"Your Highness, someone wants to harm you. This subject suspects these cherries are poisoned. I implore all esteemed individuals not to consume them," Pei Jihuai said, relieved to see that Ying Wang was still standing fine, showing no signs of poisoning.
But what puzzled him was that even after he shared such an important piece of information, not a single person at the scene showed surprise. In fact, their gazes carried...an inexplicable pity?
Could his speculation be wrong?
"Your Highness Ying Wang, Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince," Pei Jihuai walked confidently to Ying Wang and the Crown Prince in this strange atmosphere, "Allow this subject to explain. Based on the information gathered by the Ministry of Justice, this subject suspects that there is someone with malicious intent around Ying Wang."
With an expressionless and weary face, Ying Wang pointed to the attending eunuch who was being held by the Eastern Palace eunuchs, "Are you referring to him?"
Pei Jihuai turned his head and saw a disheveled eunuch in blue clothes being held down, his head bowed and face obscured. He paused for a moment, "This is the attending eunuch by Ying Wang's side?"
So Ying Wang and the Crown Prince had already guessed?
Ying Wang glanced at Pei Jihuai but remained silent because he had nothing to say.
The Crown Prince paid no attention to Ying Wang and Pei Jihuai. He strode over to Hua Liuli and flicked her forehead with his index finger, "Are you angry?"
"I particularly picked these cherries for you," Hua Liuli looked at the cherries on the ground, her brows furrowing, "I picked the biggest and reddest ones..."
"Don't be angry, don't be angry," the Crown Prince whispered to Hua Liuli, "There's also a cherry orchard in the imperial garden. Let's go pick cherries together tomorrow."
"But aren't you busy lately?" Hua Liuli hooked her finger around the Crown Prince's sleeve and whispered in his ear, "How did things go with the Xie family?"
The Crown Prince glanced at Pei Jihuai and whispered in her ear, "Tomorrow, Pei Jihuai and your third brother will set off for the south. No need to worry."
Hua Liuli's eyes flickered slightly. The Xie family had great influence in the south. After this incident, the imperial court representatives who were supposed to be heading to the south were still in the capital. Would the Xie family think that the imperial court was just making a show of investigating them to silence the public, but actually intentionally let them off?
If she were a member of the Xie family and received such news, she would surely be overjoyed and even relax her guard. This way, the two imperial court representatives would be much safer.
In fact, the people conducting the thorough investigation of the Xie family had probably already arrived in Changyao Province. The so-called imperial court representatives were just a front; there were already other individuals who were truly uncovering the Xie family's secrets.
Hua Liuli glanced at the Second Princess, who stood nearby with a shocked and bewildered expression, so she didn't voice her suspicions.
"Fushou Junzhu," Pei Jihuai, who had explained the situation to Ying Wang, approached Hua Liuli and bowed, "This subject was in a rush just now and behaved rudely. This subject hopes for Junzhu's forgiveness."
Hua Liuli looked at the cherries on the ground, then at the Crown Prince beside her, and took a deep breath.
Her man was so beautiful, she shouldn't be angry. If she got angry, she would only hurt herself.
"It's okay, Pei Daren was also thinking about our safety," Hua Liuli tugged at the corner of her mouth, trying to appear gentle and forgiving.
Pei Jihuai: "..."
Why did he feel that there was no trace of a smile in Fushou Junzhu's smile?
"Thank you for your understanding, Junzhu," Pei Jihuai became even more cautious in his conduct.
Hua Liuli looked at the blue-clad eunuch and said, "This eunuch is full of nonsense. If Pei Daren has any questions, you can take him to a quiet room for a slow interrogation."
The Crown Prince raised his chin, signaling the eunuch from the Eastern Palace to shut the blue-clad eunuch's mouth. This was to prevent others from hearing and spreading all sorts of rumors that would mislead others.
