As the days passed, the Lantern Festival soon arrived. Cheng Yujin still remembered that last year, the Emperor brought the imperial concubines to the lantern house to "celebrate with the people". Now that the Crown Prince was back, the Emperor no longer had the mood to celebrate with the people and stayed in the palace as usual.
When Empress Yang saw this, she coldly snorted in her heart.
At the Lantern Festival, Cheng Yujin sat on the stage as usual, as the mascot for everyone to see. What was rare was that this year, Empress Dowager Yang actually attended the Lantern Festival. She sat at the head of the stage and occasionally called the madams and young misses to go up and see.
Yes, Empress Dowager Yang's intention of finding a first wife for the Second Prince was very clear. Empress Dowager Yang said that the young miss of the Zhao Family was virtuous, and then she said that the young miss of the Li Family was quiet and beautiful. In short, she didn't pick up on the Dou Family. Thus, the people in the capital understood. Dou Xiyin had been hung for seven to eight years and was now completely abandoned by Empress Dowager Yang.
Because of this, a gust of wind blew in the capital. Some families rushed like ducks, and some families let their daughters say that they were sick and didn't attend the Empress Dowager's banquet. Everyone had their own opinions and attitudes, but there was no doubt that they all agreed on one point.
That was, Dou Xiyin and the Dou Family had become a complete joke in the capital.
Cheng Yujin honestly felt that Empress Dowager Yang's actions weren't appropriate. Since she didn't have this intention, then she shouldn't have given Dou Xiyin hope and hung her for seven to eight years, dragging her from a young girl to an old woman waiting to get married. Now that Dou Xiyin was of marriageable age, it was the best time to discuss marriage between the thirteenth and fourteenth year. Dou Xiyin and the Dou family were all thinking about the Second Prince, so they didn't have time to look for a suitable son-in-law. Now, Empress Dowager Yang suddenly said that she had no such intention. At that time, she only found the two children cute and casually played with them. The engagement did not count. This was too much.
However, she had to bear the consequences of her own choices. No matter how bad Empress Dowager Yang was, it was Dou Xiyin who ran to the palace every day. It was also Dou Xiyin who looked down on other men. Now, as one reaps what one sows, one reaps what one sows. Not only was she unable to become an imperial concubine, but she had also missed the great opportunity to discuss the marriage. It could be said that the chicken had flown away and the eggs had been broken. Everything was for naught. Dou Xiyin had no one to blame but herself.
Cheng Yujin was a person who could see things clearly. She was cold and heartless to others, and she was the same to herself. She would not have two sets of standards for others and herself. Unfortunately, Dou Xiyin wasn't like that.
Cheng Yujin saw Dou Xiyin quietly leave from the corner of her eyes. She didn't move, as if she didn't see it.
Dou Xiyin felt suffocated in the hall. She couldn't stand it anymore and came out to get some fresh air. She angrily walked forward in the cold wind, her footsteps loud and heavy. She imagined that under her feet were the faces of those eyesores. After walking for the time it took for a stick of incense to burn, she finally calmed down.
Unknowingly, she had already walked far away from the banquet. Dou Xiyin stood in the cold wind, looking at the red walls and green tiles that she was most familiar with in the past seven to eight years. She felt pitiful and sad.
She originally thought that she also belonged to this palace. So every time she entered the palace, Dou Xiyin looked at the tall red walls, the dazzling green tiles, and the strict security. She felt proud. Because she knew that she would be the mistress of all of this. The highest honor and nobility of a woman in the world would belong to her.
Dou Xiyin never thought that she would marry someone else, let alone that the Second Prince would marry another woman. She trusted Empress Dowager Yang so much. How would she know that Empress Dowager Yang was lying to her?
Now, Empress Dowager Yang publicly slapped the Dou Family and Yang Yan's face. Dou Xiyin not only became the laughing stock of the capital, but also faced the predicament of not being able to get married. When the Dou Family heard the news, they were skeptical. After observing for a while, they panicked when they saw that Empress Dowager Yang was really planning to choose a concubine for the Second Prince. Yang Yan shouted and hurriedly looked for a son-in-law for Dou Xiyin. Only then did she realize that the good candidates had already been selected a few years ago, and the rest were all crooked. They were either dishonorable and slept with prostitutes, or their families were a den of wolves and tigers. There were even some people whose status and family background were far inferior to the Dou Family, and they all rushed forward to try and pick up Dou Xiyin.
