Chapter 233 Dream

Fengyi Palace.

Nanny Zheng went to Prince Jingbei's mansion to announce her oral order, but she didn't come back for a long time. Queen Song felt inexplicably uneasy.

Putting down the bird's nest soup he had taken two bites of, a palace attendant came in and said, "Empress, the Emperor wants you to go to Hanyuan Palace."

Why did the emperor ask her to go to Hanyuan Palace?

Not daring to delay, Queen Song quickly stood up.

She hurried to Hanyuan Palace and saw Xie Jingyu there. Queen Song's heart skipped a beat.

Empress Song bowed to the Emperor and asked, "I wonder why the Emperor has sent for me..."

The Emperor asked, "Why was the Jingbei Prince's Consort punished with thirty strokes of the cane?"

Queen Song said, "Prince Cheng's concubine simply wanted to visit her grandmother, but Prince Jingbei's wife not only refused, but also ordered someone to beat her out with a broom. This caused Prince Cheng's concubine to sprain her ankle and fall, breaking the jade hairpin bestowed by the Emperor. Such disrespect for the royal family deserves severe punishment."

"What else?" asked the emperor.

“…”

Queen Song looked at the emperor and asked, "What else?"

The Emperor said, "Wan'er grew up under my watch. She has always had a gentle temperament. Hasn't the Empress ever thought about why she became the prince's concubine? The Prince of Jingbei is already in the palace, so why would she let her go?!"

Queen Song's face froze. "No matter what the reason, the Crown Prince's Consort of Jingbei shouldn't humiliate the royal family. I punish her to uphold the royal dignity."

The Emperor asked, "Prince Cheng's concubine spoke rudely and failed to distinguish right from wrong. How did the Empress punish her?"

Empress Song was not punished to become the prince's concubine, but when the emperor asked this, Empress Song immediately said, "I will not protect my shortcomings. Concubine Shen has been blinded by family affection and cannot distinguish right from wrong. If she had not saved the emperor's life, I would have wiped her name from the Royal Jade Butterfly and demoted her to a concubine. I have also ordered her to be caned thirty times."

After Shen Ti was dealt with, the emperor said nothing.

He looked at Xie Jingyu, who said, "My wife was so irritated by the cruelty of the old lady of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion that she couldn't eat or sleep, which is why she did such an irrational thing. I didn't stop her in time and was guilty of condoning her. I will take the thirty lashes of the cane for her."

The Emperor said, "Wan'er lost his mind due to anger, which is understandable. You did not stop him, so you deserved more punishment. Considering your injuries, I will spare you the thirty lashes and fine you one year's salary as a warning to others."

When Queen Song heard that she would be fined one year's salary, her face turned green.

The Jingbei Prince's Consort has the Yun family, a family so wealthy it could rival an entire nation. What's the difference between a year's salary and no fine?!

Queen Song said, "The Crown Prince's wife of Prince Jingbei has humiliated the royal family in this way, and the Emperor has only fined her one year's salary. How can the royal family maintain its dignity?"

The emperor frowned. "A salary deduction is a bit light, but beating with a stick is not an option. The Crown Princess of Jingbei is pregnant. If thirty strokes of the cane are used, I will not be able to negotiate with the King of Jingbei and Duke Dingguo."

Xie Jingyu, “……???”

Xie Jingyu's eyes twitched violently.

If the emperor doesn't want to beat Wan'er with a stick, can the queen force him? As for forcing the queen to give in, did she say that Wan'er was pregnant?

Queen Song was stunned. "I haven't heard that the Crown Prince's wife of Prince Jingbei is pregnant..."

The emperor said calmly, "She's been married for a long time, so it's no surprise that she's pregnant. Please leave."

Queen Song was not given any chance to speak again.

Queen Song could only suppress her anger and retreat.

After a long struggle, the Crown Prince's wife of Prince Jingbei was not beaten with a single stick, but the concubine of Prince Cheng was beaten with thirty sticks, and Queen Song's back teeth were almost loosened.

After Empress Song left, Xie Jingyu looked at the emperor in confusion, "Why did the emperor say that my wife is pregnant?"

The emperor frowned, "Not pregnant?"

Xie Jingyu, “…”

How can they get pregnant when they haven't even consummated their marriage?

Xie Jingyu asked, "Who told the emperor that my wife was pregnant?"

