The Gilded Cage - Chapter 150

The Empress – Why on Earth Did You Betray Me? (1)

Only Chu Ning and Zhao Yue were left in Liangyi Hall.

Only then did Zhao Yue slowly straighten up, looking at her with a different look on her face, and after a long time, she sneered and said, “You are really impressive.”

She used to think that Chu Ning was a weak and incompetent woman, who relied on her beauty and her willingness to be the Crown Prince’s Consort for two years. Even when she was abandoned by her husband, she went willingly and without complaint.

The woman, who was useless, suddenly appeared at the side of the Son of Heaven.

She made a lot of effort but had never been able to get the emperor’s attention, so she had to throw her weight around and turn her attention to the prince. It turned out that the emperor was not as cold and heartless as he seemed, but was just interested in another type of woman.

However, she wondered why the Emperor favored Lady Chu. Was it simple love? Or a plot to make the Crown Prince dissatisfied?

She did not have the heart to speculate because she realized that even now that she became the Crown Prince’s Consort, Lady Chu’s status was still above hers, and she suddenly felt some displeasure.

They were both young ladies of prominent families. Lady Chu didn’t have anything more than she did.

Chu Ning heard her tone change and did not feel angry. She only lightly said,  “Well, although I am now considered your elder, I have nothing to admonish you about. I only hope that you won’t come to regret sitting in the position of Crown Prince’s Consort.”

Zhao Yue’s face changed, as if she felt that the other was mocking her, and immediately coldly said, “Thanking the lady for her concern, but I’m different from you. I will not be at the mercy of others.”

After saying that, she didn’t stay much, just bowed and turned around to leave.

Chu Ning calmly looked at her back as she left, sighed lightly, and got up again to go back to Ganlu Hall to have breakfast with Cuihe.

……

In the Taiji Hall, the ministers arrived.

Xiao Kezhi took the Crown Prince into the hall, ascended to the royal seat, and bid the ceremonial officer to complete the final ceremony. He announced the crown prince’s wedding ceremony was complete, accepting the congratulations of the crowd.

When everything was over, the crowd was about to retreat, but he said to stop, “Wait, while the wedding ceremony of the East Palace is completed today, the Crown Prince and the Crown Prince’s Consort also came to the Palace, I still have one more thing to announce to you.”

All the ministers paused as they retreated, and couldn’t help looking at each other in twos and threes. When they saw the same doubts in the eyes of others as themselves, they had no choice but to suppress the suspicion in their hearts, return to their seats, and wait for the Emperor’s next words.

Xiao Yu was the only one who froze suddenly after hearing this, and couldn’t restrain his anger and raised his head to stare at Xiao Kezhi, who was sitting on the throne. His left hand under the cuff couldn’t help trembling slightly. He couldn’t think of anything else to announce at this time, except for the matter of establishing an empress.

Sure enough, after the palace was quiet again, Xiao Kezhi’s eyes swept over the faces of the officials one by one, and said in a majestic voice, “Before, the ministers repeatedly mentioned that I have passed the age of maturity and should start a family. I have thought about it for a long time. I deeply believe this, and I am even more impressed by the sincerity of the ministers, and I have decided to appoint an empress immediately. Now, the Imperial Academy has drafted a decree, and it will be announced to the world in the afternoon.”

Everyone fell silent, completely unexpected that the Emperor would crown an empress without warning, and they had never even heard who the empress was.

One of them hesitated, and took the lead to ask: “May I ask Your Majesty, which noble daughter do you want to make an empress?”

Xiao Yu, at the bottom of the steps, became even stiffer, and his pale face lowered. The rest of the people also stopped to wait and see, waiting with bated breath.

Only Xiao Kezhi said indifferently. “I want to make the lady of the Chu family my empress.”

“The Chu family?”

“Which Chu family?”

“Could it be the one who is practicing in the temple?!”

Everyone thought about it, and the courtiers surnamed Chu in the court had long been implicated in the case of Chu Qianyu, or were relegated or dismissed. The only Lady Chu was the one who was in the Guizhen Temple!

That one, but the former Crown Prince’s Consort was the Emperor’s nephew’s wife!

Xiao Kezhi looked at the faces of the ministers who were full of suspicion and nodded affirmatively, “Yes, it is indeed that Lady Chu.”

After the words fell, there was an uproar in the hall. Dozens of courtiers looked in the direction of the silent Xiao Yu one after another. Seeing him lower his head, he looked back and forth between the uncle and nephew.

“Your Majesty, the Chu family is the daughter of a sinful minister, and she was—was a female crown of the Daoist sect, and it is against the norms. I am afraid that she is not suitable to be the Empress…”

“Yes, I’m afraid this matter will arouse the discussion of the world. Please think twice, Your Majesty!”

……

Several courtiers remonstrated one after another, causing everyone to echo.

Xiao Kezhi had expected what the courtiers were saying, and listened patiently at this moment, without being flustered at all by such a one-sided scene.

After everyone’s words stopped for a while, he nodded and said, “I understand what you mean, but it’s my marriage, and the one I prefer in my heart is Lady Chu. Besides, I know that you are all worried that she once was the crown prince consort, and her status is a little sensitive. But she is no longer a member of the East Palace, but a female nun in the Taoist sect. Nuns have returned to the common world, and it is not uncommon for nuns to marry and have children among the people, and even the royal family.”

As he said that, he suddenly paused and turned his eyes to Xiao Yu who was silent, “And the prince has married another person now, and has nothing to do with the Chu family. Am I right, Prince?”

Xiao Yu froze on the spot, feeling the gazes from all directions piercing his body like cold arrows, making him tremble even when he breathed.

But under the eyes of everyone, he couldn’t vent the pain and anger accumulated in his heart. He could only clench his fingertips, grit his teeth, bow his head, and cover his distorted face. Softly, he admitted, “Your Majesty’s words are very true.”

The ministers were speechless for a while.