The Gilded Cage

Chu Ning stood in the pavilion, looking at him complicatedly, without speaking for a long time.

Although I knew what he was a long time ago, I had some anticipation of his unchallenged questioning, but when I really faced him, I still found it ridiculous.

"I don't know what the betrayal that His Royal Highness thought was? Didn't His Highness let me surrender the position of Princess? Since I have left, the prince has married another, I am afraid I have no right to interfere with my affairs."

Xiao Yu stood still, his face paler when he heard this, and his body even shook in the wind.

He had already known the change in the identities of the two of them, and even in the Taiji Hall, countless voices reminded him of this.

But other people's reminders are one thing. She said it personally, and it was another more straightforward and cruel feeling.

What made him feel more helpless was that what she said was not wrong at all. It was indeed that he offered to ask her to surrender her position as a regular wife.

Right now he was in a state of confusion, and he only felt that he did not want to face it at all. After struggling for a while, he suddenly felt like grabbing a straw in the water, and said angrily: "After all, Aning, you still blame me. I abandon you and marry another person, am I right? Aning, I told you that I did all this because of difficulties. You—can’t you understand me? In the past two years, could it be me? Are you treating you badly?"

Speaking of the past two years of life, Chu Ning's heart flashed with a daze and melancholy.

How has your life been in these two years? Guangsha Chinese clothing, Xiangche BMW, jade delicacies, naturally good.

But she didn't have a comfortable day.

"The prince asks herself, in the past two years, have you really treated me well? Your kindness, how honest is it?" Her eyes trembled for a moment, and then she walked slowly to the side of the stairs, separated from him by a distance of one foot, and hung down. Looking at him, he whispered, "You did give me a generous life, but didn't you use my identity to set up the illusion of being humble, benevolent, and daring to bear in front of outsiders? Those courtiers who followed you, except from childhood How many of Xu Shidu who is with you know who you really are?"

Xiao Yu stiffened all over, as if being poked into a painful foot, and his lips trembled weakly, as if he wanted to say something but didn't know how to say it.

Chu Ning did not stop, paused, and continued to babble: "I did think that His Highness treated me well, but after a long time, I became more and more reluctant to deceive myself-you treat me as The tools in hand are generally arbitrarily controlled and manipulated. When did you take into account my thoughts? You treat me like a person like a brother. You are not allowed to have the joys, sorrows, sorrows, sorrows and joys other than what you expected. Such days, even I am almost forget How did you endure it? You always say that everything you do is for the future, and you will have my share in the future, but my share is still to be used as a tool by you. As a plaything, what do I want it to do in the future?"

This was the first time she had spoken these words in her heart in front of Xiao Yu's face. After she said it, her whole body seemed to breathe out a suffocating breath, and her mind became clearer.

On the other hand, Xiao Yu seemed to have been severely injured. His face was blue and white, and his lips murmured. He whispered for a long while, "You--you actually thought that way, so you have to be with my uncle to get revenge. Me? Aning, such a method is really not suitable for you."

Until this time, he was still looking for other reasons for the current situation, constantly avoiding the wrong things he had done.

Chu Ning shook his head calmly: "I followed Your Majesty, not to avenge you, but because your Majesty treats me sincerely."

"Really?" Xiao Yu seemed to have heard something ridiculous and unbelievable, "Where did he get his sincerity? In the past few months, has his ridiculous things less? Why do you think he treats you more sincerely than me? ?you--"

Speaking of this, an extremely terrifying guess suddenly appeared in his mind: "What did you say to him?"

What did she do, what did she say, to win Xiao Kezhi's favor?

"Is it related to me?" His heart shrank and tightened. He couldn't help stepping up the steps in twos or twos. He clenched her wrist and asked sternly, "You told him my arrangements, didn't you? "

The sudden pain in the wrist made Chu Ning frown, and she whispered in a low voice: "You let go-Prince, you look at yourself too much!"

He did not need her to actively reveal what he did. Xiao Ke had predicted it early, and everything was in the hands of others, but he had never realized his situation.