The Second Princess finally recovered from her shock and quickly spoke, "You can follow me," She led the people from the Ministry of Justice to a room in the backyard and closed the door before stuttering, "This eunuch has been by Eldest Brother's side for more than ten years, usually appearing honest and obedient. I didn't expect..."
She gasped and turned to Hua Liuli, "If it wasn't for Fushou Junzhu just now, those poisoned cherries would have been sent to Eldest Brother's table."
Pei Jihuai was somewhat surprised, "So it was Fushou Junzhu who discovered that this person was suspicious?"
Accustomed to seeing Fushou Junzhu's weak appearance, Pei Jihuai always easily forgot that she had once set a trap in the enemy's military camp and captured Prince A'Wa.
"It was just a coincidence," Hua Liuli smiled with curved brows, "Initially, I was simply interested in the cherries on the eunuch's plate and wanted to ask where he got them. I didn't expect him to reveal so many flaws."
Speaking of this, Hua Liuli looked at the blue-clad eunuch, who had his mouth covered, in confusion, "It's strange, this eunuch's expression changed as soon as he saw me. Could it be that I treat people harshly on a daily basis?"
"Junzhu, you possess heavenly beauty and a heart like a bodhisattva. If you were harsh, there would be no one who could claim to be tolerant in this world," the eunuchs from the Eastern Palace would never miss an opportunity to flatter, "It's likely that this criminal eunuch felt guilty and inadequate facing Junzhu's kindness, so he exposed his sinister plot."
Pei Jihuai twitched his eyebrows. Aren't the attendants of the Eastern Palace overly fawning?
"You make a valid point," the Crown Prince held Hua Liuli's hand, "Gu also thinks so."
Pei Jihuai sighed inwardly. So, the top is crooked because the bottom is askew.
The Second Princess glared at the blue-clad eunuch, "You have been by Eldest Brother's side all these years, he has always treated you well. Why would you do something so treacherous?"
The eunuch from the Eastern Palace removed the handkerchief covering the blue-clad eunuch's mouth.
"Treated me well?" The blue-clad eunuch sneered, "He is a high and mighty prince, while I am a eunuch because of my castrated body. He gives me a few rewards when he's happy, but if he's displeased, he kicks me with his feet. Is that considered treating me well?"
The Second Princess turned her head and glanced at her eldest brother, hesitating to speak.
The Crown Prince didn't scold or punish palace servants, but anyone who displeased him would be sent back to the Imperial Household Department without any mercy.
"Just because of these?" Pei Jihuai felt that the situation was not that simple.
"Of course, it's not just because of that," the blue-clad eunuch suddenly rolled up his sleeve, revealing a red birthmark on his wrist, and glared at Ying Wang with hatred, "Ying Wang also has this mark on his arm."
Ying Wang was bewildered, "Benwang does have this mark, but what does it have to do with you?"
"Because we are twin brothers. Due to my castrated body, Consort Xian abandoned me, and I became a eunuch in the palace," the blue-clad eunuch's eyes turned bloodshot, "Do you know what kind of life I lived before the age of ten?!"
The room fell silent.
The room fell silent. No one knew if the people present were shocked by this news or simply didn't know what to say.
"This..." Yuan Yi suddenly rolled up her sleeves, revealing her strong and powerful arms, "Does the birthmark on Nubi's wrist also represent that Nubi is the long-lost sister of His Highness, Ying Wang?"
"Yuan Yi, go back to sleep early tonight," Hua Liuli smiled and patted Yuan Yi on the shoulder. "Early sleep, sweet dreams. Dreams can have everything."
The blue-clad eunuch glared at the two of them with resentment. He was narrating a blood feud related to his own identity, why were these two disrupting the atmosphere?
"You continue, you continue," Hua Liuli received the gaze filled with resentment from the blue-clad eunuch and covered her mouth with a handkerchief, chuckling, "This girl by my side has also been with me for many years and has been spoiled by me."
