nashuaworldcup Chapter 51 Entering the Palace for the First Time
Chapter 51 Entering the Palace for the First Time
Xia Taoyuan was woken up by Yu'er, and she was in a bad mood. Just when she was about to yell, she saw Madam Wei was there too. She suppressed her anger, put on a smiling face, and called out, "Mother."
Madam Wei asked her if her engagement dress fit her, and Xia Taoyuan answered, "It fits." Madam Wei then said, "Hurry up and get dressed. Someone from the palace just came with the emperor's order, summoning you to the palace."
Xia Taoyuan was smart. Prime Minister Wei had said before that the emperor said he would summon her into the palace. She thought that the emperor would let them hold their engagement banquet in the palace so that she could avoid being summoned into the palace. However, she did not expect that she could not avoid it.
She quickly washed up and didn't even have time to eat. Mrs. Wei advised her not to be nervous and told her how to perform the salute. It was actually very simple and she remembered it after watching it twice.
Wei Jinghe brought Xia Taoyuan into the palace, and under the guidance of a eunuch, they took many twists and turns to the imperial study.
There was also a eunuch at the door of the imperial study, who looked to be in his forties or fifties. He was intimidating without even getting angry, and he seemed to be someone close to the emperor. Wei Jinghe introduced Xia Taoyuan and said, "Zhiying, this is Eunuch Liu."
Xia Taoyuan respectfully called Eunuch Liu. She knew that the eunuchs who could be by the emperor's side were all smart people and strong in all aspects. Some of them could even influence the emperor's decisions.
The eunuch who led the way withdrew, and Eunuch Liu said, "Miss Wei is here."
"Come in." A slightly tired middle-aged male voice came out.
Wei Jinghe signaled Xia Taoyuan to go in with his eyes. Xia Taoyuan was so nervous that her mind went blank. Wei Jinghe pushed her before she reacted. She stepped into the imperial study, silently saying to herself: Relax, relax, don't be nervous, don't be nervous. But the more she wanted to relax, the more nervous she became. She fell to the ground before she could see the scene clearly. She forgot all the etiquette that Madam Wei had taught her. In TV dramas, people kneel before the emperor. She simply knelt on the ground and stammered, "Your servant greets the emperor. Long live the emperor!"
"Hahahaha, please stand up, Miss Wei." Emperor Ying laughed, stroking a few strands of his black beard.
Wei Zhiying stood up tremblingly, and then she saw the man opposite her clearly. He was a very kind middle-aged man, but Xia Taoyuan understood that anyone who could sit on the throne of the emperor must be a ruthless character.
"Miss Wei, please sit down!" Emperor Ying motioned for her to sit down, but Xia Taoyuan didn't dare to sit down. She whispered, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Haha, Miss Wei, don't be nervous. Your engagement party will be held in the palace. Prince Jing has told you about it, right?" Emperor Ying asked with a smile.
Xia Taoyuan replied: "I heard about it."
"Well, I summoned you here to talk to you. Prince Jing is my fourth child and my third son. His mother died when he was four years old." At this point, Xia Taoyuan saw a hint of sadness on Emperor Ying's face.
"Although my other concubines also treat him as their own son, this child has been lonely and cold since childhood and is not very close to his family. When he was twelve years old, he insisted on leaving the palace. Other princes left the palace and set up their own homes at the age of fifteen, but he was only twelve years old. I couldn't bear to let him go. However, I was usually busy with state affairs and had no time to take care of him, so I let him go." There was deep helplessness in Emperor Ying's tired voice.
Xia Taoyuan suddenly felt sorry for Chu Xingluo. She could imagine how lonely a four-year-old child would feel after losing his mother. In the palace full of intrigue, how helpless the little kid would feel.
Emperor Ying noticed the change in Xia Taoyuan's expression and felt somewhat relieved. It seemed that he had not misjudged the person. Miss Wei was very kind, so he felt relieved.
"Although the third son has a cold personality and seems difficult to get along with, he is a kind child with a pure nature. He does not cause trouble and is very filial. He often comes to the palace to play chess with me and listen to my nagging." At this point, Emperor Ying suddenly changed the subject: "So, I don't believe those rumors about him."
After saying so much, it turned out to be a prelude to her being kidnapped. Xia Taoyuan smiled awkwardly and said, "Your servant understands, and your servant also believes in the character of Prince Jing."
"Well, I feel relieved with what Miss Wei said. But I asked you to come here today because of something else." Emperor Ying looked at Xia Taoyuan.
"Your Majesty, please speak." Xia Taoyuan was no longer as nervous as before. In her opinion, the emperor was quite amiable.
"There have been rumors out there about the third brother, and the rumors are getting more and more outrageous. I feel that the person who tied the bell must be the one to untie it, and you two have to cooperate to silence the rumors." Emperor Ying sighed. Xia Taoyuan felt a little sympathetic towards Emperor Ying. The emperor, who was high above, not only had to deal with endless state affairs, but also had to deal with the concubines' intrigues and worry about his son's affairs.
So she said, "I understand, I know what to do." Isn't it just showing affection in public? That's hard to say, but taking advantage of Chu Xingluo in public, the thought of it makes people's heart boil.
"Miss Wei is really well-educated and considerate. I am very happy that you can marry the third son." Emperor Ying stroked his beard and laughed. He felt relieved. Although Wei Zhiying was not stunningly beautiful, she was pretty. He believed in the character of Prime Minister Wei and that the daughter he raised would not be bad. It was a blessing for the third son to marry Wei Zhiying.
"Literature!" Emperor Ying shouted outside the door.
"I'm here!" Eunuch Liu responded and entered the imperial study. Xia Taoyuan thought: So Eunuch Liu's name is Liu Wenxue.
"This is my first time meeting Miss Wei. What kind of gift do you think I should give her?" Emperor Ying asked with a smile. Eunuch Liu smiled and said, "In my opinion, no matter what gift the emperor gives Miss Wei, she will be happy."
Xia Taoyuan wanted to refuse, but Eunuch Liu gave her a look and she kept silent. She understood that Eunuch Liu must have his reasons. It is said that serving the emperor is like serving a tiger. Eunuch Liu has been in the palace for decades. How could he be an ordinary person to serve the emperor?
"Then give Miss Wei the Jade Dragon Night-Shining Pearl that the Nanzhu Kingdom presented as a tribute!" Emperor Ying said with a smile. Eunuch Liu said, "Yes, I will send someone to get it right away."
Just as Eunuch Liu was about to leave, Emperor Ying stopped him and said, "Give me another hundred taels of gold!"
After Liu Gonggong left, Xia Taoyuan felt her hands tremble. The Jade Dragon Night-Shining Pearl was a treasure, but it was a treasure and it was not easy to cash it out. Besides, it was a gift from the emperor and could not be sold. She was still tempted by the 100 taels of gold, but she had too many things she wanted, which were not available in ancient times.