Extra 1 Xi Qingtong
Xi Qingtong had no idea how solemn and majestic the coronation ceremony in the Taimiao was. She didn't even know that it was the coronation ceremony of the empress. She lay in bed in a daze, recuperating from her injuries. The bedroom that once smelled of fragrance was now filled with the bitter smell of medicine.
"My wife drank the medicine..."
The little maid had already been replaced with a new one. Xi Qingtong took the medicine and drank it all in one gulp without showing any temper. After being sad for more than a month, she had recovered some of her strength. She had to take the medicine well and heal her leg injury. She couldn't be trapped in this yard for the rest of her life.
Yes, she still has a long life ahead of her. Even if she can no longer marry a powerful man, she can continue to be the wife of the Xi family.
However, in the evening, she keenly noticed that the maids serving her all had happy expressions on their faces. But when she asked, none of them were willing to say anything. Xi Qingtong knew that this was a special instruction from Xi Jianan.
Xi Qingtong gave up asking questions on the surface, but secretly clenched her fists tightly. She struggled to stand up and sit in front of the piano stand, expressing her anger and unwillingness with the sound of the piano.
Finally, three months later, she put her broken leg on the ground for the first time. The slight but obvious feeling of falling into the air made her heart drop. The stinging pain was a small matter; the important thing was the feeling of stepping on empty air.
An ominous premonition arose in Xi Qingtong's heart. She looked at the yellow fallen leaves outside the window, and the ominous premonition in her heart was forcibly suppressed.
When the first snow of winter fell, Xi Qingtong felt her legs were extremely painful. The biting cold penetrated into her calves. She pinched them carefully with her hands and screamed for the maid to call a doctor.
The doctor said that if the bone needs to be re-set, it needs to be broken again.
Xi Qingtong burst into tears. She finally admitted that her legs would never be healed. They would always leave her with sequelae, making it difficult for her to walk, let alone dance like she used to.
That day, she forgot what wrong things she had done and just kept scolding Xi Jianan loudly in the yard. Her own father was so cruel as to break his own daughter's legs.
But she cursed until her voice was hoarse, and no one paid any attention to her. As the New Year was approaching, Xi Jianan, who had been promoted to the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was very busy, and he was even busier as the father-in-law of the Crown Prince.
Xi Qingtong was very depressed for a while, and even lost her temper and refused to take her medicine, but she saw smiles on the faces of the maids and servants again. It seemed that something happy had happened at home again, and she even seemed to hear the sound of a few firecrackers.
At this moment, a strong hatred surged from her heart. Why? Why did he treat her like this? She hated it so much that her heart was bleeding, but she knew that she couldn't make a fuss anymore.
Xi Qingtong told herself that the Spring Festival would be in a few days and Xi Jianan would let her go. Then she would meet her mother and brother, and with their mediation, she would have a chance to get out.
On the day of the Spring Festival, she went out as she wished. She put on the new clothes handed to her by the servants and limped towards the front hall with a cane.
As soon as she entered the second gate and passed through the gap in the screen, Xi Qingtong saw her mother's back. She couldn't wait to throw away her crutches and burst into tears of joy. A thousand grievances lingered in this sentence - "Mom!"
However, when she walked around the screen, the scene she saw made her freeze in place.
Her father was looking at the swaddling baby in his arms with a smile on his face. Aunt Liu, who was dressed much more elegantly than before, was leaning against the head of the Xi family with a smile on her face. Her second brother Xi Qingfeng and third sister Xi Qingmian were all around them, looking particularly warm and relaxed.
Meanwhile, her mother and eldest brother were watching the scene with forced smiles on their faces. Her mother, Zheng, was dressed in a navy blue jacket, looking like an old lady who had lost her husband, and her eldest brother, Xi Qingbai, had lost his smile.
Xi Jianan, who was in the crowd, seemed to have finally noticed Xi Qingtong's arrival. He looked up at her and said calmly, "You're here."
Then he lowered his eyes to look at the swaddling clothes, and his voice suddenly became gentle as he introduced, "This is your newly born little brother, Qingyu."
Xi Qingtong knew why her eldest brother and mother couldn't laugh anymore.
If it were last year, she would have turned her face away immediately, but now she could only force a smile. The sense of crisis rising in her heart made her unable to say a word.
Xi Qingtong subconsciously looked at Madam Zheng. Madam Zheng, who usually responded to her, now had a dull look in her eyes, as if she had already lost her soul.
During lunch, the seating arrangement was even more intriguing. Concubine Liu even sat at the table. Even though her seat was behind Xi Qingmian, she was still seated! Which aristocratic family in the capital would let a concubine sit at the table for New Year's lunch?
