Chapter 53:
“Second Princess, you should go back.”
Grandfather Chen looked nervously at Second Princess Linglong, his whole body trembling.
Once the Empress gets angry, many servants will die. He was not one to fear death, yet after the Prince was chased out of the palace, needless to say, all his servants were either killed or sent far away. Only some old people were left, and they were barely saved by the second princess.
As the grandfather of the second princess, he was asked by his son to watch the second princess grow up well. Before the Second Princess grows up safely, he can’t die. If he dies, who else would be willing to protect the Second Princess, who no longer has a father?
“No, I want to ask my mother. Father is wronged, and I can’t watch my father suffer such disgrace outside.”
Earlier this morning, she heard the news of her father killing fish in the market to survive. How could she let her father eat such suffering?
The First Princess clearly knows how to swim. Even if Father was jealous of the Lord, how could Father have pushed a person who knows how to swim into the water and almost killed the First Princess?
“But this matter has already been decided. It is not easy for the Prince Consort to survive…”
Grandfather Chen couldn’t help but advise his son before that the people in this palace who have eyes can see that he was blocking the Lord’s path. In fact, by sending him out of the palace, the Empress could save his life. People sent by the Lord will never let go of the Prince. Under such circumstances, being able to live is already the best result. Does it really matter what you do for a living?
As long as the Lord is here, the Prince Consort would not be able to come back again. Why should the Second Princess take the risk for the Prince Consort, who has been expelled from the palace and is no longer in the heart of the Empress?
The Empress never indulged in her harem nor did she like her princesses to be too soft-hearted. When it comes to the Prince Consort, his life was insignificant compared to the princesses’ status in the eyes of the Empress.
“My father loves me so much. If I don’t do anything for him and only think about my own safety, then am I still worthy of being his daughter?”
Linglong’s face was full of determination, she was determined not to listen to Chen’s persuasion.
“I am Empress’s biological daughter. She won’t treat me like that.”
“Hey……”
Grandfather Chen knew that the Second Princess, like the Prince Consort, seems timid, but at heart, she was surprisingly willful. As long as they have decided on something, they wouldn’t budge. No matter, since he has chosen to follow the Second Princess, he should obey the Second Princess in everything. At most, he would just have to face death.
“Very well. We shall see your Empress Mother.”
***
After waiting for a while, the Empress’ carriage came over, and Linglong took a few steps forward and stopped in front of it.
“Is it Linglong?”
The Empress’s majestic and cold voice came out of the carriage. However, her personal maid still noticed the hint of care and tenderness hidden in it as she raised her hand to stop Linglong from approaching any further.
“Linglong wants to see the Empress mother.”
Seeing that the Empress was just staying in the car and did not get down, Linglong stepped forward and knelt down. She hadn’t seen her mother for more than a month since her father’s accident. She knew that her mother did not want to see her, but she had to see her today.
“Well, come to the palace with me.”
After a moment of silence, the Second Princess finally replied, “Thank you, Empress mother!” After hearing only those six words, Linglong’s eyes were already moist, almost shedding tears, realizing that the Empress was still willing to see her. Perhaps, could the Empress also stop being angry with her father and be willing to take him back again?
Unfortunately, just after returning to the Empress Ming Yue’s bedroom, they only sat down and before the tea was served, she opened her mouth.
“If you’re here for your father’s business, go back.”
About Yuyang, she got the news earlier than her daughter Linglong. After all, he was also the biological father of her only two daughters. She can’t tell him to just die outside, and he was really wronged in this matter. Although he didn’t want to leave the palace and their side, he had lost his place here, but he did not drag down the First Princess’s reputation. Regardless, he was also known for his wisdom.
Unexpectedly, after he went out, he was so complacent and became a market hawker, doing such inferior things. Even if he was expelled from the palace and had no money, she couldn’t just sit back and let him starve to death on the street, right?
As it turns out, he actually rejected the money she sent through a messenger and said that he could support himself without bothering her. Since the fate of the husband and wife had now ended, they would separate from each other and have nothing to do with each other any longer.
He was simply unreasonable!
This coarse and lowly person, after being given mercy and blessings in the palace for so many years, still failed to change his small and petty nature. She, the Empress, took the initiative to send someone to give money, and he even dared to play and be angry with her.
Humph!
If he doesn’t want it, she can still force him to ask for it? It’s his business to take care of himself now that he was kicked out. She just hoped he was not confused enough to do something to shame the princess. When that time comes, she will be the first one to let him go.
“Mother, Father was wronged! His life outside is so bitter…”
Linglong, however, directly got up and knelt down in front of Ming Yue, pleading bitterly. However, the more she said, the more ugly Ming Yue’s face became, not angry, but embarrassed.
She also knows Yuyang’s suffering, otherwise, why would she send someone to send money? She was also so angry at the time, that she directly told people to throw him out, not even to give him the time to pack up. Then when she wanted to give him money for him to take care of himself, the man didn’t want her money at all, and he even said goodbye to her.
This feeling of being slapped in the face is very unpleasant, she is more unlikely to say it in front of her daughter, she is a dignified empress. The shame of being rejected by someone who was thrown out, if her daughter knew, how can she still be her Empress Mother in the future?
