AMLFS Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Little Fool’s Greetings Are Made Difficult

Song Huaixi was listlessly playing with his fingers, thinking how far the Imperial Palace was.

It’s been so long and we still haven’t arrived.

At this moment, the previous adjutant lifted the carriage curtain and leaned in, “Prince, the Princess has arrived at Danfeng Gate.”

“Mm.” Zhao Fangye stood up and stepped off the carriage using the footstool.

Song Huaixi followed behind him, bending over and holding onto the coronet on his head as he walked down.

As soon as he got out of the carriage, Song Huaixi’s round eyes widened as he saw the magnificent palace gates and imperial city before him.

“Wow! This is the Imperial Palace. It’s so beautiful!”

The entire imperial city stood in the center of the capital, bathed in the morning light shining on the glazed tiles. The whole scene was a magnificent and beautiful sight, solemn and majestic without losing its dignity.

Song Huaixi looked up at the tall buildings, seeing the cute little beasts on the roof ridges.

He said to Zhao Fangye, who was standing beside him, “Does Father go in from here every day? Do you too?”

Compared to Song Huaixi’s surprise and envy, he felt only disgust and revulsion for this place.

“You like this place?” Zhao Fangye asked, looking at his bright eyes.

“I like it, it’s so pretty!” Song Huaixi said innocently.

“Heh.” Zhao Fangye sneered, “The reason you like it is because you don’t know how filthy it is here.”

After saying that, he walked into the palace gate with his hands clasped behind his back.

“Ah? Wait for me!” Song Huaixi held onto the coronet on his head, lifted the complicated and heavy skirt, and chased after him.

After entering the Imperial Palace, Song Huaixi was even more amazed.

He muttered, “It’s not dirty, it’s quite clean.”

After saying that, he glanced at Zhao Fangye beside him, his handsome face as if it were covered in ice.

It was frighteningly cold.

From the morning onwards, Zhao Fangye’s expression had been very unpleasant. Song Huaixi vaguely sensed that he was unhappy, but he didn’t know the reason.

In Qian Qing Palace, the two met the emperor.

According to etiquette, Zhao Fangye performed the three kneelings and nine prostrations to the emperor. Song Huaixi, on the other hand, needed to perform the six respectful bows, three kneelings, and three bows.

The nanny had taught Song Huaixi before they came, and he did very well.

He was perfectly proper, not at all like an idiot.

But Zhao Fangye was very perfunctory.

“Alright, rise.”

The emperor sat on the dragon throne, his eyes glancing at the two below. Seeing Zhao Fangye’s gloomy face, he felt very pleased in his heart.

However, Song Huaixi’s performance surprised him. He originally thought he would be even more unbearable to look at.

He didn’t expect him to be quite presentable.

“It seems that I have chosen a good Princess for you!” He said with a smile in his eyes, but his tone was full of sarcasm.

Hearing the voice, Song Huaixi raised his eyes and secretly sized him up.

The emperor was wearing a yellow silk robe embroidered with golden dragons and the twelve symbols of imperial authority, and a golden winged crown inlaid with two dragons playing with a pearl.

Beneath the crown were a pair of deep eyes. Although he was no longer young, one could still see traces of his past handsomeness.

So this is the emperor. Truly majestic.

Hearing his sarcastic words, Zhao Fangye looked at him coldly and retorted without any politeness.

“Yes, Father Emperor went to so much trouble to find such a good Princess for this son, it must have taken a lot of thought. This son is truly grateful.”

His words were barbed, and how could the emperor not hear it? His face immediately darkened.

His tone turned cold, “You are indeed as loathsome as your mother.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Fangye raised his head and looked at him, his eyes filled with hatred.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the hall became tense.

Sensing that the atmosphere in the hall was not right, Song Huaixi thought to himself, Zhao Fangye doesn’t seem to like the emperor.

Why?

The emperor glanced at Song Huaixi standing in the hall and said to the eunuch beside him, “Take the Ning Wang Princess to pay her respects to the Empress.”

“Yes.”

Song Huaixi was taken away in a daze, his eyes anxiously looking at Zhao Fangye. In the end, he didn’t see him turn his head back.

Following behind the eunuch, Song Huaixi asked, “Who is the Empress?”

Knowing that he was a fool, the eunuch patiently explained, “Replying to the Wang Princess, the Empress is the Ning Wang Prince’s birth mother. She is also your mother.”

“Ah?” Song Huaixi didn’t understand, “But I already have a mother. I can’t have another mother.”

His mother would be so sad.

The eunuch just smiled and didn’t refute him. He led him to the Kun Ning Palace where the Empress resided.

When they arrived at Kun Ning Palace, the palace doors were tightly closed. The eunuch who brought him there stepped forward and knocked on the door.

After a short while, a nanny wearing a blue-gray jacket and a Taoist hat walked out.

“Eunuch, the Empress is not receiving guests. Please return.”

Song Huaixi looked at her, his eyes filled with surprise. There were even Taoists in the palace, he had only seen them in the Taoist temples in the mountains.