"Junzhu, although Nubi has a bad temper, Nubi would never harm Junzhu," Yuan Yi's words clearly carried a hidden meaning.
For a moment, everyone present didn't know whether the master and servant were mocking Ying Wang or mocking the blue-clad eunuch. However, the solemn atmosphere created by the blue-clad eunuch was successfully destroyed by the master and servant.
Ying Wang regained his senses and angrily scolded, "Nonsense! Consort Xian only gave birth to Benwang, no one else. Where did you hear this nonsense?"
"Nonsense?" The blue-clad eunuch sneered, "A few months ago, I found some tattered cloth in the place where I was abandoned. According to the records of the Imperial Household Department, that kind of fabric was used for swaddling clothes specifically for the eldest prince twenty-one years ago."
"I also found out that after Consort Xian gave birth, she secretly sent something out of the palace," the blue-clad eunuch burst into laughter, tears streaming down his face, "What she sent out was not just something, it was clearly me, a prince born incomplete."
Ying Wang quickly responded, "It's impossible. If you were truly a prince borne by Consort Xian, she would never abandon you."
"Impossible?!" The blue-clad eunuch sneered, "Consort Xian and Consort Rong were competing to give birth to the eldest prince at that time. If someone were to find out that among her twin sons, one was a castrated and incomplete prince, not only would she have been despised by the Emperor, but her healthy son could have been affected as well."
"Most importantly, I checked the medical records from the Imperial Medical Bureau twenty-one years ago and found that some imperial physicians suspected that Consort Xian was carrying twins in her womb," the blue-clad eunuch stared at Ying Wang with hatred in his eyes, "The only thing I can thank you for is allowing me to become a eunuch attendant and giving me the opportunity to access the Imperial Medical Bureau to investigate those records."
"Were you also the one who had that palace maid poison the wine cup in Lincui Palace?" Pei Jihuai asked.
"People in Lincui Palace, just like Consort Xian, are foolish," the blue-clad eunuch chuckled lightly, "I merely planted the idea to that palace of poisoning Fushou Junzhu. Once it was done, Ying Wang would have taken her into his estate as a concubine, and she did as I expected."
"Oh, and..." As his deeds were exposed, the blue-clad eunuch suddenly lost control and broke down, "The assassin who infiltrated the Eastern Palace was also helped by me to enter the palace. Unfortunately, she was too foolish and didn't even know that Fushou Junzhu doesn't drink tea, so she was discovered. But I never expected her to succeed from the beginning. I just wanted the Crown Prince to be wary of Ying Wang."
"So, you were also the one who helped the abductors to abduct Fushou Junzhu and Jiamin Junzhu at the Tian residence?" Pei Jihuai furrowed his brow, looking at this mad eunuch with mixed emotions, "Have you ever considered that the Tian family might be implicated because of this?"
"The Tian family abandoned me in the desolate wilderness along with the Consort Xian. I wish for them to be implicated," the blue-clad eunuch gritted his teeth, "But despite everything I've done, why are Consort Xian and Ying Wang still fine?"
"You are the Crown Prince, why haven't you dealt with them despite encountering so many incidents?!" The blue-clad eunuch couldn't understand the Crown Prince's behavior. Although he usually acted arrogantly, he had shown no reaction when facing the possibility of being plotted against by Consort Xian and Ying Wang.
In the imperial family, siblings would even go as far as to kill one another for power.
The Crown Prince, who just wanted to watch the excitement, inexplicably became the target. He opened his folding fan and waved it casually, speaking calmly, "Ying Wang is Gu's eldest brother. As the saying goes, brothers united are invincible. How can Gu suspect Gu's own brother based on insufficient evidence?"
The blue-clad eunuch felt a tightness in his chest and almost coughed up blood in anger, "Even if he sent assassins to take your life, can you tolerate it?"
"Isn't it proven the mastermind behind the scenes is you?" The Crown Prince raised an eyebrow, displaying righteousness and magnanimity, "This shows that Gu's trust in Gu's eldest brother was correct."
