Chapter 230: Your Highness, Jiaojiao Knows She Was Wrong
Ever since the King of the Western Turks paid tribute to the Great Tang, expressing his desire for good relations, the Emperor had been extremely happy. He held a banquet every night to entertain this "big picture" Western Turkic King.
But at this day's banquet, the atmosphere was somewhat different.
His Highness the Crown Prince, who had come to know the Western Turkic King through conflict, had a face so grim it looked like he might kill someone at any moment. And beside His Highness the Crown Prince sat the Crown Princess, Sun Jiaojiao, in full regalia.
This was very strange.
Crown Princess Sun Jiaojiao had always preferred soft, light attire. She rarely wore the phoenix crown that signified her noble status as Crown Princess, and even less often wore the complex, multi-layered official robes. But today, she had acted out of character, and her unusually formal dress nearly outshone even the Empress.
"Beloved consort, King A'xi'er has come from afar. The journey was long and arduous. Go and toast him a cup of fine wine on This Prince's behalf, and wish him a safe journey home."
A few palace servants who were close enough to hear clearly felt that the Crown Prince's tone was different from usual, but they couldn't quite tell how.
Sun Jiaojiao could already feel the killing intent radiating from the Crown Prince. She sighed inwardly, obediently raised her cup, and stood up. With the utmost grace, she took measured palace steps, walked over to A'xi'er, and curtsied to the Western Turkic King. "Fine wine for a hero. This cup of wine is a small token of my esteem. I wish you a safe journey home."
At their first, self-righteous meeting, A'xi'er hadn't clearly seen this highly favored Crown Princess. The next time he saw Sun Jiaojiao, her face was swollen from the Eighth Prince's beating, and he had never connected the woman being bullied by the Eighth Prince to the Crown Princess. The time after that, he finally saw Sun Jiaojiao's face clearly but thought she was just a palace maid named Ajiao. It wasn't until now that he understood. The woman he wanted to take away was no palace maid, but the Crown Prince's cherished official wife. Yet, he was still unwilling to face this cruel reality.
His Adam's apple bobbed. He opened his mouth several times, but it took him a long while to organize his words, asking shakily, "You are the Crown Princess?"
He forgot to use honorifics, and his gaze remained fixed on Sun Jiaojiao's face, unwilling to look away.
"Yes..."
Not far away, the Crown Prince's eyes were filled with killing intent.
A'xi'er's hand trembled slightly. It took a long time before he responded to Sun Jiaojiao, raising his own wine cup and sighing at her, "I did not realize there was such a peerless beauty as the Crown Princess in the palace. I have been rude."
It was a double entendre.
Only the three of them understood the deep meaning behind his words.
After speaking, A'xi'er drained the fine wine in his cup in one gulp. He then said to Sun Jiaojiao again, "For A'xi'er to be able to see such heavenly beauty on this trip to the capital, this life has not been in vain. Thank you, Crown Princess, for the farewell."
Yet after he finished, he even raised his cup to the Crown Prince, saying, "The Crown Prince is truly fortunate to have such a beauty by his side. Unlike me, who is all alone."
And just then, the Emperor, who was completely in the dark, interjected, rubbing salt in A'xi'er's wound, "How can you be all alone? Why don't Zhen find that Miss Ajiao for King A'xi'er, grant her the title of princess, and marry her off to the Western Turkic lands? How about that?"
Sun Jiaojiao's vision went dark. She reckoned the Emperor probably wasn't skilled at much in this life, other than playing matchmaker.
A'xi'er seemed heartbroken. He said forlornly, "Thank you for your kind intentions, Your Majesty. A'xi'er is deeply grateful. But since she was unwilling to reveal her true identity, she must have her own difficulties. Why must we dig three feet deep to find her?"
Mmm...
Even Sun Jiaojiao felt a little sad hearing that.
She hadn't forgotten. She was wearing these formal robes precisely to remind herself, and to remind A'xi'er, that she was the dignified, official wife of the Crown Prince. Moreover, the Crown Prince did not treat her poorly. Both emotionally and rationally, she could not have a private affair with A'xi'er...
Sun Jiaojiao sighed silently, but forced a smile and looked up at A'xi'er. "Your Majesty is so understanding and broad-minded. I'm sure you will meet an even better woman one day."
"Thank you for your auspicious words, Your Highness the Crown Princess."
The Crown Prince, sitting over there, finally spoke up, "Beloved consort, are you finished with your toast? If you are finished, come back. Don't spoil King A'xi'er's mood."
Sun Jiaojiao obediently and quietly, but with a pale face, paced back to the Crown Prince's side.
That's right. She was the Crown Prince's woman. In the future, she would bear his children and be the mother of the nation at his side. It was best to cut off those messy, troublesome affairs as soon as possible.
Sun Jiaojiao leaned close to the Crown Prince's ear and said in a small voice, "Your Highness, Jiaojiao knows she was wrong..."
The Crown Prince raised an eyebrow, and a cup of wine went into his stomach without a single drop spilled. "Oh? Where were you wrong?"
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