The Gilded Cage

This night, Chu Ning slept extremely well.

When he woke up the next day, Xiao Kezhi had already gotten up first and was sitting next to her neatly dressed.

There was a bookcase beside the bed, with pen and ink and a few notes on it. He lowered his head to read carefully at her, frowned and thought deeply, and then wrote a few comments.

He probably felt the movement around him. He put down his pen and looked into the bed. He saw that she was looking at her ignorantly with my sleepy eyes open. He couldn't help smiling and letting a soft voice say, "Wake up? Seeing that you were sleeping well and couldn't bear to disturb, I didn't wake you up."

Chu Ning nodded slightly, recalling the good night's sleep, and whispered: "I did slept very well last night, and I didn't even know that your Majesty has gotten up."

Her voice still has the tenderness of just waking up, and it makes people's hearts crisp.

Xiao Kezhi asked people to move the book case to the outside, while he turned sideways, brushed away the broken hair on her forehead, and then reached out to lift her from the thin quilt.

"I prepared the dress for you."

Chu Ning followed his sight, and saw a brand new Qiyun skirt hung on the shelf beside him. The fabric was light and the texture was supple. More importantly, it had a red background with peonies embroidered with gold threads. Luan bird patterns are used only by the queen mother and queen.

"Your Majesty, this is—"

She was filled with surprise, and she had guesses in her heart, but she couldn't believe it at all.

Xiao Kezhi pulled her to the skirt of her dress, hugged her from behind, took her hand to stroke a golden peony on the skirt inch by inch, and whispered: "This is for you, Aning, I want to let her You are the queen of the great coolness. Before you were awake, I sent someone to the Imperial Academy to make a decree. After the promulgation, you will be the queen, and you will be the queen of the book. You will also let the Ministry of Rites and Zongzheng Temple choose auspicious days. "

Chu Ning stood there, not knowing what to say, and it took a long time to react: "I didn't expect..."

She thought that he would take good care of her when he was good to her, and devoted his affection to her sincerely. Unexpectedly, he would let a married person like her directly, and there was still much controversy about the way he even left her husband. The woman becomes the queen!

"This is my decision. Since I want to keep you by my side, naturally you should be given your due name and status." His tone was a bit of arrogance and rare pride, "I just said, I don’t know how to be like a father."

The tip of Chu Ning's nose was sour, and his eyes became a little wet: "When did your majesty make this clothes?"

The dresses must be sewn by the embroiderer one stitch by one thread. No matter how rushed to make such a delicate skill, it will take ten and a half months to finish.

"Two months ago. I asked people to draw a lot of patterns, and finally I chose this one for people to make, how?"

Chu Ning blinked away from the wetness of her eyes and nodded with a smile: "It's beautiful, I like it very much."

In fact, the style of this dress is quite satisfactory. Although it is made meticulously, it is not so beautiful, but it is his heart, and she naturally likes it.

At this moment, Liu Kang stood outside and said: "Everyone, the prince and the prince are here, and they are about to give a courtesy to your majesty."

According to the ceremony, the day after the princess entered the East Palace, she should enter the Taiji Palace to meet the emperor and the queen. After the ceremony, the emperor will enter the Taiji Palace to meet the officials.

"I know." Xiao Kezhi replied in a deep voice, the smile on his face faded.

Chu Ning glanced at his face and was about to bow him out, but he did not move. Instead, he held her back and signaled to the dress: "Put it on, I will go to the Hall of Liangyi first, for a while, you Get dressed, and see you too."

It's a foregone conclusion, there will always be a meeting, today is a good opportunity.

Chu Ning's heart was tight, but he didn't want to escape. Hearing this, he nodded slightly and turned to call Cuihe in.

…

Outside the Hall of Two Instruments, Xiao Yu and Zhao Yu'e stepped into the main hall under the guidance of the servant, and stood side by side waiting for the emperor's arrival.

They were only two inches apart, and they seemed very decent. But if you look closely, you can find that although they are smiling, they are very strange to each other, and they are not like glue-like newlyweds.

Fearing that the two of them will wait too long, the waiter will first bring a seat and two cups of tea.

Xiao Yu took two sips of tea, but waved his hands on the couch: "You don't have to sit down, lest the sage comes over and sees me in a while."

When he was outside, he was always cautious, for fear of leaving a little handle.

Zhao Yu'e stared at him with such a hypocritically humble and gentle appearance, and a trace of disdain flashed in his eyes, and immediately rushed to the servant: "Fine, take it."

Only after sitting on the couch, footsteps came from outside the hall, and immediately after hearing a call, Xiao Kezhi entered the main hall surrounded by several servants and sat on the throne.

The two below hurriedly stepped forward to salute.

"Okay, get up." Xiao Kezhi waved his hand lightly, "It's hard for you to come into the palace so early, how can you rest well?"

Xiao Yu bowed and responded, "Your Majesty Lao cares, everything is fine."

The waiter on the side prepared the food to be presented to the emperor by the prince and princess. Xiao Yu and Zhao Yu'e were about to pick up, but they listened to Xiao Kezhi on the throne: "Hold on, don't worry."

Xiao Yu was taken aback for a moment, and the extended hand also stopped, and looked over in surprise.

Xiao Kezhi's original unremarkable face did not know when he had a smile but a meaningful expression, and he had a strange premonition in his heart, as if something was going to happen.