In the past, Dou Xiyin and Yang Yan would not be interested in such people. They would even find it dirty to carry their shoes. But now, these people were Dou Xiyin's best choices.
How ironic.
Dou Xiyin was so angry that her whole body trembled. Yang Yan also cried for a few days and ran back to complain to her parents. Of course, Yang Fucheng felt sorry for his eldest daughter. When his eldest daughter got married, his position was still low. When he matchmade for Yang Yan, he chose the Dou Family, which was average in all aspects, while his youngest daughter became the Empress. The gap between his two daughters was too big. Therefore, Yang Fucheng had always owed his eldest daughter. If he could marry his granddaughter to the Second Prince, not only would he consolidate the power of the Yang Family, but he could also make up for his eldest daughter's family. Yang Fucheng was naturally happy to see this happen.
However, Yang Fucheng did not expect that Empress Dowager Yang would go back on her words and stab her own family in the back.
Madame Yang cried and made a fuss all day, wanting to seek justice for her eldest daughter. Yang Fucheng couldn't stand it and secretly hated Empress Dowager Yang. Empress Dowager Yang's son was already dead, and she had no bloodline. She relied on the Yang Family to continue her wealth, but Empress Dowager Yang repaid them in this way. Yang Fucheng was now the head of the government, his youngest daughter was the Empress, and the Second Prince was Empress Dowager Yang's direct descendant. However, Empress Dowager Yang chose a concubine for the Second Prince just because she wanted to. Even Empress Yang, the proper mother-in-law, could not say anything.
She overstepped her authority and took matters into her own hands.
Yang Fucheng was angry, and the dissatisfaction that had accumulated over the years slowly surfaced, gradually becoming explosive. During these years, Empress Dowager Yang became more and more arrogant and bossy, acting like she was the most important person. Relying on the grace of guiding Yang Fucheng back then, she ordered Grand Secretary Yang to do things without the slightest scruple, even boasting in front of everyone that she had done a great favor for Yang Family. If it were not for this matter, Yang Fucheng would not have realized that he had been thinking about these things for so long.
However, Empress Dowager Yang was his older sister, the most senior empress dowager in the imperial harem. Neither the Emperor nor Yang Fucheng could do anything to Empress Dowager Yang. Whatever Empress Dowager Yang said, they had to listen obediently on the surface. Therefore, Yang Yan cried and threw a tantrum at home, and tried to kill herself. Yang Fucheng could not do anything to change the situation other than privately subsidizing his eldest daughter.
Yang Yan was still unwilling to give up, and ran to her parents' home every day. However, Dou Xiyin's heart was cold.
At this moment, Dou Xiyin looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar red wall, and could not help but be slightly dazed, not knowing where to go. Perhaps because she had been standing there for too long, the people on the other side of the wall thought that there was no one around, and began to talk without restraint.
"Why did the Second Prince suddenly go to Lingyuan Pavilion?"
The Second Prince? Dou Xiyin's ears twitched, and she could not help but hold her breath and listen carefully.
There was a corridor on the other side of the wall. The two palace maids probably did not expect someone to be standing behind the wall, and they spoke without restraint. She heard another voice say, "The Second Prince did not allow anyone to speak. Today is the Lantern Festival, and His Majesty is very happy, so he held a banquet for all the officials. The Second Prince was drunk, and he did not want to dampen His Majesty's mood, so he went to Lingyuan Pavilion to sober up and had the eunuchs prepare some hangover soup. "
"Doesn't that mean that there is no one by the Second Prince's side?" The first voice sighed, "The Second Prince is alone in Lingyuan Pavilion, not to mention drunk, and there is no one by his side to serve him. What if something happens?"
"What could happen in the palace?" The other person's tone was unconcerned, and she suddenly lowered her voice and said mysteriously, "Have you heard that the Empress Dowager is going to choose a consort for the Second Prince?"
