Chapter 25: Not for Myself
There was silence in the Zichen Palace, and the mess on the ground yesterday had already been cleaned up.
As soon as the sky was slightly bright, Xiao Yuancheng opened his eyes. He slept very late last night, but woke up very early today. After all, he was old and didn't sleep much.
Bai De'an heard the commotion inside and immediately walked in. He said in a gentle voice, "Your Majesty, it's still early. The audience with the newly-minted Jinshi will not begin until noon."
Xiao Yuancheng then remembered that he had to meet with the new Jinshi today, and he couldn't help but sneered: "I am really getting old and confused."
But he could say that he was old and confused, but others could not agree with him. Bai De'an lowered his head and said nothing. He just carefully put on the emperor's inner clothes. When he wanted to continue putting on the emperor's outer robe, he was stopped by the emperor.
Xiao Yuancheng walked to the window and opened it. A gust of damp air hit him in the face. His eyes stopped at the wet water marks and he was startled. "Did it rain again last night?"
Bai De'an lowered his head and replied, "It rained just before dawn, and now the clouds have cleared and the rain has stopped."
Hearing the word "Ji", Xiao Yuancheng paused, his eyes blank for a few breaths, and after a moment he sighed: "Am I too harsh on him?"
But who dares to say this?
Xiao Yuancheng didn't care when he didn't hear a response. He continued to talk to himself, "Who made him the son of Yang Linghui? Who made him have the blood of the Yang family?"
When he heard this, Bai De'an lowered his head even more. Everyone else thought that the emperor fell in love with the empress at first sight and therefore made her his queen, but only he knew why.
Looking back to the past, when Empress Yuan had just passed away, the mothers of several princes began to scheme against each other because of the vacant position of Empress. The emperor had long seen through their thoughts.
At that time, he was in his prime. If he made one of them the empress, he would have to make her son the crown prince. Since the emperor did not want to appoint a crown prince, he did not want to appoint another empress.
But seeing that the former dynasty and the harem were colluding and forcing him to establish a queen many times, the emperor was so angry that he came up with a way to cut off the source of the problem - marrying a new queen.
If she were an ordinary noble lady, she would not be able to withstand the gossip of the people and would not be able to suppress the four concubines in the harem, but after all, the new queen is the daughter of the Yang family.
The Yang family had an extraordinary daughter. She was the first empress of Dayu, known as Empress Yang, and was also Xiao Yuancheng's grandmother.
Yang Huang was initially a concubine in Emperor Gaozong's private residence. Upon his ascension to the throne, she was granted the title of Imperial Consort and was exceptionally favored. After Emperor Gaozong's death, she ascended directly to the throne of Empress, ruling alongside Emperor Gaozong at the age of thirty. Upon Emperor Gaozong's death, despite his frail health, she officially ascended the throne at the age of forty, remaining in power until his death at the age of seventy-three. Having reigned for over forty years, the Yang family naturally enjoyed immense prominence.
The new queen, Yang Linghui, is the legitimate daughter of the Yang family and the great-grandniece of Emperor Yang. Such an identity instantly left the former dynasty and the harem speechless.
Xiao Yuancheng, who was standing by the window, continued, "The Yang family is very smart. The Yang Emperor is, my aunt is, Linghui is, and Xue Nu is too. But I don't want any more women from the Yang family to become powerful..."
His voice became lower and lower, but Bai De'an still heard the last sentence -
"I never thought he would be born..."
At this moment, Bai De'an, who thought he knew the emperor's ruthlessness very well, still felt a chill running through his head.
*
Over there, Xi Qingtong couldn't wait to get on the carriage and head straight to the Xi family. Her mind was in a mess along the way, and she herself didn't even know what she wanted.
The prince could still make a comeback after being deposed, but it is impossible for him to do so due to his disabled limbs. Now he has been demoted to a commoner. What is the solution to this situation?
Does she really have to go to the palace with Xiao Ji to live a hard life?
Once she thought about having to do those menial tasks like a servant, wasting her beauty and losing her dignity, she would tremble unconsciously, unable to accept it, and gradually became insane.
"No, no, no, I can't live that kind of life..."
Jinzhu and Yinzhu huddled in a corner of the carriage, not daring to make a sound, for fear that their master would think of them and they would suffer an unexpected disaster.
I don't know how much time passed, the carriage gradually slowed down, and there was a noise outside. Even Xi Qingtong, who was in panic, was gradually brought back to her senses. She listened to the familiar music and felt a little dazed.
"Is today the day for the parade of newly-minted scholars?"
As soon as she finished speaking, she laughed bitterly. Isn't it just recently? It's just that she used to be willing to participate in this grand event, but now she is stuck in the mud and no longer has the heart to participate in other things.
The eunuch driving the horses outside also raised his voice to report at the right time: "There is a Jinshi parade outside. Anping Bridge is blocked. Would you like to take another route?"
Hearing the word "honorable lady", Xi Qingtong felt even more depressed. The imperial eunuch had just issued the decree last night and she was already calling him that. What a dog slave!
She cursed in her heart, but she didn't dare to speak as rudely as before. In the end, she agreed. Now she just wanted to go back to the Xi family and ask her mother if there was any other solution.
