When Emperor Xuanzhi ascended the throne, he immediately named his biological mother, Yan, as Empress Dowager Xiaocheng, his wife, Jiang, as Empress Dowager, and his eldest son, Helian Yuming, as Crown Prince.
The ministers had no objection to Kang Chang-nyeong being the empress, but since Kang Chang-nyeong was the second wife, Emperor Seonji should also posthumously confer a title on his first wife, Lady Park.
Emperor Xuanzhi looked at Marquis Anding and asked, "Lord Park, do you think he should be posthumously honored?"
According to etiquette and law, he should be posthumously honored.
But Marquis Anding felt guilty, "After my daughter married Your Majesty, she didn't give birth to a son or daughter for Your Majesty. I feel ashamed of Your Majesty. Now she has passed away for many years. I don't think it is necessary to posthumously confer a title on her."
All the court officials looked at Marquis Anding in surprise. Is this guy out of his mind
The Marquis of Anding, who was suspected of having a mental breakdown, hurried back to the Marquis' Mansion after retiring from the court and found his wife, "Send Zhen'er away quickly. I'm afraid His Majesty already knows about this."
"How could it be? How is it possible?" The lady didn't believe it.
Marquis Anding had a worried look on his face. "Nothing is impossible. If Your Majesty wants to investigate, there is nothing that cannot be found out."
"If he found out, why didn't he come to be punished?" The lady didn't think any man could endure such humiliation.
Marquis Anding thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps there is no conclusive evidence."
"Let's send Zhener to Jinan tonight," said the lady.
Marquis Anding nodded, "Let her leave sooner, and you'll feel more at ease."
But it turned out to be too late.
That night, the carriage drove out of the farm, but was stopped not long after it went far.
"How dare you! Who are you? How dare you rob people right under the emperor's feet!" the driver shouted.
The one who stopped the carriage was none other than Cao Jiang. He sat high on his horse and said calmly, "Miss Pu, don't you want to come out and meet your old friend?"
The car door was opened with a "crash". Park saw Cao Jiang and subconsciously went to find Prince Jin.
"Miss Park, long time no see." Cao Jiang said again.
"Sir, I don't know you." Mrs. Park said.
Cao Jiang sneered, "Miss Pu, there's no need to pretend. If I didn't know who you are, I wouldn't be here. Please come with me."
"Where are you taking me?" Park asked in panic.
Cao Jiang did not answer her question. After his men controlled the coachman, he took Park and others to the city.
He carried a golden token that could open the city gate even in the middle of the night.
Park was in the carriage, trembling with fear. How could the secret be exposed
In the palace, Park saw her parents kneeling on the ground, and Emperor Xuanzhi, who was wearing a dragon robe and looked majestic without even getting angry.
"My surname is Park, my name is Huiyi, and I am the distant niece of Lord Anding, not Lord Anding's daughter Park Yunzhen." Park confessed without waiting for Emperor Xuanzhi to ask.
Marquis Anding and his wife looked as pale as death. They knew their daughter was not smart, but they didn't expect her to be so stupid.
Emperor Xuanzhi was also stunned for a moment, "Marquis Anding, tell me, should I send someone to verify her identity?"
Marquis Anding kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, she is my daughter Park Yunzhen. I know I deserve death, and I only ask Your Majesty to leave my body intact."
"Three cups of wine, then you can end your lives." Emperor Xuanzhi turned and left.
Since Marquis Anding understood what was going on, he didn't want to make a big deal out of it.
Being cuckolded is ultimately a shameful thing.
Chang Youzhong came in with a tray with three cups of wine on it.
Marquis Anding and his wife looked at each other, each reached out to take a cup of wine and drank it all. The emperor had shown mercy and did not implicate their children and grandchildren, and also retained the title of marquis. They died without regrets.
Pu didn't want to die, so she begged, "Eunuch Chang, I know I was wrong, please let me go."
Chang Youzhong smiled coldly and said, "Miss Pu, we don't want to use violence, so you'd better drink the wine obediently."
