Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Shock
"Come here, take this adulterer down."
Tong Jia's eyes were filled with excitement. Ever since Li Gege died, she had no clue about Nara's affair. Unexpectedly, the secret sentry in the Forbidden City discovered a big surprise.
Li Gege was her spy hidden in the backyard of her fourth cousin. She originally wanted to use Li Gege as a pawn to use solid evidence to win over Nara clan in front of her fourth cousin.
Unexpectedly, Li Gege died suddenly for no apparent reason.
Until now, she has never had the opportunity to place any pawns in the backyard of Prince's Mansion.
"How can there be an adulterer? Only unmediated conjugal love can be considered adultery. The Fourth Master and I have sworn homage to heaven and earth. Even if we did something in the colorful boat today, it was only the pleasure of husband and wife."
Chu Xian was not in a hurry. She raised her head to adjust the collar of her fur coat, hooked her furry white Longhua scarf, winked at her "adulterer", and stood obediently beside him.
Yinzhen laughed silently and looked coldly at his cousin whose hair was covered with jewels and jade.
"Grandson Yinzhen, respectfully wishes the Empress Dowager her best wishes." Yinzhen knelt.
The Empress Dowager heard the slightly cold tone in Yinzhen's voice and raised an eyebrow in surprise: "Yinzhen, why are you dressed like this?"
"Reporting to the Empress Dowager, my grandson will be in charge of the Ministry of Justice starting in August. Today, I'm disguised as a scholar to investigate the bookshops in Beijing that are illegally printing banned books."
Yinzhen bowed and reported calmly.
"So that's how it is. If you hadn't spoken just now, I would have almost not recognized you. You're the same. You're out and about with your wife, but you didn't even change your status."
"Luckily, I was the one who saw it today. If others had seen it, they would have gossiped about it and tarnished the reputation of the Nala family."
"What the Royal Madam is teaching is that my grandson is not thoughtful enough."
"Are you really the Fourth Prince? You don't look like it... I heard there are ventriloquist who can mimic other people's appearances and voices, almost indistinguishable from the real thing."
Tong Jia was unwilling to accept this and always felt that something was wrong with her fourth cousin. Her people had clearly reported that her fourth cousin was handling official business in the Ministry of Justice today and had not left the office all day.
Therefore, she instigated her aunt to bring the empress dowager and other ladies to catch the adulterer.
It couldn't possibly be my fourth cousin. He had never looked at anyone with such a gentle and affectionate gaze.
Tong Jia gnashed her teeth in jealousy.
"Oh, my cousin and I are childhood sweethearts. Even the Queen Mother could recognize me. I didn't expect that you couldn't even recognize me after sleeping in the same bed with me for so long?"
Yinzhen calmly took the wet handkerchief handed to him by Su Peisheng and wiped off the disguise on his face in front of everyone.
Seeing her fourth cousin's stern face, Tong Jia gritted her teeth and hid beside her aunt: "Fourth cousin, calm down. I'm just worried that Fu Jin will be deceived by evil people."
"Yes, Fourth Prince, I heard a few days ago that a scandal broke out in the capital where a thief disguised himself and defiled women in the boudoir. It's right for Su Xin to be cautious."
"Better safe than sorry, Concubine Tong did a great job. Yinzhen, the icy lake is slippery, so please take good care of your wife."
"There are also the twins in Concubine Tong's belly, who must be taken care of. They are all your own flesh and blood, and you must not favor one over the other."
"Su Xin, you are pregnant, you don't have to stay with me anymore. Go back home with Yinzhen and his wife as soon as possible." After the empress dowager gave some earnest instructions, she boarded the snow boat with everyone and left.
Tong Jia protected her abdomen with her hands, lowered her head and did not dare to look at her fourth cousin who had a gloomy face.
"Everyone go down." Yinzhen said coldly.
