Chapter 302: Chapter 303 - Pleading

Song Yixiao regretted it immediately after she said this. Pei Yourui had refused to marry twice before. Even if she joked about Nie Wuying’s marriage, it didn’t mean that she had got over those things. Sure enough, Pei Yourui just smiled and changed the topic, “It will be Ping’an’s birthday in a few days. I’ve been thinking about what I should give to him these two days.”

“It’s winter soon. Why don’t you make something that can keep out the cold?” Song Yixiao was well-advised and quickly said.

Then the two chatted casually for a while. Seeing that Nie Wuying didn’t intend to come out, Song Yixiao took her leave.

Soon after she returned home, news came from the palace that Emperor Xianjia personally went to the Palace of Mingren to get the consent of the Empress Dowager to have Prince of Zhao and Prince of Wei adopted by Prince of Su and Prince of Xiang who both died early.

Prince of Su was the first legitimate son of the Empress Dowager and the former emperor. Prince of Wei was older than Prince of Zhao and should supposedly be adopted by Prince of Su.

However, Emperor Xianjia obviously liked Prince of Zhao more partly because of Empress Su. In short, he let Prince of Su adopt Prince of Zhao and Prince of Xiang adopt Prince of Wei.

At the same time, he conferred the posthumous title “Hui” on Prince of Su and “Jing” on Prince of Xiang.

In the rule of conferring posthumous titles, people who were kind and patriotic and loved the people would get the posthumous title “Hui”. People who were gentle, respectable, and lenient would get the posthumous title “Jing”. Honestly speaking, these titles didn’t fit Prince of Su and Prince of Xiang because the two elder brothers of Emperor Xianjia who died young were famous for their outstanding military service and invincibility.

In fact, the emperor gave them these two posthumous titles to remind his sons who were adopted by them. In the future, they should pocket their pride and live their life peacefully, in case the crown prince would rake up the past after taking the throne.

Everyone in the court knew that the emperor preferred his eldest son. In order to pave the way for his eldest son, he even had his two sons adopted by his brothers. One of his two sons was even his only legitimate son. Moreover, the emperor only had several sons. As the news got out, it caused an uproar in the court.

However, the empress and Grand Princess Daiguo didn’t say anything about that. Although others didn’t know the inside story, they instinctively felt that something was wrong and didn’t dare to ask about it. Only Qiu Shuxia, after several failed attempts to see Emperor Xianjia, was still unresigned. He adopted another way, requesting permission to see the Empress Dowager.

“I’ve approved of the thing about having those two kids adopted. It’s impossible for me to ask the emperor to recall his order,” After thinking for a while, the Empress Dowager ordered someone to take him to the Qingxi Hall, but before he finished prostrating himself, she said, “Just leave this matter behind. The empress hasn’t made any objections even if Prince of Zhao is her only son. Why do you bother about it?”

Seeing Qiu Shuxia’s resentful expression, the Empress Dowager put on a cold look and raised her hand to interrupt him, “The emperor has no intention of selecting another prince as the heir to the throne. If he doesn’t have Prince of Wei and Prince of Zhao adopted, they will probably harm each other in the future. Do you want that to happen?”

She sighed, “This will do good to people who got involved in the fight for the title of heir to the throne like you. Do you understand?”

Qiu Shuxia naturally understood. The crown prince was far less scheming than Emperor Xianjia who was in his early years. Even with the emperor’s spare support, he still couldn’t control the court well. Therefore, if Emperor Xianjia didn’t have these two sons who once posed a threat to the crown prince’s status adopted by his brothers, the first thing the crown prince would do to stabilize his position after he took the throne must be kill his two brothers and their supporters!

Otherwise, he couldn’t be the new emperor at ease!

It didn’t have much to do with the crown prince’s generous nature, because even if the crown prince didn’t want to kill his two brothers, Gu Shao and the others would kill them secretly before telling the crown prince. Even if these officials didn’t do that, the crown princess would definitely do that!

At the time, the emperor deprived his two sons’ right of inheriting the throne by having them adopted, and also gave the crown prince and his followers a reason to let his two sons live.

Even officials like Qiu Shuxia, who got involved in the fight for the title of heir to the throne, would also get a lighter punishment because of this decision of the emperor.