"Blech!"
The blue-clad eunuch couldn't hold back anymore and finally spat out a mouthful of blood.
The Crown Prince took a step back with disdain, then turned to see Ying Wang standing there dazed, looking deeply shocked. He tapped Ying Wang's shoulder with his fan and said, "After so many years, what is the truth? We cannot simply believe the words of this eunuch alone."
"The Crown Prince is right," Ying Wang regained his composure, rare for him not to mind the Crown Prince tapping him with the fan, "Pei Jihuai, tie up this eunuch. Benwang will bring him to the Emperor."
After saying that, he turned around and opened the door, preparing to leave. But then he saw the Crown Prince, who was holding Hua Liuli's hand, was following him, "Why are you following me?"
"Gu just wants to watch the excitement," the Crown Prince said confidently, "With such a big matter, how can Gu not be present?"
"You..." Veins popped on Ying Wang's forehead. He really wanted to pin the Crown Prince down and give him a beating.
But he didn't dare, so he held back.
"Eldest Brother, Third Brother, I won't go with you," the Second Princess said in a low voice, "This matter should not be made too big. I will go and appease the guests."
The Crown Prince glanced at her and nodded slightly.
The Second Princess looked worriedly at Ying Wang. Then she tried to make her smile appear more natural and she walked out of the room with big strides.
The attendants in the Eastern Palace skillfully covered the blue-clad eunuch's mouth, leaving him no chance to say a word.
Consort Xian was enjoying the cherries sent to the palace by the Second Princess when she heard that she was summoned to the Chenyang Palace. She quickly got up and asked the eunuch delivering the message, "Who else is present?"
"Replying to Consort, the Crown Prince, Ying Wang, Fushou Junzhu, and Deputy Minister Pei are all there."
Consort Xian's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that her son and the Crown Prince were having a conflict?
With this thought in mind, she didn't even have time to touch up her makeup and hurriedly rushed to the Chenyang Palace. When she arrived at the main hall of the Chenyang, she saw the Crown Prince secretly linking pinky fingers with Fushou Junzhu. She silently breathed a sigh of relief.
The fact that the Crown Prince was in the mood to play around with Fushou Junzhu meant that nothing serious had happened.
"Chenqie greets Your Majesty," Consort Xian bowed to Emperor Changlong.
"No need for excessive courtesy," Emperor Changlong's expression seemed somewhat... indescribable. He pointed to the eunuch bound behind him, who appeared somewhat disheveled, "Do you recognize this eunuch?"
"This is the Eldest Prince's attendant eunuch. What has he done?" Consort Xian casually asked.
"He poisoned the cherries that were to be consumed by Minghao..."
"What?!" Consort Xian's face turned pale. She disregarded the fact that they were in the Chenyang Palace, and hurriedly grabbed Ying Wang's arm, checking him from head to toe, "Minghao, did you eat those cherries? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?!"
"Mother, I'm fine," Ying Wang, seeing Consort Xian frightened and pale, quickly held her trembling hand and reassured her, "The plate of cherries was found to be suspicious by Fushou Junzhu and has already been toppled."
"It's good that you're fine, it's good that you're fine," Consort Xian was scared to the point of almost crying. She turned to Hua Liuli and repeatedly thanked her.
"Does the noble Consort Xian only care about this son?" The blue-clad eunuch's gaze was stubborn, "Haven't you noticed the resemblance in my eyes, which bears some similarity to yours?"
"Impudence!" Consort Xian glared fiercely at the blue-clad eunuch, "You wretched thing! You wanted to poison my son, now you dare insult me?!"
Others present: Huh?
Krish728
Author's Note:
Consort Xian: I still look beautiful, don't try to bring me down!
Translator's Note:
Weirdly enough, when I saw the title of the chapter, I thought it could be Consort Xian saying this. (I haven't read ahead, I am reading as I am translating).
