Chapter 145 – Child born under the knee should not be abandoned
Luo Yun somewhat worried, said. "Niang Niang, this…."
Empress Liang lifted her hand and stopped what Luo Yun was about to say. Looking at that tightly closed palace door, the expression on her face looked somewhat like forbearance.
Chu Qing-Yan was also somewhat surprised.
Western Xuan Emperor had just returned from that mother and son"s place and now shut Empress Liang outside the door, unwilling to see her. This treatment was really too different.
Before, she had heard some rumors that the current Western Xuan Emperor wasn"t the first choice to be heir. Above him, there was an older royal brother. But because Western Xuan Emperor often led troops on military campaigns when he was a prince and also had political ambition, his influence along the way surpa.s.sed that of all those several older royal brothers of his. Moreover, he married the daughter of that generation"s hero Minister Liang whose foundations was deep. His in-laws were powerful, thus squeezing out those several older royal brothers and smoothly becoming the regent.
It could be said that at that time, Liang family"s contribution to Western Xuan Emperor ascending the throne couldn"t go unnoticed.
And that Concubine Yue was rumored to be Western Xuan Emperor"s childhood sweetheart from childhood to adulthood. At that time, Minister Fu wasn"t a minister, before he was only another imperial tutor who only taught Western Xuan Emperor and nothing more. But this Minister Fu was very smart, from very early he let his daughter become Western Xuan Emperor"s companion. A talented man and beautiful woman were put in a situation where familiarity breeds fondness, so the two people becoming a couple wasn"t a difficult matter.
But for the position of Emperor, Western Xuan Emperor had to choose between the person he loved and power.
As a result, Western Xuan Emperor married Liang Yuan and promised Minister Liang the betrothal gift would be making her the mistress of the imperial harem. Only then did he get Minister Liang"s full support and successfully get the position of crown prince. And Western Xuan Emperor who turned his back on the beauty after ascending the throne immediately married Fu You-Yue, bestowing an imperial concubine position on her.
Chu Qing-Yan couldn"t help but expel a cold breath in a low tone, so to Western Xuan Emperor Empress Liang was merely a springboard, whereas Concubine Yue was the true love in his heart?
Don"t know if one should say Western Xuan Emperor had a heart or was heartless?
But the various ways he dealt with Big Block of Ice were all heartless!
Chu Qing-Yan held back some of her anger, but in here everyone was wearing a mask. No one would reveal the four human emotions on their face. So she also forced herself to wear a smiling mask on her face.
One only saw Emperss Liang give Luo Yun an order, Luo Yun took out a pillow like thing and put it on the ground.
Eunuch Cao seeing this had some misgivings. "Empress Niang Niang, this is?"
"Eunuch Cao, you tell his majesty. This palace will kneel here, wait until when he sees this palace, then this palace will get up."
Saying this, Empress Liang kneeled on that pillow with her back straight, a resolute appearance.
Eunuch Cao repeatedly said. "This, this, this…" he couldn"t say anything clearly. He was scared by Empress Liang"s action.
Chu Qing-Yan, seeing this immediately kneeled. Even Empress Liang had kneeled down, she as the future daughter-in-law, what justification would she have for standing?
A light sound came from the back and Empress Liang"s expression became slightly better. Looks like this silly little girl isn"t that ignorant.
Eunuch Cao, seeing one big and one small kneeling on the ground, gave a shocked exclamation. He promptly went in to report this.
"Your Majesty, Empress Niang Niang and Chu family"s Ninth Miss are kneeling outside seeking an audience." Eunuch Cao reported.
When Western Xuan Emperor heard this, his thumb that was flipping through the pages of report paused, then continued to flip the pages. "I the emperor won"t see them."
"Yes." Eunuch Cao replied in a low voice and left the palace hall.
Once Empress Liang saw Eunuch Cao"s expression, she already knew the answer. Her fingers twisted the handkerchief as her heart became cold. Suddenly, she felt that Father’s scolding her was right, at that time when it happened, she should have come out and taken charge of the situation and not stay on the side to watch a good show, to the extent that it made Xu"er sink into his current predicament.
But now it was too late to turn back, she still continued to kneel. She hoped that His Majesty, seeing her kneeling would be lenient and give her an audience.
