Just after the frost outside, it is inevitable to feel suspicious, why does the empress dowager pay so much attention to a Zhang family.
She heard about the things happening in the hot spring palace from Qiu Lu later, and couldn't help but take a deep breath, "Prince because of her humiliation for madam?"
Qiu Lu coldly said, "Not only that, she's even claimed that she won't pose a threat to madam's position."
She spat, "What kind of trash, how dare it compare to madam."
Winter Frost's face turned dark: "Oh well, it seems I've spent all day chasing swans only to be pecked in the eye by one."
They were both selected as attending maiden by Su's father for Su Jün, several years older than Su Jün, and arranged for their families by Su family. They had already made up their minds to serve Su Jün all their lives.
Especially Winter Frost, the elderly nurse who raised her had personally experienced the struggles of the Shizong era in her youth, and she was well-versed in these tactics.
In the later period of Shizong, he loved the successor to the throne, and there was much peace in the palace. However, the palace intrigue of the early Shizong era could be described as horrific.
Besides the original empress who could occupy the phoenix throne, the other four consorts had changed several times, and the death of offspring was a common occurrence!
Winter Frost has never paid attention to the Zhang family because the most important reason is that her position is too low, so low that she does not even have her own courtyard, and she can only sleep in the rear enclosure of the Prince's courtyard.
Summoned at a call and dismissed at a beckon.
Qiu Lu sighed and said, "Who would have thought? I wouldn't believe it if it weren't happening right in front of me."
If the prince loves Zhang so much, why doesn't he give her a proper position?
He actually lets Zhang do the work of a maid.
To be honest, although they do not listen to the news of the front courtyard, if the prince gives Zhang some preferential treatment, they will always be able to sense something.
But Winter Frost remembers, Zhang has always been doing the work of a maid, and her expenses have always been in line with her status; she has never worn a decent hairpin!!!
Is the prince's favor so cheap?
Winter Frost sneered, "Even those who do the skin trade can get some money!"
*
The second day, the prince and his wife went to pay respects to the Empress Dowager.
Empress Dowager pulled Su Jün to sit next to her with maternal affection, but gave the prince a cold face.
Odd, the Empress Dowager has always been very fond of her eldest legitimate grandson.
Su Jün smiled and answered the Empress Dowager's care, but she knew in her heart that the Empress Dowager had already learned about the things in the hot spring palace.
The Empress Dowager frowned and said, "I don't care about your previous foolishness. That maid can be dealt with and thrown away. Prince, you must personally handle this matter."
This was a subtle way for the Empress Dowager to urge the prince to apologize to Su Jün, as he had caused her to lose face in front of so many servants.
The prince was filled with shock and anger as he looked at Su Jün.
The Empress Dowager patted Su Jün's hand and said coldly, "What? Do you think you're coming to complain as a granddaughter-in-law? I'm not senile yet, and you still think you can keep things from me!"
"The prince is not saying that."
The prince leaned in to rub his shoulders, with a good face, especially when trying to please the elders, the Empress Dowager would no longer be able to say anything harsh.
"This time, let it pass, but you must not do that again."
"Yes, the prince knows. That Zhang family..."
The Empress Dowager's face turned cold, "Do you want to keep her?"
She thought the prince was merely feeling jealous. Just after Su Jün met with the Crown Prince, the prince hurried to see Su Jün, which was just a sign of overthinking.
It was just because he was young and couldn't keep his composure, couldn't bear to admit his feelings, so he deliberately provoked Su Jün's jealousy by using Zhang's matter.
Who can't compare to Su Jün?
It's clearly that he wants to see Su Jün caring about him.
The Empress Dowager thought that the prince was eating this jealousy for no reason. The prince's concubine happened to meet the Crown Prince, and spoke two words in front of everyone.
Although there were no attendants with them at the time, there were many guards around. Even a slight familiarity between the two could be seen very clearly!
The prince's concubine represented the prince's face. Facing the King who dared to relieve the Hu people from siege, from both a sentimental and logical standpoint, she couldn't just leave abruptly. This was done to pacify the Prince and soothe his feelings for the loyal subject.
The Empress Dowager sighed in her heart. She had raised Su Jün and knew that Su Jün had no affection for the Crown Prince.
The prince shouldn't have done that. In the past, there were many things he did out of jealousy when Shizong was alive. It's not like this is the first time.
The prince is still young, and it is understandable that his behavior now is inappropriate. However, he should never use this method. It will only deepen the misunderstanding between husband and wife.