"Your Highness, someone wants to harm you. This subject suspects these cherries are poisoned. I implore all esteemed individuals not to consume them," Pei Jihuai said, relieved to see that Ying Wang was still standing fine, showing no signs of poisoning.
But what puzzled him was that even after he shared such an important piece of information, not a single person at the scene showed surprise. In fact, their gazes carried...an inexplicable pity?
Could his speculation be wrong?
"Your Highness Ying Wang, Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince," Pei Jihuai walked confidently to Ying Wang and the Crown Prince in this strange atmosphere, "Allow this subject to explain. Based on the information gathered by the Ministry of Justice, this subject suspects that there is someone with malicious intent around Ying Wang."
With an expressionless and weary face, Ying Wang pointed to the attending eunuch who was being held by the Eastern Palace eunuchs, "Are you referring to him?"
Pei Jihuai turned his head and saw a disheveled eunuch in blue clothes being held down, his head bowed and face obscured. He paused for a moment, "This is the attending eunuch by Ying Wang's side?"
So Ying Wang and the Crown Prince had already guessed?
Ying Wang glanced at Pei Jihuai but remained silent because he had nothing to say.
The Crown Prince paid no attention to Ying Wang and Pei Jihuai. He strode over to Hua Liuli and flicked her forehead with his index finger, "Are you angry?"
"I particularly picked these cherries for you," Hua Liuli looked at the cherries on the ground, her brows furrowing, "I picked the biggest and reddest ones..."
"Don't be angry, don't be angry," the Crown Prince whispered to Hua Liuli, "There's also a cherry orchard in the imperial garden. Let's go pick cherries together tomorrow."
"But aren't you busy lately?" Hua Liuli hooked her finger around the Crown Prince's sleeve and whispered in his ear, "How did things go with the Xie family?"
The Crown Prince glanced at Pei Jihuai and whispered in her ear, "Tomorrow, Pei Jihuai and your third brother will set off for the south. No need to worry."
Hua Liuli's eyes flickered slightly. The Xie family had great influence in the south. After this incident, the imperial court representatives who were supposed to be heading to the south were still in the capital. Would the Xie family think that the imperial court was just making a show of investigating them to silence the public, but actually intentionally let them off?
If she were a member of the Xie family and received such news, she would surely be overjoyed and even relax her guard. This way, the two imperial court representatives would be much safer.
In fact, the people conducting the thorough investigation of the Xie family had probably already arrived in Changyao Province. The so-called imperial court representatives were just a front; there were already other individuals who were truly uncovering the Xie family's secrets.
Hua Liuli glanced at the Second Princess, who stood nearby with a shocked and bewildered expression, so she didn't voice her suspicions.
"Fushou Junzhu," Pei Jihuai, who had explained the situation to Ying Wang, approached Hua Liuli and bowed, "This subject was in a rush just now and behaved rudely. This subject hopes for Junzhu's forgiveness."
Hua Liuli looked at the cherries on the ground, then at the Crown Prince beside her, and took a deep breath.
Her man was so beautiful, she shouldn't be angry. If she got angry, she would only hurt herself.
"It's okay, Pei Daren was also thinking about our safety," Hua Liuli tugged at the corner of her mouth, trying to appear gentle and forgiving.
Pei Jihuai: "..."
Why did he feel that there was no trace of a smile in Fushou Junzhu's smile?
"Thank you for your understanding, Junzhu," Pei Jihuai became even more cautious in his conduct.
Hua Liuli looked at the blue-clad eunuch and said, "This eunuch is full of nonsense. If Pei Daren has any questions, you can take him to a quiet room for a slow interrogation."
The Crown Prince raised his chin, signaling the eunuch from the Eastern Palace to shut the blue-clad eunuch's mouth. This was to prevent others from hearing and spreading all sorts of rumors that would mislead others.