Chu Xian obediently held Xian Rong and Sui Qing's hands tightly. After taking a few steps, she was pulled back into the arms of the Fourth Master: "I didn't say anything about you."
"Oh..." Chu Xian held the Fourth Master's hand obediently.
At this time, there were only three people left on the ice lake.
"Cousin, today in front of your cousin's wife, there are some things that need to be made clear. Marrying you is only a temporary solution. You know it in your heart. The father of the two little princes in your belly is the crown prince. Your cousin's wife knows it very well."
"Fourth cousin, stop talking, stop talking, please stop talking..." Tong Jia had never expected that her cousin would tell Nara such a shameful secret.
She had been fighting openly and secretly with the Nara clan for many years and had never lost the upper hand. Today, she had completely lost her dignity and pride and was laughed at by the Nara clan.
Endless resentment welled up in Tong Jia's heart. If her cousin had not broken his promise that day, how could she have been defiled by the prince and become pregnant?
Her cousin trampled on her dignity and got along well with Nara, while she became a complete laughing stock.
When she thought of her cousin telling her ugly deeds as a joke in front of Nara, she felt dizzy and wished she could cut off Nara's ears immediately.
"Cousin, you must serve the prince well from now on. If you need help from your cousin and your cousin's wife, you can send someone to the front yard to find Su Peisheng."
"The Crown Prince and I have already discussed today that the West Garden where you live will be a separate place."
"What do you mean by being independent? What do you mean, cousin? Don't you care about me anymore?" Tong Jia was completely panicked.
The West Garden and the rear house were separated by a locked moon-shaped gate. When her mother came to visit, she had already complained about the moon-shaped gate.
If her cousin does something else, how will she justify herself?
"Cousin, you are the prince's concubine after all, so I need to avoid suspicion. It's getting late, so please return home early. The prince will come to dine with you today."
Yinzhen was too lazy to say more. He held Fu Jin's hand tightly and turned to get on the carriage.
Tong Jia was so frightened that she almost fell to the ground. She immediately asked someone to prepare a carriage and rush back to the Fourth Prince's Mansion.
Tong Jia returned to the West Garden with a worried look on her face. She anxiously went around the flower wall and headed towards the damn moon-shaped gate.
Both sides of the moon gate were locked.
She only told others that her fourth cousin did not want other women in the backyard to disturb her peace, so he specially installed a moon-shaped door in her residence and gave her the key. If she wanted to go to the backyard, she could enter through the moon-shaped door at any time.
Only she knew that behind the moon-shaped door, there was another door, which was tightly closed. If she needed to go to the backyard of the Fourth Prince's Mansion, she had to knock on the door and report to her fourth cousin.
He will be accompanied by a nanny and a eunuch sent by the prince, and no less than three servants, and can only meet his fourth cousin in the study in the front yard.
She has completely become the prince's plaything and canary. The prince does not allow her to see any other men except eunuchs.
"Qingshuang, bring the key."
Tong Jia covered her chest tightly and spoke in a panic.
She held her breath and opened the door, only to find that the door leading to the backyard of the Prince's Mansion was sealed with blue bricks. Tears of humiliation fell helplessly.
"Miss, Lord Beile is so heartless. How are you going to explain this to your mistress when she comes to visit you next month?" Qingshuang shed tears secretly.
"I'll tell you that Nara treated me harshly, and my fourth cousin loved me so much that he had the door to the backyard sealed shut to prevent Nara from bullying me by relying on her status as the legitimate wife."
"But young lady, the father of these young princes is the crown prince. If Madam knew, she would..."
"Shut up! You must never let my family know that I have an affair with the prince. My husband, Tong Jia Suxin, can only be my fourth cousin, and the father of the little princes must be my fourth cousin."
The Tongjia clan and the Hesheli clan are sworn enemies. If my wife's family knew about this...
Tong Jia was trembling with fear and gritted her teeth, "Don't let my family know about this, or you will all die."
"Miss, the prince has arrived incognito, and his carriage has entered the inner house through the corner gate."
