Chapter 671: Aren't You Going To Sleep, Your Majesty
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
If Long Yang had died of the poison, the Second Prince would have been the most likely candidate for the throne, right?
Why would he want to wait for a few years until Long Yang died from poisoning before ascending to the throne? Would he still have the opportunity after waiting for so long?
There was still the Prince of Xiangyang within the imperial family, not to mention the son of the late Crown Prince, Long Chi.
Something did not add up for her.
Long Yang found her appearance extremely adorable when he saw how she frowned while deep in thought. "You think that something doesn't add up too, right?"
Lu Liangwei nodded. "Yes. Are you thinking the same, that things aren't as simple as they seem, Your Majesty?"
"Yes. I have never believed that this was done by the Prince of Lasting Peace, but I had just ascended to the throne back then and Danjue was aggressively eyeing us. Not to mention that I was constantly tortured by the pain from the ailment inflicted on me. I didn't have the energy to get to the bottom of the matter. All I was able to do was to suppress it." Long Yang paused at this point.
He stared at her with his deep, soulful eyes and suddenly said tenderly, "I'm lucky to have met you, little genius physician Weiwei. Otherwise, my life would have come to an early end."
Lu Liangwei's heart tightened. She suddenly thought of something and asked curiously, "My parents haven't fallen out yet back then. Why didn't you reach out to my mother for treatment?"
"I did think of her, but your mother and father were already in an awkward situation by then. Before I could summon her to the Palace, her bad news had reached me."
This triggered something in Lu Liangwei's memory and a thought flashed through her mind, but it went by so fast that she was not able to fully grasp it. She frowned and mumbled, "How could this be such a coincidence?"
Long Yang sighed. "Do you think that whatever happened to your mother all those years ago had something to do with me being poisoned?"
Lu Liangwei gave a start as she suddenly thought of something and sat straight up. Her eyes shone exceptionally brightly. "Your Majesty, I have a theory that Madam Zheng was arranged by the same person who poisoned you to go to the Grand Duke Mansion with her child. It must have been to create discord between my parents. With my mother's stubborn and straightforward temperament, she would never have accepted such a situation and continue to stay in the Grand Duke Mansion."
"Moreover, my mother was known as the genius physician back then and only she was able to cure your Frostbite. That must be why the mastermind put in so much effort to force her out of the imperial capital. Mother had also told me before that a big group of assassins had pursued her when she left the imperial capital. She had no choice but to fake her death by jumping off a cliff. She wanted to get her revenge on my father, but it was also to stop the assassins from coming after her and prevent future trouble."
Long Yang sat up as well. He could not help smiling when he saw her twinkling eyes. "Your analysis sounds quite reasonable. However, if Madam Zheng was a chess piece for this mastermind, how would you explain the fact that she had spent the night with your father? Do you think the person behind the scenes would have made such intricate plans just to anger your mother and make her leave?"
Lu Liangwei replied uneasily, "How could you be so sure that my father had really spent the night with Madam Zheng? It could be that my father had been tricked by Madam Zheng's underhanded tactics."
Long Yang rubbed her head when he saw her looking slightly upset. "It's just my hypothesis. I didn't say your father had for certain betrayed your mother."
Lu Liangwei understood what he meant, but she still felt a slight headache at the thought of the ambivalent relationship between her parents.
Sigh. She sorely wished that the reality was that her father was tricked by Madam Zheng, and that he never actually betrayed her mother.
She hoped that her parents could make up.
"Alright, you're not allowed to continue thinking about this. Get some sleep now."
Lu Liangwei lay down.
Long Yang tucked her in and got up from the bed.
"Aren't you going to sleep, Your Majesty?" Lu Liangwei sat up and asked when she saw this..
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Chapter 672: Could His Master Be In A Frisky Mood Right Now
"I'm going to the imperial study. You should have a nice sleep. I'll return to accompany you for dinner later." Long Yang retrieved his outer robe that was hanging from the folding screen and put it on.
He walked back to the bed after donning the robe and bent down to kiss her on the forehead. He grabbed her by the shoulders and said, "Lie down."
"Alright." Lu Liangwei lay back down on the bed obediently. She watched as the man left, but was no longer feeling sleepy.
A few things kept playing in her mind.
First, she was thinking about how Chen Xuping had been rescued. Then it was about Long Yang being poisoned when he was young.
Frostbite was a damaging poison. It would slowly erode one's body and she wondered how His Majesty managed to live through the pain all these years.
Her heart suddenly went out for him.
If he had not met her, by the end of the year, he would have...
A pain seared through her chest at the thought of his fate in the original story.
His Majesty was such a good man. He had suffered so much and if he had died young, the heavens would have been incredibly unfair to him.
On another note, could His Majesty being poisoned be in some way related to her mother leaving home in anger?
Did the mastermind make use of Madam Zheng to create discord between her parents in order to prevent His Majesty from being cured?