She had an urge to tell everything she knew now, and even directly questioned him why after killing her father, she could still pretend to be her benefactor and stay with her casually.

But she thought about it, and held it up. It's better to wait for Xiao Kezhi to handle the things that come later, and then to clarify the situation.

She had a hunch that although Xiao Kezhi had always been apostate and didn't seem to care about the secular rituals, he knew in his heart that he could not do whatever he wanted when sitting in the emperor's position. In political affairs, he would still follow the rules.

Especially when dealing with the prince, his own nephew, he will not fall into the limelight. He must deal with it in a righteous manner and catch the crime.

She took a deep breath and looked at him coldly, enduring the pain: "Or, do you think others are as selfish as you?"

Xiao Yu's complexion was slightly distorted, and a sharp expression of anger turned into anger under his eyes. Instead of loosening her hand, her hand tightened, and her feet approached step by step, forcing her to back away.

"You speak clearly, what is going on with him?"

As he approached, Chu Ning stepped back into the pavilion, slowly leaning against the edge of the stone table, becoming irrevocable.

"Lady!" Seeing this, Cuihe felt anxious and wanted to come forward to help her.

Chu Ning was about to stop her and asked her to go outside to find someone, but suddenly heard a sound of footsteps from outside the pavilion, and then there was a low whining and creaking sound, getting closer and closer, like a head A strong beast.

She turned her head to look and saw that Vimalakīrti suddenly appeared in front of her eyes, her yellow-brown eyes staring at Xiao Yu's back, and her sharp teeth were not barking out, as if she was ready to go.

"Vimala!" She whispered, and when she faced the gray wolf for the first time, she didn't feel scared, but seemed to have encountered a savior.

When Xiao Yu heard these two words, his whole body became stiff, and he turned around subconsciously, facing the horrible yellow-brown eyes, it suddenly appeared in his mind that this ferocious beast had bitten off Hou Tongyi outside the Tai Chi Hall. The **** scene of his neck made his hands loose in fright.

Chu Ning took the opportunity to get out of him, retreated to the back of the stone table, and rushed outside to take care of the two guards of Vimalakirti: "The prince is tired, please take him out."

Vimalakirti still stared at Xiao Yu, probably seeing him let go. He didn't do anything at all, but slowly paced past him, stood in front of Chu Ning, and raised his head towards her.

Chu Ning hesitated for a moment, slowly bending down, and reaching out to touch its head.

Vimalakīrti's eyes suddenly narrowed, and his tail began to swing, resembling a huge dog, and his ferocious aura was reduced by more than half.

It circled around her, finally leaning against her skirt, and facing Xiao Yu's direction together with her, continuing to stare at him, making a ready-to-go babble.

The two guards outside the pavilion also approached in response and looked around, before bowing to Xiao Yu without hesitation: "This is the back garden of the Taiji Palace. I am afraid that your Highness should not stay alone for a long time. Please leave earlier."

Their words are still respectful, but their tone is somewhat aggressive.

Xiao Yu froze in place, staring at the appearance of Chu Ning being close to the beast with a distorted expression, and the panic and suspicion in his heart became more and more uncontrollable. But in front of others, he didn't dare to do anything. After a moment of silence, he had to gritted his teeth and turned away.

Chu Ning looked at his distant back, and then slowly relaxed.

"Is the lady okay?" Cuihe wanted to step forward to check her wrist, but as soon as she touched Vimal's eyes, she stood there hesitantly and did not dare to approach.

"I'm fine." Chu Ning smiled comfortingly at her, then turned to look at the two guards who looked after Vimalakīrti, "There are two of you too."

The two guards glanced at each other, and hurriedly bowed and said "Don't dare".

She smiled and sat on the stone bench, while letting her somewhat soft body rest, she lowered her head and gently stroked Vimala's gray fur, and talked to it with a hush.

Although it is a beast, it seems to be very spiritual and unexpectedly obedient.

Chu Ning thought it was much more lovable than before.

...

In the Baifu Hall, Qi Chenxiang was half kneeling on her feet and serving tea to the Queen Mother.

