Chapter 46 "In the spring of the fifth year of Dingyuan, he traveled a thousand miles to protect his wife..."

Chapter 46: The Fifth Year of Dingyuan ==

In the early spring of the fifth year of the Dingyuan era, one crisis followed another in the capital. First, the Seventh Prince, who had just defeated the bandits of Qingzhou, was ambushed and fell off a cliff on his way back to the capital. Then, the Crown Princess of the Eastern Palace suffered a miscarriage, making it extremely difficult for her to have children in the future.

The imperial physician's words were rather tactful, but the underlying meaning was that the Crown Princess would likely have difficulty conceiving again.

Regardless of what happens in the future, the Crown Princess is currently the Crown Prince's principal wife and will soon become the Empress. She already holds this position and has no children...

A thick layer of dark clouds hung over the top of the East Palace. The servants all looked pale and gloomy, not daring to think about how their masters would live in the future.

The angrier one was Princess Zhaoning. Her elder sister had been perfectly fine just a few days ago, but because of those two people, her sister lost her baby. How could she accept this? Fortunately, her brother, the Crown Prince, was on her and her elder sister's side.

Princess Zhaoning's face was contorted with rage, her red-rimmed eyes filled with intense resentment.

Plate after plate of bloody liquid was brought out, and Princess Zhaoning felt nauseous. She covered her mouth and sat down on a round stool without saying a word.

Until she was completely cold and had no strength left, she suddenly heard her elder sister's weak voice from inside. Princess Zhaoning opened her eyes and struggled to go to the inner palace.

"Eldest sister."

The bedchamber had been completely transformed. The blood-stained sheets, clothes, and duvet covers had all been replaced with clean ones. Fresh mimosa flowers were placed beside the windows, masking the stench of blood and the strong smell of medicine in the room, as if nothing had happened.

But without a child, how could it be that nothing happened?

This was the first time Princess Zhaoning had ever been so heartbroken.

Seeing her younger sister like this, Lin Ruohan felt very distressed and called out, "Zhaoning."

Lin Ruohan's face was completely bloodless. She actually had a very charming appearance, with a raised eyebrow that exuded allure. However, due to her physical condition, she looked extremely weak at the moment. Her eyes were dim and she spoke in a weak voice.

She just didn't want to show her vulnerability in front of Princess Zhaoning, so she still had the leisure to force a smile and tell Princess Zhaoning not to worry.

"Elder sister, the imperial physician said..." Princess Zhaoning didn't even dare to touch her, and began to speak with sobs.

"Did the imperial physician say that I will never be able to conceive again?" Compared to Princess Zhaoning's panic, Lin Ruohan appeared very calm, so calm that it seemed as if she wasn't the one who was about to have an abortion.

“Elder sister, you are still young. After two or three more years of recuperation, you will definitely be able to conceive the Crown Prince’s child again.” Princess Zhaoning reached out and held Lin Ruohan’s cold hand, comforting her with a bitter face.

She really hated those two women to death. If it weren't for their insistence on visiting the East Palace, her elder sister wouldn't have been harmed so badly.

What Princess Zhaoning didn't know was that when Lin Ruohan heard that she could no longer have children, she wasn't sad, but rather relieved.

With waves of cramping pain in her abdomen and numbness in her hands and feet, Lin Ruohan managed to raise her hand to comfort Princess Zhaoning, "Zhaoning, your elder sister wants to rest for a while. You should go back to your room first."

Princess Zhaoning pouted, clearly unwilling.

But Lin Ruohan didn't give her that chance. Her expression suddenly turned serious, and her voice became stern. "Zhaoning, be good."

Lin Ruohan's wet nurse shook her head at Princess Zhaoning, who had no choice but to leave reluctantly. The wet nurse, who had watched the two young masters grow up, spoke up for Princess Zhaoning, "Actually, the princess is only acting this way because she is worried about the Crown Princess. Crown Princess, please don't be angry about this."