If this was true, this mastermind was an evil and vicious person.
They had planned to destroy His Majesty and caused her parents' fight to escalate to the current state of ruin.
Her mind continued to be filled up with all sorts of thoughts before she finally felt sleepy again.
Outside the door.
Zhao Qian's ear has been sticking right at the wall as he waited for his master's next instructions. He had listened in for half a day and had yet to receive any orders.
He could not help but turn to look at the sky outside. It was only noon. Could his master be in a frisky mood right now?
As he waited anxiously, he suddenly heard his master's footsteps approaching the door. He jumped as he quickly retreated a few steps and stood in his place properly.
As expected, the door creaked open soon and his master stepped out, looking dapper.
"Master." Zhao Qian immediately stepped forward.
"Deploy all resources for the capture of Chen Xuping."
Long Yang did not stop walking as he left Grand Phoenix Palace. "Also, keep a close watch on the Crown Princess."
Zhao Qian immediately replied respectfully, "Yes, Master."
...
While the entire imperial capital was on the lookout to capture Chen Xuping, the man in question had been brought to a little rural town.
There was a private house with a courtyard there.
Right then, Chen Xuping was covered in wounds as he sat on a chair. He stared at a man in front of him as he roared, "Who asked you to come?"
The person he was looking at was a very young man who had a sly look about him. His name was Zhao Heng. When he heard Chen Xuping's accusatory tone, he tried to control his temper. "If it wasn't for Lu Yunshuang getting someone to deliver a message to me, were you prepared to die just like that?"
"What happens to me is none of your business." Chen Xuping frowned.
Zhao Heng stared at him for quite a while before sneering. "If I hadn't rescued you, your head would have been separated from your body. What happened to you? It's only been a short few months since we've last seen each other and you're already giving up on yourself?"
Chen Xuping clutched his wounded arm and said nothing.
Zhao Heng's tone softened when he saw Chen Xuping acting this way. "What exactly happened to you? What would that 'pure moonlight' of your heart do if you're so desperately seeking death?"
At the mention of 'pure moonlight', a condescending look appeared in Chen Xuping's eyes.
Zhao Heng was taken aback. "What's with you?"
He had always known how much this best buddy of his adored Lu Yunshuang.
Zhao Heng had left the imperial capital in the first place because he had gotten into an argument with Chen Xuping over Lu Yunshuang.
Lu Yunshuang was already married and was someone else's wife, yet his best buddy was still lovesick for her as he waited by her side. Zhao Heng could not take it anymore and had bad-mouthed Lu Yunshuang slightly, which caused Chen Xuping to flip out.
Zhao Heng was so mad that he left in a huff then and there..
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Chapter 673: Fallen Out
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Before Zhao Heng left all that time ago, he had ordered his men not to deliver any news of Chen Xuping to him.
That was why he had been gallivanting about for the past few months without receiving any news of Chen Xuping. He was even unaware of the recent news of the Duke Chen Family being in huge trouble and Chen Xuping being sentenced to death.
If not for Lu Yunshuang having someone deliver a message to him, he would still be in the dark even now. If that was the case, Chen Xuping's grave would have been overgrown with weeds by the time he found out about this.
However, he began to notice that his best buddy's attitude toward Lu Yunshuang seemed to have changed.
The condescending look on his face was so blatant that only a blind man would have not noticed it.
Zhao Heng became slightly upbeat at the thought of this.
"You couldn't have fallen out with Lu Yunshuang, could you? She was the one who asked for someone to enlist my help to rescue you."
When Chen Xuping heard that Lu Yunshuang was still doing fine, he knew that the ledger he had led Lin Qingyuan to had failed to be presented to His Majesty.
Something he was unaware of must have happened during that time.
"Zhao Heng, I was really stupid, wasn't I?" he suddenly asked in a lowered voice.
Zhao Heng was taken aback. "Why are you asking this?"
Chen Xuping lifted his eyes to look at Zhao Heng. "Even you had seen the picture more clearly than I have. I never managed to get it into my head that Lu Yunshuang was a venomous scorpion. I was willingly numbing my common sense, purposely ignoring her wrongdoings. I had stupidly convinced myself that she had done all she did because she was forced to, thinking that she had a kind heart. I was an absolute fool!"
Zhao Heng was silent as he listened to this.
He was extremely relieved that his best buddy had finally seen through Lu Yunshuang.
"It's good that you're seeing things clearly now. It's not too late for you to realize this." Zhao Heng patted him on the shoulder consolingly.
Chen Xuping went quiet for a while before saying with reddened eyes, "I've always thought that anyone who would cry sad tears over a cat's death would have a good heart. Yet, I've only come to realize at the very end that the person that I thought was kind-hearted was not as benevolent as I thought she was. She hates cats so much that she's willing to kick a cat to death for no reason. It was all an act when she accompanied me to bury my cat when we were young. All she wanted was to get close to me.
