Under the candlelight, he carefully examined her face.
He was naturally happy to see that she was suddenly willing to leave the prince for her own future.
However, aside from sincere gratitude, there doesn't seem to be much to do with him here.
He couldn't help but feel sad. Fortunately, this was a big step for her.
He knew that it would be too difficult for a woman in this world to leave her husband voluntarily. The law that has lasted for hundreds of years to this day does not allow women to initiate reconciliation without the permission of their husbands, and the so-called reconciliation is just a man giving a decent alms to a woman, making a woman less "no". Abandoned woman who observes women's virtue".
The higher the status of a man, the less free a woman is.
Just like his mother, who was ignored and rejected by the late emperor in every possible way because of her humble background, she endured the neglect and ridicule of other concubines every day, but she still never complained to her husband, and even before her death, she was satisfied by her husband. The last entreaty, I am grateful to send his son to Ganzhou.
There are also the many concubines he has seen, who fight openly and secretly in the palace, regard each other as enemies, but never hold any grudge against the emperor who caused all this, and they flatter and please with all their heart.
When he was young, he only felt confused and puzzled. Later, after seeing more people and things, he realized that it was a kind of self-paralysis that had to be done in the face of the unchangeable status quo.
It seems that most women face disharmony in their marriages by being submissive and swallowing their voices.
And if she wasn't supported by her father's hatred, how could she see clearly the prince's character? It is very gratifying to be able to resolutely decide to take the initiative to leave.
"Okay." He rubbed her cheek affectionately, and dropped a kiss between her hair, as if gently coaxing the little girl he took care of.
This girl, like a seed that secretly revealed tender buds under his careful watering, surprised him and had to wait patiently.
"Your Majesty, the water should be cold." Chu Ning lay in his arms for a while, then suddenly pointed to the warm water and towel that Liu Kang had just brought in, and supported his knees to get up.
As he turned to look, he stretched out his hand and pulled her, causing her to fall down again and threw herself in his arms: "Didn't I make you tired today?"
The deep voice penetrated into the cochlea, which made her heart tremble. She couldn't help but warm her cheeks and nodded lightly: "Tired, Aning is exhausted."
Just now, all he thought about was Xiao Yu and Zhao Yu'e, and he even forgot his exhaustion. At this moment, after reminding him, he felt that the neglected sourness hit his face.
He chuckled softly, kissed her in the ear contentedly, hugged her, stood up, put it on the long desk just now, twisted a towel and wiped it carefully for her.
The ink stains had already been wiped off by the cold water that he had used to grind the ink with a clean wolf hair when he was already in love. He wiped it in a serious manner, but it made her face red. Eyes dodge.
After finally getting clean, she immediately pushed him and jumped off the desk by herself. It was just that his legs were still weak, and when he touched the ground, he was soft and almost fell. Fortunately, he was firmly supported by him from behind, and he barely stood still.
She bit her lip to find the original clothes that had been brought back long ago, put them on one by one, and combed the messy hair, and then got up to salute and leave, and he walked behind her in three or two steps, looking at the copper In the mirror, she reached out and took one of her golden hairpins out of her hair.
The tip of the hairpin was cool and slender, gently sliding down her hairline, the beautiful tip of her eyebrows, the straight bridge of her nose, and finally landed on her chin, poking her to raise her face to meet his gaze.
"Leave this hairpin to me, okay?"
Her eyes flickered, biting her lip and saying "Okay" in a low voice.
As usual, Liu Kang had his chariots ready and sent her back from Rihua Gate. Cui He was already waiting there. When he saw her coming, he hurriedly greeted her and said in a low voice, "The guard in front of the royal family said that His Royal Highness will be back."
Chu Ning was stunned, nodded lightly, and led her back to Prince Tang's bedroom, changed clothes, and untied Wan's hair and let it go behind her back.
After a while, Xiao Yu really came back.
She took a deep breath, tried her best to calm herself down, put on her usual smile, and pushed the door to greet her.
"Your Highness is back."
Xiao Yu was full of exhaustion, and his expression was a little gloomy. Seeing his gentle and pleasant wife, he forced the corner of his mouth: "Yeah. Is the lantern fair beautiful?"
Chu Ning nodded, gently took off his shirt for him, and twisted a hand towel to wipe his face: "There are a lot of lights of various colors, and there are so many people, it can be compared to the folk lantern fair."
Besides, she naturally feels good when someone is by her side.
He was hesitating whether to test him now, but he suddenly said, "I met Xu Shidu today."
