After killing four concubines, the queen was sentenced to death and reborn

"Of course there is no problem, Rong'an!" Xiao Chengji's voice, with a certain unquestionable majesty, gently echoed in this empty and solemn inner hall.

Rong An was waiting outside the palace, and suddenly felt uneasy. When he heard His Majesty calling him, his heart tightened. He quickly straightened his clothes and walked in quickly. His steps were a little hurried, but steady. Every step he took on the bluestone slab made a subtle and rhythmic sound.

The moment he stepped into the palace, Rong An hurriedly stopped, bowed his body and saluted, and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, do you have any instructions for me to do?"

Xiao Chengji's eyes were deep and calm. He gently raised his hand and motioned Rong An to stand up. "You will stay in Weiyang Palace for a few days, obey the Queen's orders, and assist her in handling palace affairs. After a while, you will return to Zichen Palace." His voice was steady and powerful, and every word seemed to come from the bottom of his heart, with irresistible majesty.

Hearing this, Rong An's body trembled slightly, and a look of disbelief appeared on his face. He stood there, staring at Xiao Chengji with a dull look, as if trying to see a trace of a joke on the monarch's face. However, Xiao Chengji's expression was extremely serious, without the slightest hint of joking.

"This..." Rong An opened his mouth, but found himself speechless. He felt mixed emotions. He knew that he could not disobey the monarch's order, so he could only accept this sudden arrangement silently.

"Yes." Rong An was somewhat reluctant. He was not by His Majesty's side. What if someone replaced his position?

But then I thought again, His Majesty values ​​the Queen very much. If I can be reused by the Queen, I will have an extra layer of protection in the future.

"Thank you very much." Lu Lingyuan said softly.

"I dare not. Your Majesty, please give your orders." Rong An replied respectfully.

……

Yongzhang Palace

Princess Qingping has been making a fuss for several days. She has locked herself in her bedroom, refusing to eat or drink, in an effort to force Zheng Xiyan to compromise.

Princess Yong'an went to the bedroom every day to persuade her, but it was useless. Princess Qingping refused to see her.

On this day, Princess Changle also came to the outside of Princess Qingping's bedroom.

Princess Yong'an walked forward slowly, bowed slightly and saluted, "Greetings, Sister Changle."

"Sister Yong'an, there's no need to be so polite." Princess Changle stepped forward and gently helped her up.

"Qingping still refuses to see anyone?" asked Princess Changle.

Princess Yong'an nodded helplessly and said helplessly, "Yes, sister won't see anyone!"

"Does she really think that by doing this, she can make mother and brother take back their orders? She is so naive." Princess Changle sneered. She always thought Qingping was too silly and naive.

Princess Yong'an's eyes drooped slowly, not knowing how to respond.

"Sister Yongan, your marriage will probably be decided soon. Don't make a fuss then. Although the Lu family is just a merchant family, they are wealthy. Now that you are appreciated by the emperor, you will definitely be given important positions in the future."

"Heroes come from all walks of life. The Lu family will surely achieve something in the future. You must not be like Qingping and anger our mother. That would be counterproductive!" Princess Changle warned her worriedly. Yong'an has been a very well behaved child since she was a child. I remember that when he saw her when she was a child, he would always call her sister in a warm and tender way.

But later, for some reason, the relationship became distant.

Princess Yong'an understood all these words. Although her mother was not very close to them over the years, she had never treated them badly, and she would never do anything in her marriage that would give rise to criticism.

Among the three sisters, the Xin Guo Mansion has a noble family background and high status, and the second son of the Xin Guo Mansion is a rare young talent. She didn't understand why her elder sister was unwilling.

Princess Changle's eyes were gentle, like the delicate breeze in spring. She slowly stretched out her hand, her fingertips warm and powerful, "Yong'an, you should think about yourself earlier! Qingping's mischief will sooner or later anger our mother and brother." There was both blame and deep worry in Princess Changle's words.

Princess Yong'an frowned slightly when she heard this, and her clear eyes flickered with solemnity and helplessness. She knew that what Sister Changle said was true, but her sister was always stubborn, and sometimes even she, her younger sister, felt helpless.

"Thank you for your reminder, sister Changle. You will be getting married soon. I would like to sincerely congratulate you. I hope you and your husband will live in harmony and grow old together." There was sincerity and blessing in Princess Yong'an's voice.

