The steward sent Zhao Jingyu away and went to Mu Yuan's room as expected. He took inventory of the cups, plates, vases, furniture, etc. that had been smashed by him, and demanded compensation of one hundred taels of silver.
Mu Yuan was not a man who was short of money. He had broken other people's things and he deserved compensation. However, the person in charge's claim of one hundred taels of silver was too outrageous.
"You dare to ask me for a hundred taels for a few pieces of broken furniture. Do you think I'm easy to bully?" He angrily grabbed the steward's collar and picked him up with one hand.
The steward's feet were in the air, but his expression was very calm: "Prince, please calm down. Our post house receives high-profile dignitaries and envoys from various countries. Every appliance is of the highest standard, and the furnishings in each room are all antiques. The price is naturally relatively expensive, and all the distinguished guests know this. Damaged items will be compensated according to the price, and no one will ever bargain. "
"So, do you want to say that I have no knowledge?" Mu Yuan was so angry that his eyes were burning, and he lifted the steward up again, "Believe it or not, I can break your neck with one hand!"
"Of course I believe it, but the eldest prince came all the way to Dazhou, and he definitely didn't come here just to break the young man's neck." The steward said, even giving him a friendly smile.
A word reminded Shan Hu next to him, and he hurriedly stepped forward to dissuade Mu Yuan: "Eldest Prince, calm down, don't delay our important events just because of this trivial matter."
Mu Yuan suppressed his anger and threw the steward to the ground angrily.
Shan Hu was not with him. He helped the steward up and stuffed two banknotes into his hand.
The steward calmly shined the banknote in the lamp to see if it was genuine or not, then folded the banknote and put it in his arms, slowly dusted off the dust on his body, made a long bow, and left.
This leisurely and contented attitude made Mu Yuan furious again.
He finally understood that the person in charge must have been ordered by Zhao Jingyu to disgust him. How could he dare to be so arrogant without Zhao Jingyu's support
"That's so abominable!" Mu Yuan said bitterly, raising his leg and kicking the table.
"No, the eldest prince. If it breaks, you will have to pay for it." Shan Hu hurriedly stopped him, "Although we are not short of money, wouldn't it be unjust to be blackmailed for nothing."
Mu Yuan felt aggrieved and helpless, and stomped his feet heavily on the ground.
Fortunately, the ground was solid enough and he didn't stomp it out.
Shan Hu poured him a glass of water to calm him down. When he finally stopped being irritable, he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "The eldest prince is naturally one of the most noble at home, but when he goes out, he will inevitably encounter all kinds of unpleasant things." For the sake of the overall situation, we need to restrain our temper."
Mu Yuan didn't know whether he heard it or not. He sat in silence for a while and then asked in a loud voice, "What time is it?"
"It's almost the second watch," Shan Hu said, "You can go out now."
"Then what are you waiting for? Get dressed!"
Shan Hu responded and waited for him to go into the inner room to change clothes.
The bang of the second watch sounded, and a group of people dressed in night clothes left the post house.
Tomorrow is the canonization ceremony. Everywhere in the capital is heavily fortified, and night guards are all over the streets and alleys of the city. Xie Nanfeng personally leads a guard to patrol the inner streets of the imperial city, and will continue until the end of the canonization ceremony at noon tomorrow.
When passing through Zhuque Street, a dark shadow seemed to flash past at the end of the street. Xie Nanfeng immediately became vigilant and led his team to rush to check.
When we arrived at the street corner, everything was deserted and silent. Not even a wild cat was seen.
"Could it be that my eyesight is dazzled?" he asked doubtfully.
"Perhaps the Major General has worked too hard in the past few days and has become dazzled. How about you go back and rest, and leave the street patrol to your subordinates," the guard captain said.
"No need, just hold on and it will pass. After tomorrow, everyone can have a good rest." Xie Nanfeng said.
"Major General's loyalty to the emperor is pure and sincere. He is an example for us." The guard captain said with his fists in hand.
Xie Nanfeng smiled noncommittally and continued to lead the patrol.
He is not that great. The reason why he works so hard is all for his sister.
In his previous life, his sister was given a marriage by the emperor to Zhao Jingping. She was unhappy and did not die well. In this life, she was given a marriage to Zhao Jingyu. She experienced so many dangers before they even got married. He vowed to do his best to protect her and her happiness. , so that she can spend this life in peace.
The thump of the horse's hooves broke the silence of the night, and suddenly there was a bright light flashing on the ground not far ahead.
"Go and see what that is?" Xie Nanfeng ordered.
The captain stepped forward, dismounted and picked up something from the ground.
"Major General, this is a piece of silver jewelry."
Xie Nanfeng arrived shortly afterwards, bent down to take the object, and looked at it carefully under the lantern raised by the guard.
This is a silver plate, tied with a black silk ribbon, with concave and convex patterns on it. Under the light, it looks like a snake or an eagle.
"Maybe it was accidentally dropped by people celebrating on the street during the day." The captain guessed.