“This…” The eunuch glanced at Song Huaixi and said, “This is the Ning Wang Princess, here to pay her respects to the Empress. Nanny, can you please inform her again?”

The nanny looked at Song Huaixi with a calm gaze, said nothing, and turned around to go inside. After a short while, she came out again with a string of sandalwood prayer beads in her hand.

“The Empress is not receiving guests. Princess, please return.” As she said this, she handed the sandalwood prayer beads to Song Huaixi, “This is from the Empress to you, please keep it safe.”

After saying that, she turned around, walked inside, and closed the door.

Song Huaixi held the sandalwood prayer beads, feeling very curious. He said to the door, “Thank you, Empress.”

He didn’t get to see the Empress, but on the way back, he encountered an uninvited guest.

A palace maid stopped Song Huaixi and his entourage, “Imperial Noble Consort Xiao’s decree, requesting the Wang Princess to come to Zhi Luo Palace for a visit.”

Walking into the hall, Song Huaixi saw a charming beauty leaning on a couch.

She was surrounded by silk and satin, and her head was full of gold jewelry and jade. The whole person was dignified and luxurious.

If he hadn’t just been to Kun Ning Palace, he would have thought this person was the Empress.

“You are the Ning Wang’s newly married Wang Princess?”

Noble Consort Xiao leaned on the soft couch covered with a thick fox fur blanket, looking at the person below with an indifferent tone.

Song Huaixi stood there in a daze, he could feel that the bright and flamboyant woman with absolute beauty in front of him didn’t seem to like him.

“Logically speaking, this concubine is in charge of the Phoenix Seal now. I am also the eldest prince’s elder. The Empress is single-mindedly devoted to Taoism, so this concubine will do the honors of receiving greetings. It will also fulfill your etiquette.”

She played with the swaying ornament on her head while looking at Song Huaixi, her eyes full of playful intent.

“Let’s begin, Ning Wang Princess.”

Song Huaixi had no choice but to kneel on the ground and perform the four respectful bows, two kneelings, and two bows to her.

But after performing the ceremony, he didn’t hear the order to rise for a long time.

On the soft couch, Noble Consort Xiao leisurely watched the maid dye her nails with carmine.

She didn’t spare even a glance at the person kneeling.

Song Huaixi lay motionless on the ground, feeling that his knees, waist, and neck were so sore.

He didn’t understand why they were treating him like this.

After a long time, Noble Consort Xiao seemed to suddenly see him.

“Oh dear, Ning Wang Princess, why didn’t you say anything? Hurry up and get up.”

Only then did Song Huaixi stand up. Although his whole body was sore, he didn’t dare to move rashly.

A pair of dark eyes looked timidly at the beautiful woman on the soft couch.

Now he just wanted to leave here quickly.

This place was so scary.

Unexpectedly, it wasn’t over yet, and her delicate and sweet voice rang out again.

“Ning Wang Princess, according to etiquette, a daughter-in-law should offer a cup of tea to her mother-in-law. This concubine will also act on behalf of the Empress today.”

The maid immediately brought a tea cup and stood beside him.

Having experienced what had just happened, Song Huaixi was a little scared. He hesitated to take the tea cup.

Seeing that he didn’t move, Noble Consort Xiao sat up straight and looked at him with an unhappy tone, “What? You’re not willing?”

“Although this concubine is not the Ning Wang’s biological mother, she is still his elder. How can this concubine not be worthy of a cup of tea?”

Hearing her mention Zhao Fangye, Song Huaixi immediately reacted, “No..no it’s not like that…”

He had said that he wouldn’t embarrass Zhao Fangye.

Song Huaixi picked up the cloisonné enamel tea cup from the tray and was about to hand it to her when he heard her say, “The tea is cold, is the Wang Princess going to give this concubine cold tea?”

He was so scared that he quickly put it back on the tray. The maid stepped forward and re-brewed a pot.

As soon as his hand touched the tea cup, he flinched from the heat.

“What’s wrong?” Noble Consort Xiao glanced at him coldly.

Song Huaixi didn’t dare to hesitate, enduring the scalding temperature, he held the tea cup and knelt down in front of her, “Noble Consort Xiao, please… please have some tea…”

The scorching temperature burned his fingertips, and the kneeling knees and straight back. And the coronet on his head, which was as heavy as a flower pot,

All of it hurt so much that tears welled up in his eyes.

However, Noble Consort Xiao ignored him and continued to have the palace maids paint her nails.

Even if Song Huaixi wasn’t smart, he knew that she was making things difficult for him. For a moment, his nose felt sour and he wanted to cry.

Where is Zhao Fangye, I miss him so much.

Just then, a commotion came from outside the hall.

“Prince, you can’t go in…”

Zhao Fangye rushed into the hall, and what caught his eye was Song Huaixi’s red eyes. His fair face was full of fear and grievance.

Instantly, Zhao Fangye’s eyes turned fierce as he looked at Noble Consort Xiao.