"I know. It is said that the Empress Dowager has summoned many young misses into the palace today. Is the future Second Prince's consort among them?"
"It must be. Let's hurry to the main hall to serve. Who knows, we might be able to curry favor with the future Second Prince's consort. "
"But isn't it said that … Miss Dou is the future imperial consort …"
"Hey, you're talking about her. Right now, she is just a flower for show. Look at her now, she is wearing luxurious clothes and eating jade, full of prestige, but she can't find a good marriage. This is the most glorious time of her life. Look at her, she still has to go downhill. After two years, I'm afraid that even her livelihood will be a problem. At that time, who will remember who she is? If she keeps falling, she won't even have the qualifications to enter the palace to carry the Second Prince's shoes. Will the Second Prince's consort care about her? "
"You're right. After all, she is not a proper young miss of the Yang Family. The Yang Family supported her because she was the future Second Prince's consort. Now that she is not, how long will they support her? With just the Dou Family, what kind of person is she? "
"… …"
The voices gradually faded away, and the two palace maids walked away while talking. From beginning to end, Dou Xiyin had not even seen the other party's face, but she was so angry that her entire body trembled.
They were just two insignificant palace maids, how dare they talk about her like this! But after Dou Xiyin's anger, she found in despair that they were right.
Dou Xiyin's fingernails unconsciously dug into her palms. She couldn't be like this, she had to think of a way to save herself. She couldn't fall into the situation that the palace maids were talking about.
Eternal Life Palace.
The Dugeaux silently entered and whispered something into Cheng Yujin's ear. Cheng Yujin only nodded after hearing this and did not say anything, as if she didn't know anything.
She still had a faint smile on her face as she looked at the noisy stage and the people below. Her posture was elegant and dignified, and her smile was gentle and warm. No one could find anything wrong with this Crown Princess.
Halfway through the banquet, someone suddenly rushed in and whispered something to Empress Yang. Empress Yang's expression changed. She didn't say anything and quickly left the banquet.
Of course, the people below the stage saw this, but they didn't think anything of it. They just thought that something had happened in the palace and Empress Yang had left to deal with the palace's affairs.
But after a while, a forty year old palace maid came in and bent over to whisper something into Empress Dowager Yang's ear. Empress Dowager Yang's expression immediately became cold and there was a faint trace of anger on her face. At this time, there was a young miss who was trying to curry favor with Empress Dowager Yang. She had prepared a basket of wonderful words, but when she saw Empress Dowager Yang's expression, she didn't dare to say anything.
Empress Dowager Yang's lips drooped. She stood up with the help of the palace maid. Following her movements, the people in Eternal Life Palace all quieted down. Empress Dowager Yang stood in front of the throne and curled her lips into a fake smile, saying, "Aijia is tired and will leave first. Crown Princess. "
Cheng Yujin responded and went forward. She bowed blessed, "I am here."
"The Empress is not here. You will temporarily take care of the Lantern Festival. If there is anything, come ask aijia later."
"Yes." Cheng Yujin lowered her head and said, "I will obey."
Empress Dowager Yang finished speaking and left with the help of the palace maid. Everyone in the hall looked at Empress Dowager Yang's back and it was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
Cheng Yujin smiled and raised her hand, saying, "The Empress Dowager and Empress will leave for a while. Furen can continue to drink."
Following Cheng Yujin's words, the hall became lively again. Many of the furen present raised their wine cups, but their eyes were secretly pondering the Empress and Empress Dowager's abnormalities today.
At this time, someone discovered that Yang Yan was also not present.
Shu Fei's eyes swept around and didn't see any trace of Yang Yan. Shu Fei's heart itched. Using the opportunity of toasting, she quietly came in front of Cheng Yujin and asked, "Crown Princess, what happened? Why did the Empress and Empress Dowager both leave?"
"The Empress Dowager and Empress are family matters, how would I know?" Cheng Yujin said as she raised her wine cup and motioned to Shu Fei. She smiled and said, "Shu Fei niangniang, please."
Shu Fei understood and tactfully drained the wine in one gulp and didn't ask any more questions. Cheng Yujin just went through the motions and tilted the cup to accept the wine, but didn't actually drink it.
