The Gilded Cage

Under the candlelight, he carefully examined her face.

He was naturally happy to see that she was suddenly willing to leave the prince for his own future.

But here, apart from my sincere gratitude, there doesn't seem to be much about him.

He couldn't help feeling melancholy. Fortunately, this is a big step for her.

He knew that it was too difficult for women in this world to take the initiative to leave their husbands. The law that has lasted for hundreds of years now does not allow women to take the initiative to propose reconciliation without the permission of their husbands. The so-called reconciliation is nothing more than a man's charity to a woman with dignity. The identity of "abandoned wife who keeps her morals" is nothing more.

The higher the status of a man, the less freedom a woman is.

Just like his mother, who was neglected and disgusted by the emperor because of her humble background. She endured the neglect and ridicule of other concubines every day, but she still never complained about her husband. Even before she died, she was satisfied with her husband. The last plea, he was grateful for sending his son to Ganzhou.

There were also many concubines he had seen who fought openly and secretly in the palace, treating each other as enemies, but never complained about the emperor who caused all this, and flattered them wholeheartedly.

When he was young, he only felt puzzled. After seeing a lot of people and things, he realized that it was a kind of self-paralysis that he had to make in the face of an unchangeable status quo.

It seems that most women's attitude towards disharmony in marriage is to be submissive and tolerate.

And if she wasn't supported by her father's hatred, how could she see the prince's personality? It is very gratifying to be able to resolutely decide to leave on the initiative.

"Okay." He rubbed her cheek affectionately, and dropped a kiss between her sideburns, as if gently coaxing the little girl he had taken care of.

This girl was like a seed that was quietly sprouting under his careful watering, which surprised him and had to wait patiently.

"Your Majesty, the water should be cold." Chu Ning lay down in his arms for a while, and suddenly pointed to the warm water and towel that Liu Kang had just sent in, and asked to get up while supporting his knees.

As he turned his head to look, he stretched out his hand and pulled her to make her fall back into his arms: "Didn't I make you tired today?"

The deep voice pierced into the cochlea, making her heart tremble, and her cheeks became hot, and she nodded gently: "Tired, Aning is exhausted."

The only thing he was thinking about was all about Xiao Yu and Zhao Yu'e, and even the exhaustion of his body was forgotten. At this moment, when he reminded him, he suddenly felt the neglected soreness and humiliation.

He chuckled softly, kissed contentedly in her ear, hugged her and got up, put it on the long book table just now, and twisted the towel to wipe her carefully.

When the ink was already in love, he took the clean wolf hair and dipped it in the cold water that was used to study the ink. The rest was a little dry and mottled. He wiped it seriously, but it made her face red. Dodge his eyes.

It was so easy to clean, she immediately pushed him, and jumped off the bookcase by herself. Only the leg was weak, and when he touched the ground, he was soft and almost fell. Fortunately, he was firmly supported by him from behind, and then he barely stood firm.

She bit her lip to find the original clothes that had been sent back earlier, put them on one by one, and combed the scattered hair, before she got up and saluted and retired. He had walked behind her three or two steps, looking at Tong In the mirror, she reached out and took out one of her golden hairpins from the hair.

The tip of the hairpin was cool and thin, and gently slid down the beauty tip of her hairline, the flower tint between the eyebrows, and the straight bridge of the nose, and finally landed on her chin, poking her face up to meet his gaze.

"Leave this hairpin to me, okay?"

Her eyes flashed, biting her lip and lowering her response to "OK".

As usual, Liu Kang had prepared his steps and sent her back from Rihua Gate. Cuihe was already waiting there. When she saw her coming, he hurriedly greeted her and said in a low voice: "The guard of the imperial court just now said that His Royal Highness will It's back."

Chu Ning shook his mind, nodded lightly, and led her back to the sleeping hall of the Prince Tang, changed her clothes, and then untied her hair, spreading it behind her back.

Within a moment, Xiao Yu returned as expected.

She took a deep breath, tried her best to sink her heart, put on her usual smile, and opened the door to greet her.

"His Royal Highness is back."

Xiao Yu was exhausted all over his body, and his expression was a little gloomy. Seeing his gentle and pleasant wife, he reluctantly twitched the corners of his mouth: "Yes. Is the lantern fair beautiful?"

Chu Ning nodded, gently removed his shirt, and twisted a handkerchief to wipe his face: "There are so many lights of various colors and there are many people. It can be compared with the folk lantern festival."

Besides, she naturally feels good if someone is by her side.

He was hesitating whether to test him now, but he suddenly took the initiative to speak: "I saw Xu Shidu today."