"Then I will go over the Linghua Bridge. However, there are many people on the bridge over there, so I'm afraid I'll have to go slower."
Linghua Bridge and Anping Bridge are two bridges on the same river. Anping Bridge is wide and can accommodate four carriages at the same time. Linghua Bridge is small and can only accommodate two carriages. The two bridges are only about fifty steps apart.
As the eunuch turned his horse, passed through the alley and drove onto the Linghua Bridge, the sounds of auspicious music and the cheers of the people outside became more and more intense.
Xi Qingtong's thoughts were inevitably drawn away again. She opened the curtains and looked at the Anping Bridge opposite from the car window.
A red-robed ceremonial guard was passing on Anping Bridge, and Xi Qingtong knew that the top three Jinshi candidates from the first class were about to arrive.
The horse gallops in the spring breeze, and I can see all the flowers in Chang'an in one night.
The newly-minted Jinshi was now in high spirits and glory, but she had fallen into poverty and abyss.
Watching the slowly advancing team and listening to the cheers of the people around her, Xi Qingtong dug her nails into her palms, tears fell one by one, and her eyes were filled with unwillingness.
At this moment, a figure appeared in her blurred vision.
Xi Qingtong was startled, then leaned against the window and stuck his head out.
This sudden movement scared the two maids so much that they screamed in surprise, but Xi Qingtong was not distracted at all. Her eyes were fixed on Anping Bridge opposite.
On Anping Bridge, Song Yunhe, as the third place winner, was naturally at the front row. Coupled with his outstanding appearance, he naturally attracted many girls to throw fruits and flowers.
He held his head high and looked very proud, but he didn't know that someone on the other bridge was watching him with jealousy.
Xi Qingtong's fingers were tightly clasped on the window frame. She could hardly believe her eyes, but after years of getting along with each other, she would not make a mistake. Xi Qingtong confirmed that it was her cousin Song Yunhe.
Song Yunhe actually made it into the top three?
And that position...should be the third place?
How could he win the third place?
How could he win the third place?!
When Xi Qingtong learned that Song Yunhe had won the third place in the imperial examination, her first reaction was not joy but disbelief and jealousy. Yes, disbelief and jealousy.
He must be beaming with joy right now, right? He's become a top scholar, while she's now a commoner's wife. He'll definitely laugh at her, mocking her for not choosing to marry him.
Xi Qingtong thought darkly uncontrollably.
This was entirely because she had never considered marrying Song Yunhe. She had already shown her talent at the age of twelve or thirteen, and she was proud and arrogant. How could she possibly be interested in her cousin, who came from a poor family and lived in her home? She also never believed that such a cousin could possibly be in the top three of high school.
At this moment, she forgot her carefully created appearance, and forgot that in Song Yunhe's eyes, she was married to the prince under the pressure of the imperial decree, and was completely immersed in her true heart.
It was not until the carriage finally passed the Linghua Bridge and the scene before her eyes was replaced by blue bricks and black tiles that Xi Qingtong let down the curtain in a trance.
Seeing this, Jinzhu asked cautiously, "Madam, what's wrong with you?"
Perhaps it was because Jinzhu's attitude was humble enough, or perhaps Xi Qingtong no longer had the time to vent her anger on them. She sneered and said weakly, "Song Yunhe won the third place."
There were so many things happening in the Eastern Palace during this period that they had no time to find out what was happening outside the palace. When they heard that Song Yunhe had won the third place in the imperial examination, Jinzhu subconsciously smiled.
"This is great news. With the Lord's help, Mr. Song will surely have a smooth career and rise to prominence."
Hearing this, Xi Qingtong gritted his teeth and spat, "What does his rapid rise to prominence have to do with me?! He's on the rise, and the one enjoying the benefits is Xi Qingwu!"
Thinking of Xi Qingwu, Xi Qingtong's suppressed collapse finally broke out. She trembled and cried, "Why? Why is she so lucky? She grew up in the countryside, and now she is weighed down by my head..."
She couldn't help but start to imagine. The thought of Xi Qingwu wearing the auspicious clothes of the imperial edict while she was wearing winter clothes became more and more unacceptable and she became a little hysterical.
Seeing her go crazy again, Jinzhu and Yinzhu both shuddered. Seeing that they would suffer again if they didn't find a solution, Yinzhu had to tremble and whispered to comfort her, "But Mr. Song has you in his heart..."
Xi Qingtong often showed off in front of them, so Yinzhu thought her master would be more happy to hear this, but she cursed, "He has..."
But he stopped talking as soon as he opened his mouth.
Xi Qingtong was suddenly stunned. Her heart, like a tangled ball of twine, seemed to have a thread suddenly appear. She tugged it gently, and suddenly a sentence came to her mind -
"I think you two sisters really look exactly the same."
She pulled it again, and Yinzhu's words rang in her ears again, "But Mr. Song has you in his heart..."
The two sentences kept circling in Xi Qingtong's mind. Her eyes blinked rapidly and her breathing became more and more rapid. When the tears in her eyes fell again, the hemp thread in her heart had been pulled straight.
The originally crazy girl suddenly calmed down. She wiped away the tears on her face with one hand, again and again, with the corners of her lips raised high.
Sorry, twin sisters.
But if a person does not care for himself, he will be punished by heaven and earth...
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