Chapter 216: Chapter 15: Slapping the Green Tea Empress Dowager 32
Shoukang Palace
The Empress Dowager felt unwell due to consecutive bouts of anger during this period.
She was lying on the couch, listening to Nanny Qin speak.
"Empress, the Emperor has brought Mrs. Yun into the palace."
The Empress Dowager suddenly sat up, kicking the little palace maid, who was kneeling by her side massaging her legs, aside: "Mrs. Yun actually escaped, damn it, he, he even dared to bring her into the palace, that wild breed..."
Nanny Qin hung her head low.
And just at that moment, Xiao Yu walked in.
She knelt down before the Empress Dowager: "Empress, my sister has just sent a message, she says, she says..."
"Speak."
The Empress Dowager’s eyebrows bristled in anger.
"She says the reason why the Prince wouldn’t let the Commandery Princess enter the palace is because he knew about the affair between the Emperor and Mrs. Yun. It seems that the Emperor had once promised something to Mrs. Yun, which became known to the Prince, who felt deceived."
Xiao Yu finished speaking very carefully, not daring to raise her head to look at the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager was so angry she couldn’t even sit still.
She felt darkness before her eyes and dizziness, struggling to control it for a long time before not passing out in anger: "Mrs. Yun, Mrs. Yun, she has ruined everything."
She clenched the blanket in her hands tightly: "Nanny Qin, have the Emperor bring Mrs. Yun to see me later."
Nanny Qin took her leave to carry out the order.
The Empress Dowager then glanced at Xiao Yu again: "You stand up first. Did your sister mention how Prince Kang has been lately?"
Xiao Yu kept her head down so the Empress Dowager couldn’t see her expression: "My sister said that Prince Kang has been going to the Princess’s place every day, it seems, it seems that the Princess and the Prince had a quarrel, and the Prince is busy making amends to the Princess."
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager finally fainted from anger.
Prince Kang Mansion
Helan Zhi ran to the outside of the study and stood for a while before taking a deep breath and knocking on the door.
"Come in."
There should only be Prince Kang inside the study, as there were no servants to open the door for Helan Zhi.
Helan Zhi pushed the door and entered, seeing Prince Kang sitting at the desk and writing something.
Prince Kang looked up, surprised to see Helan Zhi.
"Zhi’er? What brings you here to find your father?"
Helan Zhi walked over lightly. She didn’t sit down but instead leaned on the desk, propping her chin with her hands, and smiled at Prince Kang: "I haven’t seen father in a long time, so I wanted to come and see you."
This pleased Prince Kang very much.
He smiled as well: "Father has also missed Zhi’er."
"Then you never come to see me."
Helan Zhi pouted, appearing somewhat coquettish.
Prince Kang had never seen Helan Zhi behave like this little daughter before, nor had his children ever acted coquettishly with him, so this feeling was quite novel.
His mood improved immensely in an instant, and as he looked at Helan Zhi, he felt his own daughter was indeed outstanding—beautiful, knowledgeable, and well-mannered. He heard she was also good at managing household affairs. His wonderful daughter, Emperor Jianwu really did not deserve her.
That scoundrel Emperor Jianwu could only be worthy of someone rude like Mrs. Yun.
Thinking this way, Prince Kang felt softened, and he reached out to pat Lanzhi’s head: "Father has been too busy, but in the future, Father will visit Zhi’er often."
"Good."
Helan Zhi smiled brightly.
She ingratiated herself with Prince Kang, smiling: "Father, I came, I came to ask you for a favor. I’ve asked the Queen Mother, and she said she is incapable, adept at managing the inner house of the Prince Mansion affairs, but she doesn’t usually bother with things outside. So she told me to ask you."
Upon hearing this, Prince Kang was even more pleased, with a hint of pride.
He thought to himself that he wasn’t so useless after all, that his wife and children still remembered to turn to him for help.
This sense of being needed, Prince Kang had felt it long before.
After all, both the Empress Dowager and His Majesty needed him so desperately.
But that kind of need was accompanied by heaviness and bitterness.
However, the need and dependence of his wife and child felt so sweet and soft.
"What’s the matter? Tell me."
Prince Kang said to Helan Zhi with a smile, thinking that since his daughter rarely asked for a favor, if possible, he would help her.
Helan Zhi didn’t beat around the bush: "It’s about Wang Qingyu’s matter. She told me that the Empress Dowager and her grandfather are discussing sending her to the palace, but she is unwilling and asked me if there is any way to help her."
Here, Helan Zhi stood up and tugged at Prince Kang’s sleeve: "Father, you are the most capable. You must have a way to help Sister Qingyu. Sister Qingyu is truly kind-hearted; she is not someone who covets vanity. She doesn’t want to enter the palace, just hoping to find a true love to be with for life, and to be able to frequently visit her mother."
"This..."
Prince Kang hesitated.
"Please, I beg you."
Helan Zhi began to act spoiled: "I’ve heard that the Emperor is passionately in love with Mrs. Yun. At this time, whoever enters the palace will suffer. Sister Qingyu is such a good person, I don’t want her to fall into the quagmire of the palace."
Prince Kang looked at Helan Zhi with a startled expression: "You know about it? How did you find out about the Emperor and Mrs. Yun?"
Helan Zhi blinked: "Queen Mother told me. She shares everything with me. She already told me that the little Emperor is unreliable and advised me not to place my hopes on him. She also said that the palace is a big pit and that she doesn’t want me to enter it."
Prince Kang was silent for a long while.
Finally, he nodded: "I will help you with this matter."
"Really?"
Helan Zhi was so happy she almost jumped: "Thank you, Father. You are truly wonderful."
His daughter praised him as being good.
Prince Kang’s smile couldn’t be restrained and leaked out.
He made an effort not to laugh out loud: "Alright, go out and play."
Helan Zhi ran out cheerfully.
Watching her retreat, Prince Kang couldn’t help but reflect.
He had truly been wrong in his previous actions.
He only thought of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, completely neglecting the feelings of his own wife and children.
Both He Zhenyu and Helan Zhi are human beings with their own thoughts, not objects to be manipulated at will.
He was willing to help the Emperor and Empress Dowager because of past affections, but he couldn’t endanger his daughter’s life and happiness to assist.
Helan Zhi was living so happily; if she entered the palace, she would probably become depressed, irritable, like a flower without water, wilting away day by day.
If Helan Zhi was no longer happy, faced with sorrow every day, having no affection with the little Emperor, ending her life in the depth of the palace...
Thinking of this, Prince Kang’s heart couldn’t help but ache.
He was truly failing his own daughter.
And thinking back to the times Anning had berated him, it was all because of Helan Zhi.
It was he who insisted on sending Helan Zhi to the palace, and Anning resorted to beating him in her frustration.
He had resented her before, but now he no longer did. He was grateful Anning took decisive action, grateful for Anning’s selfless love for Helan Zhi, and even more grateful that Anning could overpower him.
Otherwise...
Prince Kang hung his head, submerged in deep shame.
After leaving the study, Helan Zhi went to look for He Zhenyu.
With a triumphant smile on her face, she reached out her hand to He Zhenyu for a reward: "How are you going to thank me?"
Full of joy, He Zhenyu stood up and asked, "You sought help from Queen Mother and Father? Did they agree to help?"
Helan Zhi nodded vigorously: "Yes, Father said he would take care of it for me. With this settled, Sister Qingyu won’t have to enter the palace, and perhaps in some time, she could become my sister-in-law. So, aren’t you happy now?"