The Gilded Cage

Chapter 53: It is good to ask the princess to give up her seat when viewing the lanterns

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The two who came were Zhao Yu'e and Xiao Yu, and the place where they were hiding was only ten feet away from Guo'er. However, the sky was dark and the tree shadows covered it, so almost no light could penetrate. Her shadow was completely attached to the trunk of the tree. Together, they are not noticed at all.

"His Royal Highness sees Yu Niang today, but have you made up your mind?"

Zhao Yu'e did not detour at all, and asked straight to the point.

Xiao Yu's face was cold, his hands were behind his back, he just glanced at her and looked away, as if he didn't want to look at her at all: "I can agree to your request."

Zhao Yu'e covered her lips and chuckled, as if she had expected it long ago: "It's very good, and sure enough, no one will refuse to kill two birds with one stone. Since His Highness agreed, Yu Niang will go back and order someone to tell her brother the news."

"Wait a minute, I haven't finished my words yet." Xiao Yu stopped her in a deep voice, and clenched his hands quietly behind him.

"Please speak, Your Highness."

"I promise to marry you as my wife, but this matter needs to be arranged by my subordinates, and you are not allowed to make assumptions. After the matter is completed, I will immediately transfer troops to let your brother prepare as soon as possible. will intervene."

He had discussed with Xu Rong, time did not wait for anyone, the Zhao family was at risk, and they had to make good use of it before they lost the Bozhou Army. I can solve it, but I don't want to spend such a big effort. The huge Bozhou army, more than 100,000 people, is a huge number every day.

Zhao Yu'e naturally understood what he meant, and sneered in her heart that he was a villain who only wanted to benefit, but was unwilling to contribute, but on the face of it, he was kind: "Of course, my Zhao family has been operating in Bozhou for many years. It is not a child's play. Regarding the matter, Your Highness just speaks, the rest, Yu Niang's elder brother will take care of it properly."

Xiao Yu nodded, pursed his lips, and said the last sentence: "One more sentence, even if I marry you, you, and your brother in the future, I can't touch Aning one bit."

Zhao Yu'e was stunned for a moment, then looked at him with a slightly surprised look, and then laughed: "This matter does not need His Highness's order, the Chu family has nothing to do with me, and there is no support from the clan behind me, my Zhao family will not put her in the in the eyes."

"This is the best." Xiao Yu's eyes didn't loosen, he still stared at her firmly, and he was not relieved.

Zhao Yu'e was a little annoyed by his suspicious eyes, and she couldn't help sneering: "I heard that Your Highness has a deep affection for the Crown Princess, and her love is like a treasure. When I see it today, it is true, even abandoning his wife. Such 'lovely'."

Xiao Yu's already clenched hand suddenly tightened, and he was about to break out. He couldn't help thinking about the pros and cons of this matter in his heart, and then he calmed down a little, snorted coldly, and sarcastically said, "Miss Zhao is also as rumored. Shameless, he killed his ex-husband, and hurriedly climbed into someone else's bed."

Zhao Yu'e smiled nonchalantly: "It seems that Yu Niang and His Highness are on the same road. In this way, Yu Niang will order people to go south tonight and pass the news to her brother."

After that, she bowed and saluted, and when she turned to leave, she was more intentionally walking in a swaying style, even faintly provocative, until Xiao Yu's face was so gloomy that he stood alone in the wind for a while before turning and leaving.

In the darkness, Guo'er was still holding the thick trunk, and she didn't even notice that her palm was cut by the bark because she was pulling too tightly, until a bird suddenly flew up between the branches and made a chirping sound. Wake her up.

She widened her eyes and jumped down from the stone, but accidentally slanted to one side, looked around in a dazed way, then barely stood up, held up her skirt and covered her head and ran in an unknown direction. She fell into a familiar embrace, she couldn't help sniffling, her eyes were red and she burst into tears.

"What's wrong with the little lady?" The person who came was the maid who went back and forth, and was followed by the maid who carried the chariot. Seeing that she was so unwilling to leave, she only knew the embarrassed appearance of tears, and they all jumped up. Come and ask for comfort.

Guo'er didn't dare to answer, she just shook her head and kept crying.