The Second Princess finally recovered from her shock and quickly spoke, "You can follow me," She led the people from the Ministry of Justice to a room in the backyard and closed the door before stuttering, "This eunuch has been by Eldest Brother's side for more than ten years, usually appearing honest and obedient. I didn't expect..."
She gasped and turned to Hua Liuli, "If it wasn't for Fushou Junzhu just now, those poisoned cherries would have been sent to Eldest Brother's table."
Pei Jihuai was somewhat surprised, "So it was Fushou Junzhu who discovered that this person was suspicious?"
Accustomed to seeing Fushou Junzhu's weak appearance, Pei Jihuai always easily forgot that she had once set a trap in the enemy's military camp and captured Prince A'Wa.
"It was just a coincidence," Hua Liuli smiled with curved brows, "Initially, I was simply interested in the cherries on the eunuch's plate and wanted to ask where he got them. I didn't expect him to reveal so many flaws."
Speaking of this, Hua Liuli looked at the blue-clad eunuch, who had his mouth covered, in confusion, "It's strange, this eunuch's expression changed as soon as he saw me. Could it be that I treat people harshly on a daily basis?"
"Junzhu, you possess heavenly beauty and a heart like a bodhisattva. If you were harsh, there would be no one who could claim to be tolerant in this world," the eunuchs from the Eastern Palace would never miss an opportunity to flatter, "It's likely that this criminal eunuch felt guilty and inadequate facing Junzhu's kindness, so he exposed his sinister plot."
Pei Jihuai twitched his eyebrows. Aren't the attendants of the Eastern Palace overly fawning?
"You make a valid point," the Crown Prince held Hua Liuli's hand, "Gu also thinks so."
Pei Jihuai sighed inwardly. So, the top is crooked because the bottom is askew.
The Second Princess glared at the blue-clad eunuch, "You have been by Eldest Brother's side all these years, he has always treated you well. Why would you do something so treacherous?"
The eunuch from the Eastern Palace removed the handkerchief covering the blue-clad eunuch's mouth.
"Treated me well?" The blue-clad eunuch sneered, "He is a high and mighty prince, while I am a eunuch because of my castrated body. He gives me a few rewards when he's happy, but if he's displeased, he kicks me with his feet. Is that considered treating me well?"
The Second Princess turned her head and glanced at her eldest brother, hesitating to speak.
The Crown Prince didn't scold or punish palace servants, but anyone who displeased him would be sent back to the Imperial Household Department without any mercy.
"Just because of these?" Pei Jihuai felt that the situation was not that simple.
"Of course, it's not just because of that," the blue-clad eunuch suddenly rolled up his sleeve, revealing a red birthmark on his wrist, and glared at Ying Wang with hatred, "Ying Wang also has this mark on his arm."
Ying Wang was bewildered, "Benwang does have this mark, but what does it have to do with you?"
"Because we are twin brothers. Due to my castrated body, Consort Xian abandoned me, and I became a eunuch in the palace," the blue-clad eunuch's eyes turned bloodshot, "Do you know what kind of life I lived before the age of ten?!"
The room fell silent.
The room fell silent. No one knew if the people present were shocked by this news or simply didn't know what to say.
"This..." Yuan Yi suddenly rolled up her sleeves, revealing her strong and powerful arms, "Does the birthmark on Nubi's wrist also represent that Nubi is the long-lost sister of His Highness, Ying Wang?"
"Yuan Yi, go back to sleep early tonight," Hua Liuli smiled and patted Yuan Yi on the shoulder. "Early sleep, sweet dreams. Dreams can have everything."
The blue-clad eunuch glared at the two of them with resentment. He was narrating a blood feud related to his own identity, why were these two disrupting the atmosphere?
"You continue, you continue," Hua Liuli received the gaze filled with resentment from the blue-clad eunuch and covered her mouth with a handkerchief, chuckling, "This girl by my side has also been with me for many years and has been spoiled by me."
