Chapter 175 The aggrieved Yu Yanran
The key point of the conflict was Empress Cao's desire to control him.
It’s not that Empress Cao had any bad intentions towards him and wanted him to be obedient.
Rather, it stems from parents’ desire to control their children.
Empress Cao had no children, and Zhao Xing was raised by her since he was a child, so she always treated him as her own son.
However, in the eyes of many parents, their children never grow up and they want to control everything.
Just like a joke in later generations - your mother thinks you are cold.
If it were an ordinary family, this desire for control would be a bit annoying.
But Zhao Xing's character in two lifetimes was still tolerable.
But they are members of the royal family, and this desire for control may involve court affairs in the future.
Even if he ascended the throne and ruled the country directly in the future, Empress Cao would not rule the country from behind the curtain.
However, his relationship with Empress Cao is fundamentally different from the relationship between Empress Cao and Zhao Zongquan.
Although there is a rule that the harem is not allowed to interfere in politics, he would be in trouble if Empress Cao interfered in certain matters.
What's more, some of his policies would definitely be opposed by officials in the court. If Empress Cao sided with them, it would be even more troublesome.
Therefore, when Empress Cao showed her desire for control, Zhao Xing had to resist early. He must not let her get used to this kind of control, nor let her desire for control become deeper.
"Your Highness, the medicine is here." Sanshui said.
Zhao Xing took the medicine and stretched out his hand to apply it to the two of them.
"Your Highness, just let the servants come." Yu Yanran said hurriedly.
"Yes." Zhao Xing nodded, handed the ointment to Xing'er beside him, and said, "Apply the ointment quickly, and let's go eat."
Xing'er took the medicine and applied it to the two of them together with Liuying.
Seeing the two people applying the medicine with frowns on their faces and trying to endure the pain, Zhao Xing said unhappily, "Now you know it hurts. If I hadn't come, you would have had to endure a lot of beatings. I'm going to eat first. Come here when you're done."
After saying that, Zhao Xing walked out.
Sheng Shulan looked at Zhao Xing's receding back, her eyes slightly red, not sure if it was because of the pain or because she was frightened by seeing Zhao Xing angry.
"Sister Shulan." Yu Yanran smiled and said, "Your Highness left because he saw us in pain and felt sorry for us."
"Really?" Sheng Shulan asked in disbelief.
"Of course it's true." Yu Yanran nodded and said, "Although His Highness' tone was a little fierce just now, he was just worried about us. As long as we don't make any mistakes, His Highness will be easy to get along with. You don't have to be cautious all the time, be more natural, otherwise His Highness will get angry."
"Then what kind of mistake would make His Highness angry?" Sheng Shulan asked.
"Ok?"
This question made Yu Yanran ask, she thought for a moment and said: "Your Highness once told me that as long as you don't become spoiled, nothing else matters."
"I understand. Thank you, Sister Yanran." Sheng Shulan said gratefully.
"Haha, don't be polite with me. The ointment has been applied. Let's go and have dinner with His Highness. We can't keep His Highness waiting for too long." Yu Yanran said.
…………
Empress Cao had finished her lunch and was dressing up to take a nap when Eunuch Zhu walked in.
"Madam, the two maids sent to the Eastern Palace are back." said Eunuch Zhu.
Empress Cao was stunned and asked in confusion: "Why did you come back so soon?"
"They said that His Highness felt sorry for the two noble ladies being punished and almost beat them," said Eunuch Zhu.
Empress Cao frowned slightly when she heard this: "Fu'er is too unreasonable. It is common for a girl to come to the palace to teach the rules, but now she is protecting them. Seeing that they have someone to rely on, won't they become spoiled? Go, call them over. I have something to ask them."
"Yes!"
Eunuch Zhu bowed and left, and soon came back with two maids.
He had served Empress Cao for many years, and he could guess how Empress Cao would react after she learned the news, so he had people waiting outside.
"Greetings, Her Majesty the Queen." The two maids bowed.
"Tell me what happened." said Queen Cao.
After hearing this, the two of them told each other what had happened.
The two dared not hide anything in this regard.
After hearing this, Empress Cao frowned even deeper. She didn't think there was anything wrong with what the two maids did.
After entering the palace, she was taught by the nanny, just like the county magistrate gave her a beating before trying a case.
The purpose is to eliminate their arrogance and make them submit.
The reason why Sheng Shulan was given special attention was also because Empress Cao had specifically instructed that she should take extra care of her.
After all, Yu Yanran was chosen by the government for Zhao Xing, but Sheng Shulan was chosen by Zhao Xing himself.
Originally, she had no intention of instructing the nanny to take special care of Sheng Shulan.
The reason she said this was because she received a piece of news in the morning.
Not only did Zhao Xing spend the night at Sheng Shulan's house last night, he also favored Sheng Shulan.
Yu Yanran and Zhao Xing had slept in the same bed for so many days before, but Zhao Xing had never really favored Yu Yanran.
Empress Cao thought that either Zhao Xing did not like her and the emperor's arrangement, or Sheng Shulan had been married before and knew how to please and serve men.
It's also possible that it's both.
But no matter which possibility it is, it shows that Zhao Xing likes Sheng Shulan very much.
In Empress Cao's eyes, it was Sheng Shulan who bewitched Zhao Xing.
Whether it is for Zhao Xing's health or the harmony of Zhao Xing's harem, Sheng Shulan's temper must be subdued and she must calm down.
"Okay, you can go down." Queen Cao waved her hand.
