Chapter 53 Selling Jewelry
Yu Zhaoning's eyes instantly lit up like two obsidian stones.
That's the steam engine that my grandmother was talking about!
It's a magical artifact that can propel the entire Great Yu Dynasty into the industrial age!
With it, the efficiency of everything from mining to textile manufacturing and shipbuilding can be increased by hundreds of times!
When the Great Yu treasury is full and the people live in peace and prosperity, she will be able to sit on the throne of the empress more securely!
Thinking of this, Yu Zhaoning could no longer sit still.
She jumped up from the dragon throne, her short legs bouncing a couple of times in place.
[Go! We must go! Go now!]
[Outside the Vermilion Bird Gate! I've arrived!]
Her sweet, childlike voice resonated in everyone's minds with an air of unwavering determination.
However, a problem arises.
She's only four years old, how could she possibly run out of the palace on her own?
Yu Zhaoning's big, bright eyes darted around and quickly settled on her grandmother, who was leisurely sipping tea not far away.
Got it!
The little empress cleared her throat, and her little face instantly filled with a teary-eyed expression.
"Royal Grandmother..."
Yuan Hua looked up and saw his granddaughter's sudden change in acting skills, and the smile in his eyes deepened.
She knew it; the little guy was up to no good again.
"What's wrong, Zhaoning? Are you hungry?"
Yu Zhaoning toddled over to Yuan Hua with her short legs, hugged her leg, and looked up at her with her little face covered in two golden tears.
"No, Grandmother, Zhaoning, Zhaoning just had a dream!"
"Oh? What did he dream about that almost made our little emperor cry?" Yuan Hua asked cooperatively.
The ministers who hadn't left yet all pricked up their ears.
Here it comes! Her Majesty is about to begin her performance again!
All that could be heard was Yu Zhaoning's tearful, childish voice.
"Zhao Ning dreamt that her second brother and Consort Duan's carriage overturned! They fell into a big pit, so pitiful, and no one saved them!"
As she spoke, she was quickly calculating in her mind.
[Judging by the time, Consort Duan and the Second Prince should have just finished packing and are preparing to leave the palace!]
[This excuse is absolutely flawless! Perfect!]
Before Yuan Hua could speak, Lin Xiang, who was standing to the side, stepped forward and bowed to Yuan Hua and Yu Zhaoning.
He looked serious and spoke in a heavy tone.
"Your Majesty, Empress Dowager! I believe that Your Majesty is a true celestial being, and this dream is no accident but a warning from Heaven!"
"His Highness Prince Xiaoyao is of royal blood, and his safety is a matter of national importance for our Great Yu Kingdom! I implore you to immediately dispatch the Imperial Guards to escort him!"
Lin Xiang spoke with such righteous indignation and unwavering loyalty!
As soon as he finished speaking, General Weiyuan stepped forward with a thud, his voice booming like a bell.
"What Prime Minister Lin says is absolutely right! His Highness Prince Xiaoyao's precious life cannot be harmed! This humble general is willing to personally lead a detachment to protect him!"
"I second that proposal!"
"I second that opinion!"
In an instant, voices of agreement rose and fell throughout the entire Golden Palace.
Those ministers who were just about to go home after their shifts suddenly became incredibly enthusiastic, their faces beaming with a sense of duty to serve the country and its people!
They spoke with such high-sounding words, as if they were truly worried sick about the safety of the royal family.
Actually, I just wanted to go and eat some melon, and I was afraid that if I went too late, I wouldn't even be able to eat the melon rind!
Yuan Hua looked at the lively scene, put down his teacup, and slowly stood up.
Her phoenix eyes swept over them, carrying an undeniable air of authority.
"Since all my beloved ministers share this sentiment, let us go together."
"However, this matter should not be publicized, lest it cause panic among the people."
She paused, a meaningful smile playing on her lips.
"Everyone, change into plain clothes, disguise yourselves as wealthy merchants, and head to the Vermilion Bird Gate in batches. Your Majesty and I will also go incognito."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The crowd responded in unison, their voices filled with barely suppressed excitement.
Soon, more than a dozen carriages of various shapes and sizes quietly drove out of the palace.
Yu Zhaoning nestled comfortably in her grandmother's arms, her little hand holding a piece of osmanthus cake, enjoying it immensely.
As she ate, she mentally urged the system to continue.
[System, system, quick, let me see what kind of juicy gossip this is? Is it worth issuing an emergency mission?]
[Ding! Host, please note that this event is still an on-site unlocking mode; you need to arrive at the location to unlock it!]
Yu Zhaoning's little mouth immediately pouted.
[Hmph! It's always like this! Always so secretive!]
The system seemed to sense the host's resentment and immediately tried to remedy the situation.
[Don't be angry, host! Although it requires on-site unlocking, this system can give you a little hint!]
[This scandal is directly related to Prince Xiaoyao, Yu Jinghong, and Consort Duan!]
Yu Zhaoning's big eyes widened instantly.
[Wow! It's related to the Second Prince?]
