The Gilded Cage - Chapter 143

The Wedding Ceremony – She is the Niece of Your Majesty (1)

May was approaching. The wedding ceremony of the East Palace was approaching day by day. The Ministry of Rites and Zongzheng Temple were getting busier and busier, while news was coming from the northwest frontier.

According to General Liu Jiping, who was stationed in Ganzhou, the Beirong people, who had been quiet for more than a year, had recently quietly gathered several tribes of young and strong men, and every couple of days they passed by several villages and towns on horseback.

If it were in the past, such news would not be sent directly to the heavenly ears. Even if it were reported to Changan, it would not attract much attention. After all, the Beirong was born in a bitter cold land, and their annual looting was for the sake of livelihood, which rarely caused a big turmoil.

But now the Emperor Xiao Kezhi and the Ganzhou army’s relationship was not shallow, which made the people concerned about the matter of Ganzhou.

A few people advocated to immediately put the Ganzhou army into a state of readiness for war, and if necessary, even take the initiative to seize the first opportunity.

There were also many courtiers who thought that they should not take the strong cavalry of the Beirong people lightly. Today’s Ganzhou army was already different from a year ago. There were a whole 40,000 people brought by Xiao Kezhi into the capital near the various places stationed, and only 80,000 people remained in Ganzhou.

But the main warriors said, now that they ensured the stability of the Daliang territory, there would not be a major change in the short term.

In this way, the two sides had been discussing for many days, but there was no final decision.

Xiao Kezhi was noncommittal, and only sent someone to the northwest to send a letter to order Liu Jiping to stand still for the time being, but if the other party provoked, there was no need to ask the court for instructions, and he would send troops immediately.

He didn’t seem to have considered at all that the 80,000 people in the northwest would not be able to cope with the powerful Beirong cavalry.

Seeing this, the courtiers understood that the emperor should have a plan in mind, so they gradually stopped talking.

Now that the Qi family had completely reined in their edge, and the officials in the court had undergone several rounds of rectification, most of them dare not have too much disobedience. When discussing matters, they mostly consider the overall situation, and there are few acts of forming cliques for profit. No one dared to underestimate the authority of the Emperor.

In the Guizhen Temple, Chu Ning still saw Xiao Kezhi every one or two days.

At first, when she heard about the northwest incident, she was a little bit worried, but it was obvious that he was always calm and there was no worry in his brows, so she gradually felt relieved.

As the weather got hotter, graceful and elegant lotus flowers gradually grew among the green leaves in the pond, either budding, or delicate and charming, standing in a pavilion, swaying in the wind, and the cool frosty white petals were dyed with a layer of light pink, adding a touch of coolness and comfort in the scorching sun.

In the afternoon, Chu Ning moved two seats with Cuihe and they sat in the shade beside the lakeside hall, admiring the lotus and making tea at the same time.

Just as she was feeling comfortable, Cuihe suddenly tugged at her sleeves and motioned towards the corridor not far away.

“My Lady, look…”

Chu Ning had just divided the freshly brewed tea soup into two cups. Hearing this, she raised her head and followed the other’s gaze. She saw Xiao Yu standing alone by the corridor, staring at her place intently.

He was still wearing a single red shirt and a gold hook belt, but he seemed to be thinner than before. His expressionless face had a gloomy look which was rare in the Taiji Palace. Looking from afar, people dare not approach him.

“My Lady, should we leave here?” Cui He was still a little afraid of Xiao Yu, and when she saw him nearby, she subconsciously became nervous.

Chu Ning looked at him from a distance for a moment, then silently looked away, took a deep breath, shook her head and said, “No, this is the Taiji Palace, not the East Palace.” Then, she took another sip of tea, “Besides, he will not do anything in front of the palace people who come and go.”

He was a person who cared most about his face and reputation, and his marriage was approaching, so he would never make any trouble at this time.

Hearing this, Cuihe looked quickly to both sides, and sure enough, she saw several palace people passing by on the road, so she felt relieved. It was just that some people have noticed Xiao Yu’s existence, and they looked here from time to time, which made her uneasy.

Fortunately, Chu Ning was very calm, tasting tea and appreciating the lotus meticulously, and did not give Xiao Yu half a look, which made her relax slowly.

As expected, Xiao Yu just stood by the corridor for a moment, then turned and left with a gloomy face.

It was just a coincidence that he came here today.

After receiving the official duties in the Hanlin Academy, he was thinking about the upcoming wedding ceremony in his heart. When he passed the Qianhua Gate in the estate, he turned his direction by accident, and went to the direction of Guizhen Temple in search of the way.

He couldn’t tell what he wanted to do, and if he really got to Guizhen Temple, he probably wouldn’t go in either.

But by the lotus pond outside Linhu Hall, he suddenly saw that familiar figure.

She was in the shade of the tree, wearing Taoist robes, smiling and cooking tea with the maid. Compared with the past when she was in the East Palace, this outfit was too plain, but for some reason, she looked more agile and relaxed than before, as if she had relieved her burden.

He suddenly felt an inexplicable displeasure in his heart, as if he felt that after she left the East Palace, her life was better than before.

Could it be that for her, the monotonous and boring life trapped in the Taoist temple is better than the luxurious clothes, fine food, and superiority in the East Palace in the past?

He didn’t believe it, and soon, he would prove to her that she was wrong.