On the third day of the fourth lunar month, the crabapple blossoms bloomed brightly and charmingly.
The entire capital witnessed this unparalleled wedding. With a ten - mile long red bridal procession, a hundred Xiyu blood - sweating horses led by Cheng Song and Song Chuyu escorted the legitimate daughter of the Song Mansion out of the house.
On this day,
Crown Prince Zhongli Mingye married Song Ningyue, the daughter of the prime minister's mansion. The emperor, who had long lived in the palace away from the capital, was welcomed back.
The emperor, old and decrepit, slumped on the dragon throne. Concubine Shu watched the perfect couple. She had long heard that Song Jinyu had returned with amnesia.
She had sent gifts many times and had met Song Ningyue.
A sigh welled up in her heart. As a mother, she knew very well about Zhongli Mingye's despair. Song Jinyu had risked her life to save hers,
but she didn't return.
Zhongli Mingye had been on the verge of collapse. If it hadn't been for Dabao, perhaps her son wouldn't have survived. Fortunately, Song Jinyu had returned safely.
Now, she was marrying her son again.
Concubine Shu found the most precious jade bracelet and personally put it on Song Ningyue. She exhorted the couple to live in harmony and happiness.
The emperor's face was ashen. It was obvious to everyone that his days were numbered.
Once sitting on that supreme throne, he had wantonly controlled others' fates. Now, he had also fallen into a situation where he couldn't control his own destiny.
After the wedding ceremony, the crown prince and his wife moved into the Eastern Palace on the same day, together with the grandson of the emperor, Zhongli Yuanjing.
To make Song Ningyue's status legitimate, Zhongli Mingye even registered Zhongli Yuanjing under Ningyue's name.
Suddenly, the court was in an uproar. People only said that this new crown princess was extremely favored.
Nan Zhilan twisted the handkerchief into a mess in her boudoir. She wanted to see what this crown princess was capable of.
Wasn't she just relying on that extremely similar face to bewitch the crown prince?
When the crown prince got tired of her, she wanted to see what Song Ningyue would do!
Niaoniao saw that Ningyue was extremely tired and quickly helped her sit on the bed. "Your Highness, the crown princess, please bear with it for a while..." Then she stuffed a piece of pastry over. "Eat it to fill your stomach first. I'm afraid the crown prince still has a lot of things to do."
As soon as Ningyue sat down, a little short - legged figure suddenly climbed onto the bed. "Mom... Mom..."
It was Dabao. Ningyue quickly lifted the veil and hugged his soft little body. "Has he eaten?"
The wet nurse just entered the room. The grandson of the emperor had been extremely naughty today. She had just gone to tidy up the room, and the little highness had disappeared.
She had searched all the way to the Chen'en Hall and finally found Dabao.
Ningyue's eyes turned cold. "Although it's busy today, nothing is more important than the grandson of the emperor." After saying this, the wet nurses all knelt down.
Strangely enough, no matter how naughty Dabao was on weekdays, he wouldn't come to her alone.
As soon as Zhongli Mingye entered, he saw Ningyue holding Dabao and gently coaxing him. But Dabao just kept crying...
His little hand pointed at his stomach. "It hurts..."
Ningyue took it seriously. Dabao was extremely intelligent. He could talk when he was nine months old. Although his words were unclear, Ningyue understood. Before coming here, he had drunk a bowl of porridge.
"Did you lift the veil by yourself?"
There was dissatisfaction in his tone. This woman didn't even wait for him. Her eyes were full of Dabao.
He inexplicably got jealous of his own son, which made Ningyue laugh. "I just find it strange why Dabao came here alone?"
"The wet nurses said that the three of them were respectively led out for a while by some maids. They all thought someone was watching Dabao." Zhongli Mingye thought for a moment and met those beautiful eyes. "Someone is eyeing Dabao..."
Immediately, he went out and told Qingfeng to investigate this matter.
Involving Dabao, Ningyue couldn't feel at ease either. Immediately, she asked someone to interrogate the three wet nurses seriously. She didn't believe in any coincidence.
She felt Dabao's pulse again and found that his stomach seemed a little uncomfortable.
