Shortly after Jiang Xinyue was escorted back to the Changchun Pavilion by the emperor, Shuang Jiang and Xiao Xiangzi also returned.
The Xuanwu Emperor nearly spat out the flower-infused water he was rinsing his mouth with when he saw Xiao Xiangzi dressed in palace maid's clothes with rouge on his face.
Xiao Xiangzi covered his face and knelt down: "This servant has offended Your Majesty's eyes, please forgive me."
"Is this how you evaded the Pei family's pursuit?"
There was clearly hidden laughter in the emperor's voice: "This actually worked?"
Terror flashed in Xiao Xiangzi's eyes, as if saying: How did Your Majesty know?
"Don't look at your mistress. You're all being outrageously bold. Do you really think I won't punish you? When your mistress acts recklessly, you should advise against it. How dare you join in her madness?"
"Your Majesty~"
Jiang Xinyue tugged at his sleeve: "It was all my fault. How could mere servants dare to defy me? If Your Majesty is still angry, please direct your anger at me, don't make things difficult for them..."
The Xuanwu Emperor looked at her helplessly and tapped her forehead: "You have the nerve to say that? If there's a next time, I'll punish all of you together."
Jiang Xinyue pouted: "I understand, Your Majesty. I know I was wrong."
Her perfunctory attitude clearly said: I know I was wrong, but I'll dare to do it again.
"Your Majesty, Minister Pei of the Privy Council has come with his son requesting an audience."
Minister Pei and his heartless son who was still obsessed with romance despite being middle-aged?
The Xuanwu Emperor glared at Jiang Xinyue: "See? You beat up the junior, and now both seniors have come knocking. Did you think they wouldn't guess it was you just because you ran away?"
Jiang Xinyue muttered: "So what if they guessed? What proof do they have? Besides, Your Majesty will definitely protect me."
She wasn't just fearless; she even dared to say it right to his face.
The Xuanwu Emperor gritted his teeth again, getting angry at the sight of Xiao Xiangzi's powder-covered face: "Quickly go wash that off. Are you waiting for others to expose you?"
Shuang Jiang and Xiao Xiangzi hurriedly got up and ran toward the back courtyard.
Jiang Xinyue sat there motionless until the emperor gave her another "fierce" look, which scared her into quickly getting up and running after Shuang Jiang and the others.
In her panic, she bumped into a chair, rubbed her leg, and continued running.
The emperor chuckled softly. She claimed not to be afraid, but look how scared she was at hearing Minister Pei had arrived!
It's good that she knows fear. If she's afraid, she won't do such dangerous things again.
"Ahem..."
He cleared his throat, suppressed his smile, and put on a serious expression: "Summon Minister Pei for the audience."
Since Wang Dequan and Tang Shiliang hadn't returned yet, the junior eunuchs still needed the emperor's instructions for everything.
If they were here, after the Imperial Noble Consort left, they would have announced the visitors without needing the emperor's command.
"Your Highness..."
Shuang Jiang still looked frightened: "Earlier when this servant and Xiao Xiangzi were escaping, we changed into palace maid's clothes. We encountered Minister Pei's men on the way, and they stopped and questioned us. This servant is worried - what if they recognized us?"
It would be better if they only caught the two of them, as long as they didn't implicate Her Highness.
"So what if they recognized you?"
Jiang Xinyue blinked: "Three eunuchs went out, but they only found two suspicious palace maids. The numbers don't even match up. If they come to me demanding justice, people might think they're being petty, taking revenge on me just because my father took two official positions from them!"
Shuang Jiang wondered how her mistress could lie so brazenly.
If she hadn't been one of the participants, she might have believed her mistress's version of events.
When they entered the back courtyard, Nanny Xiang was already waiting there holding the Sixth Prince: "Your Highness, Miss Qin Ruofang is waiting in the side room. Would you like to see her?"
She should have been taken to the front hall, but since Her Highness was with the emperor at the time, Nanny Xiang couldn't let her disturb them, so she brought her to the back courtyard instead.
