C199

"Chenqie greets the empress." Shang Yiqing brought Yingying into the palace, kneeling down in greeting when she saw Empress Chen.

Empress Chen sat on the bed and bowed slightly. "Consort Wang is here."

Shang Yiqing pulled Yingying to her feet. "Esteemed wangfei, chenqie brought Yingying here today to express her gratitude. I must thank esteemed wangfei for retracting my orders, otherwise Yingying would …"

"This humble one thanks the empress. The empress is a thousand years old, a thousand years old, a thousand years old!" Ying Ying kneeled down again to express her gratitude.

Empress Chen laughed calmly and glanced at Ying Ying, "This is the younger sister of Great General Xiao? Raise your head for me to see. "

Ying Ying raised her head, not daring to look directly at Empress Chen. She only peeked out of the corner of her eyes and saw that Empress Chen's face was facing the side, her cheekbones slightly raised, but her skin contrasted evenly with her smooth skin. Her eyes were calm and tranquil, and her demeanor was elegant.

When Empress Chen looked at Ying Ying, she felt that the woman before her had beautiful eyebrows, eyes like spring water, and an indescribable elegance. As expected, she was a beautiful woman, and she couldn't help but praise her. At this point, a faint smile appeared on her face. "I almost made a grave mistake listening to King Xuan's words last time. Fortunately, Miss Ying Ying is safe and sound, otherwise I would have …"

"Ying Ying can no longer thank the Empress for her benevolence …" Although this was the first time she had met Empress Chen, she had a very good impression of her.

"Miss Ying Ying, please rise and speak." Empress Chen waved her hand, making Ying Ying stand up.

Ying Ying stood up and placed her hands by Shang Yiqing's side.

Shang Yiqing took a step forward and was about to speak when she heard a eunuch report from outside the palace, "Esteemed wangfei, Prince Xuan requests an audience."

What a coincidence, she would actually run into King Xuan at the empress's place. Shang Yiqing was startled, but didn't say anything. At the same time, she turned to look at Ying Ying, who revealed an expression of surprise and awkwardness.

Empress Chen raised her head and looked at them, saying gently, "Don't worry, I was just about to ask how Duke Xuan deceived me last time. "He came just in time, summon him."

"Announcement to the Emperor." Accompanied by the young eunuch's duckling voice, King Xuan, dressed in luxurious silk clothes, appeared in the palace.

"Nephew greets the empress." King Xuan walked in and bowed.

"Rise."

When King Xuan stood up, he was surprised to find that Ying Ying was in the palace as well. He asked in disbelief, "Why is Miss Ying Ying here as well?"

Ying Ying didn't say anything, and Shang Yiqing ignored him as well. On the other hand, Empress Chen said, "Don't worry about that. What is your purpose in coming to find me today?"

Ever since he had come that day to seek an audience with Empress Chen, King Xuan had been immersed in his excitement. He had thought that he would soon receive the imperial edict and take Ying Ying as his secondary wife. However, they didn't hear the orders from Empress Chen at all. A month had passed in the blink of an eye, yet they still hadn't received any news. This time, King Xuan really couldn't sit still any longer. He had not expected to see Ying Ying here, and this came as a great surprise to him.

Although it was just a glance, King Xuan's heart had long since jumped like a little deer. His tone of voice contained some excitement as he stepped forward and replied, "Empress, nephew has come today to ask the Empress how the imperial decree has not been issued in a month?" Your nephew is truly in love with Miss Ying Ying. I hope that the esteemed wangfei can issue an order as soon as possible so that your nephew can fulfill it! "

Empress Chen slightly smiled, then glanced at Ying Ying before replying to King Xuan, "Didn't I tell you about this before? You need to ask Great General Xiao before I can give you a reply.

"Esteemed Empress, your nephew really can't wait …" King Xuan's words were very sincere.

Shang Yiqing, who was listening at the side, could not help but twitch her mouth but remained silent.

Empress Chen looked at King Xuan with a gentle gaze, then said with certainty, "I have already asked the Great General Xiao about this. He did not agree."

"However, Miss Ying Ying's reputation has been tarnished. Since nephew has done such a thing, I cannot ignore Miss Ying Ying. I am willing to bear all the consequences!"

