Chapter 48: Substituting

I don't think you can get the answer just by asking this question.

But, we can't torture so many people, right?

But this is a scandal after all, and the three people involved will be talked about by people.

Over there, Concubine Ru came back after taking her pulse and taking the pregnancy medicine.

The emperor retracted his gaze and immediately signaled everyone to continue.

The third topic should be announced soon.

Du Ke stepped back and returned to his seat.

Everyone received the emperor's gaze, but did not dare to show any surprise.

Everyone still forced themselves to smile and pretend nothing had happened in front of Concubine Ru.

Gongsun Ying propped up his chin and looked at Pu Qiongzhi, as if to say: You did it, didn't you?

Even Ding Momo stared at her with pursed lips, her eyes firm, as if she had confirmed her guilt.

Only Pu Qiongzhi sipped the tea carefully by herself and asked Nangong Han, "Aunt, would you like to try some of this pickled hawthorn? It would help to reduce the bitterness."

"I'm feeling nauseous, bring it to me quickly! This medicine is really bitter!" Nangong Han immediately waved at her.

When the emperor saw that she was craving hawthorn, he was worried that it might be a boy because she liked sour food.

He took the hawthorn from Pu Qiongzhi and fed it to Nangong Han himself, "My beloved concubine has suffered, come--"

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I have wasted many years in the harem. Now I have finally given birth to children for Your Majesty. I am not suffering anymore." After eating the hawthorn, Nangong Han really felt better and her face became rosy.

When Concubine Pei, who was sitting below, saw the two of them like this, her heart felt more sour than eating hawthorn.

Her only disadvantage was that she had no children...

Pu Qiongzhi took in this scene and was confused.

At this time, Concubine Pei was feeling neglected and aggrieved. If she did something wrong and fell into the hands of the Queen... it was time to settle the years of hatred.

Gongsun Ying and Ding Momo looked at her and felt that she was so self-righteous, and couldn't help but sigh that this woman was really different.

With this open-mindedness, you will succeed in everything you do.

They probably could never have imagined that Pu Qiongzhi was still plotting against Concubine Pei even at this moment.

Pu Qiongzhi drank tea calmly, thinking about what words to use in the next round of poetry.

She plagiarized the lyrics from Pei Wanqing.

Because she was really curious about why Pei Wanqing knew her childhood poems and kept them all for herself.

And when she asked Sun Shisan to publicize that Pei Wanqing was the girl of destiny, her husband also took the opportunity to build momentum and add fuel to the fire, allowing her poems to be sung more widely.

So, she deliberately chose such a time to plagiarize her poems openly.

She planned this whole thing, using a trick to replace one thing with another, and it was done perfectly.

Although Du Ke didn't understand why she did this, he owed gambling debts outside the palace and could only rely on Pu Qiongzhi for his life.

Even if it means the family is being confiscated and the clan is being exterminated, he would have no choice but to risk his life to help!

But I didn't expect that this person was so well-connected that he could get away with it like this!

Seeing that Concubine Ru's lineage is about to make a comeback, it would be a wise choice to follow this family.

…

The banquet is over.

But everyone's focus was on this farce.

People are always unable to restrain their instinct to watch the fun.

This incident immediately sparked discussion.

Many scholars condemned this act of plagiarism, and this poetry reading was pushed to the forefront of public opinion.

Pu Qiongzhi didn't care about anything else. She only knew that Pei Wanqing's wish of being successfully selected to marry the Ninth Prince might not come true.

It's not because she's involved in this matter at this time, but...

In the palace.

After everyone had dispersed, Nangong Han tugged at the emperor's clothes and said, "Your Majesty, something unpleasant just happened, didn't it?"

"Don't worry, my dear concubine. These are just trivial matters." The emperor patted her hand.

Seeing that he didn't say anything, Nangong Han didn't bother to worry anymore. "From what I can see, all the ladies here today are great! This year's talent show is sure to be exciting!"

"Are you jealous, my dear?" The emperor laughed heartily at her jealous expression. "My dear, you are different from those little girls! How can they compare to you?"

"I heard that this time there's the extraordinary woman who saved people a while ago, Jiaoyang County Lady. It seems she's also of the right age to run for election?" Nangong Han acted as if she had only heard about it.

Speaking of her, the emperor's expression became more serious, and he restrained his smile a little, "This girl is very interesting."

"My beloved concubine, are you planning to find a husband for her?" he asked casually.

Nangong Han shook her head and said seriously, "The child in my belly is still young, how can I marry such a grown girl?"

The emperor seemed surprised by her answer and couldn't help laughing. "You! How foolish! When did I ever ask you to find a husband for my unborn child?"

"A few days ago, the Queen and Concubine Pei came to see me, saying they wanted to propose marriage for the Lord of Jiaoyang County."

"The Empress's son and the two princes have reached the marriageable age, so it is understandable that she is anxious. But, Concubine Pei is also worried about her niece's marriage? I wonder which family she is talking about? Is Prime Minister Pei interested?" Nangong Han acted as if she was just chatting with him, as if she really just asked by chance.

The emperor spoke leisurely, seemingly with a hint of sarcasm, "Noble Concubine Pei was referring to the Ninth Prince. However, Empress, it is quite unusual for you to have such thoughts about the Pei family!"

"I have heard some folk legends, which are true. They say that this girl is destined to be very noble!" Nangong Han said casually.

The emperor turned to look at her and asked, "My beloved concubine, which son do you think I should marry her to?"

"The Ninth Prince has a kind nature. If he were to marry Prime Minister Pei's daughter, I think Prime Minister Pei would be satisfied with such a son-in-law, right?"

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!

Nangong Han blinked her bright eyes and smiled, then changed the subject, "However, the Empress is the orthodox of the great clan, so she naturally has high hopes for the two princes and is very cautious in choosing her daughters-in-law."

"Who wouldn't like the character and appearance of Lady Jiaoyang? The Empress's family will also be satisfied," she concluded.

The emperor looked at her, seemingly not understanding which prince she wanted him to marry Pei Wanqing to after all she had said.

"Your Majesty." Nangong Han looked at him seriously, "Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven."

"Since this girl is the daughter of destiny, Your Majesty should take her as your concubine!"

The emperor was stunned, as if he had never considered this possibility.

"Your Majesty, compared to the other princes, I still think Your Majesty is more important!" Nangong Han said seriously.

When the emperor looked at her face, he realized that she had not yet given birth to a child and that he was her only support.

The Queen and Concubine Pei had distinguished family backgrounds and adult princes, so they would weigh the pros and cons and make calculations, but she only had him, so when encountering this incident, at the critical moment, she was the only one who wholeheartedly thought about herself.

"I am old enough to be her great-grandfather..." The emperor said this after a while.

Nangong Han could see that he was thinking, "All under heaven belongs to the king. All the people in the world are his subjects."

"Your Majesty is in the prime of life, and countless women want to marry you. My belly is proof of that! I think Miss Pei is the same!"

"The purpose of the selection was to choose a concubine for His Majesty. Moreover, it was also God's arrangement that she became the daughter of destiny at this time."

The emperor was now convinced by her. He scratched her nose and said, "My beloved concubine, you have taken a concubine for me. She is so virtuous. Aren't you jealous?"

"I believe that Your Majesty is reluctant to part with me and my child. If Your Majesty can get better, all my prayers to God over the years will be answered!" Although Nangong Han said this, she looked aggrieved.

Seeing her eyes were red, the emperor hurriedly comforted her, "Of course I can't bear to leave you and the child!"

"My beloved concubine is the only one in this palace who is truly sincere and devoted. How could I let her down?"