Chang Bao was quick to step forward and clean up the mess. At the same time, he carefully observed the Queen Mother's expression, trying to discern her true emotions.
After a brief moment of astonishment, Lu Fengqing's eyes became extremely complicated. She stared at Hong Yingrong, with an indescribable suspicion and disbelief in her eyes.
"You...how could you be so cruel? He's your own son! The prince of the Marquisate!"
In this tense atmosphere, Chang Bao's eyes rolled around, and his face instantly changed to a serious one, playing the stern role.
"Old Madam, you can't make up such a lie to deceive the Queen Mother just because you feel sorry for the prince's long journey."
"This is a crime of deceiving the emperor, and it must never be done." His tone revealed a hint of blame and reminder, trying to ease the sudden tense atmosphere.
Hong Yingrong's face was solemn, and she stated in a serious tone, "If the Queen Mother has any doubts about this, she can send someone she trusts to the Marquis' Mansion to investigate."
"Furthermore, when the Jingzhao Yin came to the palace to convey the imperial edict this morning, he happened to see this happening. He then went into the palace to report to Your Majesty first. I'm sure Your Majesty has already learned of this matter by now."
Her words involved Emperor Li Longze and Jingzhao Yin Li Zhengxuan, so naturally she did not dare to tell any lies.
Lu Fengqing leaned gently on the cushion of the phoenix throne, silent. The entire hall fell into silence, and the atmosphere was solemn and dignified.
However, behind this silence, Lu Fengqing's heart was in turmoil. She felt that all this was really interesting.
Ever since the death of the old Marquis Xue Yonghuai, she has been looking forward to the Xingyuan Marquisate falling into chaos.
However, to her surprise, from the agreement to inherit the title within three years at the last Taimiao ceremony to Hong Yingrong's decisive behavior in punishing Xue Yuanchu for misappropriating rice, the wit and sharpness shown by Hong Yingrong made her look at her with admiration.
He broke Xue Yuanchu's leg with the dragon-patterned staff he personally gave him?
This preemptive move really gives us the upper hand.
In this way, neither she, Lu Fengqing, nor the emperor Li Longze would be able to add any crime to Xue Yuanchu, otherwise they would be branded as harshly criticizing the orphan of a loyal hero.
Hong Yingrong is really good at putting justice above her own family, and one cannot help but admire her decisiveness.
"I gave you the dragon-patterned staff to highlight the status of the Xingyuan Marquisate, lest anyone look down on Yuanchu for failing to inherit the title over the past three years. I didn't want you to use it to enforce family law. Breaking Yuanchu's leg was truly beyond my expectation."
Lu Fengqing pretended to press his chest with his right hand, his face showing pain.
Chang Bao saw this and hurried forward, his voice filled with concern. "Queen Dowager, please take care of yourself! I'm sure the old lady is desperate, so she resorted to this desperate measure. Please don't take it to heart. It's not worth it to get yourself hurt by anger."
Lu Fengqing took a deep breath and slowly lowered his right hand. His face was still pale, but the anger in his eyes had subsided a lot.
"Well, since things have come to this, I will send a royal physician who specializes in external injuries to your house to treat Yuanchu. After all, he is the heir of the Xingyuan Marquis. If he behaves badly in the future, wouldn't he be laughed at?"
Seeing Lu Fengqing's expression gradually calm down, Hong Yingrong's tense heartstrings finally relaxed a little.
"The Empress Dowager has bestowed upon me the dragon-patterned staff. This kindness is truly a supreme honor. However, precisely because of this, I must use this staff as a lesson to strictly discipline my children. I must not let the Empress Dowager down."
At this point, a hint of determination flashed in her eyes, and she continued, "If I can use Yuanchu's leg as the price for him to reform himself and abide by the law, then in my opinion, such a sacrifice is worth it."
Hong Yingrong had said everything she wanted to say, so Lu Fengqing naturally couldn't blame her any further.
The news of the old lady of the Marquis's Mansion beating her disobedient son with a cane will surely spread throughout the streets and alleys of the capital soon. People will probably praise her for her righteousness and for doing this to correct the family tradition, which is truly admirable.
At this moment, Xue Zhongfu was standing outside the palace gate. He heard the sound of cups breaking inside the palace. His heart tightened, thinking that the empress dowager was angry, and he was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.
However, he could not enter the hall without permission, so he could only wander anxiously in the corridor. In his excitement, he punched the pillar hard.
He didn't notice that the eunuch Chen Jin, who was in charge of writing, had quietly come to his side, gently waving the whisk in his hand.
"Oh, Lord Xue, what's wrong with you being so angry?" Chen Jin asked softly.
Xue Zhongfu turned around abruptly upon hearing the voice, then clasped his fists and saluted Chen Jin: "Ah, Eunuch Chen, long live the eunuch."
"Lord Xue, our family cannot afford such a generous gift from you." Chen Jin responded with a smile.
"You are too modest, sir. I am the one who lost my composure. Please forgive me!" Xue Zhongfu said earnestly.
Chen Jin smiled warmly and turned his gaze towards the tightly closed door of Ci'an Palace. "The old lady is in there, right? No wonder Master Xue is so anxious."
A bitter smile appeared on Xue Zhongfu's lips, and a look of deep worry appeared on his face.
"My eldest brother's affairs have probably spread like wildfire, and everyone knows about it. Today, my mother went to the palace to see His Majesty, but unfortunately, His Majesty did not summon us. Instead, the Queen Mother summoned us here for questioning..."
"Lord Xue, you don't have to be too anxious. Just wait for good news." Chen Jin comforted him gently, and then walked calmly into the hall.
Xue Zhongfu looked at Chen Jin's back and couldn't help feeling surprised.
The other party walked straight in without notifying anyone. His familiar attitude surprised Xue Zhongfu and made him curious about the relationship between Chen Jin and the Queen Mother.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