Chu Qing-Yan was slightly surprised, this Western Xuan Emperor would treat the mistress of the imperial harem so indifferently Then wouldn"t he treat Big Block of Ice even more….
Her eyes were full of worry.
Time pa.s.sed little by little. Knees went from stinging pain to numbness, the pain right now was endless.
She still dared not check for the pain, afraid it would be seen by people. If it was to get to Western Xuan Emperor"s ear, it would be to say her kneeling wasn"t a bit sincere.
She couldn"t help but think of what happened during the full moon Mid-Autumn festival, how Big Block of Ice felt while kneeling in the ice-cold night.
Did his knee hurt a lot? Were his legs so numb that it didn"t feel as if they were his own? Was it limp and painful until he couldn"t endure it?
She had only kneeled for two hours and was like this, then what about Big Block of Ice who kneeled for a night? Was he in even more pain?
Her eyes soured and she closed her eyes. Her heart ached to the extreme. In fact, the most painful for Big Block of Ice must be his heart right? Being punished to kneel as a punishment by his own Father Emperor who can"t distinguish between right or wrong in this matter. That was the most painful thorn that drilled into his heart, right?
In order to distract herself, she didn"t care about the sharp pain in her knees. Chu Qing-Yan tried hard to think of other things.
For instance, what was Big Block of Ice doing right now? Is Daddy and Mother living well in Chu family? The matter of this time"s a.s.sa.s.sination, would Chu Family make things difficult for her parents? Did Water Spirit, Earth Spirit and others find a break through in this case?
There were many things she could think about, maybe it was really because of this that time pa.s.sed very fast.
One two hour period, two two hour period….
That gate still remained tightly closed.
Everyone had somewhat given up hope.
At this time, Eunuch Cao opened the palace doors and walked out. Empress Liang used her gaze to ask him.
Eunuch Cao sighed slightly. "Empress Niang Niang, ask you to please return. His Majesty said no matter how long you kneel here, he still won"t see you."
Empress Liang"s expression stiffened slightly. She quickly used a faint smile to cover it. "Looks like His Majesty is truly busy, then trouble Eunuch Cao to pa.s.s along a word for this palace. The affairs of the world is important, but His Majesty still needs to look after his body."
Saying this, she had Luo Yun help her up, in between she even staggered a bit.
Chu Qing-Yan gave a slight sigh in her heart. This was what it was like to be a concubine at a regent’s side. Even if subjected to hardship, made to suffer grievances or was being censured, she still had to welcome it with a smile. Because no matter what the emperor did, it was all favors that had been bestowed.
Empress Liang"s expression had a trace of tiredness as she glanced at Chu Qing-Yan who still kneeled there. "You should also return, don"t do something useless."
Chu Qing-Yan shook her head. "Empress Niang Niang, you should return first. Qing-Yan wants to kneel a bit longer."
Right now, Empress Liang was physically and emotionally exhausted so she didn"t have the mind to control too much. She let Luo Yun support her to return to Morning Sun Palace.
Chu Qing-Yan bowed her head a little, her knees were already cut from rubbing against the ground. It gave stinging and numbing pain. And the white skirt pressed against her knees had already started to bloom with spots of red. The red color look garishly beautiful against the snow white skirt, but it was so red as to offend the eyes.
But Chu Qing-Yan already didn"t have time to care about anything else. Although right now her head felt faint and both eyes were dizzy, she still refused to give up.
She didn"t have a superior family background. Didn"t have matchless martial arts. Didn"t have the ability to make people fear or to exploit them. But she just wanted to give all within her abilities to do something for Big Block of Ice.
Even if His Majesty didn"t want to see her, he still needed to exit the palace hall. He still needed to eat, still needed to rest, so she wasn"t afraid he won"t come out.
As long as he came out, she would ask, how could he have the heart to wrongly accuse his own son!
The sun set in the west, multicolors from the sunset went as far as the eyes could see. It dyed the entire world with a yellow color. Chu Qing-Yan looked at the ground full of yellow reflections, her feelings did not move.
And just at this time, Eunuch Cao walked to her front and bent down to say. "Ninth Miss Chu, His Majesty pa.s.sed on the command for you to go in."