"I ended up treating Lu Liangwei as my enemy for so many years without realizing Lu Yunshuang was the true killer of my cat. I was so blind, treating a snake like her as a kind woman for so many years, doing so many terrible things for her sake with neither complaint nor regret. It was my stupidity that had brought shame to my entire family."
Chen Xuping clutched his head at the last sentence, his heart filled with regret.
Zhao Heng had no idea that the story went this deep.
He could not think of what to say to Chen Xuping as he watched his best buddy filled with pain and self-loathing.
This matter had implicated far too many people, causing the entire Duke Chan Mansion to be sealed off. The once prosperous family had disintegrated in one night.
Where could Chen Xuping go from now on?
"How are my father and the others doing right now?" Chen Xuping suddenly thought of this as he lifted his head quickly, looking at Zhao Heng anxiously.
Chen Xuping had been thrown into death row prison after he was sentenced to death, which was why he knew nothing of his family's news.
Zhao Heng replied, "Don't worry. The entire Duke Chen Family was unaware of your wrongdoings and crimes, and in addition to that, it was the wedding of the Emperor and Empress. So an edict was decreed for their punishment to be reduced out of compassion. Duke Chen and the rest of your family ended up fine. Their exile had been converted to a punishment of just being kicked out of the imperial capital, where they're not allowed to return in the future."
Chen Xuping breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this.
As long as they were not exiled.
Everyone knew that a criminal who was sentenced to exile would be sent to a cold and bitter place. Not many would survive, and even if they did, death would have been a sweet relief in comparison to the inevitable fate of laboring away day and night in hunger..
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Chapter 674: One Should Never Ever Cross A Woman
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Without the Emperor's pardon, the convicted party would need to stay exiled for the rest of their life.
Compared to a fate of exile, being only kicked out of the imperial capital without being allowed to return was infinitely better.
Chen Xuping's guilt felt slightly lighter.
At the very least, his family did not end up with too tragic a fate. Otherwise, he would never be able to pay them back even if he had died multiple times over.
Zhao Heng poured him a cup of tea.
Chen Xuping took a sip and remembered something. He asked, "You didn't tell Lu Yunshuang where we were, did you?"
Zhao Heng felt a little guilty when he heard this. "I had no idea you two had fallen out. When I saw how worried she was about you, I had my men inform her of our location when I brought you out of the imperial capital..."
Chen Xuping frowned and stood up. "We shouldn't stay here any longer then. Let's go."
Zhao Heng asked, "You've fallen out with her anyway. What's there to be afraid of?"
Chen Xuping shook his head. "I'm not afraid of her, but she must harbor some ulterior motive for getting you to save me. She must think that I still have value and can be made use of. If I still haven't seen through her after going through so much and continue to help her obediently, I'm no better than a beast. She made my family suffer such a dire situation. I must have my revenge on her!"
"Are you planning to kill her?" Zhao Heng was surprised, but at the thought of Chen Xuping's words, he felt this was only right.
Chen Xuping had ended up in his current state because of Lu Yunshuang. Moreover, he had been deceived by her for many years. She had played him and tricked him into thinking a venomous woman like her was a fairy.
If he was a man, he should take revenge!
A melancholy feeling came over Zhao Heng at the thought of how Chen Xuping used to give Lu Yunshuang everything he had.
Chen Xuping could not wait to hand over his life to her back then. Zhao Heng had been unable to let this stand and had tried advising Chen Xuping, who refused to listen to him and ended up sinking deeper into his obsession.
Zhao Heng believed that one should never ever cross a woman.
Otherwise, you would end up getting the short end of the stick, and worse, being unable to even regret it.
"She lied to me for so many years and I had mistaken her for a good person, treating Lu Liangwei as the enemy instead. I even nearly killed Lin Qingyuan because of Lu Yunshuang," Chen Xuping went on with some disgust for himself.
He was a hot-blooded man who had been played by a woman like a toy.
He had ended up losing his fiancée and his family's house was confiscated.
He must have his revenge.
If not for her, he would never have ended up this way.
Hate flashed in his eyes.
Zhao Heng was startled. "Are you really planning to kill her? How would you..."
Chen Xuping did not say a word. All he did was dart Zhao Heng a look and strode out of the house.
Zhao Heng followed behind, having no idea what was going through Chen Xuping's mind.
...
Eastern Palace.
Lu Yunshuang finally breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that Chen Xuping had been successfully rescued by Zhao Heng.
As long as Chen Xuping was not dead, she could figure out a way to change his identity so that he could continue working for her.
First and foremost, the person she would need to take care of was Chen Qiyu.
Ever since the incident at the brothel had blown up, Lu Yunshuang had been having trouble with executing her plans. Chen Qiyu had the protection of the Empress Dowager's men, and Lu Yunshuang did not dare to simply take action.
However, Lu Yunshuang could not bear to watch as Chen Qiyu gave birth to a child.