Xie Nanfeng felt that it was not that simple, so he ordered a few people to mobilize as many guards as possible from various places to conduct strict investigations around the area.
However, the surrounding streets were searched and nothing unusual was found.
The captain felt that he was a bit like a soldier, so he didn't dare to say anything due to the disparity in status.
Xie Nanfeng still did not relax his vigilance and led people to patrol all night until daylight.
As the sun rises, a new round of carnival begins in the capital.
In the post house, the envoys from various countries had breakfast, put on their country's most solemn attire, and prepared to attend the canonization ceremony.
Mu Yuan got up a little late and was enjoying breakfast when Shan Hu came in from outside and said to him solemnly: "First Prince, during the operation last night, one person accidentally lost his waist badge."
Mu Yuan paused, and his face immediately became clouded.
"What's the use of such idiots? Kill him!"
Shan Hu: "... Now is the time to employ people. Even if you want to kill, you have to wait until you complete the mission and return to the grassland before killing."
"Kill him now!" Mu Yuan said without hesitation, "If he makes a mistake once, he will make a second mistake. I would rather be short of manpower than use such a person."
Shan Hu saw that he was determined and did not dare to persuade him any more, so he resigned.
At noon, with the sun burning like fire and the sky clear, the canonization ceremony officially began.
In front of the Jinluan Hall, colorful flags fluttered and drum music shook the sky. Song Wanji sat on the dragon chair. Civil and military officials and envoys from various countries stood solemnly. Zhao Jingyu wore an apricot yellow five-clawed dragon python robe and a golden crown inlaid with thirteen eastern beads. , amidst the solemn music, walked to the front of the hall with head held high, knelt down and listened to the seal.
Si Fangzheng stepped forward to read out the imperial edict of canonization, and Song Wanji personally awarded the golden book and gold seal. Hundreds of officials fell down and shouted a thousand years ago.
After the ceremony, the emperor and the prince climbed up to the city tower hand in hand, accepted the obeisances of all the people, and then entered the Ancestral Temple to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth, ancestors, and finally went to Cining Palace to prostrate themselves to the Queen Mother.
This was the first time the Queen Mother officially met Zhao Jingyu.
Although Zhao Jingyu had been in and out of the palace every day since returning from Nanzhao, he had never paid a visit to the Queen Mother.
Song Wanji once asked him insinuatingly, and he argued that it would be more formal to wait until the day of canonization to visit him.
Song Wanji thought that he would be right in the next few days, so he didn't force him.
In fact, Zhao Jingyu felt a little awkward inside, because he had always regarded the old lady in the Hou Mansion as his grandmother, and now he suddenly wanted to recognize another old lady as his grandmother, and he was afraid that he would not be able to open his mouth.
The night before the canonization, he went to see the old lady. The old lady felt uncomfortable when she thought that the grandson she had loved for many years would become someone else's grandson. She hugged him and cried.
After crying, he persuaded him to think on the bright side: "You have suffered a lot since you were a child. It is a good thing to have an extra grandmother to care for you. What's more, that grandmother is the most noble person in the world. She can give you all the good things that you can't get from me." I can give it to you!”
Zhao Jingyu said: "I am not a child now. I don't want to be curious about good things. I just want to lie on my grandmother's lap for a while every day. I don't dare to lie on my grandmother's lap."
The old lady burst into tears again: "You're not going to move out tomorrow. You're still going to live here until the East Palace is built. Grandma will be here whenever you want to lie down!"
She coaxed him hard and told him to be sweeter when he saw the Queen Mother tomorrow, saying that all grandmothers in the world were the same and there was no one who didn't care about her grandson. As long as he behaved better, the Queen Mother would definitely like him.
At this moment, Zhao Jingyu finished kowtowing and knelt in front of the Queen Mother, waiting for the Queen Mother to tell him to lie down. Seeing the Queen Mother's eyes turning red and covering her mouth with a handkerchief, she believed that the old lady was right.
Grandmothers all over the world love their grandchildren equally.
The Queen Mother wiped away her tears and choked: "You child, you are really cruel. You have been back for so long and you don't come to see me. I'm afraid you don't take my grandmother seriously."
Zhao Jingyu hurriedly said no, and told her frankly that she was a little timid because of the strict rules in the palace and didn't know how to get along with her.
The Queen Mother said angrily: "I am your biological grandmother. There is no need to deliberately get along with me. Of course, I can do whatever I feel comfortable with."
After hearing this, Zhao Jingyu stood up and said with a smile: "Grandma Huang has said this a long time ago, and my grandson has been up a long time ago. The land in your palace is precious, but it is too painful to kneel down."
The Queen Mother burst into tears and laughed, and everyone in the room laughed along with her.
Song Wanji looked funny and pleased.
"I've heard that you are a sharp-tongued person. Today I saw you and it turned out to be true. Sit down quickly and don't get too tired." The Queen Mother smiled.
