Chapter 88: The Princess Wants to Visit Morning Skies Palace
Accepting the decree, Jing Zhong went to Brightness Palace to pick up His Sixth Highness. As soon as he left the imperial study, it was to order the eunuch behind him, "Go to Morning Skies Palace and tell Esteemed Consort Zhao that Eldest Prince Jing is taking His Sixth Highness to Complacent Winery."
The little eunuch muttered an affirmative before heading in the direction of Morning Skies Palace.
Like Morning Skies Palace, Brightness Palace was located in the northeastern section of the imperial grounds. Jing Zhong waited until the eunuch vanished from sight before heading towards his destination. His delay should be long enough for Consort Zhao to prepare herself.
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Yu Xiaoxiao and Xiao Zhuang ate all the edible things lying around Yu Ziming"s bedroom. When there was nothing left to snack on, Xiao Wei said, "Princess, how about we go?"
Yu Ziming said, "Eldest imperial sister, play with me."
Gu Xinglang was still holding him and said, "Your Sixth highness, you must be careful in the future when you head to Zhuri."
Yu Ziming only half-understood him, but nodded and said, "Brother-in-law, play with me."
Yu Xiaoxiao just laughed. "He"s a sh*t-old brat but you"re telling him that. How could he understand?"
A dignified princess had just spoken coa.r.s.ely, but the three men present were all military types who didn"t care about language. Xiao Zhuang even added, "Princess, will His Majesty send anyone to accompany His Sixth Highness to Zhuri?"
Yu Xiaoxiao said, "It doesn"t matter who he sends, that"s someone else"s turf."
Xiao Zhuang thought that was right. Even if His Majesty sent an army with His Sixth Highness, it"d be useless.
"Just send a few that know how to cook," Yu Xiaoxiao said while picking Yu Ziming up from Gu Xinglang"s arms. She looked at the little beansprout and asked, "Still remember what I told you?"
Yu Ziming was gnawing on his fingers.
"What are you going to do at Zhuri?" Yu Xiaoxiao asked.
Immediately, Yu Ziming replied, "Hug Jing Mo"s thigh."
"……" the three military men exchanged looks in silence.
Yu Xiaoxiao nodded and gave Yu Ziming kudos. "Right, you have to remember my words. Little Sixth is very smart."
Yu Ziming smiled at Yu Xiaoxiao. His baby teeth had all grown out and formed two neat white rows. Yu Xiaoxiao tousled his hair and discovered that kids really did have softer hair than adults. Meanwhile, Yu Ziming leaned forward and kissed Yu Xiaoxiao"s cheek, drool and all. Children had an instinctual sense for who treated them well. When he was at his saddest, Yu Xiaoxiao had appeared, took him out to play, coaxed him, and gave him tasty food. In the sixth prince"s heart, Eldest Imperial Sister was a good person, someone he wanted to get close to.
Although he was only a three-year-old beansprout, Gu Xinglang was still unhappy to see the boy kissing his wife. He was still male, after all. Yu Xiaoxiao didn"t dare kiss back, not because of any high moral principles, but because children were too soft and weak. She was afraid she"d hurt him if she tried.
At this moment, the court lady Jadeite from Morning Skies Palace arrived with Jing Zhong at Brightness Palace. Yu Xiaoxiao handed Yu Ziming back to Gu Xinglang and walked out of the bedroom to see the a.s.sembled group beyond the porchway.
Xiao Wei spoke up on her behalf. "What do you all want?"
Jadeite and Jing Zhong carefully bowed to pay their respects before she said, "Esteemed Consort Zhao wishes to see His Sixth Highness."
Yu Xiaoxiao knew about this Jadeite, Consort Zhao"s companion in court politics. In the end, she was boiled in a deep fryer by the cruel female emperor as a no-good wretch.
Xiao Wei said that Yu Xiaoxiao didn"t react after Jadeite"s words and asked Jing Zhong, "And you?"