Princess Changle raised her lips to a gentle smile, beautiful and subtle, "Thank you, sister!" After that, she gently patted the back of Yong'an's hand, then turned around and walked lightly back to her bedroom.

……

Inside Shoukang Palace, Zheng Xiyan leaned on the couch, her face as dark as ink, her brows revealing an indescribable fatigue.

Xiao Chengji sat on one side, his expression stern, his tone a little self-blaming: "It is my son who is unfilial and has caused my mother to worry."

Zheng Xiyan waved her hand gently, her voice low and magnetic: "Forget it, the Queen is pregnant and has severe morning sickness. It is my duty to take care of these things on your behalf. But I'm afraid the Queen's painstaking efforts will be in vain." Her eyes showed both heartache for the Queen and helplessness towards Princess Qingping.

The queen carefully selected marriages for several princesses in the hope that they would have a good home, but she never imagined that such a change would occur.

Xiao Chengji had a blank expression on his face, but his tone revealed a bit of determination: "I have thought about it. If Qingping insists on doing this, then there is no need to show mercy. Send her directly to Qing'an Temple to reflect on her mistakes!"

Zheng Xiyan shook her head slightly, a hint of disapproval flashing in her eyes: "She is your sister after all. If you treat her like this, people will say that you, the emperor, are cold and heartless."

"Doesn't she want to marry into the Qinghe Cui family? Then let her know whether she is qualified or not." A sharp light flashed in Zheng Xiyan's eyes, as if she could see through people's hearts.

The most important thing for a person is to know himself. Only when you know your position can you make the right choice.

Xiao Chengji frowned slightly, then his expression gradually eased: "What the Queen Mother meant is..."

"Send someone to summon the second son of the Cui family to the palace and let Qingping meet him." Zheng Xiyan's expression was cold and firm. "It's not that easy to enter the Qinghe Cui family."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chengji immediately stood up, bowed respectfully, turned around and strode out of Shoukang Palace.

That afternoon, Cui Zhaoling was summoned to the palace. He entered the Ministry of Personnel a year later and gradually gained Xiao Chengji's appreciation and promotion with his outstanding talents.

At this moment, Cui Zhaoling knelt respectfully on the ground of the Purple Palace and saluted, "I pay my respects to Your Majesty!"

Xiao Chengji slowly raised his eyes, his gaze was deep and far-reaching, as if it could penetrate people's hearts. He leaned nonchalantly on the dragon chair, and said in a low and majestic tone: "Get up!"

Cui Zhaoling stood up, his expression still cold and calm. He bowed slightly and said in a deep voice: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Xiao Chengji said directly: "Princess Qingping has taken a fancy to you and wants to recruit you as her consort. What do you think?"

Cui Zhaoling's face turned pale when he heard this, and a trace of shock flashed in his eyes. But he quickly calmed down and quickly replied: "Your Majesty, I have only met Princess Qingping a few times, and we have never even spoken to each other. Moreover, I am already engaged, and I really dare not marry Princess Qingping." His tone showed both his rejection of Princess Qingping and his adherence to his engagement.

Xiao Chengji raised his eyebrows slightly, a playful smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and his voice had a long tail tone: "Oh?"

"How come I don't know about this? Which girl is the one being chosen?" Xiao Chengji sat up straight and looked at him with subtle eyes.

"She is my cousin, the legitimate daughter of Chen from Yingzhou." There was no expression on Cui Zhaoling's face.

"Chen family of Yingchuan?" Xiao Chengji frowned slightly, as if a spring breeze was blowing across the quiet lake, creating circles of delicate ripples. His voice was low and meaningful, with a hint of imperceptible inquiry.

The Yingchuan Chen family was a famous aristocratic family in the south of the Yangtze River. Their ancestors were wealthy and in their early years they resolutely followed Emperor Taizu in his uprising, managed the money and grain in the rear, and made great military achievements.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Chen family of Yingchuan never boasted of their achievements, nor did they have the slightest arrogance. However, within a few years, the disciples of the family retired one after another and returned to Yingchuan County, where they founded the Qingyun Academy. Soon, it attracted talented people from all over the world, like hundreds of rivers converging into the sea, a spectacular sight.

Over the years, Qingyun Academy has provided the court with batches of talented people. Therefore, the Chen family of Yingchuan enjoys a high reputation and prestige among the people and even in the court, like a towering mountain that makes people look up and feel awe.

