amaotonovel Chapter 993 Some are happy and some are sad
Chapter 993 Some are happy and some are sad
The Eastern Palace quieted down, but the liveliness inside the palace was just beginning.
Prince Ning's heir had also drunk quite a bit tonight. He was led by a eunuch to a side hall to rest, but stopped when he passed by the Imperial Garden.
The Third Prince forcefully cupped Su Qingya's small face and eagerly covered it with his own.
During this period, this woman appeared from time to time, each time with a "stunning" presence, keeping him hanging on and making his heart itch. However, whenever he asked the woman to meet him, Su Qingya would always find an excuse to refuse.
This left the Third Prince in an awkward position, and he was quite annoyed.
Today is a palace banquet, not a time for unrestrained behavior, but he was somewhat displeased.
At the palace banquet, Prince Ping urged the Crown Prince to get married, as if the royal family was extremely satisfied with the Crown Prince and was just waiting for him to have an heir before handing the throne over to him.
Despite his efforts to win over those old guys, they've become increasingly biased towards the Crown Prince.
Feeling depressed, he drank a few more glasses of wine, and when he saw Su Qingya leave, he inexplicably chased after her.
Su Qingya knew she had achieved her goal, but there were limits to how much people could take advantage of her.
She struggled and made all the effort, but the strength in her hands was weak.
"court death!"
A furious shout interrupted their tender moment. Qingyao's face turned green, and he threw a punch at the Third Prince.
The third prince was punched in the eye socket. When he saw who it was, his anger surged.
How dare the son of a mere prince lay a hand on him, a prince of the highest order?
So the two started fighting right there in the Imperial Garden.
Su Qingya turned pale with fright, but as the two exchanged words, she gradually calmed down.
She thought about it carefully. She hadn't said anything to the Third Prince just now, so to outsiders, it would seem that she was forced into it.
Therefore, there is still room for maneuver.
By the time she reacted and tried to break up the fight, even standing in front of Qingyao to protect him, the commotion had already attracted the attention of many people.
Soon, the Third Prince and the Prince of Ning's heir got into a fight in the Imperial Garden after a disagreement. It was thanks to the Princess Consort's intervention that the news spread throughout the palace.
Prince Ning felt uneasy. His son was not an impulsive person and had already decided to endure for the time being. Why would he suddenly attack the Third Prince?
But he didn't have time to investigate further; he first got up and apologized to the emperor.
"I have failed in my duty to educate my son, which is why he offended the Third Prince. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."
The emperor raised his hand, signaling him to rise.
"The third brother is impulsive, so he can't blame anyone else. Besides, the third brother and Yao'er are cousins, so it's nothing for brothers to fight."
If the emperor characterizes the matter as a quarrel between brothers, then it becomes a serious matter.
The palace banquet restored the harmonious atmosphere of the family.
Qingyao had already found a reason to take Su Qingya out of the palace.
The eunuch who led Qingyao was dead.
He had no choice but to die; at the time, he was the only servant who witnessed the indecent behavior between the Third Prince and Su Qingya.
Only by killing him can he be silenced.
The Third Prince did not want to be branded as a voyeuristic brother's wife, and the Prince of Ning's heir did not want to be ridiculed for being cuckolded.
The two tacitly attributed the incident to a verbal disagreement that led to the fight.
They've managed to clear Su Qingya's name.
Su Qingya was also relieved about this. If too many people had seen it at the time, even if she was forced to, she would have been seen as damaging the royal family's reputation and sowing discord among the royal brothers, which would have done her no favors.
Sitting in the carriage, she calmed down completely and looked at Qingyao, whose expression was gloomy and seemed to want to devour people.
I felt a mixture of irony and amusement.
When he was discovered to have kept a mistress, he said she was not generous enough, narrow-minded, intolerant of others, and prone to jealousy.
But now that the situation has come to his head, why can't he accept it? Why isn't he generous and broad-minded?
The Three Obediences and Four Virtues were all constraints imposed on women.
But in this world, women and men are the same kind of people, with seven emotions and six desires. However, if women have more desires, they will be criticized by the world.
This damned feudal society.
Su Qingya felt a hidden sense of satisfaction, but on the surface she wore a wronged expression.
She knew that she couldn't offer an explanation at this moment; being too proactive would make her look guilty.
She simply picked herself up slowly, silently shedding tears.
Slowly, the sound of sobbing reached Qingyao's ears, and his eyes were filled with bloodshot.
His mind was filled with thoughts of this woman's infidelity, how she had humiliated him like this, and how he should strangle her.
Perhaps sensing his thoughts, Su Qingya slowly raised her head, revealing her tear-streaked face.
"Brother Yao, I... I'm not good enough for you anymore. Please divorce me."
Tears streamed down her face, and her slightly disheveled hair clung to her cheeks, making her look incredibly pitiful.
Qingyao clenched his fists, but the sense of shame in his heart did not disappear.
His voice was cold.
"What exactly happened? What were you doing in the Imperial Garden?"