[Could they really be plotting a rebellion?! Second Brother looks chubby, could he be a wolf in sheep's clothing?]
These thoughts were clearly heard by the ministers in the other carriages.
In an instant, every carriage erupted in chaos.
"Treason? Impossible! His Highness Prince Xiaoyao has always been kind and respectful, not that kind of person!" An old minister shook his head repeatedly.
"Hmph, that's hard to say! Who can resist the allure of the dragon throne? Can Consort Duan be willing to let her son go to Jiangnan to be a leisurely prince?" another person retorted.
"So what kind of gossip do you think it could be? It can't be like the Second Princess, being impersonated by someone else, can it?"
"The Prince of Xiaoyao grew up in the palace and has only left the palace a handful of times. How can he be impersonated? It's too difficult!"
The ministers were buzzing with speculation, and the atmosphere in the convoy instantly became tense.
…
Because it was still early and the roads in the city were relatively clear, the convoy traveled quickly and soon arrived at the majestic Zhuque Gate.
From afar, everyone could see a lone carriage parked beside the city gate.
The carriage was plain in style, all grayish-blue, without any decent decorations, and the horses pulling it were thin and bony, looking completely listless.
This contrasted sharply with the luxurious motorcade of these "wealthy businessmen".
Seeing this, many ministers felt a pang of guilt.
"Alas, Your Highness, you live a rather austere life."
"Yes, he is, after all, a prince. His carriage is inferior to that of many minor officials in the capital. Aren't we going too far?"
"I've been so focused on important matters of the court lately that I've neglected the Prince of Xiaoyao..."
Everyone chimed in with their own opinions, their words filled with sympathy.
Just then, Yu Zhaoning lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and saw the shabby carriage, and also heard the ministers' discussion.
She wrinkled her little nose in dissatisfaction, looked at the content that the system had just popped up, and huffed inwardly.
[Shabby? Excessive?]
[You pity him? This is all his own doing!]
[That ungrateful wretch secretly took all the jewelry and ornaments his mother had saved up throughout her life and sold them off!]
[He didn't leave a single item for his mother!]
This heartfelt sentiment instantly extinguished the overflowing sympathy of all the ministers.
The expressions on their faces all froze.
What?
Did they sell all of Consort Duan's jewelry?
When the late emperor was alive, he bestowed many gifts upon Consort Duan and Prince Xiaoyao! Consort Duan was known for her frugality, so how did she end up in this state?
An official whispered his guess.
"Could it be that the Prince of Xiaoyao wants to exchange more money to make connections in Jiangnan and live a more comfortable life?"
"Hmm, that makes sense. I've heard that the cost of living is high in Jiangnan, so it's always good to bring more money. Perhaps he also wants to use this money to contact some prominent families in Jiangnan and find a way out for himself."
This explanation sounds reasonable.
Just as everyone was about to nod in agreement, feeling that although the carefree king's actions were inappropriate, they were also understandable.
But the next second, the little empress's inner voice rang out again!
Yu Zhaoning paid no attention to the officials' thoughts at this moment; the system panel in front of her had unlocked more content.
He was so shocked that his mouth dropped open.
[My goodness! I take back what I just said! He's not just ungrateful, he's utterly heartless!]
[Selling those jewels wasn't for the purpose of living a comfortable life in Jiangnan!]
[He did this to curry favor with the powerful and influential Consort Jing in the palace!]
He always looked down on his mother, who came from a humble background and was just a lowly palace maid! He felt that his mother had the title of Dowager Consort but lacked both money and power, and was constantly looked down upon in the palace, which made him feel ashamed as well!
[Therefore! He gave all of his mother's possessions to those powerful and influential concubines, just to gain the support of their families!]
He hadn't even considered how his mother would manage to live her life!
…
Meanwhile, inside that simple, gray-blue carriage.
Consort Duan was fidgeting and twisting the handkerchief in her hands.
When that soft yet clear voice echoed in her mind, she subconsciously shook her head.
"impossible!"
Consort Duan's face turned deathly pale instantly, losing all color, and she murmured to herself.
My Hong'er, my Jinghong is so well-behaved and filial, how could he do such a thing! This is impossible!
But the content of those heartfelt words was so real, so real that it made her heart race.
wrong!
That voice belongs to Her Majesty the Empress!
How did she end up here?
Do you not want to let my son and me leave?
She felt cold all over and looked warily out the car window.
Sitting beside him, Yu Jinghong naturally couldn't hear his thoughts.
He only saw his mother, whose face suddenly turned extremely pale, her eyes filled with terror.
"Mother, what's wrong?" he asked quietly.
Consort Duan suddenly came to her senses and grabbed her son's hand.
"Quickly! Tell the driver to go faster! We must get out of the city immediately!"
Yu Jinghong revealed a meaningful smile.
"Great! Let's leave here quickly, head to Jiangnan, and start a new life!"
"Yes! Let's go to Jiangnan and start a new life!" Consort Duan said with great anticipation.
However, she still had doubts and turned around to say, "My son, everything I have is arranged by you personally. Do you remember where you put all my jewels? They will be the foundation of our lives."