Chapter 69: Encounter on the Road
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Mingzhu was delighted to see the sedan chair waiting at the steps. It seemed that Empress Dowager Min had indeed said something unpleasant to provoke Aunt. Otherwise, she would have had to walk out under the scorching sun. She pretended to resist the offer: “I’ll walk myself.”
The palace attendants tried to persuade her, and she finally got into the sedan chair, feeling satisfied and joyful about her clever scheme. She thought to herself that she, the troublemaker, was going to leave the palace in a sedan chair. Meanwhile, Yuwen Chu was still kneeling under the scorching sun. It was indeed pitiful.
Just as she was about to express some sympathy, she suddenly noticed that Yuwen Chu was nowhere to be seen. She wondered, “Where is Ying Wang?”
The attendants shook their heads. “We don’t know. He might have gone back.”
Mingzhu then asked Sang Shen, “Do you know what he did wrong?” She really wanted to know how someone as cunning and crafty as Yuwen Chu could anger Aunt and receive punishment.
Sang Shen frowned with difficulty. “Miss, please don’t trouble us. We don’t know about these things.”
True. Mingzhu then went to see Mu Gugu again, who smiled kindly. “Why don’t you go ask Her Majesty?”
Wasn’t that asking for trouble? Cunning Mu Gugu! Mingzhu glanced at Eunuch Rong, but he was standing in the shadows, arms crossed, eyes half-closed, seemingly asleep, and obviously unwilling to engage with her.
Mingzhu had to suppress her strong curiosity and obediently leave. Shortly after leaving the palace gates, the sedan chair suddenly stopped. Mingzhu wondered, “What’s happening now?”
The palace attendant tasked with escorting her home replied, “It’s Ying Wang passing by.”
Mingzhu’s rank was insufficient, so she had to yield the way to Yuwen Chu’s carriage. This was an ironclad rule, and Mingzhu didn’t mind. However, she had encountered Yuwen Chu twice in a row today, which seemed like too much of a coincidence.
Yuwen Chu’s carriage suddenly stopped when it passed by her sedan chair. Someone lifted a corner of the carriage curtain from inside, revealing Yuwen Chu’s clear and calm face. “Is it Miss Fu?”
The palace attendant hurriedly bowed and replied, “Yes, Your Highness.”
Mingzhu had to get out of the sedan chair and bow. “Greetings, Your Highness, Ying Wang.”
But inwardly, she was annoyed with him for meddling unnecessarily. On such a sunny and hot day, why couldn’t they just mind their own business and go their separate ways? Instead, he had to be so troublesome. Since he didn’t respond immediately, she became even more angry. Wasn’t he deliberately trying to bother her for mocking him before, so he wanted to punish her by making her get out of the sedan chair and sunbathe?
Just as she was looking for an excuse to leave, Yuwen Chu spoke again: “No need for formalities.” His deep eyes lingered on her face for a moment, surprisingly not finding fault with her. He simply said, “Since the Great Empress Dowager sent someone to escort you home, you should go back.” Then he let the curtain down and ordered the carriage to move on.
See? She was right. He deliberately made her get out just to bother her. Mingzhu returned to her sedan chair, grabbed a lychee from her sleeve, and bit into it with force. “Let’s go!”
But they couldn’t walk quickly. Yuwen Chu’s carriage was moving at a leisurely pace, occupying the road firmly. Mingzhu couldn’t overtake his carriage or make him go faster, so she could only sit in the sedan chair and endure it. Finally, when they reached a fork in the road, she sighed with relief and said with a big smile, “Finally, there’s a cool breeze. Change the route, take the side road, it’s cooler!”
The attendants obeyed her instructions promptly.
Jing Song watched as the sedan chair quickly disappeared, his worry evident as he stole a glance at Yuwen Chu inside the carriage. What a situation this was! The prince spared no effort for that person, even if it meant making the Imperial Consort cry and angering the Great Empress Dowager. He knelt under the scorching sun for over an hour, finally getting up, but then lingering to accompany his beloved. Unfortunately, she didn’t appreciate it. With her temperament, she might even find the prince annoying, unaware of the subtleties of his feelings.
Yuwen Chu sat quietly in the carriage, reading a book without lifting his eyelids or showing any emotion. He lightly tapped the table a few times. The coachman heard and whipped the horses to speed up, clearing the long-held road.
Seeing his prince’s always straight back, Jing Song couldn’t help but whisper, “Your Highness, how are your knees? Should I bring some medicated alcohol to massage them?”
Yuwen Chu shook his head lightly. “I can bear this little pain. If the Imperial Consort sends someone again, tell them I’m not here.”
Jing Song sighed and advised, “The Imperial Consort has her reasons and is doing it for Your Highness’s own good.”
Yuwen Chu said calmly, “I know what’s best for me.”
Knowing his temper, Jing Song understood that he didn’t want to hear any more advice about this matter. So, he tightly sealed his lips and said no more.
Back home, Mingzhu felt no shame about being sent out of the palace by the Great Empress Dowager. Instead, she proudly watched as her brother-in-law rewarded the palace servants who escorted her back and distributed the goodies she received from the palace.
Fu Mingzheng leaned against the wall, watching her with a mocking smile. “You’re shameless. Just because you don’t say it, do you think we don’t know you were actually kicked out?”
Several nieces and nephews who received gifts suddenly widened their eyes and looked at Mingzhu, as if asking, “Aunt, what trouble did you cause this time? What did you do to get kicked out by the Empress Dowager?”
Mingzhu’s face was flushed with embarrassment, and she glared fiercely at Fu Mingzheng. “Have you ever seen someone being kicked out but still escorted with a sedan chair and given so many rewards?”
This guy was really unbearable. He couldn’t stop himself from trying to undermine her every time.
Fu Mingzheng smirked, “Indeed, I haven’t seen it before, so father wants you to see him immediately. It’s said that the Great Empress Dowager has ordered him to teach you a lesson.”
Madam Cui and others looked worriedly at Mingzhu. “What good deed have you done this time?”
Mingzhu replied vaguely, “Nothing much.” She quickly stepped out of the door, hearing Fu Mingzheng covering for her behind her back, “It’s not a big deal. It’s just that a palace maid showed disrespect to her, so she used her shoe sole to slap the maid’s face until it was all bruised.”
There was an instant silence in the room. After a moment, Third Sister-in-law Lady Ning stuttered, “She used to get into fights, but it seems she’s never been this ruthless…”
Then, their mother spoke casually, “It must be that maid who provoked her! Our Mingzhu is always reasonable.”
Mingzhu couldn’t express her feelings. Her parents spoiled her too much, always siding with her. She forced back the tears in her eyes. This time, no matter what, she would protect her family, even if it meant sacrificing herself.
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