Chapter 66, It is what it is
Chapter 66, It is what it is
The wind tonight is particularly cold.
*
Amid Princess Zhaoning's cries, a suffocating and depressing atmosphere permeated the Kunning Palace.
Inside the bedroom, Princess Zhaoning struggled to get up from Queen Ye's arms. Her tearful eyes were filled with accusations and reluctance towards Emperor Yuji.
"...Kill it! Father, don't you love Zhaoning anymore?"
"Zhao Ning, you are my princess." Emperor Yu Ji's face was as gloomy as water.
Being a princess, she acted unreasonably, which disappointed Emperor Yu Ji very much.
Under his cold and stern gaze, not only Princess Zhaoning was stunned, but even Queen Ye looked a little unhappy.
A princess, not a beloved daughter...
He doesn't even love his own flesh and blood. Is he born in the Year of the Snake?
Shen Qingtang, who was in the bedroom, felt his heart tremble suddenly and his eyelashes drooped, completely hiding the surprise that flashed in his eyes.
This is a tough bone. Is she sure she can chew it?
Shen Qingtang was confused for a moment, and then she saw Emperor Yuji waving at her and Concubine Zhang.
"Bring your cat here so Zhaoning can take a good look and see if it's the one that scared her."
Shen Qingtang was fearless and walked towards Princess Zhaoning with Xiaojuzi in his arms. However, Concubine Zhang, who knew that Yuxue had sneaked out of Linfengju in the afternoon, was very nervous.
"Your Majesty, I have kept my concubine Yuxue in a cage since the beginning of autumn and have never let her out. The cat that frightened Princess Zhaoning today must not be Yuxue."
As Concubine Zhang was speaking, Luzhi also held Yuxue in the wooden cage and carefully presented her to Princess Zhaoning.
"Princess, please look, the one trapped in this cage is Yuxue."
"Little Orange, come and say hello to Her Royal Highness the Princess." Shen Qingtang raised one of Little Orange's paws and waved to Princess Zhaoning, who had tearful eyes.
Princess Zhaoning glanced at her strict father, Emperor Yuji, and then tightly grasped the collar of her kind mother, Empress Ye.
"Mother..." Her eyes spoke volumes, and those beautiful phoenix eyes were filled with disgust and displeasure.
Empress Ye patted Princess Zhaoning's hand and said, "My dear Zhaoning, look at the cat held by Concubine Shu or the cat locked in the cage by Concubine Zhang. Your mother and your father will decide everything for you."
Emperor Yuji, who had been frowning ever since he came to Kunning Palace, looked even more fierce and intimidating after hearing what Queen Ye said.
"Empress, let Zhaoning identify it herself." The Emperor Yuji's voice could not be heard, and it was clearly heard by everyone. "I have been in Fanghua Palace since 3 p.m. today. Your Majesty Shu's cat has never left Fanghua Palace. So you still want to say that it was Xiaojuzi who did it?"
As soon as Emperor Yu Ji finished speaking, he received Shen Qingtang's moved gaze.
She really didn't expect that Emperor Yu Ji would testify for the insignificant little orange.
However, Shen Qingtang had Emperor Yu Ji to testify for her, but Concubine Zhang, who only had the wooden cage to prove herself, was instantly panicked.
"Your Majesty, Empress, my concubine Yuxue is also locked in a cage. Is there any misunderstanding?" Concubine Zhang held her aching stomach and said with difficulty breathing, "Could it be that a wild cat came from somewhere and frightened Princess Zhaoning?"
She didn't dare to throw dirty water on Xiaojuzi directly, after all, Shen Qingtang had the support of Emperor Yuji.
But just as Concubine Zhang was trying hard to remove the jade snow from it, Princess Zhaoning turned her eyes away with a look of disgust.
"I don't care! It's it! That's it!"
Princess Zhaoning raised her hand and pointed directly at Shen Qingtang.
"Princess Zhaoning heard and saw with her own eyes that Concubine Zhang's cat has been kept in a cage all along. Even if it was kept in a cage, how could it scare my daughter?" Princess Zhaoning's preconceived notion not only made Concubine Zhang feel relieved, but also made Shen Qingtang helpless.
Afraid of upsetting Princess Zhaoning, Shen Qingtang handed the small orange to Shi Liu while explaining to her in a soft voice.
"Your Highness, Little Orange stays in the Fanghua Palace all day and never goes out. I even play with it in the courtyard at night. I'm afraid it was another cat that scared you today..."
"I don't want to hear it, I don't want to hear it, shut up!!!"
Princess Zhaoning glared at Shen Qingtang angrily, and just as Emperor Yuji pursed his lips, she burst into tears and threw herself into Queen Ye's arms.
"Mother, Zhaoning has a headache... Father, it's just a beast, but Zhaoning is Princess Daqian, your daughter. It has hurt Zhaoning so badly. Doesn't Zhaoning even have the right to deal with a beast?!"
Princess Zhaoning's unreasonable behavior and her implicit complaints and accusations against Emperor Yuji made Emperor Yuji look at her with even more impatience and indifference.
He is Zhaoning's father, but he is also the king of Daqian.
Zhao Ning dared to speak to him so brazenly, it seems that he must have something to rely on after all...
Emperor Yuji said in a deep voice: "Zhao Ning, it is not only a cat, but also an innocent life!"
"I don't want to listen, I don't want to listen. You just don't love Zhaoning. If you care about Zhaoning's feelings, how could you be unwilling to make decisions for Zhaoning even for a cat?! Wuuuuu... If the Empress Dowager was here, she would definitely not let Zhaoning be so sad, wuuuuu..."
Princess Zhaoning cried bitterly. After Empress Ye's eyes flickered several times, tears of pity suddenly welled up in her eyes.
"Your Majesty, Zhaoning is your daughter. No matter how precious this cat is, can it be compared to Zhaoning?" Queen Ye's eyes turned red. "Noble Lady Shu, I know that this cat is your favorite, but Zhaoning has suffered this disaster today. If you can't kill it, I'm afraid it will be difficult to eliminate the nightmare in Zhaoning's heart..."
As she spoke, Queen Ye called Aunt Ginkgo over under Shen Qingtang's incredulous gaze.
"Gingxing, go and take Lady Shu's cat away."
At Queen Ye's order, Aunt Ginkgo immediately walked towards the pomegranate. However, before she could get close to the pomegranate, she was stopped by Shen Qingtang.
"Empress, you know Xiaojuzi is innocent, but you still want to -"
"Shut up!" Queen Ye frowned and said coldly, "Even if it is innocent, can it be as important as Zhaoning?"
In this era when imperial power is supreme, let alone a cat, even a living person cannot surpass a princess.
unless--
As Shen Qingtang looked at Emperor Yu Ji, Queen Ye's meaningful voice came into his ears.
"Noble Lady Shu, as a concubine in the harem, you should put the overall situation first. Is your cat more valuable than the princess and the prince? It's just that you and Noble Lady Zhang are the only ones in the harem who have such a cat. If it's not you, then Noble Lady Zhang, who is pregnant, must have raised such a cat. Have you thought about it?"
After saying that, Queen Ye couldn't help but frown and comfort her.
"As I said, it's just a cat. If you lose it, you can always get another one. I don't need to teach you which is more important!"
Queen Ye had deep intentions.
Her words were not only spoken to Shen Qingtang, but also to Emperor Yu Ji.
"If your Majesty has no other instructions, then I will let Ginkgo take the cat out."
(End of this chapter)