"Junzhu, although Nubi has a bad temper, Nubi would never harm Junzhu," Yuan Yi's words clearly carried a hidden meaning.
For a moment, everyone present didn't know whether the master and servant were mocking Ying Wang or mocking the blue-clad eunuch. However, the solemn atmosphere created by the blue-clad eunuch was successfully destroyed by the master and servant.
Ying Wang regained his senses and angrily scolded, "Nonsense! Consort Xian only gave birth to Benwang, no one else. Where did you hear this nonsense?"
"Nonsense?" The blue-clad eunuch sneered, "A few months ago, I found some tattered cloth in the place where I was abandoned. According to the records of the Imperial Household Department, that kind of fabric was used for swaddling clothes specifically for the eldest prince twenty-one years ago."
"I also found out that after Consort Xian gave birth, she secretly sent something out of the palace," the blue-clad eunuch burst into laughter, tears streaming down his face, "What she sent out was not just something, it was clearly me, a prince born incomplete."
Ying Wang quickly responded, "It's impossible. If you were truly a prince borne by Consort Xian, she would never abandon you."
"Impossible?!" The blue-clad eunuch sneered, "Consort Xian and Consort Rong were competing to give birth to the eldest prince at that time. If someone were to find out that among her twin sons, one was a castrated and incomplete prince, not only would she have been despised by the Emperor, but her healthy son could have been affected as well."
"Most importantly, I checked the medical records from the Imperial Medical Bureau twenty-one years ago and found that some imperial physicians suspected that Consort Xian was carrying twins in her womb," the blue-clad eunuch stared at Ying Wang with hatred in his eyes, "The only thing I can thank you for is allowing me to become a eunuch attendant and giving me the opportunity to access the Imperial Medical Bureau to investigate those records."
"Were you also the one who had that palace maid poison the wine cup in Lincui Palace?" Pei Jihuai asked.
"People in Lincui Palace, just like Consort Xian, are foolish," the blue-clad eunuch chuckled lightly, "I merely planted the idea to that palace of poisoning Fushou Junzhu. Once it was done, Ying Wang would have taken her into his estate as a concubine, and she did as I expected."
"Oh, and..." As his deeds were exposed, the blue-clad eunuch suddenly lost control and broke down, "The assassin who infiltrated the Eastern Palace was also helped by me to enter the palace. Unfortunately, she was too foolish and didn't even know that Fushou Junzhu doesn't drink tea, so she was discovered. But I never expected her to succeed from the beginning. I just wanted the Crown Prince to be wary of Ying Wang."
"So, you were also the one who helped the abductors to abduct Fushou Junzhu and Jiamin Junzhu at the Tian residence?" Pei Jihuai furrowed his brow, looking at this mad eunuch with mixed emotions, "Have you ever considered that the Tian family might be implicated because of this?"
"The Tian family abandoned me in the desolate wilderness along with the Consort Xian. I wish for them to be implicated," the blue-clad eunuch gritted his teeth, "But despite everything I've done, why are Consort Xian and Ying Wang still fine?"
"You are the Crown Prince, why haven't you dealt with them despite encountering so many incidents?!" The blue-clad eunuch couldn't understand the Crown Prince's behavior. Although he usually acted arrogantly, he had shown no reaction when facing the possibility of being plotted against by Consort Xian and Ying Wang.
In the imperial family, siblings would even go as far as to kill one another for power.
The Crown Prince, who just wanted to watch the excitement, inexplicably became the target. He opened his folding fan and waved it casually, speaking calmly, "Ying Wang is Gu's eldest brother. As the saying goes, brothers united are invincible. How can Gu suspect Gu's own brother based on insufficient evidence?"
The blue-clad eunuch felt a tightness in his chest and almost coughed up blood in anger, "Even if he sent assassins to take your life, can you tolerate it?"
"Isn't it proven the mastermind behind the scenes is you?" The Crown Prince raised an eyebrow, displaying righteousness and magnanimity, "This shows that Gu's trust in Gu's eldest brother was correct."