She decided to call Zhao Xing to the palace another day and have a good talk with him. After sending the nanny away, Empress Cao went to bed to take a nap with the help of the palace maids.
After waking up, when the palace maid was dressing Empress Cao, Eunuch Zhu walked in.
"Your Highness, the Crown Prince has arrived. He has been waiting for a while." said Eunuch Zhu.
"I was just looking for him, and he came by himself." Empress Cao said, "Tell him to wait a moment, I will be there soon."
"Yes." Zhu Neiguan responded and walked out.
After Empress Cao had dressed up, she put on her outer garment with the help of the palace maids and went out.
"Your son pays homage to the Queen Mother!" Zhao Xing bowed.
"sit down."
Queen Cao came to the top, waved her hand, and sat down.
"Fu'er is so arrogant today. I heard that you even wanted to beat the people I sent."
"Mother, you have really wronged me. It was those two unruly servants who went too far and mentioned me all the time, tarnishing my reputation. I was so angry that I wanted to punish them. Later, Nanny Feng persuaded me. I thought that after all, they were sent by you and represented your face. Even if they made mistakes, you should punish them. I came here this time to apologize to you," said Zhao Xing.
Empress Cao's expression softened a bit when she heard this, and she asked, "What did they do to make Fu'er so angry?"
"They actually taught Yanran and the others how to kowtow, and punished them for it at every turn. Mother, tell me, Yanran and the others are concubines, why should they learn that? Isn't this just making things difficult for them?" Zhao Xing said angrily.
Queen Cao: “…”
It was just to make things difficult on purpose.
Women who entered the palace, as long as they had a decent family background, would all learn etiquette carefully at home before entering the palace.
It's not easy to find problems in etiquette.
"Okay, they were wrong in this matter. I will have someone punish them severely later." Queen Cao said.
"Thank you, mother." Zhao Xing said with a smile.
"You are the same. There are so many girls in this world. What kind of girls do you want? Why do you want to marry a divorced girl into the East Palace? She is divorced and much older than you. I won't say anything, but you should at least marry a girl who can give birth."
"I know that women like that are used to pleasing men, but you are the crown prince, the heir apparent of the country. How can you be obsessed with just one person?" Queen Cao said with some regret.
Zhao Xing touched his nose and said, "Don't worry, mother. I know what I am doing and I won't be obsessed with just one person."
"The girl from the Yu family has been sleeping in the same bed with you for such a long time, but you never favored her. But you favored her as soon as that woman came. How can I trust you?" said Queen Cao.
Zhao Xing felt a little embarrassed. It seemed to be true at this moment.
He couldn't tell Queen Cao that it was because Yu Yanran was too young.
After all, Yu Yanran was already an adult in the eyes of the ancients.
"Mother, she has only been in the Eastern Palace for one day. Time will prove everything." This is all Zhao Xing could say.
"Okay, that's what you said." Queen Cao looked at Zhao Xing and said, "If you show any signs of being bewitched by her, don't blame me for finding an excuse to sentence her to death."
"Don't worry, mother. I understand," said Zhao Xing.
The only way to prove that he was not seduced was to not spend the night at Sheng Shulan's place often.
Zhao Xing didn't plan to go there often, after all, his life was more important.
He can sleep peacefully every day while holding Yu Yanran, the green apple, but he cannot sleep peacefully while holding a red apple.
…………
"Miss, I've asked around. His Highness favored the woman from the Sheng family last night." Mother Xu said.
Yu Yanran blushed and said, "Mother Xu, why are you saying this?"
"My silly girl, you are still shy at this time. How long have you been in the East Palace, and His Highness has not favored you. Before, His Highness said that he was afraid of hurting his body. If His Highness favors the girl from the Sheng family, he is not afraid of hurting his body?
I am worried that His Highness does not like the girl at all. Soon after the New Year, the Crown Princess will enter the palace, and His Highness will definitely take in some concubines. Maybe the girl will be an old maid for the rest of her life. Now, while the Crown Princess has not yet entered the East Palace, the girl must hurry up. "Mother Xu said anxiously.
Yu Yanran's face turned paler and paler when she heard this. Yes, Zhao Xing did not favor her, but favored Sheng Shulan.
Doesn't this mean that Zhao Xing doesn't like her?
Thinking of this, Yu Yanran's eyes turned red and tears flowed down.
…………
Zhao Xing came out of the palace and went to Kaifeng Prefecture. It was already evening when he returned to the East Palace.
During dinner, Zhao Xing was a little surprised to see that Yu Yanran was in a bad mood.
After asking, Yu Yanran just said that her hand hurt a little.
Zhao Xing didn't think much about it. After dinner, he went to the study to deal with the knot.
I was delayed by various things today and there are still many things that I haven't finished.
By the time he finished the process, it was already past midnight.
After returning to the bedroom, Zhao Xing ordered someone to call Yu Yanran to sleep with him.
It is said that it is difficult to go from luxury to frugality.
He is used to sleeping with someone in his arms at night, and he really can't sleep alone.
After Zhao Xing finished bathing with the help of palace maids, Yu Yanran also came.
The palace maid undressed him, and after the two of them got on the bed, she lowered the curtains, turned off the lights, and left.
Yu Yanran was full of expectations, but Zhao Xing not only had no intention of favoring her, he didn't even want to take advantage of her like he did in the past. He just hugged her and fell asleep.
The more I thought about it, the more aggrieved I felt, and tears flowed silently.
"Why are you crying?"
Zhao Xing felt the person in his arms twitching slightly. After feeling it carefully, he found that Yu Yanran was actually crying.
(End of this chapter)