Although she is young, she knows very little about the secrets among the nobles in Chang'an, but she recognizes the two people just now. Even if she doesn't understand what the prince means by "transferring troops", she still understands. It means "to marry you" - the prince clearly already has a wife, but he wants to marry again!

The maid had no choice but to carry her to the chariot, first returned to the residence, and then hurried to inform Lu Guogong and his wife.

According to Getai's lantern festival, Xiao Kezhi walked into the crowd with Chuning after changing clothes, walking slowly among the beautiful and bright lanterns of various colors.

Everyone present couldn't help but stop and looked at the two of them in surprise.

It's not surprising that the young emperor appeared here, but the woman beside him was wearing a mask and couldn't see her true face!

The woman was wearing a gorgeous dress, which was tucked at the waist, showing a slender and undulating figure. The exposed neck, and even the two slender hands at the cuffs were as white as jade, delicate and flawless. A young and beautiful woman, but her appearance is covered again, which is even more curious and speculation, and there is a lot of discussion.

"Well, why is there another woman beside Your Majesty? I don't know if it is the same as the previous two people?"

"I don't think so. The first two times, one was a daughter of an aristocratic family, and the other was heard to be the maid of the imperial court. Today, looking at the clothes, she looks like a dancing girl from the Jiaofang Division?"

"Yes, these few days, I have indeed heard that the sage will call the Kabuki of Kabuki to the temple every night when he returns to the Feishhuang Temple. I am afraid that this one is only the last few days."

"Hey, Your Majesty is really... I don't like it!"

From time to time, a few words from the crowd were heard in Chu Ning's ears, which made her feel nervous, as if she might be seen through at any time.

But when he turned his head to look at Xiao Kezhi, he was still walking around in the courtyard with a calm demeanor, as if he didn't care about anything.

Aware of her gaze, he turned his head and simply stretched out his arms around her shoulders to bring her closer to him. He pointed to a huge lantern not far away from playing with dragons and played with phoenixes, while getting close to her exposed outside the mask. He whispered in his ear: "I said I would show you the lights in person, and I did it, how about that?"

The warm breath wiped the skin, causing Chu Ning to tremble, and a faint blush gradually climbed from the ear to the neck.

"A Ning is naturally happy, but His Majesty's reputation is even worse." She tried to relax and joked with him, but she still subconsciously paid attention to the eyes of others, for fear of being caught.

Xiao Kezhi chuckled lightly, and simply kissed her ear, saying, "My reputation doesn't matter, I would like to make it even more outrageous!"

Chu Ning was a little surprised when he heard this, and immediately raised his head and asked, "Why?"

"Naturally it is for the future." The smile on his face deepened, and he hid the coldness and sharpness of his usual days, appearing pleasant and peaceful, "If I am a lustful person, I will rob my niece in the future, and naturally I will also It's nothing unusual."

She was stunned, looking straight at him through the narrow hole in the mask: "Your Majesty has been calling for singing and dancing in the Feishhuang Palace these days—"

"That's why." He nodded simply, without any shyness, and even said other things together, "I brought you out today for this purpose."

Previously, when he called the song and dance, he was worried that she would misunderstand and feel dissatisfied, so he wanted to wait for an explanation today, but after observing for a long time, he did not find anything unusual about her, and even asked about it. There is no plan, and I can't help but feel lost.

However, although he was caught in a relationship between a man and a woman for the first time, he was mature and would not complain about it.

"Why does Your Majesty bother so much..." She said in a low voice, in addition to confusion, she was overwhelmed after being flattered, "A Ning really doesn't know how to respond..."

He reached out and rubbed her head, and said softly: "You don't have to respond, I just tell you what I did. I have patience and will wait for you slowly."

As he said that, he took her to the Chongming Pavilion with a huge bird lantern hanging there, watching the comments along the way.

Luckily, Chu Ning never embarrassed himself too much. He simply held back his hesitant thoughts and tried his best to ignore them. The gazes of others walked with him among hundreds of noble men and women, like a pair of ordinary lovers.

On the other side, after Xiao Yu left, he was very worried and hesitant. He did not go to find Chu Ning, nor did he return to Prince Tang. Instead, he took someone to see Xu Rong and told him what he had promised.

Xu Rong was overjoyed, a huge stone in his heart finally fell, and he cupped his hands again and again: "Your Highness is wise! In this way, it can be considered to make up for His Highness's weakness in military power, enough to compete with anyone!"

