The Gilded Cage

Back in the room, Cuihe didn't worry at all, and applied a cool dark green plaster to Chu Ning's fingertips.

Chu Ning stared at the candlelight for a moment, then got up to freshen up and faded away from exhaustion. After the maids were sent out, she put on a big-sleeved shirt, took out a treasure box from the bookcase, and sat under the lamp to turn it on.

This is an exquisite multi-treasure box with huanghuali wood inlaid with colorful snails. The upper layer has a lid that can be opened, and the lower layer has a small door that opens from left to right. Inside are five small drawers of different sizes, each of which contains her. Gold and jade ornaments that are not used much on weekdays.

She stretched out her hand and fumbled carefully at the bottom of the treasure box, and finally opened the bottom mezzanine.

The mezzanine contained a thin letter with no name written on the envelope. Only the wrinkled and curled corners showed that the letter had experienced many twists and turns before reaching her hands.

This was written to her by Fang Bo, the old steward of the Chu family, and it was about the old things three years ago.

…

Jing Zhaochu was also a famous family in the Great Liang Dynasty.

Chu Ning’s father, Chu Qianyu, was smart and famous since he was a child. He entered the official position at the age of twenty-two. Although there were bumps along the way, he was still smooth. He had served as a counselor, Huangmen minister, and moved to Zhongshuling after being tired. He was a veritable name at the time. The head of the group.

Chu Ning grew up under the careful guidance of his father. He was originally a top-notch figure among the ladies of Chang'an. Not only was he born innocent and noble, but he was also very beautiful and enviable. At that time, her biggest regret was that her mother died prematurely when she was nine years old.

Fortunately, Chu Qianyu had a deep affection for his deceased wife, and he loved his only daughter as a treasure. In the following six years, he never remarried, and the father and daughter depended on each other.

The marriage with the prince began when she was thirteen years old.

At that time, although Emperor Xiao Lian did not pay much attention to state affairs, he still had a father-son relationship with Prince Xiao Yu, who was just seventeen years old. He chose Chang'an ladies for his son, and finally obeyed his son's wishes and wanted to propose marriage to the Chu family's wife.

It's just that Chu Qianyu has been up and down in the court for many years, knowing that once her daughter is promised to the prince, she and the entire Chu family will be involved in partisan struggles, so he is very hesitant about this marriage. However, the emperor came to ask him personally. He could not refuse, except that his daughter was still young, and it would not be too late to make a decision after two years.

Seeing that the prince was only seventeen, Xiao Lian nodded and agreed before it was the year of the ceremony.

Unexpectedly, two years later, what the Chu family was waiting for was a catastrophe.

After Zhao De ten years ago, Xiao Lian suddenly fell ill with a strange condition.

Chu Qianyu was accused of secretly connecting with Concubine Xue, intending to poison the emperor.

After that, there was a series of "evidence" that no one could think of, which appeared one after another under various coincidences.

In accordance with the law, Chu Qianyu was deprived of office and title, demoted to a commoner, and cut in the street. Others in the Chu family were implicated. The male was exiled in Qianzhou and was not allowed to become an official from then on, while the woman became a slave, sold as a servant, or sent to work in the border areas.

Everyone knows that Chu Daxianggong is upright, loyal to the Great Liang, and never involved in party disputes. Even if his daughter is the future princess, he never associates with the prince privately.

How could such a person commit an intrigue with his concubine and poison the emperor? It is clearly framed by others. But even so, due to Queen Mother Qi's toughness and conclusive evidence, almost no one dared to speak for Chu Qianyu.

Overnight, the entire Chu family fell from the clouds.

The fifteen-year-old Chu Ning had not accepted the fact of losing her father, so she had to face the situation of turning from a noble lady into a slave and maidservant.

It was Prince Xiao Yu who pulled her back from such a situation.

He took her away from the dilapidated and crowded house where the family members of the criminals lived, and wrote to the emperor to continue to fulfill the unfinished marriage contract, which saved her.

…

Thinking back to the old things, Chu Ning couldn't help turning his head and looking around.

The furnishings and decorations in this spacious bedroom are almost the same as when she used to live in the boudoir.

