Chapter 638: Disillusionment
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Before Emperor Minghua ascended the throne, Princess Yong Chang had already disappeared. Everything about her came from word of mouth. There were almost no official records.
This was because the previous Emperor had destroyed all the records about her back then. In another hundred years, her legacy would be like General Hu back then and could only leave marks in all kinds of unofficial history records.
And, in the rumors of people, real or fake.
King Xiaoyao was lucky enough to have seen it before. It was not in the late Emperor’s bedroom, but in the Empress Dowager’s Buddhist hall.
The so-called Buddhist hall was only because the ministers at that time forced her, who was still the Empress, to sincerely “serve Buddha” so that she could pray to the heavens to take pity on the Great Chang and not let the previous Emperor continue being ridiculous.
King Xiaoyao was still young at that time and his temperament had yet to stabilize. He secretly sneaked into the Buddhist Hall to take a look.
It was not as everyone had imagined. It was decorated like a woman’s boudoir. All the tools were exquisite and extravagant, and a woman’s portrait was hung in the main hall.
That was really a beauty that even King Xiaoyao’s imagination could not describe. The woman’s face was extremely beautiful. She sat sideways at the colorful stone table with a gentle smile.
Her face was naturally beautiful, but what was even more beautiful was her bearing as a woman.
She looked sacred, elegant, inviolable, and untouchable, yet it also attracts people and makes them want to be close to her, wanting to share in her radiance.
At that time, King Xiaoyao thought in confusion, “If there’s really a fairy in the world, she must look like this!”
That was when the Empress Dowager appeared and told him that the person in the painting was Princess Yong Chang.
At that time, Princess Yong Chang had only disappeared for two to three years. Her story was still circulating in the outside world. The only thing was that the commoners did not dare to talk about her casually.
King Xiaoyao asked, “Royal Mother, what kind of person is Princess Yong Chang?”
“She…” At that time, the Empress Dowager was still dressed in bright clothes and there was obvious pride in her eyes. However, when she mentioned this topic, her eyes still dimmed a little. She only said ambiguously, “She’s just an ordinary person.”
At that time, King Xiaoyao vaguely knew that everyone said that Princess Yong Chang was the love of his Royal Father. If not for his second aunt, Princess Yong Chang would have been the Empress of a country back then.
Perhaps the previous Emperor would not have become muddle-headed and die a good death.
However, King Xiaoyao knew that that was not the case.
In Duke An Manor, there were three legitimate noble young ladies, and Princess Yong Chang was the youngest among them.
His mother is the Eldest Young Miss, and a former favored concubine of his Royal Father.
The Second Young Miss was his second aunt who caused a huge commotion later. She had given his Royal Father the Shared Fate Gu, but she was still forced to walk the path of marriage.
As the Third Young Miss, Princess Yong Chang had been blessed with glory since the day she was born.
She was eight years younger than his mother and nearly ten years younger than his Royal Father. Royal Father doted on her like a sister.
Back then, it was not his Royal Father who ordered the destruction of all the records of Princess Yong Chang. Instead, it was the consequences of his grandfather, Duke An, and the current Empress Dowager’s secret discussion. At that time, the nobles and officials all raised their hands in agreement.
“Yong Chang, a woman, lacks virtue and has harmed the country. How can she occupy even a page in the history books!” At that time, the conservatives criticized Princess Yong Chang and condemned her, deleting everything about her.
Threatening historians and tampering with historical records are grave offenses against the ruler, and as a result, his Royal Father was burdened with an additional stain on his reputation.
However, no matter what happened to Princess Yong Chang, in King Xiaoyao’s heart, she was definitely an extremely beautiful person. Even if time passed, such a person would definitely shine brightly.
King Xiaoyao couldn’t help but feel a faint excitement in his heart. He was even more excited than when he saw his half-finished wheelchair. He couldn’t help but tremble slightly.
Others might not know her, but King Xiaoyao, who had seen Princess Yong Chang’s portrait, was very confident that he would definitely be able to recognize her at a glance.
“Grandma, we’re back!” As All Yu raised her voice, King Xiaoyao sat up slightly.
Ah Yu turned around and called out to King Xiaoyao, “Uncle All Shu, since you came last time, you’re considered a friend of our family. There’s no need to be so restrained. My Grandma is a very good person and is very hospitable.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Wang Chuangui suddenly jumped out of the courtyard with suspicious chicken feathers on his back.
A strong voice filled with suspected internal force came from the courtyard. “Wang Chuangui, I’ve tolerated you for a long time! Hurry up and pass your examination and get lost as soon as possible!”
Wang Chuangui ran out of the courtyard in an extremely sorry state. Just as he was about to fall, he was quickly supported by Ah Yu and Wang Wulang.
Tang Yuan hurriedly lifted the corner of Ah Yu’s dress to the side to prevent Wang Chuangui from stepping on it.
“Second Uncle, what’s wrong?” Ah Yu was shocked. She hadn’t seen Grandma so angry in a long time.
It should be said that ever since she returned from her school trip, Grandma seemed to have become a different person. She spoke and did things in a very magnanimous manner, and she also reminded her family of things from time to time.
Under her guidance, the entire Wang Family seemed to have been renewed.
She didn’t even dare to admit it.
Grandma now seemed to be even more shrewish than when she was in Hu Family Village. Or rather, she looked very much like the Grandma who often quarreled with Third Aunt Hu.
Wang Chuangui looked guilty. “I—I just took a sip of chicken soup.”
Of course, when he was reading, he suddenly smelled an extremely fragrant smell. Then, he followed the smell to the kitchen and realized that there were actually nine stoves lit in the kitchen!
They were all simmering soup.
He didn’t know that they were going to make the Nine One Soup. He only thought that his mother was rewarding them. He counted nine stoves. No matter what, he had a share.
So, he scooped a bowl of chicken soup for himself.
Unexpectedly, the new chef at home happened to walk past with a chicken and saw him drinking a bowl of soup and threw the dead chicken at him.
The master wasn’t even angry, but the chef was extremely angry. He grasped Wang Chuangui like a dead chicken and carried him to the old lady to complain.
The old lady was originally talking to Fourth Sister-in-law. When she heard the chef’s angry words, she only said gently to Fourth Sister-in-law, “Go and take care of Zhu’er first. Come over for dinner later.”
He thought that the chef was making a fuss.
In the end, when Fourth Sister-in-law walked away, his mother picked up the broom beside her and wanted to hit his head without a word.
Of course, he began to run around the courtyard.
Heaven take pity on him! He was just a weak scholar in his late forties. How could he outrun his strong and energetic 6o-year-old mother!
This was the scene in front of everyone.
As soon as Wang Chuangui moved aside, King Xiaoyao saw an old lady with a simple hairpin on her head.
The material and cut of her clothes were extremely exquisite, but her movements did not look like that of a noble. She supported herself on the ground with a broom. Her hair was not messy, and she was not breathing heavily. However, her cold and disdainful gaze passed through the crowd and landed at Wang Chuangui.
It was as if she was looking at a dead chicken.
King Xiaoyao:”…”
Even if all the old women of the right age in the world had died. The person in front of him was definitely not the god-like Princess Yong Chang.
It was useless no matter who said it!