Xi Qingtong and her two daughters also had a very unpleasant lunch. They seemed to be isolated and listened to Xi Jianan asking about Xi Qingfeng's knowledge. The illegitimate son who had never had a sense of existence in the family was now trying to please others by saying that he had ranked seventh in the school entrance examination.
Xi Jianan was very happy. Xi Qingbai couldn't help but say, "Dad, I was in bed for two months and came back to school and got third place in the exam."
Xi Jianan glanced at him for a long moment before saying calmly, "At the beginning of last year, the top three students in your school passed the imperial examination and became Jinshi. In August, the top fifteen passed the imperial examination and became Juren. And now you're twenty-two, and you're still trying to rank among a group of students who didn't even make it to the imperial examination?"
Some aristocratic families in the capital would support their children's education until they were 30 or 40 years old. Passing the imperial examination before the age of 25 was considered excellent, so Xi Jianan was not in a hurry in the past. However, after experiencing that incident, Xi Jianan had given up on his eldest son.
Not to mention that with Qingwu around, he would never be valued. Just based on his character, Xi Jianan himself felt that it would be difficult for him to achieve great things.
Xi Qingbai's face flushed crimson, and he stammered, "Next year... in the new emperor's imperial examination, my son will pass..."
Xi Jianan glanced at him and then looked at his second son and said, "Study hard for the Tongsheng exam in February after the Qingfeng Year. Got it?"
Xi Qingbai was suddenly speechless.
Xi Qingtong felt very uncomfortable after hearing this. She looked at her mother beside her father, not understanding why she was still silent. Just because Concubine Liu gave birth to a son, she was being stepped on?
If that's the case, how can I plead for myself later?
Xi Qingtong tightened her grip on the chopsticks, trying to find a moment to speak.
She then heard Xi Jianan say to Xi Qingmian, "The Yang family sent over New Year gifts this morning, and part of it is just for you. They'll send someone to propose marriage after the New Year, so don't go out too much after the New Year. And don't go to your sister's place too often, as she's busy right now."
Aunt Liu, who was sitting opposite Xi Jianan, finally spoke up, "My Lord, I will keep an eye on Qingmian and won't let her come into the palace too often to trouble the Crown Princess..."
Xi Qingtong, who was secretly thinking, suddenly raised her head. The Crown Prince's Consort?!
What does this mean?
At this moment, the doorman outside came to report happily: "Master, the East Palace has arrived to deliver the New Year's gift!"
After saying that, a series of eunuchs and maids came in with trays, and treasures were brought in like flowing water. Xi Jianan's face immediately showed joy, and he stood up to receive them.
"Okay, okay."
Xi Qingtong stared blankly. The aunt who walked in last seemed familiar, but she hadn't recognized her yet. Zheng, who had been silent and indifferent, suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "Madam Xia?!"
Nanny Xia looked at the two of them, sighed softly and nodded.
But the two still couldn't believe that the lady in front of them, dressed in palace clothes and with such dignity, was actually the former housekeeper of their Xi family, the housekeeper who was disliked by Madam Zheng for being old and mentally ill.
After all, Zheng was the child raised by Nanny Xia herself. Even if she made a thousand mistakes, Nanny Xia did not embarrass her. She nodded to Madam Zheng, and then looked at Xi Jianan.
"Some of these gifts were personally designated by the Crown Princess. I must discuss this with my Lord."
Xi Jianan knew that Nanny Xia was now a high-ranking aunt in charge of the Eastern Palace, and she felt very comfortable hearing that Nanny Xia was willing to call her "Master".
"Well, you said..."
Nanny Xia pointed at them easily, "Those two sets of fine study treasures are for you and Erlangjun, and there's also the gray fox cloak, which you and Erlangjun also have. This white fox cloak is for Sanniang, as well as a set of pearl hairpins. This jade ruyi is for Concubine Liu..."
Everyone looked at it and thought everything was good, but in the end, no one mentioned Zheng's mother and son.
Xi Qingbai couldn't help but wonder, "Where's mine? My sister didn't give me anything?"
Nanny Xia was reluctant to give Zheng a cold face, but she was not reluctant to give Xi Qingbai a cold face either. She immediately said in a calm voice, "Our Crown Prince's Consort didn't say that."
When her eyes fell on Xi Qingtong's stunned look, Nanny Xia suddenly grinned and said, "But Second Madam, our Crown Princess has something to give you."
At this point, no matter how much Xi Qingtong didn't want to admit it, she knew who this "Crown Grandson's Consort" was.
Under everyone's gaze, Nanny Xia took out a golden hairpin with a phoenix tail from a brocade box and held it in front of Xi Qingtong.