"You go and serve the prince first. I'll go change my clothes first."
Tong Jia's gloom disappeared, and when she turned around, she put on a gentle and bright smile.
After being affectionate with the prince, Tong Jia spoke pitifully and tactfully about the matter of sealing the door.
"Don't blame Fourth Brother for this. It was my idea."
Although the prince said this, he was unhappy in his heart.
Fourth brother mentioned the taboo in the back house today in a vague way, and was unwilling to cover up his shame, either openly or secretly.
That green wall was not only a slap in the face to Tong Jia, but also a slap in the face to him.
He had no doubt that his fourth brother would do something inappropriate to Tong Jia, but his fourth brother judged others by his own standards.
He is the crown prince of the Qing Dynasty and the future new emperor. How could he condescend to touch the women in his fourth brother's harem?
Fourth brother, don't you even look at those vulgar women in his backyard...
The prince was distracted for a moment and put up his hand to cover his blurry eyes.
No, there was indeed someone in Fourth Brother’s backyard who had haunted him for years and he could not forget her.
The prince closed his eyes dejectedly, thinking that it would be good if a green wall could completely block the obsession that had lingered in his heart for many years.
That night at Hongluo Temple, he was only one step away from successfully getting married to her. This year, his child with her should enter the Wuyi Zhai primary school in the south wing on the east side of the Qianqing Gate.
How could he not know why he was always obsessed with coming here?
It was not that he was bewitched by Tong Jia. To this day, he could not even remember Tong Jia's maiden name, but he remembered the name Ulanara Chu Xian in his heart.
His life was smooth and everything he wanted was easily obtained.
Only Nara is right in front of us, but hard to come by.
What are Fourth Brother and Nara doing at this hour? What else can they do? They are just enjoying the joys of husband and wife.
With a rage in his heart, the prince turned over in frustration and vented all his anger on Tong Jia.
Across the wall, Chu Xian held the fallen red plum in her hands and sniffed it gently.
"Fujin, they say the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold. This year, with the heavy snow and wind, the plum blossoms are even more fragrant than before."
Xianrong pinned the fragrant red plum blossoms on her hair.
Chu Xian handed the plum blossoms to Sui Qing and shook her head. "Plum blossoms have their own fragrance, which has nothing to do with the bitter cold of wind and snow. Don't listen to what others say. If someone tells you that only those who endure hardships can become successful, just turn around and run away."
“If there’s a shortcut that doesn’t require hardship, why bother enduring it?”
"Fujin, Princess Song is here." Sui Qing reminded in a low voice.
Chu Xian turned around and saw Song walking slowly towards her from the direction of the Buddhist building.
"This servant pays his respects to Madam Fu-jin."
"Ms. Song, there's no need to be so polite. You should have finished your mourning period two months ago. Now that the New Year is approaching, if you need anything, just tell Madam Chun."
"Madam, I have something personal to tell you." Song hesitated to speak.
Chu Xian walked calmly into the octagonal pavilion and said, "Song, Xianrong and Suiqing are my trusted servants. If you have anything to say, just tell me. It's nothing serious."
Song nodded and said, "Fujin, Li passed away a few months ago. The night before she died, she came to look for me."
"He said he had something fatal on you and was worried about what might happen to you, so he gave me a brocade box to keep."
"Mrs. Li said that if she passed away, she would let me hand this box over to the Fourth Master."
Song brought the wax-sealed lacquer box to Chu Xian.
Chu Xian didn't reach out to take it, but simply smiled calmly and said, "Since Li asked you to give it to the Fourth Master, why did she give it to me? This is my leverage. If you give it to the Fourth Master, maybe he'll be so pleased that he'll even allow you to be his concubine."
Mrs. Song frantically defended herself, "Fujin, I know who is the real supporter of the harem. From now on, I will follow your lead. Please rest assured."