"Eunuch Chang, please let me go. I can give you as much silver as you want." Park wanted to bribe him.
"Yunzhen, if you don't want anything to happen to Baoer, just drink the wine quickly." Marquis Anding said with a thin voice.
"I don't want it, I don't want it." Park got up and ran out of the hall.
"Stupid people always do stupid things." Chang Youzhong went over to grab her.
By the time he forced the wine into her mouth, Marquis Anding and his wife were already bleeding from the mouth and had fallen to the ground, dead.
After Emperor Xuanzhi left the side hall, he went to the main hall and sat for a full quarter of an hour before getting up and going to Tiancheng Palace.
Jiang Changning was having a midnight snack. When he saw him come in, he asked with a smile, "Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?"
If she didn't ask, Emperor Xuanzhi wouldn't notice. When she asked, he seemed a little hungry. "What is it?"
"Oatmeal porridge." Jiang Changning scooped a bowl and placed it in front of him. "Eat a bowl."
When Emperor Xuanzhi finished, Jiang Changning asked, "Why are you unhappy?"
"Ningning, come here, let me hug you." Emperor Xuanzhi said.
Jiang Changning's eyebrows moved slightly, and he walked over and let him hug him.
The couple hugged each other for a while, and Emperor Xuanzhi suddenly asked: "Ningning, if I don't grant you the marriage, will you be willing to marry me?"
Jiang Changning smiled, "Master, if you don't grant me the marriage, I have no right to marry you."
When Emperor Xuanzhi heard this, he knew he was asking the wrong question. "Ningning, if I were not a prince, but an ordinary person of equal status to you, would you be willing to marry me?"
Jiang Changning looked at him sideways and saw a hint of nervousness in his eyes. He asked with a smile, "Master, don't you know the rumors in the city?"
"What's that rumor?"
"If you want to marry someone, you should marry Prince Jin." Jiang Changning didn't want to dwell on whether she was willing to marry him, so he changed the subject, "Master, I miss my sons. When can we bring them into the palace?"
"Tomorrow they will enter the palace with their mother." Emperor Xuanzhi said with a smile.
"But the Ciren Palace has not been repaired yet."
"How about letting the Queen Mother stay in Chuxiu Palace temporarily, and letting the son live with us in Tiancheng Palace?"
"It couldn't be better." Jiang Changning said with a smile.
"Also, we are going to bring in the women in the mansion. How will their positions be determined? Do you have any idea?"
Jiang Changning left Emperor Xuanzhi's arms, sat back opposite him, and said coldly: "They are your concubines, Your Majesty. How can I decide their status?"
Looking at his expressionless wife, Emperor Xuanzhi was not angry but happy, "Ningning, they are all insignificant people. You are my queen, my wife, the one who will accompany me for the rest of my life. Of course, this matter is up to you to decide."
Jiang Changning tilted his head to look at him, and after a while, he smiled and said, "Your Majesty, do you keep your word?"
Emperor Xuanzhi reached over and grabbed her hand, "Everything I told you is true."
Jiang Changning lowered his eyelids, remained silent for a moment, then looked up at him, "Since Your Majesty has said so, the positions of the people in the palace will be decided by me in the future. Your Majesty must not have any objections."
"I'll do whatever you say." Emperor Xuanzhi failed to hear the hidden meaning in her words.
The next day, the Queen Mother entered the palace with her three grandchildren.
Jiang Changning had been waiting at the gate of the inner palace. When he saw the queen mother, he bowed and said, "Your son greets you, mother. May you be blessed with good health."
"Your Majesty, there is no need to be so polite." The Queen Mother smiled and said with her hands in the air.
Xiao Ming led Xiao Bai and said, "Your son pays respects to the Queen Mother."
Emperor Xuanzhi had sent people to teach them court etiquette. Xiao Ming'er's movements were standard, but Xiao Bai was young and did not follow them properly. However, Jiang Changning could not blame him.
(End of this chapter)