As I thought about it, I saw that Chen had come in to help me wash and change my clothes, and I suddenly came up with a plan. Today, except for Mrs. Xuanhua, I don't know much else, and I have always treated Chen as a sister.
However, my heart is still anxious, I feel that something is not right, but I can't figure it out. Although I don't know if Mrs. Xuanhua will be able to hear what Chen Zhen has to say, but at this moment, I can only bet on it.
"Why is the princess so preoccupied? I wonder why? " Chen asked as he helped me remove my hair ornament and stared into the bronze mirror.
"Oh — —" I pretended to be deep in thought, and sullenly said, "Today, I accompanied Your Highness to the palace to pay my respects. When I saw Imperial Father's terrible complexion, I couldn't help but feel worried."
"Princess, you worry too much. His Majesty the Emperor is blessed by the heavens and has the protection of the gods to protect him. He will be fine. It's fine if he occasionally suffers from minor ailments." Chen Zhen explained.
I kept sighing and shaking my head.
"Everything else is fine, but unfortunately, I have always respected Lady Xuanhua, and she is also your aunt, yet right now, she is being pampered but has never gotten pregnant. If it was royal father, wouldn't it be a pity?
In the bronze mirror, Chen Wu's frightened face was reflected. In his eyes, there was a trace of panic and helplessness, but soon he calmed down. He put down the last hairpin and bowed to me, tears in his eyes as he sobbed:
"The princess must help aunt. I only have her as my relative now, and her health has always been poor. How could she bear the pain of being guarded by the mausoleum?"
I helplessly sighed, helped Chen to get up, and said:
"I also respect Madam Xuan Hua, but this dynasty has continued the previous dynasty's rule and the rules are difficult to change. No one can predict what will happen in the future, and I am unable to help because I love her. Only she can save herself now."
Chen Zhen raised his head, slightly rolled his eyes, and asked:
"Princess, please enlighten me."
I stood up and walked towards the bed. With my long hair hanging down from my waist, it drifted slightly with every step I took. Washing his hair and stripping off his makeup, he felt completely at ease. With a hint of indistinct concern on his face, he said:
"There is no other way. Madam Xuan Hua can only protect the Emperor's body if she tries her best to protect it. If she can give birth to a man and a woman, it would be perfect, but she can't rush things. The Emperor is no longer young and strong, if she doesn't restrain herself, it would be hard for her to do so."
Chen naturally understood the meaning of my words, and nodded with slight embarrassment. Nowadays, there are many rumours in the country that emperors are despicable in their old age, and that they love Lady Xuanhua the most every night.
"Thank you, Princess, for your reminder. It's just that Aunt is not the rumored foxy girl. If the Emperor wants to be fortunate, how could she refuse?" Now, this servant can only persuade her and wish that she would spare no effort in serving the Emperor. "
A trace of a delicate and pretty complexion appeared on Chen Zhong's face. The melancholy extended along his brow all the way to his nose. Between his eyes, there was a slight wrinkle. Right now, only the two ladies of the Southern Chen Imperial Palace were still in the capital.
I naturally couldn't ask her to go to the palace to persuade Lady Xuanhua so as to not arouse her vigilance. Regardless of whether or not Yang Guang and Xuanhua had a relationship, they still have something to interact with each other regarding the matter regarding the Bewitching Powder. Thus, he said:
"There's no need for thanks between us. Moreover, Lady Xuanhua even gifted Zhao'er with a few small clothes today. It can be seen how much she dotes on Zhao'er. I haven't even had the time to thank her yet." "Alright, you can go to the palace tomorrow and deliver a few of the newest fabrics from the Jinxiang Clothes Manor from the day before yesterday as a form of gratitude."
"Thank you, Princess. Aunt will definitely be happy." Chen Hei said gratefully.
Joy? I don't think so. If Chen Hung were to pass on my words, I'm afraid Lady Xuanhua would be worried. She should know clearly in her heart, if Yang Guang succeeded in his plot, then he would become the emperor in less than half a year. According to the rumors, my "love" with Yang Guang, I am definitely going to be like the mother of the world, even if she has Yang Guang's promise, she would still be afraid of me.
Even in the imperial court, with her status, no one would be able to protect her even a little. Currently, only Her Majesty's Holy Pet is her greatest safeguard, so if she and Yang Guang are in cahoots to protect herself, it won't work on me.
The next day, Chen Zhuo entered the palace, and I calculated the time she would be back. I only inadvertently brought Zhao'er to play outside the palace, and after an hour, when I saw that Chen Zhong had returned, I took a look at her and saw that her face was a little gloomy.
"Aunt told me to thank you, Princess, and said I would like to thank you for your reminder."
"How can that be? I was just saying a few words in vain. You shouldn't have tried to imitate your tongue and told Mrs. Xuanhua, for fear that she might think too much of it. After all, there are too many rumors circulating in the outside world." I said, looking worried.
"How could that be? Aunt was deeply grateful to the princess and didn't have the slightest hesitation. Now, aside from the princess' blessing, who else would be willing to ask about our uncle and nephew? If this servant did not have the support of the princess, I am afraid I would not even know where I would have fallen. " Chen Hei said gratefully.
"Don't be so foreign to me just because you say so. Aren't I also a miserable person?" We are both women from the Southern Dynasties, we should spend more time together. " I was also moved.
Even though my words were noble, my heart was as clear as a mirror. This time, I had thoroughly offended Lady Xuanhua.
I only thought that it was time for Mme Xuanhua to go on with her duties, but she did not listen to my advice and only got even more excited. It was only a few days later that I learned that the Emperor was going to appoint Mme Xuanhua.