"Someone hasn't arrived yet." Xiao Kezhi said.

Xiao Yu concealed the strangeness in his heart, slowly withdrew his hand, making a puzzled look, and asked: "The bride meets in the morning, it is to offer wine and food to the Holy Spirit. I wonder who your Majesty is waiting for?"

Xiao Kezhi smiled, and put one hand on the wooden handrail, with a relaxed posture: "Yili, besides me, there will naturally be a queen."

Queen?

When the words came out, Xiao Yu and Zhao Yu'e were both stunned.

Less than a year after the current emperor ascended the throne, the back seat of Tai Chi Palace was empty. I had never heard that the emperor meant to be a queen, but today there is suddenly one more. What does it mean?

Especially, today is the second day of their wedding.

No one was speaking in the hall, and the strange silence made the atmosphere strange.

After a while, the servant outside the hall said: "The lady is here." Then, there was a sound of unhurried footsteps.

Xiao Yu and Zhao Yu'e turned their heads to look in the direction of the footsteps at the same time.

The summer sun is extremely bright, shining very brightly on people. What they saw first was the red dress on the woman surrounded by the maid and the golden peony and Luan bird pattern—it was indeed a dress that only a queen could wear.

When people approached, Xiao Yu and Zhao Yu'e suddenly changed their colors after seeing their faces clearly.

This woman is no one else, but Chu Ning who should have practiced in the concept of return to truth!

"You—A Ning?" Xiao Yu opened his eyes and stared at the woman who had already stepped outside the temple, as if he wanted to prove that he had admitted wrong, and murmured with his fingers pointing at her.

Chu Ning didn't even look at him, just smiled and looked straight ahead, and said warmly to Xiao Kezhi on the throne: "Your Majesty, forgive me, I am late."

"It's okay, you slept late at night, but it's a bit late to change your clothes. Come here." He got up from his seat, took two steps forward, and reached out to her.

With her generous and slightly rough palms spread out in front of her eyes, she naturally put her white jade hands up, and he walked to the seat with her hands on her feet, and sat down with him, facing Xiao Yu and Zhao Yu'e. people.

Underneath, Xiao Yu stared at her in a daze for a long while, until he saw her sitting still and meeting her gaze, did Xiang suddenly wake up, and a look of anger suddenly rose in his eyes.

He never expected that the wife who was abandoned by him would appear next to his uncle on the second day of his wedding, but he would take the bride and offer wine and food to the two!

A burst of uncontrollable sorrow came from his heart, and quickly rushed to his body, making his face pale, and his limbs trembling and weakening inexplicably.

Xiao Kezhi sat on the seat, watching his reaction in full view, a cold color flashed quickly across his face, and then the waiter who rushed to the side instructed: "Okay, people are here, let's bring things up."

The food and wine were handed to him again, but Xiao Yu was stunned and did not move.

However, Zhao Yu'e first recovered from the shock, smiling and turning his head to whisper to him: "Your Highness, it's time to offer wine and food." As he said, he simply took what was in the hands of the servant and handed it to him personally.

Xiao Yu looked at her in a daze for a moment before slowly waking up. After steadying his figure, he took the things and took her step by step towards the set futon.

A short distance of a few feet made his footsteps as heavy as a thousand catties. And the little futon seemed to crush his spine.

He couldn't just kneel down like this, endured and endured, and finally gritted his teeth and asked: "The minister has not heard that your majesty has appointed a queen. Is it a violation of the ritual system as it is today?"

Chu Ning sat next to Xiao Kezhi and didn't speak, but facing him at a close distance, she was still a little nervous, so she straightened her back subconsciously and leaned back.

Xiao Kezhi didn't look at her, but as if he was aware, he silently held her hand.

The strong and warm touch gave her strength all over, and she settled down all at once.

"It's true that it hasn't been announced to the world. However, the Hanlin Academy is already making a plan. She is already your aunt, which is not a violation of the rules."

He looked at these two people coldly, his eyes showing imposing majesty and solemnity.

As soon as the word "aunt" came out, Xiao Yu's body couldn't help but sway. She didn't dare to ask any more. He had to hold back the doubts and resentment in his heart, bowed his head, knelt down in front of the two of them, numbly serving in the house Dedicated wine and food to the two under the guidance of.

This is the end of the ceremony.

After the servants picked up Xiao Yu and Zhao Yu'e, Xiao Kezhi also got up from the couch: "Well, it's time to go to the Taiji Hall to meet the officials."

After the court meeting, the prince should follow the emperor into the Taiji Hall to meet the officials, and the prince should stay in the Liangyi Hall and listen to the instructions of the queen.

"Prince, let me go." He came down from the steps and turned his head and glanced at Xiao Yu.

Xiao Yu's face stiffened, only to feel that from the look on his face to the hands behind his back, Xiao Kezhi was mocking him everywhere, but due to the disparity in identity, the resentment in his heart had nowhere to vent, so he had to take a deep breath. A flash of smile was squeezed out on the pale face, and he bowed to "Hey".

The two walked out of the Liangyi Hall one after the other, toward the Taiji Hall. At the moment when he stepped out of the threshold, Xiao Yu quickly turned his head, his sullen and gloomy eyes fell on Chu Ning's body, as if asking her silently.

Chu Ning stood in the palace, the previous moment of tension and bewilderment had disappeared, just watching the two silently until their backs disappeared.