mtl008 Chapter 256 Imperial Decree to Enter the Palace
Chapter 256 Imperial Decree to Enter the Palace
Cui Zhihao stood aside, quietly watching Ye Wenshu hold Shi Wanxia's hand tightly, her eyes full of concern. The corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up, and his heart was full of relief.
Shi Wanxia came to this unfamiliar place alone, without any relatives or friends. To have Ye Wenshu treat her so sincerely and care for her like a sister meant that she would have someone who cared for her in the days to come, so that she wouldn't be too lonely.
But when he thought of the decree that His Majesty had just issued, Cui Zhihao's brows furrowed tightly again, and his heart felt as if it were being gripped by an invisible hand, filled with unease.
He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and looked at Shi Wanxia with feigned composure, saying, "Miss Shi, His Majesty just ordered me to go back with my uncle."
He paused slightly, his gaze fixed on Shi Wanxia's eyes, as if trying to convey courage to her.
"You will temporarily enter the palace, and the Empress will arrange your accommodations. Don't worry, as long as we can persuade His Majesty at tomorrow's morning court, your ambitions and ideals can be realized."
His voice trembled slightly, filled with worry, "The palace is not like the outside world. I won't be by your side, so you have to be careful. You are still a criminal, and I will ask your uncle to plead for you!"
He spoke urgently, fearing that Miss Shi might be overthinking things and living in fear.
After listening, Shi Wanxia remained calm, showing little panic.
She thought to herself, "It's just a temporary stay in the palace. I've been to the Forbidden City before. I wonder what the palace is like, and whether it's really like the ones in TV dramas, full of hidden dangers and perilous situations."
Ye Wenshu seemed to see through Shi Wanxia's thoughts, and quickly moved closer, holding her arm tightly with both hands, and gently comforted her, "Sister Shi, you don't need to worry. I will ask Her Majesty the Empress for permission to enter the palace to keep you company."
Upon hearing this, Shi Wanxia quickly waved her hand in refusal, her eyes filled with determination: "Miss Ye, there's no need for that. I am also a criminal now, and I can't implicate you."
Ye Wenshu's eyes reddened instantly, tears welling up as she looked pitifully at Shi Wanxia: "Sister Shi, don't worry, I am, after all, the future Princess Consort of Xiang. No one will say anything if I enter the palace to accompany Her Majesty the Empress!"
Just as Shi Wanxia was about to refuse again, Shen Yanchu strolled over and suddenly interrupted, "Miss Shi, Shu'er is only trying to be kind. With her around, no one will dare to bully you."
He turned slightly to look at Ye Wenshu, his eyes full of doting affection, "Who in the capital doesn't know of Shu'er's virtuous reputation? She is the princess bestowed upon her by this king, and no one dares to act recklessly."
Shi Wanxia looked up at Shen Yanchu, her heart calm and undisturbed. Their meeting was merely a chance encounter; now that they were married and no longer related, his appearance did not stir much in her heart.
She merely nodded politely in response. At this moment, her heart was filled with worry about the palace she was about to enter, and whether the people in the court the next day could fight for her survival and help her realize her ambitions.
Yu Heng bowed and walked out of the Imperial Clan Court with small steps. He looked up and saw Prince Xiang, Shen Yanchu, standing outside the door with his hands behind his back, his clothes fluttering gently in the wind.
He immediately stopped and knelt down respectfully to pay his respects. His voice was not loud but conveyed a sense of competence: "Greetings, Your Highness. Your Highness, this old servant is here on His Majesty's orders to bring Miss Shi into the palace and arrange accommodations for her."
As she spoke, she glanced at the prince's expression, then quickly lowered her head again. "This old servant will not exchange pleasantries with Your Highness. This old servant will take people to pay their respects to Her Majesty the Empress."
After speaking, he straightened up, turned around and winked at the group of palace maids behind him, then raised his voice and said, "Someone, take Miss Shi back to the palace to freshen up and dress before she goes to pay her respects to Her Majesty the Empress!"
Several palace maids moved gracefully forward and gently helped Shi Wanxia up.
Shi Wanxia subconsciously struggled, but gave up helplessly and could only follow the palace maids out. Before getting into the sedan chair, she looked back at Cui Zhihao. Their eyes met, and it seemed that there were a thousand words in their eyes, but they could not say them.
As Cui Zhihao watched her retreating figure, his chest heaved violently. He let out a solemn breath, feeling the unease in his heart growing wildly like weeds, becoming increasingly intense.