The phoenix-tail gold hairpin was exquisitely designed, with coiled gold threads emitting a dazzling luster.
However, everyone present recognized it - this was the hairpin that Xi Qingtong wore when she married into the Eastern Palace as a concubine. She once took it as an honor and couldn't wait to take it off. Now, this golden hairpin was presented to her again.
In an instant, Xi Qingtong's face drained of all color, becoming paler than the snow outside. She stared at the golden hairpin, as if it weren't jewelry, but a venomous snake spitting at her.
Shame! This is a naked humiliation!
Qingwu was mocking what she had done in the past!
"Ah--!" Xi Qingtong let out a sharp and shrill scream, and suddenly raised her hand, trying to knock the golden hairpin down.
However, Nanny Xia was quicker, and with a flick of her wrist, she took it back steadily. "Second Madam, this was a gift from the Crown Prince's Consort!"
Xi Jianan's face darkened and he shouted, "Qingtong! Why don't you thank me?"
Xi Qingtong's arms froze in mid-air, trembling violently. She looked at her father's stern eyes, at the gazes of those around her, some of pity and some of ridicule, at the golden hairpin in Nanny Xia's hand that seemed to be burning with flames. Finally, she raised her hands, trembling, and respectfully waited for the "reward."
Nanny Xia then slowly placed the golden hairpin in her hand. Regardless of how Xi Qingtong collapsed to the ground after receiving the hairpin, she turned to Xi Jianan and nodded slightly: "Master, the reward has been delivered. I have to return to the palace to report, so I will not stay for long."
Xi Jianan hurriedly bowed to see him off, with cold sweat on his forehead.
Nanny Xia and her group left in a grand procession, leaving the flower hall in deathly silence.
Xi Qingtong suddenly opened the brocade box and grabbed the golden hairpin and tried to break it, but the hairpin pierced her palm but did not bend much, as if she could no longer compete with Xi Qingwu, and the consequence of competing would be that she would get hurt.
"Why...why..." She finally broke down and cried out loudly, tears streaming down her face, like a madman, "Why did she do that? She's just a wild girl who grew up outside! Why did she do that?!"
Hearing this, everyone present had complicated expressions. Xi Qingbai also realized belatedly that Qingwu was really angry with him because of his original choice. The current Crown Princess and future Queen no longer liked him.
No wonder his father was so indifferent to him, no wonder he didn't give any New Year gifts. He had thought that even if he failed the imperial examination, he could still obtain a title through the Empress' sister, but now, in this situation, how could that be possible?
After hearing what Xi Qingtong said, Xi Qingbai finally couldn't help it. He angrily scolded, "Xi Qingtong, you don't know yet, do you? The one who adopted Qingwu was not someone else, but the traveling Princess Zhenguo, who is now His Majesty. You think she grew up in the countryside, but she is actually the emperor's personal disciple, the apple of his eye!"
Xi Qingbai's angry rebuke was like thunder, exploding in Xi Qingtong's already collapsed ears.
"Your Majesty?" She suddenly raised her head, her tear-stained face full of disbelief and horror, and even her crying stopped abruptly.
Xi Qingbai was even more furious when he saw her like this. If she hadn't been unable to endure the hardship back then, he wouldn't be in such a difficult situation now!
"It's Her Majesty the Empress! During the ten years Qingwu was missing, Her Majesty personally brought her up and taught her! The wild girl you scolded is the Crown Princess, whom Her Majesty personally acknowledged and treated as her own granddaughter! She is the future Queen Mother!"
Every word was like a heavy hammer, smashing Xi Qingtong's remaining sanity into pieces.
Princess Zhenguo... Empress... Disciple... Crown Prince's Consort...
These words, strung together, constitute a horrific fact that she could neither imagine nor accept.
That Xi Qingwu, the rural boy she had always looked down upon and ridiculed...had such good fortune? He was adopted by the Empress as her personal disciple?
All her former sense of superiority and all her ridicule became so ridiculous at this moment.
"No... Impossible... You lied to me! You two teamed up to lie to me!"
Xi Qingtong frantically shook her head, her eyes vacant, trying to deny the truth that was enough to completely destroy her. "How could she be... How could this be..."
However, looking at her father Xi Jianan's eyes of acquiescence, even disappointment and disgust, looking at her brother Xi Qingbai's angry and regretful expression, looking at the servants around her who could not hide their pity... she knew that all this was true.
The huge shock and unprecedented despair instantly overwhelmed her.
"Puff——" A mouthful of blood suddenly spurted out of her mouth, her eyes went dark, and endless regret and jealousy were like poisonous fire, burning her mind to ashes.
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