The Hall of Purple Splendor.
Three young girls stood in a row. Emperor Yuanyou first glanced at Song Shihuan. Seeing she was unharmed, his heart, which had leapt to his throat, slowly settled back down.
Then, the Emperor looked at Song Xiyan, whose face was bruised and swollen, and Gu Mingzhu, whose cheek bore a scratch from a fingernail.
Song Xiyan was wailing loudly, but Gu Mingzhu held her neck stiff and high, not shedding a single tear.
She, Gu Mingzhu, had fought against five and even managed to hit Song Xiyan. She was feeling quite triumphant.
Emperor Yuanyou hurried forward, pointing at Gu Mingzhu's face as he asked Mei Zhilin, "Is it serious? Will it scar?"
Mei Zhilin shook his head.
The Emperor's heart completely returned to its place. Good, it was just a minor scuffle.
If it had scarred, Gu Zheng probably would have torn this Hall of Purple Splendor apart.
"Summon their fathers."
Half an hour later, Song Yu, Song Ling, and Gu Zheng had all gathered in the Hall of Purple Splendor.
After confirming Song Shihuan was fine, Song Yu immediately pulled Gu Mingzhu and charged up to Song Ling. "Song Ling, how have you raised your child? At such a young age, she knows how to stir up trouble, even bringing people to commit violence within the palace! A crooked stick will have a crooked shadow!"
He looked even more protective than Gu Zheng himself.
"Xiyan has been beaten like this too. Gu Mingzhu assaulted her superior and should be punished!" Song Ling retorted.
"Song Xiyan said I was sowing discord between her Imperial Grandmother and her maternal uncle's grandmother."
Song Shihuan suddenly spoke.
"But maternal uncle's grandmother was simply ill today and couldn't enter the palace. Why are you all so anxious? Could it be you wanted to entrust something to maternal uncle's grandmother? Something to use against me and my father?"
Song Xiyan instantly jumped up. "That's not it at all!"
But her reaction was tantamount to a confession.
Song Ling's imposing manner also immediately weakened.
"Today, you initiated the conflict. The little eunuchs behind you were all holding clubs. If Mingzhu hadn't protected me, it would be my face scratched now."
"This is too much!" Song Yu directly pointed at Song Ling's nose. "The fault of the child lies with the father. Imperial Father, you cannot only punish Song Xiyan; Song Ling must be punished as well."
Emperor Yuanyou had long been stirred to anger by Song Shihuan's words.
He understood perfectly well the current situation of the Eastern Palace. What good could come from seeking out the Xu family at a time like this?
"Song Xiyan, you are to copy the 'Admonitions for Women' one hundred times. You may not leave your residence until it is finished."
"As for Song Ling, you are confined to your residence for a month of reflection."
Emperor Yuanyou spoke slowly. One month should be enough for that scoundrel to firmly establish his footing in the court.
"Why?"
Song Xiyan, who had suffered nothing but setbacks since Song Shihuan's return, finally couldn't hold back. Shaking off Song Ling's hand trying to cover her mouth, she cried out loudly.
"She's just a wild girl raised outside the palace. Why does everyone like her?"
"My father has worked so hard for all these years, yet it can't compare to a few words from the Prince of Qin. Is Imperial Grandfather really so heartless, truly intending to give the Crown Prince position to the Prince of Qin? My father is also your son. My brothers and I are also your grandchildren!" Song Xiyan wept uncontrollably. They all said she was the Eastern Palace's lucky star, so today she would demand justice for the Eastern Palace!
"The Prince of Qin is someone who could have an illicit affair with a palace maid from the Empress Dowager's palace. How can someone with such character become the Crown Prince of a nation?"
Silence.
The air in the entire hall grew still.
Even the usually fearless Gu Mingzhu couldn't help but shrink her neck. There was a killing intent!
Emperor Yuanyou, furious to the extreme, laughed instead. Every sentence of Song Xiyan's speech was dancing on his thunderous triggers.
Song Ling had already sensed a hint of danger and wanted to take Song Xiyan away.
Then Emperor Yuanyou's voice rang out, "Wu Qi, go to the Palace of Earthly Tranquility and request the Empress's presence."
"What happened back then, We will settle it today."
......
"Your Majesty, this subject shall take his leave first..."
Gu Zheng felt utterly uncomfortable. Such royal secrets—the less one knew, the better.
"No need. We will summon several other senior ministers, as well as Prince Chu and Prince Qi, to listen together."
Hearing this, Song Yu glanced at Emperor Yuanyou, suddenly very curious how the old man would clear his name this time.
The Empress arrived quickly. Seeing her, Song Xiyan threw herself forward, crying incessantly.
Though the Empress was seething inside, on the surface she could only force a smile.
This granddaughter of hers, why did she cause such ruin at a critical moment involving major principles?
Half an hour later, all the senior court ministers had assembled.
Prince Chu and Prince Qi were also summoned to the palace, utterly confused.
Seeing this formation, the Empress suddenly felt a strong sense of foreboding.
"We have summoned you all today to clarify a matter."
Emperor Yuanyou's voice sounded somewhat detached, but everyone's ears perked up.
Good news generally doesn't need clarifying; what needs clarifying is usually bad news.
"Our eldest son by the Empress, his affair with the palace maid back then was not intentional but caused by someone drugging him. All these years, he has been wronged."
As soon as these words were spoken, the hall erupted in an uproar.
"Imperial Father, elder brother was at the age for marriage back then. If he hadn't been drugged and branded with infamy, how could the position of principal consort remain vacant to this day? This fully shows the ruthlessness of the person behind it. You must investigate this person clearly and have them executed!"
Prince Qi immediately spoke up, also stealing a glance at the Empress.
If the Empress fell, his own mother could live more comfortably.
"Yes, Imperial Father, elder brother has suffered too much, bullied to the point where he could only pretend to be a wastrel to preserve his life. If our late Empress Mother in heaven had awareness, she would surely be heartbroken."
Prince Chu, sharing the same thought, added more fuel to the fire.
The Empress could no longer maintain the smile on her face.
She realized the Emperor had set a trap, tightly ensnaring her. She could not question the Emperor's words, as doing so would be no different from confessing that she was the one behind it.
She even had to follow the Emperor's lead and help clear Song Yu's name.
But... had the Emperor actually traced it back to her?
The Empress felt uneasy, her face turning pale.
Song Yu suddenly smiled.
So this was how easily an emperor could truly protect someone when he wanted to.
So he didn't need to exhaust himself searching for evidence.
"We have almost finished investigating the person behind this. How to deal with them is Our decision to make."
After throwing down these words, Emperor Yuanyou dismissed everyone.
Returning to the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, the Empress's legs gave way and she collapsed to the floor.
"Imperial Grandmother..."
A slap struck Song Xiyan's face. "Why did you go provoke Song Shihuan? And why did you defy your Imperial Grandfather in the Hall of Purple Splendor? Do you not know that because of you, the Eastern Palace is nearly finished?"
Song Xiyan covered her face helplessly. "Imperial Grandmother, I felt sorry for you and Father..."
"Enough! They call you a lucky star? To this palace, you seem more like a jinx! Get out of my sight! Go back and copy the 'Admonitions for Women' as your Imperial Grandfather ordered!"
Song Xiyan returned to the Eastern Palace. Her three elder brothers, who had once doted on her, now ignored her completely. Song Yanzheng even instructed the kitchen to only give her plain congee.
Song Xiyan cried as if the sky had fallen dark.
She didn't understand. Why were even her own family members treating her so cruelly?