After all, the princes they supported before had no hope of ascending the throne and naturally would pose a smaller and smaller threat to the crown prince. Then they could join the crown prince’s camp, resign, or work in other places. Anyway, they had some choices.

Qiu Shuxia knew this, but it did not mean that he was willing to give up, “It’s the ancestral rule that the legitimate son should be the crown prince…”

“The emperor has made the decision. What’s the point in mentioning this?” The Empress Dowager lowered her head, “You can complain like this in front of me in the Qingxi Hall. After all, you are my nephew! If you complain like this in front of others, they will think you are up to harm Prince of Zhao. No, Prince of Su. Do you understand?”

The Empress Dowager turned her head to hide her expression from Qiu Shuxia, but there was still sob in her tone, “You think I want Daiguo to end like that? But the country is under the domination of the emperor!”

Qiu Shuxia was shocked, “Aunt, you mean Her Highness Daiguo…”

“She will be exiled to Qiongzhou!” The Empress Dowager held the pier table beside her, and her tears finally fell, “Although Daiguo is my youngest daughter, she is about to have a grandchild, and she is not young anymore. However, she has to go all the way to a distant place like Qiongzhou. Will I see her again for the rest of my life after she goes there? I… I only have two daughters now!”

Qiu Shuxia was stunned for a long time and showed a decadent look. The Empress Dowager couldn’t protect her beloved daughter Grand Princess Daiguo, let alone her legitimate grandson!

The news about Grand Princess Daiguo’s exile spread out soon, and the people in the court were surprised and kept quiet out of fear.

“Your Highness, are you not going to plead for Aunt Daiguo?” The next day, in the Eastern Palace, the crown princess walked into the study with a worried look, “Now everyone knows that Father is going to send Aunt Daiguo and her family to Qiongzhou into exile. I’m afraid it’s difficult for us to see her again!”

The crown prince raised his head behind the table full of official documents, rubbed his glabella, then put down his writing brush, and said, “You guys all retreat!”

After all the servants withdrew outside, he said, “Xisu, I’ll be frank with you. If other people, including the second and fourth brothers, are about to be sent into exile, I would plead with my father for them. After all, my father has carefully cultivated me over the years. I can’t control them for my incompetence, so it’s not only their fault. For the sake of my father, I promised not to hurt Aunt Daiguo, but I really don’t want her to stay in the imperial capital anymore!”

The crown princess was not surprised when she heard this. She just reminded, “I know your grievance, but please spare a thought for Father. Father is the child of Grandmother after all, and he is her only son now!”

Therefore, the emperor tried his best to protect Grand Princess Daiguo was not only because he thought about the bond between siblings. In the final analysis, he did that for the Empress Dowager.

The crown prince refused to intercede for Grand Princess Daiguo naturally because of Noble Consort Cui. Since he loved his mother, how could he not be moved by Emperor Xianjia’s filial piety? Emperor Xianjia entrapped his mother, official wife, and sister, and even executed a concubine secretly. He supported the crown prince at such a price, but the crown prince refused to compromise in Grand Princess Daiguo’s matter. Although Prince of Wei and Prince of Zhao had been adopted, and the crown prince’s current position had been solidified, how would the emperor feel?

“Well, you’re right,” In the end, the crown prince was persuaded, “I’ll go to see my Father later.”

The crown princess was relieved and asked about his health before she left. Her face darkened subconsciously after she left.

Shiwan was confused and asked timidly, “Your Highness, isn’t it good for His Highness to listen to your advice?”

“Even if I don’t persuade him, someone will do that sooner or later.” The crown princess shook her head with no joy on her face, and her tone was calm, “The conversation between Father and Aunt Daiguo is unknown to others. After Grandmother spread the news that Aunt Daiguo and her family are about to be sent into exile by telling it to Qiu Shuxia, Father didn’t give any response. In fact, he was waiting for you to intercede.”

“Are you worried that His Majesty will show mercy to Grand Princess Daiguo? But I think His Majesty loves His Highness most.”

The crown princess raised the corners of her mouth mockingly, “Of course, Father loves him most. You think Father waited for him to plead with him for Aunt Daiguo? He just wanted others to think the crown prince can repay injury with kindness and wanted him to gain good fame.”

