Chapter 126 The Grand Ceremony
“Do those of your Zhao family want to kill me? If His Majesty knows this matter, the consequences will be unimaginable!” Su Lun wore a fierce look. When he was about to slap on Zhao’s face again, the door was slammed open.
Su Muge walked in with a sullen face. “Do you think His Majesty doesn’t know yet?”
Su Lun stared at Su Muge. “What did you say?”
After Su Lun sent the Zhao family away last night, Su Muge always felt upset. She asked Xinlan to send Cheng Ran a message to pay attention to the situation outside. Not long after Su Lun returned, Cheng Ran delivered the news to her.
“Father, you haven’t figured it out yet. Early in the morning, they stopped Princess Linghua who was on her way to the Imperial Palace. Do you think this matter can be hidden from His Majesty?”
“What did you say? They stopped Princess Linghua?!” Su Lun was shocked; he couldn’t imagine those countrymen dared to do such a thing.
“How could they stop the princess’s carriage so easily? Father, don’t you understand? They have just been used by others.”
Hearing Su Muge’s words, Su Lun calmed down. The princess was surrounded by guards. Even if a slightly suspicious person who got close to the princess would be killed, not to mention they stopped her carriage.
“It’s clear that the marriage granted by His Majesty has hindered many people. Father, don’t worry. His Majesty won’t deal with this matter before heaven worship. After the ceremony, it depends on you how to give His Majesty a satisfying answer.”
Hearing Cheng Ran’s news, Su Muge was sure someone must have manipulated this matter secretly. Since it broke out on the street, Xia Hourui must have heard about it.
If Xia Hourui really wanted to blame, Su Lun wouldn’t be safe and sound now.
She understood that Xia Hourui must have his purpose to grant her and Xia Houkun a marriage. In this case, he certainly wouldn’t let others destroy this marriage easily. So, he must have pretended to be ignorant of this matter.
But it also made Su Muge realize how difficult it was to get rid of this marriage.
Su Lun was not stupid; he could understand Su Muge’s meaning.
Su Muge stepped forward to hold Zhao up from the ground. “Mother, are you okay?”
Zhao shook her head with red eyes.
“My Lord, I have never privately arranged Mumu’s marriage. Please investigate it.”
Su Lun put on a sullen face again and glared at her coldly. “You can’t do anything right! From now on, Haitang will help you keep the house, lest you make any more trouble in the future!” After talking, Su Lun shook his sleeves and left.
Su Muge kept her cold countenance. A leopard could never change its spots. Fortunately, she had never had any hope for him.
Su Muge helped Zhao return to Peachblossom Courtyard. Although she was in charge of the general affairs, she still lived in Peachblossom Courtyard.
“Get some hot water.”
“Yes.”
After a while, Meihua walked in with hot water.
Su Muge squeezed the handkerchief to wipe the tears on Zhao’s face.
“What do you intend to do, mother?” Su Lun had stayed in Haitang’s room for only a few days, but he had allowed her to help Zhao keep the house. Her grandmother must have helped a lot.
“What?” Zhao was still thinking about the Zhao family and looked at Su Muge in a daze.
Su Muge sighed helplessly and pushed a cup of hot tea to Zhao. “Mother, Wenmo is still young. Do you understand what I mean?”
She had never scrambled for anything. But she had to keep something in her own hands as her most fundamental guarantee, especially when Su Lun was unreliable.
Only then did Zhao come to realize that Su Muge was talking about the housekeeping.
“But your father has asked her to help … How can I …”
Su Muge lowered her eyes with her emotions hidden. “Since she is willing to be a concubine, let her understand the duty of a concubine.”
“Miss is right. Madam, don’t forget Miss will marry into the royal family.” Lu Mama spoke timely.
Since she didn’t know that Su Muge didn’t want to marry Xia Houkun, there was no problem with her words.
After Su Muge married into the royal family, Su Muge would also be laughed at if her mother couldn’t even hold a concubine.
“Miss, Infanta Ceylon sent a maid to deliver something to you.”
Su Muge put on a cold look. “Take her to the front hall.”
“Yes.”
“Mother, you take a rest first. I’ll go and see her.”
Zhao nodded. “Well.”
When Su Muge walked into the front hall, a woman dressed as a maid stood in the room. This woman was the one who came to Su Mansion with Infanta Ceylon last time. She could still remember her face clearly.
“Miss Su, pay my respects to you.”
Su Muge sneered and sat down on the chair. “Why? King Dingxi asked you to come and see if I have been killed by your infanta?”
The maid kept her countenance and took out a box as large as a palm.
“His Royal Highness didn’t know the matter beforehand and he has severely punished Infanta Ceylon. Miss Su, please don’t be mad.”