"I dreamed about it."

Xie Jingyu, “…”

How can you take dreams seriously?

Thinking of how Chen Wan lied to the emperor and said that she dreamed that the emperor was assassinated, and the emperor did not doubt it at all, Xie Jingyu was speechless.

The emperor said, "If you haven't gotten pregnant yet, try harder and get pregnant as soon as possible."

"...I obey the decree."

Seeing Xie Jingyu's dark face, Eunuch An's shoulders trembled.

After finishing his work, Xie Jingyu took his leave. When he turned around, his eyes swept across the jade pendant on the dragon table.

When he left, he glanced at Eunuch An, and then Eunuch An left.

Eunuch An smiled and said, "Your Highness, do you have something to ask me?"

Xie Jingyu asked, "Was the jade pendant on the emperor's dragon table originally a pair?"

After hearing this, Eunuch An quickly asked, "How did the prince know this?"

Xie Jingyu said, "I picked up half a piece, and it's very similar to the one the emperor has..."

Xie Jingyu was afraid that he had seen it wrong, so he went to Eunuch An to ask and then take a look.

Before he could finish his words, Eunuch An turned around and went into the imperial study.

The emperor sat on the dragon throne, stroking the jade pendant, with a confused look on his face.

Eunuch An walked in and said, "Your Majesty, the other jade pendant you are looking for may have been found..."

The emperor stood up suddenly and asked, "Where is it?"

Eunuch An said, "Prince Jingbei said he saw half a piece, and it looked very similar to the one you have in your hand."

"Let him in."

Xie Jingyu stood outside the hall and did not leave. He had good hearing and heard every word that Eunuch An and the emperor said.

Soon, Eunuch An came out and gestured for invitation, and Xie Jingyu entered the hall again.

He walked over, and before he could salute, the emperor asked, "Have you seen this jade pendant?"

Xie Jingyu stepped forward, took the jade pendant, and looked it over. "The half I picked up and the one Your Majesty has, both in texture and craftsmanship, seem to be made by the same person. The only difference is that the back of that half has a 'sun' character carved on it..."

The emperor's heart was shocked and his expression flickered.

His voice trembled a little, "Where is the half of the jade pendant?"

Xie Jingyu said, "It's in my hands."

The emperor frowned, "How did it end up in your hands?"

Xie Jingyu said truthfully, "I found it a few days ago in the hills behind Huguo Temple."

The hill behind Huguo Temple...

How did you get there?

Eunuch An was puzzled. "Why would the prince pick up half a jade pendant?"

As the prince of Jingbei, he would not bend down to pick up even a single piece, let alone half a piece.

Xie Jingyu said, "I don't know who put it in my brocade robe and when. I thought it was strange, so I didn't throw it away."

This jade pendant must be very important to the emperor, otherwise Eunuch An would not have reported it to the emperor in a hurry while talking to him.

He had always wondered how that half jade pendant appeared on him...

With his martial arts skills, who could stuff something into his arms silently?

The Emperor ordered Eunuch An, "Go with him to the Jingbei Palace and retrieve the half jade pendant."

Xie Jingyu took his leave.

Eunuch An left Hanyuan Hall with Xie Jingyu.

When they arrived at the Prince of Jingbei's Mansion and entered Zhaolanxuan, Nanny Zheng had not left and was drinking tea in the main hall. When she knew that Eunuch An had come, Nanny Zheng looked very unhappy.

Now that Eunuch An is here, it is impossible for the thirty lashes to fall on the Princess Consort of Prince Jingbei.

Nanny Zheng put down the teacup and stood up to leave.

When Chen Wan came out, Eunuch An greeted her and then went to the study with Xie Jingyu. Chen Wan was tactful and did not follow them.

Xie Jingyu opened the drawer and handed the half jade pendant to Eunuch An.

Eunuch An turned it over and took a look. "It is indeed the jade pendant that the emperor is looking for..."

Xie Jingyu asked, "Whose jade pendant is this?"

Eunuch An shook his head. "The Emperor has been looking for this jade pendant for many years, but he didn't expect that only half of it was left—"

"If the prince can find the owner of the jade pendant, it will be a great achievement."

Xie Jingyu, “…”

He also thought he could find the owner of the jade pendant through the emperor.

Overthinking it.

"I will do my best to help the emperor find it."