Chapter 79 The Empress Blames Her for Neglecting Her Duty as Princess

Xie Shang sneered. Jiang Jinyan had already confessed to him in order to protect Jiang Fenghua. It was Jiang Jinyan who knocked her unconscious and threw her into the side hall, and then stripped that man naked and threw him into Consort Su's palace. Who would have thought that Consort Su would go and seduce a man and lose her virginity, and was eventually banished to the Cold Palace.

Perhaps the Emperor had feelings for Consort Su and didn't kill her; or perhaps the Emperor was wary of the Su family and spared Consort Su's life.

It was this woman who instigated Wanwan to borrow money everywhere, but Wanwan couldn't see through her true colors. He didn't expose her, only wanting Wanwan to know the wickedness of people's hearts.

Su Tingwan trusted Yunfang completely and had already rehearsed her story: "Yes, Aunt Yunfang has gone home."

"I remember Wanwan saying that day that she didn't know where she went, so how do you know she went home now?" Xie Shang stared at Su Tingwan with eyes that were no longer as tender as before, but instead revealed a coldness.

Su Tingwan was a little nervous, not expecting Xie Shang to turn on her so suddenly.

Yunfang reacted quickly, "It was me who returned today. When the concubine asked me where I had been, I told her that I had gone home to visit my grandmother. It was because my grandmother suddenly fell seriously ill and I was in a hurry to get back that I did not ask the concubine for leave."

“Yes, I just found out too,” Su Tingwan said.

Xie Shang remained calm and said, "Since that's the case, then you should serve the concubine well from now on." Wanwan couldn't see through Yunfang's tricks.

"Yes." Yunfang replied excitedly.

At this moment, Lianye came over and said, "Your Highness, the Princess Consort has been summoned to the palace by the Empress."

Xie Shang suddenly stood up from his seat. "Why did Mother summon the Princess to the palace?"

Lianye glanced at Su Tingwan, her eyes red-rimmed, her heart filled with resentment. "Her Majesty the Empress knows that Consort Su did not return home all night. The messenger said that the Princess is invited to the palace for a reprimand."

Xie Shang frowned deeply, thinking that it must have been Granny Wang who had sent the message to the palace. Granny Wang had always been the Empress Dowager's spy planted in the Prince's residence.

Lianye put on a show, “Yesterday, my princess was in the manor with the prince. The concubine has her own feet. If she wants to run away from home, how can my princess control her? Usually, when she is in the manor, the concubine never hangs around in front of my princess. Now that she is gone, it is all my princess’s fault. This servant sees that Concubine Su is fine, isn’t she?”

Although my princess is the prince's lawfully wedded wife, the prince did not ask her to manage this vast palace, nor did he ask her to lock Consort Su up in the palace and prevent her from leaving.

My princess has never suffered such injustice since she was a child, nor has she ever owed anyone a single penny. My eldest son, second daughter, master and mistress, all of them dote on her like precious jewels. Yet, the daughter of the Junior Tutor becomes the Princess of Heng and has to suffer such filthy injustice for no reason.

The princess keeps everything bottled up inside. She's kind-hearted and doesn't want to compete with the concubine, but I just can't stand it! Why should all the blame and slander be thrown at my princess?

Lianye suddenly knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Xie Shang, "This servant said something that offended the concubine today. This servant was wrong, please punish me, Your Highness."

Xie Shang was completely bewildered, remembering how happy he and Jiang Fenghua had been that morning.

Because Su Tingwan was using her name to borrow money everywhere, he sought out Jiang Fenghua to appease her, but he never imagined that she was the daughter of the Junior Tutor. The Jiang family was a noble and respectable family, and they could not tolerate such rumors.

If Jiang Fenghua's reputation for owing money everywhere were to spread, it wouldn't be enough to simply pay back the money, nor would it be enough for him to give her face and announce her status as a princess to the public to clear her name. Even the maids felt that their mistress's reputation had been tarnished, yet she never complained to him once.

On the contrary, as soon as he heard that Wanwan was not at home, he rushed to find her. It was Wanwan who did this. Not only was she not punished, but Jiang Fenghua bore all the blame. The Empress Dowager was angry and must have thought that Jiang Fenghua had not been a good Princess Consort of Heng, so she naturally blamed everything on her.

Despite Wanwan's repeated disrespect towards Jiang Fenghua, he never scolded her; instead, he always chose to forgive her.

Jiang Fenghua liked him, but she never asked anything of him.

This time, even if the Empress Dowager knows the truth, she will still blame her for the Princess's dereliction of duty.

It was also his own fault for not handing over the management of the Prince's residence to Jiang Fenghua earlier. Steward Cheng was right; giving the Princess some power made Wanwan more restrained. Otherwise, if he secretly covered for Wanwan again next time, it would be Jiang Fenghua who would be hurt.

Xie Shang had no face to punish Jiang Fenghua's maid. The maid's words implied that he had been unfair and had been protecting Su Tingwan.

He turned and walked out, unaware of what had happened.

Su Tingwan grabbed his arm and said, "Your Highness, I only went back to the Su family. Why is the Empress angry with me? She has never liked me. She is clearly using this as an excuse to make trouble for Wanwan."

Xie Shang shook off her hand and said in a deep voice, "You only went back to the Su family, but she is my princess consort. She is in charge of everything in the palace. Why didn't you inform the princess consort when you left the palace?"

“I…” Su Tingwan was dumbfounded.

Xie Shang walked away without looking back. Su Tingwan had never seen him with such a cold look in his eyes. Even when she drugged him, he would only get angry. But now he was so anxious when he heard that Jiang Fenghua was going to the palace for a lecture.

Yunfang knew the rules of the palace. If the Empress found out about this, Su Tingwan would have no way to escape punishment unless she went to apologize.

She said, "You've just reconciled with Prince Heng, Consort, hurry and follow the Prince to the palace to apologize to the Empress. You must show weakness now to make the Prince feel sorry for you..."

Su Tingwan quickly chased after her.

Lianye gave Yunfang a deep look, and only after she passed Yunfang did she wipe away her tears. "Once Prince Heng personally hands over the reins of the palace to my princess, I'll deal with you slowly."

At this point, Su Tingwan was caught in a dilemma: whether she went to the palace or not, she was truly in a bind.

Go ahead, there's something good waiting for you in the palace!

The Imperial Palace.

Empress Cheng, dressed in a bright red palace gown, sat at the head of the table, dignified and majestic, exuding an aura of power.

She said in a deep voice, "I thought you were a promising person who could win over Prince Heng's heart and replace Su Tingwan in his heart. I never expected you to be so cowardly. You let Su Tingwan run wild, taking my money and traveling around. She impersonated you, and you didn't dare to say a word. Now you even let her leave the mansion without permission and not return all night. Is this how you, as a princess, manage the inner quarters of the mansion?"

Jiang Fenghua knelt respectfully before the Empress, saying, "Your Majesty, please calm down. The Prince has always favored Consort Su. Even the servants in the manor know that Consort Su is the Prince's darling. I have been trying my best to make the Prince like me. I really didn't know that she would use my name to borrow money everywhere... It was only later when Steward Cheng came to ask me that I found out."

"Hmph, what's the use of saying all this now? Jiang Fenghua, the daughter of the dignified Jiang Shaofu and the wife of Prince Heng, is in debt everywhere. Even if I know it was her who did it, she used your name. You are the Princess Consort of Heng. In the end, it is Prince Heng and my son who will lose face."

Empress Cheng had already received the news from Steward Cheng. She was furious when she learned about this. Whether it was a concubine or a princess, if someone did such a thing, in the end, it was always her son who would be blamed.