Xiao Yu saw that he could not help crying with joy, but there was no happy expression on his face, instead, it was empty and numb.

"I have agreed, but I don't know how Xu Qing will handle the next thing?"

Xu Rong knew what he was asking, how he could block other people's criticism and marry another smoothly. After thinking about it, he said, "Your Highness, don't be in a hurry, this minister thinks that we should find a reason that can make outsiders speechless. Please ask the prince. It would be better if the concubine gave up her seat."

Then, he said one by one the countermeasures that he had been thinking about in a few days.

After Xiao Yu listened, he was silent for a long time, and said slowly, "Just do as you said."

At the lantern festival, Chu Ning was tired of walking, so Xiao Kezhi simply picked her up, completely ignoring the eyes of outsiders, and went straight to the direction of Buchan.

She was startled, and hurriedly reached out to hold the mask on her face, for fear that it would fall off and reveal her true face.

After finally getting on the chariot, he refused to let her sit beside him, but stubbornly hugged her, forcing her to face him and sit on his lap.

"Your Majesty, don't touch..." She remembered the ink lotus under the layers of clothing, twisted her waist forward, dodging the palm behind her, and begged softly, but the more she did, the more she pushed herself forward, the more he twisted him. Couldn't help but hug her.

"Don't move, otherwise, I won't let you go."

His voice was a little hoarse, and a pair of deep, dark eyes shone with a sinking luster under the moonlight. He wanted to see her face, her expression clearly, but through the mask, he could only see those two swaying soft eyes.

His heart is not enough, but now he is still outside, and there are countless prying eyes behind him, such as awning on his back.

He clenched his hand tightly around her waist, suddenly pulled open the placket of his shirt, lifted up his wide jacket, covered her hood, pulled it in front of his eyes, and lifted it up.

The noisy human voice and the jubilant singing and dancing were separated and became distant.

The mask was taken off and tossed aside, a narrow and cramped space was formed under the wide coat, and the two of them were surrounded together, with their foreheads against their foreheads, the tip of their nose against the tip of the nose, and their lips were only half an inch apart.

"Uncle Six..."

Covered by the coat, she felt a sultry heat, and couldn't help but blurt out to him, but she called out the most reverie "Uncle Six".

The hot and humid breath spit out from the bright red lips, entangled with him, making the temperature in the cramped space increase sharply.

She was so stunned that she felt a thin layer of sweat behind her, and she was more and more afraid that the lotus would be destroyed. But he raised her up a bit, leaned forward, bit her lips and kissed her.

"Good boy."

On the mountainside, the chariot walked slowly and slowly.

"His Majesty's painting—"

She felt sweaty behind her, fearing that the black lotus had already been worn away by the thin shirt, but she hid under the shirt, it was pitch black, and she couldn't see anything, so she didn't dare to push him away.

I don't know how long it took to get outside the Feishhuang Palace.

Bu Nian stopped, and Liu Kang's trembling voice came from the side: "Everyone, we are outside the hall."

Xiao Kezhi let go a little, pulled off the jacket, and exposed her head.

The slightly cold wind blew past, driving away the sultry heat just now. Her face was crimson, her eyes were full, like a swimming fish that had been short of water for a long time, she managed to return to the water, and quickly swallowed the air.

He walked into the hall with the crushed beauty in his arms, let her lie down, and carefully looked at the ink lotus that he had just painted by the light.

The lotus flower shape is still complete, but the outlines outlined by several lines are covered with a thin layer of fragrant sweat and wiped by the gauze. Hazy beauty.

He couldn't help tracing the scented petals with his fingers.

The jet-black branches were even more blurred.

"Unfortunately, a good flower has been destroyed like this." He looked at the jet black ink stains on his fingertips, his eyes moved, he simply turned her over, turned her face up, and dipped his fingers on the inkstone left in the inkstone table. Ink, add some water to dissolve, and start painting again.

"This time I have to hold back and not move."

The plump ink rises a small arc on the undulating curve, reflecting the candlelight, crystal clear and round, as long as it is shaken a little more, it will overflow everywhere.

She had to hold on to the corner of the table, digging hard, even carefully controlling her breathing, for fear of breaking the lines of ink with a single movement.

