The Gilded Cage

Chu Ning slept lightly and was awakened by the **** crowing in the distance before dawn the next day.

She got up from the bed, rubbed her bounced forehead, called the maid who was watching the night's watch, and began to change and freshen up.

After the emperor died, the funeral process was complicated, and there were many rules. There were also detailed requirements for the clothing and attire of the emperor's relatives and ministers. As the princess, Chu Ning's dress was heavy and depressing.

But this is the case, she is still beautiful in the mirror, like a delicate flower on a branch, waiting to be picked up by others.

This beautiful skin has always been eye-catching.

The maid combing her hair behind her looked at the figure in the mirror, she was surprised at first, and then sad.

Such a beauty, in the precarious East Palace, I am afraid that time is running out. What about their ordinary maids? Even the nobles can hardly protect themselves. Those who are slaves and maids will only have a more miserable end.

Thinking like this, her eyes were red, and her hand holding the hosta trembled.

With a "ta", the hosta accidentally landed on the dressing table. She was taken aback, and she hurriedly bowed her head to admit her mistake, with some crying in her tone: "The slave is not aware of it for a while, please forgive her."

Chu Ning looked at her pitifully, why didn't she know what she was thinking about? Not just her, everyone inside and outside the East Palace, which one is not scared? Even in North Korea, there are probably many people who can't sleep at night.

She couldn't help but sighed, picked up the fallen hosta and inserted it into her hair, and said, "Well, you can go down and rest. Don't be so scared."

I don't know whether these words are comforting the maid or comforting myself. She looked at her unfashioned face in the mirror, stretched out her index finger and dipped a thin layer of powder on the face, and smeared it between her lips.

The lips that were originally soft and blushing suddenly became a little more fragile and pale, which made her whole face more beautiful.

She also didn't know how many days she could live, the more so, the more she should seize the last chance.

…

In the Temple of Light, Xiao Yu also got up to wear it.

The maid put on his robe and was holding the belt to buckle. When Chu Ning entered the room, he naturally took the belt from the maid's hand, walked in front of Xiao Yu, and stretched out his hand around his waist to tie the jade belt hook for him.

"A Ning." When Xiao Yu saw her, his gloomy expression finally eased for a moment. He opened his arms and imagined holding her in his arms as usual, but she had naturally turned and left, walked to the table, holding warm tea and pills in her hands, and said: "Your Majesty, don't forget to take the medicine."

The prince was frail since he was a child, and it was very common for him to take medicine from time to time. But others don't know it, but Chu Ning is very clear that the medicine in her hand is not what he usually takes, but a detoxification pill.

During the period of attending Tai Chi Palace, Xiao Yu did not hesitate to test the medicine personally in order not to cause suspicion. Before putting the poisonous soup into his father's mouth every day, Xiao Yu had to drink it by himself.

He is already weak, even if the dose taken is not fatal, it is enough to cause him pain. For him at that time, in order to ascend to the throne as early as possible, this sacrifice was nothing, but now he wants to come, but it is very ironic.

After Xiao Yu took the pills and water, he carefully put the medicine bottle into his arms, but didn't let her go. Instead, he reached out and pinched her chin and looked up and down, and finally landed on her pale lips: "Have you scared you these few days?"

Chu Ning didn't dodge anymore, raised his eyes to meet his gaze, and whispered: "Your Highness, I'm a little scared."

Xiao Yu dropped a kiss on her lips and said with relief: "Aning, don't worry, now the situation is unstable, they won't take me anymore."

The new emperor did not ascend the throne, the prince was not deposed, at this time everything is not right, they will not act rashly. Even if it is necessary to dispose of the East Palace, it will wait until the new emperor ascends the throne and the government is slightly stable.

As he said, he paused, rubbing her skin with his thumb, and said casually: "I heard that you recently found a servant from the past?"

Chu Ning got tight behind his back and immediately understood that he was talking about Uncle Fang. She hardly had to think about where he "heard". In the past two years, he asked Zhao Yanzhou to search for her relatives and servants who were separated three years ago, and at the same time made people stare at him secretly, almost every time. He knew it soon after she got the news.

At that time, she only said that he was very suspicious and that he had to beware of the Queen Mother Qi's hands and feet, but now she understands that she must eliminate anyone who might have known the truth before her.

It is no wonder that in the past two years, apart from her two young cousins, she has no other close people.

She nodded slightly, her eyes flashing melancholy: "I found Bo Fang, the former steward of the family. Unfortunately, he is old and has suffered a lot in Qianzhou in the past two years. When he was found, he was already sick and unconscious. Even Zhao Sizhi doesn’t recognize him. Now he is placed in the house of Yongchangfang, and I don’t know if it will be better."

She didn't say the slightest lie, and she was not afraid that Xiao Yu ordered someone to check it. As for the letter, it was only deliberately hidden.

Uncle Fang was ill half a year ago. At that time, he had a premonition that he was running out of time, so he wrote the letter and hid it next to himself as if protecting his own life every day, not daring to show it. He became confused day by day, but even though he was so confused that he did not remember Zhao Yanzhou, he still remembered her, Chu Qianyu’s only daughter. When he saw her, he burst into tears and handed the hidden letter to her. He narrated two sentences about the situation in the past two years, and then, it seemed that he had finally let go of his obsessions, completely silly.

Xiao Yu did not comment, stared at her for a moment, then sighed softly, hugging her and said, "Thanks to Zhao Qing for finding him, otherwise I'm afraid I won't be able to come back again. Aning, it's my fault, so A long time has passed, but you still haven't been able to return your father's innocence."