"Yes, my mother and the second branch lady of the Chen family in Yingchuan are cousins ​​who have been as close as sisters since childhood. The friendship between the two families is deep, and they have never lost contact over the years." A gentle smile appeared on Cui Zhaoling's face. His voice was neither hurried nor slow, and he spoke slowly and leisurely, like the drizzle in spring that moistens the heart, giving people a sense of calmness and stability that is difficult to describe.

He continued, "In recent days, my mother has been worried about my marriage and has been unable to sleep at night. After much thought, she came up with this marriage. After some discussions between the elders of the two families, this marriage was finally settled." After he finished speaking, Cui Zhaoling's eyes became gentle and deep, making it difficult for people to see through them.

"The Chen family of Yingchuan has been a family of nobles for generations, and is well matched to your Cui family of Qinghe. Congratulations, Lord Cui!" There was an imperceptible depth in Xiao Chengji's words, and his eyes were dim. He glanced lightly at Cui Zhaoling with an indescribable coldness, and an intriguing and complex expression emerged on his face, as if beneath the calm surface, there were surging waves hidden.

"Your Majesty, thank you for your grace!" Cui Zhaoling slowly bowed and saluted, without any expression on his face.

"My dear Minister Cui, since this is just a misunderstanding, there is no need to mention it again in the future. It's just that Princess Qingping is deeply in love with you, and as your eldest brother, I really can't bear to see her crying every day and being heartbroken. Therefore, I would like to trouble My dear Minister Cui to help me enlighten her, which can also be regarded as sharing the worries for me and my mother." Xiao Chengji's voice was low and powerful, and every word seemed to come from the bottom of his heart, with unquestionable majesty, and a subtle light flashed in his eyes.

"I order Rong'an to send you to the Imperial Garden. Qingping is there now. If you can comfort her well, you will be helping me to relieve my worries." Xiao Chengji's words were filled with unquestionable determination. His brows revealed a solemnity that was the majesty and bearing unique to an emperor.

Cui Zhaoling felt mixed emotions when he heard this. He paused for a moment, as if he was weighing something. A look of hesitation flashed across his eyes. If he refused, he might provoke the emperor's wrath; if he agreed, it was not what he wanted. He couldn't help but frown slightly in this dilemma.

At this moment, Xiao Chengji's voice suddenly turned cold, like a sudden cold wind in winter, with a biting chill: "Why, Minister Cui, are you unwilling to share my worries and solve my problems?" There was still a smile on his face, but that smile was like the sunshine in winter, seemingly warm, but actually icy cold, making people feel chilled.

Cui Zhaoling's heart trembled. He took a deep breath, calmed his mind, and spoke clearly: "As an outsider, according to etiquette, I should not step into the forbidden area of ​​the harem. I hope Your Majesty will understand my difficulties. Moreover, I have never met Princess Qingping, let alone talked with her. If I rashly go to comfort her, I am afraid that not only will I not be able to relieve her worries, but it will also affect her reputation and add to her troubles. I hope Your Majesty will think twice before acting and find another good plan."

His words were flawless and reasonable. They not only made his stance clear, but also maintained his demeanor. However, Xiao Chengji was slightly startled and caught off guard.

"What Minister Cui said makes sense, but Qingping has not eaten or drunk these days and only wants to see Minister Cui. She doesn't even care about her own health, so how could she care about Qingyu?" Xiao Chengji said in a low voice, and then added: "Minister Cui is worrying too much. The first thing people who enter the palace learn is to pretend to be deaf and dumb. Minister Cui, don't worry." Xiao Chengji smiled, which was a bit creepy, and refuted with just a few words.

Cui Zhaoling's eyes trembled, revealing helplessness and depth. He looked calm on the surface, but his heart was turbulent. He spoke slowly, with a barely perceptible bitterness in his voice: "Yes, I obey your command!" These three words seemed to weigh on his heart, making it difficult for him to let go.

A smug smile broke out on Xiao Chengji's face, with a hint of cunningness in that smile, and he spoke in a deep voice with unquestionable majesty: "Thank you, Minister Cui. On the day of your wedding, I will definitely send someone to present you with a big gift!" After that, his gaze lingered on Cui Zhaoling for a moment, as if waiting for some reaction.

A hint of coldness quietly emerged in Cui Zhaoling's eyes, like the first icicles in winter, cold and sharp. The corners of his mouth curled up into an imperceptible sneer, and his tone of voice was so cold that it seemed to freeze the air: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!"

Afterwards, Cui Zhaoling came to the Imperial Garden.