I just want to be a princess, no, you want to be a queen

Chapter 305: Willing to Be Shaved

Outside Shoukang Palace

Chu Mingzheng knelt on the cold stone slab, like a stone sculpture.

A basin of clear water was poured out from the palace gate and splashed in front of the kneeling man, but he remained motionless. Qin Miao, who was hiding at the door and splashing water, ran away crying.

She wanted him to regret losing her, but he didn't. Even though he was in such a miserable state, there was only that woman in his heart, and he only thought about that woman.

She couldn't figure it out, she really couldn't figure it out.

As night falls, only the afterglow of the sunset remains.

Xu Pei came out and sighed, "Your Highness, please go back. The Queen Mother said that she is old and frail, not as vigorous as Your Highness. Please find a way to go on your own."

Chu Mingzheng slowly raised his head and twitched the corners of his mouth: "Aunt Xu, please tell the Empress Dowager that I am willing to welcome Qin Miao back to the palace..."

With a sound of branches, the gate of Shoukang Palace was closed before he could finish his words.

Chu Mingzheng smiled and kowtowed again: "I wish the Empress Dowager good health."

After that, he stood up and left.

When he reached the Longzong Gate, the eunuch who was delivering the imperial edict from the Qinzheng Hall invited him in, but when he arrived at the Qinzheng Hall, the emperor did not invite him in. He could only kneel quietly outside the Qinzheng Hall.

He knelt until the next day, when daybreak was just beginning. In half an hour, it would be time for court.

The lights in the Qinzheng Hall were on, and the palace maids who were waiting for the emperor to get up came in and out.

Finally, Eunuch Su walked out and said in a loud voice, "Your Majesty has a verbal order. Prince Ningyuan, please accept it."

"Your son is here." King Ningyuan kowtowed.

Eunuch Su said, "Your Majesty, out of consideration for the father-son relationship, does not wish to pursue your Highness's guilt. Three days from now, the head of the regicide and treason traitor, Lu, will be displayed publicly. Please write a letter of divorce in advance and sever all ties. Also, Prince Ningyuan is to order the Imperial Guard to track down the treasonous conspirators in the Chengyang Marquisate and bring them to justice. Life or death is not an issue."

Chu Mingzheng looked up and said anxiously, "Please, Eunuch Su, let me see my father."

"Hey! Your Highness Prince Ningyuan, please accept the decree and express your gratitude." Eunuch Su turned away without looking at him and entered the Qinzheng Hall. Chu Mingzheng stood up, feeling dizzy.

"Your Highness, be careful!"

When Chu Mingzheng was going down the stairs, he missed a step and a Yulin guard was unable to catch him in time, so Chu Mingzheng rolled down the stairs. The Yulin guard hurried to help him.

"Thank you!"

Chu Mingzheng let go of his hand, turned his head to look at the Qinzheng Hall behind him, then looked at the Hanyuan Hall in front of him, stood up, and walked straight towards the Hanyuan Hall.

This time, he climbed the stone steps of Hanyuan Hall, knelt on the platform, and kowtowed heavily.

"There are traitors in the palace, and I, your son, deserve death. The princess's fault is also your son's fault. I am willing to be punished by having my head shaved, expelled from the imperial family, and forever become a commoner. I beg your father to forgive me and spare the princess's life."

The loud voice passed through Hanyuan Hall and into Qinzheng Hall. The emperor looked at Eunuch Su in confusion: "What did he say?"

Eunuch Su was also incredulous. He asked the eunuch who delivered the message to listen again before telling the emperor, "His Highness said that he is willing to be shaved, expelled from the imperial family, and demoted to a commoner to save the princess."

"He's actually willing to do this for that woman?" Expulsion from the royal family, punishment of shaving one's head—either of these alone would have doomed him to the throne. The emperor couldn't believe his ears.

The time for court arrived. The emperor, wearing the most majestic dragon robe, passed by Chu Mingzheng on his dragon sedan chair. He looked at the blood on his forehead and finally believed it.

"I, your son, am willing to be shaved, expelled from the imperial family, and reduced to a commoner. I beg your Majesty to spare the princess' life."

Chu Mingzheng watched the emperor pass by, and shouted loudly and kowtowed heavily.

