frightfiction Chapter 1652 The Favor of Changchun Palace Has Come to an End
Chapter 1652 The Favor of Changchun Palace Has Come to an End
As her words fell, the air in the hall seemed to grow colder...
Li Changde stood aside, secretly lamenting his misfortune!
My little darling, is it something you should say?
Nangong Xuanyu's smile faded slightly, but he still maintained a gentle tone: "...Yun'er is very thoughtful."
The eldest princess, emboldened by the praise, pulled a roll of Xuan paper from her sleeve and presented it to the emperor's desk like a treasure: "Father, look! This is the calligraphy Yun'er practiced yesterday."
"My mother said that Yun'er has made progress, and Yun'er wants to show it to my father!"
Nangong Xuanyu unfolded the Xuan paper. Although the handwriting on the paper was immature, each stroke was very serious, showing that he had put in a lot of effort: "Well written."
The eldest princess's eyes immediately lit up: "Really?!"
"Then...does Father Emperor like it?"
"I like it. Seeing Yun'er working so hard, Father is very pleased."
Nangong Xuanyu turned to Li Changde and said, "Have the imperial kitchen prepare some of the eldest princess's favorite snacks."
"Yes."
Seeing that her words of comfort had worked, the eldest princess was encouraged and continued, "Father Emperor likes Yun'er's handwriting, and Yun'er will work even harder in the future! So Father Emperor, please don't be sad, okay?"
Nangong Xuanyu was taken aback.
The eldest princess said, "Empress Feng and the baby are gone, and Yun'er is very sad..."
“But my mother said that life and death are predestined, and we should pray for them so that they can live well in another world.”
"So... Father, don't be too sad. Take care of your health."
As she said this, the eldest princess gently tugged at Nangong Xuanyu's sleeve with her small hand, comforting him in her own way.
Little did he know that these words only fueled Nangong Xuanyu's anger!
The emperor's gentle expression faded gradually, and his gaze darkened: "Did you say those words yourself, or did your mother teach you to?"
The eldest princess was stunned, not understanding the meaning behind her father's words.
She blinked and said honestly, "It was Yun'er's own idea."
"My mother said that Father has been very busy these days, and with this incident, he must be in a bad mood. So I wanted to come and comfort him."
"My mother is also in the small Buddhist hall, performing a prayer for Consort Feng and the baby. She said this will help them be reborn in the Pure Land sooner and also make Father feel better!"
Nangong Xuanyu sneered, "Then your mother is really... quite something!"
These words sounded like a compliment, but the tone and eyes clearly betrayed a mocking anger...
The eldest princess finally realized that something was wrong.
She looked at her father, her little hands clenching her sleeves helplessly.
The eldest princess couldn't understand why her father seemed even more unhappy when she was trying to comfort him.
She called out in a wronged tone, "Father... Yun'er, Yun'er said something wrong?"
Looking into the eldest princess's clear, unfathomable eyes, Nangong Xuanyu felt a surge of anger welling up inside him, a anger that he couldn't express or swallow.
He knew he shouldn't take his anger out on the child.
How old is the eldest princess? What does she know?
It was Consort Zhuang who failed to teach her properly!
"His Majesty."
Li Changde stepped forward at the opportune moment, bowed, and said with a smile, "The snacks are ready."
"Your Highness, why don't you go to the side hall for a meal first? His Majesty still has state affairs to attend to. He can talk to Your Highness later, is that alright?"
Otherwise, he feared that if the eldest princess continued to comfort him, His Majesty's anger would become uncontrollable...
The eldest princess looked at her father, then at Li Changde, hesitated for a moment, and then obediently nodded: "Then Yun'er will go and have some snacks first. Father, please don't overwork yourself."
Nangong Xuanyu waved his hand wearily: "Go."
"Yun'er takes her leave."
Li Changde quickly led the eldest princess out of the main hall.
The moment she turned around, the smile on Nangong Xuanyu's face vanished completely.
The emperor looked at the words written by the eldest princess on his desk.
A child's handwriting is clean, and so is their heart.
But what about the adults?
Li Changde knew exactly what was going on.
Outsiders were unaware of the truth. The Imperial Concubine performed a ritual to pray for the souls of Lady Feng and her illegitimate child, which appeared to be the right thing to do, and His Majesty could not punish her for it.
But His Majesty must have kept this slight displeasure in mind.
Moreover, what His Majesty dislikes most now are probably those who practice vegetarianism and chant Buddhist prayers. The Imperial Concubine always appears compassionate and merciful, and she never lets go of her Buddhist prayer beads.
I fear that from now on, His Majesty will be unable to resist feeling disgust whenever he sees the Imperial Concubine.
The favor bestowed upon Changchun Palace... has come to an end!
……
Changchun Palace.
Consort Zhuang sat on the soft couch by the window, her gaze frequently drifting towards the doorway.
Ruoji whispered a reminder: "Your Majesty, the eldest princess has been gone for an hour."
"Ah."
Consort Zhuang responded and was also waiting for the eldest princess to return from the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
She wondered what His Majesty's reaction would be if Consort Feng and her unborn child were to die.
Angry? Regretful? Or... simply indifferent?
If it is the former, it means that His Majesty cares about the unborn heir to the throne to some extent.
Her actions of performing the rituals and chanting sutras perfectly demonstrate her compassion and show His Majesty her understanding.
She values those whom His Majesty values.
If His Majesty doesn't care at all... that's even better.
His Majesty would not be affected by the death of Lady Feng and her unborn child, and would therefore refrain from entering the inner palace.
"Miss."
Ruoji looked outside and said, "The eldest princess has returned."
Consort Zhuang looked up and saw that the curtain had been lifted and the eldest princess had walked in with small steps.
"Mother concubine!"
The eldest princess quickly walked to Consort Zhuang's side and sat down next to her.
Consort Zhuang reached out and embraced the eldest princess: "Yun'er, you're back? Did you see your father, the Emperor?"
"seen!"
The eldest princess nodded, her little face beaming with joy: "Father Emperor even praised Yun'er for her beautiful handwriting!"
"That's good."
Consort Zhuang breathed a sigh of relief and stroked the eldest princess's hair: "Did His Majesty say anything else?"
The eldest princess thought for a moment and counted on her fingers: "Father asked Yun'er if she was doing well in Changchun Palace, and Yun'er said she was."
"Father also said that he's been busy these days and hasn't been able to visit Yun'er, so he asked Eunuch Li to prepare some snacks for her. Almond shortbread and osmanthus cake, they were so delicious!"
She spoke with great enthusiasm, and Consort Zhuang's lips curved into a smile as she listened.
It seems His Majesty still dotes on the eldest princess.
That's good.
As long as the eldest princess still holds sway in His Majesty's heart, she will have an extra layer of protection.
"anything else?"
Consort Zhuang gently guided, "How is your father's mood? Did he mention Consort Feng's matter?"
The eldest princess's smile faded slightly, and she lowered her eyes, saying, "Father seems... a little unhappy."
“Yun’er told her father that Consort Feng and the baby were gone, and Yun’er was very sad. She asked her father not to be sad.”
Consort Zhuang's heart leaped into her throat: "What did your father say?"
The eldest princess frowned slightly: "Father asked Yun'er, did Yun'er think of these words herself, or did Mother teach her to say them?"
Consort Zhuang's breath hitched.
Even when Ruo Ji stood aside, his expression changed.