Red Mansion and Crimson Pearl

Chapter 206: Dethrone the Crown Princess First

At lunchtime, Princess Kejin was filled with emotion: "Our prince knew how to eat back then.

"Oh, when your father, Mr. Lin, first entered the Imperial Academy, they ate together at several famous restaurants in the capital.

"It's a pity that compared with you, the cook, their way of eating is really crude."

Lin Daiyu's heart moved: "Does the prince know my father well?"

"We are familiar with each other. After all, Tai Shang liked to be surrounded by young people.

"Our prince, Prince Duncheng, Prince Zhongshun, Prince Yu, as well as the princes of Dongping, Nan'an, and Xining families—Prince Beijing was still breastfeeding at the time, so he wasn't there—all hung out together."

Princess Kejin counted on her fingers and laughed, "Oh, right, there were the Shi family's big and small Marquis Shi back then. But the big Marquis Shi died a few years later, leaving only the small Marquis Shi."

Daiyu's heart was moved. While Tanchun and Hongchang were laughing and fighting over half of the duck head, she leaned over and whispered to Princess Kejin:

"Will the former deposed prince still be around at that time?"

Princess Kejin's face changed. She glanced at Daiyu, then looked at her daughter who had grabbed the duck head and laughed heartlessly. She also lowered her voice:

"The former deposed crown prince was personally sentenced to death by the Supreme Lord half a year before the current emperor ascended the throne. Before the death of the Great Marquis, there was one person who died—the former deposed crown princess, who died of illness."

Daiyu was in a daze for a moment: "Depose the Crown Princess first? How come I have never heard anyone mention her?"

The voice was a little loud, and the two girls who were laughing over there suddenly stopped talking and looked over.

Princess Kejin couldn't help but glare at Daiyu.

At this moment, Zijuan suddenly lowered her head and walked out, and the other servants in the room also filed out.

After a few breaths, only four people eating at the table were left in the room.

The three young girls all stared at Princess Kejin with burning eyes.

The princess was both angry and amused. Across the table, she reached out and slapped her daughters. She shook her head and reluctantly whispered to them about the past:

“The first deposed prince was born to the Empress Dowager Yuan, who died after giving birth to the prince.

"From the beginning, the Grand Lord took the former deposed Crown Prince with him and taught him personally. He even chose a cousin of the former Queen to be his successor so that he could have a good life.

“Fearing that no one would truly assist him in the future, the Supreme Lord specially selected the Minister of Rites, who had presided over five or six imperial examinations, to be his tutor.

"He was also worried about the instability of his backyard, so he picked the most stable and courageous young lady from the Dongping Wang family among his trusted veterans to be his crown princess.

"At that time, who in the capital didn't know the eldest daughter of the Prince of Dongping? She had a temperament as graceful as an orchid, was gentle and virtuous, was full of talent and knowledge, and was intelligent and capable.

“I heard that the former deposed prince was in a rage and said that this young lady must be ugly, otherwise, how come no one was willing to propose marriage to her until she was sixteen?

"Our prince later told me that it wasn't that he didn't want to marry her, it was that he didn't dare! This girl is so good, if she doesn't become the mother of the country, then the royal family will be blind. In this situation, who would dare to ask for marriage?

"Who would have thought that the Supreme Lord doted on the Crown Prince too much, and instead taught him to be a weird person after he was deposed.

"The queen was originally timid and did not dare to intervene. In the end, the first deposed prince became arrogant, extravagant, moody, tyrannical and cruel.

"And the poor former Crown Princess, because of her earnest persuasion, was beaten to death by the former deposed Crown Prince and lost her child!"

Hongchang covered his mouth with his hand and opened his eyes wide in horror.

Tanchun and Daiyu looked at each other and sighed, "No wonder we have never seen the Prince of Dongping return to the capital in all these years."

Princess Kejin sighed and said, “The Prince of Dongping was a father who loved his children. When he heard about this, he broke into the East Palace and beat the two eunuchs who had colluded with the deposed prince to death with one punch each.