Lin Ruohan wasn't angry about these things, but rather because there were many things she couldn't control.

Where is the Crown Prince now?

The wet nurse gave Lin Ruohan a meaningful look. "Your Highness, Princess Cheng and the Seventh Princess have already gone to the palace. His Highness said he will definitely seek justice for his master."

Today's events happened suddenly. They were far away at the time and didn't see clearly what was going on. Everything today was so coincidental that it seemed to have been arranged in advance, which made the wet nurse somewhat suspicious.

Lin Ruohan fell silent for a moment, her already pale face looking even whiter. She spoke weakly, "Nanny, you may leave now."

"Then this servant will take her leave."

Only when the bedchamber was empty did Lin Ruohan burst into uncontrollable laughter. However, this laughter wasn't directed at others, but at herself; she felt utterly ridiculous.

In the second year of Dingyuan, the General of the State and his eldest son died on the battlefield. The war was later quelled by Prince Cheng, Xiao Yu. However, when the news reached the capital, the General of the State's wife could not accept the fact and hanged herself. Among the direct descendants, only Lin Ruohan and Princess Zhaoning remained. That year, Lin Ruohan was thirteen years old and Princess Zhaoning was ten years old.

The Great General who protected the country died for Bei Li and its people. His Majesty treated Lin Ruohan and Princess Zhaoning very well, and the Empress even allowed them to stay in the palace temporarily. Lin Ruohan was very grateful, but because of this, she also came into contact with the current Crown Prince Xiao Ruofei.

That day, Lin Ruohan took her younger sister out of the palace to watch a play, and Xiao Ruofei followed. He even deliberately sent Princess Zhaoning away, and then he wanted to marry Lin Ruohan. Lin Ruohan's first reaction was that it was particularly absurd. "Your Highness may not know, but my parents arranged a marriage between me and Young Master Xie before I was even born. So I thank Your Highness for your kindness, but I cannot offer anything else."

Lin Ruohan had liked Xie Cheng even when her father and brother were still alive, so how could she possibly agree to the Crown Prince's request? However, the Crown Prince had anticipated her reaction. He smiled and said, "Miss Lin is being modest. An engagement can be broken off. I really like a woman like Miss Lin who has both a good family background and good looks."

Lin Ruohan's face immediately turned cold. In her opinion, the Crown Prince, who was praised by everyone for his respect for the virtuous and talented, should not be like this. "I urge Your Highness to have some self-respect."

"General Lin and Young Master Lin swore to defend the capital and protect the people of Beili, making great contributions. I also admire General Lin very much, so I am willing to take good care of his daughter, Miss Lin. Now, only I can protect you in this capital."

Lin Ruohan refused to believe his words because she still had the Xie family mansion.

"The Xie family is a century-old aristocratic family. Miss Lin's marriage to Xie Cheng was originally just because of their social standing. Now that you no longer have the protection of the General's Mansion, the Xie family has complicated relationships. Can you guarantee that you won't be mistreated after you marry into the family? Miss Lin herself is not afraid of being mistreated, but what about your sister? Are you planning to take your sister to live under someone else's roof?"

For Lin Ruohan, who had lost her father and brother first, and then her mother, her younger sister was her only weakness. Compared to her fiancé, her blood-related sister was definitely more important, and Lin Ruohan's attitude clearly softened considerably.

"I assure you that I will grant you the position of Crown Princess. Once this marriage is settled, I will petition my father to grant your younger sister the position of Princess. In the future, I will choose a husband for her who is from a good family and talented. Also, the Xie family, since they have such a deep connection with Miss Lin, I will certainly not treat them unfairly in the future."

Lin Ruohan naturally believed the Crown Prince's words, and for this reason, she did not hesitate to completely sever ties with Xie Cheng and the Xie Guogong Mansion, choosing to marry the Crown Prince. However, after she actually entered the Eastern Palace, this cage, she realized that it was all a big deception.

