Chapter 91
When Cai'er heard the Emperor's words, she sneered mockingly. Had they not tried to speak to him?
Indeed, they had never gotten the chance to tell him directly.
After all, her mistress had been reduced to a discarded consort in the cold palace—a place where the imperial court was quick to fawn on the powerful and abandon the weak.
Once her mistress was confined to the cold palace, all those who once flocked around her had scattered like frightened birds, vanishing without a trace.
How could they possibly hope to see the Emperor?
Moreover, it was an undeniable fact that Concubine Liu had fallen into the lotus pond, and many had witnessed the blood in the water.
No one would believe that Concubine Liu would use her own child to frame someone else.
Even her own mistress couldn’t understand why Liu Wan would go to such lengths to target her.
Cai'er lowered her head, saying nothing, but the Empress beside her understood the situation all too well.
Later, when Concubine Liu went to the cold palace to vent her anger on Consort Jing, the Empress had actually mentioned it to Zhu Jingchen.
At the time, what had Zhu Jingchen said?
"Concubine Liu just lost her child—a child that Consort Jing caused her to lose. Letting her vent her anger is only fair. She brought this upon herself."
Zhu Jingchen clenched his fists, clearly recalling the incident now.
"This matter… I will give Consort Jing justice. Empress, summon the imperial physician to examine her thoroughly." Zhu Jingchen gazed at the woman in the distance, who alternated between weeping and laughing, and felt a pang of discomfort. Back then, he had refrained from demoting Consort Jing out of lingering affection.
Yet he never imagined that their reunion would be under such circumstances.
If Consort Jing was truly innocent in this matter…
Zhu Jingchen had no idea how he could possibly make up for the years of suffering she had endured.
"As you command." The Empress glanced at Consort Jing and sighed inwardly.
The harem was a place that wore people down mercilessly. Consort Jing’s confinement in the cold palace had eroded her spirit, and with Concubine Liu’s frequent visits to torment her…
At this thought, the Empress sighed again.
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Imperial Study
Xu Heming’s expression darkened further.
At first, he hadn’t thought much of it, but now it struck him—had the Emperor kept him behind because he actually suspected him of having an affair with Concubine Liu?
Before today, he hadn’t even known whether Concubine Liu was a man or a woman!
Damn that Concubine Liu! If she wanted to die, why drag him into it?
The Emperor was a wise ruler—surely he could distinguish truth from lies?
Then he recalled the words Li Zhiwei had spoken to him.
Xu Heming’s mood soured again.
The Emperor was trying to ruin him!
"His Majesty arrives!" A shrill voice interrupted Xu Heming’s thoughts.
"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty!" Xu Heming bowed deeply.
"Enough with the formalities." Zhu Jingchen waved impatiently.
"Your Majesty, regarding today’s incident, shouldn’t you give me a proper explanation? You summoned me to perform, then invited all your consorts to watch—even calling my future wife, Lady Wei. And what happens? My betrothed nearly loses her life in the palace at the hands of your concubine! Zhiwei now misunderstands me entirely. If my future father-in-law finds out, do you think this marriage will still proceed?" Xu Heming didn’t care about Zhu Jingchen’s thoughts—he struck first, voicing his grievances outright.
As for Liu Ruyan, he refused to even utter her name.
Zhu Jingchen was momentarily speechless. He had intended to interrogate Xu Heming, but now he didn’t know where to begin.
After all, it was he who had invited Li Zhiwei into the palace.
He was the one who had arranged the marriage between Li Zhiwei and Xu Heming.
If Li Tianyou opposed the match now, it would be entirely understandable.
Considering the string of misfortunes Li Zhiwei had suffered recently…
Zhu Jingchen had to admit, it was truly wretched.
"I will personally explain this to Minister Li. However, Heming… regarding Concubine Liu’s words…" Zhu Jingchen studied Xu Heming, thinking that a man’s face being too handsome was also a problem.
He wasn’t bad-looking himself, so why was Concubine Liu so fixated on Xu Heming?
The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"Your Majesty, you are a wise ruler. Surely you can see that your precious Concubine Liu deliberately framed me? Before today, I didn’t even know if she was male or female! You can’t possibly believe I had an affair with her?" Xu Heming took a deep breath, glaring at Zhu Jingchen indignantly.
His expression clearly conveyed: You’d take her word over mine?
Zhu Jingchen didn’t want to believe Xu Heming was that kind of man, but what man could tolerate his woman longing for another?
Especially when that other man was his most trusted minister.
"Your Majesty, every time I entered the palace, it was to see you—all recorded in the logs. Feel free to investigate whether I ever met anyone else privately. I’ve practically tied myself to your belt, ready to carry out your orders at a moment’s notice! These years, I’ve neglected my elderly mother and my own child, all to serve you faithfully. Does Your Majesty truly think I possess the ability to clone myself and dally with Concubine Liu on the side?" Xu Heming fixed Zhu Jingchen with a pointed look.
Zhu Jingchen was at a loss for words. He had already checked—Xu Heming had done nothing of the sort.
"But Concubine Liu said she admires you!" Zhu Jingchen retorted, displeased.
"Your Majesty, many women admire me. Must I marry them all? Besides, mind your words—Concubine Liu is your consort!" Xu Heming shot back angrily.
Hearing this, Zhu Jingchen actually felt somewhat relieved.
"If Your Majesty insists on discussing this, my answer remains the same: I don’t know her. I didn’t know her before, and I won’t know her in the future. Don’t pin this baseless accusation on me. If my presence offends you, I can resign." Xu Heming suddenly thought that returning to Li'an County with Li Zhiwei might not be a bad idea.
"Enough! I will investigate this thoroughly. You are dismissed." Zhu Jingchen waved him off, feeling uneasy.
If Li Zhiwei returned to the Li Family now, Li Tianyou would undoubtedly be furious.
Xu Heming still had to face his future father-in-law.
If Li Tianyou truly begged him to annul the marriage… it would be an awkward position indeed.
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Li Family Residence
"What happened to your face?" Li Tianyou demanded, furious at the clear slap marks on his daughter’s cheeks.
Hadn’t she gone to a palace banquet?
Since when did daughters return from banquets with two palm prints on their faces?
Was the Emperor displeased with the Li Family?
The thought weighed heavily on him. If that were the case, perhaps there was no reason to remain in the capital.
Hadn’t he become an official precisely to protect his wife and daughter?
Yet his daughter kept encountering misfortunes one after another, leaving him deeply unsettled.
"Father, it’s nothing." Li Zhiwei didn’t know how to explain. After all, the actions of the Emperor’s consorts weren’t something ordinary people could openly criticize.
"Master, Prince An has arrived."
Before Li Tianyou could respond, Zhou Tong hurried in to report.
"Send him away!" Li Zhiwei had no desire to see Xu Heming now. She needed time to think—was there even a point in marrying into Prince An’s household anymore?
"Did he cause this injury?" Li Tianyou immediately connected the wound on his daughter's face to Xu Heming.