Chu Ning leaned his cheeks against his chest, feeling the coolness of the smooth fabric like water, and shook his head gently: "Just pass this close in front of you. Father's business will be long in the future."

The carriages and horses outside were ready, and the two of them boarded the carriage together.

The guards who had surrounded the East Palace all night did not intend to withdraw at all. On the way to the Taiji Palace, dozens of pairs of eyes watched every step of the way, which was overwhelming.

Xiao Yu sat in the car, closed her eyes and pursed her lips, without saying a word, as if concentrating and restraining her emotions, until the moment the carriage stopped outside the palace gate and stepped out of the car, did she put away her gloom. Restored to the appearance of elegant and handsome in normal days, his face pale due to fatigue, even faintly revealed a bit of grief after losing his father.

The ceremony for the Emperor Daxing’s immortal immortal was set in the Taiji Hall of the Taiji Palace. When the two approached, most of the emperor’s relatives and important court officials had arrived. They stood in line and whispered to each other. Tens of hundreds of Taoist or inquisitive, or mocking, or pitying glances came over.

Chu Ning straightened his back, and followed Xiao Yu to the front of the emperor's relatives.

As soon as he stood still, he saw a young man walking quickly at Zhu Mingmen to the north.

The man was about twenty-five or sixty-six, tall, with broad shoulders, and an unignorable oppressive aura around him. It was the current Emperor Xiao Kezhi of Qin.

A little distance away, his face was a little fuzzy, and it was not until he gradually approached that Chu Ning looked at his appearance.

A quick glance at the Taiji Palace yesterday has taught her to keep an eye on her. When she saw it today, she found that the emperor Gaozong's concubine was completely different from Xiao Lian and Xiao Yu.

This difference does not refer to looks. As a descendant of the Xiao family, King Qin naturally inherited a handsome and upright appearance, especially among his five senses, he can see two similarities with Daxing Emperor Xiao Lian.

However, Xiao Lian and Xiao Yu, both father and son, were born gentle and elegant, no matter what they were inside, they always looked approachable and honest at first glance.

This is not the case for Qin Wang Xiao Ke. It was probably because he was stationed in the remote Ganzhou army all the year round. His complexion was darker than that of most princes and nobles in Beijing. His handsome facial features also revealed a suffocating aura that could not be ignored, making him full of majesty.

He seemed to be born aloof, looking down on everyone.

Such a person was buried by the sands of Ganzhou for fourteen years.

He really did what the prince had expected, was it just that the Queen Mother Qi recalled another puppet from the frontier in order to prevent the East Palace from doing what he wanted?

Chu Ning had great doubts in his heart.

While she was stunned, her gaze suddenly met a line of sight that could not be ignored.

It turned out that at some point, Xiao Kezhi had already walked to the Tai Chi Hall surrounded by the guards. The place where he was standing was closer to the main hall than she and Xiao Yu.

This is nothing. Mo said that he is the new emperor who is about to succeed to the throne. Even if he is not, he is also the sixth brother of the Daxing Emperor and the sixth uncle of the prince. In terms of seniority, he should be ranked ahead of her and Xiao Yu.

It's just that right now, everyone behind him has leaned slightly to bow to Xiao Ke's salute. Even Xiao Yu, who was so angry that he vomited blood in the East Palace last night, has already bowed his hands to him in the manner of seeing his elders. Only she was still standing with her back straight.

With a distance of no more than two feet, those sharp eyes stared at her so straight.

Chu Ning suddenly felt cold behind his back, and his hairs stood up one by one.

She slowly lowered her eyes, and followed the crowd leaning over to salute.

It was almost time, the body of Emperor Daxing had been sent into the temple, and the ceremony began. Today, there will be several rituals in the Tai Chi Hall for rehabilitating, bathing, taming, and assaulting. Mats have been set up outside the curtains in front of the mausoleum for everyone to kneel and worship.

Xiao Kezhi stood at the forefront, leading everyone to kneel before the spirit and cry.

Chu Ning was in the same place with the female relatives, weeping numbly, while pretending to glance at the generous and strong back not far away.

If you read it correctly, in the brief moment of staring, the young uncle's eyes seemed to have a hint of pity in addition to the indifferent impatience for complicated rituals and the arrogance of seeing everything in sight.

Is he pitying her?

Is he so sure that everything will develop in the direction he expects? The prince has worked hard in the DPRK for several years, and has already accumulated a power that cannot be underestimated. And he, a prince who has lived in the frontier since he was a child, has hardly been involved in power struggles. How can he be so sure?

She frowned slightly, and when her gaze passed between the formidable guards under the hall, there was a sudden flash in her mind.

At some point, the guards in the Tai Chi Palace were all changed. They were no longer the Qianniu Guards of the Forbidden Army yesterday, but were replaced by the Ganzhou Army. The former Qianniuwei was in the hands of the Queen Mother Qi, while the Ganzhou Army was in the hands of the King of Qin.

Can quietly take Qian Niuwei down overnight, showing the thunder of the wrist.

No wonder he is so determined that Tai Chi Palace and even the entire Chang'an are already under his control. This is definitely not something that can be done overnight, it must have been secretly planned a long time in advance to watch for the opportunity.

Empress Dowager Qi should have regretted the case in the Baifu Palace at this time. Where is the puppet she attracted? It is clearly a hungry wolf that has long been eyeing!

In this way, it fits Chu Ning's intention.

She was suffering from the either-or state of the North Korea and there was no way to go, and King Qin seemed to be another choice before her eyes.