Chu Ning paused with her hand in the towel, and said softly: "Your Highness works hard, I have to see Xu Shidu on the first day of Yuan Dynasty."

Xiao Yu waved away the others, stretched out her hand to hold her, stopped her washing for him, took her to sit on the couch, and asked in a deep voice, "A Ning, how do you treat you for the past two years?"

Chu Ning's heart trembled, and almost let the word "bad" blur out without holding back.

Killing her father and family, and still facing her day and night as a benefactor, constantly deceiving her, and at the same time imposing everything he likes on her, how can such a treatment be called "good"?

Fortunately, she is now very clear in her mind. While quietly pinching her fingertips, avoiding his question, she asked softly: "What's wrong with your Highness? Suddenly asking like this? These few days, Your Highness seems to be something wrong..."

Xiao Yu paused, looking at her beautiful face without Fendai, as if she was struggling, and then said with difficulty: "A few days ago, you said that you would never violate anything I ordered, right? Ning, now, there is one thing, only you can help me."

Chu Ning whispered: "His Royal Highness, please speak."

"Aning, you know, I have been in the Korean Central for many years, so that one day I can be crowned Dabao, so that I can rehabilitate your father. However, my sixth uncle colluded with the Qi family, taking advantage of my father's serious illness. When the dynasty was empty, I led troops into the city and grabbed the throne that should have belonged to me. Now, I am struggling and want to get up again, so I can only win the force that can compete with it."

"His Royal Highness wants military power, what to do with Aning? Aning is just a helpless orphan." She lowered her eyes, waiting to hear his next words.

Hearing the word "orphan", Xiao Yu's eyes flashed, as if he felt a little guilty, but it was only a moment away.

"A-Ning, now the Zhao family wants to join forces with me to help me ascend to the throne. I know you are smart, and I know that the Bozhou Army in Zhao Lun's hands is extraordinary and can compete with the Ganzhou Army. With their help , I am naturally more powerful and will be able to get up soon."

"What conditions does the Zhao family have?" She raised her eyes and looked at him quietly, but her heart beat extremely fast.

"The Zhao family-want the position of the prince." He was silent for a moment before spitting out this sentence with difficulty.

Chu Ning chuckled, slowly looked away, and whispered softly: "I understand, Your Royal Highness wants me to give up the position of the princess and leave it to the second mother of the Zhao family."

"A Ning!" Xiao Yu held her hand tightly, "It's only temporarily, I won't make you wronged. You--how do you think?"

Chu Ning endured and endured it, and didn't get up on the spot, and smiled and said three "OK".

She knew what Xiao Yu was like. If she agreed to his request without hesitation at this time, it would make him feel suspicious. It would be difficult to do the following things, so she said indifferently: "What do you think I can think about me? I have lost other family members and become the daughters of criminal officials. Now, do you want to be an abandoned wife again?"

Sure enough, Xiao Yu looked at her reluctantly, but instead of feeling as guilty and nervous as she was just now, he seemed to be relieved.

She is right to be reluctant. He saved her, and spent two whole years together day and night. How could she be willing?

"Aning, you are not an abandoned woman. These are only temporary. When I am done in the future, you will still be the queen. I will help you with your father's affairs-I will never break my promise to you!"

Chu Ning sat aside and didn't speak. The look of his head down made him feel guilty and at ease. He couldn't help but hugged it gently and coaxed in a good voice.

"Aning, don't blame me, I can't do anything at this point."

"Then Zhao Erniang is a widow who doesn't obey her morality. I hate her from the bottom of my heart. Even if I temporarily let her be the mistress in the future, I still regard you as my wife in my heart."

His words rang in her ears, making her feel chills in her heart.

If she is still kept in the dark and does not know the truth of her father’s death, she might be deceived by him at this moment, thinking that he really loves her, and even wronged herself in order to help him and be abandoned by others. The end.

Fortunately, I found out in time!

She closed her eyes, adjusted her mood, gently pushed him away, stood up and turned her back to him, bowed her head and said, "Your Highness, Rong Aning, think about it, okay?"

Xiao Yu's arms were empty, and she was feeling disappointed and dissatisfied, but thinking that she was being wronged, she felt softhearted for a while, and did not blame, nodded softly: "Okay, Aning, I won't force you, you think about it."

Chu Ning did not speak any more, and after a few salutes, he hurriedly left and returned to his bedroom.

In the room, Cuihe was still waiting for her. Seeing her face was not good, she hurriedly greeted her nervously, "Lady, what happened?"

