Chapter 212 - The Poor Emperor

This day, eventually, Princess Yushan’s wailing ended with her being gagged and dragged away. However, after she left, the Empress Dowager didn’t mean to let the others leave. Instead, with a sullen face, she stared at the people in the hall.

Her usually amicable look became as sharp as a knife!

After a while, the people in the hall were all frightened with their faces turning pale. The Empress Dowager finally said, “Yushan is too young and thoughtless. I hope that you don’t follow her example.”

Empress Su replied first, “I’ll do as Mother commands!”

The rest of the people also echoed her words and all implied that they wouldn’t talk about it after leaving the hall.

The Empress Dowager didn’t continue reminding them. She just waved her hand wearily, “You guys leave now!”

Song Yixiao was about to leave when the Empress Dowager suddenly said, “Yixiao, you stay!”

“Do you know why I asked you to stay?” After the Empress and the others left, the Empress Dowager stared at Song Yixiao and gave a snort, asking.

The Empress Dowager was obviously dissatisfied with her. Song Yixiao felt stunned and said respectfully, “Your Majesty, I don’t know!”

“As a saying goes, a woman follows her husband no matter what his lot is. Since you are Xubai’s wife, it is fine to think for his own good!” The Empress Dowager, rolling the jade bracelet on her wrist, said coldly, “However, the Emperor doesn’t have a lot of children. Yushan is not only his youngest daughter but also the Virtuous Consort’s only child. I hear that you get along well with the legitimate niece of the Virtuous Consort… As to this matter, I can’t say that you are completely wrong but you are not loyal or filial enough!”

Having been in a daze for a moment, Song Yixiao finally realized that the Empress Dowager suspected that Princess Yushan was incited by her to badger Su Shaoge by all means!

She found it so ridiculous and felt grieved. After composing herself, she said, “Your Majesty, how dare I do such a thing? In fact, when Her Highness Princess Yushan just arrived at Zhanchun Venue, I’ve reminded Qingjiang that Her Highness seemed to have a crush on Master Shaoge! If I really wanted to get the two of them together, how could I tell Qingjiang about it?”

Her argument sounded reasonable but the Empress Dowager’s reply made Song Yixiao feel as if falling into an icehouse, “Back then, the Emperor’s health was not in a bad condition. At least, he didn’t need to recuperate quietly!”

Therefore, even if Emperor Xianjia would feel displeased to hear Princess Yushan request marrying Su Shaoge, he might not faint out of anger.

It was less than month since Emperor Xianjia passed out last time. Within such a short period of time, the emperor with a severe and lingering illness had been hard hit continuously. It remained unknown whether he would get through this time.

Once he couldn’t get through, the Crown Prince would take the throne as a matter of course?

This was surely a good thing for Jian Xubai, a supporter of the Crown Prince!

Therefore, as Jian Xubai’s legitimate wife, it was absolutely possible that she would plot against the emperor indirectly for the prospect of her husband.

“Your Majesty, that’s far from the truth!” Shocked and exasperated, Song Yixiao took a deep breath and calmed herself down, trying to argue back, “Before the imperial feast of the Lantern Festival, I might be suspectable. However, it has been a few days only since the feast was held. I believe that both Her Highness the Noble Consort and His Highness the Crown Prince may not completely forget her within such a short period of time even though they resent Cui Jianlian’s for her fault!”

“After all, she was the one extremely loved by them! Moreover, she was related by blood to the Noble Consort!”

“In this case, with all due respect, if His Highness the Crown Prince is going to ascend the throne in the near future, it will be a good thing for the people of the Eastern Palace, but it may not be a good thing for me!”

Song Yixiao looked up at the Empress Dowager in the eye, saying neither superciliously nor obsequiously, “Therefore, for my own good, I prefer that His Majesty lives as long as possible so that Cui Jianlian can fade from the memories of Her Highness the Noble Consort and His Highness the Crown Prince lest they should vent their anger on me!”

Most importantly, “It was because of your kindness that I married Xubai in the ninth lunar month of last year! It is not easy for me to preside over the affairs of the backyard of Duke of Yan’s mansion within a short period of time. How can I have the ability to make a princess who lives in the imperial palace follow my advice?”

Since they met in Zhanchun Venue last time, apart from the occasions of the imperial feast and her mother-in-law’s birthday feast, Song Yixiao had never met Princess Yushan again!

After being silent for a while, the Empress Dowager, as if she got over ten years older, waved her hand wearily, “Go back then!”

Song Yixiao was not sure whether her reply was satisfying, but upon seeing the Empress Dowager’s gaunt and depressed look, she still didn’t dare to ask about it and then lowered her head, “Okay!”

The matter came without rhyme or reason as a frustrating occurrence. Of course she was unhappy when she returned to Duke of Yan’s mansion. After changing her clothes to the homely dress, she was not in a mood to ask about the household affairs. She only sent Jinxun and Qiaoqin to deal with the affairs and then went into the inner chamber alone with the door closed along with the order that no one should come to disturb her.

She didn’t come out of the inner chamber anymore after she went in there. By the evening, Jian Xubai had just come back when he heard the servants vie with each other in telling him that his wife seemed to have suffered wrong in the imperial palace. He couldn’t help feeling surprised and then quickened his pace to the backyard. As expected, he saw that the Keshao Hall was dark, where no lamps were lit up.

“What’s wrong?” Song Yixiao showed explicitly that she was not in a good mood, so Jinxun and the other maids didn’t dare to disturb her or go into the chamber to light up the lamps after it got dark. However, now that the host was back, certainly they came inside to offer services. As the eight muskmelon-shaped palace lamps with the green yarn decorated with a malus spectabilis pattern were lit up one after another, the room became bright. Song Yixiao lying in bed with a sullen face happened to be shown.