She must ensure that Chen Qiyu's child would die in the womb, or find a way to make Chen Qiyu disappear.
Chen Xuping was the best candidate to take care of Chen Qiyu.
As Chen Qiyu was pregnant, she could not join the trip to Cool Mountains for the Autumn Hunt. She would need to stay alone in the Eastern Palace, and if an assassin had snuck in to kill her, Chen Qiyu could only count herself unlucky. No one would ever connect the murder to Lu Yunshuang.
She had planned this out thoroughly, but when night fell, Hong Xiu returned with the message that no one was able to locate Chen Xuping and Zhao Heng.
Even the innkeeper of Yuelai Inn had no idea where they were.
Furious, Lu Yunshuang smashed the cup in her hand.
"What does Chen Xuping mean by this? I took the trouble to save his life and this is how he repays me?"
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Chapter 675: Slowly Win His Love Back
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Hong Xiu suppressed the fear in her heart as she reasoned, "Heir Presumptive Chen would not hide from you given how strongly he feels for you. I think that he might have been afraid of implicating you. He is now a wanted criminal of the imperial court, after all. His Majesty has decreed for all resources to be focused on re-capturing him after his escape. The situation is precarious right now, and it's not wise for him to be hanging around."
Lu Yunshuang's foul mood dissipated slightly at Hong Xiu's words, but there was something she still could not fathom.
If it was before, Chen Xuping would have come to meet her no matter how dangerous the situation was, yet now...
She decided to drop the issue. After all, the Duke Chen Family was now going through a huge calamity. He might not be able to come to terms with this for a while. He would calm down after some time, and after that, he would come looking for her on his own accord.
As for Chen Qiyu, that was a matter that could not wait any longer.
At this thought, Lu Yunshuang leaned in close to Hong Xiu and whispered some instructions to her.
Hong Xiu was slightly hesitant. "But, if we were to force her into a corner, wouldn't Beauty Chen retaliate and strike you back? After all, the Crown Prince has always been aware of the brothel's situation. If Chen Qiyu were to expose you and the Crown Prince found out that you were the one responsible for Beauty Chen for being sent there and having so many men... Even if His Highness doesn't love Beauty Chen, she is still his woman. Would he be mad at you? There's also the situation with the Empress Dowager..."
Lu Yunshuang's face fell when she heard this. She had delayed making her move on Chen Qiyu for this exact reason.
However, if she continued delaying this, Chen Qiyu would give birth to a child soon. When that time came, the Empress Dowager and Crown Prince might be so overjoyed that they would promote Chen Qiyu to a higher rank.
Women rose through the ranks in the imperial harem through their children. If Chen Qiyu gave birth to a son, she would naturally be superior to the others. Even if Lu Yunshuang ranked higher, she would still be trampled on if she could not produce a male heir.
Lu Yunshuang could not afford to be cowardly over this any longer.
"When the time comes, we can just claim that the brothel needed more women previously and our men were so boorish that they mistook Beauty Chen as a common woman and abducted her for the brothel. Moreover, the Crown Prince and the Empress Dowager are aware of the brothel and they would never blow this up. They would also never allow a dirty woman like Chen Qiyu to continue staying in the Eastern Palace."
Hong Xiu replied with slight worry, "Even if His Highness does not take any action on you because of this, this might still become a thorn in his heart."
Lu Yunshuang said grimly, "I can't worry so much about the details any longer. Once the matter with Chen Qiyu has blown over, I will have lots of opportunities to slowly win his love back."
Hong Xiu decided to stop talking her out of it when she saw how determined Lu Yunshuang was. She set off to make arrangements according to Lu Yunshuang's instructions.
However, Lu Yunshuang and Hong Xiu were unaware that a dark figure was leaping from the rooftop and flying off.
Chu Qi quickly reported to Long Yang about how the Crown Princess and her maidservant had conspired to harm Beauty Chen.
Zhao Qian, who was at the side, was tongue-tied when he heard this. "I never would have thought that the Crown Princess was the one who had sent someone to save Chen Xuping."
Chu Qi shot him a look before looking back at Long Yang. "What should we do next?"
Long Yang gave this some thought before replying, "In this event, the Crown Prince would not create a big fuss over this because he would not want me to know that he was connected to the brothel. However, he would secretly take care of Chen Qiyu and, in the end, Lu Yunshuang would only be reprimanded. This won't cause Lu Yunshuang any loss."
"Are we supposed to let the Crown Princess off just like that?" Zhao Qian frowned as he asked.
His master had wanted to severely punish Lu Yunshuang when the brothel issue was exposed, but they had no concrete evidence. Besides that, his master had been anxious about marrying the Empress into the Palace as soon as possible. If Lu Yunshuang had been found guilty, it would have implicated the Grand Duke Family and affected the time of the wedding between his master and the Empress, which was why he had given in to the Empress Dowager and toned down the situation.