Su Qingya didn't answer directly, her wet eyes looking at him.
"Brother Yao, don't you believe me?"
Qingyao avoided her gaze and did not answer.
The carriage was quiet for a while.
Then came the woman's almost broken voice.
"okay, I get it."
Su Qingya bit her lip, her stubbornness barely concealing her grievance: "My skirt had some stains on it, and Xiaoqing took me to change. We passed by the Imperial Garden."
"I don't know how I ended up running into the Third Prince."
"I couldn't outmaneuver him."
Su Qingya pursed her lips: "Brother Yao, no matter what, I was taken advantage of. I know you will never forgive me. You can divorce me, but I want you to know that you are the only one in my heart, and I have never done anything to wrong you."
She raised her head, and her words, though seemingly disheartening, concealed a deep and sincere love.
The woman's repeated "concessions" indeed caused Qingyao's anger to be directed more towards the Third Prince.
Is it because the Third Prince is so audacious as to covet his woman and disregard him?
Qingyao almost gritted his teeth: "Where's Xiaoqing?"
A perfectly timed look of bewilderment appeared on Su Qingya's face, followed by a hint of grievance.
"I don't know. I haven't seen her since I met the Third Prince."
Her words were vague, as if she were implying that the maid had been secretly bribed by the Third Prince.
In reality, Xiaoqing and the Third Prince's close attendants, who were supposed to be keeping watch near the Imperial Garden, have disappeared.
The fact that Qingyao is still allowed to appear... suggests something must have happened.
Su Qingya's heart tightened; at this moment, she wished even more that Xiao Qing was dead.
That way, no one can expose her, because that maid knows too much.
Hopefully, the Third Prince isn't someone to be trifled with and can help her eliminate this hidden danger.
Qingyao's veins bulged on his hands as he restrained himself and looked at her skirt, demanding, "How did you get it dirty?"
Su Qingya's eyes reddened, and she refused to back down, her words filled with disappointment and anger.
"What do you think, Brother Yao? I've explained so much, but you still don't believe me? What kind of answer do you want? Do you want me to admit that I deliberately dirtied it so I could have a secret rendezvous with the Third Prince?"
"you!"
Qingyao was enraged and could no longer restrain himself, grabbing the woman by the neck.
Su Qingya didn't flinch at all, slowly closing her eyes as if resigned to her fate.
Given this attitude, Qingyao truly couldn't bring himself to do it.
More importantly, Su Qingya is a valuable woman; she has many ideas that can help him.
After the anger subsided, reason prevailed.
Qingyao withdrew his hand and slumped back into his original position.
Su Qingya huddled in the corner, but deep down she knew she had passed this hurdle.
The fact that the skirt got dirty was caused by a young palace maid's carelessness.
But she deliberately didn't say that she had already explained it in a humble manner before, and saying too much would make her seem eager to explain.
He felt more at ease knowing that Qingyao had to find out for himself.
Su Qingya noticed that her palms were sweating.
She felt she had handled the situation quite well, but she still felt inexplicably afraid and apprehensive.
She increasingly realized that she could not underestimate the ancients. These princes and grandsons were all very shrewd and calculating. She could no longer cling to the sense of superiority of a time traveler and assume that everything would go smoothly.
You should strive for what you want.
The couple returned to the palace in silence.
Inside the palace, the Third Prince was still resting in a side hall, and the imperial physician was applying medicine to the wounds on his face.
The Third Prince looked fierce and menacing. It would be incredibly shameful for a prince like him to be humiliated like this.
The imperial physician, trembling with fear, applied the medicine, picked up his medicine box, and carefully withdrew.
Only after the outsiders left did the serving eunuch speak.
"Master, Mingyu has disappeared, and Madam Su's maid Xiaoqing is also nowhere to be found."
Mingyu is the one who followed the Third Prince today.
He was not only a palace attendant, but also a skilled martial artist, and a confidant of the Third Prince.
"Have you searched all the palaces?" The Third Prince's expression was sinister.
The eunuch shook his head: "This matter cannot be made public, therefore..."
The Third Prince understood.
If Da Guangming were to find the two of them, outsiders would likely find out that he and Su Qingya had an ambiguous relationship.
"Keep searching. I'll give you three days. I need to find them alive or dead."
The third prince was furious.
He didn't know whether Qingyao had found out about the two men's deaths and ordered someone to do it, or whether someone else had done it.
If someone else did it, then tonight's "catching someone in the act" was a setup.
The man not only knew his recent thoughts, but also acted decisively, making the Third Prince feel as if there was an invisible hand behind him that could take his life at any moment.
This feeling is very bad.
"Go and investigate what the other princes did tonight."
The Third Prince lowered his voice.
"Yes," the eunuch replied respectfully.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, an uninvited guest arrived at the Yue family mansion.
A sign was brought in through the back corner door, forcing Lord Yue to see it.
The visitor was very friendly and even gave him a generous gift—his granddaughter.
Miss Yue inhaled too much aphrodisiac, and after the imperial physician relieved her, she fell into a coma again.