Unfortunately, the more she did not speak, the more miserable Linglong, her favorite daughter, would cry, the more her heart would soften. Although the First Princess was raised as an heir, the one who was closer in her heart was this delicate and soft daughter who calls her mother.
Instead of being afraid of seeing her First Princesses, she has to forcefully put on a respectful face and detach herself from her.
“Your father will live his own life.”
It was really impossible, Empress Ming Yue could only speak.
“Father… How could Empress Mother bear to eat while he suffers like this?”
Linglong’s makeup was all smudged up from crying, her eyes swollen. Since she could remember, she watched her father paint, sew, and embroider, cook tea and rice, and she had never seen her father hurt even a fly. In her impression, seeing blood would make Father uncomfortable for a long time. But now, Father has to be in that market daily to kill fish and sell…..
“How can I not eat?”
Ming Yue coldly snorted. He was eating happily and arrogantly. He dared to challenge her like that.
Linglong was desperate when she listened. Empress Mother said that Father was born to humble origins, and he should have lived like this, where can he be so petulant? Sure enough, the Second Princess of the Empress Mother has already lost her father…
“If Mother doesn’t care about Father, then… Linglong doesn’t want to stay in this palace!”
Biting her lip, Linglong stood up.
Since Mother Emperor is so cruel, then she will go out of the palace and live with her father. She didn’t want to stay in such a cold palace, so she might as well follow her father and have a light meal every day and live free and happy.
“Linglong! Don’t be capricious!” Mingyue spoke coldly. “Is this how your father brought you up?”
“It has nothing to do with Father, it’s just that I don’t want to stay in this cold place anymore!”
Although Linglong is a princess, she was only eleven years old today and was raised up naive and simple. The First Princess called Ming Yue Mother Emperor and her father Prince Consort but never dared to shout Father and Mother in joy like the Second Princess. This rare moment of anger from the Second Princess surprisingly threatened the Empress of losing her favorite daughter.
“Well, well!!! Sure enough, just like your father!”
At that moment, Mingyue recalled that year when she wanted to take the First Princess from Yuyang’s hand and give her to the Lord to raise her. At that time, Yuyang stubbornly said that he wanted to leave the palace.
What did she do at the time?
That time, he left with a cold snort. That night, the lights of Wutong Garden where Yuyang was located were lit up all night. The next day, before she went to see him, he rushed to plead guilty, saying he would take care of Linglong properly. However, from that night onwards, Yuyang never left home, and he only came out every month when First Princess Furong rested in the Royal Garden and sat there for one afternoon.
It’s not like the pretense and willfulness of the past, just like the men in the palace, sewing, embroidering, cooking tea, and enjoying flowers. Until the day he was convicted and driven out, the elegance of these years seemed to be broken at that moment, and he shouted not to leave himself.
In truth, she knew that he was just worried about Linglong. Now, Yuyang had already been expelled from the palace, and even her daughter, Linglong, wanted to leave her?
“Farewell, Empress Mother!”
Linglong bit her lips as she knelt down, kowtowed three times, stood up, and started to leave.
“Lock up the Second Princess in her Linglong Pavilion. No one is allowed to see her without my order!”
Ming Yue was furious. Why was no one paying attention to her?
“Empress Mother can lock me up, but you can’t change my heart!”
Linglong didn’t struggle. She merely glanced at Ming Yue with hatred as she straightened her back and walked out.
“…”
Mingyue was hurt by her look. Could it be that she did something wrong?
“Your Majesty, take care of your health. The Second Princess is still young and has deep feelings for her father. After a while, she might still understand once she thinks it through.”
Qing Luan, the female official at her side, hurriedly came forward to comfort her.
“Do you think I did wrong to protect Furong and abandon the father and daughter?”
In her heart, she did not want to protect Furong. Yet, while she was the Empress Mother of Linglong, she was also the ruler of a country and the Empress of the whole world.
No matter what happens, she must put the country first.
It was destined that Furong, who was trained as the heir, must be honored above Young Master Yuyang and Princess Linglong. Furthermore, the Lord’s father is the Regent, while his elder brother is a general who is defending her home in northern Xinjiang. She can’t and dare not slap the Lord in the face at this time.
Over the years, she has been keeping a low profile and cultivated her own power in secret in order to get rid of the Ning family’s control of the court and become an upright Empress. Unfortunately, before that, she could only wrong herself, Yuyang, and Linglong.
Furthermore, no matter what the Ning family is, the Lord has treated the harem in an orderly manner over the years. Yet, he has never been lucky enough to dominate the harem as the Empress only favors Yuyang. He is already ashamed of him.
Since Furong has grown older, she has her own thoughts on things as well. After all, behind her, stood the entire Ning family.
She doesn’t blame her, understanding the circumstances that caused their differences.
At this juncture, Yuyang and Linglong thankfully may not have to face anything too bad. She was just too mad at Yuyang at the time and didn’t protect herself, so she was so easily calculated by others, which made Linglong this way.
Regardless, since Yuyang was not suitable for living in the palace, he should leave the palace anyways. He didn’t understand her painstaking efforts even after all these years. He was still angry with himself since even his daughter hated him and plotted against him…
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