However, now that his master had married the Empress, he would not have anything to worry about.
His master had never cared for the Empress Dowager.
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Chapter 676: It Would Be Difficult For The Empress To Maintain A Righteous Front
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"Naturally, she should not be let off so easily," Long Yang said grimly.
Lu Yunshuang had conducted so many wrongdoings; there was no reason for her to continue enjoying the honor and luxury of being the Crown Princess.
It was time for her to pay for her sins.
"Chu Qi, continue keeping a close watch on Lu Yunshuang. The Autumn Hunt is the day after tomorrow. Lu Yunshuang would no doubt choose to take action tomorrow."
"Yes, master," Chu Qi replied respectfully and left.
Zhao Qian was slightly curious about how his master would handle Lu Yunshuang.
Lu Yunshuang was the Grand Duke's daughter, after all, and she was also the older sister of the Empress.
If this matter were to be exposed, it would hurt the Empress' reputation.
No one would entertain the fact that the Empress was not involved with whatever Lu Yunshuang did. They would only think that with an older sister like that, the younger sister might not have many virtues either.
If that happened, the Grand Duke Family would be impeached by the imperial censor, and it would be difficult for the Empress to maintain a righteous front.
That said, his master would never do anything that would cause harm to the Empress. If he had decided to take care of Lu Yunshuang, whatever that transpired would not implicate the Empress.
Just as Zhao Qian was thinking about this, a junior eunuch working under him came reporting, "We've used all sorts of torture, but the Prudence Consort still refuses to admit any wrongdoing."
Zhao Qian was a little surprised to hear this.
He had not expected someone as fragile and delicate as the Prudence Consort to be stubborn to the bone.
Even a man of iron will and physique would not be able to take the torture once he was brought into the interrogation room, but the Prudence Consort was actually able to bear the torture.
Zhao Qian could not deny that he was rather surprised at this.
The junior eunuch took a look at Zhao Qian's face and asked in a low voice, "What should we do next?"
Zhao Qian replied, "It's already quite late. We'll let her rest for a night. She's being tight-lipped, right? We'll continue the torture tomorrow until she's willing to confess."
With that, he waved the junior eunuch away.
Zhao Qian took a look at his master who was going through the memorials and gave this some thought before deciding not to report the matter to him.
His master must have forgotten who was the Prudence Consort by now, anyway.
The next day.
The imperial court had just ended when Ji Qingyuan ran up toward Long Yang.
"Your Majesty, I have something to ask of you."
Zhao Qian spotted this and quickly turned to his master. "Master, Duke Ji seems to have something to ask you about."
Long Yang paused in his steps and turned back. He saw Ji Qingyuan running toward him breathlessly from behind.
"Duke Ji, what do you need?"
Ji Qingyuan took a deep breath as he bowed toward Long Yang. "Your Majesty, I...I want to know what the Prudence Consort has done for you to lock her up in the interrogation cell."
He had found out about this the night before.
However, it was already late at night and officials living outside the Palace were not allowed to enter the Palace without the Emperor summoning them.
He was so anxious that he was unable to sleep the entire night. It took him much difficulty to wait until the imperial court began in the morning. He was only able to see His Majesty after the session had ended.
It was only then that Long Yang remembered that the Prudence Consort was his daughter. He gave a pause before saying, "The Prudence Consort attempted to harm the Grand Princess' son yesterday. The attempt was discovered by me, but she refused to admit her wrongdoing. I had no choice but to have her thrown into the interrogation cell in the hopes that she will have remorse and admit her crime. However, she still refuses to confess and there is nothing more I can do. Since you've already come to me, why don't you try to advise her? If she is willing to admit her crime, I will be lenient with her."
Ji Qingyuan broke out in cold sweat.
All he had heard was that Hui'er had offended the Empress, which was why His Majesty had punished her by locking her up in the interrogation cell. He had never expected that the Grand Princess' son was implicated.
Attempting to harm the Grand Princess' son...
Ji Qingyuan pressed his dry lips and lowered his head, saying with full sincerity, "Your Majesty, the Prudence Consort has always had a kind heart. She could not even bear to step on an ant. How is it possible that she could be so vicious as to harm the young Prince? There must be some sort of misunderstanding here.. I beg of Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate this matter and give the Prudence Consort justice."
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Chapter 677: Did Not Dare To Touch Her Again
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The corners of Long Yang's mouth turned up slightly. "So kind-hearted that she wouldn't bear to step on an ant? The Prudence Consort that you know doesn't seem to be the one I know, Duke Ji."
Zhao Qian immediately chimed in, "Duke Ji, there were many who witnessed the Prudence Consort trying to murder the Prince yesterday. The evidence was clear, but the Prudence Consort kept on denying, so His Majesty had no choice but to send her to prison to let her reflect on herself."
Ji Qingyuan was hesitant to hear what both of them said.
