Chapter 174 The First Conflict with Empress Cao
After breakfast, Zhao Xing changed his clothes and went to Kaifeng government office.
Yu Yanran and Sheng Shulan felt a little awkward for a moment.
"Sister, the weather is still cool in the morning. How about we go for a walk in the garden?" Yu Yanran said.
"You entered the palace before... before me, so I should be the one calling you sister." Sheng Shulan said nervously.
"Didn't Minglan tell you that she and I are close friends. We haven't even been registered yet, and you're older than me, so it's only right for you to call me sister." Yu Yanran said with a smile.
"Sister Minglan didn't tell me this." Sheng Shulan shook her head.
"Next time I see her, I will definitely talk to her properly." Yu Yanran pulled Sheng Shulan out and said, "Sister, there's no need to be so reserved. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince doesn't like this either."
Sheng Shulan was dragged to the garden by Yu Yanran, and their maids followed behind.
"I see that the maids around you are all palace maids from the Eastern Palace. Didn't you bring any maids with you when you came?" Yu Yanran asked.
"The person sent by His Highness said that I could bring a personal maid, but I was married, so I didn't bring one." Sheng Shulan said somewhat embarrassedly.
Although it is not a big deal for a woman to divorce and remarry, she will feel inferior to others.
After a moment's thought, Yu Yanran understood what Sheng Shulan meant. She smiled apologetically and stopped talking about the topic. Instead, she introduced the scenery of the East Palace Garden to Sheng Shulan.
Although it is already autumn, the East Palace Garden is planted with exotic flowers from all over the world, and flowers bloom all year round, with beautiful scenery.
After walking around for a while, the unfamiliarity between the two people when they first met dissipated a lot and they became harmonious.
At this moment, a palace maid hurried over and saluted, saying, "Greetings to the two nobles. Nanny Feng said that the Empress sent two maids to teach you the rules and regulations, and asked you to go to Shuning Palace to learn the rules and regulations."
…………
Zhao Xing also heard that Empress Cao sent a nanny to the Eastern Palace to teach Yu Yanran and the others the rules.
Didn't care too much.
In ancient times, etiquette and moral code were very strict. No matter whether they were the emperor's concubine or the prince's concubine, they had to be taught by a nanny in the palace who was specifically responsible for teaching etiquette and rules before being canonized and serving.
Yu Yanran had never been taught by a nanny before. Just because it was too early for him to get married, Yu Yanran could not be canonized and was just a palace maid in name.
Now that Zhao Xing's wedding is only about half a year away, it is normal for Empress Cao to send a nanny to teach him the rules.
However, when Zhao Xing returned to the East Palace around noon and sent someone to invite Yu Yanran and the others to come and have dinner with him, he was told that the two were learning the etiquette and could not come to eat.
"I'd like to see how it's unreasonable to learn the rules without being allowed to eat!" Zhao Xing got angry when he heard that and stood up and walked out.
Although it is autumn now, the weather is much cooler and not as hot as before.
But it was still quite hot at noon. After studying for a whole morning, not only were we not allowed to rest at noon, we were not even allowed to eat. It was simply unreasonable.
Zhao Xing had heard some rumors before that some old maids and eunuchs in the palace liked to bully the concubines who had just entered the palace.
He couldn't control the affairs of the palace now, but he would never tolerate such display of power in his East Palace.
When Zhao Xing arrived outside the Shuning Palace, he heard a voice coming from inside the palace.
"The kowtow is a solemn ceremony. Whenever the imperial court holds a major ceremony, it is necessary to perform the kowtow. If the two nobles do not follow the correct etiquette, it will damage the reputation of the royal family. I will also bear the responsibility for not teaching well, so please bear with me."
"Lady Sheng is wrong again. After you kowtow, you must straighten your back and keep enough space between your hands. Stretch out your hands..."
When Zhao Xing walked into the hall, he saw Yu Yanran lying on the ground, while Sheng Shulan was kneeling with her hands outstretched. An old maid was standing in front of her, holding up a ruler as if to hit her.
"stop!"
"Meet His Highness the Crown Prince!"
The palace maids and two old maids in the hall bowed quickly.
Upon hearing this, Yu Yanran and Sheng Shulan quickly stood up and bowed.
Zhao Xing walked up to Sheng Shulan with an expressionless face, stretched out his hand and took her left hand.
Sheng Shulan instinctively shrank back in pain but didn't dare to dodge.
Zhao Xing lifted Sheng Shulan's hand and saw that her palm was red and swollen, and her fingers were trembling slightly. He asked softly, "Does it hurt?"
"It doesn't hurt." Sheng Shulan shook her head.
"Didn't I say that I call myself your concubine?" Zhao Xing said, "It's so swollen, but it doesn't hurt."
After that, he came to Yu Yanran and said, "Show me your hand."
"Your Highness..."
Yu Yanran wanted to say something, but when she saw Zhao Xing's unquestionable look, she still stretched out her left hand.
Her palms were also slightly swollen, but less so than Sheng Shulan's.
Zhao Xing looked at the two maids beside him and asked coldly, "Did you fight?"
"Your Highness, I am here on the orders of the Queen to teach you two the rules and regulations, and the ruler..."
The nanny holding the ruler was about to explain, but Zhao Xing interrupted her and said, "I want to ask you if you beat him."
"Yes, but..."