From the folding screen of the bird and the lily girl, the red sandalwood painting with Shi, to the three-color bunk bed, the gold and silver painted octagonal table on the pink ground, Xiao Yu specially invited craftsmen to re-add it according to the furnishings in her memory. .

He told her that her father was killed by the design of the Empress Dowager Qi. In the future, as long as he, the prince, can inherit the throne and take over the power, he will definitely return her father's innocence.

Everyone thought Xiao Yu treated her well, and that she could still marry the prince as the righteous wife as the daughter of a criminal minister in this life. She should be grateful.

She had thought this way, so even if she didn't have any feelings for Xiao Yu between men and women in her heart, she had always treated him like a benefactor in the past two years, for fear that she would never be able to repay his original kindness in this life.

But it wasn't until half a month ago that she suddenly received this letter in her hand and realized that everything she thought was wrong.

She thought the prince was the benefactor who saved her, but in fact, he was the culprit who framed her father!

The letter mentioned that it was Xiao Yu who wanted to use her marriage to draw Chu Qianyu into his command, so he ordered people to lobby in private several times.

However, Chu Qianyu was determined, never involved in party disputes, and did not let go. Even if Xiao Yu was anxious and visited in person, he did not dispel his worries.

Soon, when Chu Qianyu entered the palace, he accidentally discovered that Xiao Yu had secretly instructed the internal officials to poison the emperor's diet!

Angrily, he understood that the situation was complicated and could not act rashly, so instead of exposing it on the spot, he approached Xiao Yu to question it.

Unexpectedly, when Xiao Yu burst into tears and regrets, he turned his head and quickly fabricated evidence, causing the false impression that Chu Qianyu had attempted to poison the emperor, and even to get rid of Xue Guifei and Wu Wanghuan, he did not hesitate to add it to him. One count of fornicating the harem.

Chu Ning did not fully believe what the letter said at first.

A few days ago, she went to the palace with Xiao Yu to attend the palace. By chance, she saw that the emperor’s illness was very similar to the one written in Fang Bo’s letter. Looking at Feng Yu’s illness, it was almost the same as described in the letter.

At the time, her father was convicted of attempted murder of the emperor, and the poison found was also the most common poison.

And this time, as the prince princess, she just knew that the emperor's illness was inseparable from the prince.

As early as three years ago, when Xiao Lian favored Concubine Xue Gui and Wanghuan Wu, when he wanted to be easy to save, the relationship between father and son was no longer difficult to repair.

This time, Chu Ning personally watched Xiao Yu poison the emperor's decoction by taking advantage of the opportunity of attending to the disease.

In order to win the throne as soon as possible, he obviously didn't care about his father's life.

A cool autumn night blew open the unclosed windows, and the thin letter paper on the case was gently swayed.

Chu Ning's shoulders trembled slightly, her fingertips stroked the wrinkles on the letter paper, and her mind slowly recovered clarity.

Prince Xiao Yu is a man who can do whatever it takes to achieve his goals.

At the beginning, he was willing to marry her, of course because he did treat her a little differently in his heart, but it was more for the benefit.

At that time, he had just shown his ambitions in government affairs, and he needed to win the support of more ministers. Marrying her, the daughter of a sinful minister, would not be opposed by the Queen Mother, and he could show his righteousness as a prince. More people are convinced.

At first, the colleagues and juniors who had made friends with her father, later, as she was an orphan, became a princess, many of them slowly changed their neutral position and quietly fell to the side of the prince.

I don't owe you.

She muttered silently in her heart, her eyes slowly becoming cold.

Xiao Yu's kindness to her has been paid off with her sincere treatment in the past two years. The value she brought to him has already surpassed the price he paid for marrying her.

Next, she should put aside the shackles he brought, and slowly claim back everything he owed her father.

…

In the Guangtian Hall, Xiao Yu leaned back on the couch, closed his eyes and listened to the comments of several recent ministers.

"His Royal Highness has been the crown prince for many years. He has a stable position. He should inherit Datong without any edict. The King Qin is just the son of a maidservant. Emperor Gaozong sent him to a remote place like Ganzhou when he was alive. No one was interested in the year, but now I can suddenly enter Beijing with the support of the Queen Mother!"