"Madam, you helped me avenge my mother's death, allowed me to observe mourning for her, and taught me a lesson for those tricky servants. I remember all of this and am deeply grateful to you. How could I dare to betray you?"
"Song family..."
Chu Xian sighed, now the times have changed, she can no longer calmly send a woman to the Fourth Master's bed.
"Don't worry, Madam. I will do my best to win the heart of the Fourth Master for you. I will not let you down."
Song knew that Fu Jin was obsessed with the women in the harem who could help her secure her favor. Although she was unwilling to have much contact with the cold-hearted Fourth Master, she still gritted her teeth and took the initiative to take on this difficult task.
"Song, I will not force you to do anything from now on. Just do what you like, embroider, read, listen to opera, whatever you want to do."
Chu Xian's face flushed red, her eyes filled with apology: "I was the one who forced you to do what you wanted. I shouldn't have forced you and Li to curry favor with the Fourth Master."
"From now on, I will never force you to do anything, and you won't need to report every month on how you seduce the Fourth Master."
Upon hearing this, Song was stunned for a moment and almost laughed out loud with joy.
But she was worried that Fu Jin was testing her ambition, so she just bowed her head and said, "Fu Jin, did I do something wrong? Please calm down, Fu Jin, I will do my best to please the Fourth Master."
When she raised her eyes, she was surprised to find that Fu Jin's face was blushing.
Song secretly thought that this was not good. Could it be that Fu Jin had been completely bewitched by the Fourth Prince, lost her mind, and sunk into the Fourth Prince's false feelings...
What happened between Fu Jin and the Fourth Prince during her mourning period?
"Madam, I have something to say that may be unpleasant to the ear, but I wonder if you are willing to listen to it." Song mustered up the courage to speak.
She was destined to depend on the Fourth Lady, Nara, for the rest of her life. If Nara was blinded by love, she would have to worry about the trivial matters of jealousy in the harem.
Couldn't she see the true face of the Fourth Prince? The Fourth Prince was not a good person.
"What do you want to say? Song."
Song knelt at her feet and lowered her voice to remind her, "Fujin, you and the Fourth Master are in perfect harmony. I am truly happy for you. However... choosing a man who is good at wielding power and scheming means you must accept his schemes, or even betrayal."
"I am not saying this to curse you. I simply want to tell you that I am willing to be the sharpest knife in your hand and do my utmost to secure your favor."
"Don't worry. As long as I am in the backyard, I will not let anyone snatch your favor away." Song raised her hand and swore.
Chu Xian felt mixed emotions, she didn't expect to win the loyalty of the Song family by accident.
"Song, you are kind-hearted, but you don't need to fight fiercely with the women in the harem for me. If my favor requires me to fight for it with all my heart, then it's better not to have it."
Chu Xian reached out and helped Song up.
"Fujin, I don't understand why you don't fight for it. All men in the world are unlucky. If you don't fight for it, someone else will definitely get there first."
Chu Xian looked towards the front yard.
"If the master likes me, he won't look for other women. If he favors other women, it means he doesn't like me. Why should I cry and fight for a man who doesn't like me?"
"Fujin, all men in the world have three wives and four concubines. I am afraid that you will be sad in the future." Song was secretly shocked by Fujin's thoughts.
Fujin was still dreaming, hoping that the Fourth Prince would favor her alone.
Which royal descendant would live with a woman?
Song became increasingly anxious, fearing that Fu Jin would lose her mind and fall into disaster in the future.
Concubine Tong is not easy to get along with. If Concubine Nara is defeated, her good days will be over.
"I won't be sad. Before I get sad, I will calm down." Chu Xian's eyes fell on the man who was walking towards her.
"Once you give something away, it's hard to take it back. Madam, please think twice." Mrs. Song was almost crying.
"Song family, everything is determined by fate. We have no control over it. Just like you are a concubine in the Prince's Mansion, and I am the Fourth Lady. For the rest of our lives, Song family, neither you nor I can escape fate."