The maid was about to say something, but Zhao Xing sneered, "Okay, I am a reasonable person. I will only hit you twice as much as you hit them."
"Your Highness!"
The two maids knelt down with a plop and said, "We are all following the orders of the Queen. The ruler was given by the Queen and represents the Queen."
"Are you threatening me?" Zhao Xing said coldly.
"The slaves dare not!"
"Humph!"
Zhao Xing said coldly: "If you teach them something else, I won't say anything if they are punished. They are not the crown princesses, but just ordinary concubines. Will they ever need to kowtow in this life?"
The so-called kowtow ceremony, to put it bluntly, is bowing.
The Song Dynasty did not practice kneeling. Ordinary people only used the kowtow ceremony when worshipping their ancestors or when their parents or elders passed away. Officials only used it when the emperor passed away, a new emperor ascended the throne, the crown prince was appointed, and when offering sacrifices to heaven.
When it comes to women, there are even fewer things they can use.
The Crown Princess might be able to use it, but the other concubines will never need it.
After all, concubines are just concubines and are not even qualified to attend formal occasions.
They teach a useless etiquette and punish students by slapping their hands at every turn, which is actually just making things difficult on purpose.
"this…"
There was a flash of panic in the eyes of the two old ladies.
They were indeed deliberately making things difficult for them. In fact, the so-called teaching of rules was not mainly about teaching etiquette, but just making them understand the rules.
Just like some mothers-in-law like to make their new daughters-in-law follow the rules, their purpose is to make things difficult for them and suppress them so that they will be more obedient.
As for etiquette, as long as the steps are well played, it's basically harmless.
No one will quibble over details.
"Come here, drag him away!" Zhao Xing said coldly.
"Your Highness!" Yu Yanran knelt down quickly and said, "It is my ignorance that is to blame. The two maids are not to blame."
Although Sheng Shulan didn't understand why Yu Yanran pleaded for them, she knelt down and pleaded for the two of them.
"Your Highness!"
At this moment, Nanny Feng rushed over after hearing the news and said anxiously, "Your Highness, they are sent by the Queen after all. They represent the Queen's face, so they can't be beaten."
"call…"
Zhao Xing exhaled heavily, he knew that he had been a little impulsive just now.
As the saying goes, when beating a dog, you have to look at its owner.
If you beat the people sent by Queen Cao, it would be an act of filial piety.
"Get out!" Zhao Xing said coldly.
The two old maids quickly got up, bowed and left.
"What are you kneeling for? Why don't you get up?"
Zhao Xing glanced at Yu Yanran and Sheng Shulan who were kneeling on the ground, then walked over and sat down at the top.
The two stood up with the help of the maid, and stood aside with their heads bowed.
Zhao Xing looked at Madam Feng and said, "Madam Feng, how many years have you been serving me?"
"I have been serving Your Highness since he started living alone. It has been almost ten years," said Nanny Feng.
"Whenever there is any disturbance around me, you will report it to my mother. I know you have no choice and I have never blamed you. But you just watch them make things difficult for them like this? And do whatever you want in the East Palace?" Zhao Xing said coldly.
Nanny Feng was silent for a while, then said, "I am old, please allow me to return home."
"Why are you leaving just because I said a few words to you?" Zhao Xing said, "You have served me for many years, and I respect you very much. My mother sent you to the East Palace because she trusts you. Although those two were sent by my mother, they took advantage of my mother's trust and acted recklessly."
"What I just said is that I hope you will not betray my and my mother's trust in the future. Do you understand?"
Zhao Xing knew very well that what he had just done, driving away the two governesses, was nothing.
Even if Empress Cao knew about this, she would not be angry. Instead, she would punish the two maids.
But Nanny Feng was different. She had followed Empress Cao for many years and was her confidant.
If she were driven away, Empress Cao would definitely feel resentful.
"I understand." said Nanny Feng.
"Okay, go down and get busy." Zhao Xing waved his hand.
Nanny Feng bowed and left.
"Why are you standing there like an idiot? Come here." Zhao Xing said to Yu Yanran and Sheng Shulan who were standing beside them.
Upon hearing this, the two men came to Zhao Xing with their heads lowered, like children who had made a mistake.
Zhao Xing took the hands of the two and looked at them. He told Sanshui to get some ointment and asked, "Does it hurt?"
"Yeah." The two nodded.
"You know it's painful but you don't even send someone to ask me for help?" Zhao Xing said unhappily.
The two of them lowered their heads and said nothing. In their opinion, this was just like being bullied by the mother-in-law after getting married, and they could only endure it.
"By the way, did those two maids say anything else besides teaching you a lesson and making things difficult for you?" Zhao Xing asked.
Sheng Shulan blushed and said, "Mammy said that Your Highness is young and asked me...I...I...asked me not to...not to..."
When it came to the latter part, Sheng Shulan found it difficult to speak, and she didn't say no several times.
"Just tell me what you don't want." Zhao Xing said anxiously.
"Tell me not to... not to always ask for sex from His Highness, as it will hurt His Highness's body."
As Sheng Shulan spoke, her head was almost buried in her chest and her voice was almost inaudible.
Zhao Xing looked strange, no wonder Sheng Shulan was unable to speak.
It is really hard for a woman to say such words.
At first glance, it seems that Empress Cao is concerned about him.
But if you think about it more deeply, this incident seems to foreshadow the conflict that may arise between mother and son in the future.
(End of this chapter)