PDLP Chapter 136 Kneeling and Kowtowing Three Times
Chapter 136 Kneeling and Kowtowing Three Times
Qin Huai returned to his desk and sat down, picking up his brush to handle official business, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't bring himself to write.
His mind was completely occupied by what had just happened, leaving him no room to think about anything else.
He wanted to persuade Qin Wan that marrying the Fifth Prince was a dead end, since the Fourth Prince was fond of her and had repeatedly said that as long as she was willing, he would find a way to persuade His Majesty to let her become the Fourth Prince's concubine.
Compared to a prince's principal wife who has no real power, everyone knows that this is not as good as the position of a concubine of the future crown prince.
Moreover, Shen Siyi is injured and unable to have children, and she is the only person favored by the Fourth Prince.
Why can't she understand?
What benefit would marrying the Fifth Prince bring to the Marquis's family? She only thinks of herself; why doesn't she consider the Marquis's family?
Qin Huai angrily threw the brush in his hand to the ground, and ink splattered out, leaving a streak.
Since she is a member of the Marquis's household, she should think about the Marquis's household and not act according to her own whims!
......
The Imperial Palace.
"The last document regarding the heir apparent was not approved, so I submitted it again this time. In case someone sabotaged things in the past, you must make a good impression on His Majesty this time. With His Majesty's approval, no one will dare to interfere again!"
Marquis Zhongyi, Zhang Jiu, dressed in official robes, walked with his son Zhang Yue on the way to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Zhang Yue had been staying in his residence for the past few days, not causing any trouble, just waiting for this day.
Once his official document confirming his status as heir apparent is issued, he will be the heir apparent of the Marquis of Zhongyi, his status will rise to a new level, and no one will dare to look down on him.
"Father, you've told me this eight hundred times, I've already memorized it!"
Zhang Jiu clicked his tongue lightly, still not entirely at ease, and gave the instructions again.
"This is our last chance. If we fail this time, we'll have to wait another year..."
"Ah~~"
Zhang Jiu, who was walking ahead, was interrupted by a scream from behind and turned around in a panic.
A palace maid was seen falling to the ground, with a broken pot of flowers in front of her. Zhang Yue was also covered in mud.
"You lowly maid, how do you walk? Don't you have eyes? You just had to bump into me!" Zhang Yue pointed at the palace maid's nose and cursed.
He's on his way to see His Majesty, and he's all dirty. We're going to see His Majesty.
Zhang Yue patted the mud off his body, removing most of it, but some marks were still left on his clothes.
"Oh, Young Master Zhang, what a boastful tone!" A familiar voice came from the side of the group. Looking over, they saw the Sixth Princess, Xiao Lingyun, walking towards them.
"If I remember correctly, Young Master Zhang's application for the title of heir apparent was rejected. I wonder when Young Master Zhang became the heir apparent?"
The two were shocked. Could it be that she was the one who had caused the rejection last time?
"Your humble servant greets the Sixth Princess!" Zhang Jiu bowed in greeting.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zhang Yue still standing there and glared at him.
Zhang Yue had no choice but to reluctantly bow to him.
At this moment, the little palace maid who had just fallen to the ground got up, her eyes red and looking very aggrieved, and ran to kneel down in front of Xiao Lingyun.
"Your Highness, please do me justice! I was walking along carrying this orchid when Young Master Zhang knocked me to the ground. I tried my best to protect it, but the orchid still fell to the ground, and the newly sprouted flower bud broke."
"What?" Xiao Lingyun exclaimed in surprise, her anger rising instantly as she looked at the flower bud in the little palace maid's hand.
"These are orchids that I, the princess, am going to give to my mother later, and you've ruined them!"
Zhang Yue, who was being pointed at, was also stunned. What did this mean? It was clearly the palace maid who was blind and bumped into him. How did it become his fault?
"Sixth Princess, she's making false accusations! It's clearly her..."
"She's my most trusted maid, how could she lie? You're the one who broke it!"
In that instant, Zhang Yue understood that Xiao Lingyun had done it on purpose, and that the palace maid was someone she had arranged.
Anger also surfaced on Zhang Yue's face. The last time his application for the title of heir apparent was rejected, it was because of her. He had even sought revenge on her, and now she had come knocking on his door again.
Even if she is a princess, she shouldn't bully people like this.
"The Sixth Princess..."
“Princess, please calm your anger. It was my son who was not paying attention and knocked over your orchid. The gardener in my household can transplant it. Now that it is springtime, I guarantee that the orchid will bloom again. Please forgive my son, Princess!”
Seeing his father's obsequious manner, Zhang Yue felt even more resentful.
"Father, this is clearly something she did on purpose!" Zhang Yue said in a low voice, gritting his teeth.
As the Marquis of Zhongyi, how could Zhang Jiu not see it? But what could he do?
This is the imperial palace; they are on their way to see His Majesty. What if they are delayed and their important business is ruined?
"Shut up!" Zhang Jiu growled.
Seeing this, Xiao Lingyun chuckled and said, "This princess is not an unreasonable person. I have my own gardeners and do not need the gardeners of the Marquis's mansion. However, my orchid died too unjustly, so let Young Master Zhang kowtow three times to it to express his condolences!"
what?
Zhang Yue was stunned. He was being asked to kowtow to a broken flower?
"Sixth Princess, don't go too far!"
"If Young Master Zhang is unwilling, then this princess will have no choice but to ask my father to judge!" Xiao Lingyun raised her chin and crossed her arms. This time, she did not intend to let them off easily.
Zhang Yue was unwilling.
However, if he did not want this matter to be taken to His Majesty, their purpose in coming here was to leave a good impression on His Majesty so that the Crown Prince's documents could be stamped smoothly.
Who would have thought that a lawsuit would break out in the middle of this?
The Sixth Princess is the daughter of Consort Yan, and is a princess who is deeply favored by His Majesty. Otherwise, how could she be so domineering?
If this were to escalate to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, they would not gain any advantage.
Thinking of this, Zhang Jiu kicked Zhang Yue's shin and shouted, "Kneel down! This is your fault. A real man should admit his mistakes!"
"I won't kneel!" Zhang Yue didn't understand what was wrong with his father today, why he was helping outsiders time and time again.
"How dare you disobey your father?" Zhang Jiu grabbed Zhang Yue's ear and leaned in close.
He spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Kneel down now and settle this matter. Once you have the Crown Prince's document, you can take your revenge however you want!"
Zhang Yue suddenly realized that his father meant for him to be patient for now.
Hearing this, Zhang Yue was still unwilling, but he still knelt down.
Xiao Lingyun watched him obediently kowtow, secretly pleased. This Marquis Zhongyi was, after all, one of Empress Shen's men. Today, this princess punished them, and when Empress Shen found out, she would surely be furious.
She was happy whenever Empress Shen was angry.
Zhang Yue sincerely kowtowed three times to the broken flower bud.
"Let's leave it at that for today. But if there's a next time, it won't be as simple as just kowtowing!"
Xiao Lingyun's arrogant and haughty manner was truly unpleasant.
After leaving with Zhang Jiu, Zhang Yue was already thinking about ways to take revenge.
Including the last time at Guangdelou, when his application for the position of heir apparent was rejected, he wanted to retaliate.
Xiao Lingyun felt smug and sniffed at the two people's backs.
"Let's go find Mother!"
Xiao Lingyun was thinking that she hadn't left the palace in a long time. She wanted to go out and see what other fun places Qin Wan had mentioned that day, besides Daming Lake and Fanlou.