Soon, they arrived at Hanyuan Hall. The ministers who filed in looked at Prince Ningyuan kneeling alone on the platform of Hanyuan Hall, and dared not breathe.

The morning court session began, and the sound of cheers of "Long live the King" rang out in the hall, but it still could not drown out the voice of King Ningyuan.

The emperor seemed to have a headache from being shouted at. He held his forehead and said, "Let him in."

Chu Mingzheng stepped into the hall, kowtowed again, and repeated the same sentence.

The emperor said, "Zheng'er, I have already issued an edict not to pursue your guilt. Go back and write a letter of divorce. You are still my son. Your brother is still young. Your father's hopes are all on you. Please do not let me down."

He said this for all civil and military officials to hear.

"Please grant me your blessing, father." Chu Mingzheng no longer had the energy to continue acting with him. He took off the jade pendant from his waist, broke it in two on the ground, and placed it against his neck.

"If your Majesty does not agree, I will commit suicide in Hanyuan Palace."

"How outrageous!" the emperor lamented. "You actually lost your composure for a woman. You truly disappoint me. Since that's the case, you will take the surname Lu from now on. I will decree that Prince Ningyuan be demoted to a commoner, expelled from the imperial family, and sentenced to the punishment of shaving his head. The execution will take place right here in front of Hanyuan Hall."

"Thank you, Father."

Chu Mingzheng walked out of Hanyuan Hall, looked up at the sky, and knelt. He removed his hair crown, letting his long black hair loose, strands of it falling in front of and behind him.

The emperor looked at his back and was filled with joy. But after the joy, he suddenly realized something.

……

"Your Highness, Your Highness..." Lu Mingyang ran into the study, threw herself on the bed, and burst into tears. She was still wearing her prison uniform, with the whip marks faintly visible beneath it.

The man on the bed wasn't much better, either. He had a high fever, and even after the cold handkerchief was placed on his head, it started steaming. The wound, where medicine had been applied, had already turned white with sweat.

And a bald head.

Hearing the call, Chu Mingzheng opened his eyes. His red and swollen eyes made people feel even more distressed.

Lu Mingyang punched him in anger: "Why are you so stupid!"

"Yangyang, I'm sorry, I let you down. But I can't do it." He couldn't bear to see her head and body separated, he couldn't bear to only look at her tablet every day to express his longing for her.

"Don't you want to think about it?" she asked, asking about his ambition, the aspiration he had made since he was ten years old.

"I don't want to think about it anymore." Chu Mingzheng touched his beloved face. "Yangyang, I will protect the mountains and rivers, the honor and disgrace of all people in this world if I have the strength. But you are the one I will protect even if I don't have the strength."

Lu Mingyang choked up and touched the back of his ear, which was a little prickly. "From now on, you listen to me."

"Of course I'll listen to you." Chu Mingzheng smiled: "The emperor gave me the surname Lu. From now on, I will only be yours."

Zheng Hao brought some antipyretic powder, and Lu Mingyang hurriedly fed it to Chu Mingzheng.

However, the heat had not yet subsided when people from the palace arrived.

Since he is no longer the Prince of Ningyuan, he can no longer live in the Ningyuan Palace. All the servants in the palace, big and small, have nothing to do with him anymore.

Lu Mingyang supported the scalding Chu Mingzheng, helping him put on his clothes and covering him with a cloak. Although he didn't say it, she knew that he definitely didn't want to see anyone.

Lu Mingyang helped him take the small path to avoid the crowd. Fortunately, everyone knew about the incident in the palace and hid in their rooms.

When they reached the stable, Lu Mingyang helped him into the carriage and drove away himself.

The Emperor pardoned the Chengyang Marquisate's death sentence, but stripped them of their titles. The eldest sister and third brother were sent back to their native places and were forbidden to enter the capital. However, the Emperor preserved the Chengyang Marquisate for them to live in.

Everyone else thought that the emperor was merciful, but only the two of them knew that the emperor didn't want them to leave the capital, so he kept them under house arrest and waited peacefully for the new emperor to ascend the throne.

Lu Mingyang even wanted to laugh.

Do they have such great ability? Even at this point, they still refuse to let them go.