Zhao Jingyu thanked her and said, "I don't know what the imperial grandmother knows. When it comes to sharp teeth, there is a person who is three points better than me."
"Oh, who is it?" the Queen Mother asked curiously.
"Your granddaughter-in-law." Zhao Jingyu said, "I have never won in front of her."
The Queen Mother suddenly realized: "Yes, I also heard that the girl is eloquent, courageous, and can ride a horse to fight. She is a heroine who is not inferior to the men, but I have not been able to meet her yet."
"It's simple. I'll bring her here another day and let the Queen Mother see her. I'm afraid that the Queen Mother will abandon me when she sees her."
"Look, before anything else happens, I'm jealous of my wife." The Queen Mother joked to Nanny Yin beside her.
"This is the best. His Royal Highness is so humane." Aunt Yin said.
The speaker was unintentional, but the listener was intentional. Everyone unconsciously thought of the previous Crown Prince. Compared with the one in front of them, that person was indeed less humane. He acted like a prince every day and felt tired for him.
However, that was not his original intention, but the Queen's control was too strict, forcing him to do that.
When they thought that he would soon be exiled to the North, everyone couldn't help but sigh.
Aunt Yin realized that she had said something wrong and hurriedly made up for it: "The Queen Mother, Your Majesty, several princesses and concubines are waiting to meet His Highness the Crown Prince in the side hall. Do you want to invite them in?"
"Go and invite her!" said the Queen Mother, "Let the whole family meet and get close."
Aunt Yin responded and turned around to tell the little palace maid to invite someone.
After a while, a large group of women with beautiful faces and colorful clothes entered the hall under the guidance of the palace maid, and bowed before the emperor and the queen mother.
The Queen Mother spared their courtesy and called several princesses to come forward and introduced them to Zhao Jingyu one by one.
Some were older sisters and some were younger sisters. Zhao Jingyu didn’t remember who they were and just kept saluting.
After the introduction, the Queen Mother frowned slightly: "Why don't you see Princess Wen'an?"
Princess Wen'an is the daughter of Queen Meng and ranks third among the sisters.
The hall was quiet for a long time, and a girl said softly: "Sister Three Emperors is sick. She is afraid that she will be sick to the crown prince brother, so she didn't come."
The speaker was the fifth princess Song Wenzhao, who was usually close to Princess Wen'an.
Everyone knew in their hearts that Princess Wen'an must be prejudiced against Zhao Jingyu because of her mother and brother's affairs, and was unwilling to come to see him.
The Queen Mother didn't want to pursue anything at this time, so she ignored the matter and introduced Song Wanji's concubines to Zhao Jingyu.
The first person introduced was the pregnant Concubine Shu.
Concubine Shu was about to give birth, probably because she was afraid that Zhao Jingyu would be jealous of the child in her belly, so she smiled and said: "His Royal Highness, you are so handsome and unparalleled. It's a pity that our little princess has to wait another month to see such a handsome child." ’s brother.”
"Haha." Zhao Jingyu raised his eyebrows and chuckled, "There are already so many sisters in the palace, and I am looking forward to having a younger brother so that he can share the important responsibilities for me in the future."
After Concubine Shu was surprised, she was overjoyed: "His Royal Highness is really broad-minded."
She had previously asked the imperial physician to check her pulse, and the imperial physician said that there was a 90% certainty that the fetus was a boy. In view of Queen Meng's cruel methods in the past, she was afraid that Zhao Jingyu was also a person who could not tolerate brothers, and she was worried about this.
Now that she is fine, Zhao Jingyu has solved the knot in her heart with one sentence, and she can finally let go.
Song Wanji was very happy to see his son being so tolerant. He stroked his beard and nodded and said, "I am very pleased that you are so united and friendly. I will have a banquet for all the ministers tonight, and tomorrow night our family will have a reunion dinner together."
The Queen Mother had not been so happy for a long time, so she took the initiative to take over the job and said that she would take care of the family banquet, so that the emperor did not have to worry.
The family was enjoying themselves happily, and the laughter dispelled the gloom that had shrouded everyone's hearts for half a year. Everyone unknowingly recognized Zhao Jingyu, the new prince, and regarded him as one of their own.
Zhao Jingyu touched the letter Xie Nanjia asked Su Jincheng to send in her sleeve pocket, and had to admit that the ideas she gave him were very effective.
Xie Nanjia told him that when meeting everyone for the first time, he should not be pretentious or restrained, but should try to act more homely and have more fireworks, so that everyone could let go of their wariness about him more quickly.
Zhao Jingyu smacked his lips, this daughter-in-law is amazing, she can predict big and small matters, national and family affairs like a god, she is really his big treasure.
The greatest treasure in the world, Xie Nanjia!
After finishing their chat, Song Wanji and Zhao Jingyu left Cining Palace and returned to the front hall to meet with the civil and military officials.
Just as he walked outside the Qiande Hall, a young eunuch came face to face. When he saw the Holy Master, he knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, something serious has happened."
(End of chapter)