Chu Xian plucked a golden hairpin from her hairpin and pinned it on Song's plain and simple hairpin: "You don't need to fight for me, and I don't want to fight either. Remember this."
Chu Xian has already accepted her fate. Since she can't escape her destiny, she will just accept it.
Eight years later, she faced the pain of losing her son. Thirteen years later, she faced the pain of betrayal. Finally, in the ninth year of Yongzheng's reign, with her death, everything came to an end.
During this period, she wanted to give it a try. If she could save Hui'er, she would have hope for the rest of her life.
If she could survive until that man passed away in the 13th year of Yongzheng's reign, it would be good for her to become the empress dowager.
Before that, she would force herself to endure all the unbearable things, including pretending to love him.
Song's whole body stiffened. It turned out that Fu Jin saw through things better than anyone else.
Yes, everything is determined by fate. She and her wife will enter the Fourth Prince's harem in this life, and will study with him even after death. There is no other choice.
They had no choice but to submit to the Fourth Prince and were at their wit's end.
Song suppressed her sorrow and said, "Since that's the case, I'm willing to stay with Fu Jin in this huge backyard."
"Go, go back early. I'll ask Madam Zheng to come to your courtyard later. If you need anything, just ask Madam Zheng." Chu Xian lowered her head and held back her tears.
Ten years, that man promised her ten years.
During these ten years, no third person can come between her and him.
In the past ten years, the only thing she had to do was to keep her heart and not get bogged down in his affairs.
When his destined true love Nian appears, everything returns to the starting point.
"Fujin...you should be more open-minded. You still have a legitimate little prince. You will eventually get through this."
Song's eyes felt sore, and she always felt that the Fourth Lady in her gorgeous clothes was like a canary imprisoned in a golden cage.
If I die, I would rather die in a cage and not be reborn.
"Go ahead. Life is short, enjoy it while you can. From now on, you can do whatever you want."
"Madam, I'll take my leave." Song didn't even raise her eyes to look at the Fourth Prince who was walking towards her. With Madam's protection, she would be able to gain a firm foothold in the rear house.
After watching Song leave, Chu Xian turned around with a smile, took the initiative to walk towards the man, pretended to be affectionate, and snuggled in his arms.
She is not Lin Shu, and he is not Chi Zheng.
She was only the Fourth Lady, and he was only the Fourth Prince. She could pretend to be what he wanted without leaving any trace.
Even when she was in love, she could force herself to pretend to be flawless.
"Xian'er, the passage to the West Garden has been blocked. From now on, the West Garden has nothing to do with us."
Chu Xian was worried: "It's okay to leave a door open, but I'm afraid the prince will think too much."
When the prince was mentioned, a flash of resentment flashed across Chu Xian's eyes.
There were still ten years before the crown prince was deposed. She couldn't wait any longer and wished the crown prince would be imprisoned tomorrow.
In addition to racking her brains to break off the engagement over the years, she has also spared no effort to do another thing, which is to collect evidence against Yuqing Palace and the Hesheli clan.
Then she handed the handle of Yuqing Palace to the Eighth Prince. She had been allied with the Eighth Prince Yinsi for many years, and she was the most secretive member of the Eighth Prince's party.
Even Wan Ning didn't know that she had secretly formed a clique with the Eighth Master for personal gain.
Over the years, the Eighth Master had grown stronger, and she secretly contributed money and effort, even helping the Eighth Master to come up with strategies to attack the Fourth Master and Yuqing Palace. She used her foresight of history to secretly interfere with the process of the Nine Dragons' succession.
She was trying her best to survive.
"My cousin is one of the female members of the Crown Prince's harem. If I don't block that door, the Crown Prince will sooner or later have second thoughts. It's better to completely eliminate the trouble."
After failing to sow discord between the Fourth Master and the Crown Prince, Chu Xian suppressed her regret and hugged him tightly.