"I'll see her!"
After all, she was the emperor's desired money bag.
After two days of rest and care from the people Jiang Xinyue sent to assist her, Qin Ruofang no longer looked as disheveled as when they first met.
No wonder Nanny Xiang was wary of her; she was indeed a rare beauty.
As soon as Qin Ruofang saw Jiang Xinyue, she fell to her knees with a "thud" and pressed her forehead to the ground: "I beg the Imperial Noble Consort to save my life."
Jiang Xinyue had expected this.
When the emperor traveled, he was surrounded by layers of guards. How could a weak woman being pursued by men break through the security to kneel before the emperor
Someone must have deliberately let her in.
Qin Ruofang heard no response from the Imperial Noble Consort, only the unhurried sound of a teacup lid touching its cup.
Cold sweat appeared on her forehead: "Imperial Noble Consort, what happened to this commoner is all true. The Guiyang County Magistrate destroyed my family, and my clan members colluded with him to force me to become his concubine so they could rightfully divide my family's property. When I refused, the magistrate placed me under house arrest. A few days ago, I was suddenly released, and someone told me that if I could find a way into the palace and gain the emperor's favor, they would help me seek revenge. However, it was Your Majesty and Your Highness who saved me, and it will be Your Majesty and Your Highness who help me seek justice. This commoner doesn't wish to damage the relationship between Your Majesty and Your Highness..."
She raised her head: "But if this commoner doesn't follow their instructions, those people won't let me go. I beg Your Highness to guide me and give me a way to survive."
"Clank!"
The teacup was set down on the table - a soft sound, yet it made Qin Ruofang's heart race.
"I deeply sympathize with your situation, but I am merely a palace consort. This matter involves the Minister of the Privy Council, and I cannot make decisions about it. However, as the victim, if you wish to seek justice, you should approach those above Minister Pei. Miss Qin, please don't take any more detours."
Qin Ruofang drew in a sharp breath. She hadn't mentioned Minister Pei at all, yet the Imperial Noble Consort was certain that the Minister of the Privy Council was behind everything.
She had seen through their scheme!
Along with her shock, Qin Ruofang also felt relieved. It was fortunate that she had chosen to be honest; otherwise, this Imperial Noble Consort would have surely destroyed her.
Suppressing her surprise, she kowtowed again: "Thank you, Your Highness, for your guidance. This commoner now knows what to do."
Jiang Xinyue nodded: "Xiao Xiangzi, Minister Pei should be finished speaking with His Majesty by now. Take Miss Qin to rest."
If it were simply about taking someone to rest, why would Her Highness mention His Majesty and Minister Pei?
She must be reminding him to attract Minister Pei's attention, to let him discover that he was the one who planted scorpions in Pei Zhishuo's room last night, causing him to rush out looking for trouble.
Then Qin Ruofang's audience with the emperor would become a natural occurrence, not something they deliberately arranged.
"Miss Qin, please follow this servant."
However, Nanny Xiang looked worried: "Your Highness, do you believe what she said? This old servant thinks this Miss Qin's eyes show no small amount of ambition
Perhaps the former Qin Ruofang was kind, but what became of the kind Qin family in the end?
After experiencing such dramatic changes in her family, turning dark was only natural.
Nanny Xiang thought Jiang Xinyue was having a moment of naive compassion and exclaimed in alarm: "Your Highness, you've come this far because of your iron heart and sharp methods. You can't let sympathy overflow at this time! If you sympathize with her, you'll become her stepping stone one day. The Sixth Prince is still young, Your Highness, you..."
"Pfft!"
Jiang Xinyue laughed: "If I were truly overflowing with sympathy, I would punish you just for saying I have an iron heart. But I know you mean well, willing to risk yourself to remind me, and I appreciate your sentiment."
She wasn't sure whether Nanny Xiang calling her iron-hearted was praise or criticism.