However, the swelled ink broke through the small arc and spread out, like a ditch that suddenly opened up between the mountains and the plains. The ink color is dotted between the snow colors, which is very beautiful.

"Your Majesty, it's time for Aning to go back." She opened her hazy eyes and tried to see his appearance in the candlelight, but she could only see the beams with intricate patterns carved on the top of her head.

"Liu Kang!" He called someone outside the screen and asked loudly, "Where did the prince go?"

There were hurried footsteps and muttering sounds outside, and Liu Kang answered cautiously: "I tell everyone, the prince is at Xu Shidu's place and has not yet returned to the palace."

"Look," he patted her cheek, "what are you afraid of? There's still more time."

However, it was said that Lu Guogong and his wife were still watching and lingering at the lantern festival, and they were more energetic than the young men and women on the side.

After the two of them had a daughter, they rarely had the opportunity to be alone like this, and they felt comfortable and relaxed, talking and laughing, and they were not as restrained as they were in the palace on weekdays.

Wei Shou even picked a fancy mask and put it on Mrs. Xu himself. Madam Xu blushed and glared at her husband, but she didn't take it off.

However, it didn't take long for the maid who had just sent Guo'er back to return, her face full of urgency: "Langjun, madam, the little lady just didn't know what happened outside. She kept crying and didn't speak. I have to ask Langjun and his wife to go back and have a look!"

Lu Guogong and his wife were very sad for their only daughter. When they heard this, they couldn't help panicking, and they stopped staying outside. They hurried back, rushing all the way, and asking about the specific situation.

The maid didn't dare to hide it, so she repeated what she saw before and after, and when she returned to her residence, she led them to Guo'er's house.

Guoer was tired from crying, lying on the bed and was about to fall asleep. Two maids stood by, one handed her water and the other wiped her tears. When she saw her parents came back, she felt less panic. Gulu got up and fell into his mother's arms: "Auntie!"

Madam Xu caught her daughter, but couldn't help but back away, Wei Shou hurriedly stretched out his hand to support her, took the opportunity to sit next to the bed with the mother and daughter, and asked worriedly, "Guo'er, stop crying, with A-Niang and A-Nang. Yeah, talk about it, but I saw something unclean outside? Say it, it's okay, what's the matter, Aye come to think of it!"

He didn't know what happened, but when he heard that his daughter was crying, he just thought it was an evil.

Guo'er had her parents by her side at this time, and she had already returned to her own room. She was not as frightened as before. After leaving a few maids, under the careful consolation of her parents, she interrupted what she had just seen and heard. Say it.

She was young and frightened, and the things she wrote down were also in reverse. Only the prince wanted to marry another one.

After the couple listened patiently, they looked at each other, not knowing what to do for a while.

Guo'er was still sobbing, she couldn't help pulling the corner of her mother's clothes, and asked with red eyes, "Auntie, will your Highness be very sad?"

The "His Royal Highness" in her mouth naturally refers to the Crown Princess Chu Ning.

Madam Xu was worried and was in a daze. It took a while for her to react to her daughter's words, and she hugged her and said softly: "A-niang doesn't know either, I just hope that everything will be fine with Your Highness..."

Chu Ning treats their mother and daughter well, she is very clear in her heart. I have heard people talk about the situation of this crown princess before, and I have sympathy. Now I hear that the crown prince may plan to marry another, and I feel even more sympathetic.

"Husband, what should I do? The Crown Princess treats us as well as usual..."

Wei Shou was restless, frowning and pacing back and forth in the room.

Mrs. Xu was concerned about the Crown Princess, but what he thought was the words his daughter heard about the Zhao family and military power. Although he was from Tian Shelang, he had seen Chang'an nobles frequently in the past few months, and had encountered the situation of chance sage managing government, so he naturally understood the importance of it.

He knew a little about the identity of the Zhao family. It was not difficult to guess Mrs. Zhao's actions before, but now it is not easy to suddenly turn to the prince.

He is the uncle of the saint, and he is cared for by the saint, and he must not hide this.

"Forget it, I'll go see the sage and ask what the sage means, you should take Guo'er to sleep first." He stopped to instruct his wife, then turned his head to comfort his daughter, "Guo'er, it's no big deal, we have your majesty. Guard, don't worry, just sleep peacefully."

He didn't know what the prince was plotting, but he knew that the matter had to be known to the saint.