"Master, the prince is here and is now in the study in the front yard." Enpu reminded in a low voice.
"I'll warm up the plum blossom wine and send it to the front yard. We can't afford to offend the Yuqing Palace. I'm afraid..."
Chu Xian pretended to tremble. She had to alienate the relationship between the Fourth Master and the Crown Prince as soon as possible. The Fourth Master was the most powerful right-hand man of Yuqing Palace. If the Fourth Master interfered, she would never be able to kill the Crown Prince for revenge until her death.
"Don't be afraid of him. I'll take care of everything. You should rest early and don't have to come to the front yard."
"I have to go to the palace to pay my respects to my mother tomorrow. Would you like to rest in the main courtyard tonight?" Chu Xian said shyly and tightly hooked her arms around his neck.
"Besides you, where else can I stay?" Yinzhen coaxed her in a gentle voice.
Her mother had stuffed several concubines and princesses into the harem, and she was petty-tempered and couldn't help being jealous.
"My eighth brother petitioned Khan Ama today to move the wedding date to the 25th of the twelfth lunar month, and Khan Ama has approved it."
"That's great! I was worried about delaying Wan Ning and Master Ba's wedding. It won't work. Wan Ning's wedding is less than two months away, and I have to go back to sort out Wan Ning's dowry."
Chu Xian almost cried for joy. Wan Ning's wedding was delayed because of her. She was worrying about how to make it up to Wan Ning, but she didn't expect that Mr. Ba couldn't wait to move the wedding date forward by half a year.
"Xian'er, if you need anything, go to my private vault. The vault key and account books have been sent to your room."
"The account books and keys? Weren't they delivered long ago? Why are they being delivered again today?" Chu Xian was confused.
Yinzhen hugged her waist tightly and stroked her bulging belly with one hand.
"It's different. I didn't reveal my identity before. I was worried you'd see through me, so I didn't give you all the account books and keys."
Chu Xian's smile froze for a moment, and she whispered softly, "What good things did you hide in your private vault? You couldn't let me see them before."
Yinzhen kissed her cheeks and hair gently.
"If you're curious, go to the warehouse and take a look. I'm not hiding anything from you now."
Chu Xian was frightened, always feeling that if she went to see the items in the Fourth Master's private vault, she would be in pain and torment.
Although she was extremely curious about what it was, when she thought about the pain she would suffer, Chu Xian made up her mind and decided not to reveal the truth.
After sending the wife back to the main courtyard, Yinzhen walked back to the study in the front yard.
The prince was reading the memorials reviewed by his fourth brother. When he heard footsteps, he looked up at his fourth brother, and his eyes subconsciously fell behind him.
Hiding his sorrow and loss, the moment he learned that Nara had died in the fire, he immediately rushed to Tanzhe Temple. Halfway there, he heard that Khan Ama had summoned his fourth brother and Nara to the Qianqing Palace.
Yinreng was distracted the whole night until he saw Nara leaving the Qianqing Palace safely.
I don't know why he came to look for his fourth brother tonight. After chatting with him for a long time, Yinreng had no intention of leaving. When he thought that if he left, his fourth brother would go to have fun with Nara, he was so jealous that he wanted to stay and not leave.
It was not until the fifth watch, when court was about to begin, that Yinreng returned to the Western Garden to rest drunkenly.
The eyes watch the nose and the nose watches the heart. How could Ling Pu, the eunuch in charge of Yuqing Palace, not know what his master was thinking? He hurriedly tried to comfort him, "Master, will you invite the princes and their wives to join us for the banquet at Yuqing Palace tomorrow night?"
“It’s more lively when there are more people.”
Yinreng's eyes lit up. In the past, whenever there was a banquet, Nara always made excuses and never went to Yuqing Palace to attend.
"Very good. Have the Crown Princess prepare to entertain all the wives tonight. Invite my eighth brother's wife as well. This is a perfect opportunity to celebrate my eighth brother's upcoming wedding."