King Xuan emphasized on the issue of Yingying's reputation, causing Shang Yiqing to roll her eyes. Ying Ying was so embarrassed that her cheeks were completely red. She couldn't help but say, "Don't speak carelessly, Prince Xuan and Prince Rong didn't start a fight on the streets because of me. Why do you have to put this matter on my head?"

"Ying Ying, how can you say that? This King is doing this all for you. Why don't you understand this king's intentions?" King Xuan raised his head to look at Ying Ying. His gaze was passionate, as if he wanted to melt Ying Ying down.

However, Ying Ying remained unmoved. She shook her head and rejected, "Your Highness, this is only your one-sided wish. Ying Ying has never thought of it this way."

"Ying Ying, you …" Initially, he had thought that this matter was certain. He hadn't expected that in front of Empress Chen, Ying Ying would resolutely reject him. This caused King Xuan's face to grow even more unsightly, making him feel embarrassed to say such words.

Empress Chen saw this and stopped their conversation. She said in a low voice, "In front of me, don't make a ruckus. I will naturally uphold justice."

"Your Highness, your nephew is truly sincere to Ying Ying. Heaven and earth can be seen for themselves!" King Xuan was so anxious that he swore to the heavens.

"King Xuan, I'm sure of your feelings for Ying Ying. However, Ying Ying said that she doesn't want to marry you. I can't force anyone into a difficult situation, can I?" Empress Chen's tone was still light, without a hint of awkwardness, but it was certain.

"Empress, what do you mean?" King Xuan was so anxious that his words jumped up. The last time, the empress had clearly agreed to it, so why did she change it so quickly? There must be a reason for this. He looked at Shang Yiqing again and thought to himself, 'Consort Rong has always been against me. Could she be the one behind this matter?' He couldn't help but be secretly angry.

"King Xuan, you said last time that you and Prince Rong made a ruckus on the streets because of Ying Ying. However, this isn't the reason why I sent people to investigate. For the sake of marrying Ying Ying, you dared to lie to me." As Empress Chen spoke to here, her tranquil and elegant expression changed, becoming somewhat stern.

King Xuan was startled. Where did all these things come from? Why would the empress say such a thing? Was it really related to Imperial Concubine Rong? He could not help but glare at Shang Yiqing secretly and stepped forward, "Esteemed wangfei, your nephew is telling the truth. I am not lying!"

When Shang Yiqing heard this, she could not help but let out a cold snort, "King Xuan, Miss Ying Ying is here, are you still so sure with your words? Do you know what crime it is to deceive the Empress? "

There were some things within Shang Yiqing's words that King Xuan couldn't understand. He raised her head and asked, "What does consort Rong mean?"

"Chenqie doesn't mean anything. I'm just afraid that King Xuan will make things difficult for you if he goes too far!" Shang Yiqing revealed a mocking expression. She did not expect King Xuan's tone to be so certain at this point.

"Esteemed wangfei, no matter what you say, this duke's heart for Ying Ying is absolutely sincere!" Although he felt a bit guilty, King Xuan still spoke sincerely.

I won't let Ying Ying go

Empress Chen raised her eyebrows and asked, "Is that really the case?"

"Esteemed Empress, your nephew's words are true. May the Empress hear them!" King Xuan knelt down, but he felt a great sense of unease in his heart. He felt that his decision to marry Ying Ying as his side concubine would likely fail.

"Duke Xuan, you stand up first and speak." Empress Chen's tone changed. "It's not that I don't believe you, but that Lady Ying Ying is here today. Let's see what she can say …"

Fortunately, Shang Yiqing had already told her everything that she wanted to say. Yingying repeated what Shang Yiqing had said after hearing the empress's question, adding in the end, "Empress, no matter what the reason is, this humble woman has made up her mind not to marry King Xuan. I hope he won't force anyone into a difficult situation!"

When Duke Xuan heard this, his expression changed greatly, because what Ying Ying had said was true and false, making it difficult for others to distinguish between the truth and false. He even pointed the spearhead at himself, as if forcing himself to marry Ying Ying as his secondary wife.