Stroking her armor, her eyes gleaming with intelligence: "But Nanny Xiang, my iron heart won't change. It's good that Qin Ruofang has ambition. Her enemies are Minister Pei of the Privy Council, the Pei family, the Guiyang County Magistrate and Qin Prefecture Prefect who harmed her. To climb up and avenge her family, she'll need to rely on me."
Though the Guiyang County Magistrate was dead, he was merely a discarded pawn. The real culprit was the towering tree that was the Pei family.
"Even in the worst case, if the Pei family falls and she develops inappropriate thoughts, Nanny, do you think she's a match for me?"
If she maintained proper intentions, seeking vengeance for her parents and family, Jiang Xinyue would respect her character and grant whatever she sought.
But if she set her sights on the Emperor, Jiang Xinyue would pin the "achievement" of plotting against and destroying the Pei family on Qin Ruofang.
This alone would be enough to make the Emperor wary and despise her.
The Emperor preferred women who were clever but not calculating, capable of protecting themselves but not actively harmful, "delicate" beauties who could rely on him wholeheartedly.
In the Emperor's mind, women could be smart but not shrewd. A woman capable of single-handedly bringing down the Pei family wasn't merely shrewd - she would be seen as an otherworldly demon.
Such a woman, the Emperor wouldn't - and wouldn't dare to - love. He would only grow suspicious and want to eliminate
If Jiang Xinyue hadn't seen through this point, she wouldn't have needed to hide her true personality and play the sweet innocent before the Emperor.
The sweet innocent she portrayed wasn't what people of later generations might think - someone who knew nothing and was exceptionally stupid. That would be pure foolishness.
Jiang Xinyue's understanding of being sweet and innocent meant being naive when appropriate and clever when needed, making everyone see her as a pure, kind flower worthy of their sympathy.
That was true sweet innocence.
It wasn't that Jiang Xinyue was arrogant or looked down on native women - she simply understood the Emperor too well.
The Xuanwu Emperor was dark-hearted and cold, caring only for the realm and its people. Women were merely his diversions - he would favor those he liked and discard those he didn't.
Though Jiang Xinyue's situation was much better, it was all achieved through her careful scheming.
If she hadn't spent her days studying the Emperor's thoughts and presenting herself according to his expectations, he wouldn't favor and dote on her so much now.
If Qin Ruofang had the ability to win over the Emperor, she wouldn't have met such a tragic fate.
Just because her family met with disaster didn't mean her mind had changed - what was there to fear?
Nanny Xiang finally breathed a sigh of relief: "This old servant was hasty and impatient. Knowing Your Highness has everything planned puts my mind at ease."
"Father, are we really going to let that little wretch go unpunished?"
Pei Sinian's face was filled with hatred: "Young Master... Young Master's manhood was stung by that scorpion, and the imperial physician said even after treatment it will affect his ability to have children. Isn't this condemning my son to die without descendants? Mistress is crying her eyes out - how can we just let her go?"
"Then what do you want to do?"
Minister Pei's face was grim: "The Emperor is protecting her and demands evidence. Do you have any evidence?"
"I..."
"Miss Qin, this way please..."
Pei Sinian clearly saw that a eunuch looked identical to the person dressed as a palace maid they had encountered last night.
He rushed forward and grabbed Xiao Xiangzi's collar: "You dog slave, did the Imperial Consort send you to plant that scorpion to hurt my son? Disguising yourself like that - did you think I wouldn't recognize you? Today I'm going to the Emperor..."
"What's all this commotion about?"
The Emperor strode out of the main hall, glaring at Pei Sinian, but then turned to address Minister Pei: "Minister Pei, is this how you watch him cause trouble in front of me?"
Laying hands on someone in the imperial presence was a serious crime.
Minister Pei hurriedly called out: "Sinian, come back!"
His gaze had already fallen on Qin Ruofang behind Xiao Xiangzi. With just a bit of makeup, the woman's beauty was outstanding. Now that she had successfully entered the Changchun Pavilion, what was there to worry about?
While the mountain remains green, there will always be wood to burn.
When the Imperial Consort's favor was at its peak, there was no need for direct confrontation.