When the emperor said this, the imperial court was immediately in an uproar. All the people in the teahouse and restaurants were discussing this matter. There were even some storytellers who described Madam Xuan Hua as a three-headed, six-armed monster or someone who had reincarnated. The ministers of the court also advised against the capture of Chen from the south, one to ensure peace and stability, the other to comfort the spirit of the Dugu empress in heaven.
In short, it was as though a stone had fallen into a lake, causing layers upon layers of waves. Even I was stunned for a long time upon hearing this news.
The matter of the emperor admonishing the officials to death had been resolved day after day. He had completely ignored the affairs of the military and the state, and had only immersed himself in the warm and gentle countryside for a year. The prestige that the emperor had among the people had vanished completely.
"What is my beloved concubine thinking?" Yang Guang's voice suddenly rang out by my ear, scaring me out of my wits. I didn't know when he was standing behind me, so I turned around and scolded him:
"Guanglang didn't make any sound when he walked. Is he trying to scare Chenqie on purpose?"
Yang Guang laughed, sat by my side, stared at me and said:
"I was just joking with you."
When I saw him suddenly stop laughing and stare at me as if he wanted to see through me, my heart tensed up and I asked:
"Why is Guanglang looking at Chenqie like that?"
"My beloved concubine isn't that old, so she knows quite a few things." Yang Guang's expression changed as he said.
I don't know where he learned this ability to change his expression so quickly. I don't understand what he meant. Could it be that my warning to Lady Xuanhua reached his ears? Was it Lady Xuanhua who informed him?
"Chenqie, other than being like a husband and his son, where else can I compare to Guanglang?" Pretending not to see his expression, I calmly replied.
"Oh? Does Imperial Concubine know that Royal Father wants to make Lady Xuanhua his successor? " Yang Guang obviously doesn't believe me, but he doesn't continue pursuing the matter. He only changed the topic and started to talk about the matter of the emperor standing behind the throne.
"The entire country knows about this matter. Chenqie has naturally heard of it as well." I replied.
"What do you think of this matter, my beloved concubine?" Yang Guangcai asked.
"It can't be said to be a wise decision. Chenqie has no right to interfere in this matter." However, chenqie really hopes for royal father to think it over. Forget about royal father and mother's deep affection for each other, just Madam Xuanhua's identity alone is not enough for the future. Furthermore, the nation is dominated by the citizens, so I should listen to more of the rumors regarding the people. "
Seeing Yang Guang listening to my words thoughtfully, I hurriedly added, "Your consort is speaking too much. Your consort isn't prejudiced against your father, but rather feels that there must be some scoundrel who fooled the saint in order for your father to do such a ridiculous thing."
Yang Guang narrowed his eyes and sized me up for a moment.
"The words of one's beloved concubine are always reasonable and well-founded. One is alone and alone, a coarse person who does not understand such twists and turns. However, one day, one would not want to call a woman younger than one as mother."
Right now, Yang Guang actually still calls himself 'a boor'. I sneered in my heart. I'm afraid that there is no one in this world more sinister and cunning than him.
"Chenqie also means the same." I agreed.
"Father is truly old and muddleheaded. It seems that it's time for this throne to change hands." The corner of Yang Guang's mouth raised into a sinister smile, his face was filled with contempt as he actually said such outrageous words. I don't know why, but his smile made me shiver. Intuitively, it was a sign that a storm was about to break.
"Guang Lang, be careful!" I looked around me, but there was no sign of me. I said, "Just say it in front of chenqie. You don't dare to say such outrageous words."
"My beloved concubine, you're overthinking things. This is the crown prince's residence. Where did this outsider come from?" Yang Guang seemed to be confident, and didn't have a shred of fear towards the emperor.
He was still the ruler of a country even though the Emperor was a man of indecent greed. If there was any mistake, Yang Guang's crown prince could change hands at any time. How could he not be worried? Thinking this way, I felt that something was wrong, so I decided to make a trip to the palace.
A few days later, I took Chen to the palace with me. I heard that the emperor stayed at Yongfu Palace every night and brought Chen to inquire about some information. Unexpectedly, just as he arrived at the entrance of Yongfu Palace, he saw a group of courtiers and officials discussing amongst themselves in front of the gate. Surprised, he walked over and greeted them.
"Milords, why have you gathered here?"
"Your Highness the Crown Princess doesn't know. His Majesty isn't willing to go to court early, so he stays at the Eternal Fortune Palace every day. Besides Prime Minister Yang and the Crown Prince, he doesn't see anyone else. I haven't seen him for several days."
"Yes, yes, only one eunuch is sent every day to collect the papers. If there is anything urgent, I will report it to His Highness the crown prince. Today, this old official has the gall to come because there is an urgent matter to report."
"Yes, we will not leave the palace until we see the king today!"
All the officials suddenly kneeled down towards the Eternal Blessed Palace, vowing to see the Emperor.
I was surprised. Why was the Emperor so disrespectful? Even if the officials tried to stop him from being banned, it was unlikely that he would disregard the government and attend the court early, right? Could it really be as Yang Guang said, the emperor was getting old and confused?
I walked around the ministers and headed towards the Yongfu Palace. When I reached the door, I saw that the young eunuch didn't even raise his head as he said dispiritedly,
"His Majesty will not see anyone." It was as if he had said it hundreds of times.
"Impudent!" "Open your dog eyes and look carefully. The esteemed imperial concubine has come to pay her respects. Hurry and report to her!" Chen Zhen reprimanded.