Cheng Yujin lowered her head to look at the sake in her cup. The wine was clear and sparkling, reflecting the engraved beams and painted pillars around her. It was painted with gold. Cheng Yujin put down the wine cup and inadvertently thought that she still had many things to do today and couldn't be delayed by wine.
Drunkenness would delay things.
In the afternoon of the Lantern Festival, time passed as everyone pretended to be absent-minded. Cheng Yujin stayed at Yong Shou Palace to preside over the general situation and her words and actions were very appropriate. Everyone suddenly found that the Crown Princess was such a perfect mistress. She didn't have stage fright when she presided over the general situation and handled some unexpected details better than the Empress.
The Crown Princess usually didn't fight to stand out and everyone was used to it. They could see that the Crown Princess was very graceful, like she was the prettiest and most famous mascot of the Imperial Family. But when the Empress and the Empress Dowager weren't present, her ability didn't lose to anyone.
After Empress Yang and Empress Dowager Yang went out, they didn't return for the entire afternoon. Cheng Yujin was smiling the entire time, dignified and appropriate as if she didn't notice what was happening in the palace. When they returned to Ci Qing Palace, Cheng Yujin's smile faded and she asked, "Where is His Highness?"
"His Highness is still accompanying the Emperor at the Palace of Heavenly Purity and hasn't returned yet."
No matter what the Emperor did, he always had Li Seung-kyung at his side. In these large scale banquets, Li Seung-kyung had to be at the Emperor's side. Although it was troublesome, the Emperor's attitude could be seen from these details. Cheng Yujin nodded, thinking that she had already waited for an entire afternoon, waiting a little longer wouldn't be a big deal. Cheng Yujin first went to the washroom to bathe and wash. When she came out, she found that Li Seung-kyung had already returned. There was still a slight steam on his body, presumably he had taken a bath in the other washroom.
Li Seung-kyung saw Cheng Yujin come out and spread out his hands to her. Cheng Yujin sat next to Li Seung-kyung and asked, "Your Highness, how is it?"
Li Seung-kyung had just finished bathing and his hair was slightly wet. He was only wearing an inner garment, revealing a slender neck from the collar. One could vaguely see his white and thin chest. Li Seung-kyung wrapped Cheng Yujin's hand with one hand and placed it on his lap. He nodded slightly, "It's done."
Cheng Yujin couldn't help but raise her brows, seeming a little anxious. However, she forcibly restrained herself, "What happened outside?"
"Second Younger Brother accidentally got drunk and secretly went to Lingyuan Pavilion to sober up. Some of the eunuchs by his side went to get some hangover soup, while others went to prepare hot water. No one stayed by Second Younger Brother's side. It was really a coincidence that Miss Dou accidentally entered Lingyuan Pavilion while everyone was busy outside. Second Younger Brother was unconscious after he fell asleep. Moreover, he drank wine and was full of vigor, so … "
Li Seung-kyung didn't explain too much to Cheng Yujin, but Cheng Yujin could already piece together what had happened in the afternoon based on these fragments. Cheng Yujin's eyes turned, "So in the afternoon, Empress Yang hurriedly left to deal with Dou Xiyin and the Second Prince's matter? It was only because the matter couldn't be suppressed in the end that Empress Dowager Yang was alarmed? "
"That's right. After that, Yang Shoufu also went over. When the Emperor heard the news, he wasn't too happy, but he didn't say anything. I was at the Emperor's side the entire afternoon, so I'm not too clear on the exact situation at Lingyuan Pavilion. "
Cheng Yujin nodded and said in a serious manner, "That's natural. After the Empress and Empress Dowager left, this concubine was ordered by the Empress Dowager to preside over the situation at Eternal Life Palace. This concubine was busy the entire afternoon and didn't pay attention to Miss Dou's movements. No one wanted to see this kind of thing happen, but Miss Dou and the Second Prince were childhood sweethearts. The two were innocent. Although it damaged the Imperial Family's reputation, it was still a beautiful thing for lovers to be together. "
Li Seung-kyung didn't say anything. His brows raised slightly as he looked at her and smiled. Cheng Yujin didn't panic under this kind of gaze. She calmly glared at him, "What are you smiling at?"
