It was hardly surprising the Empress Dowager was displeased, turning a birthday celebration into such a scene.
The Emperor had merely intended to make a brief appearance, but with this incident, he no longer felt like leaving. He sat with a grim expression, watching the Fifth Princess.
This daughter was always the most troublesome. Other princesses were married off to foreign lands once they came of age.
Only this one, usually so meek and retiring, with no presence and never causing trouble, would inexplicably fall ill whenever a marriage alliance was proposed.
It wasn't feigned illness; the imperial physicians had confirmed she was genuinely sick.
This made her even more detestable, making him, her father and Emperor, seem like he was mistreating his children. The princess was so terrified of being married off that she fell ill.
What kind of princess was she with such a fragile disposition?
If she truly objected, she could have protested before the Emperor. But to be so terrified in private, yet say nothing to save face, what was that?
She lacked the bearing befitting a royal princess.
The Emperor looked at the Fifth Princess, and before he could even speak, his brow furrowed in deep annoyance.
The Fifth Princess did not try to hide anything, tears streaming down her face. "It is my fault. I had a misunderstanding with the Princess of Ding'an and accidentally pushed her down during an argument. Her current perilous state is entirely my doing. I beg for your punishment, Father Emperor, Empress Dowager."
She kowtowed. "Whatever punishment you deem fit, Father Emperor, Empress Dowager, I will accept it without a single complaint."
Seeing that the Fifth Princess did not shirk responsibility and spoke the truth, the Emperor's disgust lessened. He even felt this was the kind of accountability a princess should possess.
The Empress Dowager looked at her coldly. "What misunderstanding could you possibly have with the Princess of Ding'an?"
The Fifth Princess's tears flowed more profusely, but she hesitated, afraid to speak.
Wei Yu said softly, "Fifth Princess, please speak freely. The Emperor and Empress Dowager will judge right from wrong. We all know your character; you are not one to make unreasonable demands."
She looked at the Fifth Princess with encouraging eyes. The Fifth Princess, emboldened, gathered her courage and said, "I... I... I request that the Princess of Ding'an allow me to marry the Prince of Ding'an as a secondary consort. She refused, and then we..."
Her voice was not loud, but the main hall fell silent. Everyone heard her clearly.
"What did you say?" The Empress Dowager's voice suddenly sharpened, as if she had misheard.
Consort Wei immediately exchanged a look with her attending official. The official understood and promptly dismissed all the servants attending in the hall.
Soon, only the masters remained in the main hall.
"Say that again!" The Emperor's face was stern, his imperial aura, befitting the Son of Heaven, fully unleashed. The entire hall seemed to be enveloped in ice.
The Fifth Princess flinched, instinctively looking at Wei Yu. Wei Yu gave a barely perceptible nod.
As if regaining her courage, she kowtowed again. "I am unfilial. My heart belongs to the Prince of Ding'an; I will marry no one else. But the Prince of Ding'an already has a consort. I... I am willing to be his secondary consort. I beg Father Emperor and Empress Dowager to grant my wish!"
"Absurd!" The Emperor slammed the table heavily. "How can a dignified princess be a concubine?"
The Fifth Princess was terrified, trembling and only able to repeat one phrase: "I am unfilial, I am unfilial..."
But that was not the main point.
The main point was when did the Fifth Princess fall for the Prince of Ding'an? How had none of them heard any whispers of it?
Consort Wei asked suspiciously, "When did you fall for the Prince of Ding'an? If you had such feelings, why did you not tell the Emperor earlier?"
Prince Xiao Yun had only been betrothed last year. If the Fifth Princess had informed the Emperor or Empress Dowager earlier, perhaps Wang Qingyao would not have been involved.
The Fifth Princess replied, "I dared not."
Her birth mother was merely a low-ranking concubine who rarely saw the Emperor, and consequently, she herself was not favored. Not only was she unable to make decisions about her marriage, but even small matters in her daily life were beyond her control. Her hesitation was understandable.
Consort Wei looked at her with disappointment.
Consort Chen let out a cold laugh and said sarcastically, "The Fifth Princess dared not then, but she dares now? And to be a concubine?"
Tears welled in the Fifth Princess's eyes, her tear-streaked face still wet. Unseen by anyone, her hands, hidden in her sleeves, clenched into tight fists.
She instinctively glanced at Wei Yu again.
Wei Yu said, "Perhaps her feelings deepened day by day until they could no longer be controlled!"
She sighed with feigned sentimentality. "What is love in this world, that it makes one willing to die for it!"
Consort Chen glanced at Wei Yu and frowned.
Was this saying appropriate here? It wasn't a mutual love; it was a one-sided infatuation spoken of with such deep emotion, which was laughable. Who was willing to die for her?
Consort Chen smiled faintly. "I recall it is the Prince and Princess of Ding'an who share a love that transcends life and death. Even now, His Highness is by the Princess's side in the birthing room, disregarding all taboos!"
The Fifth Princess's face turned pale. She asked worriedly, "Will the Princess of Ding'an be alright? I... I... I truly didn't mean to..."
She looked genuinely concerned.
Consort Chen's face hardened. "The Princess of Ding'an is blessed by heaven and will be fine."
Wei Yu's lips curved upward almost imperceptibly. There was a folk saying that premature births for women were seven to live and eight to die. Not to mention Wang Qingyao was having twins, making the situation even more perilous! If she and the babies survived this, it would truly be a miracle!