Jing Zhong was highly dissatisfied with Xiao Wei"s att.i.tude. When Xiao Wei was still a shadow guard in the palace, he treated him with full respect like a grandfather. Now that Xiao Wei was with a big tree like Yu Xiaoxiao, Jing Zhong might as well be dirt!
"Your Royal Highness," Jing Zhong continued respectfully despite his displeasure, "Eldest Prince Jing has entered the palace and says he"ll be taking His Sixth Highness to Complacent Winery. His Majesty ordered this servant to bring His Sixth Highness over."
Yu Xiaoxiao told Xiao Wei, "Have Little Gu hold onto Little Sixth. You and Xiao Zhuang can bring them to see Jing Zhong."
Xiao Wei a.s.sented and prepared to go. Seeing her words ignored, Jadeite steeled her resolve and said, "Your Royal Highness, Esteemed Consort Zhao wants to see His Sixth Highness once."
"Doesn"t she not want this son anymore?" Yu Xiaoxiao glanced at her. "Now she does again? Forget it. Any child that follows her is doomed to turn wicked."
"Y-Your Royal Highness?"
"Hurry up and get lost," Yu Xiaoxiao waved a hand at Jadeite, who looked to Jing Zhong for help.
Jing Zhong only sighed and shook his head back. Right now, His Majesty was still angry with Consort Zhao. If anything else happened, it was hard to tell what he"d do against the consort in a fit of rage.
Xiao Wei and Xiao Zhuang picked up Gu Xinglang"s sling chair and walked out of the bedroom.
"This servant greets Royal Son-in-Law," Jing Zhong bowed hastily.
Gu Xinglang looked at Jing Zhong with a complicated expression. The head eunuch had never treated him with such respect or manners before. Jadeite saw Yu Ziming nestled in Gu Xinglang"s arms and cried out, "Your Sixth Highness!"
Yu Ziming turned towards the voice, but Yu Xiaoxiao stood in front of Gu Xinglang and blocked his view.
Jadeite only exclaimed, "Your Sixth Highness, Esteemed Consort Zhao wants to see you?"
"Imperial mother?" Yu Ziming muttered.
"Does Your Sixth Highness want to see Esteemed Consort Zhao?" Gu Xinglang asked.
No matter how much conflict a little child had with his or her mother, they were born to draw close to them. Yu Ziming thus nodded.
"Princess?" Gu Xinglang looked towards Yu Xiaoxiao. No matter how bad Consort Zhao was, she was still the sixth prince"s mother. With their parting imminent, it"d be regretful for the sixth prince even if they didn"t care a whit about Consort Zhao.
Yu Xiaoxiao jabbed Yu Ziming"s cheek and said ruthlessly, "She doesn"t even want you anymore, but you still miss her?"
Yu Ziming"s lips pursed before tears gathered in his eyes. Yu Xiaoxiao could only pick him up by the back of his collar again.
"Carry me," Yu Ziming said while kicking his short legs.
Yu Xiaoxiao shifted the little beansprout to sit on her shoulders, then told Gu Xinglang. "Then you go to my father"s place first. I"ll take Little Sixth to walk around Consort Zhao"s place."
When Jing Zhong heard that Yu Xiaoxioa was going to Morning Skies Palace too, he felt that Jadeite"s shouts had caused a sin. Consort Zhao will lose another portion of her life if Her Royal Highness goes, ah.
Gu Xinglang was still worried. "Then princess, you be careful."
"Consort Zhao can"t beat me in a fight," Yu Xiaoxiao said carelessly.
Gu Xinglang"s lips thinned. Fine, my wife is telling the truth.
Xiao Zhuang and Xiao Wei left first while lifting Gu Xinglang. Jing Zhong had enough self preservation to follow them, but Yu Xiaoxiao stopped him with a shout. "That there, d.a.m.ned eunuch, come with me to see Consort Zhao."
Jing Zhong could only stop and said, "This servant obeys."
"Lead the way," Yu Xiaoxiao gestured at Jadeite, who looked up with tear-filled eyes at Yu Ziming.
Yu Xiaoxiao knit her brows and said, "Why are you looking at Little Sixth like that? Someone might think you"re his mother instead."