svetikya Chapter 223 Just a Princess
Chapter 223 Just a Princess
Consort Xie gave birth to the second princess, but the imperial decree for her promotion was delayed. Feeling uneasy, she asked Bingyan, "Did the Emperor come last night?"
Bingyan panicked. "This servant went to invite the Emperor, but he was busy and asked the Empress to look after you. Your Highness, the princess is so beautiful! The Emperor will surely like her when he sees her."
"Just a princess!"
If the emperor treats his princes like that, how can you expect him to treat the princesses any better?
Consort Xie then realized that Li Yuanyin's inefficiency must have allowed the Emperor to learn the cause of Zheng Ruojin's death.
The Emperor's anger had taken its toll on her, and she couldn't help but sigh softly. "Find an opportunity to see Prince Chang Le again. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be in this situation today!"
Bingyan was terrified. "Your Highness, the Emperor has already returned to the palace. It might not be appropriate to go see the Prince now. What if the Emperor finds out?"
Now that we know the truth anyway, we might as well take this opportunity to gain more benefits for ourselves.
"But who else can help me? It can't be that everyone else who has a child gets promoted while I don't. What will the people in the palace think of me? And what will the princess say about her?"
Bingyan looked at the thin and frail princess and felt a pang of heartache.
In Zhaoyang Palace, Shen Shixi was looking at the guest list for today's Mid-Autumn Festival banquet. The emperor did not plan to hold a grand event, and the number of attendees was limited. She instructed, "Have the small kitchen bake some mooncakes according to the recipe I gave you. Chao'en, you personally go and deliver a box to the Zheng family."
When the old noble lady of the Zheng family received the mooncakes, she knew what the Imperial Noble Consort meant. She instructed her eldest daughter-in-law to send a token to the palace, indicating that she wanted to go to the palace to see the Imperial Noble Consort.
"I wonder if this is the Emperor's will or the Imperial Noble Consort's?" Madam Zheng asked anxiously.
If it's the Emperor's will, then it's about giving an explanation for her daughter's death. If it's the Imperial Noble Consort's will, then the Zheng family will be dragged into the royal family's power struggle over this matter, which could easily lead to their annihilation. It might not be worth it.
Zheng Laofeng said, "No matter whose intention it was, I will go to the palace to ask how Jin'er died and why she died. There must be an explanation. If she really died unjustly, then there is nothing to say. But if not, with so many good-for-nothing nephews and nieces in the family, there must be a way out."
Madam Zheng had nothing to say.
Li Yuanyin unexpectedly arrived at Zhaoyang Palace.
Seeing his grief-stricken appearance, Shen Shixi felt a pang of sympathy and asked, "The banquet is about to start, what are you doing here?"
Now that Shen Shixi has become an Imperial Noble Consort, she doesn't want to get involved in any of the affairs of the harem. The Empress handles everything. Today's palace banquet is being held in Cining Palace. It's not a big event; it's just a small gathering in the palace.
Li Yuanyin sat down and took a sip of tea. "Shixi, is Your Majesty blaming Consort Xie?"
Shen Shixi: ...
Li Yuanke was so smart, so why did he have such a younger brother and mother?
"Li Yuanyin, do you remember what I said before? I said if you insisted on marrying him, I could help you two be together, but you refused. Now you can't forget it. Do you know that this is a grave crime of incest?"
Li Yuanyin jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, "Shen Shixi, what nonsense are you talking about? How is that possible? She's my brother's woman, I only consider her a friend."
Shen Shixi said, "Friends? Besides her, which other friends have you tortured and killed for? Do you know how this will be seen by others? It's an immoral act, yet you describe it as so pure and noble."
Li Yuanyin was about to cry again. "But she didn't have to go to the palace. She only went because of me, and my brother doesn't even like her. Shi Xi, can you help her?"
"She didn't want to go to the palace in the first place?" Shen Shixi scoffed. "Where is going to the palace a disservice to her?"
"She entered the palace with you, you were in the same group. Now your rank is second only to the Empress, and even Lin has been promoted to the rank of Consort. You still have no children. She gave birth to a princess, but she was not promoted. If it were you, would you be able to accept it?"