Qin Ruofang glanced up at the imposing Emperor before quickly lowering her head again.
But she had caught Minister Pei's warning look and gave a slight nod.
After Minister Pei led Pei Sinian away, Xiao Xiangzi finally brought Qin Ruofang to pay respects to the Emperor.
"Qin Ruofang? You've come so soon?"
The Qin family had considerable wealth, and the Emperor had thought she would need to stay in Guiyang to settle accounts for some time, not to mention her troublesome clan members and relatives who wouldn't be easy to deal with.
"I must thank Your Majesty."
Her slender waist was graceful and alluring: "If not for Your Majesty and the Imperial Consort leaving people to assist this commoner, I wouldn't have been able to sell off the family assets and get away so quickly. I have already handed over all the Qin family's property to Eunuch Wang for the national treasury. In the future, at the Mansion of Treasures, I will serve Your Majesty and the noble masters with all my heart."
She was referring to the Qin family's skill in crafting precious jewelry and ornaments.
"Mm! It's very good that you have such intentions."
She was a wealthy patron bringing money, so the Xuanwu Emperor's attitude was kind and friendly: "Xiao Xiangzi, take Miss Qin and settle her in properly. Do not neglect her."
"Your Majesty..."
Qin Ruofang bit her lip: "Could Your Majesty dismiss the attendants? This commoner... has something to say to Your Majesty in private."
According to protocol this wasn't allowed - who knew if she was an assassin or rebel? What if she tried to kill the Emperor?
But with her delicate arms and legs, and the personal guard whispering in the Emperor's ear: "Your Majesty, we observe she has no martial arts training."
"Then you may all withdraw!"
Was there some unspeakable truth in the massacre of the Qin family? How many officials were involved?
The Xuanwu Emperor wanted to understand clearly.
"What?!"
"Yan'er, what did you say? Concubine Ye has been arrested?"
"My lady, shh!"
Yan'er quickly closed the door: "My fellow villager in the Imperial Household Department told me - it hasn't spread outside yet!"
"What trouble has she gotten herself into now
This servant couldn't find out."
Yan'er shook her head. "My fellow servant from the same hometown refused to say anything, only mentioning that His Majesty was furious and wanted to execute Concubine Ye, but the Imperial Noble Consort stopped him."
As soon as Noble Lady Liu received this news on one end, Concubine Cheng immediately understood the whole situation on the other.
She knew much more than Noble Lady Liu.
Cun Xin was applying medicine to Concubine Cheng's hand while saying, "My lady, Concubine Ye was too bold. How dare she... Does she have multiple lives?"
"How could she have such ability?"
The wound on her palm was frightening. When the herbal medicine was applied, she drew in a sharp breath from the pain. "If she had successfully drugged His Majesty, she wouldn't still be in Chuxiu Palace."
She would have already left Chuxiu Palace to become a high-ranking consort.
"Then why..."
"She was merely used as a stepping stone in someone else's scheme."
As for who plotted against her, Concubine Cheng couldn't figure it out. It must have been some coward who wanted to gain the Emperor's favor but feared drawing the Imperial Noble Consort's attention.
Cun Xin shuddered, truly worried for her mistress.
Fortunately, they had missed tonight's banquet due to the hand injury. Otherwise, who knows if they might have been caught up in the scheme?
"Has His Majesty not come yet?"
Concubine Cheng didn't care about Concubine Ye's fate. The servants had already informed the Emperor about her serious hand injury.
Noble Lady Liu would certainly send someone to invite the Emperor as well. It remained to be seen whose chambers he would visit.
This was a game between her and Noble Lady Ye, with the Emperor as the prize.
The Xuanwu Emperor, who was being anticipated by several parties, showed Jiang Xinyue a letter he had just received from an unknown source, speaking excitedly: "Yue'er, your cousin has written. With Cheng Yuan's help, he has obtained evidence of the Governor of Liangguang's corruption. However, he's now a target and can't appear in public, so he entrusted Cheng Yuan to deliver it to Qin Province."
