With tears in her eyes, Zhou Shihui clenched the handkerchief in her hand and turned to walk out of the restaurant.
Running and sobbing, she said, “He really likes Fulu, that illiterate! But she has nothing that can be compared to me!”
She was also a county mistress. Why did her senior brother choose Fulu over her? Fulu couldn’t even read! How could she be competent enough to be the next Duchess Anyuan?
In the Guest-welcoming Building in the distance, Prince Huai looked into the distance and said to Zhou Siming standing next to him,
“I’ve already tried every possible means to intercede with my father to spare Sisi’s life.
“But you know, my father doesn’t like me…”
Zhou Siming said, “Your Highness, Sisi will be executed after the Mid-Autumn Festival. Only you can save her now.”
Prince Huai sighed and said, “She is my wife, and I love her so much. How can I just sit by and watch her be killed?
“I am even willing to die in her place. If only I can exchange my life for hers.”
Zhou Siming pursed his lips, frowned and said, “Your Highness.”
Prince Huai pointed to Zhou Shihui downstairs and said, “Is that your cousin? But now everyone in Luoyang is saying that Shihui is actually my younger sister?”
Zhou Siming said, “Well, I don’t know who my cousin’s father is.”
Prince Huai said, “It’s said that Zhou Qinghe is quite favored by my father, and Zhou Qinghe’s poems are very popular in Luoyang, and it will only be a matter of time for her to become famous all over the world.”
“The Empress doesn’t want to help you rescue Zhou Sisi although she is your aunt, but your eldest aunt, Zhou Qinghe, may not be unwilling.”
Zhou Siming sighed deeply. Now he could only pin his hopes on his eldest aunt.
…
The Mid-July Day was an important day in Taitang.
On this day, the folk would celebrate the harvest and offer sacrifices to their ancestors.
The royal family would offer sacrifices to their ancestors on Mid-July Day too.
The Lu family had an ancestral temple in both Chang’an and Luoyang, so they could offer sacrifices to their ancestors in Luoyang.
The sacrificial ceremony would begin before dawn, and the members of the royal family would burn joss sticks one by one according to their seniority.
Li Lingling, who had always liked to cause trouble, didn’t even dare to make trouble on this day.
Although Prince Huai was the Emperor’s eldest son, he was not born by the Empress, so he was ranked after Lu Chen and Qiao Jinniang.
When Qiao Jinniang followed Lu Chen to burn the joss stick, the ashes of the joss stick fell on Qiao Jinniang’s hand, which instantly turned red, causing a blister to be formed.
After Lu Chen saw it, he looked at Qiao Jinniang worriedly.
Qiao Jinniang shook her head with a smile, then hid her scalded hand in her sleeve, and took Lu Chen’s hand with the other hand, signaling him that she was alright.
Qiao Jinniang never believed in gods because she was burned by the ashes of the joss stick eight times out of ten whenever she offered sacrifices to the gods.
If there were no joss sticks in the joss stick burner, it would be fine, but if it was already full of burning joss sticks, her hand would definitely be scalded.
So she was very reluctant to go to the temple.
Last time when she was offering sacrifices to the ancestors of the royal family on her wedding, there were only Lu Chen and her who were offering joss sticks, so she wasn’t scalded.
But today was different. Today, the Emperor and Empress offered the joss sticks first, and then it would be the old uncles and aunts before it was her turn.
When it was Lu Chen and Qiao Jinniang’s turn, the joss stick burner was already filled with joss sticks.
Qiao Jinniang was a bit scared, but she certainly couldn’t just throw the joss stick in, so she was still scalded although she had been very careful.
When Li Lingling saw this, she immediately shouted, “Oh, the Crown Princess’ hand is scalded. It must be our ancestors punishing her. They don’t want to acknowledge this Crown Princess!”
Lu Chen glanced at her coldly. “The Crown Princess has already offered sacrifices to the ancestors of the Lu family at our wedding and nothing abnormal happened. How could you say our ancestors don’t want to acknowledge her?”
When Empress Zhou heard Li Lingling’s words, she walked up to Qiao Jinniang, took Qiao Jinniang’s hand and said, “Oh, it’s all red and swollen. Why didn’t you tell us? Imperial doctor, quickly bring the scalding cream.”
Qiao Jinniang was relieved that Empress Zhou didn’t blame her and said, “Thank you, Mother.”