“Now that His Royal Highness has said so, what can I say?”
Hearing this, the maid approached Su Muge and opened the box in her hand.
“Ah!”
Seeing it, Yueru standing behind Su Muge screamed in horror.
The maid kept her cold countenance and put the wooden box on the table. “This is His Royal Highness’s compensation for you, Miss Su.”
Su Muge raised her eyebrows. Inside the small wooden box was a b.l.o.o.d.y finger with a jade ring. If she remembered correctly, the jade ring had been on the left ring finger of Infanta Ceylon since she met her for the first time.
“What does His Royal Highness want?” If he wanted her to treat Xia Houpo, he would just ask her to go to the palace.
“The eldest Master can’t adapt to the climate of the capital and has been unwell recently. His Royal Highness intends to send the eldest Master back to the fiefdom. So, he’ll be very grateful if Miss Su can write down the following steps of his treatment.”
“His Royal Highness intends to send the eldest Master back to the fiefdom?” That would help her get rid of the big trouble.
“Yes.” While speaking, she put a stack of banknotes on the table. “This is His Royal Highness’s honorarium to you, Miss Su.”
Su Muge looked at the stack of banknotes; the first denomination was 200 Liang. So there must be several thousand Liang in total.
Xia Houpo’s legs had recovered very well and could carry out rehabilitation now. For the sake of the money, she was willing to write down the precautions of rehabilitation. As for whether Xia Houpo could do his best, it had nothing to do with her.
“Xinlan, bring me my writing brush, ink stick, paper, and inkstone.”
“Yes.”
Everything was prepared.
“Write down what I say.”
The maid nodded.
“The first step is …”
After half an hour, several pieces of paper had been filled up.
“Follow the steps on the paper. There will no problem.”
The maid carefully put the paper away. “That’s very kind of you, Miss Su. Please excuse my departure.”
After the maid left, Yueru looked at the small wooden box with a pale face. “Miss, how to deal with it?”
Su Muge glanced at the wooden box. “Feed the dog.”
In the palace.
As soon as the maid returned to the palace, she reported the situation to King Dingxi.
Hearing her words, King Dingxi nodded in the room.
“Is everything ready?”
“Yes, Your Royal Highness. Everything is ready.”
“Send him away immediately.”
“Yes.”
“Get away from me! Whoever dares to stop me will be torn into pieces!”
King Dingxi frowned and walked out of the room. Xia Houpo was coming over in his wheelchair.
“What are you doing?!”
Hearing King Dingxi’s reproach, the guards stopped to salute.
“Your Royal Highness, the eldest Master …”
King Dingxi waved his hand, and the guards retreated, leaving only the father and son in the courtyard.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m not going back!” Xia Houpo gritted his teeth while looking at King Dingxi.
“Nonsense! It’s not up to you!”
“Father, you think I am crippled and of no help to you here!” Xia Houpo almost broke the handle in half.
King Dingxi turned around and stopped looking at him. “Since you have known it, get out of here obediently. Come on! Take the eldest Master back! Don’t make me repeat!”
“Yes.”
Xia Houpo stared at King Dingxi’s back with red eyes, but he didn’t resist anymore.
“Clap!”
The sound of handclaps in the courtyard was extremely harsh.
The black figure came out of the corner and looked at King Dingxi with a faint smile.
“Your Royal Highness’s love for your son is so touching.”
King Dingxi glared at him coldly.
“Mind your own business!”
“Your Royal Highness, rest a.s.sured. Everything is ready.”
…
During the grand ceremony of heaven worship, all civil and military officials must bring their families to partic.i.p.ate, symbolizing the awe of the Chu to the G.o.ds.
Before dawn, Su Muge had been pulled out of the quilt by Yueru.
“What are you doing so early?” Su Muge studied new medicines last night and slept quite late.
“Miss, today is the day of the grand ceremony of heaven worship. Don’t be too late!”
Heaven worship…
Su Muge had really forgotten…
Yueru and others dressed Su Muge up while she was in a trance. After everything was done, they came to the gate of Su Mansion. It was still dark, but the street had been crowded with common people. Even if they couldn’t attend the ceremony, they would like to look at it from afar since it was so rare in the past hundreds of years.
“It’s time to set off. Get on the carriage.”
Su Lun got on the carriage first, and Old Lady Su had already been on the carriage.
Su Muge held Zhao’s arms and walked to the last carriage.
The carriages moved on very slowly on the street. As they got closer to the altar, the street became increasingly crowded. It had been full of people before dawn.
If it had not been the imperial guards opening a way in the front, the carriage couldn’t have moved ahead at all.
“I wonder what G.o.d’s will is.” Yueru looked toward the altar with expectation.
Su Muge closed her eyes tiredly in the carriage. “You’ll know soon.”