Since waking up, Noble Consort Xiao Liu had been in a foul mood.
Even though it was clear this time that Emperor Yongchang wasn’t taking Liu Wangfei’s side, the way things were escalating… it wasn’t going to end any time soon.
Princess Baorong carried over a bowl of bird’s nest porridge and offered it to Noble Consort Xiao Liu. But she didn’t lift her hands to receive it. Instead, with a deeply troubled look, she asked, “Baorong, what are we supposed to do about this? Are we just supposed to endure it like this?”
Enduring wasn’t a solution.
To make matters worse, they’d heard that Princess Consort Lu had regained his memories. The Eldest Princess had already urged Emperor Yongchang to send people to escort him back to the capital.
The emperor had assigned Zhou Wang to handle the matter.
As the Director of the Imperial Clan, Zhou Wang oversaw all affairs concerning the imperial family and held immense respect and authority.
If Lu Minghui didn’t take care of Princess Consort Lu before Zhou Wang arrived, and that man made it back to the capital…
Even if he only remembered Lu Minghui, untangling the connections would be a nightmare!
Everything was a complete mess.
Princess Baorong, calm and composed, gently held her mother’s hand and smiled reassuringly: “When the troops come, we block them. When the water comes, we build a dam. Why panic, Royal Mother? Even in the worst-case scenario, you are Royal Father’s favored consort, and we are all his children. No one can change that.”
She looked straight into Noble Consort Xiao Liu’s eyes and said, “Royal Mother, even if this eventually drags in the Duke’s household, it has nothing to do with you. Haven’t you heard? Married daughters aren’t implicated in their natal family’s crimes. Besides, when that incident happened with Liu Wangfei, you were still a child. Don’t tell me… you were involved too?”
Noble Consort Xiao Liu was stunned.
She understood what her daughter meant.
The situation hadn’t yet reached the worst point. But if it did, then they would need to sever ties with the Duke’s household. Completely.
Let the Duke’s household take the blame for everything.
She didn’t know how to respond. Staring at Princess Baorong in shock and confusion, she couldn’t help but feel that her daughter’s cold indifference was terrifying.
She had always taken pride in Baorong’s intelligence and composure.
But now she realized: sometimes, rationality wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
Lowering her voice, she spoke hoarsely, “They are my birth parents. Your maternal grandfather and grandmother!”
Duke Chu may have treated Liu Wangfei coldly, but toward her, he had pampered her since childhood.
She stared at Princess Baorong and couldn’t help but protest, “Your grandparents have always treated you well! How can you say such things?”
Princess Baorong didn’t seem moved.
Setting the bowl of porridge down, she looked at her mother and said, “Royal Mother, you just said it yourself—they are our grandparents. If we’re pushed into a corner, I will naturally prioritize you and my siblings. Am I wrong for that?”
Noble Consort Xiao Liu was so furious that her chest hurt. How had she raised such a daughter?
But before she could reprimand Baorong, the stewardess of her palace, Hua Yao, hurriedly entered the bedchamber and said in a low voice, “Niang Niang, something’s happened to the Duchess!”
Just what she’d feared.
Noble Consort Xiao Liu’s heart seized with pain, and she quickly clutched her chest. “What happened?”
“The Duchess…” Hua Yao didn’t know how to explain. After carefully choosing her words for a moment, she quietly recounted the incident.
Noble Consort Xiao Liu was dumbfounded.
She had known nothing about any of this!
But her heart dropped heavily.
She had no idea her mother had once had a fiancé—but as for her father murdering his first wife… that, she did know.
Madam Jiang, Liu Wangfei’s birth mother, had indeed been poisoned to death by a bowl of medicine from Duke Chu…
Which meant, her mother’s crime might also be real.
She had murdered her fiancé to become her father’s outside mistress?
Then…
Princess Baorong sneered and curled her lip: “Royal Mother, do you see now? Even if you wanted to protect them, could you? That household is like a sieve—full of crimes, spilling everywhere.”
How could she protect them?
Noble Consort Xiao Liu clutched her robes tightly, trembling: “No, no—this can’t be! I have to see His Majesty! I must see His Majesty!”
Princess Baorong immediately grabbed her mother’s wrist.
Tears welled in Noble Consort Xiao Liu’s eyes as she turned back and cried out: “They’re my own parents!”
Was she just supposed to stand by and watch them die?!
Princess Baorong looked at her without a flicker of emotion. “Royal Mother, do you want Censor Tie to publicly curse you as a wicked consort again? Last time, it was suppressed. But this time, things have blown up—do you think those civil officials and censors will still hold their tongues?”
Noble Consort Xiao Liu was on the verge of breaking down.
She truly didn’t understand how things had spiraled like this.
Yes—why?
Princess Baorong sneered, brows knitting slightly: “What a brilliant move, Liu Wangfei.”
Liu Wangfei?
Noble Consort Xiao Liu froze. “You mean… her? How could that be? She’s so useless!”
Princess Baorong’s face remained expressionless. “She’s useless? Is the Crown Prince’s household useless too? Is Xiao Yunting useless?”
Everything always comes back to this: when something happens, look at who benefits most.
Who gained the upper hand from this mess?
Liu Wangfei?
She’d been missing for years, and her son was a fool. The most she’d gain was a title—there was no real advantage for her.
But the Eastern Palace—they were different.
The Crown Prince’s faction could use Liu Wangfei’s case to strike at the powerful and favored Liu family, and bring down Noble Consort Xiao Liu.
Xiao Yunting!
Noble Consort Xiao Liu’s mind was spinning. She lowered her voice and hissed, “If I’d known, I should have killed him back then! If I had, this wouldn’t be happening!”
There had been a chance back then— But Empress Feng had begged the Eldest Princess, and the Eldest Princess had stepped in, sending Xiao Yunting away to Jurong.
Now thinking back, the Eldest Princess and Empress Feng must’ve already been close at that time.
Noble Consort Xiao Liu was completely unmoored, panicked and furious. “Baorong! You must think of a way! They’ve already ruined your grandparents—aren’t we going to be next?!”
Princess Baorong’s face darkened. She raised an eyebrow slowly and said, “Royal Mother, at this point, we’re one step behind at every turn. The only way forward is to retreat and reposition.”
—
Emperor Yongchang summoned Duke Chu and opened with a furious barrage: “What is going on?! How could your household openly drive off court officers and defy the laws of the realm?! Do you still recognize the law? Do you still recognize me?!”
Duke Chu was fuming inside, grinding his teeth in hatred.
Originally, he had intended to use this “killing with rumors” strategy against Liu Wangfei. Who would’ve thought the other side would strike first?
Only a handful of people knew about what happened back then.
There’s no such thing as coincidence—Hu Yichuan had disappeared without a trace for years, and now he suddenly showed up? How could that be a coincidence?
It had to be orchestrated.
His servants reported seeing the eldest daughter of the Qi family, Qi Yuan, among the onlookers.
And Qi Yuan was known to have close ties with Xiao Yunting and the Eldest Princess.
The Qi family was now clearly aligned with the Eldest Princess and the Princess Consort.
And the one who spilled everything… must have been the Princess Consort.
These people were seeking death!
He dropped to his knees with a dramatic thud, and said righteously, “Your Majesty, this subject has been falsely accused!”
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