Immediately, she called Mincui in. "Go and find the bowl that Dabao drank the porridge from for me!!!" How dare someone plot against her son...
On the surface, Dabao had eaten something bad and was crying non - stop.
Ningyue was a little puzzled. She asked herself if she had offended anyone. Why was someone targeting her? If they just wanted to harm Dabao,
today, he wouldn't just have a stomachache.
It seemed that someone was behind this.
Sure enough, not long after, Concubine Shu suddenly came. "My dear grandson, where is my dear grandson?"
She rushed into the Chen'en Hall and saw Ningyue holding the child. Dabao had taken the medicine and fallen asleep.
"What's going on?"
Ningyue paid her respects. "I wonder why Your Highness the Concubine suddenly came?"
Concubine Shu said, "Just now, several officials' wives and ladies were chatting with me. They said that Dabao now has a mother. I thought today is your wedding day with Mingye. I was afraid you wouldn't take good care of him. So I came."
"Then, who are the wives and ladies who were chatting with you?"
"Are you questioning your mother - in - law?" Concubine Shu was a little dissatisfied when she saw Ningyue's very polite and distant attitude. She remembered what Nan Zhilan had said, that she wouldn't share Zhongli Mingye with anyone.
Suddenly, she was dissatisfied and was about to say something. Just then, she saw Ningyue gently massaging Dabao's stomach and knew that she was really Dabao's mother.
Only a mother would be so careful.
"The wife of the vice - minister of the Ministry of Works, the family of the minister of the Ministry of Revenue..." Ningyue had a sudden inspiration. "Was Nan Zhilan there too?"
"Yes?"
Ningyue hid her suspicion and sent Concubine Shu away with a smile. "Your Highness, although I've forgotten my past, this blood relationship can't be wrong. I would never harm Dabao."
Concubine Shu naturally understood what Ningyue meant. Looking at the situation, she had made up her mind. So she no longer got involved in the affairs between their husband and wife.
But before leaving, she added one more thing: "Mingye is now the crown prince. As the crown princess, you should learn to manage the household. Especially in the future, many officials' daughters will enter the mansion." This was both a probe and a warning.
Ningyue smiled slightly. "His Highness the Crown Prince will make the decision on this matter."
She wouldn't take action personally unless it was absolutely necessary. But now, someone was using her son to frame her.
She would never let this matter go like this.
"Come here..."
Mincui brought the shadow guards. "Go and bring Nan Zhilan here!"
"Also, interrogate everyone in the Eastern Palace one by one." She wanted to take this opportunity to replace all the people in the Eastern Palace with Zhongli Mingye's people.
Mincui understood and took the order to leave.
Dabao was sleeping, twisting his body, and his little face was wrinkled into a ball. Ningyue knew that he still had a stomachache.
The person who had done this dirty deed really deserved to die!
If it hadn't been for Ningyue's carefulness, Dabao would have suffered a lot today.
Moreover, to attack such a small child. Ningyue looked at the long needle in her hand. She would surely make that person pay with her life!
Not long after, Zhongli Mingye came back again. Today was the crown prince's wedding night. This matter couldn't be made a big deal.
But he still found some clues.
The three wet nurses were called away by several maids to decorate the corridor. The people who were originally guarding the corridor were also called away to do other things.
Ningyue thought for a moment: First, the wet nurses were called away one by one. Then someone entered the room and fed Dabao the medicinal porridge. They led Dabao to find her,
and then let Concubine Shu come.
These people were really impatient! If Concubine Shu saw her grandson crying and fussing because of the new bride, she would surely lose her good impression.
It was really a good scheme. If Concubine Shu didn't know her true identity, the person behind this must have had a complicated plot.
It was just that their methods were crude and she had seen through their tricks.
Zhongli Mingye was also very helpless. Today was his wedding night! If he found out the person behind this, he would surely tear that person into pieces.
Unexpectedly, Ningyue said coquettishly, "Your Highness, why get angry..."
She leaned in Zhongli Mingye's arms,
smiling wickedly: "Anyway, we've long been husband and wife. Tonight... Instead of having our wedding night, let's catch the villains!"