The Empress Dowager thought about it and said, "Never mind. After all, it's a life. Let her leave the palace and marry on her own."
The prince was shocked and said, "But she is already the prince's."
The Empress Dowager cared little about it. Zhang had no proper title and was not qualified to talk about virtue.
"At such a young age, it's pitiful to have to live a lonely life in the palace. It's best to let her go out of the palace and get married."
The prince was unwilling.
Empress Dowager: "Then what do you plan to do?"
"Child, I want to keep her and give her the title of a governess."
The prince was also startled by the Empress Dowager's words. At that moment, he decided to raise Zhang's status and give her the title of Governess, a legitimate concubine.
The Empress Dowager looked at him in surprise and sighed deeply in her heart.
This grandson has always been proud and arrogant, but he really knows nothing about love.
Fine, I'll help him with it anyway.
Empress Dowager: "No, Grandmother Zhao, go and see Zhang after a while."
"Empress Dowager!"
"Hmm, I'm doing this for your own good, Prince. Matters like this will only damage the affection between husband and wife. It's too foolish to do so."
The prince anxiously blocked her, "Empress Dowager, please withdraw your grace."
He actually swept his robe and knelt down.
The Empress Dowager was shocked, no, how can it be that the prince really likes Zhang?
At this moment, the emperor also came in to greet the empress dowager.
"What wrong has the prince done?"
"Father, I want to make Zhang a governess."
The emperor has always paid attention to the prince's surroundings, especially Zhang, who had previously caused trouble.
He spoke indifferently, "What good is someone who doesn't follow the rules to have by your side?"
The tomb of the founding emperor was located outside the pass, and this time the emperor sent the prince to pay tribute to it, which was intended to solidify the status of the heir apparent.
Our dynasty has always valued the first wife. The prince's consort is the future queen mother, and it is only natural for her to accompany the prince to pay tribute to the tomb. But what is Zhang? She's nothing.
If she were just a maid, it would be understandable, but she has been a servant in the prince's room for over a year already.
If the previous dynasty found out about this, they would certainly submit a document.
What the prince has done is too absurd. Who would go to pay tribute to their ancestors with a concubine?
Can't even control his lower body, will he have to sleep with the concubines along the way?
Of course, the emperor would not think that the prince is a lecher, but only that Zhang is not in line.
The prince, however, is reluctant to part with Zhang. At this moment, he looked at the prince's consort and asked, "What do you think, Consort?"
Su Jun had already moved away from the direction of the prince's kneeling position.
At this time, being asked directly by the prince, she lowered her head and respectfully replied: "Everything is up to the elders."
Elders can never do anything about their beloved younger ones.
In the face of a deadlock, Su Jün said in time, "Prince likes Zhang, so just leave Zhang. As for Zhang's lack of rules, the daughter-in-law is willing to teach her a few."
In any case, if she can't be eliminated, it's better to keep her under one's own watchful eye first.
Su Jun was curious about the main character Zhang mentioned in her dream.
The emperor looked at Su Jün with satisfaction.
The prince said, "Rank..."
The emperor looked at the prince and said, "In the end, I can't bear to part with her. Let her be a vassal concubine then."
A little better than a concubine without a title, a vassal concubine with a rank of nine.
After the prince and his consort left, the Empress Dowager was displeased and said, "How can you keep Zhang and give her a rank?"
The emperor supported the Empress Dowager and said, "Just a ninth-grade concubine, even a well-behaved concubine with a rank of third-grade is not much different. Mother, the prince is anxious about it."
"Why bother to force him to apologize to the prince's consort? Young couples argue and fight; those disputes will become beautiful memories in the future."
The Empress Dowager sighed, "The daughter-in-law is filial and virtuous."
The emperor thought of the prince's consort's performance just now and said with a smile, "She is virtuous in front of us, but I wonder how she acts privately with the prince."
However, it's good enough that she gives the prince face in public. It's better than when Emperor Taizu was chased around the palace by the empress and beaten up in his day.
While experiencing it oneself is sweet, but seeing the beloved younger generation act so cautiously and carefully towards the prince's consort makes the emperor feel uncomfortable.
So it's good now.
Thinking about the scene just now, the Empress Dowager shook her head and smiled, "In front of us, she acts all formal and calls the prince's consort... But I bet in private she calls him in the most endearing way. She can't even bring herself to call him that in front of elders."
The emperor also smiled.