When Yue Xiang saw his granddaughter like this, his face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
Qingmin, who came to see people off, was exceptionally easy to talk to and humble.
Just so you know, Miss Yue appeared at the East Palace last night for some reason. Fortunately, she was discovered in time by the palace maids and was rescued.
Then, after a while, Miss Yue inhaled the aphrodisiac incense. Coincidentally, the Crown Prince's wine cup was also laced with aphrodisiacs.
Yue Xiang's heart sank, but he still had to force a smile.
"Thank you. I will personally visit the Crown Prince's residence."
Qingmin was satisfied. Talking to smart people was so easy. He left feeling completely relaxed.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Yue sent someone to invite a doctor and someone to call the eldest son and his wife.
Last night at the New Year's Eve dinner, wasn't it said that Mu Xi was sick and couldn't show her face? How did she get into the palace?
This matter was not difficult to investigate. Under his pressure, the eldest son and his wife quickly told the truth.
It was Consort Ru from the palace who said she wanted to see Mu Xi, so the couple sent their daughter.
Consort Ru's surname was Yue, and she was the half-sister of Prime Minister Yue.
The couple thought their daughter would be able to leave the palace that afternoon, but a message came from the palace saying that the Empress Dowager wanted Muxi to stay in the palace for a day, and that the Empress Dowager also liked Muxi.
The couple were somewhat flustered. Yue Laoda knew that his father did not want his family members to have too much involvement with the harem, even with Consort Ru.
Consort Ru and Prime Minister Yue didn't have much of a sibling relationship. Before she got married, she was just one of many concubine's daughters in the inner palace. Prime Minister Yue had so many sisters and cousins, he had so many memories of her.
Later, when the person entered the palace, Prime Minister Yue also paid attention to him for a period of time.
Consort Ru was not favored and had no children, so she was just an ordinary person in the emperor's harem.
Why should Prime Minister Yue worry about that? He's already the Prime Minister, and he doesn't really need the concubines in the harem to help him.
Moreover, Prime Minister Yue realized that the emperor disliked his court officials interfering in the inner palace.
Therefore, he basically treated Consort Ru as if she didn't exist. Except for sending her gifts during festivals, he had no contact with her at all.
I never expected that the eldest son and his wife were such fools, resorting to underhanded tactics in private.
Under Prime Minister Yue's interrogation, the eldest son and his wife confessed that sending Mu Xi to the palace was at the suggestion of Consort Ru, who wanted to give Mu Xi a chance to meet the Crown Prince.
The daughter of Prime Minister Yue has no trouble finding a husband, but the couple is too ambitious and has their eyes on the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince is highly sought after now, but he's not easy to get close to. He rarely leaves the palace, and when he does, he always brings a large entourage.
The Yue couple thought that Mu Xi might "bump into" the Crown Prince in the palace. They had no idea that Consort Ru had directly sent their daughter to the Crown Prince's bed.
They weren't stupid. They used drugs to scheme against the Crown Prince, and even if they did enter the Eastern Palace afterward, they were destined not to be the Crown Princess.
Wouldn't that solve the problem? Let their daughter become a concubine? They can't bear to do that.
Prime Minister Yue knew perfectly well that his eldest son had been tricked because of his greed.
But it wasn't just Consort Ru who plotted against him.
Given Consort Ru's abilities, it's impossible for her to send someone to the Eastern Palace quietly; she simply couldn't do it.
It's not easy to drug the prince's wine cup.
In other words, Consort Ru was just a pawn, and it's not hard to guess who was in charge of her—there were only a few.
This scheme is aimed at the Crown Prince, and also at the Yue family.
After calming down, Prime Minister Yue kicked the eldest son and his wife out.
They are utterly incompetent and more likely to cause trouble than achieve anything.
Now that things have fallen through, they've ended up owing the Crown Prince a huge favor.
Because the Crown Prince secretly sent someone to bring Mu Xi back.
To protect Mu Xi's reputation, the Crown Prince had to pretend that nothing had happened, and he couldn't reveal that the wine cup contained aphrodisiacs.
With such a show of respect for the Yue family, how could Prime Minister Yue, as their subordinate and subject, not repay them properly?
Not reciprocating is ungrateful.
Despite it being the first day of the Lunar New Year, Prime Minister Yue felt no joy. Instead, he sensed a sudden change in the situation, with the Yue family caught up in it, and he needed to devise a strategy to deal with it.
But Fang Nanzhi was very happy in the village.
She wore new clothes early in the morning and went to pay New Year's visits with her brother, receiving many large red envelopes.
Especially my second aunt's, who was the most generous, with a thousand taels of silver notes inside.
Fang Nanzhi and Qin Yan were delighted and praised their second aunt.
May my second aunt have good fortune and peace every year.
“When my second aunt has a younger brother or sister, I will take him to school.”
"Second Aunt, I wish you ever-increasing wealth and prosperity, with red envelopes every year and our friendship growing stronger every day!"
Fang Nanzhi, her eyes sparkling, clung to her second aunt's leg.