"Who is this Cheng Yuan? Does Your Majesty find him reliable?"
After entering the palace, Jiang Xinyue had already investigated the backgrounds of all the consorts, so how could she not know this person's identity?
She was merely pretending in front of the Emperor.
Cheng Yuan was originally a minor official under Governor Yu. He was known for his uprightness and impartiality, which earned him many enemies and Governor Yu's displeasure. He was assigned to the public mortuary, specifically tasked with watching over the bodies of victims who died unnaturally.
In polite terms, he was a minor yamen official; in crude terms, he was just a mortuary keeper. It was clear that none of the living officials under Governor Yu wanted anything to do with him.
The night Jiang Yanxi learned he would be sent to Liangguang as an imperial envoy, he went to Jiang Xinyue's adoptive father to ask where he should begin.
After all, Jiang Yankun had served as an official for many more years and understood court politics and regional officials better than him.
He wouldn't become overconfident just because the Emperor currently favored him, thinking he could handle any challenge.
He still needed to listen to his cousin. The Imperial Consort had said that as long as the Jiang family remained obedient, they would be guaranteed prosperity for generations!
After Jiang Xinyue gained favor, Jiang Yankun had gathered a group of officials who wanted to support the Sixth Prince as crown prince.
After all, waiting to pick sides until after the Imperial Noble Consort became Empress wouldn't earn as much merit as supporting them now.
It was always easier to add flowers to brocade than to send charcoal in snow. Making an early commitment would bring either fortune or misfortune, but if the Sixth Prince truly became crown prince, they would be recognized as loyal supporters from the beginning.
Among these people, some had connections in Liangguang.
After inquiring, Jiang Yankun provided Cheng Yuan's name, suggesting he use this man as a breakthrough point.
After entering Liangguang, Jiang Yanxi operated in secret, going directly to the mortuary to work as a keeper, expending great effort to gain Cheng Yuan's trust.
Only then did he have his guards parade around as imperial envoys to attract Governor Yu's attention.
Soon, the guards were mistaken for the imperial envoy and were treated to fine food and wine at the governor's mansion.
Meanwhile, the real Jiang Yanxi stayed at Cheng Yuan's home. Together with the guards infiltrating the governor's mansion, they coordinated from both inside and out, having the guards pretend to be won over to make them think the imperial envoy had been bought off, thus lowering their guard.
After two full months, Jiang Yanxi finally obtained evidence of Governor Yu's embezzlement of imperial funds.
But at this point, if Governor Yu hadn't realized what was happening, he would have to be a pig.
Unfortunately, he wasn't a pig, so Jiang Yanxi faced another assassination attempt from these evil forces.
However, with experience from the first time, he was more prepared and wouldn't be as desperate as before.
He gave the real evidence to Cheng Yuan, who resigned from his position citing his desire to visit his daughter in the capital. The Cheng family had children - their eldest daughter was married to a wealthy merchant in the capital, and their second daughter had entered the palace as a consort, whom they rarely saw.
Conveniently, Lady Cheng was ill from missing her daughters, so Cheng Yuan successfully brought the evidence to Qin Province under the pretense of taking his wife to the capital for treatment.
Jiang Yanxi and his guards went into hiding, engaging in daily battles of wit with Governor Yu's men.
Knowing that the most dangerous place was often the safest, he directly took over Cheng Yuan's position at the mortuary, operating right under Governor Yu's nose
No one expected that not only would he not flee, but he would stay in the place closest to danger.
Governor Yu couldn't be sure if the imperial envoy had fled or remained in Guangdong, and he dared not conduct large-scale searches for fear of causing panic among the people.
He could only investigate secretly on a small scale. By the time they would search the mortuary where Jiang Yanxi was hiding, half a year would have passed.
The Xuanwu Emperor laughed heartily, "Your cousin takes a completely different approach from your father. He should be cultivated well - he has the makings of a wise minister."
What did that mean?