Chu Ning raised his hand with the handkerchief for a while, and said softly, "Your Highness is working hard, and I have to go to see Xu Shidu on the first day of the new year."
Xiao Yu waved away the others, stretched out his hand to hold her, stopped her from washing him, took her to sit on the couch, and asked in a deep voice, "A Ning, how have I treated you for the past two years?"
Chu Ning's heart trembled, and the word "not good" blurted out almost before he could hold it back.
Killing her father and family, and still confronting her day and night as a benefactor, while constantly deceiving her, at the same time imposing everything he likes on her, how can such a treatment be called "good"
Fortunately, she is now very clear-headed. While quietly pinching her fingertips, she avoids his question and asks softly, "What's wrong with Your Highness, you ask this all of a sudden? It seems that something is wrong with Your Highness these past few days..."
Xiao Yu paused for a while, looking at her beautiful face without Fendai, as if struggling, after a long time he said with difficulty: "A few days ago, you said that you will never go against anything I tell you, right? Ning, now, there is one thing, only you can help me."
Chu Ning said softly, "Your Highness, please speak."
"A-Ning, you know, I have been operating in the DPRK for many years, in order to be able to become a great treasure one day, so as to rehabilitate your father. However, my sixth uncle colluded with the Qi family to take advantage of my father's serious illness. When the court was empty, I brought troops into the city and robbed me of the throne that should belong to me. Now, I am struggling, and if I want to make trouble again, the only thing I can do is to get a force that can compete with it.”
"His Royal Highness wants military power, what's the deal with Aning? Aning is just a helpless orphan girl." She lowered her eyes, waiting to hear what he said next.
Hearing the word "orphan girl", Xiao Yu's eyes flashed, as if feeling a little guilty, but it only took a moment to pass.
"A-Ning, now the Zhao family wants to join forces with me to help me ascend to the throne. I know you are smart, and I definitely understand that the Bozhou army in Zhao Lun's hands is very strong and can compete with the Ganzhou army. With their help , I am naturally more powerful, and I will be able to make trouble soon."
"What are the conditions of the Zhao family?" She raised her eyes and looked at him quietly, but her heart was beating very fast.
"The Zhao family - want the position of the Crown Princess." He was silent for a moment before spit out this sentence with difficulty.
Chu Ning chuckled, slowly looked away, and said softly, "I understand, His Highness wants me to give up the position of the Crown Princess and leave it to the second mother of the Zhao family."
"A Ning!" Xiao Yu held her hand tightly and didn't let go, "It's only temporary, I won't let you be wronged. You—what do you think?"
Chu Ning endured and endured, but did not get up on the spot, and said three "OK" with a smile.
She knows Xiao Yu's character, and if she agrees to his request without hesitation at this time, it will make him doubtful, and it will be difficult to do the next thing, so she said lightly: "Your Highness, what do you think I can think? Having lost other family members and becoming the daughter of a criminal minister, now, do you want to be an abandoned woman again?"
Sure enough, Xiao Yu looked at her reluctant appearance, but instead of being as guilty and nervous as before, she seemed to be relieved.
She was right to be reluctant. After all, it was he who saved her and spent two whole years together, how could she be willing
"A-Ning, you are not an abandoned wife, these are only temporary, when I do things in the future, you will still be the queen, and I will help you with your father's affairs - I promise you, I will never break my promise!"
Chu Ning sat on the side and didn't speak, with his head bowed, he was both guilty and reassured.
"A Ning, don't blame me, I have no choice but to come this far."
"That Zhao Erniang is a widow who doesn't keep women's morals. I hate her from the bottom of my heart. Even if I temporarily let her be my mistress in the future, I will still take you as my wife in my heart."
His words rang in her ears, and she felt a chill in her heart.
If she is still kept in the dark and doesn't know the truth of her father's death, she might really be deceived by him at this moment, thinking that he really loves her dearly, and even wants to help him, wronged herself, and abandoned by others 's fate.
Luckily I found it in time!
She closed her eyes, adjusted her mood, pushed him away gently, stood up and turned her back to him, bowed her head and said, "Your Highness, Rong Aning think about it, okay?"
Xiao Yu's arms were empty, and he felt a burst of loss and dissatisfaction, but thinking that she was being wronged, he felt soft-hearted for a while, and without reproach, nodded and said softly: "Okay, Aning, I won't force you, just think about it."
Chu Ning didn't speak any more, and after a little salute, he left in a hurry and returned to his bedroom.
In the room, Cui He was still waiting for her. When she saw her face was bad, she hurriedly greeted her: "Miss, but what happened?"