At this moment, he had little say in the court, filled with worry but powerless to change anything.
Ye Wenshu stood to the side, watching all this with red eyes. She knew that the rules in the palace were strict, and if she wanted to go to the palace to accompany her sister, she had to go home and get the palace pass left by her mother.
Thinking of this, she sniffed, took a few graceful steps to Shen Yanchu, bowed gracefully, and said softly, "Your Highness, I will go home now to get my mother's token before I can enter the palace."
She knew perfectly well that the prince had special feelings for Sister Shi, but Ye Wenshu was not the petty, jealous woman she was.
Having spent these days together, she observed coldly and realized that Sister Shi had no regard for the Prince or Lord Cui; her mind seemed to be entirely focused on her ambitions to govern the world and benefit the people.
Shen Yanchu nodded slightly, raised his hand to gently help Ye Wenshu up, his eyes showing a hint of approval: "Shu'er, go and come back quickly, I will be waiting for you in the palace."
After saying this, he looked in the direction where Shi Wanxia had left, lost in thought. Although he was a prince, he could not openly disobey the emperor's decree, and could only secretly pray that everything would go smoothly for Shi Wanxia after she entered the palace.
Yu Heng led Shi Wanxia's sedan chair slowly forward. Along the way, Shi Wanxia lifted a corner of the sedan curtain, gazing at the scenery along the street, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
She knew that her journey into the palace was uncertain, and she was filled with both trepidation about the unknown life in the palace and a glimmer of hope that she could make a difference in the court and change the status quo.
As the people on the street saw this grand procession pass by, they all knelt down and paid their respects. Shi Wanxia couldn't help but sigh inwardly, realizing how deeply the majesty of imperial power had penetrated the hearts of the people.
Before long, the sedan chair came to a smooth stop in front of the palace gate. Yu Heng was the first to alight from the sedan chair, and then directed the palace maids to help Shi Wanxia down again. The palace gate slowly opened, and an atmosphere of solemnity and grandeur swept over them.
Shi Wanxia took a deep breath, straightened her spine, and followed the palace maids into the inner courtyard of the palace, which was surrounded by high vermilion walls.
Not far from the palace gate, they encountered a middle-aged woman dressed in gorgeous clothes and wearing a phoenix hairpin, surrounded by a group of palace maids and eunuchs.
Upon seeing this, Yu Heng quickly knelt down and bowed, saying, "This old servant greets Your Majesty the Empress! May Your Majesty live a thousand years!" Although Shi Wanxia was unaware of the situation, seeing Yu Heng bow, she also curtsied and said, "This commoner, Shi Wanxia, greets Your Majesty the Empress! May Your Majesty live a thousand years!"
The Empress raised her hand slightly, signaling everyone to rise. Her gaze swept over Shi Wanxia, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes before she regained her composure: "Rise. Come with me to the side hall. I have some questions for you."
Shi Wanxia's heart tightened as she pondered what the Empress wanted to ask, but dared not ask any more questions and could only follow silently behind.
Meanwhile, Cui Zhihao returned home and stayed indoors, pacing back and forth in his study. He was extremely anxious, thinking about Shi Wanxia's situation after entering the palace, and wished he had the power to turn the tide.
Ye Wenshu returned home and went straight to her mother's room, where she found the plaque for entering the palace. She clutched the plaque tightly, as if holding onto the hope of reuniting with her sister Shi.
After quickly packing her things, she hurried back to the palace. All the way, she silently prayed that her sister Shi wouldn't suffer any mistreatment in the palace.
Inside the palace, Shi Wanxia followed the Empress to a side hall. The Empress sat in the highest seat, took a sip of tea, and asked unhurriedly, "You are Shi Wanxia? I heard you said some rather startling things in court. I'd like to hear what your purpose is."
Shi Wanxia raised her head slightly, looked directly into the Empress's eyes, and answered neither humbly nor arrogantly: "Your Majesty, I have no other intentions. I just feel sorry for the people of Cangling Kingdom, the economic decline, and the empty treasury. I want to find a way out for the people and do my part for the country."
After hearing this, the Empress gently put down her teacup, looked at Shi Wanxia again, and after a long while, slowly said, "Hmm, it is rare to find someone with such a heart."
"However, the palace is not like the outside world; there are many rules, so you should be careful to follow them."
Having said that, she summoned a palace maid and said, "Take her to her quarters and make sure she's settled in." After thanking her, Shi Wanxia left the side hall with the maid. She knew that her life in the palace had only just begun.