A female imperial doctor quickly took egg yolk ointment to smear on Qiao Jinniang’s wound.
Lu Chen took the egg yolk ointment from the doctor, applied it on Qiao Jinniang’s wound, and explained,
“Mother, she seldom goes to temples, so she isn’t familiar with these rituals. There are so many joss sticks in the joss stick burner so it’s inevitable that her hand was scalded.”
Old Consort Gong came out and said, “This joss stick burner is too small, and there are too many joss sticks in it. It’s easy to get burned. I was often burned when I was young.”
Li Lingling was extremely angry. Why was everyone so tolerant of Qiao Jinniang?
The joss stick ashes burned her hand! According to folklore, didn’t it signify that the ancestors did not want to accept Qiao Jinniang?
Prince Huai cupped his hands and said, “Father, Mother, I think this is a message from our ancestors.
“The Crown Prince has no son after he got married, but the Crown Princess refused to choose concubines for him and even threatened the suitable candidates to back off, so the ancestors punished her!”
Qiao Jinniang looked at Prince Huai with a frown. Why would he care that Lu Chen didn’t take any concubines?
What was he up to?
Hearing Prince Huai’s words, Emperor Huilin, who never took Prince Huai’s word seriously, said, “What you said this time makes some sense.”
Empress Zhou frowned and looked at Emperor Huilin in puzzle, but Emperor Huilin looked away.
After the sacrificial ceremony.
Empress Zhou and Emperor Huilin returned to Xuanzheng Palace.
Empress Zhou asked Emperor Huilin, “What do you mean by saying that, Your Majesty? Chen’er has said that he would not take any concubines, hasn’t he?”
Emperor Huilin said helplessly, “That’s very irresponsible for him to say that. How can we just let him?
“He said that because Qiao Jinniang would not marry him if he didn’t say that, but now Qiao Jinniang is already the Crown Princess. It won’t matter even if he takes concubines.
“I don’t believe Qiao Jinniang dares to divorce the Crown Prince! Even if she dares, the Qiao family will not allow her to do that.”
Empress Zhou said angrily, “So you think it’s irresponsible not to take concubines? But you haven’t taken any concubines after you married me. Aren’t you irresponsible too?
“If you want to make Chen’er take concubines and sow discord between Chen’er and his wife, please demote me into the cold palace first so that I won’t be troubled by the mess you made!”
Emperor Huilin hurriedly begged for mercy. “What are you talking about? How can I possibly intend to sow discord between Chen’er and his wife? But don’t you want to have a few more grandchildren?”
Empress Zhou said, “I don’t want a grandchild who was born by a concubine. Your Majesty, you can just choose as many concubines as you want for Chen’er, but don’t step into my palace again. That’s it.”
Emperor Huilin: “…Forget it, I won’t meddle in Chen’er’s private affairs anymore. Whether he is willing to take a concubine or not, it has nothing to do with me.”
It would not be worth it to lose his own beloved wife for this unfilial little white-eyed wolf who only had his wife in his eyes.
In the East Palace.
Little Lu Xi held Qiao Jinniang’s hand and blew at it carefully. “Mother, it doesn’t hurt.”
Qiao Jinniang patted little Lu Xi’s head. With such an adorable son, why would she need other children?
Lu Chen said with guilt, “I am sorry I didn’t arrange the joss stick burner in advance. It won’t be like this next time.”
“Your Highness, Consort Qi and Consort Chu came to visit you. Do you want to see them?”
“Let them in,” Qiao Jinniang said.
Lu Chen held Little Lu Xi’s hand and said to Qiao Jinniang, “You entertain them, and I will take Xi’er to study.”
“Okay.”
Consort Qi sighed and said, “Your Highness, His Majesty said that His Royal Highness should take concubines. I wonder if His Majesty has candidates in mind already.”
Consort Chu took the tea from an imperial maid and said, “I just heard that Prince Huai ordered Li Lingling to ask the Empress Dowager to give Zhou Shihui to the Crown Prince as a concubine!”
Hearing her words, Qiao Jinniang almost spat out the tea in her mouth. She swallowed the tea and coughed. “Wh, what?”
Concubine Qi also said in surprise: “Isn’t it rumored that Zhou Shihui is the illegitimate daughter of His Majesty?
“If she is, how can she be His Royal Highness’ concubine?”