The prince paused and continued, "After the banquet, you must go to Fanhua Tower to pray for Khan Ama. You are not allowed to be absent."
"Hmm..." Ling Pu felt uneasy. The prince's thoughts about that girl had never stopped and were getting more and more intense.
In the past, I only spied on Nara clan in secret, no matter how big or small the matter was, but the more I restrained myself, the more crazy I became when I lost control. It would be better to take this opportunity to let the prince take a break.
Inside the Yonghe Palace in the Forbidden City, Chu Xian's smile froze.
For the first time, Chu Xian discovered that Concubine De was an absolute chatterbox. Two hours had passed, and Concubine De was still chattering with Concubine Ding Wan Liuha. She could no longer sit still.
He made an excuse to wait on the Fourth Master after court and ran away at full speed.
When I walked to the gate of Chengqian Palace, I saw a familiar figure walking towards me.
"Greetings to the Fourth Lady."
Wan Ning followed behind Ling Pu, the eunuch in charge of Yuqing Palace, and her reserved voice was trembling.
"Your servant Ling Pu pays his respects to the Fourth Lady. Coincidentally, I was just about to go to Yonghe Palace to invite you to a banquet at Yuqing Palace."
Hearing the three words "Yuqing Palace", Chu Xian subconsciously wanted to refuse.
"Eunuch Ling Pu, what a coincidence, I was just..." Her eyes suddenly fell on Wan Ning's clasped hands. When she was nervous and afraid, she would subconsciously clasp her fingers together.
Wan Ning was scared.
Chu Xian suppressed her fear of Yuqing Palace and responded politely, "What a coincidence! I was just about to go to Yuqing Palace to pay my respects to the Crown Princess."
"Please, Eunuch Lingpu, lead the way."
She couldn't leave Wan Ning alone, lest Wan Ning not know the rules when she went to Yuqing Palace for the first time and be looked down upon.
"Xian'er, the Eighth Master is on duty at the Ministry of Rites today. I don't know when he will be able to come to Yuqing Palace for the banquet."
Wan Ning supported her and walked slowly forward.
"We'll see what happens. You can send me to the gate of Yuqing Palace and then find an excuse to go back to the prince's residence and wait for the Fourth Prince."
Chu Xian held Wan Ning's trembling hand tightly and comforted her softly, "It's okay. We're in front of everyone and in the Forbidden City. What should I be afraid of? We're not in Hongluo Temple."
"Xian'er, I'm really fine, please don't come." Wan Ning looked at Xian'er's bulging belly worriedly.
"It's okay."
After Chu Xian finished speaking, she protected Wan Ning behind her and quickened her pace.
In the Ministry of Rites, Yinzhen came today to discuss the spring sacrifice at the ancestral tomb with his eighth brother who was on duty at the Ministry of Rites.
At this time, Su Peisheng came with quick steps, followed closely by Yinsi's servant Yan Jin.
"My Lord, Fu Jin has come to the palace to pay her respects today. She will be invited to the Yuqing Palace for a banquet."
"Eighth Master, the wife has also gone. The incident happened suddenly, and Ling Pu, the head eunuch of Yuqing Palace, was ordered by the Crown Princess to come and fetch the wife."
Yan Jin's voice was anxious: "Don't give people a chance to refuse at all."
Yinzhen and his eighth brother exchanged a glance, and Yinsi, with a smile on his face, looked at the officials in the room filled with rites: "That's all for today. We'll continue tomorrow. Everyone, disperse."
"Myna, what happened?" The Ninth Prince saw that the usually gentle Myna was on the verge of a rage.
"Ninth brother, please help me take charge of the Ministry of Rites. I will go to Yuqing Palace to pick up your eighth sister-in-law."
"How can this be possible!" The honest and upright Tenth Prince cursed angrily when he heard the servant whispering in his ear.
