ebookland Chapter 282 You must never mention this matter again!
Chapter 282 You must never mention this matter again!
Upon hearing this, the palace maid raised a mysterious smile and replied:
"Your Majesty does have endless treasures, including gold, silver, jewels, rare jade, and everything else. But more importantly, he has the love and admiration of the entire country. As for the number of princesses, Your Majesty has a total of ten beautiful and intelligent princesses, each of whom is a treasure of the country."
At this point, the palace maid changed the subject and added a bit of temptation:
"And if you, Princess, can gain His Majesty's true love, you will not only become the most favored pearl in the palace, but you will also have a chance to inherit the throne in the future, and hold supreme power and all the treasures."
When Dianwu heard this, he felt an indescribable excitement and anticipation in his heart.
"Then, I will definitely work hard!"
She had never thought that she would have such a noble status, and she never dared to hope to inherit the throne and possess endless treasures.
However, this sudden honor also made her feel a little worried.
She was worried whether she was up to the task, whether she could be recognized and loved by everyone, and even more worried whether all this was just an empty dream.
But no matter what, Dianwu decided to take this step bravely.
During her time in the palace, Dianwu absorbed all kinds of court etiquette like a sponge absorbs water, striving for perfection in everything from her manners and speech to her dress.
However, when the day to meet the emperor finally arrived, Dianwu stood among the princesses and couldn't help feeling unprecedentedly insignificant and uneasy.
She looked around and saw that the other nine princesses were all tall and handsome with extraordinary temperaments. Compared with herself, she seemed so ordinary and inconspicuous.
Dianwu couldn't help feeling a little inferior and lost, but she quickly cheered herself up and reminded herself to face this important audience in the best condition.
However, when they stepped into the emperor's study, the scene before them shocked Dianwu. The emperor's throne was high up, solemn and empty, but there was no one on the throne!
Dianwu's heart was filled with doubts and confusion. She looked around, trying to find the answer, but everyone's face was filled with solemnity and awe, and no one dared to make a sound.
According to etiquette, the princesses came forward one by one to pay homage to the emperor, but no matter how respectfully they bowed or how devoutly they prayed, they received no response.
Dianwu was filled with anxiety and uneasiness, she didn't know what was going on, nor did she know what to do. But she knew that in such an occasion, she couldn't behave inappropriately.
Finally, the audience ceremony ended and the princesses left the imperial study one after another.
Dianwu, with a heart full of doubts and confusion, followed the others and left this mysterious and majestic place.
On the way back to the palace, she wanted to ask the palace maids or eunuchs around her several times, but she finally held back.
She understood that there were some things that she might have to find the answers to by herself.
After returning to her own bedroom, Dianwu tossed and turned on the bed, replaying everything that happened in the imperial study today in her mind.
A maid brought food and greeted, "Your Highness, your efforts have been successful! Congratulations, now you can rest assured!"
"Of course not!" Dianwu smiled, but there was a gleam of unwillingness in her eyes. "How can I stop here? I have to work harder."
She began to wonder if all this was just a dream, but the feeling of reality made her unable to deny it.
She decided that no matter what, she would solve the mystery and find her own truth. As she was thinking about this, Dianwu fell asleep peacefully.
The next morning, when the first ray of sunlight penetrated the clouds and illuminated Dianwu's bedroom, an unexpected gift arrived. The palace maid sent by the emperor held a tray with ten dazzling gold leaves on it. Each leaf was inlaid with rare gems and shone with a heart-stirring light. The palace maid respectfully told Dianwu that the number of gold leaves represented the emperor's love for her, and ten leaves was the highest and most precious symbol, which meant that the emperor had an extraordinary love for her.
Hearing this, Dianwu was filled with indescribable joy and excitement. She had never thought that she could win the emperor's favor so easily. This sudden favor made her feel happy and uneasy. She secretly made up her mind to work harder to live up to the emperor's love and become an excellent princess and daughter.
As a result, Dianwu devoted herself more to learning court etiquette, poetry, books, rituals and music. Her rapid progress amazed everyone.
In the blink of an eye, the day for the second audience with the emperor arrived.
Although Dianwu still had a trace of doubt in her heart, she quickly adjusted her state and appeared in front of the emperor with the best appearance.
Her words were fluent and infectious, her singing was clear, melodious and touching, and the entire imperial study seemed to be infected by her performance, full of vitality and vigor.
However, when the audience was over, Dianwu was waiting for the arrival of the gold leaves with great anticipation, but unexpectedly found that there were only nine gold leaves this time.
At that moment, her mood instantly plummeted, and doubts and confusions came flooding in. She didn't understand why she put more effort and hard work into her performance, but got less in return?
While Dianwu gradually adapts to court life and is committed to improving her self-cultivation, a new mystery about the emperor's throne quietly emerges.
One day, Dianwu was still confused about the "empty" scene on the emperor's throne, so she decided to seek answers from the palace maids around her.
She asked cautiously, "Why do I feel that the emperor looks so small on the throne every time I meet him, or even... as if there is no one sitting on it?"
When the palace maid heard this, her expression changed suddenly, as if the electric dance had touched upon the most taboo secret in the palace.
She looked around nervously, and after making sure no one was eavesdropping, she lowered her voice, her tone full of awe and warning:
"Your Highness, please do not mention this matter again! In the palace, there are strict etiquette rules. No one is allowed to look up at the emperor and his throne. This is the highest respect and awe. If anyone dares to disobey, it is a capital crime. Even a noble princess cannot be exempted."
After hearing this, Dianwu was shocked.
The maid also said, "Don't forget, Princess, you should know that if the Emperor doesn't answer you, it means he agrees. If the Emperor raises a negative opinion, he will definitely speak!"
"I see. Of course I haven't forgotten..." Dianwu raised his head and said seriously, "I was just testing you because I was in a good mood. We can improve together. If you answer correctly, I will reward you."
However, Dianwu's doubts deepened, and she felt that there was no one on the throne.
These people all believed that there was a real emperor on the throne, because they dared not disobey the emperor's orders.
In reality, the emperor was long gone.