Chu Ning shook his head, sat on the couch feebly, signaled her to close the door, and blocked the outside eyes, before sighing in relief, and said in a low voice: "I'm fine, you don't need to worry, but something should indeed happen recently. "

With that said, she briefly recounted what she had heard from Lu Guogong and what Xiao Yu had just said in person.

"There is such a thing!" Cuihe listened, his eyes full of anger, but had to control his voice, "The prince had tried so hard to marry the lady, but now that he has used it, there are more useful things that appear, so he will immediately abandon it!"

Chu Ning patted her hand, poured a cup of tea for her personally, and whispered: "What's the hurry? He is so, but he gave me a chance. Soon, I will be able to push the boat and leave him."

After that, I told her about my plan again.

Although Cuihe was still angry, he was already sinking. If he could take the opportunity to get out, it would be a good thing.

"We have to stay calm, not only I have to get out, but also brother, and brothers, all have to be preserved."

Chu Ning put away the expression on her face, her eyes became firm. In addition to Zhao Yanzhou's protection, she also has two cousins ​​who survived easily.

The two children were placed in Chuzhou by her for the past two years, and they studied with a local Confucian scholar. Xiao Yu knew all of these. She didn't even doubt that he had always arranged for someone to stare there all the time.

At this time, you must not annoy him.

...

Xiao Yu didn't force her anymore.

In the next few days, he was busy with his own affairs every day as before. He went out early and returned late, but did not let her come to serve him. Instead, she stayed behind closed doors in his bedroom, and even specially asked to be around him. The waiter of the house must deliver three meals a day to her room. She can only rest assured that she has used it well, as if she is worried that she will not think about it because of it.

Until the sixth day, Xu Rong came.

About seeing her delay in replying, he couldn't hold back and wanted to help Xiao Yu persuade.

"His Royal Highness, can you listen to the minister?"

Chu Ning sat aside, gently raising his hand so that he didn't have to be polite, but what he said was thorny: "I can't think of many days when I can listen to Xu Shi reading this'His Royal Highness'."

Xu Rong's face became stiff, and he said in a nonchalant manner: "His Royal Highness is serious, and the ministers act like this for the sake of the future of the prince."

Chu Ning's back was straight, and she sat silently.

Xu Rong was a little embarrassed, and paused before continuing: "As the saying goes,'The future will be long.' If the crown prince can't ascend to the throne, what is the use of his current name? Anyway, the crown prince has His Royal Highness in his heart. This is better than anything else. If the prince succeeds in the future, why don’t His Highness worry about not getting the status? After all, they are the original couple. At that time, the minister will be the first to write a letter, asking the prince to justify his name."

Chu Ning didn't show it on her face, but she said in her heart that the two monarchs and ministers said the same thing. Isn't Xu Rong coming here, there is no other way to move her?

"Xu Shidu doesn't have to be like that. In the past two years, you and Zhao Sizhi have been so grudged in your heart, you and I know."

At this time, Xu Rong's face really couldn't hold back.

He calmed down and stood up and said, "His Royal Highness does not need to be so oily and salty. The Chu family has long been gone. If it were not for the kindness of the Prince, the Eastern Palace would have no place for His Highness at all. Besides, His Royal Highness has been in the Eastern Palace for more than two years, but He never gave birth to a son and a half daughter for the prince. As the crown prince, heirs are important, so he doesn’t need to be recounted for his highness if he wants to. If his highness doesn’t take the initiative to give in, no wonder the minister is not merciful for his highness."

As he said, he bent over and arched his hands at her, lowered his voice, and continued: "Besides, the minister remembers that His Royal Highness always pays attention to Zhao Sizhi and the two remaining young lords of the Chu family. You have to think about everything else for others."

This is almost a blatant threat.

Chu Ning pondered for a moment, and his intuition was almost as good as it would no longer cause people to doubt. Then he took a deep breath, stood up suddenly, and said solemnly: "If I don't agree, you will move them?"

Xu Rong sneered: "His Royal Highness does not need to ask knowingly."

After a moment of silence, she turned around, turned her back to him, as if frustrated, and whispered: "I know. I will let it, but you have to tell me what to do."

Seeing that she seemed to have given up on her, Xu Rong slowed down, and slowly straightened up, and replied: "It's so good, it's not in vain that the prince has repeatedly exhorted Lady Zhao for your Royal Highness, and you are not allowed to be half harsh. Your Royal Highness only has to agree. Now, other matters will be arranged by the minister. When the time comes, His Royal Highness only needs to take the initiative to speak to the saint and give up the position of the prince."