The so-called request for the title of Princess Zhaoning was actually a lie. The General of the State was a loyal and virtuous family, and the Emperor had already prepared to grant the title of Princess Zhaoning to them.

Furthermore, the succession will not mistreat the Xie family, because the Xie father and son have long seen through the current crown prince's hypocrisy, and Xie Cheng has been on good terms with Prince Cheng for a long time, which is why Xiao Ruofei is wary. Xiao Ruofei wants to use Lin Ruohan to deal with the Xie family, and all those pretty words are just to deceive her.

It's also her own fault for being stupid and misjudging people, which dragged her sister down with her.

Now she has to apologize to even more people.

Using his own child to frame another vulnerable woman—how could he even think of that? King Cheng was sent to Fuzhou by the Emperor, perhaps not to investigate the truth. He himself, feeling guilty, set his sights on King Cheng's wife, hoping to use her to divert attention and point the finger at King Cheng, who was thousands of miles away.

Little did he know that once this matter was exposed, would he be able to bear the guilt of murdering his own brother, framing his sister-in-law, and not even sparing his own flesh and blood?

Lin Ruohan tasted a metallic sweetness in her throat, and she kept her eyes tightly shut.

***

Inside the palace, the atmosphere was even more tense. When Eunuch Zhou served tea and water, he walked very quietly, afraid of displeasing the emperor.

The Crown Princess Consort suddenly suffered a miscarriage, and this matter has even been linked to Princess Cheng. What kind of mess is this?

Even though Eunuch Zhou wasn't present, his first instinct was that Princess Cheng wasn't the one who did this. Princess Cheng wasn't the Crown Prince's woman, so why would she want to harm the Crown Princess? If Princess Cheng was worried that the Crown Princess's child would be detrimental to Prince Cheng's position, then who knows whether the Crown Princess is carrying a boy or a girl?

Eunuch Zhou was still more inclined to believe that the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess had orchestrated the whole thing, but even so, it didn't make sense. After all, the Crown Princess was carrying the Crown Prince's own child, and no matter what grudge or resentment there was, she shouldn't have used her child as a gamble.

Putting everything else aside, with this child, the Crown Prince's palace has an extra layer of protection, Zhou Gonggong sighed inwardly.

The emperor sat on the dragon throne, his gaze sharp as an eagle, and remained silent.

Seated to the left at the lower end of the table were Su Wanyue and the Seventh Princess, while to the right sat the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince's gaze towards Su Wanyue and the Seventh Princess was practically spitting fire. Among them, the most composed was surprisingly Su Wanyue. The Emperor couldn't describe his feelings; he just wanted to laugh. "Crown Prince, what do you say?"

"Father, the truth is that my third sister-in-law lost her footing, causing Ruohan to fall to the ground and lose her child. I believe that my third sister-in-law did not do it on purpose. However, people's hearts are unpredictable. Ruohan was carrying my first child. My third sister-in-law knew that Ruohan's pregnancy was unstable in the first three months, yet she did not take good care of Ruohan. This makes me suspicious." Xiao Ruofei stated frankly, looking troubled.

He kept saying he didn't doubt Su Wanyue, but his words implied that Su Wanyue had ulterior motives.

The Seventh Princess was an impatient person, and she got angry as soon as she heard this. She made a move to argue with the Crown Prince, but Su Wanyue stopped her.

The Emperor gave Xiao Ruofei a meaningful look with his eagle-like gaze, which made Xiao Ruofei lower his head involuntarily. He felt a sense of unease, as if his father knew something.

The Emperor no longer felt the same disappointment in the Crown Prince; he was simply disillusioned. He used to think the Crown Prince was incompetent and ruthless, but now he thought he was incredibly foolish to gamble with a child. Did the Emperor think the Crown Prince was exceptionally shrewd and had come up with a brilliant plan?

The Emperor coughed heavily, his voice authoritative without being angry, "Princess Consort Cheng, do you have anything to say?"

Xiao Ruofei glanced at Su Wanyue with a hint of smugness, as if to see if she had anything else to say.