However, no matter what, he still could not believe that his daughter would harbor such malicious intentions.
He did not witness the incident yesterday with his own eyes, and the version of the story that he heard was that Hui'er had offended the Empress, which led to her angering the Emperor and being thrown into prison.
Considering how favored Lu Liangwei currently was, it was no surprise that the Emperor would treat Hui'er that way.
After thinking for a while, he said, "Please grant me permission to see the Prudence Consort, Your Majesty."
Long Yang nodded. "Permission granted. Zhao Qian, take Duke Ji to see the Prudence Consort. If she's willing to plead guilty, report to me at once, and I'll lighten her sentence."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Zhao Qian replied obediently, and after his master had left, he turned to Ji Qingyuan. "Please follow me, Duke Ji."
Ji Qingyuan nodded. "Thank you, Butler Zhao." His heart, however, grew heavier.
What the Emperor meant was, if Hui'er refused to plead guilty, she would be in for a terrible end.
The Emperor allowed him to see Hui'er because he wanted him to persuade her to plead guilty and only then would the Emperor lighten her sentence.
With a heavy heart, Ji Qingyuan followed Zhao Qian to the interrogation cell.
The interrogator had already received the news, so Ji Linghui was not under interrogation when he entered. However, she was already half-dead from being tortured yesterday and now lay on the floor, her entire body caked in ghastly bloodstains.
Seeing this, Ji Qingyuan felt as if a knife had stabbed through his heart, and he rushed forward to help his daughter up.
However, the moment he touched her, he heard her groan in pain. Shocked, he put down his hand and cried in dismay, "Hui'er, are you all right?"
Hearing her father's voice, Ji Linghui strained herself to open her eyes. "Dad, why have you come to the palace?"
At the sight of her all covered with wounds, Ji Qingyuan did not dare to touch her again. As it was not a suitable place to catch up, he went straight to the point, "What happened? Why did the Emperor say that you wanted to murder the Grand Princess's son? Did you do it or not?"
Ji Linghui forced a forlorn smile. "Dad, you know what I'm like. Do you think I'd do such a beastly thing? All I did was offend the Empress by accident, and she started throwing mud at me. The Emperor favors her and would naturally believe everything she says. If I'd ever done anything wrong, it'd be falling in love with the Emperor and throwing myself mindlessly into the harem. Dad, I regret everything..."
Ji Qingyuan's heart ached to hear this.
This daughter of his had been sensible since she was a child and took good care of her siblings too. If she had married into an ordinary noble house, she would live a happier life than now.
Unfortunately, she fell in love with the Emperor and had even been crazed to join the harem.
Seeing her in her current state, he was also full of regret - regret that he had not stopped her back then and helped her join the harem instead.
However, just look at what had become of her now.
"An emperor's heart can be as cold as stone..." Ji Linghui murmured to herself, agonizing Ji Qingyuan even more..
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Chapter 678: Master Had Achieved His Goal
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"Hui'er, the situation's not in your favor right now. If you don't plead guilty to the attempted murder of the Prince, the Emperor will punish you severely. Why don't you admit guilt first, and I'll ask the Emperor to release you from the palace," said Ji Qingyuan decisively.
Women who had joined the imperial harem were not allowed to leave it, and regardless of whether they were favored or not, they had to stay in the palace until they died of old age.
However...
Ji Qingyuan pulled up her sleeve and removed the bangle from her wrist. He was glad that his mother had gotten into the late Empress Dowager's good graces back then and was gifted this bangle.
This bangle represented the late Empress Dowager. As long as he presented it when interceding with the Emperor, the Emperor would grant him mercy.
When Ji Linghui heard what her father said, a trace of reluctance flashed through her eyes.
She did not want to leave the palace and the Emperor...
However, she also knew well that given her current situation, she would be in for eternal doom if she did not leave the palace.
After a long moment, she nodded softly. "All right. Thank you for worrying about me, Daddy."
Ji Qingyuan sighed and said, "Silly girl." With that, he got up and walked out.
Zhao Qian had given the father and daughter some space alone and was now waiting outside the interrogation room.
Seeing him come out, he said with a broad smile, "How did it go, Duke Ji? Has the Prudence Consort admitted guilt?"
Ji Qingyuan sighed and smiled ruefully. "I failed to teach my daughter well, and I've truly embarrassed myself in front of you, Butler Zhao. I'd like to ask for a meeting with His Majesty; would you kindly make an exception for me?"
"His Majesty's probably having his meal in Grand Phoenix Palace right now. You can go there together with me, Duke Ji," said Zhao Qian.
Even if Ji Linghui's admission of guilt was now only a stopgap measure, Master had still achieved his goal.
After this, there would probably be one less consort in the palace.
Soon, Ji Qingyuan and Zhao Qian reached Grand Phoenix Palace.
When they arrived, they heard talking and laughing coming from inside.
"Your Majesty, you hit the ball too fast."