Dong Gong attendant Xu Rong said with a look of anger, and he immediately broke into the Tai Chi Palace, pulling the Queen Mother Qi and King Qin down from their positions of power.

He has followed around since Xiao Yu was ten years old, and for more than ten years, he has been loyal and trusted by Xiao Yu, and his status in the Eastern Palace is extraordinary.

The other two ministers also echoed: "Yes, in the final analysis, it was the Queen Mother Qi desperate to summon King Qin! Your Royal Highness is the rightful prince, how can I let King Qin be in?"

"The news came out, the ruling and the opposition must have clearly seen the faces of these two people! Your Highness, as a rule, the new emperor's **** of the great is held a few days after the funeral. Why don't we take advantage of these few days to contact the courtiers and prevent the new emperor from ascending the throne? "

A few people talked with each other, but Zhao Yanzhou, who was from the side of Donggong Zhan Shisi, always lowered his eyebrows expressionlessly and said nothing.

Xu Rong's Yu Guang watched his reaction, squinting his eyes slightly, and asked, "I wonder if Zhao Sizhi has any insight?"

When the others heard this, they all turned their eyes to him, even Xiao Yu opened his eyes.

Zhao Yanzhou raised his eyelids, quickly glanced at the crowd, and then returned to the coldness of his eyes again, saying: "In the opinion of the minister, the King Qin asked His Royal Highness to enter the Taiji Palace to prepare the funeral and prepare for the great ceremony, indicating that he will not do anything for the time being, Your Highness You don’t need to rush for success, you can watch the situation first, and then try your best."

Xu Rong listened and snorted immediately: "There are only a few days left before the great ceremony. If you continue to plot, don't you have to be a knife, I am a fish? It is inevitable that Zhao Si will not be conservative in his handling of things until the time when he comes to the East Palace."

Zhao Yanzhou heard the ridicule in his words, and he had become accustomed to it for a long time, and did not make any response. He just bowed his head and stood there, waiting for Xiao Yu to make a decision.

Xiao Yu's gaze turned around a few people, and he pondered for a moment, and said, "If you can leave the East Palace tomorrow, please ask Xu Shidu to contact a few courtiers first."

His words sounded to have adopted Xu Rong's meaning, but in fact he had other plans.

Zhao Yanzhou is right. When he is not sure about the other party's details, he should not act rashly. However, the current situation does not allow him to shrink back. That being the case, you might as well seize the opportunity to test the other party's details before you board the great scriptures.

Hearing this, Xu Rong's tight complexion eased, but Zhao Yanzhou was still not disturbed. Several people again agreed on a list of courtiers, and then they stepped down one by one.

Before leaving, Xu Rong deliberately fell to the end. When there was no one else in the house, he walked to Xiao Yu and leaned over and whispered: "The minister had received the news earlier that the crown prince found a home in the former Chu family from Qianzhou. Servant, Zhao Sizhi is now placed in Yongchangfang."

Xiao Yu's tired complexion stagnated, and then he condensed his eyebrows: "What servant? Haven't been found by our people before?"

"It's the old steward of the Chu family. When he was taken to Qianzhou, he fled first. He hasn't been seen for the past two years. Somehow he was found by Zhao Sizhi first." Xu Rong mentioned the matter with a face. It's not great either. If it's an ordinary domestic slave who doesn't matter, he doesn't need to bother, but this old steward seems to be Chu Qianyu's former confidant, "His Royal Highness, do you follow the old rules to deal with people cleanly?"

Xiao Yu was about to nod, but a moment of hesitation suddenly flashed. After a moment of silence, he shook his head and said, "No, just keep it."

"His Royal Highness—" Xu Rong knew that he was soft-hearted because of the princess, but the current situation could not tolerate any surprises. He frowned to persuade, but he waved his hand to stop.

"Okay, I have a sense of measure, you can go down first."

He leaned on the couch, closed his eyes and slumbered, and didn't mean to speak any more.

Xu Rong couldn't, so he had to withdraw from Guangtian Temple unwillingly.