Su Wanyue had a pair of bright, almond-shaped eyes that were gentle and captivating when she looked at people. However, at this moment, her eyes held no tenderness or smile; instead, they were sharp. "Your Majesty," she said, "I went to the East Palace today at the invitation of the Crown Princess. Because the Crown Princess is pregnant, my wife and the Seventh Princess were extremely careful. When the Crown Princess suggested going to see the daffodils in the pond, my wife and the Seventh Princess tried to stop her, fearing that it might harm the unborn child. As for why I slipped, I was tripped by Princess Zhaoning, and all those accompanying me can testify to this. Furthermore, when I let go of the Crown Princess's hand, the Seventh Princess had already helped her up. May I ask Your Highness, do I possess the ability to push Your Highness down from a distance?"

With just one sentence, Xiao Ruofei was rendered speechless.

Xiao Ruofei's face turned pale and then red, but he refused to admit it. "My third sister-in-law has already done it. So what can I say? She must have already come up with a reason. I have nothing to say."

Eunuch Zhou closed his eyes slightly. His Highness the Crown Prince was truly becoming a clown.

The Emperor asked the Seventh Princess what had happened. The Seventh Princess glared angrily at Xiao Ruofei, and then recounted what had happened in the Eastern Palace to the Emperor, her account almost identical to that of Su Wanyue.

Your Majesty: "Even with witnesses, the Crown Prince still believes it was Princess Cheng who did it. What are your reasons?"

Xiao Ruofei had already prepared an explanation: "Ruohan is carrying the Emperor's eldest grandson, which will inevitably arouse jealousy from others. Third brother's wife and third brother's wife are one family, so perhaps this matter was instigated by third brother's wife."

Considering that the other party was a princess of a country, the crown prince still kept his words in check. After all, the person he was dealing with was Xiao Yu, not the woman in front of him.

The Emperor was almost amused by these words, which were full of loopholes, yet he spoke with such conviction, as if afraid that others wouldn't notice the problem.

The Emperor's expression was colder than iron. "Since there are witnesses, Eunuch Li..."

"This old servant is here."

His Majesty said, "Take all the palace servants present to the Department of Cautious Punishment for interrogation, and make them think carefully about whether the Crown Princess fell on her own or because of Princess Cheng."

As was the Emperor's order, Eunuch Zhou carried it out exactly as it was written, and the first to be affected were the Seventh Princess and Su Wanyue's maids.

Qin'er was open-minded. If it wasn't their princess who did it, then even if they beat her to death, she wouldn't know.

The maid behind the Seventh Princess looked at her pleadingly, hoping she could save her. The Seventh Princess was so angry that her eyes turned red, and she wished she could go find Consort Qin right now.

But His Majesty had already anticipated the Seventh Princess's thoughts. He said in a calm voice, "Seventh Princess, don't be willful. Only in this way can your sister-in-law be cleared of all wrongdoing."

Su Wanyue pursed her lips into a straight line. In that brief moment, she realized that if she really let them into the Censorate, then she would be doing something that was just a matter of the Emperor's word.

Since she came to Beili last March, the Emperor has always protected the Crown Prince in any matter, whether it's a matter of the court or something else. Even though the Emperor clearly knows that the Crown Prince may have orchestrated this himself, he may still choose to protect him.

Su Wanyue stopped Qin'er from walking towards the center with her slender hand and said softly, "If Father Emperor wants to know who did this, why not arrest the imperial physician who examined the Crown Princess and interrogate him severely? He will surely get the answer."

"Oh," the Emperor narrowed his eyes, clearly displeased.

At the same time, the sound of rapid hoofbeats was galloping towards the West Gate. The person on the horse was dressed in a purple robe and jade belt, with his hair tied up in a cloud crown, and his demeanor was exceptionally elegant and graceful.

The soldier guarding the western gate rubbed his eyes, and when he saw who it was, he knelt down abruptly, "Your Highness Prince Cheng."