In this way, if Grand Princess Daiguo still wanted to oppose the crown prince in the future, she would be accused of being ungrateful for this matter!

She glanced at the trees in the yard and continued, “Moreover, it’s understandable that Father didn’t compensate Prince of Wei, but Father is affectionate to the empress and loves Prince of Zhao very much. Even if he has had Prince of Zhao adopted, he should give him extra rewards or even let him inherit his dead adoptive father’s dukedom. But he hasn’t given Prince of Zhao anything. You think he has dispelled his idea? No, he just wants the crown prince…to do that for him later!”

Shiwan nodded as if she had understood, “So, His highness will have nothing to worry about in the future. Then why do you still look so worried?”

Shiwan knew that the crown princess poisoned the crown prince back then, but Han Ji was dead, and no one could give evidence. Moreover, the crown prince had never doubted the crown princess. Even if he doubted her, the crown princess was forced to do that back then. She didn’t mean to kill him. Even if the crown prince knew the truth, he wouldn’t do anything to the crown princess for the sake of Commandery Prince Zhongling.

When they were in the summer resort, the imperial bodyguard Ji Xin deliberately released the tiger out of the cage and intended to murder Commandery Prince Zhongling. In order to protect his eldest legitimate son, the crown prince appeared in front of his son to resist the tiger without thinking, which was enough to show how much the crown prince loved and cared about Commandery Prince Zhongling.

The crown princess had such a son. Shiwan felt that the crown princess didn’t have to worry about anything.

“Maybe I’m too tired these days,” The crown princess gave a wry smile. She didn’t worry about the crown prince. The crown prince was well protected and not very shrewd. He was simply no match for her!

The problem was that the crown prince got the emperor behind him!

These days, Empress Su, Grand Princess Daiguo, Noble Consort Cui, Prince of Wei, and Prince of Zhao had all been dealt with. How would the emperor deal with her?

At the thought of this, the crown princess was restless. She didn’t know if the emperor had ignored her or hadn’t figured out how to deal with her. He hadn’t mentioned it so far!

This made the crown princess more worried.

However, she couldn’t tell anyone about her worry even if it was her trusted maid Shiwan, so she could only prevaricate casually, “How is Zhongling these two days? Although studies are important, he should also show his care to his elders. Tell him to visit the Palace of Xuanming and His Highness more often when he is not so busy.”

That afternoon, the crown prince personally went to the Palace of Xuanming to intercede for Grand Princess Daiguo and her family. After pretending to consider it for a while, Emperor Xianjia agreed. However, he still had some misgivings about his sister, so he decided to relegate her to a princess as a warning.

“According to the rules of our country, sisters of the emperor are grand princesses, and daughters of the emperor are princesses,” As soon as the news came out, the Empress Dowager was furious and summoned the emperor and the crown prince. She scolded, “Daiguo is clearly your sister. How can she be relegated to a princess? You want her to be in the rank of Princess Changxing and Princess Yushan? Daiguo was spoiled and fragile since she was a child. I was very worried when you wanted to send her to Qiongzhou. Now, although she could stay in the imperial capital, you humiliated her like that. Do you want to force her to death?”

The Empress Dowager was already simmering anger. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She patted the table and said, “Fine! Then I’ll kill myself to avoid being unpleasant to your eye!”

Then she picked up the scissors on the table that was used by maids to make needlework and stabbed towards her throat. Emperor Xianjia and the crown prince were shocked. They hurriedly snatched the scissors, knelt and apologized, and repeatedly asked the Empress Dowager to calm down, “Mother, since you have objections, I’ll withdraw the order!”

For a while, the Qingxi Hall was in chaos. After a while, the Empress Dowager finally calmed down. Only then did the maid dare to come forward and report, “Your Majesty, it has been a long while since Marquis Fuyang, Prince Consort of Grand Princess Daiguo, waited to see you at the palace gate. Do you want to see him?”

Emperor Xianjia was soothing his mother for his sister’s matter. Hearing that his brother-in-law wanted to see him, how could he refuse?

He answered immediately, “Let him in quickly.”