Chapter 148 I bumped into you on purpose

The shameful secrets between Xiao Jinhuan and the Queen, as well as the old case of framing Lu Zhaoyi, could no longer be concealed and were laid out before Emperor Chengxuan.

Anger, disappointment, heartache, all these complex emotions tightened the emperor's heart like poison ivy.

He almost gritted his teeth as he issued the cold decree:

"Deposed Crown Prince Xiao Jinhuan is disobedient and unfilial, colluding with foreign enemies, and plotting rebellion. The evidence is irrefutable. Effective immediately, he will be demoted to a commoner and confined to the inner court, where he will not be allowed to leave unless he is dead."

"Empress Tong, your moral integrity is flawed. You have allowed your son to commit evil, making you unworthy of your role as mother to the nation. Effective immediately, you will be deposed and moved to the Changmen Cold Palace. No one is allowed to visit you without my written permission."

Emperor Chengxuan knew that only by meeting Zhang Zhenghe could he get a glimpse of the complete truth about Concubine Lu and the past that was completely distorted and buried by conspiracy and time.

He was eager to know what kind of life she had lived after leaving the palace, and how she died.

However, as soon as this thought came to his mind, a rare hesitation, almost cowardly, arose in his heart.

He was a little afraid to face it, afraid of hearing more unbearable details from that person that would prove how foolish and credulous he was back then.

He found an excuse for delaying.

The young master's full-moon banquet will be held in two days. Once the festive atmosphere in the palace has dispelled the gloom of these days, it won't be too late to summon Zhang Zhenghe into the palace for questioning.

…

The full moon banquet in the East Palace.

The time for the banquet was approaching. Xie Jinglan changed his clothes in the mansion and looked at his son with a deep look in his eyes.

He waved away the servants, squatted down, and looked Xibao in the eye. "Xibao, do you miss your mother?"

Upon hearing this, little Xibao's big, dark eyes immediately became misty, and his little mouth slowly turned down as he said in a baby voice, "I miss... I miss my mother so much..."

Xie Jinglan felt a pang of pain in his heart, but he could only silently say: I'm sorry, son, daddy has to use you.

He whispered in an encouraging and suggestive tone, "Xibao may be a man, but a man shouldn't hold back if he misses his mother. The louder you cry, the more mother will know you're thinking of her, and she'll be back soon."

These words seemed to have accurately hit the softest and most fragile part of the little dumpling's heart.

Little Xibao sobbed softly at first, then he became more and more sad as he thought about it, his heart dropping with a clatter. Finally, he couldn't help it any longer and burst into tears. His little body trembled with sobs, and he was extremely sad.

The noise immediately attracted the old lady and the maids and nannies.

The old lady was so distressed that she quickly came over and hugged her great-grandson, "Hey, what happened? Tell me quickly, who offended our Xibao?"

Little Xibao was crying so hard that he couldn't speak coherently. He just kept sobbing: "I miss... I miss my mother... Wuwu... I need my mother..."

The old lady was both distressed and helpless, her tone becoming increasingly firm, "Look at what this child wants... How long will His Majesty wait before he finally agrees? If... If His Majesty still refuses to grant my wish, I will risk my reputation and beg His Majesty to let Ning'er come back to see the child!"

Xie Jinglan stood aside, looking at his crying son and excited grandmother, his lips tightly pursed.

…

The East Palace is decorated with lights and colorful lanterns today, and the young master's full moon banquet is held according to the custom, which is solemn and festive.

When the wet nurse carried the little prince, who was dressed in a bright red auspicious robe, out of the hall, he was met with a chorus of admiration and congratulations.

After the ceremony, the banquet began, with the sound of stringed instruments and the clinking of glasses, creating a royal atmosphere.

Halfway through the banquet, the atmosphere became slightly relaxed.

After Wen Ning accompanied the wet nurse to send the young prince back to the Crown Princess's bedroom, she returned to the banquet alone along the garden path.

When we reached a secluded rockery, we suddenly heard a suppressed sobbing sound of a woman.

She subconsciously stopped and looked through the cracks in the rocks. She saw the Fifth Princess, in a drunken state, pressing Xu Song tightly against the rockery, almost lying on his chest.

"Wuwuwu...Mother and brother...They don't want me anymore...What should I do in the future...Wuwuwu..."

Xu Song's body was stiff, his hands nervously raised at his sides, not daring to touch her at all. He could only whisper, "Your Highness...you've drunk too much...this is really inappropriate..."

The Fifth Princess was even more grief-stricken upon hearing this. She clenched her fists and pounded his chest. "That's not right! All you do all day is say it's not right! You even... you even embraced this princess, and now you're pretending to be a gentleman! All you do all day is preach your high principles, like an old scholar! Old scholar!"

Xu Song's ears flushed red at her words, but he still insisted, "I dare not! That day, I was in a desperate situation and wanted to save Your Highness..."

"Do you also despise me? Do you also think that I am a guilty person like my mother and my brother?"

The fifth princess interrupted him and questioned with tears in her eyes.

Xu Song's throat rolled, and looking at her red eyes, his voice softened a little, "It's not like that, Your Highness does not need to listen to others... Although Your Highness... Although he is sometimes willful, he has a pure nature..." This was the most excessive compliment he could say.

The fifth princess raised her tearful face to look at him, and suddenly grabbed his collar, "Then will you marry me? Xu Song, I don't want to stay in the palace anymore... Will you marry me..."

"Your Highness is drunk. I will take you back right away." Xu Song turned his head away and tried to avoid him.

During the argument, the fifth princess suddenly stood on tiptoe and her drunken lips bumped into his.

Wen Ning then realized what a private moment she had intruded upon. Her face flushed as she hurriedly stepped back, trying to leave quietly.

Unexpectedly, just as he took two steps back, his back bumped into a warm and solid chest.

A familiar cool breath instantly enveloped her.

A low, smiling voice sounded from above her head, "When did Ning'er develop this... habit of prying into other people's privacy?"

Wen Ning suddenly raised her head and met Xie Jinglan's lowered eyes with a smile.

The stern face with tough lines was close at hand. The marks carved between his brows by the hardships of the battlefield seemed to be deeper than before, and his jaw was also much thinner, making his outline more distinct.

When he tilted his head slightly, a red and swollen mark that had not yet completely subsided was revealed on the side of his neck, obviously left by a poisonous insect bite.

Wen Ning's heart seemed to be tugged by something, and the embarrassment she had just felt was instantly replaced by a surge of heartache.

She blushed and said, "I, I just happened to see it..."

"But I ran into you on purpose." As he spoke, the man's big hand grasped her hand and easily led her to the more hidden shadow on the other side of the rockery.

Xie Jinglan's fingertips sensitively touched the unusual roughness of her palm.

He looked down and saw that his originally soft and white palms were covered with clear red marks and thin calluses, which were left by repeated friction with the reins.

"Ning'er..." His voice instantly became hoarse, filled with endless heartache and regret. He suddenly hugged her tightly in his arms, his hot lips pressed against her ear, and he murmured in a low voice over and over again, "I'm sorry... It's my fault... I made you worry about me... It's all my fault..."