Yinzhen and Yinsi hurried to Yuqing Palace. Yinsi was half a step behind his fourth brother. The sound of his fourth brother's clenched fists could be heard.
Yinsi was horrified: "Fourth brother, nothing will happen to Fourth Sister-in-law in the Forbidden City, don't worry."
Yinzhen did not stop and said coldly: "Eighth brother, it was him at Hongluo Temple that year. Even you knew the inside story, right?"
Yinsi was stunned. "Yes...I was the one who helped deal with the aftermath and executed those who knew about it. It's all in the past, Fourth Brother. You need to calm down."
"Hmm." Yinzhen sneered.
The two brothers walked into the main gate of Yuqing Palace one after the other.
At the same time, Chu Xian was changing clothes in the west side hall of Yuqing Palace when she suddenly felt a thorn in her back.
Outside the screen, the serving maid remained calm and extinguished the incense with tea.
Wan Ning was sitting on the rose stool when she suddenly heard heavy breathing.
An apricot-yellow figure passed her directly and flew behind the screen.
"Xian'er!" Wan Ning screamed in fear and rushed forward to stop him, but the drunken prince disregarded propriety and restrained Xian'er in his arms and molested her.
Two crow-blue figures rushed towards them.
"Yinreng!"
With a bang, the prince was knocked to the ground by a punch.
"Fourth brother, calm down." Yinsi was unable to dodge and was knocked to the ground by the prince's punch.
"Master!" Wan Ning rushed to the Eighth Master out of fear, but was knocked to the ground by the drunken prince with a palm.
"Yinreng!" Yinsi's eyes were red as he rushed forward and beat the prince together with his fourth brother.
"Fourth Prince, Eighth Prince! How dare you two plot to murder the crown prince! How outrageous!" The Crown Princess, who rushed over after hearing the news, had her eyes wide open in anger.
The guards behind her pinned the furious Fourth Prince and Eighth Prince to the ground.
"Crown Princess, I saw that it was the Fourth Lady who deliberately seduced the Crown Prince. The Fourth and Eighth Masters misunderstood the Crown Prince and somehow started fighting."
The round-faced little palace maid crawled on the ground and said tremblingly.
At this time, Yinreng was beaten black and blue by his fourth and eighth brothers. In shock and anger, he kicked his fourth and eighth brothers down the stairs together.
"Master, can we go back home? Stop fighting... I'm scared... I'm scared..." Chu Xian hugged the Fourth Master's arm with tears in her eyes.
"Master, please stop hitting me, please..." Wan Ning sobbed and hugged Master Ba's waist tightly.
"Come here, seal off Yuqing Palace." Yinreng raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his lips, frowning.
"I was drunk tonight and accidentally kicked my fourth brother down." The prince drew the sword of the guard at his side with a cold face.
"If you dare to gossip about her, she will be yours."
With a wave of his hand and a slash of his knife, the Crown Princess's face was splattered with hot blood. The round-faced palace maid who had been spreading rumors was beheaded on the spot by the enraged Crown Prince.
The Crown Princess was so frightened that tears welled up in her eyes and she covered her mouth tightly, not daring to make a sound.
"My Lord, I was careless tonight and offended you. I beg you to calm down."
Chu Xian was the first to kneel down and give the prince a step down.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. The Fourth and Eighth Masters were both drunk. They didn't hold back when sparring with you just now and accidentally injured you. Please be magnanimous..."
She was about to kowtow when the Fourth Master pulled her behind him to protect her.
"Second brother, it was Yinzhen who was reckless just now. Please forgive me." Yinzhen suppressed his rage and knelt at the feet of the prince.
"Second brother, I just made a mistake. I acknowledge my guilt."
Yinsi couldn't bear to see Wan'er crying in fear, so he followed his fourth brother and knelt in front of the prince to beg for mercy.
"Forget it, go back early."
Yinreng's eyes fell on the trembling figure, feeling lost.
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