After Empress Chen heard this, she slightly nodded her head and asked, "King Xuan, did you hear that? I believe that Miss Ying Ying wouldn't lie, so this matter … I cannot agree. "

King Xuan sucked in a breath of cold air. All of this had to be caused by the grand imperial concubine. He hadn't thought that this woman would be so detestable as to ruin his plans. King Xuan made up his mind that he wouldn't let Shang Yiqing off, but he couldn't help but apologise to the esteemed empress with a guilty heart. "This nephew does have something wrong with this matter, but nephew truly likes Ying Ying. I hope esteemed wangfei can give nephew a chance."

"King Xuan, why must you be so stubborn?" Empress Chen sighed, "I have already said everything I wanted to say, why don't you understand? "Lady Ying Ying is not willing to marry you, and I will not force anyone into a difficult situation. It's better if you stop talking about it." Although Empress Chen's tone was very tactful, she refused without the slightest hesitation.

"But the Empress …" King Xuan had more to say, but she was stopped by Shang Yiqing. "Since esteemed wangfei has already said so, it's better that you stop being stubborn. You already have an imperial concubine, and there are so many women who like you in this world. "Just let Ying Ying go."

Prince Xuan was both embarrassed and annoyed when he heard this. He used his gaze to stop Shang Yiqing as he asked in a displeased tone, "What do you mean by that, Imperial Concubine?"

"Chenqie is only speaking the truth. Miss Ying Ying is simply unwilling to do this, so why is King Xuan trying to force us?" Shang Yiqing's tone was laced with unspeakable scorn.

However, he really couldn't do that in front of Empress Chen. He could only suppress the unhappiness in his heart and speak in a low voice, "Since everyone has already said so, then this king naturally cannot do anything that goes against the wishes of Lady Yingying's mother. Furthermore, this matter has dealt Miss Ying Ying a huge blow. This king here will first make a difference and ask Miss Ying Ying not to take offense! "

Ying Ying, who originally had no feelings for Prince Xuan, felt that this made sense, so he smiled faintly, "Your highness is being too courteous. Since the empress has already brought justice to this matter, Ying Ying won't hold any grudges against you. He can only be more grateful to the empress …" Ying Ying has failed to live up to your wrong love. "

Empress Chen clapped her hands in delight. "Good, very good. This is settled then. In the future, King Xuan will not bother Lady Ying Ying ever again …" Princess Consort Xuan is actually a person who's one in a hundred. She really should be treated well. " Having said so, Empress Chen looked up at the sky and said in a low voice, "It's getting late, and I'm also tired. All of you, kneel down and rest."

The three of them went up to pay their respects and then left the palace.

"Esteemed wangfei, this prince really didn't expect you to be so malicious as to accuse me in front of the empress dowager. You're really cruel!" After exiting the palace gates, King Xuan turned his head and said viciously.

Shang Yiqing shrugged, "I was forced to do this. Do you know that Ying Ying almost committed a grave mistake because of this? If you really like Ying Ying, you shouldn't have forced her into this kind of situation. You should have let her find her happiness, and not let her marry someone you don't like."

"You …" King Xuan was furious. He looked at Ying Ying, but she only lowered her head and did not look at him. This made him angry and resentful. He asked her with a trembling voice, "Ying Ying …" You... That's what you think too? "

Ying Ying smiled as she raised her head. She looked at King Xuan and said, "Your highness, Ying Ying knows what you're thinking, but Ying Ying doesn't have any feelings for you at all. It's impossible for her to marry you, so it's best if you don't have any thoughts about me.

King Xuan's face instantly paled. He staggered back a few steps, shaking his head in disbelief. "Ying Ying, you're not moved by this king's actions? Don't tell me you're not touched by my actions at all?"

"Fate is something that can only be met by luck and not sought after. Your Highness, please don't talk about it anymore. Ying Ying will be the first to go." With that, Ying Ying walked away.

Shang Yiqing turned around to glare at King Xuan and walked away as well.

However, King Xuan was unwilling to let her go. He took a large step forward and stood in front of Ying Ying, raising his voice. "Ying Ying, you're not allowed to leave. I know that you're interested in this duke. Otherwise, that night …"

King Xuan didn't continue speaking, but Ying Ying's face was completely red. Damn it, how could he tell her about kissing him that night? Ying Ying was so embarrassed that her face turned red and white. Her lips trembled, but she could not utter a single word.