"Lil Qi, you come and play with His Majesty. He's cheating, he's using internal strength to bully me because I don't know martial arts. Hurry up and beat him to a pulp!"
Ji Qingyuan could tell right away who the speaker was, which shocked him tremendously. He did not expect Lu Liangwei to be so casual with the Emperor in private. It seemed that the Emperor was very smitten with Lu Liangwei indeed.
Comparing her status to his daughter's current miserable state, he felt a little bitter.
Zhao Qian said with a grin, "His Majesty's playing badminton with the Empress."
Ji Qingyuan was surprised. "Playing badminton?"
"Why don't you go in and see for yourself?" As Zhao Qian spoke, he entered Grand Phoenix Palace before him.
Sure enough, when they walked in, they saw the Emperor playing badminton, but the opponent had already changed to Chu Qi.
Looking at Chu Qi opposite him, Long Yang tossed his racket to Chu Jiu, all interest lost. "You play with Chu Qi."
Chu Jiu took the racket and started playing with Chu Qi as ordered.
Both of them were skilled in martial arts, but Chu Qi had great internal strength and hit each serve at unusually tricky angles, making the game difficult for Chu Jiu.
She gritted her teeth in a reluctance to continue playing, but the boy opposite her clearly loved the sport - unlike his usual dull self, he was bubbling with enthusiasm.
Chu Jiu rolled her eyes. Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed Zhao Qian approaching and hurriedly shouted to Chu Qi, "Wait, I need to go to the bathroom. In the meantime, Butler Zhao can play with you." With that, she stuffed the racket into Zhao Qian's hands without giving him a chance to refuse.
Zhao Qian lowered his head and stared blankly at the racket, which had appeared out of nowhere.
However, Chu Qi did not give him the chance to react and sent the shuttlecock smashing toward him.
Thunk!
The impact had Zhao Qian seeing stars.
He rubbed his forehead, and pointing his racket at the boy opposite him, bellowed, "Chu Qi, you b*stard, how dare you make a sneak attack on me! Take this!" He then dealt him a mighty smash as well.
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Chapter 679: Walked Into The Emperor's Trap
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The shuttlecock flew through the air with a whoosh.
Ji Qingyuan, who was left alone, "..."
Glancing at the Emperor and Empress not far off, he could only walk over to them himself.
"Greetings, Your Majesty, Your Highness!"
"Rise, Duke Ji." Long Yang lifted his hand slightly, and with an arm around Lu Liangwei, sat down in the chair brought over by a palace servant.
Lu Liangwei was surprised to see Ji Qingyuan, but she quickly thought of Ji Linghui.
It seemed that Ji Qingyuan's visit was for Ji Linghui's sake.
She sat quietly beside Long Yang without a word.
Ji Qingyuan sighed and said with a guilty expression, "Your Majesty, it's all because I failed to teach my daughter well that she's become such a vicious lady. I'm dreadfully ashamed to face you."
Long Yang raised an eyebrow. "So does that mean the Prudence Consort has pleaded guilty?"
"Yes, this is the Prudence Consort's confession letter. Please have a look, Your Majesty."
As Zhao Qian was not there, Zhu Yu had to step forward, take it, and present it to Long Yang.
Long Yang took it and gave it a quick scan.
This so-called confession letter was nothing more than a piece of paper with the prisoner's signature.
After glancing it over casually, he put it down. "Since the Prudence Consort is willing to plead guilty, and the Grand Princess's son has not sustained any injuries, I shall lighten her sentence. From today onward, the Prudence Consort shall be stripped of her title and banished to the Cold Palace in hopes that she will reflect on herself and become a better person."
Ji Qingyuan's hands clenched into fists under his sleeves to suppress the indignant grief in his heart.
His beloved daughter had spent several years in the palace sacrificing the flower of her youth, only to end up being banished to the Cold Palace.
He closed his eyes and knelt to give his gratitude. "Thank you for showing mercy, Your Majesty." He then lowered his head to the floor.
"You may rise, Duke Ji," ordered Long Yang coolly.
However, Ji Qingyuan did not get up. Instead, he took out the bangle from his sleeve and raised it above his head. "Your Majesty, I have a request to make, and I hope that you can grant it."
Long Yang cast an indifferent glance at the bangle in his hands. "Speak!"
Holding the bangle, Ji Qingyuan said, "This bangle was gifted by the late Empress Dowager. For that sake, I beg Your Majesty to release the Prudence Consort from the palace, and I shall then return the bangle to the royal family."
"Request granted!"
Ji Qingyuan had barely finished speaking when he heard the Emperor's unhesitant and resolute answer.
Ji Qingyuan was stunned - he did not expect that the Emperor would agree so readily.
He thought that even if he presented the late Empress Dowager's bangle, the Emperor still might not be willing to give his approval. After all, Hui'er was the Emperor's consort. Even if she had yet to receive his favor, she had already been marked as his woman.
