I just want to be a princess, no, you want to be a queen

Back at Shoukang Palace, Lu Mingyang's mind replayed Song Wei's words over and over again, leaving her feeling flustered. If Prince Ningyuan truly wanted revenge on her, why would he marry her when he returned?

By then, will the Queen Mother still spare my life?

While waiting anxiously for Prince Ningyuan to return to the capital in Shoukang Palace, Lu Mingyang didn't know what he could do to save his life. He just tried his best to maintain a respectful appearance in front of the Queen Mother, praying that she would have mercy on him and let him go.

Occasionally, Prince Guangcheng would take her to Wenhua Palace, and each time, Song Wei would escort her to Longzong Gate and watch her enter the harem. His courtesy and politeness, combined with an undeniable concern for her, gave her a brief moment of peace of mind.

"Aunt Xu, why is today's lunch so rich?"

Lu Mingyang accompanied Xu Pei in putting away the dishes and chopsticks. He felt strange. In his memory, the empress dowager seldom ate meat and only had seven or eight dishes per meal. But today, there were twenty-eight dishes.

Xu Pei smiled and looked at Lu Mingyang: "Prince Ningyuan has returned today, and I estimate that he will be back in time for lunch. His Highness has been released from confinement, and his marriage has been arranged. It's a double blessing, so naturally we should congratulate him."

"Where is it? Xu Pei, come here and help me find something." The Queen Mother's voice came from the inner hall. Xu Pei responded and walked in.

Lu Mingyang looked at the two people busy behind the screen, leaned against the palace door, and looked at the palace gate that was wide open.

The corner of a blue robe came into view. Leng Lingfeng, led by the eunuch, slowly climbed the steps, brushed his robe, and knelt down.

"I pay my respects to the Queen Mother. May the Queen Mother live a thousand years and a thousand thousand years."

"Doctor Leng, please come in." Xu Pei stepped out from behind the screen to greet him, smiling and praising him, "Ever since Doctor Leng last treated the Empress Dowager's headache, her attacks have become less frequent and less painful."

"The difference between finding something with care and finding something without care is natural." The Queen Mother called Lu Mingyang and put a pair of white jade bracelets on his wrists.

"This pair of white jade mandarin duck bracelets was my dowry back then. I'm giving them to you. I hope you and Zheng'er will love each other and live in harmony."

The jade bracelet feels warm when it touches the body and is crystal clear and flawless.

Lu Mingyang bowed and thanked the Queen Mother, "Your Highness, I will serve you wholeheartedly and will not let you down."

"Good boy!" The Queen Mother turned to look at Leng Lingfeng and asked, "Yang'er said that the prescription you wrote for her that day can guarantee that the patient will be safe for ten years?"

Although Leng Lingfeng was summoned once, the Queen Mother mainly wanted to see his medical skills and did not ask about Chu Mingzheng's illness.

"ten years?"

Leng Lingfeng looked at Lu Mingyang. Lu Mingyang widened her eyes nervously. The ten years of safety was just a lie she had made up.

Leng Lingfeng took a deep breath and explained, "If the pulse diagnosis is correct, I'm still confident of a five-year period. As for the ten-year period, it's because Miss Lu was too sad that day, and I wanted to cheer her up."

"Is that so?" Although he felt a little disappointed, it was good news compared to the imperial physician's prediction that he would not live more than three years.

"Don't worry, Queen Mother. Wait for His Highness to come over and let Doctor Leng take his pulse. There might be good news."

When Xu Pei was comforting the empress dowager, eunuch Su, who was beside the emperor, came over in person.

"Your servant pays his respects to the Empress Dowager!" Eunuch Su paused and said with difficulty, "Your Majesty, please summon Fourth Miss Lu."

"No need!" The Queen Mother looked at Lu Mingyang with a loving face: "Send Prince Ningyuan over, I will talk to him personally."

Eunuch Su said, "Your Majesty, someone has sued Fourth Miss Lu. The case is serious, and the Jingzhao Yin wants to bring someone to court."

The Queen Mother's expression suddenly changed: "What's the case?"

"I don't know!" Even if he knew, Eunuch Su didn't dare to say it. He kowtowed again and said, "Your Majesty does not wish to disturb the Queen Mother, but this involves the law. Please calm down, Queen Mother."

I have been living in Shoukang Palace all my life, what crime could I have committed?