"Blech!"
The blue-clad eunuch couldn't hold back anymore and finally spat out a mouthful of blood.
The Crown Prince took a step back with disdain, then turned to see Ying Wang standing there dazed, looking deeply shocked. He tapped Ying Wang's shoulder with his fan and said, "After so many years, what is the truth? We cannot simply believe the words of this eunuch alone."
"The Crown Prince is right," Ying Wang regained his composure, rare for him not to mind the Crown Prince tapping him with the fan, "Pei Jihuai, tie up this eunuch. Benwang will bring him to the Emperor."
After saying that, he turned around and opened the door, preparing to leave. But then he saw the Crown Prince, who was holding Hua Liuli's hand, was following him, "Why are you following me?"
"Gu just wants to watch the excitement," the Crown Prince said confidently, "With such a big matter, how can Gu not be present?"
"You..." Veins popped on Ying Wang's forehead. He really wanted to pin the Crown Prince down and give him a beating.
But he didn't dare, so he held back.
"Eldest Brother, Third Brother, I won't go with you," the Second Princess said in a low voice, "This matter should not be made too big. I will go and appease the guests."
The Crown Prince glanced at her and nodded slightly.
The Second Princess looked worriedly at Ying Wang. Then she tried to make her smile appear more natural and she walked out of the room with big strides.
The attendants in the Eastern Palace skillfully covered the blue-clad eunuch's mouth, leaving him no chance to say a word.
Consort Xian was enjoying the cherries sent to the palace by the Second Princess when she heard that she was summoned to the Chenyang Palace. She quickly got up and asked the eunuch delivering the message, "Who else is present?"
"Replying to Consort, the Crown Prince, Ying Wang, Fushou Junzhu, and Deputy Minister Pei are all there."
Consort Xian's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that her son and the Crown Prince were having a conflict?
With this thought in mind, she didn't even have time to touch up her makeup and hurriedly rushed to the Chenyang Palace. When she arrived at the main hall of the Chenyang, she saw the Crown Prince secretly linking pinky fingers with Fushou Junzhu. She silently breathed a sigh of relief.
The fact that the Crown Prince was in the mood to play around with Fushou Junzhu meant that nothing serious had happened.
"Chenqie greets Your Majesty," Consort Xian bowed to Emperor Changlong.
"No need for excessive courtesy," Emperor Changlong's expression seemed somewhat... indescribable. He pointed to the eunuch bound behind him, who appeared somewhat disheveled, "Do you recognize this eunuch?"
"This is the Eldest Prince's attendant eunuch. What has he done?" Consort Xian casually asked.
"He poisoned the cherries that were to be consumed by Minghao..."
"What?!" Consort Xian's face turned pale. She disregarded the fact that they were in the Chenyang Palace, and hurriedly grabbed Ying Wang's arm, checking him from head to toe, "Minghao, did you eat those cherries? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?!"
"Mother, I'm fine," Ying Wang, seeing Consort Xian frightened and pale, quickly held her trembling hand and reassured her, "The plate of cherries was found to be suspicious by Fushou Junzhu and has already been toppled."
"It's good that you're fine, it's good that you're fine," Consort Xian was scared to the point of almost crying. She turned to Hua Liuli and repeatedly thanked her.
"Does the noble Consort Xian only care about this son?" The blue-clad eunuch's gaze was stubborn, "Haven't you noticed the resemblance in my eyes, which bears some similarity to yours?"
"Impudence!" Consort Xian glared fiercely at the blue-clad eunuch, "You wretched thing! You wanted to poison my son, now you dare insult me?!"
Others present: Huh?
Krish728
Author's Note:
Consort Xian: I still look beautiful, don't try to bring me down!
Translator's Note:
Weirdly enough, when I saw the title of the chapter, I thought it could be Consort Xian saying this. (I haven't read ahead, I am reading as I am translating).
