Chapter 738 - 740: She is Only Worthy to be a Concubine
Bai Ruozhu suddenly grew nervous, she was to enter the palace tomorrow morning? But she didn’t know what kind of etiquette to follow, what to wear, what to carry. What if she broke any palace rules, would there be any negative consequences?
Jiang Yichun called the guard out, holding Bai Ruozhu’s hand and asked: "Are you scared?"
"I’m not scared, but neither Dengdeng nor I are prepared, and we don’t know what rules we should observe," Bai Ruozhu replied.
Jiang Yichun reached out his other hand to smooth her hair, smiling and said: "We are granted an audience at the Imperial Study Room, that is, we are meeting the Emperor privately. There’s no need for elaborate preparations, and there aren’t too many rules to abide by. You just bring Dengdeng along. I used to play with the Emperor when I was little. He wants to meet out of old acquaintanceship, to check on how I’m doing. There’s no need to worry too much."
Bai Ruozhu breathed a sigh of relief. That was good; otherwise, there wouldn’t be enough time to prepare.
Early the next day, Jiang Yichun calculated the auspicious time and took Bai Ruozhu and Dengdeng out. The family was dressed not too splendidly but not shabbily, either. The three of them even wore clothes of the same color scheme, making them appear harmonious.
When they arrived at the Palace Gate and had to descend from the horse carriage, the three of them were led by the palace guards to the Imperial Study Room.
This was Bai Ruozhu’s first time in the palace. She was filled with all sorts of thoughts. Was it as beautiful as the Forbidden City she had seen in her previous life? Was the interior as splendid as she had imagined? The conclusion she reached was that the Imperial Palace of Danliang Country seemed grander and more mysterious.
The three of them waited outside the Imperial Study Room for a while before they saw Emperor Wuning, Tang Yin, returning after his court session.
Bai Ruozhu quickly glanced at him. Emperor Wuning, Tang Yin was twenty-six years old this year, his face was fair, and he was somewhat skinny. His eyes were slightly tilted upwards, though they were not as prominent as phoenix eyes. However, the pupils of his eyes were particularly bright.
She dared not stare at the Emperor for too long, as that would be disrespectful, and quickly lowered her gaze.
"You’re here already, let’s go in and talk." The Emperor saw Jiang Yichun, increasing his pace and casually patting Jiang Yichun’s shoulder as he spoke.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Jiang Yichun replied respectfully.
The Emperor couldn’t help but laugh, "You weren’t this serious when you saw me as a child. Weren’t you the one who loved to call me ’Brother Yin’, chasing me around to play with my slingshot?"
Jiang Yichun turned green. He was five years younger than Emperor Wuning, so, of course, he played the role of a follower when they were children. However, the fact that this incident was being brought up in front of his wife now was rather embarrassing.
"You promised to give it to me, but you went back on your word. Why wouldn’t I chase after you?" Jiang Yichun retorted with wide eyes.
The Emperor burst out laughing, "Alright, alright, you all wait in the Imperial Study Room. I will come once I’ve changed out of my court robes."
Following Jiang Yichun into the Imperial Study Room, Bai Ruozhu wondered how friendly he was with the Emperor. But for all these years, he hadn’t sought out the Emperor, nor did he wish to appear in public, even when facing dangerous tasks, until he decided to marry her.
Before long, the Emperor emerged in a casual royal-blue robe. He seemed much kinder and less intimidating, though his bright gaze occasionally swept over Bai Ruozhu.
Bai Ruozhu and Jiang Yichun bowed to the Emperor, who in a casual manner, said, "Stand up. You don’t have to be too formal. I am not meeting my subjects today, only a childhood friend."
Jiang Yichun’s gaze flickered, as though reminiscing about their childhood, and his expression turned slightly downcast.
"Yichun, quite a few years have passed in the blink of an eye. You’ve grown taller than me and even have a child now. Time flies, eh? It’s a pity that you haven’t come to see me for all these years. If not for the personnel changes at the government office, I would not have even seen your name," the Emperor said, somewhat wistfully.
"I am too foolish and incompetent for my duties. Therefore, I was too embarrassed to appear in front of Your Majesty and lose face," Jiang Yichun replied.
The Emperor sighed, "You’re still unable to forget about your father’s incident, eh? Well, let’s not talk about this today. I just want to know if your wife was aware of your background when she married you."
As he said this, he turned to Bai Ruozhu, his gaze filled with scrutiny. It was as if he was trying to see through her heart.
"Your Majesty, I am not aware," Bai Ruozhu replied humbly but confidently. In truth, she didn’t know. Not only did her previous self not know, but she also didn’t even know about his background when she first started her relationship with Jiang Yichun. When she eventually found out, she thought they were worlds apart and didn’t want to continue the relationship. But now, it seems the Emperor thought she was attracted to Jiang Yichun’s background, interested in the benefits behind him.
"Your Majesty, she really didn’t know," Jiang Yichun frowned, not liking the fact that the Emperor was questioning Bai Ruozhu.
The Emperor sighed and shook his head, "So you’re defending your wife now, even neglecting me, your big brother."
Jiang Yichun was startled, and quickly said, "Not at all, I’m just stating the truth."
"Do you think you, being penniless, truly deserve Yichun?" the Emperor then spoke directly to Bai Ruozhu, "I am considering appointing him a position in the Capital City. But I’m afraid your status will not permit you to be his principal wife. Since you already have a child, you should become his concubine instead. I will arrange a wife from a good family for him. Rest assured; I will select a virtuous lady. She will not give you or your child a hard time."
"Your Majesty!" Jiang Yichun exclaimed, suddenly dropping to his knees, "I will not take any other woman. There can only be one wife for me, and that is her. Dengdeng is my legitimate firstborn son!"
The Emperor didn’t expect such a strong reaction from Jiang Yichun, causing the situation to be a little awkward and his face to darken.
"What if she doesn’t survive; how will she become your wife then?"
Jiang Yichun knelt with his back rigid and defiantly said: "If anything happens to her, I’m not interested in living either. I’m part of the Bai Family now, and there will never be another woman in this lifetime!"
The Emperor smacked his hand on the table, "Ridiculous! How can you, the legitimate eldest son of the Jiang Family, be so shameless as to marry into a farming household? You claim you will never be interested in any other woman. Don’t you remember Bin Yu?"
Jiang Yichun’s face changed at these words, looking quite terrible.
He was kneeling on the ground and Bai Ruozhu was standing slightly behind him. Thus, she didn’t get a chance to see his changing expression. Yet her eyelids twitched involuntarily. Who was this Bin Yu, suddenly popping up?
"Your Majesty, I misunderstood. I consider Bin Yu like a sister. Now that I have a wife and child, I have even less chance of meddling with others," Jiang Yichun said, taking a deep breath.
"Really? You haven’t seen Bin Yu since you returned to the Capital, have you? She’s grown into a beautiful lady now, the prettiest princess of the Royal Family. Many families in the Capital have proposed marriage to me on her behalf. Yet, Bin Yu doesn’t like any of them. She said she’s waiting for someone..."