Chu Ning shook his head, sat down on the couch weakly, motioned her to close the door, and blocked all eyes from outside, then he breathed a sigh of relief and said in a low voice, "I'm fine, you don't have to worry, but something should happen recently. "
As she spoke, she briefly recounted what she had heard from Duke Lu and what Xiao Yu said in person.
"There is such a thing!" Cui He heard this, her eyes full of anger, but she had to control her voice, "In the beginning, the prince put all his energy into marrying his wife, but now that he has used it up, if there are more useful ones, he will immediately abandon it!"
Chu Ning patted her hand, poured her a cup of tea, and said softly, "What's the hurry? He's like this, he's giving me a chance, and soon, I'll be able to go with the flow and leave him."
After that, I told her my plan again.
Although Cui He was still angry, she had calmed down. It would be a good thing if she could take the opportunity to escape.
"We have to hold our breath, not only I have to get out, but also my brother, and my younger brothers, all have to be protected."
Chu Ning put away the expression on his face and his eyes became firm. In addition to Zhao Yanzhou to protect, she has two little cousins who survived with great difficulty.
The two children have been placed by her in Chuzhou for the past two years, and they have been studying with a local scholar. Xiao Yu knows all these, and she has no doubt that he must have arranged for someone to watch them there all the time.
At this time, don't annoy him.
…
Xiao Yu really didn't force her anymore.
For the next few days, he was busy with his own affairs every day as before, leaving early and returning late, but he did not let her come to serve him, but let her stay in his bedroom behind closed doors, and even specially asked his side. The house attendant must deliver three meals a day to her house, and she will be relieved to see that she uses them well, as if she is worried that she will not think about the tea and rice.
On the sixth day, Xu Rong came.
Seeing her delay in replying, he couldn't hold back and wanted to help Xiao Yu to persuade.
"Your Highness, can you listen to the minister's words?"
Chu Ning sat on the side, raised his hand gently so that he didn't need to be more polite, but the words he said were thorny: "I can hear Xu Shi's reading of the 'His Royal Highness', I don't think there are many days."
Xu Rong's face froze, and he said embarrassingly, "Your Highness's words are serious, and this minister's actions are all for the future of the prince."
Chu Ning's back was straight, and he sat silently.
Xu Rong was a little embarrassed, and after a while, he continued: "As the saying goes, 'the future will be long', if the prince can't ascend to the throne, what's the use of His Highness's false name? Hengzhi Prince has His Highness in his heart, which is better than anything else. In the future, when the crown prince succeeds, why does His Highness worry about not getting the title? After all, they are the original husband and wife. When the time comes, the minister will be the first to submit a letter, asking the crown prince to correct His Highness's name."
Chu Ning didn't show it on his face, but he said in his heart that the two monarchs and ministers said the same thing. Could it be that there is no other way for Xu Rong to persuade her
"Xu Shidu doesn't have to be like this. In the past two years, you and Zhao Sizhi have a lot of grudges in your heart. You and I know it."
This time, Xu Rong's face was really unbearable.
With a cold face, he stood up and said, "Your Highness doesn't have to be so ignorant. The Chu family has long since disappeared. If it weren't for the kindness of the prince, there would be no place for His Highness in the East Palace. Besides, His Highness has been in the East Palace for more than two years, but I have never been able to give birth to a son and a half daughter for the prince. The prince is the heir, and the importance of heirs is so important that I don’t need the minister to explain it to His Highness. If His Highness does not take the initiative to back down, it is no wonder that the minister does not show mercy to His Highness.”
As he said that, he bowed to her, lowered his voice, and continued: "Besides, I remember that Your Highness has always valued Zhao Sizhi and the remaining two little princes of the Chu family. You have to think more about everything for others."
This is almost a blatant threat.
Chu Ning pondered for a moment, and his intuition was almost pushed forward, and he would no longer be suspicious. Then he took a deep breath, stood up suddenly, and said solemnly: "If I don't agree, you will move them?"
Xu Rong sneered: "Your Highness doesn't have to ask."
After a moment of silence, she turned around and turned her back to him, as if disheartened, and whispered, "I see. I will, but you have to tell me what to do."
Seeing that she seemed to have given up, Xu Rong slowed down his face, slowly straightened up, and replied, "It's so good, it's not in vain for the prince to repeatedly remind Mrs. Zhao for His Highness, not to be harshly treated. Your Highness only needs to agree. Now, the other things will be arranged by the minister, and when the time comes, His Highness only needs to take the initiative to speak to the saint and give up the position of the crown princess."