If her cousin had the potential to be a wise minister, and her adoptive father was completely different, was he suggesting her adoptive father was suited to be a corrupt minister?
Was that an insult or a compliment?
"It's because Your Majesty knows how to employ talent that my cousin's abilities have found their place!"
Jiang Xinyue praised both men in one sentence: "To my cousin, Your Majesty is like Bo Le discovering his thousand-li horse. Without Bo Le, even a thousand-li horse would remain ordinary. It's because of Your Majesty that my cousin's talents won't go to waste."
The Emperor pinched her nose. "Yue'er, your clever mouth is flattering me again."
Jiang Xinyue laughed and dodged backward.
"Your Majesty..."
In this intimate moment, a young eunuch came to report: "Your Majesty, from Lanyue Pavilion, both Noble Lady Liu and Concubine Cheng have sent people over... this..."
Jiang Xinyue's smile disappeared, and she pouted unhappily, "It's not just me trying to please Your Majesty. I see there's a long line of people waiting to please you. Your Majesty should hurry to comfort your Noble Lady Liu and Concubine Cheng! Don't let them put another hat on me labeling me as jealous and monopolizing your favor - I can't bear such a burden."
The Emperor rubbed his nose and cleared his throat with his fist against his mouth: "Then I... I'll go check on them."
She just wanted to take a look, nothing more.
Jiang Xinyue didn't care at all; she simply didn't want the emperor to think she was being too magnanimous.
Being magnanimous in such matters could only prove one thing - that she didn't love the emperor enough.
When you truly love someone, you don't push them toward others.
However, the Xuanwu Emperor felt he had no choice. The Cheng family had just rendered a great service, as Cheng Yuan had brought evidence from the Two Guangs to Qin Province, which was no easy feat.
So when Concubine Cheng was injured, it was only right and proper for him to comfort her.
As for Noble Lady Liu, he hadn't even listened carefully to why she had sought him out.
Though both were injured, and both had sent people to summon the emperor, and though the emperor had gone to Lanyue Pavilion, he didn't enter Noble Lady Liu's chambers but went to Concubine Cheng instead.
Had Noble Lady Liu been able to get out of bed, she likely would have destroyed everything in her room.
In the following days, the emperor spent his time accompanying Concubine Cheng. Three days later, Concubine Cheng's father arrived in Qin Province and was secretly received by the emperor at Lanyue Pavilion.
Everyone assumed Concubine Cheng had finally gained the emperor's favor, not knowing that when night fell, they slept in separate rooms, and nothing happened between them.
But Concubine Cheng wasn't foolish enough to clarify this misunderstanding
With the emperor away, Jiang Xinyue was quite content, spending her days taking the Third Prince, Fourth Prince, and Sixth Prince out to play.
The eldest princess had recently been keeping Low Level Consort Yu company in her garden while she recovered. The second princess, feeling sympathy for her elder sister, spent each day keeping her company and didn't join the others in their activities.
Today was no different. Shuang Jiang and Xiao Xiangzi deliberately led the Fourth Prince and Sixth Prince away, leaving the Third Prince alone with Jiang Xinyue.
The Third Prince watched as the butterfly kite with its cut string flew away, and for some reason, he felt an inexplicable sense of relief.
A voice in his heart seemed to say: If only I could be like that kite, breaking free from my constraints and soaring freely under the blue sky.
Jiang Xinyue didn't interrupt his thoughts, instead standing behind him. When he turned around and didn't see his two brothers, he ran to her in panic.
He gestured wildly, as if asking where his brothers had gone.
Jiang Xinyue knelt down and said, "Concubine Zhen doesn't understand what you're trying to say. Could you speak it out loud?"
The Third Prince anxiously gestured again.
Jiang Xinyue shook her head again: "Concubine Zhen really can't understand. Could the Third Prince please speak?"
The Third Prince's face turned red with frustration, making "ah ah ah" sounds while pointing in the direction his brothers had gone, stamping his foot.