Although Shang Yiqing didn't know what King Xuan meant, she could tell from Ying Ying's expression that it was something that Ying Ying didn't want to be mentioned. The reason why King Xuan proposed this at this time was simply to make Ying Ying submit obediently. His scheming was really deep. If Ying Ying was unable to refute him, she might have no choice but to …

Thinking of this, Shang Yiqing spat, "King Xuan, don't go too far. "You clearly made it clear before the empress that you won't bother Ying Ying anymore, why did your face completely change the moment you left the palace?"

"This King is only speaking the truth …" He didn't want to blow the matter up, so he could only suppress his anger with a smile, "This king has never liked using force. For other women, it's even more so for Lady Ying Ying. But what happened between Lady Ying Ying and this king that night, I'll let Lady Ying Ying explain it to Prince Rong herself."

"What are you talking about?" Ying Ying was finally able to utter those words with much difficulty. There was an astonishing sadness on her deathly pale face. She looked at King Xuan once more and felt choked up.

King Xuan looked at Ying Ying. He really liked her. He had already been attracted to her with just three eyes, and it wasn't for no reason. Even though he wanted to reject her, he still couldn't let her go. He wanted to say something more, but when he saw that Ying Ying's eyes were already red and she was on the verge of tears, he felt pity for her and swallowed his words back down her throat. Her tone turned soft. "No matter what, this king's feelings for Miss Ying Ying will never change! "Although Miss Ying Ying might not be able to tell by now, I will definitely make her feel truly touched.

"Why do you say that? There's no need to be conflicted now. Obediently go home and treat Princess Xuan. "Ying Ying's marriage has been decided by chenqie, and now that we have settled it, I shall ask you, King Xuan, to let Ying Ying go." Shang Yiqing casually told a lie as she thought it through.

"Is that true?" King Xuan asked in shock.

"Of course!"

201 Dialogue between husband and wife

Within the Jade Dawn Palace.

"The emperor has arrived …" Along with the young eunuch's duck voice, the emperor impressively appeared in the palace.

Empress Chen hurriedly got up from the couch to welcome him, smiling brightly. "Your majesty, you've only just recovered. Why have you come to see chenqie today?"

Although the emperor's body was still weak, he was still in good spirits. He reached out his hand to place it on Empress Chen's wrist and said gently, "I feel like I'm missing something because I haven't been to the Jade Chen Palace for a few days."

"Sit down first and speak." Empress Chen helped the emperor sit down. Although they had been husband and wife for decades, their relationship was still very good. Even though the emperor's imperial harem didn't have three palaces and six courtyards, there were still dozens of concubines. Having been exclusive to him for so many years, he was truly touching.

"Esteemed Empress, why don't you send him off today?" As the Emperor spoke, she stared fixedly at Empress Chen, trying to discern something from her face.

Empress Chen gave a gentle smile, "It's been so many years, what's the difference between giving it away and not giving it away? Since chenqie chose the emperor, she only wants to follow the emperor until she's old. Chenqie doesn't even think about anything else."

"But that year, the Ten Thousand Returning Spring …" The Emperor wanted to speak, but hesitated.

"Your Majesty, those are all matters of the past, there's no need to mention them. This chenqie knows that the Ten Thousand Returning Spring was very good to chenqie. However, chenqie has never liked the Emperor and has never had any thoughts about him. " What Empress Chen said was the truth. When she was young, she almost met Wan Huichun and the emperor at the same time. Although Wan Huichun loved her deeply, in her heart, there had always been only the emperor.

When the Emperor heard these words, his face revealed an extremely moved expression. He silently nodded his head. "Sometimes, when I sit down and think about it, I feel that these decades have not been wasted. With you by my side, I have no regrets in this life!"

Empress Chen hastily covered the emperor's mouth. "Your majesty, please don't say that. We still have a long way to go."

The emperor smiled and shook her head. The light in her eyes dimmed as she spoke in a slightly heavy tone, "Empress, my body is getting worse with each passing day. I know it all in my heart."