The color of her lips was light. Now under the lamps, her skin appeared as white as snow while her lips were also pale. Her lily topknot having been braided before she entered the imperial palace was apparently loose now. A few wisps of hair were scattered around her ears. The dark black hair reflected the fineness and beauty of her apricot face, which made her even more lovable and delicate.

“Were you bullied in the palace?” Jian Xubai was in doubt about the servants’ words before. After all, for the sake of him, the imperial family would show some respect for Song Yixiao. However, staring at his wife’s depressed look, he couldn’t help believing it. Instantly, he raised his rope and sat by the bed, reaching out his hand to touch her forehead and asking, “Or are you feeling not well?”

“Her Majesty the Empress Dowager suspects me of inciting Princess Yushan to kick up a row with His Majesty and thus make him pass out again in order to marry Master Shaoge!” Song Yixiao turned around to look at him. Her eyes immediately turned red and her voice was clearly filled with whimper, “Even if I was bold enough to do that, how could I have the capability to do that?”

Jian Xubai was slightly shocked to hear that and then looked at the maids who followed him inside, saying, “All of you, go out!”

After all the servants retreated, he raised his hands to put down the curtain and said softly, “Don’t take it personally. How can Grandmother really suspect you? Her words were actually said to me, or the Crown Prince!”

Song Yixiao was grieving at the moment. When she heard that, she was startled, “What do you mean?”

“Virtuous Consort Jiang can never approve of Yushan’s request of marrying Su Zhiyong,” Jian Xubai heaved a sigh and explained, “But you also know that Yushan is in love with Su Zhiyong. Thus, someone reminded her that the great affair of marriage should be determined by one’s parents. Now that the Virtuous Consort doesn’t agree, she can still go to beg His Majesty! So she just did it!”

If she only told Emperor Xianjia that she wanted to marry Su Shaoge, Emperor Xianjia might not be that furious. However, as Emperor Xianjia meant to reject her request, for fear of being unable to get the man she loved, the princess nerved herself to declare that she had been in close contact with Su Shaoge and that she couldn’t marry someone else though the Shougong Sand remained!

Even if Emperor Xianjia had a sister who married three times and had quite some lovers as well as the elder daughter who took away another woman’s fiancé, it didn’t mean that he could still maintain calm and peace after he heard that his younger daughter didn’t behave decently!

Hence, the poor emperor passed out with anger in situ, which surely shocked the Empress Dowager and the Empress. That was why the Empress Dowager beckoned the Virtuous Consort, Princess Yushan, Su Shaoge, and the insiders including Commandery Princess Qingjiang and Song Yixiao to the Qingxi Hall!

Hearing that, Song Yixiao couldn’t help feeling resigned, “It is not a secret that His Majesty’s health has been in a poor condition recently. Why did Princess Yushan act so recklessly?”

She was 15 years old anyway!

Not five years old!

Besides, that was her birth father!

“It was Changxing’s fault.” Jian Xubai knew that his wife stayed alone in the inner chamber for a long time because she felt grieved, but he still didn’t feel relieved until he took her pulse. Then he said with a smile, “Changxing made such trouble but Grandmother and Uncle still let her attain her end and also dealt with the aftermath for her. Yushan is a daughter of the emperor, too. In her eyes, since Changxing can marry her desired man, of course so can she.”

Likewise, “Since Changxing could spend a night in the wild with Yiyou who was betrothed to another girl, what is the big deal about her being close to Su Shaoge in the Zhanchun Venue?”

That was to say, with Princess Changxing as a precedent to go by, Princess Yushan didn’t feel that she went too far!

“No wonder it is always said that family’s tradition is of great significance!” Song Yixiao rubbed her forehead and thought to herself, “Referring to Princess Changxing’s behaviors, Princess Yushan really doesn’t need to feel guilty about what she has done so far!”

As she shouted in the Qingxi Hall, Su Shaoge was not married or engaged yet!

However, it was not the time to sigh over the two princesses’ getting their father into trouble now. Song Yixiao pondered for a while and still asked, “According to what you just said, this is a plot of the Crown Prince?”

Otherwise, how could Jian Xubai know it so well?

“It was Xuepei’s idea.” Jian Xubai’s face clearly turned gloomy and then had a glint of regret. Then he said, “We didn’t mean to hurt Uncle. Originally, we only wanted to use the matter that Uncle and the Virtuous Consort disagree with Yushan to marry Su Zhiyong as a cause to impeach Su Zhiyong for a lack of virtue despite his talent and seducing the princess as well as accuse Duke of Ji of failure to teach his son well and ruining the family’s reputation!”

“After all, it is Qiu Shuxia who charges forward most fiercely among the subordinates of Prince of Zhao currently, but the real power is Duke of Ji!”

It was fair enough to say that without the strong Su Family, even if Prince of Zhao was the legitimate son, he might not be able to threaten the Crown Prince who was made the heir since he was a child!

Unfortunately, contrary to the plan, Princess Yushan directly made Emperor Xianjia pass out with anger!

Of course, putting aside the father-son bonding, it was not a bad thing for the Crown Prince. After all, Princess Yushan was meant as a pawn to set against the Su Family. Now that the emperor passed out, although the ringleader was the princess, she did that sheerly for Su Shaoge.

How could Su Shaoge get away from the blame?

Thinking of that, Song Yixiao suddenly felt that Su Shaoge should be the one who was really innocent. He only attended the imperial feast according to the rules, during which he didn’t deliberately show off but he was picked by Princess Yushan for his good-looking appearance and gracious bearing!

Otherwise, how could he have so much trouble?

She felt sorry for Su Shaoge for a minute and then asked, “The Empress Dowager claimed to suspect me of intending to murder His Majesty, but actually who she suspects is you, or more accurately, the Crown Prince? What shall we do about it?