tallest building

Chapter 249 A Heartfelt Admonition

Ying Tong was furious that he hadn't won the horse.

He could barely tolerate it at the banquet, but when he got back to his residence, he kicked the person who was following him twice, saying that he was following too fast and had stepped on his foot.

He then scolded the palace maid who served the tea, saying that she had put in too much tea and was trying to keep him from sleeping.

The kitten came over and rubbed against his leg, trying to win his favor. Seeing the kitten only fueled his anger, and he kicked it far away.

The cat was still very young, and after being kicked, it cried out for a long time before it could get up.

Just then, Princess Zhao arrived.

Seeing this, he naturally understood what was going on, but he didn't say it outright. He simply said, "If you don't like cats and dogs, just throw them out. Why make yourself angry?"

"You still don't know where this cat comes from? My previous cat was killed by Ying Bai, and his mother gave me this thing as compensation. She clearly thinks I'm an idiot," Ying Tong said indignantly.

"Don't talk nonsense. Why would he kill your cat for no reason?" Princess Zhao scolded her son.

"I'm talking nonsense? Ask the people who follow me. Didn't someone stab my cat to death and bury it in the haystack?" Ying Tong said. "It's just because my cat pounced on his painting before, and he kicked my cat like that. Then the cat disappeared. Who else could it be but him?"

Besides, we all thought the cat was just lost and would come back in a few days, but his mother brought this kitten instead. Doesn't that mean they already knew my cat wouldn't be coming back?

"Is that really true? Why didn't you say so sooner?" Princess Zhao only learned the whole story today.

"You should have said so earlier? Didn't you always tell me to let things go? Don't let people say I'm petty and narrow-minded." Ying Tong was so angry that she couldn't help but retort to her own mother.

“That’s how it should be. A small act of impatience can ruin a great plan. You’re too hot-tempered; how can anything be accomplished like this?” Princess Zhao said earnestly. “Have you forgotten what your father and I told you before?”

Ying Tong certainly hadn't forgotten; he'd heard it so many times his ears were practically calloused.

"That Ying Bai is so insidious, he did it on purpose! Now he tries to outdo me at every turn, it's really too much!" Ying Tong thought of the Tianma and Sang Er's handkerchief today, and wished Ying Bai would disappear from this world.

His words echoed Wen Mingqian's, making Princess Zhao even more vigilant. She said seriously, "What's the use of just getting angry? It's more important to be careful. Let me tell you, be nice to Princess Zhuolahan in the palace and pay attention to her preferences."

"Why would I pay attention to her?" Ying Tong asked in surprise. "She's always clinging to Gong Chang'an, and besides, she's so unruly, I can't even avoid her."

“What do you know, silly child? Zhuolahan is the most favored daughter of the King of Fenye. Bringing her to the capital this time, he might be planning for her marriage. If we can get married to her, that would be a great help. Don’t take it lightly, you’re not young anymore.”

But Ying Tong's heart was completely focused on Sang Er at that moment, so his mother's words naturally didn't resonate with him.

"You're such a stubborn ox!" Princess Zhao said, exasperated.

Seeing that it was getting late and they couldn't stay any longer, they called Ying Tong's wet nurse over.

She instructed him, "I am not often in the palace, so the Crown Prince is in your care. Her Majesty the Empress is busy with affairs and often cannot attend to him, so you must be extremely attentive and not neglect him in the slightest. Keep an eye on him to prevent him from acting impulsively, and be especially careful to prevent anyone from harming him."

The wet nurse quickly replied, "Your Highness, please rest assured, I will do my best."

Princess Zhao then went to the Empress's palace. The Empress rested briefly and had changed into her everyday clothes.

Upon seeing Princess Zhao, he said, "Did you go to Tong'er's place? The child lost the competition today, and I'm sure he's not happy about it." Princess Zhao quickly smiled and said, "This child is just like me; he wears his heart on his sleeve. I told him that these are all minor matters, and there's plenty of time in the future."

"He didn't take after you, he took after me." The Empress smiled. "No wonder he's unhappy. Did Duanmin's words sound pleasant?"

In fact, the Empress wasn't too unhappy that Ying Bai won, since it was a source of pride for them no matter who could guess it.

However, Princess Duanmin's praise of Ying Bai made the Empress very unhappy. Everyone knew that Ying Tong was her nephew and the adopted son she was going to take in.

Ying Bai was merely a figurehead sent to the palace.

Duanmin's praise of Yingbai in front of all the civil and military officials and the King of Fenye was clearly intended to embarrass him.

The two women had never gotten along, but in the end, the Empress prevailed.

Now that Duanmin has returned from beyond the Great Wall, he is in a completely provocative manner.

Unfortunately, given her current status, he cannot easily break ties with her.

“It’s all because Tong’er is so useless, causing trouble for Her Majesty the Empress,” Princess Zhao hurriedly said. “I have already spoken to him and told him not to slack off.”

"Alright, you've all had a long day, you should go back and rest." The Empress sighed and said, "Don't take it too seriously, it's really not a big deal."

In fact, Princess Zhao wanted to ask the Empress if she knew whether the Prince of Fenye had any plans to arrange a marriage for his daughter.

But since the Empress had already spoken, and besides, she had quite a few people serving her, she didn't say anything.

Although she and the Empress were sisters, perhaps because they did not grow up together, they could never be as close as sisters from ordinary families.

Princess Zhao stood up and said, "Your Majesty the Empress is tired today, please rest early! I will leave the palace now."

"Father and Mother haven't returned from Qingliang Temple yet, but they should be back soon," the Empress said. "I'm currently overwhelmed with supplies, so please keep an eye on things and send someone out of the city to meet them as soon as possible."

Every summer, Grand Tutor Dong would go to Qingliang Temple to escape the heat and return in the autumn. This year, he returned later than in previous years.

"I understand, Your Majesty, please rest assured," said Princess Zhao. "My brother went to Jiangnan for inspection and will return to the capital in another month."

The Dong family has four siblings, two boys and two girls, and they all hold prominent positions. It can be said that no other family in the court can rival them.

The mention of her maternal family, Princess Zhao, gave her even more confidence. As she walked out, she happened to run into Princess Chu, who was also coming to bid farewell to the Empress.

"Is Sister going back?" Princess Chu asked with a smile, respectful and affectionate.

“Yes! Sister, please go in quickly! The Empress just said she was tired, so I'm just saying goodbye and coming out.” Princess Zhao said with a smile, but in her heart she was thinking about what Ying Tong and Wen Mingqian had told her.

I always felt that beneath the gentle and warm face of the Princess of Chu, there was a deep scheming mind at play.

Princess Chu nodded, lifted her skirt, and gracefully walked inside.

Princess Zhao inexplicably felt that her back seemed straighter today.