Lu Mingyang nervously bid farewell to the Empress Dowager and left with Eunuch Su. Xu Pei chased after her and whispered, "Miss Lu, don't forget the affection you shared with His Highness."

She couldn't tell whether it was a threat or a reminder, but she could only agree.

In the side hall of Hanyuan Palace, Lu Mingyang followed the Jingzhao Yin who was waiting there and left. In the square, she turned her head to look at the man who was reporting to the emperor in the main hall.

Chu Mingzheng seemed to sense something and turned his head to look over, only to see a beautiful figure from behind.

The emperor naturally saw it and said with a smile: "You must have worked hard on your way back. Go see your grandmother. She misses you very much."

"Thank you, Father. I will take my leave now."

Chu Mingzheng walked to Shoukang Palace and faintly heard the Queen Mother's angry voice.

"She dares to cause trouble even in my palace. Does she really think I dare not do anything to her?"

"Grandmother, what happened?" Chu Mingzheng stepped into the palace and saw the empress dowager, who looked furious. As far as he could remember, she rarely spoke so harshly.

"It's just a few palace maids who are clumsy!" The Queen Mother dealt with it vaguely. The relationship between the Emperor and her was not good to begin with, and she didn't want him to know about it, which would affect the little father-son relationship that was left between him and the Emperor.

"You must be hungry. Let's eat first. The Empress Dowager prepared all your favorite dishes." The Empress Dowager pulled Chu Mingzheng towards the Huanghuali Bailing Terrace and asked as they walked, "You have returned successfully this time. Did your father praise you?"

Chu Mingzheng hummed, his eyes falling on the extra bowls and chopsticks on the Eight Immortals Table, "Are there any more guests?"

Xu Pei hurriedly said, "No, I was just in a good mood and put a few extra sets of bowls and chopsticks."

Chu Mingzheng didn't ask any more questions, but he clearly felt that the atmosphere was not right, and the meal was eaten much faster than usual.

The Queen Mother looked at her grandson in front of her and couldn't help but touch his shoulder and said, "Zheng'er, stay with the Royal Grandmother in Shoukang Palace for a few days!"

She didn't want him to know what the emperor had done to him.

Chu Mingzheng refused: "Grandmother, my grandson is no longer a child, and this is not in accordance with etiquette."

The empress dowager wanted to persuade her again, but Chu Mingzheng stopped her from saying, "If the emperor knew, he would say that I don't know the rules." His heart and eyes were filled with heartache.

After dinner, the Empress Dowager pulled him aside to talk, and she seemed determined to continue until the evening. During this time, she even quietly instructed Xu Pei to arrange the carriage herself.

Chu Mingzheng saw everything and it was obvious that something had happened in the capital, but the Empress Dowager didn't want him to know.

"Grandmother, my father asked me to pay my respects to you before returning to Hanyuan Palace. I have many trivial matters regarding the marriage to report to you."

"Then come back after you're done," the Queen Mother instructed.

"promise!"

Chu Mingzheng walked out of Shoukang Palace and naturally did not go to Hanyuan Hall. He left the palace directly from Xuanwu Gate.

After Lu Mingyang was taken away, the Queen Mother was reluctant to let Leng Lingfeng diagnose her grandson, so she asked Leng Lingfeng to leave the palace. Leng Lingfeng waited outside the Xuanwu Gate for a long time, and when he saw Chu Mingzheng coming out, he followed him silently.

"Young Master, are you His Royal Highness Prince Ningyuan?"

Even though there was no one around, the two remained cautious.

Chu Mingzheng asked: "Who are you?"

"I, the humble servant, am here to diagnose Your Highness by order of the Queen Mother."

"I haven't heard of it." Chu Mingzheng left.

"Your Highness, you must not be afraid to seek medical treatment when you are ill!" Leng Lingfeng chased after him and whispered, "Since you left the capital, rumors have been circulating that Miss Lu seduced you. The Empress Dowager has been letting her live in Shoukang Palace, intending to arrange a marriage for you. But for some reason, it seems that Miss Lu was once caned."

"Caning?" Chu Mingzheng suddenly glanced sideways.

Leng Lingfeng nodded, "Miss Lu was just taken away by the Jingzhao Yin."

Chu Mingzheng paused.

"Then I will examine Your Highness another day." Leng Lingfeng took a step back, bowed and left.

Chu Mingzheng turned his head to look at the imperial palace. Its eaves reached into the clouds, towering high. He felt suffocated.

Father, uncle, I never thought that you would hate me so much.