Her elder brother never visits her palace; she receives neither rank nor favor. If she didn't enter the palace, given her status, she could easily be the legal wife or principal wife. Why should she endure such humiliation?
Shen Shixi couldn't help but laugh. "Li Yuanyin, she told you all these things, didn't she? When did she say them?"
Li Yuanyin quickly waved his hand, "Don't misunderstand, we were just standing and talking, we didn't do anything, don't misunderstand!"
Shen Shixi then asked, "So back then, was it you who didn't want to marry her, or her who didn't want to marry her? Did the Empress Dowager approach you or her?"
Li Yuanyin said, "The Empress Dowager summoned her, and she agreed to enter the palace."
Shen Shixi asked, "If she were willing to marry you, would you be willing to fight against the Empress Dowager for her?"
Li Yuanyin said, "The Empress Dowager will not agree. The Empress Dowager... dislikes her very much."
"There's always a reason why someone might dislike another. How many times has the Empress Dowager met her? Why wouldn't she like her? Li Yuanyin, have you asked her? Have you thought about it? Even if the Empress Dowager disagrees, you still have the Emperor. Tell me honestly, is it that you don't want to marry her, or that she really doesn't want to marry you?"
Li Yuanyin said sadly, "She said she didn't want to enter the palace, but her family forced her to. She also didn't want to enter the royal palace. She just wanted to find an ordinary man, live a simple and loving life, and have only her for the rest of her life."
"One life, one love, one partner!" Shen Shixi laughed. "Li Yuanyin, some things are best left unsaid. Of course, you won't listen to anything I say now. I just want to tell you that anyone who survives in the harem is ambitious and shrewd. Don't get involved."
Previously, she worried that Li Yuanyin would harm Consort Xie, but now she realizes that she too has misjudged him.
Li Yuanyin wouldn't listen to a word he said. "Shixi, can you talk to your brother?"
"No, I don't want to get involved in your affairs."
"Shi Xi, how can you always be so heartless? Yet you still helped Consort Jin and the others to get titles."
"They are the people I brought out. No matter what they think, they are all forced to be labeled with my name in this harem. I can't let them make a wasted trip and live in fear. They will be promoted sooner or later. The Emperor is just asking me to do this favor."
If the emperor were to issue an edict promoting someone, he certainly wouldn't promote them two ranks at once; this would be a favor to her.
Afterwards, Shen Shixi heard that Li Yuanyin had taken a full-length mirror from the mirror workshop under the Imperial Household Department and presented it to Consort Xie as a congratulatory gift. The back of the mirror was even painted with peonies. All that could be said was that Li Yuanyin was out of his mind.
Consort Xie presented the mirror to the Empress, who was overjoyed.
The family banquet was held at 5 PM. Li Yuanke arrived while Shen Shixi was getting ready.
He had already changed his clothes, wearing a sapphire blue satin robe with a round neck and fitted sleeves, embroidered with gold lotus patterns, a jade belt around his waist, a purse on one side and a jade dragon pendant on the other, and a white jade hairpin. He was a gentleman as elegant as jade, a graceful and refined gentleman.
"Oh dear, whose handsome young master is this? What brings you to my humble abode? Have you come to the wrong house?"
Shen Shixi stood up, circled around him, then threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Young master, don't leave! Stay with me! My man doesn't want me anymore, and I don't want him anymore either. Let's just be together forever!"
Li Yuanke was both angry and amused. He pinched her chin and said, "Who said he doesn't want you anymore? If he doesn't want you, who does he want?"
"He has many little vixens, not just me. I don't care for him at all. I only care for you, my lord!" She pouted her red lips, her eyes hooked, and with a charming smile, Li Yuanke felt as if his soul had been stolen away.
He scooped Shen Shixi up and started to walk inside. Shen Shixi was startled. "Hey, hey, no, no, I don't want to! Put her down! Li Yuanke, don't go crazy!"
There's really no time to spare right now. If we make a scene, it'll take at least half an hour. Are we going to expect the Empress Dowager and all the concubines to wait indefinitely? That would be utterly shameless.
"You filthy thing, you dare to seduce me with this!" Li Yuanke slapped her bottom, put her down, and straightened the hairpin in her hair.
When the two arrived, it was already quite late, and the Empress Dowager and the Empress were already seated.