Chapter 258: Chapter 258
At this moment, Xiao Lizi, who was guarding outside Weiyang Hall, came to report.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the princess has returned."
When Emperor Yongning heard that Jun Ning had returned, he couldn’t care about anything else. He hurriedly got up to greet her, and before leaving, he instructed the maids attending to the hall.
"Keep quiet, do not disturb the Imperial Concubine."
The maids nodded repeatedly in affirmation.
Emperor Yongning deliberately led a group to greet Jun Ning outside.
However, Jun Ning directly bypassed him, bringing Lan Xihe and Nanny Zhang into Weiyang Hall without giving him a glance.
The reason Jun Ning did not bring Jing Shu back at this moment was that as soon as Jing Shu entered the palace, the Crown Princess Consort sent someone to take her away.
It seems the Crown Princess Consort sensed the smell of conflict and didn’t want Jing Shu involved!
Seeing Jun Ning bypass him and walk straight ahead, Emperor Yongning disregarded both face and dignity.
He hurriedly followed up, saying, "Yi Yi, listen to your father explain..."
"I don’t want to listen, I don’t want to listen..." Thıs text ıs hosted at 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⟡𝕗𝗂𝗋𝖾⟡𝕟𝕖𝕥
Seeing Emperor Yongning following again, Jun Ning turned around angrily, pushing him, trying to push him outside.
She didn’t want to see Emperor Yongning.
With Emperor Yongning’s strength, no matter how Jun Ning pushed, theoretically, he could stand still without moving, letting her waste her energy. But seeing the young girl struggling so hard, with tears at the corners of her eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to stay put. He followed Jun Ning’s pushing to outside Weiyang Hall.
Then he watched as the young girl closed the door in front of his eyes, barring him outside.
"Nanny Zhang, come help lock the door."
The young girl couldn’t reach the lock of the big door, so she asked Nanny Zhang for help.
Nanny Zhang helped lock the door and then followed Jun Ning inside.
Emperor Yongning looked at the tightly closed red door in front of him, saying, "Is Yi Yi really so angry with me? Angry enough to shut the palace door, is she planning not to come out anymore?"
Xiao Lizi said, "Your Majesty, should I send someone to break the door open?"
A mere locked palace door, breaking it open wouldn’t be a problem.
The Imperial Guards were not just for show.
Emperor Yongning waved his hand, "No need."
A door not opened for him, even if forced open, what meaning would that have?
Emperor Yongning could almost imagine the young girl’s expression when he broke the door open.
Yi Yi would surely be full of disgust, resistance...
"Have the Imperial Physician come daily to check the pulse of the Imperial Concubine."
"Also, whether the door of Weiyang Hall opens or not, be sure to have the Ministry of Internal Affairs supply everything needed by Weiyang Hall without fail."
The only thing Emperor Yongning could do now was these.
He hoped the mother and daughter could see what he was doing for them.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Xiao Lizi quickly responded.
"Also, the Hidden Guards I’ve arranged for Yi Yi, have them in position immediately." Emperor Yongning clenched his fist tightly, "Make sure they watch her carefully, Yi Yi must not come to any harm!"
"Yes." Xiao Lizi went to arrange it.
Emperor Yongning stood at the door of Weiyang Hall for a while, then returned to the Imperial Study Room to deal with documents.
That night, the candlelight in the Imperial Study burned until dawn, never extinguished.
Emperor Yongning finished all the documents and then went to court.
After returning from court, he asked Xiao Lizi about Weiyang Hall, but the door remained unopened, still tightly shut. He said nothing and continued handling state affairs.
The days of the tightly closed palace gates of Weiyang Hall continued for half a year.
Winter came, snow fell and melted, fell again, and melted again.
Winter passed, and spring arrived, yet the doors of Weiyang Hall still did not open.
Every day, Emperor Yongning inquired about the situation in Weiyang Hall.
He kept thinking, just wait a little longer, when the mother and daughter’s anger subsides, when his punishment is enough, when they were less angry, they would surely open the palace door.
But the reality disappointed him. More than half a year passed, and still, the palace door of Weiyang Hall hadn’t opened. The mother and daughter were still angry with him.
That day, snow fell again.
Emperor Yongning, draped in a cloak, stood at an open window, watching the swirling snow outside, and softly said, "In three days it will be Yi Yi’s birthday, Xiao Lizi, have the Ministry of Internal Affairs make preparations."
Xiao Lizi went to arrange it.
"Yi Yi, you’ve avoided your father for more than half a year. Now your birthday is coming, shouldn’t you come out to let your father see you?"
"Your father wants to see if you’ve grown taller, if you’ve gained weight? You’re already four years old, has Qiong Hua taught you how to read? How many words do you know now?"
"It doesn’t matter if you don’t know any words, your father won’t force you, just learn slowly."
"Your father... your father just wants to see you..."
After talking to himself for a while, Emperor Yongning came to the table by the window.
He picked up the piece of silver Xiao Lizi had found long ago and began to intricately carve and polish it. This year, he wanted to craft a pair of bracelets to give to the young girl.
The young girl, wearing the bracelets he gave day and night, would surely think of him.
Qiong Hua had long since started preparing for Jun Ning’s birthday, "Yi Yi, besides wanting to eat cilantro mung bean cake, what else do you want to eat? You just say it, and your mother will find a way to make it for you."
"...Hmm, I want to eat hot pot." Jun Ning leaned against Lan Xihe, who was cutting paper-cuttings, and mumbled softly.
"What do you want to eat? Mother didn’t hear clearly." Qiong Hua asked again.
Jun Ning waved her hand, "There’s nothing special I want to eat, mother can just decide!" She wanted hot pot. However, telling her mother, there was no guarantee that her mother would understand or be able to make it.
"Alright, mother will make the preparations." Qiong Hua went to prepare.
After cutting the paper-cuttings, Lan Xihe glanced at Jun Ning behind her, seeing the pure gold longevity lock hanging around her neck, she asked puzzledly, "Ah Ning, didn’t you always dislike the palace bell on this longevity lock constantly ringing, and so you never wanted to wear this longevity lock? Why did you suddenly take it out today?"
Jun Ning waved her hand, "There’s nothing special I want to eat, mother can just decide!" She wanted hot pot. However, telling her mother, there was no guarantee that her mother would understand or be able to make it.
"Alright, mother will make the preparations." Qiong Hua went to prepare.
After cutting the paper-cuttings, Lan Xihe glanced at Jun Ning behind her, seeing the pure gold longevity lock hanging around her neck, she asked puzzledly, "Ah Ning, didn’t you always dislike the palace bell on this longevity lock constantly ringing, and so you never wanted to wear this longevity lock? Why did you suddenly take it out today?"
Jun Ning waved her hand, "There’s nothing special I want to eat, mother can just decide!" She wanted hot pot. However, telling her mother, there was no guarantee that her mother would understand or be able to make it.
"Alright, mother will make the preparations." Qiong Hua went to prepare.