Since the Empress Dowager Qi was defeated in front of the emperor before, her mind was a little lost, and her body gradually collapsed.

She had fought in the palace for decades, and she fell into the current situation, and it was a big blow.

The only thing that is gratifying is that Liu Niang, the child-the marriage has fulfilled his wishes, and he has not married into the palace.

"Okay," she waved her hand to Qi Chenxiang, who was kneeling, and took a hand, "Don't kneel, get up and sit down. Although you are young, I look at it, but I blame it for distressing."

Qi Chenxiang got up from her feet and sat down beside her aunt carefully, holding her hand in a soft voice, comforting: "Aunt Liu Niang treats Liu Niang as her own daughter. Liu Niang knows that it's right to happen."

The Empress Dowager Qi looked at her calm and filial niece with complicated eyes, and couldn't help but ask again: "Liu Niang, you really don't regret it, won't you blame me?"

Qi Chenxiang took a deep breath and shook her head firmly: "Auntie, Liu Niang doesn't regret, let alone blame anyone. I didn't intend to marry a saint, but now there is nothing wrong with it, but I am a little worried about my aunt and father. The mother's situation is nothing."

"It's fine if you can think about it." The Queen Mother Qi patted her niece's hand and raised her head and sighed.

This "he" naturally refers to Xiao Kezhi. At least, she is still the queen mother, and the Qi family is still a big family. In the future, men will not be hindered by marriage or their daughters.

The two aunts and nephews looked at each other speechlessly, the hall was quiet, only the smoke from the censer was quietly lingering.

After a while, a maid came in outside the hall, standing beside the screen and said warmly: "His Royal Highness, Liu Niangzi, just now there has been news from the Hanlin Academy that your majesty's personal decree has been handed down, and he said-to establish the Chu family as the queen."

The Empress Dowager Qi was taken aback for a moment, and her original sad mood was disturbed. She subconsciously asked, "Chu family? Which Chu family?"

Qi Chenxiang curled his eyebrows and said hesitantly: "Could it be the one in Guizhen Guan?"

The maid paused and nodded: "It was the one who came out of the East Palace and lived in Guizhen Guan. Also, last night, after the saint returned from the prince’s wedding ceremony, he went directly to Guizhen Guan and took the lady of Chu. I took it out and brought it back to the Temple of Ganlu..."

When the voice fell, the two aunts and nephew looked at each other, both complexions, and they didn't know what to think about for a while.

Empress Dowager Qi frowned and said, "It's really ridiculous that he, he acted like this." But after thinking about it, she laughed inexplicably, "But somehow, I didn't feel too surprised, this Liu Lang, There are a lot of appalling things done..."

Qi Chenxiang also said bitterly: "Yes, it is the Chu lady, she is better than the previous married women, singers and dancers..."

"I'm afraid that the prince will be irritated in this way. But with this tone, he still has nowhere to vent." The queen mother Qi did not like the prince for many years, thinking of the anger he might be upset, inexplicably a little at ease. It’s a little bit worse. From this point of view, people’s fate is determined by heaven..."

Rokuro, maybe he was born with the life of a king.

She can only comfort herself like this.

Qi Chenxiang lowered his head and said nothing.

In addition to the surprise in her heart, there was also a bit of complicated sorrow and dissatisfaction. Even if she didn't want to marry Xiao Kezhi, she heard that he didn't accept herself, and instead chose a family descent, even the Chu family who had already been married. She was a little uncomfortable after all.

After all, she asked herself, she didn't feel that she was inferior to Chu Ning in any way.

But instead, I thought that Zhao Yu'e, who was both married and had a bold and unruly style, was not favored by the emperor, and she felt a little better.

Maybe this is a person's fate, not necessarily related to status and status.

At least, compared to Zhao Yu'e, who was selfish and defiant, and stepped on others to climb up, she had at least a slightly better impression of the Chu family.

Now, this matter has nothing to do with them, and the two aunts and nephews did not say more in tacit understanding. Qi Chenxiang only took a few sips of tea and snacks before retiring and leaving.