How come...
Just when Ji Qingyuan was in disbelief, he suddenly heard the Emperor speak again, "You may go ahead and take Miss Ji out of the palace, Duke Ji. The Empress and I have not eaten breakfast yet, so we'll be going now."
Ji Qingyuan raised his head, only to see the Emperor and Empress's retreating figures.
He remained rooted to the spot, dumbstruck.
If he had known that taking Hui'er out of the palace would be this easy, why did he even have to devise that dangerous plan with the Prince of Xiangyang?
Ji Qingyuan was a little exasperated.
He never thought that it would be so easy to take his daughter out of the palace.
Somehow, he had the feeling that something was odd. He seemed to have walked into the Emperor's trap and helped the Emperor achieve his goal.
Had the Emperor... been thinking of making Hui'er leave the palace a long time ago?
However, the Emperor's tactic was indeed brilliant. Instead of kicking Hui'er out ungracefully, he put on a show of granting his request reluctantly out of respect for the late Empress Dowager and him.
The truth was so unacceptable that he could not stop his blood from welling up in his throat.
However, he should also be thankful that the Emperor had pulled out all the stops to get Hui'er out of the palace.
Realizing this, he smiled bitterly.
Just then, his hands suddenly went empty.. Startled, he looked up and saw that that maidservant Zhu Yu had taken the bangle away from him.
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Chapter 680: Even Standing Next To Him Was A Great Insult
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"Duke Ji, since His Majesty forgot to take the bangle back, I'll do it in his stead, or else you'd have to come all the way here again when His Majesty remembers it later. You're already advanced in age, and it's better if you travel less. Since His Majesty's already shown mercy, you should go and take First Miss Ji out of the palace as soon as possible," said Zhu Yu cheerfully.
Ji Qingyuan was a little irritated to hear this.
No matter what, he was still a Rank One court official. How was this lowly maidservant in any place to drive him away?
Moreover, for some reason, he found it unpleasant to hear the term Prudence Consort being changed to First Miss Ji.
However, he refused to get angry with a mere maidservant and eventually stood up indignantly.
Although Zhao Qian was playing badminton with Chu Qi, his sharp eyes and ears had caught on to his master's handling of Ji Linghui. At this moment, seeing Ji Qingyuan standing up, he found an opening and called out to him, "Please wait for a while, Duke Ji. I'll bring you to fetch Miss Ji once I finish this game with Chu Qi."
Hearing this, Ji Qingyuan was a little displeased and was about to say something when he heard a loud thwack. Zhao Qian had just smashed the shuttlecock toward Chu Qi with all his might.
Ji Qingyuan instantly felt dizzy.
Meanwhile, Zhu Yu walked into the room and presented the bangle respectfully to Long Yang. "Your Majesty, the late Empress Dowager's bangle."
Long Yang glanced at it, then turned to look at Lu Liangwei. "Do you like this bangle, Weiwei?"
Hearing this, Lu Liangwei looked up from her food.
This bangle had been in her hands once but then went back to Ji Linghui. She never expected that it would appear before her again one day and in such a manner, too.
However, she was not fond of wearing bangles that others had already worn. It was fine as a collectible but not an accessory, especially when it used to be Ji Linghui's treasure.
She shook her head. "I don't like it." She then raised her left wrist. "I'm happy with just this one from you."
Seeing that she genuinely did not like it, Long Yang said to Zhu Yu, "Did you hear that? Your mistress doesn't like it. You can deal with it however you see fit."
Zhu Yu naturally heard what her mistress said, but the Emperor's words made her eyes widen in an instant.
She stroked the bangle in her hands. This was the bangle worn by the late Empress Dowager, but if the Emperor told her to deal with it however she saw fit, that would mean that...
She was about to express her gratitude when she heard her mistress say nonchalantly, "Great, just treat it as dowry that His Majesty and I have given you in advance. This is no ordinary bangle. If you ever find a man you fancy, you can bring this jade bangle and ask us to grant your marriage."
Hearing this, Zhu Yu stamped her foot in embarrassment. "You're poking fun at me again, Miss."
Lu Liangwei glanced at her and said to Long Yang, "Just look at how delighted this girl is; I bet she won't be able to sleep at night. I just wonder which good man is going to fall victim to her."
Zhu Yu immediately blushed as red as a tomato and whined in annoyance, "You're so mean, Miss. I don't want to talk to you anymore." With that, she clutched her pounding heart and ran out.
She finally stopped when she came to a deserted spot. As she looked at the bangle in her hand, a thought came to her mind.
She knew that what her mistress said was only a joke, but if she were to use this jade bangle to ask the Emperor to grant her a marriage, would she be able to...
The thought sent her heart racing faster, but soon, she calmed down again.
How could she harbor such inordinate ambitions?
She and the Heir Presumptive were worlds apart, and even standing next to him was a great insult. How could she....
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