Jiang Xinyue gently stroked his back: "Concubine Zhen knows that the Third Prince isn't mute as they say. You can speak, you just choose not to. Do you know? Your Fourth Brother is very worried about you. After returning from this summer retreat, he asked me to plead with your father to let him study at the Princes' Academy with you. Usually, he wouldn't be allowed due to his age, but he's worried that you might be bullied by the palace servants because you don't speak, so he asked Concubine Zhen to petition your father."
When she said "the Third Prince can speak," his expression became panicked, his fingers intertwining as he avoided meeting her eyes.
This was a typical sign of wanting to escape.
"Is it because of Consort De?"
"Ah ah ah ah..."
The Third Prince shook his head desperately, tears quickly welling up in his eyes as he tried to run away.
"If you don't want to talk about it, Concubine Zhen won't force you."
Jiang Xinyue caught his hand: "But think about it - if you continue not speaking, after a long time, when you want to speak, you truly won't be able to. You're the elder brother to the Fourth Prince and Sixth Prince. You should be the best big brother they could have, someone they can rely on. But now, they sympathize with you, take care of you, treat you like a fragile porcelain doll, and tiptoe around you, afraid to touch your inner pain. Is this what you want?"
The Third Prince had previously looked down on the Fourth Prince due to the influence of Consort De and Low Level Consort Yu, often bullying him.
This showed his high self-regard, believing his birth made him more noble than the Fourth Prince.
Later, when he reconciled with the Fourth Prince, it wasn't because he realized his mistake, but because he had listened to Jiang Xinyue and the emperor and understood that he shouldn't behave that way.
Young children don't have a clear sense of right and wrong; they need guidance to distinguish between them.
In his heart, he still considered the Fourth Prince the son of a criminal, but he knew he shouldn't look down on a prince who was also the emperor's son, as that would displease Concubine Zhen and his father.
So when someone he had once looked down upon now pitied and sympathized with him, he couldn't bear this reversal.
The Fourth Prince should look up to him as a reliable older brother, not sympathize with him as a mute prince.
The same would apply to the Sixth Prince in the future.
If he remained mute, the palace servants would treat him differently, and how could he be a good brother then?
"Con... Con..." the Third Prince struggled to speak, "I... can't..."
"Is it because your mother poisoned you that you're afraid to speak? Are you worried your father will find out?"
The Third Prince was completely stunned, not understanding how Concubine Zhen knew about this when he hadn't said anything!
"You see, if even Concubine Zhen knows about this, do you think your father, being as wise and powerful as he is, wouldn't know?"
In truth, the Xuanwu Emperor didn't know.
Mainly because Consort De treated the Third Prince like the apple of her eye, doting on him daily and unwilling to let him suffer even the slightest harm. Who could have imagined she would poison her own son?
The imperial physicians had said that even after recovery, the Third Prince's health would never be as robust as before.
Under such circumstances, how could the emperor suspect Consort De?
"Concubine Zhen... waa... wuu wuu wuu Concubine Zhen..."
The secret he had suppressed for so long was suddenly exposed without warning, and the Third Prince burst into tears: "Does Mother not want me anymore? Is it because... because I'm too stupid, so she doesn't want me anymore? Wuu wuu wuu..."
He had tried so hard to keep this secret, so why did Concubine Zhen still find out?
If Mother knew that Concubine Zhen had discovered this secret, would she suspect that he had revealed it?
He didn't want to speak, he really didn't want to speak.
He cried so hard he could barely breathe. Jiang Xinyue held him in her arms and patted him gently: "That's not true. Your mother loves you very much; she was just confused for a moment. Why don't you give your mother a chance to make amends?"
Consort De would never change. Once the Third Prince had another chance at becoming crown prince, she would only become more ruthless in poisoning the other princes in the palace.
There was no choice. To protect her own child, she had to use the Third Prince to completely bring down Consort De.
That's why the Third Prince had to speak.
Wouldn't words from her own son's mouth carry enough weight?
When the time came to reveal the trump card given by the Empress, Consort De would never have a chance to rise again