"The first deposed prince became ill from fright because of this!"

The three girls looked at each other, and something stuck in their hearts, but they were too embarrassed to say it -

This deposed prince is truly a waste.

"The emperor felt sorry for his son and was angry, but he thought that although the prince of Dongping was disrespectful, he was in the right. Then there was another pirate incident at sea, so he simply sent the prince of Dongping to suppress the pirates.

"But as soon as the Prince of Dongping left, the Emperor found fault and reprimanded him for deposing the Crown Princess first. She did not argue and directly requested an imperial decree to depose herself.

"The Emperor was dumbfounded. The four princes and eight dukes were watching from the side. If he really did abolish the Crown Princess, I'm afraid the veterans would be disappointed.

"So they had to hold their noses and beat the crown prince first, and then let the queen at that time comfort the crown princess for once before they stopped."

At this point, the three girls felt that this was even more attractive than the storytelling books outside, and they were busy pouring wine for Princess Kejin to moisten her throat.

The princess laughed, thought for a moment, and shook her head: "I don't know much about what happened afterwards. I only know that the first deposed prince was reported as a traitor for some reason.

"Then came confinement. All the wives, concubines and children in the Eastern Palace were locked up. The concubines and young ladies rushed to file a complaint and asked to leave and return to their parents' homes.

"The only choice was to depose the Crown Princess first, and confine her with her husband, treating her like a servant. Washing clothes, cooking, sewing, and sweeping, she became ill from overwork in less than two years, and died."

Just like that, dead? !

The three people felt lost.

Hongchang could not help but slam his hands on the table and said angrily, "Such a good girl, you treat her like this! You are really unfair to her by deposing the prince first!"

Daiyu smiled calmly, "It is a crime worthy of death to depose the crown prince first. But who said that a good girl must marry the crown prince in the first place?

"If the Prince of Dongping really loves his daughter, he should know that the life of the Crown Prince's wife is the most difficult, and he should not let his daughter marry him."

"But was it true that no one dared to propose to this young lady back then?" Tanchun couldn't help but be fascinated.

Princess Kejin glanced at Daiyu, then suddenly smiled and said, "Think about it and you will understand now! Who wouldn't admire the character of our Princess Zhaoqing?

“But, her mourning period has passed, she is well-known in the capital, and has been favored by the Empress Dowager, so why has no one come to propose marriage to her?

"It's not that I don't want to, it's that I don't dare!

"At her age, she is suitable for the Crown Prince, the Second Prince, or the Third Prince. Who knows if the Emperor wants any of the nobles to marry her?

"If it weren't for the Queen Mother forcing the Emperor to confer the title of Princess Zhaoqing on her during the Wanshou Festival, and declaring that she was of the same generation as Yimin, and therefore the elder of all the princes—

"I think the prince's maternal family would have gone to Rongguo Mansion to ask her grandmother for marriage!"

Hearing that the topic suddenly turned to herself, Daiyu blushed and hurriedly poured wine for Princess Kejin, picked up some food for her, and called the maids outside in:

"Hurry up and get the kitchen to bring some hangover soup!"

Princess Kejin laughed out loud.

Princess Hongchang tilted her head and looked at Daiyu for a while, then turned to look at Tanchun, and suddenly sighed:

“The Queen Mother’s move has stopped the Crown Prince and the other princes, but it has also stopped people like us.

"Mother, look, these two girls are so good, if one of them can be my sister-in-law, then I won't have to worry about anything in my life.

"I guarantee that no one among my parents-in-law, sisters-in-law, or sisters-in-law in the world will dare to bully me!

"But now, including all the members of the royal family, there is no one who is unmarried among those of the same generation as them! They have no chance of marrying into the royal family!"

When Tanchun and Daiyu heard this, their eyes lit up, they looked at each other, and said in unison, clasping their hands in the direction of the palace:

"Thank you, Queen Mother, for your grace! We are grateful!"