Li Seung-kyung shook his head and said, "It's nothing. I'm just sighing at the Crown Princess's magnanimity. In the future, you must not provoke the Crown Princess. "
Cheng Yujin gave a soft snort and said, "Your Highness overpraises me. I'm not as good as Your Highness's teachings."
Both of them put on an act to express their innocence and nobility. There was no one else in the world who knew better than them what was going on today. But these two were black-hearted and black-hearted, yet they were still able to say "I don't know" and "No one wants to see this kind of thing happen" without changing their expressions.
After a while, Cheng Yujin asked, "Your Highness, what will the Yang Family do in the future?"
Li Seung-kyung didn't care at all and calmly said, "That's the Yang Family's matter. You can't write two Yangs with one stroke. The palm of one's hand is flesh, and the back of one's hand is also flesh. Whoever the Yang Fucheng chooses is their own decision. What does it have to do with us? "
Cheng Yujin lightly nodded, knowing that Li Seung-kyung's goal had been achieved. As for who the Second Prince's consort was, it didn't matter. Even if the Second Prince was drunk at the banquet, there shouldn't be no one by his side. Even if he was really busy, how could Dou Xiyin be so coincidental as to walk in when everyone else was leaving?
When there were too many coincidences, they weren't coincidences anymore, but were inevitable. Cheng Yujin and Li Seung-kyung, one inside and one outside, both quietly pushed each other. Cheng Yujin was responsible for instigating Dou Xiyin and then sending her out of the inner palace. As for the matter of Lingyuan Pavilion, it wasn't something that Cheng Yujin could handle.
But looking at the effect, Li Seung-kyung's arrangements were very subtle and ingenious. Both of them had clear alibis, and they were only secretly pushing things. The one who swaggered in, took off her clothes, and had intimate relations with the Second Prince was Dou Xiyin herself. First, she wasn't drugged, and second, she wasn't forced. What did what she did have to do with anyone else?
Li Seung-kyung naturally didn't want to see the Second Prince marry a powerful in-law. But to put it bluntly, no matter how powerful the power was, it couldn't be stronger than imperial power. The Second Prince marrying another consort would cause some trouble, but that was all. A mere Dou Xiyin wasn't worth Li Seung-kyung's special scheme.
What Li Seung-kyung really wanted to do was to tear open a hole in front of all the officials and let the world see that the Yang Family wasn't a monolithic block. Empress Dowager Yang and Yang Shoufu were already hostile towards each other. As for Dou Xiyin, she was just an extra.
Li Seung-kyung pinched Cheng Yujin's fingers and said, "The Yang Family suddenly rose in power, but the family's upbringing didn't keep up. Now, she's just a granddaughter. In the future, the Yang Family will suffer retribution for their own actions. "
Cheng Yujin immediately thought of a person. She had also heard of this before, so she asked tentatively, "Your Highness, are you talking about Yang Shoufu's grandson, Yang Hsiao-yu?"
Yang Hsiao-yu … had a great reputation in the capital. He bullied men and women, ate, drank, and gambled. It could be said that he had everything. In this generation of the Yang Family, he was the only child. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was the apple of Madame Yang's eye and the lifeblood of the family. Dou Xiyin was only Yang Yan's daughter, but she was able to take off her clothes and stick to the prince. Yang Hsiao-yu was the only grandson of the Yang Family. His grandfather was the Grand Secretary, his grandaunt was the Empress Dowager, and his aunt was the Empress Dowager. His grandmother and mother also gave in to his every request. It wasn't difficult to imagine what kind of person Yang Hsiao-yu would grow up to be.
Yang Hsiao-yu was so savage that he dared to kick down stalls, beat people up, and take liberties with the family of an official of the imperial court. Many people in the capital had been bullied by him, but with Yang Shoufu and Empress Dowager Yang taking care of it, the victims didn't dare to speak out.
Li Seung-kyung said with a smile that wasn't a smile, "That's the Yang Family's business. I don't know about it."
In the past, the Yang Family could cover the sky with one hand and protect Yang Hsiao-yu's lawlessness. However, there was always a backlash. He could only hope that the Yang Family could continue to cover the sky with one hand.
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