face. He directly lifted the curtain of the dragon chariot, looked at the woman kneeling on the ground, and shouted sternly:
"What did you say?"
Xiaoyu gritted her teeth and spoke again word by word:
"I beg Your Majesty to save my son. He is in the Prince's mansion, but he has rejected him as his own."
Her words were like a bolt from the blue, leaving the emperor stunned.
He blinked a few times, then said to Liu Xi:
"Bring this woman back to the palace. I have something to ask."
Since this matter is related to Leng Yun, he cannot say it in front of so many people, for fear that she will say something inappropriate and hurt the reputation of the royal family.
At this time, Leng Yu came before the emperor and said softly:
"Father, I think since this matter is related to the Crown Prince, we should go directly to the Crown Prince's residence and confront him directly, so as to prevent this woman from fabricating accusations and falsely accusing the Crown Prince."
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