"Your Majesty, don't spout nonsense. The Ten Thousand Returning Spring Medicine is brilliant. This time, he's treating you, so you'll definitely be fine." Although she knew the answer in her heart, Empress Chen still couldn't help but comfort the emperor.

The emperor took hold of Empress Chen's hand and spoke in a softer tone, "You don't have to lie to me. My body is getting worse and worse. I've only been struggling with my life. It's only been two years."

"You're here again, why are you saying all this?" Empress Chen looked at the emperor reproachfully, not wanting him to speak any further.

The emperor smiled faintly. "I know that you don't like listening to this, but do you know the troubles in my heart?"

Empress Chen was slightly startled as her smile reappeared on her face. She spoke as if she had seen through the emperor's thoughts, "What worries you the most is the position of crown prince …" How could chenqie not know? "

"It is good that the Empress knows. In the past two years, so many things have happened in the palace. "Right now, Ning Wang is half dead. Although King Ding is wise, he always appears to be impetuous. King Xuan is the strongest amongst these four princes, but I don't have a good impression of him. I feel that he's too smart, too shrewd …" The Emperor sighed, not knowing how to continue.

"Could it be that the person the Emperor wishes for is Prince Rong?" After so many years of being husband and wife, how could Empress Chen not know the emperor's intentions? But Prince Rong's body was too weak, and he had no means of success in the court.

The emperor glanced up at Empress Chen, then lowered his head again, feeling helpless.

"Your Majesty, actually with Prince Rong's personality and personality, chenqie likes it a lot …" "But Prince Rong has almost no power in the court, and his health has always been so poor. He has no connections with the court or any other matters. If the emperor wants to make the prince his crown prince, I'm afraid everyone won't be able to wholeheartedly accept it …" Empress Chen spoke of the Emperor's worries. Although she was only in charge of the imperial harem, she wasn't completely ignorant of matters of the court.

"What the Empress says is true. This is precisely the question that troubled me." As the emperor spoke to here, she let out a long sigh. Unfortunately, he had no son. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so conflicted over this matter.

"Right now, the emperor's body is still fine, there's no need to be so entangled over this matter …" Empress Chen spoke weakly to the emperor. Although she knew this matter had to be done without delay, she couldn't think of a better solution.

The emperor shook his head and smiled in distress. "I have no choice but to remain calm. This time, I had a relapse and almost …" I need to settle this matter as soon as possible. "

Empress Chen felt a pang in her heart. If they had a son of their own, things wouldn't be so troublesome. Thinking of how she had no son of her own, Empress Chen felt even more despondent. She said hoarsely, "It's all my fault. I haven't given birth to a daughter for the emperor in so many years."

Seeing that, the emperor held onto Empress Chen's hand even more tightly and tried to persuade her, "Who said that? It's not like you've never given birth to my son. "It's all my fault. If I had been able to protect you and your son back then, I wouldn't have fallen to this stage."

"Your Majesty …" Your concubine knows you can't be blamed for all this … Let's not talk about that. " Empress Chen hastily changed the topic. Seeing that the emperor was still looking lonely, a thought flashed through her mind before she suddenly mentioned, "Your Majesty, chenqie thought for a moment. Why don't we listen to Prince Yu about this matter? After all, these young princes are his sons.

The emperor nodded in agreement, as if enlightened. "Empress, you're right. Why didn't I discuss this with Prince Yu? "He's our blood brother, not to mention he's the blood father of these three princes. He must have known more than us, we should have heard his words a long time ago."

"Yeah. Prince Yu is a man of his word, and he is a man of his own right. We should listen to him. " Empress Chen repeatedly agreed.

The emperor's brow finally revealed a hint of a smile. He stood up and paced back and forth in the hall, praising, "I knew it. If there was any difficulty, I would come to discuss it with the empress. The empress would definitely give me a good idea." The Empress is not only my wife, but also my already know. I shall immediately summon Prince Yu and see what he means. " The Emperor had always been a decisive man, and he would immediately send for Prince Yu.

Empress Chen looked at the sky and spoke up to stop him. "Your majesty, it's already late. It won't be too late if we say anything tomorrow."

"Yeah, yeah …" Not bad … I will look for Prince Yu again tomorrow. " The Emperor nodded.